ဇာတက-အဋ္ဌကထာ (ပ)

[vv. 1-11] The Apannaka and other Births, which in times gone by were recounted on various occasions by the great illustrious Sage, and in which during a long period our Teacher and Leader, desirous of the salvation of mankind, fulfilled the vast conditions of Buddhahood, were all collected together and added to the canon of Scripture by those who made the recension of the Scriptures, and rehearsed by them under the name of THE JATAKA. Having bowed at the feet of the Great Sage, the lord of the world, by whom in innumerable existences 2 boundless benefits were conferred upon mankind, and having paid reverence to the Doctrine, and ascribed honour to the Order, the receptacle of all honour and having; removed all dangers by the efficacy of that meritorious act of veneration and honour referring to the Three Gems, I proceed to recite a Commentary upon this Jataka, illustrating as it does the infinite efficacy of the actions of great men a commentary based upon the method of exposition current among the inmates of the Great Monastery. And I do so at the personal request of the elder Atthadassin, who lives apart from the world and ever dwells with his fraternity, and who desires the perpetuation of this chronicle of Buddha and likewise of Buddhamitta the tranquil ; Lit. perfected the vast constituents of Buddhahood, the Paramitas are meant. The Apannaka is the title of the first Jataka. Lit. in thousands of kotis of births (a koti is ten millions). and wise, sprung from the race of Mahimsasaka, skilled in the canons of interpretation and more ; over of the monk Buddhadeva of clear intellect. May all good men lend me their favourable attention l while I speak ! Inasmuch as this comment on the Jataka, if it be expounded after setting forth the three Epochs, the distant, the intermediate, and proximate, will be clearly understood by those who hear it because they will have understood it from the beginning, therefore I will expound it after setting forth the three Epochs. Accordingly from the very outset it will be well to determine the limits of these Epochs. Now the narrative of the Bodhisatta s existence, from the time that at the feet of Dipankara he formed a resolu tion to become a Buddha to his rebirth in the Tusita heaven after leaving his life as Vessantara, is called the Distant Epoch. From his leaving the Tusita heaven to his attainment of omniscience on the Bo-tree seat, the narrative is called the Intermediate Epoch. And the Proximate Epoch is to be found in the various places in which he sojourned (during his ministry on earth). The following is

I: THE DISTANT EPOCH Dureniddna Tradition tells us that four asankheyyas 2 and a hundred thousand cycles ago there was a city called Amaravati. In this city there dwelt a brahmin named Sumedha, of good family on both sides, on the The above lines in the original are in verse. I have found it impossible to follow the arrangement of the stanzas, owing to the extreme involution of the style. An asankheyya is a period of vast duration, lit. an incalculable. father s and the mother s side, of pure conception for seven generations back, by birth unreproached and respected, a man comely, well-favoured and amiable, and endowed with remarkable beauty. He followed his brahminical studies without engaging in any other pursuit. His parents died while he was still young. A minister of state, who acted as steward of his property, bringing forth the roll-book of his estate, threw open the stores filled with gold and silver, gems and pearls, and other valuables, and said So much, : " young man, belonged to your mother, so much to your father, so much to your grandparents and greatgrandparents," and pointing out to him the property inherited through seven generations, he bade him guard it carefully. The wise Sumedha thought to " himself : After amassing all this wealth my parents and ancestors when they went to another world took not a farthing with them. Can it be right that I should make it an object to take my wealth with me when I go ? And informing the king of his intention, he " caused proclamation to be made x in the city, gave largess to the people, and embraced the ascetic life of a hermit. To make this matter clear the Story of Sumedha -must here be related. This story, though given in full in the 2 from its being in a metrical Buddhavamsa, form, is not very easy to understand. I will therefore relate it with sentences at intervals explaining the metrical construction. caused the drums to be beaten." " Lit. A poem belonging to the Sutta-Pitaka, edited by Rd. Morris, Pali Text Soc., 1882. Ed. Four asankheyyas and a hundred thousand cycles ago there was a city called Amaravati or Amara, resounding with the ten city cries, concerning which it is said in Buddhavamsa : 12. Four asankheyyas and a hundred thousand cycles ago A city there was called Amara, beautiful and pleasant, Resounding with the ten cries, abounding in food and drink. Then follows a stanza of Buddhavamsa enumerating some of these cries, 13. The trumpeting of elephants, the neighing of horses, (the sound of) drums, trumpets, and chariots, And viands and drinks were cried, with the invitation, Eat and drink." " It goes on to say : 14. A city supplied with every requisite, engaged in every sort of industry, Possessing the seven precious things, thronged with dwellers of many races ; The abode of devout men, like the prosperous city of the angels. 15. In the city of Amaravati dwelt a brahmin named Sumedha, Whose hoard was many tens of millions, blest with much wealth and store ; 16. Studious, knowing the Mantras, versed in the three Vedas, Master of the science of divination and of the traditions and observances of his caste. Now one day the wise Sumedha, having retired to the splendid upper apartment of his house, seated himself cross-legged, and fell a-thinking. Oh " ! wise man, grievous is rebirth in a new existence, and the dissolution of the body in each successive place where we are reborn. I am subject to birth, to decay, to disease, to death it is right, being such, that I Here a gloss in the text enumerates the whole ten cries. a The Bodhisatta is frequently called pandita, e.g. sasapantfito (Jat. No. 316), Ramapcwdito (Dasaratha Jat. No. 461). should strive to attain the cool great deathless Nir vana, the tranquil, the free from birth and decay, and sickness, and grief and joy surely there must be a; road that leads to Nirvana and releases man from becoming." Accordingly it is said : 17. Seated in seclusion, I then thought as follows : Grievous is rebirth and the breaking up of the body. 18. am subject to birth, to decay, to disease, I Therefore will I seek Nirvana, undecaying, undying haven. 19. Let me leave this perishable body, this pestilent congrega tion of vapours, And depart without desires and without wants. 20. There is, there must be a road, it cannot but be : I will seek this road, that I may obtain release from becoming. Further he reasoned thus " : For as in this world there is pleasure as the correlative of pain, so where there is becoming there must be its opposite, the cessation of becoming and as where there is heat ; there is also cold which neutralizes it, so there must be a Nirvana 2 that extinguishes (the fires of) lust and the other passions and as in opposition to a bad ; and evil condition there is a good and blameless one, so where there is evil birth there must also be a Nirvana, called the birthless, because it puts an end to all that is called rebirth." Therefore it is said : 21. As where there is suffering there is also bliss, So where there is becoming we must look for non-becoming. 22. And as where there is heat there is also cold, So where there is the threefold fire of passion extinguishing must be sought, 23. And as coexistent with evil there is also good, Even so where there is birth 3 the cessation of birth should be sought. Bdhv., p. 7. 2 " ? Lit.Extinguishing . Mr. Fausboll points out to me that in tividhaggi and jati we have Vedic abbreviations. Just as a man who has " Again lie reasoned thus : fallen into a heap of filth, if he beholds afar off a great pond covered with lotuses of five colours, ought to f seek that pond, saying : By what way shall I arrive there ? but if he does not seek it the fault is not ; that of the pond even so where there is the lake of ; the great deathless Nirvana for the washing of the defilement of sin, if it is not sought it is not the fault of the lake. And just as a man who is surrounded by robbers, if when there is a way of escape he does not fly it is not the fault of the way but of the man even ; so when there is a blessed road leading to Nirvana for the man who is encompassed and held fast by sin, its not being sought is not the fault of the road but of the person. And as a man who is oppressed with sickness, there being a physician who can heal his disease, if he does not get cured by going to the phy sician that is no fault of the physician ; even so if a man who is oppressed by the disease of sin seeks not a spiritual guide who is at hand and knows the road which puts an end to sin, the fault lies with him and not with the sin-destroying teacher." Therefore it is said : 24. As a man fallen among filth, beholding a brimming lake, If he seek not that lake the fault is not in the lake ; 25. So when there exists a lake of Nirvana that washes the stains of sin, If a man seek not that lake, the fault is not in the lake of Nirvana. 26. As a man beset with foes, there being a way of escape, If he flee not away, the fault is not with the road ; 27. So when there is a way of bliss, if a man beset with sin Seek not that road, the fault is not in the way of bliss. 28. And as one who is diseased, there being a physician at hand, If he bid him not heal the disease, the fault is not in the healer : 29. So if a man who is sick and oppressed with the disease of sin Seek not the spiritual teacher, the fault is not in the teacher. And again he argued : "As a man fond of gay clothing, throwing off a corpse bound to his shoulders, goes away rejoicing, so must I, throwing off this perishable body, and freed from all care, enter the city of Nirvana. And as men and women depositing filth on a dungheap do not gather it in the fold or skirt of their garments, but loathing it, throw it away, feeling no desire for it ; so shall I also cast off this perishable body without regret, and enter the deathless city of Nirvana. And as seamen abandon without regret an unseaworthy ship and escape, so will I also, leaving this body, which distils corruption from its nine festering apertures, enter without regret the city of Nirvana. And as a man carrying various sorts of jewels and going on the same road with a band of robbers, out of fear of losing his jewels withdraws from them and gains a safe road ; even so this impure body is like a jewel-plundering robber, ifI set my affections thereon the jewel of the good doctrine of the sublime path of holiness will be lost to me, therefore ought I to enter the city of Nirvana, forsaking this robber-like body." Therefore it is said : 30. As a man might with loathing shake off a corpse bound upon his shoulders, And depart, secure, independent, master of himself ; 31. Even so let me depart, regretting nothing, wanting nothing. Leaving this perishable body, this collection of many foul vapours. 32. And as men and women deposit filth upon a dungheap, And depart regretting nothing, wanting nothing, 33. So will I depart, leaving this body filled with foul vapours, As one leaves a cesspool after depositing ordure there. 34. And as the owners forsake the rotten bark that is shattered and leaking, And depart without regret or longing, 35. So shall I go, leaving this body with its nine apertures ever running, As its owners desert the broken ship. 36. And as a man carrying wares, walking with robbers, Seeing danger of losing his wares, parts company with the robbers and gets him gone, 37. Even so is this body like a mighty robber, Leaving it I will depart through fear of losing good. Having thus in nine similes pondered upon the advantages connected with retirement from the world, the wise Sumedha gave away at his own house, as aforesaid, an immense hoard of treasure to the indigent and wayfarers and sufferers, and kept open house. And renouncing all pleasures, both material and sensual, departing from the city of Amara, away from the world in Himavanta he made himself a hermitage near the mountain called Dhammaka, and built a hut and a cloister free from the five defects which are hindrances (to meditation). And with a view to obtain the power reckoned as supernormal knowledge, which is characterized by the eight casual qualities described in the words beginning With a mind thus " tranquillized he embraced in that hermitage the "/ ascetic life of a Kishi, casting off the cloak with its nine disadvantages, and wearing the garment of bark with its twelve advantages. And when he had thus given up the world, forsaking this hut, crowded with eight drawbacks, he repaired to the foot of a tree with its ten advantages, and rejecting all sorts of grain lived constantly upon wild fruits. And Evam samdhite citte parisuddhe. pariyoddte anangane vigatupakkilese mudubhute kammaniye thite dnejjappatte ndnadassancLya cittarii abhimharati (Samannaphala Sutta, see Digha Nikdya, i, 76 ; Dialogues of the Buddha, i, 86). strenuously exerting himself both in sitting and in standing and in walking, within a week he became the possessor of the eight attainments, and of the five supernormal knowledges and so, in accordance with ; his prayer, he attained the might of supernormal knowledge. Therefore it is said : 38. Having pondered thus I gave many thousand millions of wealth To rich and poor, and made my way to Himavanta.. 39. Not far from Himavanta is the mountain called Dhammaka, Here I made an excellent hermitage, and built with care a leafy hut. 40. There I built me a cloister, free from five defects, Possessed of the eight good qualities, and attained the strength of the supernormal knowledges. 41. Then I threw off the cloak possessed of the nine faults, And put on the raiment of bark possessed of the twelve advantages. 42. I left the hut, crowded with the eight drawbacks, And went to the tree-foot possessed of ten advantages. 1 43. Wholly did I reject the grain that is sown and planted, And partook of the constant fruits of the earth, possessed of many advantages. 44. Then I strenuously strove, in sitting, in standing, and in walking, And within seven days attained the might of the know- Now while the hermit Sumedha, having thus attained the strength of supernormal knowledge, was living in the bliss of the (eight) attainments, the Teacher Dipankara appeared in the world. At the moment of his conception, of his birth, of his attain ment of Buddhahood, of his preaching his first dis course, the whole universe of ten thousand worlds trembled, shook and quaked, and gave forth a mighty Mr. Fausboll writes to me that gune for guriehi must be viewed as an old Pali form originating in the Sanskrit gunaih. Here follow four pages of later commentary or gloss, which I leave untranslated. sound, and the thirty-two marks showed themselves. But the hermit Sumedha, living in the bliss of the attainments, neither heard that sound nor beheld those signs. Therefore it is said : 45. Thus when I had attained the consummation, while I was subjected to the teaching, The Conqueror named Dipankara, chief of the universe, appeared. 46. At his conception, at his birth, at his Buddhahood, at his preaching, I saw not the four signs, plunged in the blissful trance of meditation. At that time Dipankara Buddha, accompanied by a hundred thousand saints, wandering his way from place to place, reached the city of Ramma, and took up his residence in the great monastery of Sudassana. And the dwellers of the city of Ramma heard it said : " Dipankara, lord of ascetics, having attained supreme Buddhaship, and set rolling the wheel of the excellent Norm, wandering his way from place to place, has come to the town of Ramma, and dwells at the great monastery of Sudassana." And taking with them ghee and butter and other medicinal requisites and clothes and raiment, and bearing perfumes and garlands and other offerings in their hands, their minds bent towards the Buddha, the Doctrine, and the Order, inclining towards them, hanging upon them, they approached the Teacher, and worshipped him, and presenting the perfumes and other offerings, sat down on one side. And having heard his preaching of the Doctrine, and invited him for the next day, they rose from their seats and departed. And on the next day, having prepared alms-giving for the poor, and having decked out the town, they repaired the road by which the Buddha was to come, throwing earth in the places that were worn away by water, and thereby levelling the surface, and scattering sand that looked like strips of silver. And they sprinkled fried paddy and flowers, and raised aloft flags and banners, of many-coloured cloths, and set up banana arches and rows of brimming jars. Then the hermit Sumedha, ascending from his hermitage, and pro ceeding through the air till he was above those men, and beholding the joyous multitude, exclaimed : " What can be the reason ? " and alighting stood on one side and questioned the people " : Tell me, why " are you adorning this road ? Therefore it is said : 47. In the region of the border districts, having invited the Buddha, With joyful hearts they are clearing the road by which he should come. 48. And I at that time leaving my hermitage, Rustling my barken tunic, departed through the air, 49. And seeing an excited multitude joyous and delighted, Descending from the air I straightway asked the men, 50. The people is excited, joyous, and happy, For whom is the road being cleared, the path, the way of his coming ? And the men replied " Venerable Sumedha, dost : thou not know ? Dipankara Buddha, having attained supreme knowledge, and set rolling the wheel of the glorious Doctrine, travelling from place to place, has reached our town, and dwells at the great monastery Sudassana we have invited the Blessed One, and ; are making ready for the blessed Buddha the road by which he is to come. And the hermit Sumedha The of the word Buddha is " thought very : sound rarely met with in the world, much more the actual appearance of a Buddha ; it behoves me to join these men in clearing the road." He said therefore to the men " If .you are clearing this road for the Buddha, : assign to me a piece of ground, I will clear the ground in company with you." They consented, saying : and perceiving the hermit Sumedha " "It is well ; to be possessed of supernatural power, they fixed upon a swampy piece of ground, and assigned it to him, saying Do thou prepare this spot." Sumedha, : " his heart filled with joy of which the Buddha was the cause, thought within himself : "I am able to prepare this piece of ground by supernatural power, but if so prepared it will give me no satisfaction this day it ; behoves me to perform menial duties and fetching " ; earth he threw it upon the spot. But ere the ground could be cleared by him with a train of a hundred thousand miracle-working saints endowed with the six supernormal knowledges, while devas offered celestial wreaths and perfumes, while celestial hymns rang forth, and men paid their homage with earthly perfumes arid with flowers and other offerings, Dlpankara endowed with the ten Forces, with all a Buddha s transcendant majesty, like a lion rousing himself to seek his prey on the Vermilion plain, came down into the road all decked and made ready for him. Then the hermit Sumedha as the Buddha with unblenching eyes approached along the road prepared for him, beholding that form endowed with the perfection of beauty, adorned with the thirtytwo marks of a super-man, and marked with the eighty minor beauties, attended by a halo of a fathom s depth and sending forth in streams the six-hued Buddharays, linked in pairs of different colours, and wreathed like the varied lightnings that flash in the gem-studded vault of heaven exclaimed : " This it behoves day me to make sacrifice of my life for the Buddha : let not the Blessed one walk in the mire nay, let him advance with his four hundred thousand saints trampling on my body as if walking upon a bridge of jewelled planks, this deed will long be for my good and my happiness." So saying, he loosed his hair, and spreading in the sooty mire his hermit s skin mantle, roll of matted hair and garment of bark, he lay down in the mire like a bridge of jewelled Therefore planks. it is said : 61.Questioned by me they replied, An incomparable Buddha is born into the world, The Conqueror named Dipankara, lord of the universe, For him the road is cleared, the way, the path of his coming. 52. When I heard the name of Buddha joy sprang up forthwith within me, a Repeating, Buddha, a Buddha! I gave utterance to my joy. 63. Standing there I pondered, joyful and excited, Here I will sow the seed, may the happy moment not pass away ! 54. If you clear a path for the Buddha, assign to me a place, I also will clear the road, the way, the path of his coming. 55. Then they gave me a piece of ground to clear the pathway ; Then repeating within me, a Buddha, a Buddha I cleared ! the road. 56. But ere my portion was cleared, Dipankara the great sage, The Conqueror, entered the road with four hundred thousand saints like himself, Possessed of the six superknowledges, pure from all taint of sin. 67. On every side men rise to receive him, many drums sound, Men and spirits overjoyed send forth their applause. 58. Devas look upon men, men upon devas, And both with clasped hands upraised approach "him who had thus come." 69. Devas with deva-music, men with earthly music, Both sending forth their strains approach him who had " thus come." 60. Devas floating in the air sprinkle down in all directions Erythrina flowers of deva- world, lotuses and coral flowers. 6 1 Men standing on the ground throw upwards in all directions Champac and Salala flowers, Cadamba and fragrant Mesua, Punnaga, and Ketaka. 62. Then I loosed my hair, and spreading in the mire Bark robe and mantle of skin, lay prone upon my face. 63. Let the Buddha advance with his disciples, treading upon me ; Let him not tread in the mire, it will be for my blessing. And as he lay in the mire, again beholding the Buddha-majesty of Dipankara Buddha with his Were " unblenching gaze, he thought as follows : I willing, I could enter the city of Ramma as a novice in the priesthood, after having destroyed all human passions but why should I disguise myself l to attain ; Nirvana after the destruction of human passion ? Let me rather, like Dipankara, having risen to the supreme knowledge of the Doctrine, enable mankind to enter the Ship of the Doctrine, and so carry them across the Ocean of Going-on, and when this is done afterwards attain Nirvana this indeed it is right ; that I should Then having enumerated the eight do." conditions (necessary to the attainment of Buddhahood), and having made the resolution to become Buddha, he laid himself down. Therefore it is said : The following is what I take to be the meaning of this passage : If I chose I could at once enter the Buddhist Order, and by the " practice of ecstatic meditation ( Jhana) free myself from human passion, and become an Arahant or saint. I should then at death at once attain Nirvana and cease to be reborn. But this would be a selfish course to pursue, for thus I should benefit myself only. should I thus slip unobserved and in the humble Why garb of a monk into Nirvana ? Nay, let me rather qualify myself to become a Buddha, and so save others as well as myself." This is the great ACT OF RENUNCIATION by which the Bodhisattva, when Nirvana was within his grasp, preferred to endure ages of heroic trials in the exercise of the Paramitas, that he might be enabled to become a Buddha, and so redeem mankind. See D Alwis s Introduction to Kachchayana s Grammar, p. vi. 64. As I lay upon the ground this was the thought of my heart, If I wished it I might this day destroy within me all human passions. 65. But why should I in disguise arrive at the knowledge of the Truth ? I will attain omniscience and become a Buddha, and (save) men and devas. 66. Why should I cross the ocean resolute but alone ? I will attain omniscience, and enable men and devas to cross. 67. By this resolution of mine, I a man of resolution Will attain omniscience, and save many folk. 68. Cutting off the stream of transmigration, annihilating the three forms of rebirth, Embarking in the ship of the Norm, I will carry across with me men and devas. 1 And the blessed Dipankara having reached the spot stood close by the hermit Sumedha s head. And opening his eyes possessed of the five kinds of grace as one opens a jewelled window, and beholding the hermit Sumedha lying in the mire, thought to himself : This hermit who lies here has formed the resolution " to be a Buddha " ; will his wish be fulfilled or not ? And casting forward his prescient gaze into the future, and considering, he perceived that four asankheyyas and a hundred thousand cycles from that time he would become a Buddha named Gotama. And stand ing there in the midst of the assembly he delivered " this prophecy, See ye this very austere ascetic " " lying in the rnire ? Yes, lord," they answered. This man lies here having made the resolution to " become a Buddha, his wish will be answered at the ; end of four asankheyyas and a hundred thousand cycles hence he will become a Buddha named Gotama, and in that birth the city Kapilavatthu will be his What follows from yasma to nipajji belongs to a later com mentary. I resume the translation with p. 15, 1. 11 of the text. residence, queen Maya will be his mother, king Suddhodana his father, his chief disciple will be the thera Upatissa, his second disciple the thera Kolita, the Buddha s servitor will be Ananda, his chief female disciple the nun Khema, the second the nun Uppalavanna. When he attains to years of ripe knowledge, having retired from the world and made the great exertion, having received at the foot of a banyan-tree a meal of rice milk, and partaken of it by the banks of the Neranjara, having ascended the bo-tree seat, he will, at the foot of a fig-tree, attain Supreme Buddhahood. Therefore it is said : 70. Dipankara, knower of all worlds, receiver of offerings, Standing by that which pillowed my head, spoke these words : 71. See ye this very austere hermit with his matted hair, Countless ages hence he will be a Buddha in this world. 72. Lo, "he who has thus come" departing from pleasant Kapila, Having made the great effort, performed all manner of austerities. 73. Having sat at the foot of the Ajapala tree, and there received rice pottage, Shall approach the Neranjara river. 74. Having received the rice pottage on the banks of the Neranjara, the Conqueror Shall come by a fair road prepared for him to the foot of the Bodhi-tree. 75. Then, unrivalled and glorious, reverentially saluting the Bodhi-seat, At the foot of a fig-tree he shall be awakened. 1 76. The mother that bears him shall be called Maya, His father will be Suddhodana, he himself will be Gotama. 77. His chief disciples will be Upatissa and Kolita, Men sane and immune, void of passion, calm- minded and intent. 78. The servitor Ananda will attend upon the Conqueror, Khema and Uppalavanna will be his chief women disciples, 79. Women sane and immune, void of passion, calm-minded and intent, The Bodhi-tree of this Buddha is known as the Assattha. Bujjhissati. The hermit Sumedha, exclaiming " My wish, it : seems, will be accomplished was filled with happi ", ness. The multitudes, hearing the words of Dipankara Buddha, were joyous and delighted, exclaiming : The hermit Sumedha, it seems, is a Buddha-seed, a " As a " Buddha-shoot For thus they thought " ! : man fording a river, if he is unable to cross to the ford opposite him, crosses to a ford lower down the stream, even so we, if under the dispensation of Dipankara Buddha we fail to attain the Paths and their fruition, yet when thou shalt become Buddha we shall be enabled in thy presence to make the paths and their fruition our own " and so they recorded their wish (for future sanctification). And Dipankara Buddha also having praised the Bodhisatta, and made an offering to him of eight handfuls of flowers, reverentially saluted him and departed. And the Arahants also, four hundred thousand in numbers having made offerings to the Bodhisatta of perfume, and garlands, reverentially saluted him and departed. And the devas and men having made the same offerings, and bowed down to him, went their way. And the Bodhisatta, when all had retired, rising from his seat and exclaiming : I will study the Perfections ", sat himself down cross-legged on a heap of flowers. And as the Bodhisatta sat thus, the devas in all the ten thousand worlds assembling shouted Venerable hermit Sumedha " applause. they said, ", " all the omen& which have manifested themselves when former Bodhisattas seated themselves crosslegged, saying * We will study the Perfections : all these this day have appeared assuredly thou shalt : become Buddha. This we know : to whom these omens appear, he surely will become Buddha do ; thou make a strenuous effort and exert thyself". With these words they lauded the Bodhisatta with varied praises. Therefore it is said : 80. Hearing these words of the incomparable Sage, Devas and men delighted, exclaimed, This is a Buddha- seed-seedling ! 81. A great clamour arises, men and devas in ten thousand worlds Clap their hands, and laugh, and make obeisance with clasped hands. Should we fail, they say, in this Buddha s dispensation c 82 . , Yet in time to come we shall stand before him. 83. As men crossing a river, if they fail to reach the opposite ford, Gaining the lower ford cross the great river, 84. Even so we all, if we lose this Buddha, In time to come shall stand before him." 85. The world-knowing DIpankara, the receiver of offerings, Having celebrated my action, went his way. 86. All his disciples of the Buddha that were present saluted me with reverence, Men, Nagas, and Gandhabbas bowed down to me and departed. 87. When the Lord of the world with his following had passed beyond my sight, Then glad, with gladsome heart, I rose up from my seat. 88. Happy I am by happiness, glad with a great gladness ; Flooded with rapture then I seated myself cross-legged. 89. And even as thus I sat I thought within myself, I am trained in Jhana, I have mastered the supernormal knowledges. 90. In a thousand worlds there are no sages that rival me, Unrivalled in miraculous powers I have reached this bliss. 91. When thus they beheld me sitting, the dwellers of ten thousand worlds Raised a mighty shout Surely thou shalt be a Buddha : ! 92. The omens 3 beheld in former ages when Bodhisatta sat cross-legged, The same are beheld this day. raised his right foot (to depart)." " Lit., at my sitting cross-legged." " Lit., Mr. Fausboll writes that yarn is a mistake of the copyist for yd=ydni. 93. Cold is dispelled and heat ceases, This day these things are seen, verily them shalt be Buddha. 94. A thousand worlds are stilled and silent. So are they seen to-day, verily thou shalt be Buddha. 95. The mighty winds blow not, the rivers cease to flow, These things are seen to-day, verily thou shalt be Buddha. 96. All flowers blossom on land and sea. This day they all have bloomed, verily thou shalt be Buddha. 97. All creepers and trees are laden with fruit, This day they all bear fruit, verily thou shalt be Buddha. 98. Gems sparkle in earth and sky, This day all gems do glitter, verily thou shalt be Buddha. 99. Music earthly and deva-music, Both these to-day send forth their strains verily thou shalt be Buddha. 100. Flowers of every hue rain down from the sky, This day they are seen verily thou shalt be Buddha. 101. The mighty ocean bends itself, ten thousand worlds are shaken, This day they both send up their roar verily thou shalt be Buddha. 102. In hell the fires of ten thousand worlds die out, This day these fires are quenched verily thou shalt be Buddha. 103. Unclouded is the sun and all the stars are seen, These things are seen to-day verily thou shalt be Buddha. 104. Though no rain fell in water that burst forth from the earth, This day that bursts forth from the earth verily thou shalt be Buddha. 105. The constellations are all aglow, and the lunar mansions in the vault of heaven, Visakha is in conjunction with the moon verily thou shalt be Buddha. 106. Those creatures that dwell in holes and caves depart each from his lair, This day these lairs are forsakenverily thou shalt be Buddha. 107. There is no discontent among mortals, but they are filled with contentment, This day all are content verily thou shalt be Buddha. 108. Then diseases are dispelled and hunger ceases, This day these things are seen verily thou shalt be Buddha 109. Then Lust wastes away, Hate and Dullness perish, This day all these are dispelled verily thou shalt Le Buddha. 110. No danger then comes near this day this thing is seen, ; By this sign we know it verily thou shalt become Buddha. 111. No dust flies up this day this thing is seen, ; By this sign we know it, verily thou shalt be Buddha. 112. All noisome odours flee away, divine fragrance breathes around, Such fragrance breathes this day verily thou shalt be Buddha. 113. All the devas are manifested, the Formless only excepted, This day they all are seen verily thou shalt be Buddha. 114. All the hells become visible, These all are seen this day verily thou shalt be Buddha. 115. Then walls, and doors, and rocks are no impediment, This day they have melted into space verily thou shalt be Buddha. 1 16. At that moment death and birth do not take place, This day these things are seen verily thou ehalt be Buddha. 117. Do thou make a strenuous effort, hold not back, go forward, This thing we know verily thou shalt be Buddha. And the Bodhisatta, having heard the words of Dlpankara Buddha and of the devas in ten thousand worlds filled with abounding vigour, thought thus within himself The Buddhas are beings whose : " word cannot fail there is no deviation from truth ; in their speech. For as the fall of a clod thrown into the air, as the death of a mortal, as the sunrise at dawn, as a lion s roaring when he leaves his lair, as the delivery of a woman with child, as all these things are sure and certain even so the word of the Buddhas is sure and cannot fail, verily I shall become a Buddha." Therefore it is said : 118. Having heard the words of Buddha and of the devas of ten thousand worlds, Glad, joyous, delighted, I then thought thus within myself ; 119. The Buddhas speak not doubtful words, the Conquerors speak not vain words, There is no falsehood in the Buddhas verily I shall become a Buddha. 120. As a clod cast into the air doth surely fall to the ground, So the word of the glorious Buddhas is sure and everlasting. 121. As the death of all mortals ig sure and constant, So the word of the glorious Buddhas is sure and everlasting. 122. As the rising of the sun is certain when night has faded, So the word of the glorious Buddhas is sure and everlasting. 123. As the roaring of a lion who has left his den is certain, So the word of the glorious Buddhas is sure and everlasting. 124. As the delivery of women with child is certain, So the word of the glorious Buddhas is sure and everlasting. And having thus made the resolution : "I shall surely become Buddha with a view to considering ", the conditions that constitute a Buddha, exclaiming : Where are the conditions that make the Buddha, " are they found above or below, in the principle or the minor directions ? " studying successively the principles of all things, and beholding the first Perfec tion of Giving, practised and followed former by Bodhisattas, he thus admonished himself " : Wise Sumedha, from time forth thou must fulfil this the perfection of Giving for as a water- jar over ; turned discharges the water so that none remains, and cannot recover it, even so if thou, indifferent to wealth and fame, and wife and child, and goods great and small, give away to all who come and ask every thing that they require till nought remains, thou shalt seat thyself at the foot of the tree of Bodhi and become a Buddha." With these words he strenuously resolved to attain the first perfection of Therefore Giving. it is said : 125. Come, I will search the Buddha-making conditions, this way and that, Above and below, in all the ten directions, as far as the principles of things extend. 126. Then, as I made my search, I beheld the first the Giving- perfection. The high road followed by former sages, 127. Do thou strenuously taking it upon thyself advance To this first perfection : Giving, if thou wilt attain Buddha- ship. 128. As a brimming water- jar, overturned by any one, Discharges entirely all the water, and retains none within, 129. Even so, when thou seest any that ask, great, small, and middling, Do thou give away all in alms, as the water-jar overthrown. There must be beside " But considering further : this, other conditions that make a Buddha and ", the second Perfection Moral Practice, he : beholding " wise Sumedha.from this forth thought thus : day thou fulfil the perfection of Morality for as mayest ; the yak ox, regardless of his life, guards his bushy if from this tail, even so thou shalt become Buddha, the day forward regardless of thy life thou keepest moral precepts." And he strenuously resolved to attain the second perfection, Moral Practice. There fore it is said : 130. The conditions of a Buddha cannot in sooth be so few, I will study the other conditions that bring Buddhaship to maturity. 131. Then studying I beheld the second Perfection of Morality Practised and followed by former sages. 132. This second one do thou strenuously undertake, And reach the Moral Practice if thou wilt attain perfection Buddhahood. 133. And as the yak cow, when her tail has got in aught entangled, 1 Then and there awaits death, and will not injure her tail, 134. So also do thou, having fulfilled the moral precepts in the four stages, Ever guard the Sila as the yak guards her tail. But considering further : " These cannot be the only Buddha-making conditions", and beholding the third Perfection of Self-abnegation, he thought thus : wise Sumedha, mayest thou henceforth fulfil the " viz., I suppose, by dragging it forcibly away. This metaphor, which to us appears wanting in dignity, is a favourite one with the Hindus. The tail of the Yak or Tibetan ox (Bos Grunniens] is a beautiful object, and one of the insignia of Hindu royalty. perfection of Abnegation ; for as a man long the denizen of a prison feels no love for it, but is dis contented, and wishes to live there no more, even so do thou, likening all births to a prison-house, dis contented with all births, and anxious to get rid of them, set thy face toward abnegation, thus shalt thou become Buddha." And he strenuously made the resolution to attain the third Perfection of Self- abnegation. Therefore it is said : 135. For the conditions that make a Buddha cannot be so few, I will study others, the conditions that bring Buddhaship to maturity. 136. Studying then I beheld the third Perfection, Abnegation Practised and followed by former sages. 137. This third one do thou strenuously undertake, And reach the perfection of abnegation, if thou wilt attain Buddhahood. 138. As a man long a denizen of the house of bonds, oppressed with suffering, Feels no pleasure therein, but rather longs for release, 139. Even so do thou look upon all births as prison-houses, Set thy face towards self-abnegation, to obtain release from becoming. But considering further " : These cannot be the only Buddha-making conditions and beholding the ", " fourth Perfection of Wisdom, he thought thus : wise Sumedha, do thou from this day forth fulfil the Perfection of Wisdom, avoiding no subject of know ledge, great, small, or middling, do thou approach all wise men and ask them questions for as the mendi ; cant friar on his begging rounds, avoiding none of the families, great and small, that he frequents, and wandering for alms from place to place, speedily not avoiding anything among things great, small, and " Lit., middling." a After kind understand kularii, as will be seen from v. 143. gets food to support him, even so shalt thou, approach ing all wise men, and asking them questions, become a Buddha." And he strenuously resolved to attain the fourth Perfection, Wisdom. Therefore it is said : 140. For the conditions that make a Buddha cannot be so few, I will study the other conditions that bring Buddhaship to maturity. 141. Studying then I beheld the fourth Perfection Wisdom : Practised and followed by former sages. 142. This fourth do thou strenuously undertake, And reach the Perfection of Wisdom, if thou wilt attain Buddhahood. 143. And as a monk on his begging rounds avoids no families, Either small, or great, or middling, and so obtains sub sistence, 144. Even so thou, constantly questioning wise men, And reaching the Wisdom Perfection, shall attain supreme Buddhaship. But considering further " : These cannot be the only Buddha-making and seeing the conditions ", fifth Perfection of Exertion, he thought thus "0 : wise Sumedha, do thou from this day forth fulfil the Perfection of Exertion. As the lion, the king of * beasts, in every action strenuously exerts himself, so if thou in all rebirths and in all thy acts art strenuous in exertion, and not a laggard, thou shalt become a Buddha ". And he made a firm resolve to attain the fifth Perfection, Exertion. Therefore it is said : 145. For the conditions of a Buddha cannot be so few, I will study the other conditions which bring Buddhaship to maturity. 146. Studying then I beheld the fifth Perfection Exertion : Practised and followed by former sages. 147. This fifth do thou strenuously undertake, And reach the perfection Exertion, if thou wilt attain : Buddhahood. Lit., in all postures, walking, standing, etc. 148. As the lion, king of beasts, in lying, standing, and walking Is no laggard, but ever of resolute heart, 149. Even so do thou also in every existence strenuously exert thyself, And reaching the perfection, Exertion, thou shalt attain the supreme Buddhaship. " But considering further : These cannot be the only Buddha-making and beholding conditions ", the sixth Perfection of Patience, he thought to him wise Sumedha, do thou from this time forth " self : fulfil the Perfection Patience ; be thou patient in praise and in reproach. And as when men throw things pure or foul upon the earth, the. earth does not feel either desire or repulsion towards them, but suffers them, endures them and consents to them, even so thou also, if thou art patient in praise and reproach shalt become a Buddha." And he strenuously resolved to attain the sixth perfection, Patience. Therefore it is said : 150. For the conditions of a Buddha cannot be so few, I will study other conditions also which bring about Buddhaship. 151. Studying then I beheld the sixth Perfection of Patience Practised and followed by former Buddhas. 152. Having strenuously taken upon thee this sixth perfection, Then with unwavering mind thou shalt attain supreme Buddhaship. 153. And as the earth endures all that is thrown upon it, Whether things pure or impure, and feels neither anger nor pity, 154. Even so enduring the praises and reproaches of all men, Going on to perfect Patience, thou shalt attain supreme Buddhaship. These cannot be the " But further considering : only conditions that make a Buddha", and beholding the seventh Perfection of Truth, he thought thus within himself "0 wise Sumedha, from this time : forth do thou fulfil the perfection of Truth ; though the thunderbolt descend upon thy head, do thou never under the influence of desire or otherwise, utter a conscious lie, for the sake of wealth or anything else. And as the planet Venus at all seasons pursues her own course, nor ever goes on another course forsaking her OWD, even so, if thou forsake not truth and utter no lie, thou shalt become Buddha ". And he strenuously turned his mind to the seventh Perfection, Truth. Therefore it is said : 155. For these are not all the conditions of a Buddha, I will study other conditions which bring about Buddha- ship. 156. Studying then I beheld the seventh Perfection of Truth Practised and followed by former Buddhas. 157. Having strenuously taken upon thyself this seventh perfection, Then free from duplicity of speech thou shalt attain supreme Buddhaship. 158. And as the Planet Venus, balanced in all her times and seasons, In the world of men and devas, departs not from her path, 159. Even so do thou not depart from the course of truth, 1 Advancing to the perfection of Truth, thou shalt attain supreme Buddhaship. But further considering : " These cannot be the only conditions that make a Buddha", and beholding the eighth Perfection of Resolution, he thought thus " within himself wise Sumedha, do thou from this : time forth fulfil the perfection of Resolution ; what soever thou resolvest be thou unshaken in that resolution. For as a mountain, the wind beating upon it in all directions, trembles not, moves not, but stands in its place, even so thou, if unswerving in thy resolu tion, shalt become Buddha." And he strenuously Lit., depart from thy course in the matter of truthful things. resolved to attain the eighth Perfection, Resolution. Therefore it is said : 160. For these are not all the conditions of a Buddha, I will study other conditions that bring about Buddhaship. 161. (Studying then I beheld the eighth Perfection Resolution : Practised and followed by former Buddhas. 162. Do thou resolutely take upon thyself this eighth perfection. Then thou being immovable shalt attain supreme Buddha- ship. 163. And as the rocky mountain, immovable, firmly based, Is unshaken by many winds, and stands in its own place, 164. Even so do thou also remain ever immovable in resolution, Advancing to the perfection of Resolution, thou shalt attain supreme Buddhaship. But further considering " : These cannot be the only conditions that make a Buddha", and beholding the ninth Perfection of Good-will, he thought thus wise Sumedha, do thou from this " within himself : time forth fulfil the perfection of Good-will, mayest thou be of one mind towards friends and foes. And as water fills with its refreshing coolness good men and bad alike, 1 even so, if thou art of one mind in friendly feeling towards all mortals thou shalt become Buddha." And he strenuously resolved to attain the ninth perfection of Good-will. Therefore it is said : 165. For these are not all the conditions of a Buddha, I will study other conditions that bring about Buddhaship. 166. Studying I beheld the ninth Perfection of Good- will Practised and followed by former Buddhas. 167. Do thou, taking resolutely upon thyself this ninth perfec tion, Become unrivalled in kindness, if thou wilt become Buddha. 168. And as water fills with its coolness Good men and bad alike, and carries off all impurity, 169. Even so do thou look with friendship alike on the evil and the good, Advancing to the perfection Good-will, thou shalt attain supreme Buddhaship. Lit., having made its coldness exactly alike for bad people and good people, pervades them. But further considering These cannot be the : " only conditions that make a Buddha", and beholding the tenth Perfection : Equanimity, he thought thus within himself : "0 wise Sumedha, from this time do thou fulfil the perfection of Equanimity, be thou of equal mind in prosperity and adversity. And as the earth is indifferent when things pure or impure are cast upon it, even so, if thou art indifferent in prosperity and adversity, thou shalt become Buddha." And he strenuously resolved to attain the tenth Perfection, Equanimity. Therefore it is said : 170. For these cannot be all the conditions of a Buddha, I will study other conditions that bring about Buddhaship. 171. Studying then I beheld the tenth Perfection Equanimity : Practised and followed by former Buddhas. 172. If thou take resolutely upon thyself this tenth perfection, Becoming well-balanced and firm, thou shalt attain supreme Buddhaship. 173. And as the earth is indifferent to pure and impure things cast upon her. To both alike, and is free from anger and favour, 174. Even so do thou ever be evenly-balanced in joy and grief, Advancing to the perfection, Equanimity, thou ehalt attain supreme Buddhaship. Then he thought : " These are the only conditions in this world that, bringing Buddhaship to perfection and constituting a Buddha, have to be fufilled by Bodhisattas ; beside the ten Perfections there are no others. And these ten Perfections are neither in the heaven above nor in the earth below, nor are they to be found in the east, or the other quarters, but reside in my heart of flesh." Having thus realized that the Perfections were established in his heart, having strenuously resolved to keep them all, grasping them again and again, he mastered them forwards and backwards * taking them at the end he went ; backward to the beginning, taking them at the beginning he placed them at the end, taking them at the middle he carried them to the two ends, taking them at both ends he carried them to the middle. The Perfections are the sacrifice of " Repeating : limbs, the Lesser Perfections are the sacrifice of property, the Unlimited Perfections are the sacrifice of life", he mastered them as the Perfections, the Lesser Perfections and the Unlimited Perfections like one who converts two kindred oils into one, 3 or like one who, using Mount Meru for his churning-rod, churns the great Chakkavala ocean. And as he grasped again and again the ten Perfections, by the glow of his piety, this earth, four nahutas and eight hundred thousand leagues in breadth, like a bundle of reeds trodden by an elephant, or a sugar-mill in motion, uttering a mighty roar, trembled, shook and quaked, and spun round like a potter s wheel or the wheel of an oil-mill. Therefore it is said : 175. These are all the conditions in the world that bring Buddhaship to perfection ; Beyond these are no others, therein do thou stand fast. 176. While he grasped these conditions natural and intrinsic, 6 By the power of his piety the earth of ten thousand worlds quaked. 177. The earth sways and thunders like a sugar-mill at work, Like the wheel of an oil- mill so shakes the earth. i.e., alternately from the first to the tenth and from the tenth to the first. i.e., put the first last. Vijesinha. Dhamma. Vijesinha writes to me Natural and intrinsic virtues. The " : Sinhalese glosa says paramarthavu rasasahitavu lakshana-cet : nohot svabhavalakshana ha sarvadharmasadharanalaJcsharia-ceti. In the latter case it would mean having the quality of conformity with all laws." And while the earth was trembling the people of Ramnia, unable to endure it, like great Sal-trees, over thrown by the wind that blows at the end of a cycle, fell swooning here and there, while waterpots and other vessels, revolving like a jar on a potter s wheel, struck against each other and were dashed and ground to pieces. The multitudes in fear and trembling approaching the Teacher (Dipankara) said " Tell : us, Blessed one, is this turmoil caused by Nagas, or is it caused by either demons, or or devas ogres, by ? for this we know not, but truly this whole multitude is Pray does this portend evil grievously afflicted. to the world or good ? The Tell us the cause of it." Teacher hearing their words said " Fear not nor be : troubled, there is no danger to you from this. The wise Sumedha, concerning whom I predicted this * day Hereafter he will be a Buddha named Gotama, : is now mastering the Perfections, and while he masters them and turns them about, by the power of his piety the whole ten thousand worlds with one accord quake and thunder." Therefore it is said : 178. All the multitude that was there in attendance on the Buddha, Trembling, fell swooning there upon the ground. 179. Many thousands of waterpots and many hundred jars Were crushed and pounded there and dashed against each other. 180. Excited, trembling, terrified, confused, their sense dis ordered, The multitudes assembling, approached the Buddha. 181. Say, will it be good or evil to the world ? The whole world is afflicted, ward off this (danger), thou Seer! 182. Then the great Sage Dipankara enjoined upon them, Be confident, be not afraid at this earthquaking : 183. He of whom I foretold this day, he will be a Buddha in this world, The same is the law of the past followed by the Conquerors. 184. Therefore while he is pondering fully the norm, the ground work of a Buddha, This ten thousand-fold earth of men and of devas is shaken. And the people hearing the Buddha s words, joyful and delighted, taking with them garlands, perfumes and unguents, left the city of Kamma, and went to the Bodhisatta. And having offered their flowers and other presents, and bowed to him and respectfully saluted him, they returned to the city of Eamma. And the Bodhisatta, having made a strenuous exertion of resolve, rose from the seat on which he sat. Therefore it is said : 185. Having heard the Buddha s word, their minds were straightway calmed, All of them approaching me again paid me their homage. 186. Having taken upon me the Perfections of a Buddha, having made firm my resolve, Having bowed to Dipankara, I rose from my seat. And as the Bodhisatta rose from his seat, the devas in all the ten thousand worlds having assembled and offered him garlands and perfumes, uttered these and other words of praise and blessing Venerable : " hermit Sumedha, this day thou hast made a mighty resolve at the feet of Dipankara Buddha, mayest thou fulfil it without let or hindrance fear not nor be : dismayed, may not the slightest sickness visit thy frame, quickly exercise the Perfections and attain supreme Buddhaship. As the flowering and fruit- bearing trees bring forth flowers and fruit in their season, so do thou also, not letting the right season pass by, quickly reach the supreme enlightenment," and thus having spoken, they returned each one to his deva-home. Then the Bodhisatta, having received the homage of the devas, made a strenuous " exertion of resolve, saying Having fulfilled the ten : Perfections, at theend of four asankheyyas and a hundred thousand cycles I shall become a Buddha." And rising into the air he returned to Himavanta. Therefore it is said : 187. As he rose from his seat both devas and men Sprinkle him with divine and earthly flowers. 188. Both devas and men pronounce their blessing : A great thing hast thou willed, mayest thou obtain it according to thy wish. 189. May all dangers be averted, may every sickness vanish, Mayest thou have no hindrance quickly reach the supreme enlightenment. 190. As when the season is come the flowering trees blossom, Even so do thou, O mighty one, blossom with the know ledge of a Buddha. 191. As all the Buddhas have fulfilled the ten Perfections, Even so do thou, mighty one, fulfil the ten Perfections. 192. As all the Buddhas are awakened on the seat of enlighten ment, Even so be thou, O mighty one, awakened in conqueror s wisdom. 193. As all the Buddhas have set rolling the wheel of the Norm, Even so do thou, O mighty one, set it rolling. 194. As the moon on the mid-day of the month shines in her purity, Even so do thou, with thy mind at the full, shine in ten thousand worlds. 195. As the sun released by Rahu glows fervently in his heat, Even so, having released mankind, do thou shine in all thy majesty, 196. As all the rivers find their way to the great ocean, Even so may the worlds of men and devas take refuge in thee ! 197. The Bodhisatta extolled with these praises, taking on himself the ten conditions, Commencing to fulfil these conditions, entered the forest then. End of the Story of SumedJta. And the people of the city of Ramma, having re turned to the city, kept open house to the Order with the Buddha at their head. The Teacher having preached the Doctrine to them, and established them in the three Kefuges and the other branches (of the faith), departing from the city of Kamma, living thereafter his allotted span of life, having fulfilled all the duties of a Buddha, in due course attained that Nirvana in which no condition of rebirth remains. On this subject all that need be said can be learnt from the narrative in the Buddhavamsa, for it is said in that work : 198. Then they, having entertained the Chief of the world with his Order, Took refuge in the Teacher DIpankara. 199. Some the Buddha established in the Ilefuges, Some in the five Precepts, others in the ten. 200. To some he gives the privilege of recluseship, the four glorious Fruitions. On some he bestows the peerless doctrines of Analysis, 201. To some the Lord of men grants the eight sublime Acquisitions, On some he bestows the three Wisdoms and the six Super-knowledges. 202. In this order * the Great Sage exhorts the multitude. Therewith the teaching of the world s Protector was spread wide abroad. 203. He of the mighty jaw, of the broad shoulder, DIpankara by name, Procured the salvation of many men, set them free from evil destiny. 204. Beholding persons ripe for salvation, reaching them in an instant. Evenat a distanceof a hundred thousand leagues, the Great Sage awakened them. 205. At the first conversion the Buddha awakened a thousand millions. At the second the Protector awakened a hundred thousand. 206. When the Buddha preached the truth in the deva-world, There took place a third conversion of nine hundred millions. 207. The Teacher DIpankara had three assemblies, The first was a meeting of a million millions. In that order, viz. in the Sararta- " Tenayogena. Vij. says : gamana first, then in the Pancasila, then in the Dasasila, and so 208. Again when the Conqueror went into seclusion at Narada A thousand million spotless Arahants met together. 209. When the Mighty One dwelt on the lofty rock Sudassana, Then the Sage surrounded himself with nine hundred thousand millions. 210. At that time I was an ascetic wearing matted hair, a man of austere penances, Moving through the air, accomplished in the five super- knowledges. 211. The conversion of tens of thousands, of twenties of thousands, took place, Of ones and twos the conversions were beyond computa tion. 1 212. Then did the pure religion of Dipankara Buddha become widely spread, Known to many men prosperous and flourishing. 213. Four hundred thousand, possessed of the six superknow- ledges, endowed with miraculous powers, Ever attend upon Dipankara, knower of the worlds. 214. Blameworthy are all they who at that time leave the human existence, Not having obtained final sanctity, still imperfect in knowledge. 215. The Word shines in the world of men and devas, made to blossom by saints such as these, Freed from human passion, spotless. 216. The city of Dipankara Buddha was called Rammavatl, The khattiya Sumedha was his father, Sumedha his mother. 217. Sumangala and Tissa were his chief disciples, And Sagata was the servitor of Dipankara Buddha. 218. Nanda and Sunanda were his chief woman-disciples. The Bodhi-tree of this Buddha is called the Pipphali. 2 219. Eighty cubits in height the Great Sage Dipankara Shone conspicuous as a Deodar pine, or as a noble Sal-tree in full bloom. 220. A hundred thousand years was the age of this Great Sage, And so long as he was living on earth he brought many men to salvation. 221. Having made the Truth to shine, having saved great multitudes of men, Having flamed like a mass of fire, he passed away with his disciples. 222. And all this power, this glory, these jewel- wheels on his feet, All is wholly gone are not all existing things vanity ! 223. After Dipankara was the Leader named Kondanya, Of infinite power, of boundless renown, immeasurable, unrivalled. Lit., " arithmetically innumerable." The Banyan-tree. Next to the Dipankara Buddha, after the lapse of one asankheyya, the Teacher Kondanya appeared. He also had three assemblies of saints, in the first assembly there were a million millions, in the second ten thousand millions, in the third nine hundred millions. At that time the Bodhisatta, having been born as a universal monarch named Vijitavin, kept open house to the priesthood with the Buddha at their head, in number a million of millions. The Teacher having predicted of the Bodhisatta : " He will become a Buddha ", preached the Law. He having heard the Teacher s preaching gave up his kingdom and left the world. Having mastered the three Pitakas, having obtained the six superknowedges, and having practised Jhana without failure, he was reborn in the Brahma world. The city of Kondanya Buddha was Rammavati, the khattiya Sunanda was his father, his mother was queen Sujata, Bhadda and Subhadda were his two chief disciples, Anuruddha was his servitor, Tissa and Upatissa his chief woman disciples, his Bodhi-tree was the Sala- kalyani, his body was eighty-eight cubits high, and the duration of his life was a hundred thousand years. After him, at the end of one asankheyya, in one and the same cycle four Buddhas were born, Mangala, Sumana, Re vat a and Sobhita. Mangala Buddha had three assemblies of disciples.Of these in the first there were a million million brethren, in the second ten thousand millions, in the third nine hundred millions. It is related that a step-brother of his, prince Ananda, accompanied by an assembly of nine hundred millions, went to the Teacher to hear him preach the Law. The Teacher gave a discourse dealing successively with his various doctrines, and Ananda and his whole retinue Arahantship together with the attained analytical knowledges. The Teacher looking back upon the meritorious works done by these men of family in former lives, and perceiving that they had merit to acquire the robe and bowl by miraculous means, stretching forth his right hand exclaimed, Come brethren." 1 Then straightway all of them " having become equipped with miraculously obtained robes and bowls, and perfect in decorum, as if they were elders of sixty years standing, paid homage to the Teacher and attended upon him. This was his third assembly of disciples. And whereas with other Buddhas a light shone from their bodies to the distance of eighty cubits on every side, it was not so with this Buddha, but the light from his body permanently filled ten thousand worlds ; trees, earth, mountains, seas, and all other things, not excepting even pots and pans and such-like articles, became as it were overspread with a film of gold. The duration of his life was ninety thousand years, and during the whole of this period the sun, moon, and other heavenly bodies could not shine by their own light, and there was no distinction between night and day. By day all living beings went about in the light of the Buddha as if in the light of the sun, and men ascertained the limits of night and day only by the flowers that blossomed in the evening and by the birds and other animals that uttered their cries in the The formula by which a Buddha admits a layman to the priesthood. morning. If I am asked: "What, do not other Buddhas also power possess this I reply ? " : " Certainly they do, for they might at will fill with their lustre ten thousand worlds or more. But in accordance with a vow made by him in a former existence, the lustre of Mangala Buddha permanently filled ten thousand worlds, just as the lustre of the others permanently extended to the distance of a fathom." The story is that when he was performing the duties of a Bodhisatta, 1 being in an existence corre sponding to the Vessantara existence, he dwelt with his wife and children on a mountain like the Vanka mountain. 3 One day a demon named Kharadathika, 4 hearing of the Bodhisatta s inclination to giving, approached him in the guise of a brahmin, and asked the Bodhisatta for his two children. The Bodhisatta, exclaiming : "I give my children to the brahmin ", cheerfully and joyfully gave up both children, thereby causing the ocean-girt earth to quake. The demon standing by the bench at the end of the cloistered walk, while the Bodhisatta looked on, devoured the children like a bunch of roots. Not a particle of sorrow 6 arose in the Bodhisatta as he looked on the demon, and saw his mouth as soon as he opened it disgorging streams of blood like flames of fire, nay, a great joy and satisfaction welled within him as he i.e., the Perfections. i.e., his last birth before attaining Buddhahood. See Vessantara Jataka, vol. vi, no. 547. This name means sharp-fanged " ". In approval of his act of faith. Lit.," no grief as big as the tip of a hair ". thought : " My gift was well given." And he put up the vow By the merit of this deed may rays of " : issue from me in this very way." In light one day it was that the rays consequence of this prayer of his emitted from his body when he became Buddha filled so vast a space. There was also another deed done by him in a former existence. It is related that, when a Bodhisatta, shrine of a Buddha, he having visited the relic exclaimed ought to : "I sacrifice my life for this Buddha and having wrapped round the whole of his ", and body in the same way that torches are wrapped, butter a vessel with having filled with clarified golden jewelled wick-holders, worth a hundred thousand pieces, he lit therein a thousand wicks, and having set fire to the whole of his body beginning with his head, he spent the whole night in circumambulating the shrine. And as he thus strove till dawn not the root of a hair of his head was even heated. It was as one enters the calyx of a lotus, for religion guards him who guards himself. Therefore has the Blessed One said : 224. Well doth religion protect him in sooth who follows it, well practised Happiness bringeth along in its train religion This shall be his reward by whom religion is well practised : Never goeth to misery he who doth practise religion. And through the merit of this work also the bodily lustre of this Buddha constantly extended through Psalms of the Brethren, ver. 303. (Cf. p. 416. Rukkhakatba a " will be a scribe s mistake for rakkha-katha guard- " " tree-talk ward-rune Cf. also Sutta-Nipata, ver. 181 ; Jdtaka, " talk ", ". i, 31 ; iv, 496. Ed. ten thousand worlds. At this time our Bodhisatta, 1 having been bom as the brahmin Suruci, approached the Teacher with the view of inviting him to his house, and having heard his sweet discourse, said : Lord, take your meal with me to-morrow." " Brahmin, how many monks do you wish f or ? " " Nay, but how many monks have you in your " At that time was the Teacher s first " escort ? assembly, and accordingly he replied "A million : Lord, bring them all with you and come " millions." and take your meal at my house." The Teacher consented. The Brahmin having invited them for the next day, on his way home thought to himself : I am perfectly well able to supply all these monks " with broth and rice and clothes and such like necessaries, but how can there be room for them to sit down ? " This thought of his caused the marble throne of the deva-king, three hundred and thirty-six thousand leagues away, to become warm. Sakka exclaiming : " Who wishes to bring me down from my abode ? " and looking down with the deva-sight beheld the Bodhisatta, and said The brahmin Suruci having " : invited the Order with the Buddha at their head is perplexed for room to seat them, it behoves me also to go thither and obtain a share of his merit." And having miraculously assumed the form of a carpenter, axe in hand he appeared before the Bodhisatta, and Has any one got a job to be done for hire ? " " said : Viz. Gotama. When a good man is in difficulty, Sakka is apprised of it by his marble throne becoming warm. The Bodhisatta seeing Mm said What sort of work " : There s no art that I do not know " " can you do ? ; any house or hall that anybody orders me to build, " I ll build it for him." Very well, I ve got a job to be done." " What is it, sir ? " " I ve invited a million million bhikkhus for to-morrow, will you buiid a hall to seat them all? " " I ll build one with pleasure " if you ve the means of paying me." I have, my good Very man." And he " well, I ll build it." went and began looking out for a site. There was a x spot some fifty leagues in extent as level as a kasina circle. 2 Sakka fixed his eyes upon it, while he thought Let a hall made of the seven precious " to himself : stones rise up over such and such an extent of ground." Immediately the edifice bursting through the ground rose up. The golden pillars of this hall had silver capitals, 3 the pilver pillars had golden capitals, the gem pillars had coral capitals, the coral pillars had gem capitals, while those pillars which were made of all the seven precious stones had capitals Next he said Let the hall have " of the same. : hanging wreaths of little bells at intervals", and looked again. The instant he looked a fringe of bells hung down ; their musical tinkling, as they were stirred by a gentle breeze, was like a symphony of the five sorts of instruments, or as when the heavenly choirs are going on. He thought : " Let there be hanging garlands of perfumes and flowers", and there the garlands hung. He thought : " Let seats and Lit., twelve or thirteen yojanas (a yojana is four leagues). Used in the ecstatic meditation. The Pali word for the capital of a column is ghataka, " little pot." benches for a million million monks rise up through the earth and straightway they appeared. He ", thought : " Let water vessels rise up at each corner of the building and the water vessels arose. Having ", by his miraculous power effected all this, he went to the brahmin and said: " Come, sir, look at your hall, and pay me my wages." The Bodhisatta went and looked at the hall, and as he looked his whole frame was thrilled in every part with fivefold joy. And as he gazed on the hall he ** thought thus within himself This hall was not : wrought by mortal hands, but surely through my good intention, my good action, the palace of Sakka became hot, and hence this hall will have been built by the Sakka the deva-king it is not right that in ; such a hall as this I should give alms for a single day, I will give alms for a whole week." For the gift of external goods, however great, cannot give satisfaction to the Bodhisattas, but the Bodhisattas feel joy at their self-renunciation when they sever the crowned head, put out the henna-anointed eyes, cut out the heart and give it away. For when our Bodhisatta in the Sivijataka l gave alms in the middle of his capital, at the four gates of the city, at a daily expenditure of five bushels of gold coins, this liberality failed to arouse within him a feeling of satisfaction at his renunciation. But on the other hand, when Sakka the deva-king came to him in the disguise of a brahmin, and asked for his eyes, then indeed, as he took them out and gave them away, laughter rose within him, nor did his heart swerve a hair s breadth Jataka, no. 499. from its purpose. And hence we see that as regards almsgiving the Bodhisattas can have no satiety. Therefore this Bodhisatta also thinking ought : "I to givealms for seven days to a million million monks", seated them in that hall, and for a week gave them the alms called gavapana. 1 Men alone were not able to wait upon them, but devas themselves, taking turns with men, waited upon them. A space of fifty leagues or more sufficed not to contain the monks, yet they seated themselves each own supernatural by his power. On the last day, having caused the bowls of all the monks to be washed, and filled them with butter clarified and unclarified, honey and molasses, for medicinal use, he gave them back to them, together with the three robes. The robes and cloaks received by novices and ordained priests were worth a hundred thousand. The Teacher, when he returned thanks, considering : This man has given such great alms, who can he " and perceiving that at the end of two asan- " be ? kheyyas and four thousand cycles he would become a Buddha named Gotama, addressing the Bodhisatta, made this prediction After the lapse of such and " : such a period thou shalt become a Buddha named Gotama." The Bodhisatta, hearing the prediction, thought "It seems that I am to become a Buddha, : what good can a householder s life do me ? I will give up the world and, treating all this prosperity ", like so much drivel, he received ordination at the hands of the Teacher. And having embraced the According to the gloss printed in the text it is a compound of milk, rice, honey, sugar, and clarified butter. ascetic life and learnt the word of Buddha, and having attained the superknowledges and the Attainments, at the end of- his life he was reborn in the Brahma world. The city of Mangala Buddha was called Uttara ; his father was the khattiya Uttara his mother was : Uttara, Sudeva and Dhammasena were his two chief disciples; Palita was his servitor, Sivali and Asoka his two chief woman disciples. The Naga was his Bodhi-tree. His body was eighty-eight cubits high. When his death took place, after he had lived ninety thousand years, at the same instant ten thousand worlds were involved in darkness, and in all worlds there was a great cry and lamentation of men. 225. After Kondanya the Leader named Mangala, Dispelling darkness in the world, held aloft the torch of religion. And after the Buddha had died, shrouding in darkness ten thousand worlds, the Teacher named Sumana appeared. He also had three great assemblies of disciples, in the first assembly the brethren were a million millions, in the second, on the Golden Mountain, ninety million of millions, in the third eighty million of millions. At this time the Bodhisatta was the Naga king A tula, mighty and powerful. And he, hearing that a Buddha had appeared, left the Naga world, accom panied by his assembled kinsmen, and, making offerings with divine music to the Buddha, whose retinue was a million million brethren, and having given great gifts, bestowing upon each two garments of fine cloth, he was established in the Three Eefuges. And this Teacher also foretold of him : " One day he will be a Buddha." The city of this Buddha was named Khema : Sudatta was his father, Sirima his mother, Sarana and Bhavitatta his chief disciples, Udena his servitor, Sona and Upasona his chief woman-disciples. The Naga was his Bodhi-tree, his body was ninety cubits high, and his age ninety thousand years. 226. After Mangala came the Leader named Sumana, In all things unequalled, the best of all beings. After him the Teacher Revata appeared. He also had three assemblies of disciples. In the first assembly the numbers were innumerable, in the second there were a million millions, so also in the third. At that time the Bodhisatta having been born as the brahmin Atideva, having heard the Teacher s preaching, was established in the Three Refuges. And raising his clasped hands to his head, having praised the Teacher s abandonment of human passion, he presented him with a monk s upper robe. That Teacher also made the prediction Thou : " wilt become a Buddha." Now the city of this Buddha was called SudhanyavatT, his father was the nobleman Vipula, his mother Vipula, Varuna and Brahmadeva his chief disciples, Sambhava his servitor, Bhadda and Subhadda his chief woman-disciples, and the Naga-tree his Bo-tree. His body was eighty cubits high, and his age sixty thousand years. 227. After Sumana came the Leader named Revata, The Conqueror unequalled, incomparable, unmatched, supreme. After him appeared the Teacher Sobhita. He also had three assemblies of disciples in the first assembly ; were a thousand million monks, in the second nine hundred millions, in the third eight hundred millions. At that time the Bodisat, having been born as the brahmin Ajita, and having heard the Teacher s preaching, was established in the Three Kefuges, and gave a great donation to the Order of monks, with the Buddha at their head. This Teacher also prophesied Thou wilt become a Buddha." " to him, saying : Sudhamma was the name of the city of this Blessed One, Sudhamma the king was his father, Sudhamma his mother, Asama and Sunetta his chief disciples, Anoma his servitor, Nakula and Sujata his chief woman-disciples, and the Naga-tree his Bo-tree ; his body was fifty-eight cubits high, and his age ninety thousand years. 228. After Revata came the Leader named Sobhita, Subdued and mild, unequalled and unrivalled. After him, when an asankheyya had elapsed, three Buddhas were born in one kalpa Aiiomadassin, Paduma, and Narada. Anomadassin had three assemblies of saints in the first were eight hundred ; thousand monks, in the second seven, in the third six. At that time the Bodisat was a Yakkha chief, mighty and powerful, the lord of many millions of millions of yakkhas. He, hearing that a Buddha had appeared, came and gave a great donation to the Order of monks, with the Buddha at their head. And this Teacher also prophesied to him, saying : " Hereafter thou wilt be a Buddha." The city of Anomadassin the Blessed One was called Chandavati, Yasava the king was his father, Yasodhara his mother, Nisabha and Anoma his chief disciples, Varuna his servitor, Sundarl and Sumana his chief wornan- his Bo-tree ; his body was disciples, the Arjuna-tree fifty-eight cubits high, his age a hundred thousand years. 229. After Sobhita came the perfect Buddha the best of men Anomadassin of infinite fame, glorious, difficult to surpass. After him appeared the Teacher named Paduma. in the first He too had three assemblies of disciples ; in the second assembly were a million million monks, three hundred thousand, in the third two hundred thousand of the monks dwelt at a great grove in the uninhabited forest. At that time, whilst the Tathagata was living in that grove, the Bodisat having been born as a lion, saw the Teacher in ecstatic trance, and with plunged trustful heart made obeisance to him, and walking round him with reverence, experienced great joy, and thrice uttered a mighty roar. For seven days he laid not aside the bliss arising from the thought of the Buddha, but through joy and gladness, seeking not after prey, he kept in attendance there, offering up his life. When theTeacher, after seven days, aroused himself from his trance, he looked upon the lion and thought He will put trust in the Order of : " monks and make obeisance to them let them draw; near." At that very moment the monks drew near, and the lion put faith in the Order. The Teacher, knowing his thoughts, prophesied, saying : " Hereafter lie will be a Buddha." Now the city of Paduma the Blessed One was called Champaka, his father was Paduma the king, his mother Asama, Sala and Upasala were his chief disciples, Varuna his servitor, Kama and Uparama his chief womandisciples, the Crimson-tree his Bo-tree ; his body was fifty-eight cubits high, and his age was a hundred thousand years. 230. After Anomadassin came the perfect Buddha, the bost of men, Paduma by name, unequalled, and without a rival. After him appeared the Teacher named Narada. He also had three assemblies of saints ; in the first assembly were a million million monks, in the second ninety million million, in the third eighty million million. At that time the Bodisat, having taken the vows as a sage, acquired the five Super-knowledges, and the eight sublime Acquisitions, and gave a great donation to the Order, with the Buddha at their head, making an offering of red sandal wood. That Teacher also prophesied to him " Hereafter : thou wilt be a Buddha." The city of this Blessed One was called Dhanyavati, his father was Sumedha the warrior, his mother Anoma, Bhaddasala and Jetamitta his chief disciples, Vasettha his servitor, Uttara and Pagguni his chief woman-disciples, the great Crimson-tree was his Bo-tree his body was eighty- ; eight cubits high, and his age was ninety thousand years. 231. After Paduma came the perfect Buddha, the best of men, Narada by name, unequalled and without a rival. After Narada the. Buddha a hundred thousand world-cycles ago there appeared in one kalpa only one Buddha called Padumuttara. He also had three assemblies of disciples in the first were a million ; million monks, in the second, on the Vebhara Mountain, nine hundred thousand million, in the third eight hundred thousand million. At that time the Bodisat, born as a Mahratta of the name of Jatila, gave an offering of robes to the Order, with the Buddha at their head. That Teacher also prophesied to him " Hereafter : thou wilt be a Buddha." And at the time of Padu muttara the Blessed One there were no infidels, but all, men and devas, took refuge in the Buddha. His city was called Harhsavati, his father was Ananda the warrior, his mother Sujata, Devala and Sujata his chief disciples, Sumana his servitor, Amita and Asama his chief woman-disciples, the Sal-tree his Bo-tree ; his body was eighty-eight cubits high, the light from his body extended twelve leagues, and his age was a hundred thousand years. 232. After Narada came the perfect Buddha, the best of men, Padumuttara by name, the Conqueror unshaken, like the sea. After him, when thirty thousand world-cycles had elapsed, two Buddhas, Sumedha and Sujata, were born in one kalpa. Sumedha also had three assem blies of his saints ; in the first assembly, in the city Sudassana, were a thousand million sinless ones, in the second nine hundred, in the third eight hundred. At that time the Bodisat, born as the brahmin youth named Uttara, lavished eight hundred millions of money he had saved in giving a great donation to the Order, with the Buddha at their head. And he then listened to the Doctrine, and accepted the Refuges, and abandoned his home, and took the vows. That Teacher also prophesied to him, saying Here : * * after thou wilt be a Buddha." The city of Sumedha the Blessed One was called Sudassana, Sudatta the king was his father, Sudatta his mother, Sarana and Sabbakama his two chief disciples, Sagara his servitor, Rama and Surama his two chief woman-disciples, the great Champaka-tree his Bo-tree his body was ; eighty-eight cubits high, and his age was ninety thousand years. 233. After Padumuttara came the Leader named Sumedha, The Sage hard to equal, brilliant in glory, supreme in all the world. After him appeared the Teacher Sujata. He also had three assemblies of disciples in the first assembly ; were sixty thousand monks, in the second fifty, in the third forty. At that time the Bodisat was a universal monarch ; and hearing that a Buddha was born he went to him and heard the Doctrine, and gave to the Order, with the Buddha at their head, his kingdom of the four continents with its seven treasures and took the vows under the Teacher. All the dwellers in the land, taking advantage of the birth of a Buddha in their midst, did duty as servants in the monasteries, and continually gave great donations to the Order, with the Buddha at their head. And to him also the Teacher prophesied. The city of this Blessed One was called Sumangala, Uggata the king was his father, Pabhavati his mother, Sudassana and Deva his chief disciples, Narada his servitor, Naga and Nagasamala his chief woman-disciples, and the great Bambu-tree his Bo-tree this tree, they say, % ; had smaller hollows and thicker wood than ordinary bambus have, 1 and in its mighty upper branches it was as brilliant as a bunch of peacocks tails. The body of this Blessed One was fifty cubits high, and his age was ninety thousand years. 234. In that age, the Mandakalpa, appeared the Leader Sujata, Mighty jawed and grandly framed, whose measure none can take, and hard to equal. After him, when eighteen hundred world-cycles had elapsed, three Buddhas, Piyadassin, Atthadassin, and Dhammadassin, were born in one kalpa. Piya dassin also had three assemblies of disciples ; in the first were a million million monks, in the second nine hundred million, in the third eight hundred million. At that time the Bodisat, as a young brahmin called Kassapa, who had thoroughly learnt the three Vedas, listened to the Teacher s preaching of the Doctrine, and built a monastery at a cost of a million million, and stood firm in the Kefuges and the Precepts. Now to him the Teacher prophesied, saying : After the lapse of eighteen hundred kalpas thou " wilt become a Buddha." The city of this Blessed One was called Anoma, his father was Sudinna the king, Compare Jataka no. 20. his mother Canda, Palita and Sabbadassin Ms chief disciples, Sobhita his servitor, Sujata and Dhammadinna his chief woman-disciples, and the Piyangutree his Bo-tree. His body was eighty cubits high, and his age ninety thousand years. 235. After Sujata came Piyadassin, Leader of the world, Self-taught, hard to match, unequalled, of great glory. After him appeared the teacher called Atthadassin. He too had three assemblies of in disciples ; the first were nine million hundred thousand eight monks, in the second eight million eight hundred thousand, and the same number in the third. At that time the Bodisat, as the mighty ascetic Susima, brought from heaven the sunshade of Mandarava flowers, and offered it to the Teacher, who prophesied also to him. The city of this Blessed One was called Sobhita, Sagara the king was his father, Sudassana his mother, Santa and Apasanta his chief disciples, Abhaya his servitor, Dhamma and Sudhamma his chief woman-disciples, and the Champaka his Bo-tree. His body was eighty cubits high, the glory from his body always extended over a league, and his age was a hundred thousand years. 236. In the same age elect Atthadassin, best of men, Dispelled the thick darkness, and attained supreme Enlightenment. After him appeared the Teacher named Dhammadassin. He too had three assemblies of disciples ; in the first were a thousand million monks, in the second seven hundred millions, in the third eight hundred millions. At that time the Bodisat, as Sakka the king of the devas, made an of ering of sweet-smelling flowers from heaven, and divine music. That Teacher also prophesied to him. The city of this Blessed One was called Sarana, his father was Sarana the king, his mother Sunanda, Paduma and Phussadeva his chief disciples, Sunetta his servitor, Khema and Sabbanama his chief woman-disciples, and the red Kuravaka-tree (called also Bimbijala) his Bo-tree. His body was eighty cubits high, and his age a hundred thousand years. 237. In the same age elect the far-famed Dhammadassin the thick darkness, illuminated earth and Dispelled heaven. After him, ninety-four world-cycles ago, only one Buddha, by name Siddhattha, appeared in one kalpa. Of his disciples too there were three assemblies in ; the first were a million million monks, in the second nine hundred millions, in the third eight hundred millions. At that time the Bodisat, as the ascetic Mangala of great glory and gifted with the powers derived from a great jambu fruit and super-knowledge, brought presented it to the Tathagata. The Teacher, having eaten the fruit, prophesied to Ninety-four kalpas hence thou " the Bodisat, saying : wilt become a Buddha." The city of this Blessed One was called Vebhara, Jayasena the king was his father, and Sumitta his chief Suphassa his mother, Sambala disciples,Kevata his servitor, Sivali and Surama his chief woman-disciples, and the Kanikara-tree his Bo- tree. His body was sixty cubits and his age high, a hundred thousand years. 238. After Dhammadassin, the Leader named Siddhattha Rose like the sun, bringing all darkness to an end. After him, ninety-two two world-cycles ago, Buddhas, Tissa and Phussa by name, were born in one kalpa. Tissa the Blessed One had three assemblies of disciples in the first were a thousand million of ; monks, in the second nine hundred millions, in the third eight hundred millions. At that time the Bodisat was born as the wealthy and famous warrior Sujata. When he had taken the vows and acquired the wonderful powers of a rishi, he heard that a Buddha had been born and taking ; a heaven-grown Mandarava lotus, and flowers of the Paricchattaka-tree, he offered them to the Tathagata as he walked in the midst of his and he disciples, spread an awning of flowers in the sky. To him, too, the Teacher prophesied, " saying : Ninety- two kalpas hence thou wilt become a Buddha." The city of this Blessed One was called Khema, Janasandha the warrior-chief was his father, Paduma his mother, the god Brahma and Udaya his chief disciples, Sambhava his servitor, Phussa and Sudatta his chief woman-disciples, and the Asanatree his Bo-tree. His body was sixty cubits high, and his age a hundred thousand years. 239. After Siddhattha, Tissa, the unequalled and unrivalled, Of infinite virtue and glory, was the chief Guide of the world. After him appeared the Teacher named Phussa. He too had three assemblies of in the first disciples ; assembly were six million monks, in the second five, in the third three million two hundred thousand. At that time the Bodisat, born as the warrior his kingdom and, taking the vows Vijitavi, laid aside under the Teacher, learnt the three Pitakas, and preached the Doctrine to the people, and fulfilled the Perfection of Moral Practice. And the Buddha prophesied to him in the same manner. The city of this Blessed One was called Kasi (Benares), Jayasena the king was his father, Sirima his mother, Surakkhita and Dhammasena his chief disciples, Sabhiya his servitor, Chala and Amalaka- Upachala his chief woman-disciples, and the tree his Bo-tree. His body was fifty-eight cubits high, and his age ninety thousand years. 240. In the same age elect Phussa was the Teacher supreme, unrivalled, the chief Guide of the world. Unequalled, After him, ninety world-cycles ago, appeared the Blessed One named Vipassin. He too had three assemblies of disciples in the first ; assembly were six million hundred eightthousand monks, in the second one hundred thousand, in the third eighty thousand. At that time the Bodisat, bom as the mighty and powerful snake king Atula gave to the Blessed One a golden chair, inlaid with the seven kinds of gems. To him that Teacher also prophesied, saying : wilt become a Ninety-one world-cycles hence thou " Buddha." The city of this Blessed One was called See above, p. 102. older We now come to the 7 Buddhas recognized in the books. Ed. Bandhumati, Bandhumii the king was his father, Bandhumatl his mother, Khandha and Tissa his chief disciples, Asoka his servitor, Chanda and Chandamitta his chief woman-disciples, and the Bignonia (or Patali-tree) his Bo-tree. His body was eighty cubits high, the effulgence from his body always reached a hundred leagues, and his age was a hundred thousand years. 241. After Phussa, the Supreme Buddha, the best of men, Vipassin by name, the far-seeing, appeared in the world. After him, thirty-one world-cycles ago, there were two Buddhas, called Sikhin and Vessabhu. Sikhin too had three assemblies of disciples in the first : were a hundred thousand monks, in the second eighty thousand, in the third seventy. At that time the Bodisat, born as king Arindama, gave a great donation of robes and other things to the Order with the Buddha at their head, and offered also a superb elephant, decked with the seven gems and provided with all things suitable. That Teacher " also prophesied to him, saying : Thirty-one worldcycles hence thou wilt become a Buddha." The city of that Blessed One was called Arunavati, Aruna the warrior-chief was his father, Pabhavati his mother, Abhibhu and Sambhava his chief disciples, Khemankura Makhela and Paduma his chief his servitor, woman-disciples, and the Pundarika-tree his Bo-tree. His body was thirty-seven cubits high, the effulgence from his body reached three leagues, and his age was thirty-seven thousand years. 242. After Vipassin came the Supreme Buddha, the best of men, Sikhin by name, the Conqueror, unequalled and unrivalled. After Mm appeared the Teacher named Vessabhu. He also had three assemblies of disciples ; in the first were eight million monks, in the second seven, in the third six. At that time the Bodisat, born as the king Sudassana, gave a great donation of robes and other things to the Order, with the Buddha at their head. And taking the vows at his hands, he became righteous in conduct, and found great joy in meditating on the Buddha. That Teacher also prophesied to him, saying : wilt become a Thirty-one world-cycles hence thou " The city of this Blessed One was called Buddha." Anopama, Suppatita the king was his father, Yasavati his mother, Sona and Uttara his chief disciples, Upasanta his servitor, Dama and Sumala his chief Bo-tree. His woman-disciples, and the Sal-tree his thousand body was sixty cubits high, and his age sixty years. 243. In the same age elect, the Conqueror named Vessabhu, world. Unequalled and unrivalled, appeared in the After him, in this world-cycle, four Buddhas have and appeared Kakusandha, Konagamana, Kassapa, our Buddha. Kakusandha the Blessed One had one assembly, at which forty thousand monks were present. At that time the Bodisat, as Khema the king, gave a great donation, robes and bowls, to the Order, with the Buddha at their head, and having given also to the Doctrine collyriums and medicines, he listened vows. preached by the Teacher, and took the That Teacher also prophesied to him. The city of Kakusandha the Blessed One was called Khema, Aggidatta the Brahman was his father, Visakha the Brahman woman his mother, Vidhura and Sanjiva his chief disciples, Buddhija his servitor, Sanaa and Campaka his chief woman-disciples, and the great Sirisa-tree his Bo-tree. His body was forty cubits high, and his age forty thousand years. 244. After Vessabhu came the perfect Buddha, the best of men, Kakusandha by name, infinite and hard to equal. After him appeared the Teacher Konagamana. Of his disciples too there was one assembly, in which were thirty thousand monks. At that time the Bodisat, as Pabbata the king, went, surrounded by his ministers, to the Teacher, and listened to the preaching of the Doctrine. And having given an invitation to the Order, with the Buddha at their head, he kept up a great donation, giving cloths of silk, and of fine texture, and woven with gold. And he took the vows from the Teacher s hands. That Teacher also prophesied to him. The city of this Blessed One was called Sobhavati, Yannadatta the brahmin was his father, Uttara the Brahman woman his mother, Bhiyyosa and Uttara his chief disciples, Sotthija his servitor, Samuddii and Uttara his chief woman-disciples, and the Udumbara-tree his Bo-tree. His body was twenty cubits high, and his age was thirty thousand years. 245. After Kakusandha came the Perfect Buddha, the best of men, Konagamana by name, Conqueror, chief of the world, supreme among men. After him the Teacher named Kassapa appeared in the world. Of his disciples too there was one assembly, in which were twenty thousand monks. At that time the Bodisat, as the brahmin youth Jotipala, accomplished in the three Vedas, was well known in earth and sky as the friend of the potter Ghatikara. Going with him to the Teacher and hearing the Doctrine, he took the vows and ; zealously learning the three Pitakas, he glorified, by faithfulness in duty and in works of supererogation, the teaching of the Buddha. That Teacher also prophesied to him. The birth place of the Blessed One was called Benares, Brahmadatta the brahmin was his father, Dhanavati of the brahmin caste his mother, Tissa and Bharadvaja his chief disciples, Sabbamitta his servitor, Anula, and Uruvela his chief woman-disciples, and the Nigrodhatree his Bo-tree. His body was twenty cubits high, and his age was twenty thousand years. 246. After Konagamana came the Perfect Buddha, best of men, Kassapa by name, that Conqueror, king of righteousness, and giver of light. Again, in the age in which Dipankara the Buddha appeared, three other Buddhas appeared also. On their part no prophecy was made to the Bodisat, they are therefore not mentioned here ; but in the commentary, in order to mention all the Buddhas from this age, it is said : 247. Tanhankara and Medhankara, and ISaranankara, And the Perfect Buddha Dipankara, and Kondanya best of men, 248. And Mangala, and Sumana, and Revata, and Sobhita the sage, Anomadassin, Paduma, Narada, Padumuttara, 249. And Sumedha, and Sujata, Piyadassin the famous one, Atthadassin, Dhammadassin, Siddhattha guide of the world, 250. Tissa, and Phussa, the enlightened Vipassin, Sikhin, Vessabhu, Kakusandha, Konagamana, and Kassapa too the Guide 251. These were the perfect Buddhas, the sinless ones, the well- controlled : Appearing like suns, dispelling the thick darkness ; They, and their disciples too, blazed up like flames of fire and went out. Thus our Bodisat has come down to us through four asankheyyas and one hundred thousand ages, making resolve in the presence of the twenty-four Buddhas, beginning with Dipankara. But after Kassapa there is no other Buddha beside the present supreme Buddha. So the Bodisat received a prophecy from each of the twenty-four Buddhas, beginning at Dipankara. And furthermore in accordance with the saying : The become " resolve (to Buddha) onlya succeeds by the combination of eight qualifica tions : being a man, and of the male sex, and capable of attaining arahantship, association with the Teachers, renunciation of the world, perfection in virtue, acts of self-sacrifice, and earnest determination." he combined in himself these eight qualifications. And exerting himself according to the resolve he had made at the feet of Dipankara, in the words : " Come, I will search for the Buddha-making " conditions, this way and that ; See verse 1 25, above. and beholding the Perfections of Giving and the rest to be qualities necessary for the making of a Buddha, according to the words : Then, as I made " my search, I beheld the first " l Perfection of Giving ; he came down through many births, fulfilling these Perfections, even up to his last appearance as Vessantara. And the rewards which fell to him on his way, as they fall to all the Bodisats who have resolved to become Buddhas, are lauded thus : 252. So the men, perfect in every part, and destined to Buddha- hood, Traverse the long road through thousands of millions of ages. 253. They are not born in hell, nor in the space between the worlds ; They do not become consumed by hunger, thirst, and want, And they do not become small animals, even though born to sorrow. 254. When born among men they are not blind by birth, They are not hard of hearing, they are not classed among the dumb. 255. They do not become women among hermaphrodites and ; eunuchs They are not found these men destined to Buddha hood. 256. Free from the deadly sins, everywhere pure-living, They follow not after vain opinions, they perceive the working of karma. 257. Though they dwell in bright worlds, they are not born in the mindless. Nor are they destined to rebirth among the devas in the Pure Abodes. 2 258. Bent upon renunciation, good men, detached from this rebirth or that, They walk as acting for the world s welfare, fulfilling all perfection. See verse 126, above. In the four highest of the thirty-one spheres of existence the devas are mindless, and the five worlds below these are called the Pure Abodes. While he was thus fulfilling the Perfections, there was no limit to the occasions on which he fulfilled the Perfection of Giving. As, for instance, in the times when he was the brahmin Akatti, and the brahmin Sankha, and the king Dhananjaya, and Maha-sudassana, and Maha-govinda, and the king Nimi, and the prince Chanda, and the merchant Visayha, and the king Sivi, and Vessantara. So, certainly, in the Birth as the Wise Hare, according to the words l : 259. When I saw one coming for food, I offered my own self, There is no one like me in giving, such is my Perfection of Giving. he, offering up his own life, acquired the Supreme Perfection called the Perfection of Giving. In like manner there is no limit to the way in which he fulfilled the Perfection of Moral Practice. As, for instance, in the times when he was the snake king Silavat, and the snake king Campeyya, the snake king Bhuridatta, the snake king Chaddanta, and the prince Alinasattu, son of king Jayaddisa. So, certainly, in the Sankhapala Birth, according to the words : 260. Even when piercing me with stakes, and striking me with javelins, I was not angry with the sons of Bhoja, such is my Perfec tion of Moral Practice. he, offering up himself, acquired the Supreme Perfec tion, called the Perfection of Moral Practice. In like manner there is no limit to the way in which, forsaking his kingdom, he fulfilled the Perfec tion of Renunciation. As, for instance, in the times All the following verses down to verse 269 are quotations from the Chariyapitaka. when he was the prince Somanassa, and the prince Hatthipala, and the wise man Ayoghara in which, forsaking his kingdom, he fulfilled the Perfection of Eenunciation. So, certainly, in the Chula-Sutasoma Birth, according to the words : 261. The kingdom, which was in my power, like spittle I rejected it, And rejecting cared not for it, such is my Perfection of Renunciation, he, renouncing the kingdom for freedom from the ties of sin, 1 acquired the Supreme Perfection, called the Perfection of Renunciation. In like manner, there is no limit to the ways in which he fulfilled the Perfection of Wisdom. As, for instance, in the times when he was the wise man Vidhura, and the wise man Maha-govinda, and the wise man Kuddala, and the wise man Araka, and the ascetic Bodhi, and the wise man Mahosadha. So, certainly, in the time when he was the wise man Senaka in the Sattubhatta Birth, according to the words : 262. Searching the matter out by wisdom, I set the brahmin free from pain, There is no one like me in wisdom ; such is my Perfection of Wisdom, he, pointing out the snake which had got into the bellows, acquired the Supreme Perfection called the Perfection of Wisdom. So, certainly, in the Maha-Janaka Birth, according to the words : 263. Out of sight of the shore, in the midst of the waters, all men are as if dead, There is no other way of thinking ; such is my Perfection of Resolution, The Sangas, of which there are five lust, hate, ignorance, pride, and false doctrine. he, crossing the Great Ocean, acquired the Supreme Perfection called the Perfection of Resolution. And so in the Khantivada Birth, according to the words : 264. Even when he struck me with a sharp axe, as if I were a senseless thing, I was not angry with the king of Kasi ; such is my Perfec tion of Patience, he, enduring great sorrow as if he were a senseless thing, acquired the Perfection of Patience. And so in the Maha-Sutasoma Birth, according to the words : 265. Guarding the word of Truth, and offering up my life, I delivered the hundred warriors : such is mv Perfection of Truth, he, offering up his life, and observing truth, obtained the Perfection of Truth. And in the Mugapakkha Birth, according to the words : 266. Father and mother I hated not, reputation I hated not, But all knowledge was dear to me, therefore was I firm in duty, offering up even his life, and being resolute in duty, he acquired the Perfection of Resolution. And so in the Ekaraja Birth, according to the words : 267. No man terrifies me, nor am I in fear of any man ; Firm in the power of kindness, in purity I take delight, regarding not even his life while attaining to kindness, he acquired the Perfection of Good-will. So in the Somahamsa Birth, according to the words : 268. I lay me down in the cemetery, making a pillow of dead bones : The village children mocked and praised : to all I was indifferent. he was unshaken in equanimity, even when the villagers tried to vex or please him by spitting or by offering garlands and perfumes, and thus he acquired the Perfection of Equanimity. This is a summary only, the account will be found at length in the Chariyd Pitaka. Having thus fulfilled the Perfections, in his birth as Vessantara, according to the words : 269. This earth, unconscious though she be and ignorant of joy or grief, E en she by my free-giving s mighty power was shaken seven times, he performed such mighty acts of virtue as made the earth to shake. And when, in the fullness of time, he had passed away, he reassumed existence in the Tusita heaven. Thus should be understood the period, called Distant, from the Kesolution at the feet of Dipankara down to this birth in the City of Delight.

II: THE INTEKMEDIATE EPOCH Avidure Niddna It was when the Bodisat was thus dwelling in the City of Delight that the so-called Buddha procla " " mation took place. For three such " Proclama tions " take place on earth. These are the three. When they realize that at the end of a hundred thousand years a new dispensation will begin, devas of the next world who are called World-arrangers, with their hair flying and dishevelled, with weeping faces, wiping away their tears with their hands, clad in red garments, and with their clothes all in disorder, wander among men, and make proclamation, saying : " Sirs, one hundred thousand years from now there willbe a new dispensation this world-system will ; be destroyed even the sea will dry this ; up gieat ; earth, with Sineru the monarch of mountains, will be burned up and destroyed and the whole world ; up to the Brahma-realms, will pass away. And so, sirs, exercize love, pity, sympathy and equanimity, cherish the mother, cherish the father, honour the elders in your families." This is called the proclama tion of an Age [Kappahalahala]. Again, when they realize that at the end of a thousand years an omniscient Buddha will appear on earth, the deva-guardians of the world go from place to place and make proclamation, Sirs, at " saying : the end of a thousand years from this time a Buddha will appear on earth." This is called the proclamation of a Buddha [Buddha-halahala]. Again, when devas realize that at the end of a hundred years a universal monarch will appear, they go from place to place and make proclamation, " saying Sirs, at the end of a hundred years from : this time a universal monarch will appear on earth." This is called the proclamation of a Universal monarch [Chakkavatti-halahala]. These are the three great proclamations. When of these three they hear the Buddha-pro clamation, the devas of the entire ten thousand worldsystems assemble together and having ascertained ; who will become the Buddha, they go to him and beseech him to do so, so beseeching him when the first signs appear [that his present life is drawing to its Accordingly on this occasion they all, close]. with the governors in each world, 1 assembled in one world, and going to the future Buddha in the world of bliss (Tusita), they besought him, saying : Sir, when thou wast fulfilling the Ten " Perfec tions, thou didst not do so from a desire for the state of world-governor Sakka, or Mara, or Brahma or of a mighty king upon earth thou wast fulfilling ; them with the hope of reaching all-knowledge for the sake of the salvation of mankind Now has the ! moment come, sir, for thy Buddhahood now, sir, ; " has the time arrived ! But the Great Being, as if he had not granted the prayer of the devas, reflected in succession on the viz. the time the following five important points, ; country; the family the mother ; ; and her age-limit. Of these he first reflected on the TIME, thinking : " Is this the time or not ? And on this point he " thought : " When the time of the span of life has grown to be upwards of a hundred thousand years, the time has not arrived. not ? Because in Why such a period men perceive not that living beings are subject to birth, decay, and death the thrice- ; marked of the preaching of the gospel of the pearl Buddhas is not ; and when the Buddhas speak of the of impermanence of all things, of the universality sorrow, and of the delusion of individuality, people given in the text the four Maharajas, Sakka, 1 The names are ; Suyama, Santusita, Paranimitta-vasavatti, and Maha-Brahma. of They are the governors in the different worlds (Chakkavala) the Buddhist cosmogony. will neither listen [nor believe, saying What is : this they talk of ? At such a time there can be no understanding, and without that the teaching will not lead to salvation. That therefore is not the time. Neither is it the right time when the span of life is under one hundred years. Why not ? Because then sin is rife among men ; and admonition addressed to the sinners does not endure, but like a streak drawn on the water vanishes quickly away. That therefore isnot the time. When, however, the span of life is under a hundred thousand and over a hundred years that is the proper time." Now at that time the span of (earth) life was one hundred The Great years. Being therefore saw that the time of his advent had arrived. Then reflecting upon the COUNTRY, and considering the four great continents with their surrounding islands, he thought " In three of the continents the : Buddhas are not born, but in Jambudvlpa they are born," and thus he decided on the country. Then reflecting upon THE DISTRICT, and thinking : " Jambudvlpa indeed is large, ten thousand leagues in extent now in which district of it do the Buddhas ; he fixed upon the Middle Country. 2 And " appear ? In the seas surrounding each continent (Mahadipa) there are five hundred islands. See Hardy s Manual of Buddhism, p. 13. Majjhima-desa, of which the commentator adds " This is : the country thus spoken of in the Vinaya," quoting the passage at Mahdvagga, v. 13, 12, which gives the boundaries as follows : To the E. the town Kajangala, and beyond it Mahasala to the " ; S.E. the river Salalavati to the S. the town Setakannika ; ; to the W. the brahman town and district Thuna and to the N. ; the Usiraddhaja Mountain." These are different from the boundaries of the Madhya Desa of later Brahminical literature, calling to mind that the town named Kapilavatthu was in that country, he concluded that he ought to be born in it. The " Then reflecting on THE FAMILY, he thought : Buddhas are not born in the Vessa caste, nor the Sudda caste but either in the Brahmin or in the ; Khattiya caste, whichever is then held in the highest repute. The Khattiya caste is now predominant, I must be born in it, and Suddhodana the chief will be my father." Thus he beheld the family. The " Then reflecting on THE MOTHER, he thought : mother of a Buddha is not lustful, or corrupt as to drink, but has fulfilled the Perfections for a hundred thousand ages, and from her birth upwards has kept the five Precepts unbroken. Now this lady Maha Maya is such an one, she will be my mother." And further considering how long her life should last, he foresaw that it would still last ten months and seven days. Having thus reflected on these five important points The time has " he favoured the devas by consenting : arrived, sirs, for me to become a Buddha." He then dismissed them with the words and promise Do " and attended by the devas of the world of " you go ; Bliss(Tusita), he entered the grove of Gladness (Nandana) in the City of Bliss. Now in each of the deva-worlds there is such a on which see Lassen s Indische Alterthumskunde, vol. i, p. 119 (2nd edition). This sacred land was regarded as the centre of Jambudvipa that is, of the then known world just as the ; Chinese talk of China as the Middle Country, and as other people have looked on their own capital as the navel or hub of the world, and on their world as the centre of the universe. grove of Gladness and there the devas are wont to ; remind any one of them who is about to depart of the opportunities he has gained by good deeds done in a former birth, saying to him When hence : " deceased go to a good destiny." And thus he also, when walking about there, surrounded by devas re minding him of his acquired merit, departed thence, and was conceived in the womb of the Lady Maha Maya. In order to explain this better, the following is the At that time, it is said, the account in fuller detail. Midsummer festival was proclaimed in the City of Kapilavatthu, and the people were enjoying the feast. During the seven days before the full moon the Lady Maha Maya had taken part in the festivity, as free from drunkenness as it was brilliant with garlands and perfumes. On the seventh day she rose early and bathed in perfumed water and she distributed four : hundred thousand pieces in giving great largesse. Decked in her richest attire she partook of the purest food : and steadfast in the rites of the feast she entered her beautiful chamber, and lying on her royal couch she fell asleep and dreamt this dream. The four Guardians of the world, lifting her up in her couch, carried her to the Himalaya mountains, and placing her under the Great Sal-tree, seven leagues high, on the Crimson Plain, sixty yojanas broad, they stood respectfully aside. Their queens then came toward her, and taking her to the Jake of Anotatta, bathed her to free her from human stains ; and dressed her in heavenly garments and anointed ; her with perfumes and decked her with heavenly ; flowers. Not far from there is the Silver Hill, within which is a golden mansion in it they spread a ; heavenly couch, with its head towards the East, and on it they laid her down. Then the future Buddha, who had become a superb white elephant, and was wandering on the Golden Hill, not far from there, descended thence, and ascending the Silver Hill, approached her from the North. Holding in his silvery trunk a white lotus flower, and uttering a farreaching cry, he entered the golden mansion, and thrice doing obeisance to his mother s couch, he gently struck her right side, and seemed to enter her womb. 1 Thus was he conceived at the end of the Midsummer festival. And the next day, having awoke from her sleep, she related her dream to the raja. The raja had sixty-four eminent brahmins summoned, and had costly seats spread on a spot made ready for the state occasion with green leaves and dalbergia flowers, and he had vessels of gold and silver filled with delicate milk-rice compounded with ghee and sweet honey, and covered with gold and silver bowls. This food he gave them, and he satisfied them with gifts of new garments and of tawny cows. And when he had thus satisfied their every desire, he had the dream told to them, and then he asked them What will come : " " of it ? The brahmins said : "Be not anxious, sire ! your queen has conceived : and the fruit of her womb will It is instructive to notice that in later accounts it is soberly related as actual fact that the Bodisat entered his mother s womb as a white elephant and the Incarnation scene is occasionally : so represented in Buddhist sculptures. be a man-child ; it will not be a woman-child. You will have a son. And he, if he adopts a householder s life, will become a king, a Universal Monarch but if, ; leaving his home, he adopt the religious life, he will become a Buddha, who will remove from the world the veils of ignorance and sin." Now at the moment when the future Buddha made himself incarnate in his mother s womb, the con stituent elements of the ten thousand world-systems at the same instant quaked, and trembled, and were shaken violently. The Thirty-two Good Omens also were made manifest. In the ten thousand worldsystems an immeasurable light appeared. The blind received their sight, as if from very longing to behold this his glory. The deaf heard the noise. The dumb spake one with another. The crooked became The lame walked. All prisoners were freed straight. from their bonds and chains. In each hell the fire was of the Petas hunger and extinguished. In the realm thirst were allayed. The wild animals ceased to be afraid. The illness of all who were sick was allayed. All men began to speak kindly. Horses neighed, and elephants trumpeted gently. All musical instruments forth each its note, though none played upon gave them. Bracelets and other ornaments jingled of them selves. All the heavens became clear. A cool soft breeze wafted pleasantly for all. Bain fell out of due season. Water, welling up from the very earth, overflowed. 1 The birds forsook their flight on high. 1 I think this is the meaning of the passage, though Prof. Childers has a different rendering of the similar phrase at verse " " 104, where I would read " it instead of vegetation Compare ". Dafhdvamsa, i, 45, The rivers stayed their waters flow. The sea became sweet water. Everywhere its surface was covered with lotuses of every colour.All flowers blossomed on land and in water. The trunks, and branches, and twigs of trees were covered with the bloom appropriate to each. On earth tree-lotuses sprang up by sevens together, breaking even through the rocks and : hanging-lotuses were born in the sky and rained down everywhere a rain of blossom. In the sky devamusic was played. The ten thousand world-systems revolved, and rushed as close together as a bunch of gathered flowers and became as it were a woven ; wreath of worlds, as sweet-smelling and resplendent as a mass of garlands, or as a sacred altar decked with flowers. From the moment of the conception, thus brought about, of the future Buddha, four devas with swords in their hands, stood guard over the Bodisat, and his mother, to shield them from all harm. Pure in thought, having reached the highest aim and the highest honour, the mother was happy and unwearied; she saw the child within her as plainly as one could see a thread passed through a transparent 1 gem. But as a womb in which a future Buddha has dwelt, like a sacred relic shrine, can never be occupied by another ; the mother of the Bodisat, seven days after his birth, died, and was reborn in the City of Bliss. Now other women give birth, some before, some after, the completion of the tenth month, some sitting, I once saw a notice of some mediaeval frescoes in which the Holy Child was similarly represented as visible within the Virgin s womb, but have unfortunately mislaid the reference. and some lying down. Not so the mother of a Bodisat. She gives birth to the Bodisat standing, after she has cherished him in her womb for exactly ten months, this is a distinctive quality of the mother of a Buddha elect. And queen Maha Maya, when she too had thus cherished the Bodisat in her womb, like oil in a vessel, for ten months, felt herself far gone with child : and wishing to go to her family home she spake to King Suddhodana, and said : " Sire, I wish to go to Devadaha, to the city of my people." The king, saying " It is good," consented, and : had the road from Kapilavatthu to Devadaha made plain, and decked with arches of plaintain-trees, and well filled water-pots, and flags, and banners. And seating the queen in a golden palanquin carried by a thousand attendants, he sent her away with a great retinue. Now between the two towns there is a pleasuregrove of sal-trees belonging to the people of both cities, and called the Lumbini grove. At that time, from the roots to the topmost branches, it was one mass of fruits and flowers and amidst the blossoms and ; branches swarms of various-coloured bees, and flocks of birds of different kinds roamed warbling sweetly. The whole of the Lumbini grove was like a wood of variegated creepers, or the well-decorated banqueting hall of some mighty king. The it was queen beholding filled with the desire of besporting herself in the sal-tree grove and the attendants carrying the ; queen, entered the wood. When she came to the monarch sal-tree of the glade, she wanted to take hold of a branch of it, and the branch bending down, like a reed heated by steam, approached within reach of her hand. Stretching out her hand she took hold of the branch, and then karma-born winds shook her. The people, drawing a curtain round her, retired. Standing, and holding the branch of the sal-tree, she was delivered. That very moment the four pure-minded Maha Brahmas came there bringing a golden net ; and receiving the future Buddha on that net, they placed him before his mother, saying "Be joyful, Lady : ! " a mighty son is born to thee ! Now other living things, when they leave their mother s womb, leave it smeared with offensive and impure matter. Not so a Bodisat. The future Buddha left his mother s womb like a preacher descending from a pulpit or a man from a ladder, erect, stretching out his hands and feet, unsoiled by any impurities from contact with his mother s womb, pure and fair, and shining like a gem placed on fine muslin of Benares. But though this was so, two showers of water came down from heaven in honour of them and refreshed the Bodisat and his mother, and cleansed her body. From the hands of the Brahmas who had received him in the golden net, the Four Kings received him on cloth of antelope skins, soft to the touch, such as are used on occasions of royal state. From their hands men received him on a roll of fine cloth ; and on leaving their hands he stood up upon the ground and looked towards the East. Thousands of world- systems became visible to him like a single open space. Men and devas offering him sweet-smelling " garlands, said : great man, there is no other like thee, how then a greater ? Searching the ten " directions and finding no one like himself, he took seven strides, saying : " This is the best direction." And as he walked the Great Brahma held over him the white umbrella, and the Suyama followed him with the fan, and other devas with the other symbols of royalty in their hands. Then, stopping at the seventh step, he sent forth his noble voice and shouted the shout of victory, beginning with : "I am the chief of the world." 2 Now the future Buddha in three births thus uttered his voice immediately on leaving his mother s womb ; in his birth as Mahosadha, in his birth as Vessantara, and in this birth. In the Mahosadha birth the devaking Sakka came to him as he was being born, and placing some fine sandal-wood in his hand, went away. He came forth from the womb holding this in his fist. His mother asked him What is it you : " hold, dear, as you come ? He answered, Herb- " " medicine, mother " ! So because he came holding this they gave him the name of Herb-medicine child (Osadhadaraka). Taking the medicine they kept itin a chatty (an earthenware and it water-pot) ; became a drug by which all the sickness of the blind and deaf and others, as many as came, was healed, so the saying sprang up " : This is a great osadha ! N., S., E., W., four intermediate to these, the zenith and the nadir. The Madurattha Vilasinl adds the rest : I am supreme in " the world ; this is my last birth ; henceforth there will be no rebirth for me." and hence he was called " osadha this is a great ! Mahosadha (The Great Herb-medicine Man). Again, in the Vessantara birth, as he left his mother s womb, he stretched out his right hand, saying : " But is anything in the house, there mother ? I would give a gift." Then his mother, saying, " You are born, dear, in a wealthy family," took his hand in hers, and placed on it a bag containing a thousand. Lastly, in this birth he sang the song of victory. Thus, the future Buddha in three births uttered his voice as he came out of his mother s womb. And as at the moment of his conception, so at the moment of his birth, the thirty-two Good Omens were seen. Now at the very time when our Bodisat was born in the Lumbini grove, the lady mother of Rahula, Channa the attendant, Kaludayi the minister, Kanthaka the royal horse, the great Bo-tree, and the four vases full of treasure, also came into being. Of these last, one was two miles, one four, one six, and one eight miles in size. These seven are called the Sahajata, the Connatal Ones. Lit., roared the lion-roar ; a term for a manifesto of selfconfidence. Ed. Wife of Gotama Buddha. 3 There is some mistake here, as the list contains nine or if the four treasures count as one, only six Connatal Ones. I think before Kaludayi we should insert Ananda, the loving disciple. So Alabaster and Hardy ( Wheel of the Law, p. 106 Manual of ; Buddhism, p. 146). Bigandet also adds Ananda, but calls him the son of Amittodana, which is against the common tradition (Life or Legend of Gaudama, p. 36, comp. my Buddhism, p. 52). The legend is certainly, as to its main features, an early one, for it is also found, in greatly exaggerated and contradictory terms, in the books of Northern Buddhists (Lalita Vistara, Foucaux, p. 97, Beal, p. 53 ; cf. Senart, p. 294). The people of both towns took the Bodisat and went to Kapilavatthu. On that day too, companies of devas in the next, the Tavatimsa world, were astonished and joyful and waved their robes and ; " rejoiced, saying, In Kapilavatthu, to Suddhodana the king a son is born, who, seated under the Botree, will become a Buddha." At that time an ascetic named Kaja Devala, a confidential adviser of Suddhodana the king, who had passed through the eight stages of religious attainment, had eaten his midday meal, and had gone to the Tavatimsa world for his midday rest. Whilst there sitting resting, he saw these devas, and asked them Why are you thus " : glad at heart and rejoicing ? Tell me the reason of it." The devas replied : " Sir, to Suddhodana the king is born a son, who, seated under the Bo-tree, will become a Buddha, and will found a Kingdom of Righteous ness. 2To us it will be given to see his infinite grace and to hear his word. Therefore it is that we are " glad ! The ascetic, hearing what they said, quickly came down from the deva-world, and entering the king s house, sat down on the seat set apart for him, and said : " A son they say is born to you, king ! let me see him." The king ordered his son to be clad in splendour and carried in to salute the ascetic. But the future Buddha turned his feet round, and planted them on Samapatti. DhammacaJckam pavattessati. See my Buddhism, p. 45. the matted hair of the ascetic. 1 For in that birth there was no one worthy to be saluted by the Bodisat, and if these ignorant ones had placed the head of the future Buddha at the feet of the ascetic, assuredly the ascetic s head would have split in two. The ascetic rose from his seat, and saying It is not right for me " : to work my own destruction," he did homage to the Bodisat. And the king also seeing this wonder did homage to his own son. Now the ascetic had the power of calling to mind the events of forty ages (kalpas) in the past, and of forty ages in the future. Looking at the marks of future prosperity on the Bodisat s body, he considered Will he become a Buddha or not ? " " with himself : And perceiving that he would most certainly become " a Buddha, he smiled, saying : This is a wonder- Then reflecting Will it be given to me to " man." : behold him when he has become a Buddha ? " he Dying before that time " perceived that it would not. I shall be reborn in the formless world so that while ; a hundred or perhaps a thousand Buddhas appear among men, I shall not be able to go and be taught by them. And it will not be my good fortune to behold this so wonderful man when he has become a Buddha. Great, alas, is my loss And he ! " wept. Our " The people seeing this, asked, saying : 1 It was considered among the brahmins a sign of holiness to wear matted or platted hair. This is referred to in the striking Buddhist verse (Dhammapada, v, 394) What is the use of : " platted hair, O fool What of a garment of skins Your low ! ! yearnings are within you, and the outside you make clean " ! master just now smiled, and has now begun to weep ! Will, sir, any misfortune befall our master s child ? * " There is no misfortune in him ; assuredly he will become a Buddha," was the reply. " " Why then do you weep ? " It will not be granted to me," he said, to behold " so great a man when he has become a Buddha. Great, alas, is my loss bewailing myself, I weep." ! Then reflecting Will it be granted or not to any : " one of my relatives to see him as a Buddha ? " he saw it would be granted to his nephew, the boy Nalaka. So he went to his sister s house, and said Where is your son Nalaka ? " to her, " " In the house, brother." When he came he said to him, " Call him," said he. " In the family of Suddhodana the king, dear, a son is born, a young Buddha. In thirty-five years he will become a Buddha, and it will be granted you to see him. This very day give up the world ! " Bearing in mind that his uncle was not a man to urge him without a cause, the young man, though bom in a family of incalculable wealth, 2 straightway took out of the inner store a yellow suit of clothes and an earthenware pot, and shaved his head and put on the robes. And saying : "I leave the world for the sake of him who is the greatest person on earth," he prostrated himself on the ground and raised his joined hands in adoration towards the Bodisat. Then putting the begging bowl in a bag, and carrying it on Our master (ayyo) is here, of course, the sage. It is a 1 " " pretty piece of politeness, not unfrequent in the Jatakas, to address a stranger as a relation. See below, Jataka no. 3. Literally worth eighty and seven times a ko^i " both ", eighty and seven being lucky numbers. v his shoulder, lie went to the Himalaya mountains, and lived the life of a monk. When the Tathagata had attained to complete Enlightenment, Nalaka went to him and heard the way of salvation.He then returned to the Himalayas and reached Arahantship. And when he had lived seven months longer as a pilgrim along the most excellent Path, he passed away when standing near a Golden Hill, by that final passing away in which no source of rebirth remains. Now on the fifth day they bathed the Bodisat s " head, saying Let us perform the rite of choosing : a name for him." So they perfumed the king s house with four kinds of odours, and decked it with Dalbergia flowers, and made ready rice well cooked in milk. Then they sent for one hundred and eight brahmins who had mastered the three Vedas, and seated them in the king s house, and gave them the pleasant food to eat, and did them great honour, and asked them to recognize the signs of what the child should be. Among them : 270. Rama, and Dhaja, and Lakkhana, and Mantin, Kondanya and Bhoja, Suyama and Sudatta, These eight brahmins then were there, Their senses all subdued and they declared the charm. ; Now these eight brahmins were recognizers of signs ; it was by them that the dream on the night of " Literally caused him to declare, "and Nalaka-course. Of. the Najaka-sutta, in Sutta-Nipaka, v. 679-723. Tathagata, gone, or come, in like manner ; subject to " the fate of all men," is an adjective applied originally to all mortals, but afterwards used as a favourite epithet of Gotama. Childers compares the use of Son of Man " ". Anupadisesaya Nibbana-dhatuya parinibbdyi. conception had been interpreted. Seven of them holding up two fingers prophesied in the alternative, saying If:a man " having such marks should remain a householder, he becomes a Universal Monarch ; but if he takes the vows, he becomes a Buddha." And, so saying, they declared all the glory and power of a Chakkavatti king. But the youngest of all of them, a young brahmin, whose family name was Kondanya, beholding the perfection of the auspicious marks on the Bodisat, raised up one finger only, and prophesied without ambiguity, and said " There is no sign of his : remaining amidst the cares of household life. Verily, he will become a Buddha, and remove the veils of sin and ignorance from the world." This man already, under former Buddhas, had made a deep resolve of holiness, and had now reached his last birth. Therefore it was that he surpassed the other seven in wisdom that he perceived how the ; Bodisat would only be subject to this one life and ; that, raising only one finger, he so prophesied, saying : The lot of one possessed of these marks will not be " cast amidst the cares of household life. Verily, he will become a Buddha " ! Now those brahmins went home, and addressed their sons, saying : " We are old, dear ones ; whether or not we shall live to see the son of Suddhodana the king after he has gained all-knowledge, do you, when he has gained all-knowledge, take the vows according And after they all seven had lived to his religion." out their span of life, they passed away and were reborn according to their deeds. But the young brahmin Kondanya was in good health and for the sake of the wisdom of the Great ; Being he left all that he had and made the great renunciation. And coming in due course to Uruvela, Behold how pleasant is this place " he thought : ! how suitable for the exertions of a young man desirous of wrestling with sin." So he took up his residence there. And when he heard that the Great Being had left the world, he went to the sons of those brahmins, and said to them Siddhattha the prince has taken the " : vows. Assuredly he will become a Buddha. If your fathers were in health they would to-day leave their homes, and go forth : and now, if you should so desire, come, I will leave the world in imitation of him." But all of them were not able to agree with one accord : three did not give up the world ; the other four made Kondanya the brahmin their leader, and left the world. It was those five who came to be called " the Company of the Five Elders ". " Then the king asked : After seeing what, will " my son forsake the world ? The four Omens was the reply. " " Which four ? " " " A man worn out by age, a sick man, a dead body, and a monk." The king thought From this time let no such : " son s things come near my son. There is no good in my son becoming a Buddha. I should like to see my exercising rule and sovereignty over the four great continents and the two thousand islands that surround them and walking, as it were, in the vault of heaven, ; surrounded by an innumerable retinue." * Then so saying, he placed guards two miles apart in the four directions to prevent men of those four kinds coming to the sight of his son. That day also, of eighty thousand clansmen assembled in the festival hall, each one dedicated a " son, saying : Whether this child becomes a Buddha or a king, we give each a son ; so that if he shall become a Buddha, he shall live attended and honoured by Khattiya monks, and if he shall become a king, he shall live attended and honoured 2 nobles." by And the raja appointed nurses of great beauty, and free from every fault, for the Bodisat. So the Bodisat grew up in great splendour and surrounded by an innumerable retinue. Now one day the king held the so-called Ploughing Festival. On that day they ornament the town like a palace of the gods. All the slaves and servants, in new garments and crowned with sweet-smelling garlands, assemble in the king s house. For the king s work a thousand ploughs are yoked. On this occasion one hundred and eight minus one were, with the oxenreins and cross-bars, ornamented with silver. But the plough for the king to use was ornamented with red gold ; and so also the horns and reins and goads of the oxen. The king leaving his house with a great retinue, took his son and went to the spot. There there was a jambu-tree thick with leaves and giving a dense shade. Literally "a retinue thirty-six leagues in circumference", where " thirty-six " is a mere sacred number. Khattiya (Kshatriya) was the warrior caste. Under it the raja had the child s couch laid out ; and over the couch a canopy spread inlaid with stars of gold, and round it a curtain hung. Then leaving a guard there, the raja, clad in splendour and attended by his ministers, went away to plough. At such a time the king takes hold of a golden plough, the attendant ministers one hundred and eight minus one silver ploughs, and the peasants the rest of the ploughs. Holding them they plough this way and that way. The raja goes from one side to the other, and comes from the other back again. On this occasion the king had great success and the ; " nurses seated round the Bodisat, thinking Let us : go to see the king s glory came out from within the ", curtain, and went away. The future Buddha, looking all round, and seeing no one, got up quickly, seated himself cross-legged, and holding his breath, sank into the first Jhana. 1 The nurses, engaged in preparing various kinds of food, delayed a little. The shadows of the other trees turned round, but that of the jambu-tree remained steady and circular in form. The nurses, remembering theiryoung master was alone, hurriedly raised the curtain and returned inside it. Seeing the Bodisat sitting cross-legged, and that miracle of the shadow, " they went and told the raja, saying Sire the : ! prince is seated in such and such a manner and ; while the shadows of the other trees have turned, " that of the jambu-tree is fixed in a circle ! And the raja went hurriedly and saw that miracle, 1 A state of religious meditation. A full explanation is given in my Buddhism, pp. 174-6. and did homage to his son, " saying : This, dear, is the second " homage paid to thee ! But the Bodisat in due course grew to manhood. And the king had three mansions made, suitable for the three seasons, one nine stories high, one seven stories and one five stories high high, ; and he provided him with forty thousand dancing So girls. the Bodisat, surrounded by well-dressed dancing girls, like a deva surrounded by troops of nymphs, and attended by musical instruments which played of themselves, lived, as the seasons changed, in each of these mansions in enjoyment of great prosperity. And the mother of Kahula was his principal queen. Whilst he was thus in the enjoyment of great prosperity the following talk sprang up in the public assembly of his clansmen " Siddhattha lives devoted : to pleasure not one thing does he learn ; if war ; should break out, what would he do ? " The king sent for the future Buddha, and said to him Your relations, dear one, say that you learn : " nothing, and are given up to pleasure now what do : you think you should do about this ? " " Sire, there is no art it is necessary for me to learn. Have the drum-beater about the city, that I may show my skill. Seven days from now I will show my kindred what I can do." The king did so. The Bodisat assembled those so skilled in archery that they could split even a hair, and shoot as quick as lightning and then, in the midst of ; the people, he showed his relatives his twelve-fold skill, and how unsurpassed he was by other masters of the bow. 1 So the assembly of Ms clansmen doubted no longer. Now one day the future Buddha, wanting to go to his pleasure ground, told his charioteer to harness his chariot. The latter accordingly decked the gloriously beautiful chariot with all its trappings, and harnessed to it four state horses of the Sindhi breed, and white as the leaves of the white lotus flower. And he informed the Bodisat. So the Bodisat ascended the chariot, resplendent like a mansion in the skies, and went towards the garden. The devas thought The time for young Sid- " : dhattha to attain Enlightenment is near, let us show him the Omens." And they did so by making a son of the devas represent a man wasted by age, with decayed teeth and grey hair, bent and broken down in body, and with a stick in his hand. But he was only visible to the future Buddha and his charioteer. Then the Bodisat asked his charioteer, as is told in the Mahapadana 2 : " What kind of man is this, whose very hair is not as that of other men ? When " Shame then " he heard his servant s answer, he said : be upon life ! since the old age of what is born is and with agitated heart he turned back at " evident ! that very spot and re-entered his palace. The king asked " " : Why does my son turn back so ? hurriedly " He has seen an old man," they said, " and having seen an old man, he will forsake the world." " By this you ruin me," exclaimed the raja ; 1 A gloss adds, " This should be understood as is related " fully in the Sarabhanga Jatalca (no. 522). Dialogues of the Buddha, ii, p. 18. quickly get ready plays to be performed before my " son. So long as he continues in the enjoyment of he will not turn his thoughts to forsaking pleasure, the world Then increasing the guards, he placed ! " them at each point of the compass, at intervals of half a league. Again, one day, when the future Buddha, as he was going to his pleasure ground, saw a sick man repre sented by the devas, he made the same inquiry as before and then, with agitated heart, turned back ; and re-entered his palace. The king also made the same inquiry, and gave the same orders as before ; and again increasing the guard, placed them all round as far as three gavutas. Once more, when the future Buddha, as he was going to his pleasure ground, saw a dead man repre sented by the gods, he made the same inquiry as before and then, with agitated heart, turned back ; and re-entered his palace. The king also made the same inquiry, and gave the same orders as before ; and again increasing the guard, placed them all round as far as a league. Once again, when the future Buddha, as he was going to his pleasure ground, saw one who had aban doned the world, carefully and decently clad, he asked Friend, what kind of man is that ? " " his charioteer : As at that time there was no Buddha at all in the world, the charioteer understood neither what a recluse was nor what were his distinguishing character istics ; but nevertheless, inspired by the devas, he and described the " That is a recluse " said, ; advantages of renouncing the world. And that day the future Buddha, cherishing the thought of re nouncing the world, went on to his pleasure ground. The repeaters of the Digha Nikaya, however, say that he saw all the four Omens on the same day, and then went to his pleasure ground. There he enjoyed himself during the day and bathed in the beautiful lake ; and at sunset seated himself on the royal resting stone to be robed. Now his attendants brought robes of different colours, and various kinds of ornaments, and garlands, and perfumes, and ointments, and stood around him, At that moment the throne on which Sakka was seated became warm. 2 And thinking to himself : " Who is it now who wants me to descend from " hence ? he perceived that the time for the adorn ment of the future Buddha had come. And he said to Vissakamma " Friend Vissakamma, the young : noble Siddhattha, to-day, at midnight, will carry out the Great Renunciation. This is the last time he will be clad in splendour. Go to the pleasure ground and adorn him with heavenly array." By the miraculous power which devas have, he accordingly, that very moment, drew near in the likeness of the royal barber ; and taking from 1 The members of the Buddhist Order of almsmen (bhikkhus) were in the habit of selecting some book or books of the Buddhist Scriptures, which it was their especial duty to learn by heart, repeat to their pupils, study, expound, and preach from. Thus the DlgJia Nikaya, or collection of long treatises, had a special school of repeaters (bhariaka) to itself. At critical moments in the lives of persons of importance in the religious legends of Buddhist India, the seat of the devagovernor Sakka becomes warm. Fearful of losing his temporary bliss, he then descends himself, or sends Vissakamma, the Buddhist Vulcan, to act as a deus ex machina, and put things straight. the barber s hand the material for the turban, he arranged it round the Bodisat s head. At the touch of his hand the Bodisat knew This is no man, it is " : a son of the devas." When the first round of the turban was put on, there arose, by the appearance of the jewel on the diadem, a thousand folds when ; the turban was wrapt the second time round, a thousand folds arose again when ten times, ten ; thousand folds appeared. How so many folds could seem to rise on so small a head is beyond imagination ; for in size the largest of them were as the flower of the Black Piyangu creeper, and the rest even as Kutumbaka blossoms. And the head of the future Buddha became like a Kuyyaka flower in full bloom. And when he was arrayed in all his splendour the musicians the while exhibiting each one his peculiar the brahmins honouring him with words of joy skill, and victory, and the men of lower station with festive cries and shouts of praise ; he ascended his superbly decorated car. At that time Suddhodana the king, who had heard that the mother of Rahula had brought forth a son, sent a message, saying Make known my joy to : " my son ! " The future Buddha, hearing this, said : An impediment has come into being, a bond has " come into being." When the king asked What : " and heard that saying, he gave " did my son say ? command : " From henceforth let Kahula (impedi ment) be my grandson s name." But the Bodisat, riding in his splendid chariot, entered the town with great magnificence and exceeding glory. At that time a noble maiden, Kisa Gotami by name, had gone to the flat roof of the upper story of her palace, and she beheld the beauty and majesty of the Bodisat as he was proceeding through the city. Pleased and delighted at the sight, she burst forth into this song of joy : 271. Blessed indeed is that mother Blessed indeed is that father Blessed indeed is that wife Of whom such an one is master ! Hearing this, the Bodisat thought to himself On : " catching sight of such an one the heart of his mother is made happy, the heart of his father is made happy, the heart of his wife is made happy So she says. ! But in peace as to what can the heart be at peace ? " And to him whose mind was estranged from sin the answer came When the fire of lust is gone out, : " then peace is gained when the fires of hatred and ; delusion are gone out, then peace is gained when the ; troubles of mind, arising from vain conceits, opinions, and all other corruptions have ceased, then peace is gained Sweet is the lesson this singer makes me ! hear, for the going out which is Peace is that which I have been trying to find out. This very day I will break away from household cares I will renounce ! the world I will follow only after the Nirvana itself l ! ! 1 The force of this passage is due to the fullness of meaning which, to the Buddhist, the words Nibbuta and Nibbdnam convey. No words in western languages cover exactly the same ground, or connote the same ideas. To explain them fully to anyone unfamiliar with Indian modes of thought would be difficult anywhere, and impossible in a note ; but their meaning is pretty clear from the above sentences. Where in them, in the song, the words blessed, happy, peace, and the words gone out, ceased, occur, nibbuta stands in the original in one or other of its two meanings ; Then loosing from his neck a string of pearls worth a hundred thousand, he sent it to Kisa Gotami as a " teacher s fee. Delighted at this, she thought Prince : Siddhattha has fallen in love with me, and has sent me a present." But the Bodisat, on entering his palace in great splendour, reclined on a couch of state. Thereupon women clad in beautiful array, skilful in the dance and song, and lovely as deva-maidens, brought their musical instruments, and ranging them selves in order, danced, and sang, and played delight fully. But the Bodisat, his heart being estranged from sin, took no pleasure in the spectacle, and fell asleep. And the women, saying : " He for whose sake we were performing is gone to sleep ? " Why should we weary ourselves ? laid aside the instruments they held, and lay down to sleep. Lamps fed with sweetsmelling oil were burning. The Bodisat, waking up, sat cross-legged on the couch, and saw those women with their music truck laid aside and sleeping some drivelling at the mouth spittle-besprinkled, some grinding their teeth, some snoring, some muttering in their sleep, some gaping, and some with their dress in disorder plainly revealed as mere horrible occasions of worldly ways. Seeing this change in their appearance, he became more and more unfain of sense-desires. To him that where in them the words Nirvana, going o>it which is Peace occur, Nibbdnam stands in the original. Nirvana is a lasting state of happiness and peace, to be reached by the extinction of magnificent apartment, as splendid as Sakka s residence, began to seem like a great area laden with divers offal, like a enamel-field full of corpses. Life, whether in the worlds subject to passion, or in the other worlds of form, or in the formless worlds, seemed to him like staying in a house that had become the prey of devouring flames. 1 An utterance of intense feeling broke from him " It all oppresses me It is intolerable ! and his mind turned ardently! " to the state of those who have renounced the world. Resolving that very day to accomplish the Great Renunciation, he rose from his couch, went to the door and called out Who is there ? : " " Channa, who had been sleeping with his head on the " threshold, answered It is I, sir, Channa." : Then said he want to-day to accomplish the : "I Great Renunciation saddle me a horse." So Channa saying Very good, sire, and taking : harness, went to the stable-yard, and entering the stables saw by the light of the lamps Kanthaka, prince of steeds, standing at a pleasant spot under a canopy of cloth, beautified with a pattern of jasmine flowers. " This is the very one I ought to saddle to-day," thought he and he saddled Kanthaka. ; Even whilst he was being saddled the horse knew : "He saddling me so tightly and not as on other is days for such rides as those to the pleasure grounds, because my master is about to-day to carry out the Lit., The three Bhavas seemed like houses on fire." The " three Bhavas are existence in the Kama-loka, the Rupa-loka, and the Arupa-loka respectively ; that is, existence in the worlds whose inhabitants are subject to passion, who have material forms, but not passion, and have no forms respectively. Great Then, glad at heart, he Kenunciation." neighed a mighty neigh and the sound thereof ; would have penetrated over all the town, had not the devas stopped the sound and let no one hear it. Now after the Bodisat had sent Channa on this errand, he thought will just look at my : "I son." And rising from his cross-legged sitting he went to the apartments of Rahula s mother, and opened her chamber door. At that moment a lamp, fed with sweet-smellingoil, was burning dimly in the inner chamber. The mother of Rahula was asleep on a bed strewn with many jasmine flowers, 1 and resting her hand on the head of her son. Stopping with his foot on the threshold, the Bodisat thought, If I lift her " hand to take my son, she will awake and that will ; prevent my going away. I will come back and see him when I have become a Buddha." And he left the palace. Now what is said in the Jataka commentary : "At that time Rahula was seven days old," is not found in the other commentaries. Therefore the view given above should be accepted. 2 And when the Bodisat had left the palace, he went and said Dear Kanthaka, do thou " to his horse, : bear me over this once to-night ; so that I, having become a Buddha by thy help, shall bear over the world of men and devas." Then leaping up, he seated himself on Kanthaka s back. about an ammana (i.e. five or six bushels) of the large " Lit., jasmine and the Arabian jasmine." The Jataka Commentary here referred to is, no doubt, the older commentary of Elu, or old Singhalese, on which the present work is based. Kanthaka was eighteen cubits in length from the nape of his neck, and of proportionate height he ; was strong and fleet, and white all over like a clean chank shell. If he should neigh or paw the ground, the sound would penetrate through all the town. Therefore the devas so muffled the sound of his neighing that none could hear it and placed, at each ; step, the palms of their hands under his feet. The Bodisat rode on the excellent back of the excellent steed ; told Channa to catch hold of its tail, and arrived at midnight at the great gate of the city. Now the king thinking : "In that way the Bodisat will not be able at any time to open the city gate and get away had placed a thousand men at each of the ", two gates to stop him. The Bodisat was mighty and strong according to the measure of elephants as ten thousand million elephants, and according to the measure of men as a million million men. He thought : If the door does not open, sitting on Kanthaka s " back with Channa holding his tail, I will press Kan thaka with my thighs, and jumping over the city " rampart, eighteen cubits high, I will get away ! Channa thought "If the door is not opened, I will : take my master on my neck, and putting my right hand round Kanthaka s girth, I will hold him close to my waist, and so leap over the rampart and get Kanthaka thought the door is not " away ! : "If opened, I will spring up with my master seated as he is on my back, and Channa holding by my tail, and will leap over the rampart and get away And if ! " the door had not been opened, verily one or other of hose three would have accomplished that whereof lie had thought. But the deva residing at the gate it. opened At that moment Mara came there with the intention of stopping the Bodisat and standing in the air, he ; exclaimed : "Go not forth sir ! in seven days from now the treasure-wheel will appear, and will make you sovereign over the four continents and the two " thousand adjacent isles. Stop, my lord ! " Who are you ? said he. " I am Vasavatti," was the reply. " Mara Well do I know that the treasure- wheel " ! would appear to me but it is not sovereignty that I ; desire. I shall become a Buddha, and make the ten thousand world-systems shout for joy." Then thought the Tempter to himself Now, from : " this time forth, whenever a thought of lust or anger or malice shall arise within you, I will get to know of it." And he followed him, ever watching for some slip, as closely as a shadow which never leaves its object. But the future Buddha, making light of the kingdom of the world, thus within his reach casting it away as one would spittle left the city with great honour on the full-moon day of Asalhi, when the moqn was in the Uttarasalha lunar mansion (i.e. on the 1st July). And when he had left the city a desire sprang up within him to look back upon it and the ; instant he did so the broad earth revolved like a potter s wheel, and was stayed saying as it were to : him "0 great man, there is no need for you to stop : in order to fulfil your wish." So the Bodisat, with his face towards the city, gazed at it and he fixed at ; that place a spot for The Shrine of Kanthaka s Staying. And keeping Kanthaka in the direction in which he was going, he went on with great honour and exceeding glory. For then, they say, devas in front of him carried sixty thousand torches, and behind him too, and on his right hand, and on his left. And while some devas undefined on the edge of the horizon, held torches aloft ; other devas, and the Nagas, and Winged Creatures, and other superhuman beings, bore him company doing homage with heavenly perfumes, and garlands, and sandal-wood powder, and incense. And the whole sky was full of Paricchattaka flowers as with the pouring rain when thick clouds gather. Divine songs floated around and on every side : thousands of musical instruments sounded, as when the thunder roars in the womb of the sea, or the ocean heaves against the boundaries of the world ! in Advancing in this pomp and glory, the Bodisat, that one night, passed beyond three kingdoms, and arrived, at the end of thirty leagues, at the bank of the river called Anoma. But why could not the horse go still further ? It was not through want of power : for he could go from one edge of the world s disc to the other, as easily as one could step across the cir cumference of a wheel lying on its side and doing ; this in the forenoon, he could return and eat the food prepared for him. But on this occasion he was himself along, constantly delayed by having to drag and break his way through the mass of garlands and flowers, cast down from heaven in such profusion by the devas, and the Nagas, and the Winged Creatures, that his flanks were hid. Hence it was that he very only got over thirty leagues. Now the Bodisat, stopping at the river side, asked Channa : " What is this river called ? " " Its name, sire, is Anoma." And so also our leaving the world shall be called " Anoma (illustrious)," said he and to his ; signalling horse, by pressing it with his heel, the horse sprang over the river, five or six hundred yards in breadth, and stood on the opposite bank. The Bodisat, getting down from the horse s back, stood on the sandy beach, extending there like a sheet of silver, and said to Channa Good Channa, do : " thou now go back, taking my ornaments and Kanthaka. I am going to leave the world." But I also, sire, will leave the world." " Thou canst not be allowed to leave the world, do thou go back," he said. Three times he refused this request of Channa s ;and he delivered over to him both the ornaments and Kanthaka. Then he thought " These locks of mine are not ; suited for a recluse. Now it is not right for any one else to cut the hair of a future Buddha, so I will cut them off myself with this sword." Then, taking his sword in his right hand, and holding the plaited tresses, together with the diadem on them, with his left, he cut them off. So his hair was thus reduced to two inches in length, and curling from the right, it lay close to his head. It remained that length as long as he lived, and the beard the same. There was no need at all to shave either h air or beard any more. The Bodisat, saying to himself : "HI am to become a Buddha, let it stand in the air ; if not, let it fall to the ground ", threw the hair and diadem together as he held them towards the sky. The plaited hair and the jewelled turban went a league off and stopped in the air. Sakka, the deva-king, caught sight of it with his deva-eye, and receiving it into a jewel casket, a league high, he placed it in Tavatimsa, in the Dagaba of the Diadem. 272. Cutting off his hair, with pleasant perfumes sweet, The supreme person cast it to the sky. The thousand-eyed one, Sakka, by his head, Received it humbly in a golden casket. " Again the Bodisat thought This my raiment of : Benares muslin is not suitable for a recluse." Now the great Brahma Ghatikara, who had formerly been his friend in the time of Kassapa Buddha, was led by his friendship, which had not grown old in that long " interval, to think To-day my friend is accomplish : the Great Renunciation, I will go and provide him ing with the requisites of a recluse. 273. The three robes, and the alms bowl, Razor, needle, and girdle, And a water strainer these eight Are the wealth of the monk devout. Taking these eight requisites of a recluse, he gave them to him. The Bodisat dressed himself in the banner of an Arahant and adopted the sacred garb , of Renunciation and he enjoined upon Channa to go ; and, in his name, assure his parents of his safety. And Channa did homage to the Bodisat reverently, and departed. Now Kanthaka stood listening to the Bodisat as he talked with Channa. And thinking: "From this See above, p. 51. time forth I shall never see my master more ! " he was unable to bear his grief. And going out of their sight, he died of a broken heart; and was reborn in Tavatimsa as a deva, with the name of Kanthaka. So far the sorrow of Channa had been but single now ; torn with the second sorrow of Kanthaka s J death, he returned, weeping and bewailing, to the city. But the Bodisat, having renounced the world, spent seven days in a mango grove called Anupiya, hard by that spot, in the j oy of renunciation. Then he went on foot in one day to Rajagaha, a distance of thirty leagues,and entering the city, begged his food from door to door. The whole city at the sight of his beauty was thrown into commotion, as was Rajagaha by the entrance of Dhana-palaka, or like the deva-city by the entrance of the governor of the Asuras. The guards went to the king and said, describing him : " Sire, such and such a being is for coming alms through the town. We cannot tell whether he is a deva, or a man, or a Naga, or a Supanna, 2 or what he is." The word rendered league is i/ojana, said by Childers (Pali Diet, s.v.) to be twelve miles, but really only between seven and eight miles. See my Ancient Coins and Measures, pp. 16, 17. The thirty yojanas here mentioned, together with the thirty from Kapilavatthu to the river Anoma, make together sixty, or four hundred and fifty miles from Kapilavatthu to Rajagaha, which is far too much for the direct distance. There is here, I think, an undersigned coincidence between Northern and Southern accounts ; for the Lalita Vistara (Chap, xvi, at the commence ment) makes the Bodisat go to Rajagaha via Vesali, and this would make the total distance exactly sixty yojanas. These are the superhuman Snakes and Winged Creatures, who were supposed, like the gods or angels, to be able to assume the appearance of men. The king, watching the great man from his palace, became full of wonder, and gave orders to his guards, If it is a super saying, "Go, I say, and watch. human being, he will disappear as soon as he leaves the city ; if a deva, he will depart through the air ; if a snake, he will dive into the earth if a man, he ; will eat the food just as it is." But the great man collected mixed food. And when he perceived there was enough to support him, he left the city by the gate at which he had entered. And seating himself, facing towards the East, under the shadow of the Pandava rock, he began to eat his meal. His stomach, however, turned, and made as if it would come out of his mouth. Then, though distressed by that revolting food, for in that birth he had never even beheld such food with his eyes, he " himself admonished himself, saying : Siddhattha, it is true thou wast born in a family where food and drink were easily obtainable, into a state of life where food was third-season s rice, with perfumed thy various curries of the finest kinds. But ever since thou didst see one clad in a mendicant s garb, thou hast been thinking : When shall I become like him, and live by begging my food ? would that that time were come !And now that thou hast left all for " that very purpose, what is this that thou art doing ? And overcoming his feelings, he ate the food. The king s men saw this, and went and told him that had happened. Hearing what his messengers said, the king quickly left the city, and approaching the Bodisat, was so pleased at the mere sight of his offered him all his kingdom. dignity and grace, that he The Bodisat said ; "In me, king ! there is no desire after wealth or sinful It is in the pleasures. hope of attaining to complete enlightenment that I have left And when the king gained not his all." consent, though he asked it in many ways, he said : " Assuredly thou wilt become a Buddha ! Deign at least after thy Buddhahood to come to my kingdom first." This is here concisely stated but the full account, ; beginning sing the Renunciation, how the Wise : "I One renounced the world will be found on ", referring to the Pabbajja Sutta x and its commentary. And the Bodisat, granting the king s request, went forward on his way. And joining himself to Alara Kalama, and to Uddaka, son of Rama, he acquired their systems of ecstatic trance.But when he saw that that was not the way to enlightenment, he left off applying himself to the realization of that system of Attainment. And with the intention of carrying out the Great Struggle against sin, and showing his might and resolution to devas and men, he went to Uruvela. And saying Pleasant, indeed, is this : " " spot he took up his residence there, and devoted ! himself to the Great Struggle. 2 See Sutta Nipata, vers. 405-24. The Great Struggle played a great part in the Buddhist system of moral training ; it was the wrestling with the flesh which a by true Buddhist overcame delusion and sin, and attained to Nirvana. It is best explained by its four-fold division into 1. Mastery over the passions. 2. Suppression of sinful thoughts. 3. Meditation of the seven kinds of Enlightenment (Bodhi-anga, see Buddhism, p. 173) and 4. Fixed attention, the power of preventing the ; mind from wandering. It is also called Sammappadhana, Right Effort, and a formula alluded to in many Suttas. The system was, of course, not worked out at the time here referred to but ; And those five recluses, Kondanya and the rest, begging their way through villages, market towns, and royal cities, met with the Bodisat there. And for six years they stayed by him and served him, while he was carrying out the Great Struggle, with different kinds of service, such as sweeping out the hermitage, and so on thinking the while ; Now he will become: " now he will become a Buddha " a Buddha ! ! Now the Bodisat thought will perform the : "I uttermost penance/ And he brought himself to live on one seed of the oil-plant, or one grain of rice, and even to fast entirely but devas gathered the sap of ; life and infused it into him through the pores of his skin. By this fasting, however, he became as thin as a skeleton ; the colour of his body, once fair as gold, became dark ; and the thirty-two signs of a great man disappeared. And one day, when walking up and down, plunged in intense meditation, he was overcome by severe pain and he fainted, and fell. ; Then certain of the devas began to say He is : " Such is the way of " dead." But others said : saints." And those who thought he was dead went and told Suddhodana the king, saying Your : " son is dead." " Did he die after becoming a Buddha, or before ? " " He was unable to attain to Buddhahood, and fell down and died in the midst of the Great Struggle." to Gotama from throughout the chronicle the biographer ascribes the beginning, a knowledge of the whole Buddhist theory as afterwards elaborated. For to our author that theory had no Truth already development, it was Eternal and Immutable revealed by innumerable previous Buddhas. See above, p. 62. When the king heard this, he refused to credit it, " I do not believe it. saying : My son could never die without attaining to Enlightenment ! " " If you ask : Why did not the king believe it ? " it was because he had seen the miracles at the foot of the jambu-tree, and on the day when Kala Devala had been compelled to do homage to the Bodisat. 1 And the Bodisat recovered consciousness again, and stood up. And those devas went and told the king, Your son, king, is And the king said well." : I knew " my son was not dead." And the great being s six years penance became noised abroad, as when the sound of a great bell is heard in the sky. But he perceived that penance was not the way to enlightenment and begging through ; the villages and towns, he collected ordinary material And the thirty-two signs of a food and lived upon it. great man appeared again upon him, and his body became fair in colour, like unto gold. Then the five attendant monks thought : " This man has not been able, even by six years penance, to attain all-knowledge how can he do so now, when ; he goes begging through the villages, and takes material food ? He is altogether lost in the struggle. To think of getting spiritual eminence through him is like a man, who wants to bathe his head, thinking of using a dewdrop. What could we get from him ? " And leaving the great man, they took each his robes and begging bowl, and went eighteen leagues away, and entered Isipatana. 2 See above, p. 157. A Buburb of Benares, famous for its schools of learning Now at that time, at Uruvela, in the village Senani, there was a girl named Sujata, born in the house of Senani the landowner, who, when she had grown up, made a vow at a Nigrodha-tree, saying : If I am married into a family of equal rank, and " have a son for my first-born child, then I will spend every year a hundred thousand on an offering to thee." And this her vow took effect. And in order to make her offering, on the full-moon day of the month of May, in the sixth year of the Great Being s penance, she had driven in front of her a thousand cows into a meadow of rich grass. With their milk she had fed five hundred cows, with theirs two hundred and fifty, and so on down to eight. Thus aspiring after quantity, and sweetness, and strength, she did what is called " Working the milk in and : in." And early on the full-moon day in the month of May, thinking :Now I will make the offering " ", she rose up in the morning early and milked those eight cows. Of their own accord the calves kept away from the cows udders, and as soon as the new vessels were placed ready, streams of milk poured into them. Seeing this miracle, Sujata, with her own hands, took the milk and poured it into new pans ; and with her own hands made the fire and began to cook it. When that rice-milk was boiling, huge bubbles rising, turned to the right and ran round together not a drop fell or was lost ; not the least ; smoke rose from the fireplace. At that time the four guardians of the world came and kept watch by the fireplace. A great Brahma held over it a canopy of state. Sakka put the sticks together and lighted the fire. By their divine power the devas gathering so much of the sap of maintenance as would suffice for the support of all men and devas of the four continents, and their circumjacent two thousand isles as easily as a man crushing the honey comb formed round a stick would take the honey they infused it into the milk-rice. At other times devas infused the sap into each mouthful of rice as he took it but on the day of his Buddhahood, and on ; the day of his passing away, they infused it into the very vessel-full of rice itself. Sujata, seeing that so many wonders appeared to her on this one day, said to her slave-girl Punna : Very gracious is our deva to-day " Punna, my girl ! ! Never before have I seen such a wonder. Go at once " and keep watch by the holy place." Very good, madam," replied she and ran and hastened to the; foot of the tree. Now the Bodisat had seen that night five dreams, and on considering their purport he had drawn the Verily this day I shall become a " conclusion : Buddha." And at the end of the night he washed and dressed himself, and waiting till the time should come to go round for his food, he went early, and sat at the foot of that tree, lighting it all up with his glory. And Punna coming there saw the Bodisat sitting at the foot of the tree and lighting up all the region of the East and she saw the whole tree in colour ; like gold from the rays issuing from his body. And To-day our deva, descending from " she thought : the tree, is seated to receive our offering in his own hand." And excited with joy, she returned quickly, and announced this to Sujata. Sujata, delighted at the news, gave her all the ornaments befitting a " daughter, saying To-day, from this time forth, : be thou to me in the place of an elder daughter ! " And since, on the day of attaining Buddhahood, it is proper to receive a golden vessel worth a hundred thousand, she conceived the idea : " We will put the milk-rice into a vessel of gold." And sending for a vessel of gold worth a hundred thousand, she poured out the well-cooked food to put it therein. All the rice-milk flowed into the vessel, like water from a lotus leaf, and filled the vessel full. Taking it she covered it with a golden platter, and wrapped it in a cloth. And adorning herself in all her splendour, she put the vessel on her head, and went with great dignity to the Nigrodha-tree. Seeing the Bodisat, she was filled with exceeding joy, taking him for the tree-deva and advanced bowing from the spot whence ; she saw him. Taking the vessel from her head, she uncovered it and fetching sweet-scented water in a ; golden vase, she approached the Bodisat, and stood by. The earthenware pot given him by the deva Ghatikara, which had never till then left him, disappeared at that moment. Not seeing his pot, the Bodisat stretched out his right hand, and took the water. Sujata placed the vessel, with the milk-rice in it, in the hand of the great man. The great man looked at her. " Pointing to the food, she said 0, : sir accept what I have offered thee, and depart ! whithersoever seemeth to thee good." And adding : May there arise to thee as much joy as has come to " me she went away, valuing her golden vessel, ! " worth a hundred thousand, at no more than a dried leaf. But the Bodisat rising from his seat, and leaving the tree on the right hand, took the vessel and went to the bank of the Neranjara river, down into which on the day of their complete Enlightenment so many thou sand Bodisats had gone. The name of that bathing l place is the Supatitthita ferry. Putting the vessel on the bank, he descended into the river and bathed. And having dressed himself again in the banner of the Arahants worn by so many thousand Buddhas, he sat down with his face to the East and dividing the : rice into forty-nine balls of the size of so many singleseeded palmyra fruits, he ate all that sweet-milk rice without any water. 2 Now that was the only food he had for forty-nine days, during the seven times seven days he spent, after he became a Buddha, at the foot of the Tree of Enlightenment. During all that time he had no other food he did not bathe nor ; ; wash his teeth nor feel the cravings of nature. He ; lived on Jhana-joy, on Path- joy, on Fruitionjoy- But when he had finished eating that milk-rice, he If I shall be able " took the golden vessel, and said : this pot go up the to-day to become a Buddha, let and he " stream if not, let it go down the stream : ! threw it into the water. And it went, in spite of the 1 well-established. The fruit of the Palmyra (Borassus flabelliformis) has always three seeds. I do not understand the allusion to a one-seeded Palmyra. stream, eighty cubits up the river in the middle of the stream, all the way as quickly as a fleet horse. And diving into a whirlpool it went to the palace of Ka la Nagaraja (the Black Snake King) and striking ; against the bowls from which the three previous Buddhas had eaten, it made them sound killi- " and stopped as the lowest of them. Kala, " killi ! the snake-king, hearing the noise, exclaimed : Yesterday a Buddha arose, now to-day another has and he stood praising him in many hundred " arisen ; stanzas. But the Bodisat spent the heat of the day in a grove of sal-trees in fullbloom on the bank or the river. And in the evening, when the flowers droop from their stems, he proceeded, like a lion when it is roused, towards the Tree of Enlightenment, along a path five or six hundred yards wide, decked by devas. The Snakes, and Genii, and Winged Creatures, and other superhuman beings, offered him sweet-smelling flowers from heaven, and sang heavenly songs. The ten thousandworld-systems became filled with perfumes and garlands and shouts of approval. At that time there came from the opposite direction a grass-cutter named Sotthiya, carrying grass and ; recognizing the great man, he gave him eight bundles of grass. The Bodisat took the grass and ascending : Nagas, Yakkhas, and Supannas. The Yakkhas are character ized throughout the Jataka stories by their cannibalism ; the female Yakkhas as sirens luring men on to destruction. They are invisible till they assume human shape ; but even then can be recognized by their red eyes. That the Ceylon aborigines are called Yakkhas in the Mdhavamsa probably results from a tradition of their cannibalism. On the others, see above, p. 179. the rising ground round the Bo-tree, he stood at the South of it, looking towards the North. At that moment the Southern horizon seemed to descend below the level of the lowest hell, and the Northern horizon mounting up seemed to reach above the highest heaven. The Bodisat, saying " This cannot, methinks, be : the right place for attaining Buddhahood turned ", round it, keeping it on the right hand and went to ; the Western side, and stood facing the East. Then the Western horizon seemed to descend beneath the lowest hell, and the Eastern horizon to ascend above the highest heaven and to him, where he was ; standing, the earth seemed to bend up and down like a great cart wheel lying on its axis when its circumference is trodden on. The Bodisat, saying " This cannot, I think, be : the right place for attaining Buddhahood turned ", round it, keeping it on the right hand and went to ; the Northern side, and stood facing the South. Then the Northern horizon seemed to descend beneath the lowest hell, and the Southern horizon to ascend above the highest heaven. " The Bodisat, saying This cannot, I think, be : the right place for attaining Buddhahood turned ", round it, keeping it on the right hand and went to ; the Western side, and stood facing towards the East. Now in the East is the place where all the Buddhas have sat cross-legged ; and that place neither trembles nor shakes. " The great being, perceiving : This is the steadfast spot chosen by all the Buddhas, the spot for the throwing down of the cage of sin took hold of the ", grass by one end, and scattered it there. And immediately there was a seat fourteen cubits long. For those blades of grass arranged themselves in such a form as would be beyond the power of even the ablest painter or carver to design. The Bodisat turning his back upon the trunk of the Bo-tree, and with his face towards the East, made the " firm resolve May skin, indeed, and sinews, and : bones wilt away, may flesh and blood in my body dry up, but till I attain to complete enlightenment this seat I will not leave And he sat himself down in a ! " cross-legged position, firm and immovable, as if welded with a hundred thunderbolts. At that time the deva Mara, thinking Prince : " Siddhattha wants to free himself from my dominion. I will not let him get free yet " ! went to the hosts of his Maras, and told the news. And sounding the drum called Mara-Cry, he led forth the hosts of Mara. That army of Mara stretches twelve leagues before him, twelve leagues to right and left of him, behind him it reaches to the rocky limits of the world, above him it is nine leagues in height ; and the sound of its war-cry is heard, twelve leagues away, even as the sound of an earthquake. Then Mara deva, mounted his elephant, two hundred and fifty leagues high, named Girded with " mountains And he created for himself a thousand ". arms, and seized all kinds of weapons. And of the Lit., to the strength of Mara(s) (Marabala). remainder, too, of the company of Mara, no two took the same weapon but, various colours and ; assuming various forms, they went on to overwhelm the great being. But the devas of the ten thousand world-systems continued speaking the praises of the great being. Sakka, the deva-king, stood there blowing his trumpet Vijayuttara. Now that trumpet is a hundred and twenty cubits long, and can itself cause the wind to enter, and thus itself give forth a sound which will resound for four months, when it becomes still. The Great Black One, the king of the Nagas, stood there uttering his praises in many hundred stanzas. The Maha Brahma stood there, holding over him the white canopy of state. But as the army approached and surrounded the seat under the Bo-tree, not one of the hosts of Mara was able to stay, and they fled each one from the spot where the army met them. The Black One, king of the Nagas, dived into the earth, and went to Manjerika, the palace of the Nagas, five hundred leagues in length, and lay down, covering his face with his hands. Sakka, taking the Vijayut tara trumpet on his back, stopped on the rocky verge of the world. Maha Brahma, putting the white canopy of state on to the summit of the rocks at the end of the earth, went to the world of Brahma. Not a single deity was able to keep his place. The great man sat there alone. But Mara said to his company : " Sirs ! there is no other man like Siddhattha, the son of Suddhodana. We cannot give him battle face to face. Let us attack him from behind The great man looked " ! round on three sides, and saw that all the devas had fled, and their place was empty. Then beholding the hosts of Mara coming thick upon him from the North, Against me alone this mighty host " he thought : is putting forth all its energy and strength. No father is here, nor mother, nor brother, nor any other relative to help me. But those ten perfections have long been to me as retainers fed from my store. So, making the perfections like a shield, I must strike this host with the sword of perfection, and thus over whelm it ! " And so he sat meditating on the Ten Perfections. 1 Thus will I drive away " Then Mara deva, saying : Siddhattha ", caused a whirlwind to blow. And immediately such winds rushed together from the four corners of the earth as could have torn down the peaks of mountains half a league, two leagues, three leagues high could have rooted up the shrubs and trees of the forestand could have made of the towns and villages around one heap of ruins. But through the glow of the merit of the great man, they reached him with their power gone, and even the hem of his robe they were unable to shake. Then saying : "I will overwhelm him with water and so slay him he caused a mighty rain to fall. ", And the clouds gathered, overspreading one another by hundreds and by thousands, and poured forth rain ; and by the violence of the torrents the earth was saturated and a great flood, overtopping the ; trees of the forest, approached the.Bodhisat. But acquisition of the Ten Perfections, or Cardinal Virtues, is 1 His described above, pp. 101 ff. it was not able to wet on his robe even the space where a dew-drop might fall. Then he caused a storm of rocks to fall. And mighty, mighty mountain peaks came through the air, spitting forth fire and smoke. But as they reached the Bodhisat, they changed into divine garlands. Then he raised a storm of deadly weapons. And they came one-edged, and two-edged swords, and spears, and arrows smoking and flaming through the sky. But as they reached the Bodhisat, they became divine flowers. Then he raised a storm of charcoal But the embers, though they came through the sky like red kimsuka flowers, were scattered at the feet of the future Buddha as divine flowers. Then he raised a storm of embers and the embers ; came through the air exceeding hot, and in colour like fire but they fell at the feet of the future Buddha ; as sandal-wood powder. Then he raised a storm of sand and the sand, ; exceeding fine, came smoking and flaming through the air but it fell at the feet of the future Buddha as ; divine flowers. Then he raised a storm of mud. And the mud came smoking and flaming through the air but it ; fell at the feet of the future Buddha as divine unguent. Then saying " : By this I will terrify Siddhattha, and drive him away he brought on a thick darkness. " ! And the darkness became fourfold but when it ; reached the future Buddha, it disappeared as dark ness does before the brightness of the sun. Thus was Mara unable by these nine the wind, and the rain, and the rocks, and the weapons, and the char coal, and the embers, and the sand, and the mud, and the darkness to drive away the future Buddha. So he called on his host, and said " Say, why stand you: " still ? Seize, or slay, or drive away this prince ! And himself mounted the Mountain-girded, and seated on his back, he approached the future Buddha, and " cried out Get up, Siddhattha, from that seat : ! It belongs to me " It does not belong to thee ! ! The great being listened to his words, and said : Mara it is not by you that the ten Perfections have " ! been perfected, neither the lesser Perfections, nor the higher Perfections. It is not you who have sacrificed yourself in the five great acts of renunciation, who have perfected the way of good in knowledge nor the way of good for the world nor the way of understand ing. This seat does not belong to thee, it is to me that it belongs." Then the enraged Mara, unable to endure the vehemence of his anger, man cast at the great that Sceptre- javelin of his, the barb of which was in shape as a wheel. But it became a wreath of flowers, and remained as a canopy over him, whose mind was bent upon the Ten Perfections. Now at other times, when that Wicked One throws his Sceptre- javelin, it cleaves asunder a pillar of solid rock as if it were the tender shoot of a bambu. When, however, it thus turned into a wreath-canopy, the entire company of Mara shouted, " Now he will rise from his seat and flee and they hurled at him " ! huge masses of rock. But these too fell on the ground as garlands at the feet of him whose mind was bent upon the Ten Perfections. And the devas stood on the edge of the rocks that encircle the world and stretching forward in amaze ; ment, they looked on, saying Lost lost is the : " ! life of Siddhattha the Prince, supremely beautiful ! What can he do ? " Then the great man said To me belongs the : " seat on which sit the Buddhas-to-be when they have fulfilled perfection on the day of their Enlightment." And he said to Mara, standing there before him : ^ " Mara, who is witness that thou hast given alms ? " And Mara stretched forth his hand to the hosts of his followers, and said : " So many are my witnesses." And that moment there arose a shout as the sound of an earthquake from the company of Mara, saying, I am his witness " ! I am his witness ! " Then the Tempter addressed the " great man, and said Siddhattha: ! who is witness that thou hast given alms ? " And the great man answered : " Thou hast living witnesses that thou hast and I have in given alms : this place no living witness at all. But not counting the alms I have given in other births, let this great and solid earth, unconscious though it be, be witness of the seven hundredfold great alms I gave when I was born as Vessantara ! " And withdrawing his right hand from beneath his robe, he stretched it forth towards the earth, and said : " Art thou, or art thou not witness of the seven hundredfold great gift I gave in my birth as " Vessantara ? And the great Earth uttered a voice, saying : "I am witness to thee of that " overwhelming as it ! were the hosts of Mara as with the shout of hundreds of thousands of foes. Then the mighty elephant "Mount-girded" as he realized what the generosity of Vessantara had been, said The great gift, the uttermost gift was : " given by thee, Siddhattha And he fell down on his ! " knees before the great man. And the company of Mara fled this way and that way, so that not even two were left together throwing of! their clothes and : their turbans, they fled, each one straight on before him. But the company of devas, when they saw that the hosts of Mara had fled, cried out Mara is : " overcome ! Siddhattha the Prince has prevailed ! Come, let us honour the victor And the Nagas, ! " and the Winged Creatures, and the Devas, and the Brahmas, each urging his comrades on, went up to the great man at the Bo-tree s foot, and as they came, 274. At the Bo-tree s foot the Naga bands Shouted, for joy that the Sage had won ; The Blessed Buddha he hath prevailed " ! And the Evil Mara is overthrown " ! 275. At the Bo-tree s foot the Winged Ones Shouted, for joy that the Sage had won ; The Blessed Buddha he hath prevailed " ! And the Evil Mara is overthrown " ! 276. At the Bo-tree s foot the Deva hosts Shouted for joy that the Sage had won ; The Blessed Buddha he hath prevailed " ! And the Evil Mara is overthrown " ! 277. At the Bo-tree s foot the Brahma Gods Shouted, for joy that the Sage had won ; The Blessed Buddha he hath prevailed " ! And the evil Mara is overthrown " I The other devas, too, in the ten thousand worldsystems, offered garlands and perfumes and uttered his praises aloud. It was while the sun was still above the horizon, that the great man thus put to flight the hosts of Mara. Then, whilst the Bo-tree paid him homage, as it were, by its shoots like sprigs of red coral falling over his robe, he acquired in the first watch of the night the knowledge of the past, in the middle watch the clairvoyant eye, and in the third watch the knowledge of the chain of causation. Now on his thus revolving this way and that way, and tracing backwards and forwards, and thoroughly realizing the twelvefold chain of causation, the ten thousand world-systems quaked twelve times even to their ocean boundaries. And again, when the great man, making the ten thousand world systems to shout for joy, attained at break of day to complete enlightenment, the whole ten thousand world-systems became glorious as on a festive day. The streamers of the flags and banners raised on the edge of the rocky boundary tp the East of the world reached to the very West and so those ; on the West and North, and South, reached to the East, and South, and North while in like manner ; those of flags and banners on the surface of the earth reached to the Brahma-world, and those of flags and banners in that world swept down upon the earth. Throughout the universe flowering trees put forth their blossoms, and fruit-bearing trees were loaded with clusters of fruit the trunks and branches of ; Pubbe-nivasa-nana, Dibba-cakkhu, and Paticca-samuppada. trees, and even the creepers, were covered with bloom ; lotus wreaths hung from the sky ; and lilies by sevens sprang, one above another, even from the very rocks. The ten thousand world-systems as they revolved seemed like a mass of loosened wreaths, or like a nosegay tastefully arranged and the world-voids : between them, the hells whose darkness the rays of seven suns had never been able to disperse, became filled with light. The sea became sweet water down to its prof oundest depths and the rivers were stayed ; in their course. The blind from birth received their sight the deaf from birth heard sound ; the lame ; from birth could use their feet and chains and bonds ; were loosed and fell away. 1 It was thus in surpassing glory and honour, and with many wonders happening around, that he attained all-knowledge, and gave vent to his emotion in the hymn of triumph uttered by all the Buddhas. 278. Long have I wandered, long, Bound by the chain of life Through many births, Seeking thus long in vain, The baiilder of the house. And pain Is birth again, again. House-maker, thou art seen ! No more a house thou lt make. Broken are all thy beams. Thy ridge-pole shattered ! From things that make for life my mind has past : a The end of cravings has been reached at last ! Compare the Thirty- two Good Omens at the Buddha s Birth above, p. 160. The train of thought is explained at length in my Buddhism, pp. 100-12. Shortly, it amounts to this. The unconscious has no pain without consciousness, individuality, there would : be no pain. What gives men consciousness ? It is due to a grasp ing, craving, sinful condition of heart. The absence of these

III: THE PROXIMATE EPOCH 1 Santike niddna. Now whilst he was still seated there, after he had sung the hymn of triumph, the Blessed One thought "It is in order to attain to this seat : that I have undergone successive births for so long cravings is Nirvana. Having reached Nirvana, consciousness endures but for a time (until the body dies), and it will then no longer be renewed. The beams of sin, the ridge-pole of care, give to the house of individuality its seeming strength : but in the peace of Nirvana they have passed away. The Bodisat is now Buddha ; he has reached Nirvana he has solved the great : mystery ; the jewel of salvation, sought through so many ages, has been found at last ; and the long, long struggle is over. The following is Spence Hardy s literal translation given in his Manual of Buddhism, p. 180, where similar versions by Gogerly and Turnour will be found but they scarcely seem to express : the inner meaning of these difficult and beautiful verses : Through many different births I have run (to me not having found), Seeking the architect of the (desire resembling) house, Painful are repeated births ! house-builder I have seen (thee). ! Again a house thou canst not build for me. 1 have broken thy rafters, Thy central support is destroyed. To Nirvana my mind has gone. I have arrived at the extinction of evil desire. (In the Theragatha (verses 183, 184) the hymn, slightly different, is ascribed to an (unknown) monk, Sivaka. Ed.) The figure of the house is found also in Manu (vi, 79-81) ; in the Lalita Vistara (p. 107 of Foucaux s Oya Tcher Rol Pa) ; and in the Adi Oranth (Trumpp, pp. 215, 216, 471). The last passage is as follows : A storm of divine knowledge has come ! The shutters of Delusion are all blown away are there no longer ; The posts of Double-mindedness are broken down the ridge; pole of spiritual Blindness is shattered ; The roof of Craving has fallen on the ground ; the vessel of Folly has burst ! See above, p. 82. A similar explanation is here repeated in a gloss. a time, 1 that I severed my crowned head from my neck and gave it away, that I tore out my darkened eyes and my heart s flesh and gave them away, that I gave away to serve others such sons as Jali the Prince, and such daughters as Kanha Jina the Princess, and such wives as Maddi the Queen. This seat is a seat of triumph to me, and a seat of glory ; while seated on it my aims have been fulfilled : I will not leave it yet." And he sat there absorbed in many thoughts for those seven days referred to in the text, beginning And then the Blessed One : " sat motionless for seven days, realizing the bliss of Nirvana." Now certain of the devas began to doubt, thinking : " This day also there must be something more Siddhattha has to do, for he still lingers seated there." The Master, knowing their thoughts, and to appease their doubts, rose into the air,and performed the twin-miracle. 3 And the Master having thus by this miracle dis pelled the devas doubts, stood a little to the north east of the seat, thinking "It was on that seat that : And he thus spent I attained all-knowing insight." seven days gazing steadfastly at the spot where he Literally for four asankheyyas and a hundred thousand Icalpas. Anekakoti-sata-sahassa samapattiyo samapajjanto. Yamaka-patihariyan Comp. pp. 88, 193, of the text, and ; Mah. p. 107. (Described in the Patisambhidamagga, a book of the 5th Nikaya i, 125, as fire proceeding from the ; upper half of his body, water from the lower half. Ed.) Bigandet, p. 93, has performed a thousand wonders Hardy, p. 181, omits the clause and Beal omits the whole episode. A gloss here adds ; that the Buddha performed a similar miracle on three other occasions. had gained the result of the deeds of virtue fulfilled through such countless years. And that spot became known as the Dagaba of the Steadfast Gaze. Then he created between the seat and the spot where he had stood a cloistered walk, and he spent seven days walking up and down in that treasure-cloister which stretched from east to west. And that spot became known as the Dagaba of the Treasure-Cloister. But for the fourth week the devas created to the north-west of the Bo-tree a Treasure-house and he ; spent the week seated there cross-legged, and thinking out the Abhidhamma Pitaka and here especially the entire Patthana with its infinite methods. (But the Abhidhammikas 1 say that Treasure-house here means either a mansion built of the seven kinds of jewels, or the place where the seven books were thought out : and as they give these two explanations of the passage, both may be accepted as correct.) Having thus spent four weeks close to the Bo-tree, he went, in the fifth week, to the Shepherd s Nigrodhatree : and sat there meditating on Doctrine, and experiencing the happiness of deliverance. Now at that time the deva Mara thought to him self : "So long a time have I followed this man seeking some access to him, and find no fault in him ; and now, indeed, he is beyond my power." And overcome with sorrow he sat down on the highway, and as he thought of the following sixteen things he drew sixteen lines on the ground. Thinking, The monks whose duty it is to learn by heart, repeat, and commentate upon the seven books in the Abhidhamma Pifaka. See above, p. 168. " I did not attain, as he did, to the perfection of Giving therefore I have not become like him ; he ", drew one line. Then thinking : " I did not attain, as he did, to the Perfections of Moral Practice, and Selfabnegation, and Wisdom, and Exertion, and Patience, and Truth, and Resolution, and Kindness, and x Equanimity therefore I have not become like him," ; he drew nine more lines. Then thinking did not : "I attain the Ten Perfections, the conditions precedent to the penetration, the extraordinary knowledge of the complete way of the senses, and therefore I have not become like him he drew the eleventh line. ", Then thinking : "I did not attain to the Ten Perfec tions, the conditions precedent to the penetration, the extraordinary knowledge of inclinations and latent tendencies, of the attainment of compassion, of the double miracle, of the removal of hindrances, and of all-knowing therefore I have not become like him : ", he drew the five other lines. And so he sat on the highway, drawing sixteen lines for these sixteen thoughts. At that time Craving, Discontent, and Lust, 2 the three daughters of Mara, could not find their father, and were looking for him, wondering where he could be. And when they saw him, sad at heart, writing on the ground, they went up to him, and asked : " Why, dear, are you sad and sorrowful ? " And he answered : " My women, this great recluse is escaping from my power. Long have I watched, but On these Ten Perfections, see above, pp. 101 ff. * Tanha, Arati, and Raga. Of. Kindred Sayings, i, 156, giving the older version (Pali. Text Soc., 1917). Ed. in vain, to find some fault in him. Therefore it is that I am sad and sorrowful." We " If that is so," replied they, " think not thus. will subject him to our influence, and come back bringing him captive with us." " " My women," said he, you cannot by any means bring him under your influence ; this man stands firm in faith, unwavering." Dear one, we are women was the reply " " " even ; now we shall bring him bound by the sweetness of lust. Do not think so." So they approached the Blessed One, and said : recluse, upon thee we humbly wait " " ! But the Blessed One neither paid any attention to their words, nor raised his eyes to look at them. He sat, with a mind made free by the complete extinction of rebirth-conditions, enjoying the bliss of detachment. Then the daughters of Mara considered with them Various are men s tastes. Some fall in love " selves : with girls, some with young women, some with mature women, some with older women. We will tempt him in various forms." Soeachof them assumed the appearance of a hundred women girls, women who had never had a child, or only once, or only twice, middle-aged women, older women and six times they went up to the Blessed One, and professed them selves his humble handmaidens and to that also ; the Blessed One paid no attention, so was he made free by the complete extinction of rebirth-conditions. Now, some teachers say that when the Blessed One saw them approaching in the form of elderly women, Let these women remain " he commanded, saying : just as they are, with broken teeth, and bald heads." This should not be believed, for the Master issues not such commands. But the Blessed One said Depart ye : What " ! have ye seen that ye thus strive ? Such things might be done in the presence of men who linger in the paths of sin but by the Tathagata lust is put away, ; put away, delusion is put away." And he ill-will is admonished them in those two verses from the Chapter on the Buddha in the Scripture Verses : 280. Whose conquest is not overthrown His conquest nought on earth assails. That Buddha, infinite in range, Pathless, by what path will ye lead ? 281. In whom there is no snare besetting. Venomous craving any- whither leading. That Buddha, infinite in range, x Pathless, by what path will ye lead ? And they saying Our father spoke the truth : " indeed. The saint, the Well-Farer of the world is not and so on, returned to their father. " easily led away But the Blessed One when he had spent a week at that spot, went on to the Muchalinda-tree. There he spent a week. Muchalinda, the snake-king, when a storm arose, shielding him with seven folds of his hood, so that the Blessed One enjoyed the bliss of deliverance as if he had been resting unharassed in a fragrant chamber. Thence he went away to the Kingstead-tree and there also sat down enjoying the And so seven weeks passed away, bliss of deliverance. during which he experienced no bodily wants, but fed on Jhana-joy, Path- joy, and Fruition- joy. 2 Gloss He taught the Doctrine, saying these two stanzas in : the Buddha-section of the Dhammapada. Dhammapada (verses 179, 180). See above, p. 187. Now, as lie sat there on the last day of the seven weeks the forty-ninth day he felt a desire to bathe his face. And Sakka, the deva-governor, brought a fruit of the myrobolan-tree, and gave him to eat. And Sakka, too, provided a tooth-cleanser of the thorns of the snake-creeper, and water to bathe his face. And the Master used the tooth-cleanser, and bathed his face, and sat him down there at the foot of the Kingstead-tree. At that time two merchants, Tapassu and Bhalluka by name, were travelling from Orissa to Central India 1 with five hundred carts. And a deva, a blood relation of theirs, stopped their carts, and moved their hearts to offer food to the Master. And they took a rice cake, and a honey cake, and went up to the Master, and said "0 sir, Blessed : One ! out of compassion for us accept this food." Now, on the day when he had received the sweet rice-milk, his bowl had disappeared so the Blessed ; One thought : The Buddhas never receive food in " their hands. How shall I accept it ? Then the four " Guardians knew his thought and, coming from the four quarters of the sky, they brought bowls made of sapphire. And the Blessed One accepted them. Then they brought four other bowls, made of jade and ; the Blessed one, out of kindness to the four devas, received the four, and placing them one above another Let them " commanded, saying : become one." And the four closed up into one of medium size, Ukkala to Majjhima-desa. The latter included all the Buddhist Holy Land from the modern Patna to Allahabad. See above, p. 61, note. See above, pp. 178, 187. becoming visible only as lines round the mouth of it. The Blessed One received the food into that newcreated bowl, and ate it, and gave thanks. The two brothers took refuge in the Buddha, the Doctrine, and the Order, and became professed disciples. Then, when they asked him, saying : Lord, bestow upon us something to which we may " pay reverence," with his own right hand he tore from his head, and gave to them, the hair-relics. And they built a Dagaba in their own city, and placed the relics within it. But the Perfectly Enlightened One rose up thence, and returned to the Shepherd s Nigrodha-tree, and sat down at its foot. And no sooner was he seated there, considering the depth of the Doctrine which he had gained, than there arose in his mind a doubt (felt by each of the Buddhas as he became aware of his having arrived at the Doctrine) that he had not that kind of ability necessary to explain that Doctrine to others. All three then non-existent institutions ! Ed. We have here an interesting instance of the growth of legend to authenticate and add glory to local relics, of which other instances will be found in Buddhism, p. 195. The ancient form of this legend, as found here, must have arisen when the relics were still in Orissa. Both the Burmese and Singhalese now claim to possess them. The former say that the two merchants were Burmese, and that the Dagaba above referred to is the celebrated sanctuary of Shooay Dagob (Bigandet, p. 101, 2nd ed.). The latter say that the Dagaba was in Orissa, and that the hairrelics were brought thence to Ceylon in 490 A.D., in the manner related in the Hair-relic chronicle Kesa Dhdtu Vanisa, and referred to in the Mahd Vamsa. (See verses 43-56 of editionmy of the 39th chap, of the M. V. in the J.R.A.S., 1875.) The legend in the text is found in an ancient inscription on the great bell at Rangoon (Hough s version in the Asiatic Researches, vol. xvi ; comp. Hardy, Monastic Budhism, p. 183Beal, Rom. Leg.), p. 240. ; Then the great Kuler of the Brahma heavens, " exclaiming : AlasAlas the ! the world is lost. ! world is altogether lost brought with him the ! " rulers of the worlds in the ten thousand 1 world-systems, and went up to the Master, and said "0 Blessed : Lord, do thou proclaim the Doctrine Proclaim ! the Doctrine, Blessed Lord and in other words ! " of like purport begged from him the preaching of the Doctrine. Then the Master granted his request. And con sidering to whom he should first reveal the Doctrine, thought at first of Alara, his former teacher, as one who would quickly comprehend it. But, on surveying (the country), he perceived that Alara had been dead seven days. So he fixed on Uddaka. But he learnt that he too had died that very evening. Then he " thought of the five mendicants they were very : helpful And ! " casting about in his mind where : " are they now dwelling ? " he perceived they were at the Deer-park in Benares. And he determined, " saying, There going I will set rolling the wheel of But he delayed a few days, begging his Doctrine." daily food in the neighbourhood of the Bo-tree, with the intention : "I will go to Benares on the fullmoon day of Asalhi." And at dawn on the fourteenth day of the month, when the night had passed away, he took his robe and his bowl : and had gone eighteen leagues, just half way, when he met the Ajivika friar Upaka. And he announced to him how he had become a Buddha and ; In the Vinaya and Sutta accounts, the Brahma governor comes alone. Ed. on the evening of that day he arrived at the hermitage near Benares. 1 The five elders, 2 seeing already from afar the " Buddha coming, said one to another Brethren, : here comes the recluse Gotama. He has turned back to a free use of the necessaries of life, and has recovered roundness of form, acuteness of sense, and beauty of complexion. We ought to pay him no reverence ; but as he is, after all, of a good family, he deserves the honour of a seat. So we will simply prepare a seat for him." 3 The Blessed One, casting about in his mind by the was going on in power that he had of knowing what the thoughts of all beings, as to what they were thinking, knew their thoughts. Then, concentrating that feeling of his good-will which was able to pervade generally all beings in earth and heaven, he directed it specially towards them. And the sense of his good will diffused itself through their hearts ; and as he came nearer and nearer, unable any longer to adhere to their resolve, they rose from their seats, and bowed down before him, and welcomed him with every mark of reverence and respect. But, not knowing that he had become Buddha, they addressed him, in every a or as Brother 5 " thing they said, either by name, ". Then the Blessed One announced to them his Buddha- Mendicants, address not a Buddha " hood, saying : by his name,or as avuso. I, mendicants, am a close to Benares, Isipatana, the hermitage in the Deer-park See above, p. 183. Thera. This snobbish allusion is not in the old (Vinaya) account. Ed. Avuso; lit., a corruption of ayasma, "(your) reverence." Ed. Ed. loving will passage is not in the Vinaya. " 6 This " perfectly awakened one, one of those who have thus i come." Then, seated on the place prepared for him, and surrounded by myriads of devas, he addressed the five attendant elders, just as the moon was passing out of conjunction with the lunar mansion in Uttarasalha and taught them in that discourse which was The Foundation of the Kingdom of Righteousness. 2 Of the five Elders, Kondanya the Believer 3 sending forth insight as the discourse went on, as it concluded, he, with myriads of devas, had arrived at the Fruit of the First Path. 4 And the Master, who remained, there for the rainy season, sat in the vihdra the next day, when the other four had gone a-begging, talking to Vappa and Vappa that morning attained to the : Fruit of the First Path. And, in a similar manner, Bhaddiya on the next day, and Maha-Nama on the next, and Assaji on the next, attained to the Fruit of the First Path. And, on the fifth day, he called all five to his side, and preached to them the discourse On the Mark ofnot-soul. 5 At the end of that discourse the five elders attained to the Arahant-fruition. Then the Master perceived that Yasa, a young man of good family, was capable of entering the Paths. And when day was breaking, he having left his home and gone away, the Master called him, saying: "Come, Yasa ! " and on that very night he attained to the Tathagato Sammasambuddho. Lit., The Rolling of the Wheel of the Norm (Dhamma). Ed. So called from his action on this occasion. See above, p. 161 f Lit., Stream- winning. Tantamount to the Christian term conversion . All diary and almanac allusions absent in Vinaya. Ed. Fruit of the First Path, and on the next day to Arahantship. And he received also other fifty-four, his into the order, with the sanction companions, : " Come, mendicants ! " and caused them to attain to Arahantship. Now when there were thus in the world sixty-one the Master, after persons who had become Arahants, the rainy season and the function with which it closes were over, sent out the sixty in different directions " with the words : Fare forth, mendicants." And himself going towards Uruvela, he overcame at the Kappasiya forest, half-way thither, the thirty nobles. Of these the least young Bhadda-vaggiyan advanced entered the First, and the most advanced the Third Path and he received them all into the : Order with the sanction, "Come, mendicants And ! " the round sending them also forth into regions about, he himself went on to Uruvela. There he overcame, by performing three thousand five hundred miracles, the three Hindu ascetics, brothers Uruvela Kassapa and the rest who had one thousand disciples. And he received them into " Come, mendicants " the Order with the sanction : ! and established them in Arahantship by his discourse, when they were seated on Gaya-head hill "On the : Lesson to be drawn from Fire." And attended by these thousand Arahants, he went to the grove called the Palm-grove, hard by Rajagaha, with the object of redeeming the promise he had made to Bimbi- sara the king. 3 They had been fire -worshippers .Ed. 1 2 Pavarana. See above, p. 181. When the king heard from the keeper of the grove the saying " The Master is come," he went to the : Master, attended by innumerable brahmins and householders, and fell down at the feet of the Buddha those feet, which bore on their surface the pattern of the wheel, and gave forth a halo of light like a canopy of cloth of gold. Then he and his retinue respectfully took their seats on one side. Now the question occurred to those brahmins and householders How is it then ? has the great : " recluse entered as a student in religion under Uruvela Kassapa, or Uruvela Kassapa under the great recluse ? " And the Blessed One, becoming aware of their thus doubting within themselves, addressed the Elder in the verse 282. What hast thou seen, thou of Uruvela, That thou hast left the Fire, votary austere ? I ask thee, Kassapa, the meaning of this How hast renounced the sacrifice of fire ?thing : And the Elder, perceiving what the Blessed One intended, replied in the verse : 283. Some men rely on sights, and sounds, and taste, Desires and women, some on sacrifice ; All dross to him who knows the springs of life. Therefore not fain am I for altar rites. And in order to make known his discipleship he bowed his head to the Buddha s feet, The Blessed " saying : Lord is my master, and I am the disciple And ! " seven times he rose into the air up to the height of one, two, three, and so on, up to the height of seven palm-trees ; and descending again, he saluted the Buddha, and respectfully took a seat aside. Seeing that wonder, the multitude praised the Master, " All how is the power of the saying : ! great Buddhas Even so mighty ! a thinker as this has thought him worthy Even Uruvela Kassapa has ! broken through the net of delusion, and is tamed by " the Tathagata ! But the Blessed One said : " Not now only have I overcome Uruvela Kassapa in former ages, too, he ; was tamed by me." And he uttered in that connexion the Maha-Narada-Kassapa-Jataka, and proclaimed the Four Truths. And the King of Magadha, with attained to the Fruit of the nearly all his retinue, 2 First Path, and the rest became lay disciples. And the king still sitting near the Master told him of the five wishes he had had and then, confessing his ; faith, he invited the Blessed One for the next day, and rising from his side, departed with respectful salutation. The next day all the men who dwelt in Rajagaha, in number, both those who had eighteen myriads alreadyseen the Blessed One, and those who had not, came out early from Bajagaha to the Grove of Reeds to see the successor of the Buddhas. The road, six the miles long, could not contain them. The whole of Grove of Reeds became like a basket packed quite full. The multitude, beholding the exceeding beauty their of him whose power is tenfold, could not contain delight. Varmabhu was it called (that is, the Place of Praise), for at such spots all the greater and lesser of characteristics of a Buddha, and the glorious beauty the Three Refuges Upasakas that is, those who have taken ; and the vow to keep the Five Precepts (Buddhism, pp.139, 160). his person, are to be extolled. There was not room for even a single mendicant to get out on the road, or in the grove, so crowded was it with the multitude gazing at the beautiful form of the him of the tenfold power. So that day they say the throne of Sakka felt to hot, warn him that the Blessed One might be deprived of nourishment, which should not be. And on con sideration he understood the reason and he took ; the form of a young brahmin, and descended in front of the Buddha, and by deva-power made for way him, singing the praises of the Buddha, the Doctrine, and the Order : 284. The tamed together with the tamed, Men erst of the matted hair, but now set free, He who is to see like wrought gold, The Blessed One hath entered Rajagaha. 285. The freed man together with the freed 286. The man who has crossed over 1 together with them that have crossed over . . . 287. The man of way tenfold, 2 of power tenfold, Knower of tenfold Norm, winner of ten, 3 With retinue of ten hundred the Blessed One hath entered Rajagaha. The multitude, seeing the beauty of the young brahmin thought " This young brahmin is exceed : ing fair, and yet we have never yet beheld him." And Whence comes the young brahmin, or " they said : whose son is he ? And the young brahmin, hearing " what they said, answered in the verse : 288. He who is wise, and tamed in everything, The Buddha, the unequalled among men, The Arahant, Wellfarer of the world, On him I humble wait. Tinno, crossed the ocean of transmigration. That is, the Four Paths, the Four Fruits thereof, Nirvana, and the Scriptures (or the Truth, Dhamma). Dasavasa, probably for dasavaso (so Vin. i, 38) a tenfold : category taught in Dlgha, iii, 269 Anguttara, v, 29 f.- Ed. ; Then the Master entered upon the path thus made free by Sakka, and entered Rajagaha attended by a thousand mendicants. The king gave a great gift to the Order with the Buddha at their head and had ; with water brought, bright as jems, and scented poured And he the water flowers, in a golden goblet. the hand of him of the tenfold power, in token of over " the presentation of the Bambu Grove, saying I, : cannot live without the Three Gems (the my lord, the Order, and the Faith). In season and Buddha, out of season I would visit the Blessed One. Now the Grove of Reeds is far away ; but this Grove of mine, called the Bambu Grove, close by, is is and is a fit dwelling-place for a easy of resort, Buddha. Let the Blessed One accept it of me " ! At the acceptance of this monastery the broad earth shook, as if it said : " Now the Religion of Buddha has taken root ! " For in all India there is no dwelling-place, save the Bambu Grove, acceptance of which caused the earth to shake and in Ceylon : there is no save the Great Vihara, dwelling-place, of which caused the earth to shake. acceptance And when the Master had accepted the Bambu he Grove Monastery, and had given thanks for it, the rose from his seat and went, surrounded by members of the Order, to the Bambu Grove. Now at that time two ascetics, named Sariputta and Moggallana, were living near Rajagaha, seeking after salvation. Of these, Sariputta, seeing the Elder Assaji on his begginground, was touched and waited Makavamsa, xv, 26 f . See above, p. 209. on him, and heard from him the verse beginning : What things soever are produced from causes." l " And he attained to the blessings which result from conversion and repeated that verse to his com ; panion Moggallana the ascetic. And he, too, attained to the blessings which first result from conversion. And each of them Sanjaya, and with his left 2 attendants took orders under the Master. Of these two, Moggallana attained Arahantship in seven days, and Sariputta the elder in half a month. And the Master appointed these two to the office of his Chief Disciples and on the day on which Sariputta the ; elder attained Arahantship, he made a muster of the disciples. Now whilst the Tathagatawas dwelling there in the Bambu Grove, Suddhodana the king heard that his son, who for six years had devoted himself to works of austerity, had attained to complete enlightenment, had founded the Kingdom of Righteousness, and was then dwelling at the Bambu Grove near Rajagaha. Come, I say, take a " So he said to a certain courtier : thousand men as a retinue, and go to Rajagaha, and and say in my name : Your 3 father, Suddhodana the king, desires to see you ; and bring my son here." The celebrated verse here referred to has been found inscribed several times in the ruins of the great Dagaba at Isipatana, and facsimiles are given in Cunningham s Archceological Reports, plate xxxiv, vol. i, p. 123. The text is given by Burnouf in the facsimiles are given in Cunningham s Archceological Reports, plate xxxiv, vol. i, p. 123. The text is given by Burnouf in the Lotus de la Bonne Loi, p. 523 ; and in the Vinaya, pp. 40, 41. (Not elsewhere in the Pitakas. Ed.) See also Hardy Manual, s p. 196. Their teacher. Cf. Digha, ii, 58. 3 The Pali is also in the 2nd person plural. Ed. And he respectfully accepted the king s command " with the reply : So be it, sire ! " and went quickly with a thousand followers the sixty leagues distance, and sat down amongst the disciples of him of the tenfold power, and at the hour of instruction entered the Vihara. And thinking, " Let the king s message stay awhile he stood just beyond the disciples ", and listened to the discourse. And as he so stood he attained to Arahantship, with his whole retinue, and asked to be admitted to the Order. And the Blessed One stretched forth his hand and said Come, : " And all of them that moment appeared mendicants." there, with robes and bowls created by miracle, like elders of a hundred years standing. Now from the time when they attain Arahantship the Arahants become indifferent to worldly things : so he did not deliver the king s message to him of the tenfold power. The king, seeing that neither did his messenger return, nor was any message received from him, called another courtier in the same manner as before, and sent him. And he went, and in the same manner attained Arahantship with his followers, and remained silent. Then the king in the same manner sent nine courtiers each with a retinue of a thousand men. And they all, neglecting what they had to do, stayed away there in silence. And when the king found no one who would come and bring even a message, he thought : " Not one of these brings back, for my sake, even a message who : will then carry out what I say ? " And searching among all his people he thought of Kaludayin. For he was in everything serviceable to the king intimate with him, and He was born trustworthy. on the same day as the future Buddha, and had been his playfellow and companion. So the king said to him Dear Kaludayin, as I : " wanted to see my son, I sent nine times a thousand men but there is not one of them who has either ; come back or sent a message. Now it is hard to know if life be in danger and I desire to see my son ; before I die. Will one be able to let me see " " my son ? was the reply, if I am allowed " " I can, king ! to become a recluse." " My " dear," said the king, whether thou become a recluse or not let me see my son ! " And he respectfully received the king s message with the words " So be it king and went to : ! " Kajagaha ; and stood at the edge of the congregation at the time of the Master s instruction, and heard the gospel, and attained Arahantship with his followers, and was received with the come, bhikkhu sanction. The Master spent the first Lent after he had become Buddha at Isipatana and when it was over went to ; Uruvela and stayed there three months and overcame the three brothers, ascetics. And on the full-moon day of the month of Phussa, he went to Rajagaha with a retinue of a thousand mendicants, and there he dwelt two months. Thus five months had elapsed since he left Benares, the cold season was past, and seven or eight days since the arrival of Udayin, the Elder. And on the full-moon day of Phagguni Udayin The cold season is past " thought : ; the spring has come ; men raise their crops and set out on their journeys ; the earth is covered with fresh grass ; the woods are full of flowers ; the roads are fit to walk on ; now is the time for the Sage to show favour to his family." And going to the Blessed One, he praised travelling in about sixty stanzas, that the Sage might revisit his native town, beginning thus : 289. Now crimson glow the trees, dear lord, and cast In quest of fruit their sheathing coverings. Like crests of flame they shine irradiant And rich in tastes, great hero, is the time. 290. Not over hot, nor over cold nor is ; There dearth of food for alms. The earth is green With verdure. This the fitting time, great sage. 1 Then the Master said to him But why, Udayin, " : do you sing the pleasures of travelling with so sweet " a voice 1 " was the reply, " Sir," your father is anxious to see you once more will you not show favour to your ; " relations 1 I will do so. " Tis well said, Udayin ! Tell the Order that they will fulfil the duty (laid on all its members) of journeying from place to place." Kajudayin accordingly told the brethren. And the Blessed One attended by twenty thousand mendi cants free from sin ten thousand clansmen from Magadha and Anga, and ten thousand from Kapilavatthu started from Kajagaha, and travelled a league a day : going slowly with the intention of reaching Kapilavatthu, sixty leagues from Kajagaha, in two months. And the elder, thinking will let the king know : "I that the Blessed One has started rose into the air ", His verses are in the elder s anthology. See Psalms of the Brethren, vers. 527-9. Only six slokas there make up his invita tion ; they do not contain the last two lines above.- Ed. and appeared in the king s house. The king was glad to see the elder, made him sit down on a splendid couch, filled a bowl with the delicious food made ready for himself, and gave to him. Then the elder rose up, and made as if he would go away. Sit down and " said the king. eat," I will rejoin the Master, and eat then," said he. " But where is the Master ? asked the king. " " He has set out on his journey, attended by twenty " " thousand mendicants, to see you, king said he. ! The king, glad at heart, said "Do you eat this : ; and until my son has arrived at this town, provide him with food from here." The elder agreed and the king waited on him, and ; then had the bowl cleansed with perfumed chunam, and filled with the best of food, and placed it in the " elder s hand, saying : Give it to the Tathagata." And the elder, in the sight of all, threw the bowl into the air, and himself rising up into the sky, took the food again, and placed it in the hand of the Master. The Master ate it. Every day the elder brought him food in the same manner. So the Master himself was fed, even on the journey, from the king s table. The elder day by day, when he had finished his meal, To-day the Blessed One has come so " told the king : to-day so far." And by talking of the high far, character of the Buddha, he made all the king s even before family delighted with the Master, they saw him. On that account the Blessed One gave him " pre-eminence, saying, Pre-eminent, mendicants, among all those of my disciples who gained over my l family, was Kaludayin." Angutlara i, 25. The Sakyas, as they sat talking of the prospect of seeing their distinguished relative, considered what place he could stay in and deciding that the ; Nigrodha Grove would be a pleasant residence, they made everything ready there. And with fragrant flowers in their hands they went out to meet him ; and sending in front the baby boys and girls and the boys and girls of the town and then the young men and maidens of the royal family, they themselves, decked of their own accord with sweet-smelling flowersand chunam, came close behind, conducting the Blessed One to the Nigrodha Grove. There the Blessed One sat down on the Buddha s throne pre pared for him, surrounded by twenty thousand Arahants. The Sakyas are proud by nature, and stubborn in " their pride. Thinking : Prince Siddhattha is younger than we are, standing to us in the relation of younger brother, or nephew, or son, or grandson ", they said to the little children and the young people : " Do you bow down before him, we will seat ourselves behind you." The Blessed One when they had thus taken their seats, perceived what they meant and ; My relations pay me no reverence " thinking : ; come now, I must make them to do he fell so," into the ecstasy based on super-knowledge, and rising into the air as if shaking of! the dust off his feet upon them, he performed a miracle like unto that double miracle at the foot of the Gandamba-tree. 1 See above, p. 105. The Dhammapada Commentary, p. 334, has a different account of the miracle performed on this occasion. It says he made a jewelled cloister (ratana-cankama) in the sky, and walking up and down in it, preached the Faith (Dhamma). The king, seeing that miracle, said Blessed : "0 One When you were presented to Kala Devala to ! do obeisance to him on the day on which you were born, and I saw your feet turn round and place them selves on the brahmin s head, I paid homage to you. That was my first homage. When you were seated on your couch in the shade of the jambu-tree on the day of the ploughing festival, I saw how the shadow over you did not turn, and I bowed down at your feet. That was my second homage. Now, seeing this miracle unseen before, I bow down at your feet. This is my third homage." Then, when the king paid him homage, there was not a single Sakya who was able to refrain from bowing down before the Blessed One and all of : them did homage. So the Blessed One, having compelled his relatives to bow down before him, descended from the sky, and sat down on the seat prepared for him. And when the Blessed One was seated, the assembly of his relatives yielded him pre-eminence and all sat there with ; unity in their hearts. Then a thunder-cloud poured forth a shower of rain, and the copper-coloured water went away rumbling beneath the earth. He who wished to get wet, did get wet but not even a drop fell on the body ; of him who did not wish to get wet. And all seeing it became filled with astonishment, and said one to another : " Lo ! what miracle. Lo ! what " wonder ! But the Teacher said : " Not now only did a shower of rain fall upon me in the assembly of my relations, formerly also this happened." And in this connexion he told the story of his Birth as Vessantara. 1 When they had heard his discourse they rose up, and paid reverence to him, and went away. Not one of them, either the king or any of his ministers, asked him on leaving To-morrow accept your meal " : of us." So on the next day the Master, attended by twenty thousand mendicants, entered Kapilavatthu to beg. Then also no one came to him or invited him to his house, or took his bowl. The Blessed One, standing at the gate considered How then did the former : " Buddhas go on their begging rounds in their native town ? Did they go direct to the houses of the kings, " or did they beg straight on from house to house ? Then, not finding that any of the Buddhas had gone direct, he thought too, must accept this descent : "I, and tradition as my own so shall my disciples in ; future, learning of me, fulfil the duty of going for alms." And beginning at the first house, he went straight on for alms. At the rumour that the young chief Siddhattha was going for alms from door to door, the windows in the two-storied and three-storied houses were thrown open, and the multitude was transfixed at the sight. And the lady, the mother of Kahula, thought My : " lord, who used to go to and fro in this very town with gilded palanquin and every sign of royal pomp, now with a potsherd in his hand begs his food from door to door, with shaven hair and beard, and clad in yellow robes. Is this becoming ? And she opened " Jataka, no. 547 (the last one). the window, and looked at the Blessed One and she ; beheld him glorious with the unequalled majesty of a Buddha, distinguished with the Thirty-two characteristic signs and the eighty lesser marks of a Great Being, and lighting up the street of the city with a halo resplendent with many colours, proceeding to a fathom s length all round his person. And she announced it to the king, saying : " Thy son is walking for alms from door to door " ; and she magnified him with the eight stanzas on The Lion " among Men ", beginning : 291. Glossy and dark and soft and curly is his hair ; Spotless and fair as the sun is his forehead ; Well-proportioned and prominent and delicate is his nose ; Around him is diffused a network of rays The Lion among Men ! The king was deeply agitated ; and he went forth instantly, gathering up his robe in his hand, and going quickly stood before the Blessed One, and said : Why, Master, do you put us to shame ? Why do " you walk about for alms ? Do you think it impossible to provide a meal for so many monks ? " was the reply. " " This is our custom, king ! Not so, Master our descent is from the royal " ! race of the Great Elected and amongst them all ; not one chief has ever gone about for alms." " This succession of kings is thy descent, king ! but mine is the succession of the Buddhas, from Dlpankara and Kondanya and the rest down to Kassapa. These, and thousands of others reckoned as Buddhas, have gone about for alms, and lived on So also the Pali. Maha Sammata, the first king among men. alms." And standing in the middle of the street he uttered the verse : 292. Let him rise up, and loiter not ! Let him fare the righteous faring ! Who fares in that way happy lives, Both in this world and in the next. 1 And when the verse was finished the king attained to the Fruit of the First, and then, on hearing the following verse, to the Fruit of the Second Path : 293. The righteous faring let him fare ! Let him not fare amiss ! The righteous f arer happy lives, Both in this world and in the next. And when he heard the story of the Birth as the Keeper of Righteousness, he attained to the Fruit of the Third Path. And just as he was dying, seated on the royal couch under the white canopy of state, he attained to Arahantship. The king never practised spiritual exertions in the forest life. Now as soon as he had realized the Fruit of Con version, he took the Buddha s bowl and conducted the Blessed One and his retinue to the palace, and served them with savoury food, both hard and soft. And when the meal was over, all the women of the household came and did obeisance to the Blessed One, except only the mother of Rahula. But she, though she told her attendants to go and If I have " salute their lord, stayed behind, saying : virtue in his eyes, my lord will himself come to me ; and when he has come I will pay him reverence." Dhammapada, ver. 168 f . MaTia-DTiammapala Jataka, no. 447. * The following episode should be compared with the slighter sketch in Vinaya, i, 82. Ed. And the Blessed One, giving his bowl to the king to carry, went with his two chief disciples to the apart ments of the daughter of the The " king, saying : king s daughter shall in no wise be to, how spoken soever she may be pleased to welcome me." And he sat down on the seat prepared for him. And she came quickly and held him by the ankles, and laid her head on his feet, and so did homage to him, even as she had intended. And the king told of the fullness of her love for the Blessed One, and of her goodness of heart, saying When my daughter : " heard, Master, that you had put on the yellow robes from that time forth she dressed only in yellow. When she heard of your taking but one meal a she day, adopted the same custom. When she heard that you renounced the use of elevated couches, she slept on a mat spread on the floor. When she heard you had given up the use of garlands and unguents, she also used them no more. And when her relatives sent a message, saying, Let us take care of you/ she paid them no attention at all. Such are my daughter s Blessed One " virtues, ! no wonder, "Tie king " was the reply, that ! " she should watch over herself now that she has you for a protector, and that her wisdom is mature : formerly, even when wandering among the mountains without a protector, and when her wisdom was not mature, she watched over herself." And he told the l story of his Birth as the Moonsprite and rose from ; his seat, and went away. Candakinnara Jataka, no. 485, where this episode forma the introduction to the story. Q On the next day the festivals of the coronation, and of the housewarming, and of the marriage of Nanda, the king s son, were being celebrated all together. But the Buddha went to his house, and gave him his bowl to carry and with the object of ; making him abandon the world, he wished him true happiness and then, rising ; from his seat, departed. And (the bride) Janapada Kalyani, 1 seeing the young man go away, gazed wonderingly at him, and cried But " my lord, whither go you so quickly ? " out : Take " he, not venturing to say to the Blessed One, your bowl followed him even unto the Vihara. ", And the Blessed One received him, unwilling though he was, into the Order. It was on the third day after he reached Kapilapura that the Blessed One ordained Nanda. On the seventh day the mother of Rahula arrayed the boy in his best, and sent him to the Blessed One, saying : Look, dear, at that monk, attended by twenty " thousand monks, and beautiful in appearance as a Brahma ! That is your father. He had certain great treasures, which we have not seen since he abandoned his home. Go now, and ask for your inheritance, saying, Father, I am the prince. When I am crowned, I shall become a king over all the earth. I have need of the treasure. Give me the treasure ; for a son is heir to his father s property. The boy went up to the Blessed One, and gained a love of his father, and stood there glad and joyful, and " monk, is thy shadow " ! saying Happy, : adding many other words befitting his position. Lit., the lovely one of the country. When the Blessed One had ended his meal, and had given thanks, he rose from his seat, and went away. And the child followed the Blessed One, saying: Monk give me my inheritance give me ! " ! my inheritance ! The Blessed One turned the boy not back. And the people with the Blessed One, were not able to stop him. And so he went with the Blessed One even up to the grove. Then the Blessed One thought : c This wealth, this property of his father s, which he is asking for, perishes in the using, and brings vexa tion with it I will give him the sevenfold ! Ariyan wealth which I obtained under the Bo-tree, and make him the heir of a spiritual inheritance ! " And he " said to Sariputta Well, then do thou, Sariputta, : receive Rahula into the Order." But when the child had been taken into the Order the king grieved exceedingly. And he was unable to bear his grief, and made it known to the Blessed One, and asked of him a boon, saying you so please, : "If master, let not my lords receive a son into the Order without the leave of his father and mother." And the Blessed One granted the boon. And the next day, as he sat in the king s house after his meal was over, the king, sitting respectfully by when you were practising " him, said Master : ! austerities, a deva came to me, and said Your : son is dead And I believed him not, and rejected ! what he said, answering My son : will not die without attaining Buddhahood ! And he replied, saying Why should you now : l!< have believed ? when formerly though they showed did you my bones, and said your son was dead, you not believe them. * And in that connexion he told the story of his Birth as the Great Keeper of Righteousness. And when the story was ended, the king attained to the Fruit of the Third Path. And so the Blessed One established his father in the Three Fruits and he returned to Kajagaha attended ; by the company of the brethren, and resided at Cool Grove. At that time the householder Anatha Pindika, bringingmerchandise in five hundred carts, went to the house of a trader in Rajagaha, his intimate friend, and there heard that a Blessed Buddha had arisen. And very early in the morning he went to the Teacher, the door being opened by the power of devas, and heard the Truth and became converted. And on the next day he gave a great donation to the Order, with the Buddha at their head, and received a from the Teacher that he would come to promise Savatthi. Then along the road, forty-five leagues in length, he built resting-places at every league, at an expenditure of a hundred thousand for each. And he bought the Grove called Jetavana for eighteen kotis of gold laying them side by side over the ground, and pieces, erected there a new building. In the midst thereof he made a pleasant room for him of the tenfold power, and around it separately constructed dwellings for the eighty chief elders, and other residences with single and double walls, and long halls and open roofs, Mahadhammapala Jataka, no. 447. See above, p. 224. a See Vin, ii, 154 f. ; Kindred Sayings, i, 271 f. ornamented with ducks and quails and ponds also ; he made, and terraces to walk on by day and by night. And so having constructed a delightful residence on a pleasant spot, at an of expense eighteen kotis, he sent a message to him of the tenfold that power he should come. The Master, hearing the messenger s words, left Rajagaha attended by a great multitude of monks, and in due course arrived at the city of Savatthi. Then the wealthy merchant decorated the monastery ; and on the day on which the Tathagata should arrive at Jetavana he arrayed his son in splendour, and sent him on with five hundred youths in festival attire. And he and his retinue, holding five hundred flags resplendent with cloth of five different colours, appeared before him of the tenfold power. And behind him Maha-Subhadda and Chula-Subhadda, the two daughters of the merchant, went forth with five hundred damsels carrying water-pots full of water. And behind them, decked with all her ornaments, the merchant s wife went forth, with five hundred matrons carrying vessels full of food. And behind them all, the great merchant himself, clad in new robes, with five hundred traders also dressed in new robes, went out to meet the Blessed One. The Blessed One, sending this retinue of lay disciples in front, and attended by the great multitude of monks, entered the Jetavana monastery with the infinite graceand unequalled majesty of a Buddha, making the spaces of the grove bright with the halo from his person, as if they were sprinkled with gold dust. Then Anatha Pincjika asked him " : How, my lord, " shall I deal with this Vihara ? give it then to " " Householder," was the reply, the Order of Mendicants, whether now present or hereafter to arrive." " And the great merchant, saying : So be it, my lord," brought a golden vessel, and poured water over the hand of him of the tenfold power, and dedicated I give this Jetavana Vihara to " the Vihara, saying, the Order of Mendicants with the Buddha at their head, and to all from every direction now present or x hereafter to come." And the Master accepted the Vihara, and giving thanks, pointed out the advantages of monasteries, saying : 294. Cold they ward off, and heat ; So also beasts of prey, And creeping things, and gnats, And rains in the cold season. And when the dreaded heat and winds Arise, they ward them off. 295. To give to monks a dwelling-place, Wherein in safety and at ease To think and insight gain, The Buddha praises most of all. 296. Let therefore a wise man, Regarding his own weal, Have pleasant monasteries built, And lodge there learned men. 297. Let him with cheerful mien, Give food to them, and drink, And clothes, and dwelling-places To the upright in mind. 298. Then they shall preach to him the Norm The Norm, dispelling every grief Which Norm, when here- he learns, he sins Chulla- No more, reaching the perfect well (Vinaya, vagga VI, 1). This formula has been constantly found in rock inscriptions in India and Ceylon over the ancient cave-dwellings of Buddhist hermits. Anatha Pindika began the dedication festival from the second day. The festival held at the dedication of Visakha s building ended in four months, but Anatha Pindika s dedication festival lasted nine months. At the festival, too, eighteen kotis were spent ; on that one monastery he spent wealth so amounting to fifty-four kotis. Long ago, too, in the time of the Blessed Buddha Vipassin, a merchant named Punabbasu Mitta bought that very spot by laying golden bricks over it,and built a monastery there a league in length. And in the time of the Blessed Buddha Sikhin, a merchant named Sirivaddha bought that very spot by spreading golden ploughshares over it, and built there a monastery three-quarters of a league in length. And in the time of the Blessed Buddha Vessabhu, a merchant named Sotthiya bought that very spot by laying golden elephant feet along it, and built a monastery there half a league in length. And in the time of the Blessed Buddha Kakusandha, a merchant named Acchtita also bought that very spot by laying there a monastery a golden bricks over it, and built quarter of a league in length. And in the time of the Blessed Buddha Konagamana, a merchant named Ugga bought that very spot by laying golden tortoises over it, and built there a monastery half a league in length. And in the time of the Blessed Buddha that Kassapa, a merchant named Sumangala bought over it, and built very spot by laying golden bricks there a monastery sixty acres in extent. And in the time of our Blessed One, Anatha Pindika the merchant coins over bought that very spot by laying kahapana it,and built there a monastery thirty acres in extent. For that spot is a place which not one of all the Buddhas has deserted. And so the Blessed One lived in that spot from the attainment of all-knowledge under the Bo-tree till his death. This is the Proximate Epoch.

[95.] This 2 discourse regarding Truth was delivered by the Blessed One, while he was dwelling in the Great Monastery at Jetavana near Savatthi. But who, you ask, was it that led up to this tale ? Well it was the Treasurer's five hundred friends, disciples of the sophists^. ; For, one day Anatha-pindika'' the Treasurer, took his friends the five hundred discii^les of other schools, and went off with them to Jetavana, whither also he had a great store brought of garlands, perfumes, and unguents, together with oil, honey, molasses, cloths, and cloaks. After due salutation to the Blessed One, he made his offering to him of the garlands and the like, and handed over to the Order of the Brethren the medicinal oil and so forth together with the cloths and, this done, he took his seat on one side eschewing the six faults in ; ' The canonical text of the Jataka book, which consists exclusively of gdthds or stanzas, is divided intobooks,' or nipatas, according to the number of gdthds. ' The present volume contains the 150 stories which iUustrate, and form the commentary of, a single gdthd in each case, and compose the first book. The later books contain an increasing number of gdthds and a decreasing number of stories e.g. the second book : contains 100 two-gatha stories, the third book 50 three-gatha stories, and so on. The total nranber of the books or nipdtas is 22, 21 of which form the text of the five published volumes of the Pali text. The nipdtas are subdivided into vaggas, or sets of about 10 stories, named as a rule after their first story. It has not been thought desirable to cumber the translation with these subdivisions. 2 The Introductory Stoiy usually begins by quoting, as a catchword, the first words of the subsequent gdthS. ' Literally 'sectaries'; but usually translated 'heretics,' a term which has come to have too theological a connotation to be applicable to philosophers. The six rivals with whom Gotama had chiefly to compete were Puraua Kassapa, Makkhali Gosala, Ajita Kesa-kambali, Fakudha Kaccayana, Saiijaya Belatthi-putta, and Nigantha Nata-putta (see, e.g., the Sdmannaphala Sutta in the Digha Nikdya, Vol. i. p. 47). * This is a surname, meaning literally 'feeder of the poor.' His ordinary name was Sudatta. See the account in the Vinaya (CuUavagga, vi. 4, 9) of how he bought from Prince Jeta the latter's grove for as much money as would pave the ground, and how he built thereon the Great Monastery for the Buddha. C J, I sitting down. Likewise, those disciples of other schools saluted the Buddha, and took their seats close hy the side of Anatha-pindika,— gazing upon the Master's countenance, glorious as the full moon, upon his excellent presence endowed with the signs and marks of Buddhahood and encompassed to a fathom's length with light, and upon the rich glory that marks a Buddha, a glory which issued as it were in paired garlands, pair upon pair. Then, though in thunderous tones as of a young lion roaring in the Red Valley or as of a storm-cloud in the rainy season, bringing down as it were the Ganges of the Heavens' [96] and seeming to weave a chaplet of jewels,—yet in a voice of eightfold perfection, the charm of which ravished the ear, he preached to them the 'Truth in a discourse full of sweetness and bright with varied beauty. They, after hearing the Master's discourse, rose up with hearts converted, and with due salutation to the Lord of Knowledge, burst asunder the other doctrines in which they had taken refuge, and betook themselves to the Buddha as their refuge. Thenceforth without ceasing they used to go with Anatha-pindika, carrying in their hands perfumes and garlands and the like, to hear the Truth in the Monastery ; and they abounded in charity, kept the Commandments, and kept the weekly fast-day. Now the Blessed One went from Savatthi back to Rajagaha again. As soon as the Buddha had gone, they burst asunder their new faith, and returning to the other doctrines as their refuge, reverted to their original state. After some seven or eight months' stay, the Blessed One came back to Jetavana. Once again too did Anatha-pindika come with those friends of his to the Master, make his salutation and offering of perfumes and the like, and take his seat on one side. And the friends also saluted the Blessed One and took their seats in like manner. Then did Anatha-pindika tell the Blessed One how, when the Buddha had departed on his alms-pilgrimage, his friends had forsaken their refuge for the old doctrines again, and had reverted to their original state. Opening the lotus of his mouth, as though it were a casket of jewels, scented with scents divine and filled with divers perfiimes by virtue of his having ever spoken aright throughout myriad aeons, the Blessed One made his sweet voice come forth, as he enquired — "Is the report true that you, disciples, have forsaken : the Three Refuges^ for the refuge of other doctrines?" And when they, unable to conceal the fact, had confessed, saying, "It is true. Blessed One," then said the Master, "Disciples, not between the bounds of hell^ below and the highest heaven above, not in all the infinite worlds that stretch right and left, is there the equal, much less the superior, of a Buddha in the excellences which spring from obeying the Commandments and from other virtuous conduct." Then he declared to them the excellences of the Three Gems' as they are revealed in the sacred texts, the following amongst the number, — " Of all creatures. Brethren, whether footless &c., of these the Buddha is the chief"; "Wbatsoever riches there be in this or in other worlds &c."; and "Verily the chief of the faithful &c." — Thence he went on to say: "No disciples, male or female, who seek refuge in the Three Gems that are endowed with such peerless excellences, are ever reborn into hell and the like states; but, released from all rebirth into states of suffering, they pass to the Realm of Devas and there receive great glory. Therefore, in forsaking such a refuge for that offered by other doctrines, you have gone astray." ' i.e. the Milky Way. " i.e. the Buddha, the Truth he preached, and the Brotherhood he founded. Infra this triad is spoken of as the 'Three Gems.' ' Strictly speaking Buddhism knows no hells, only purgatories, which— though places of torment — ^are temporary and educational, (And here the following sacred texts should be cited to make it clear that none who, to find release and the supreme good, have sought refuge in the Three Gems, shall be reborn into states of suflfering: [97] Those who have refuge in the Buddha found, Shall not pass hence to states of suffering; Straightway, when they shall quit their human frame, A Deva-form these faithful ones shall fill'. Those who have rdfuge in the Doctrine found &o., &c. Those who have refuge in the Order found They're manifold the refuges men seek, — The mountain peak, the forest's solitude, {and so on down to) When he this refuge shall have sought and found, Entire release is his from every pain.)'' But the Master did not end his teaching to them at this point for he went on to say: "Disciples, meditation on the thought of the Buddha, meditation on ; the thought of the Truth, meditation on the thought of the Brotherhood, this it is that gives Entry to and Fruition of the First, the Second, the Third, and the Fourth Paths to Bliss^." And when he had preached the Truth to them in these and other ways, he said, "In forsaking such a refuge as this, you have gone astray." (And here the gift of the several Paths to those who meditate on the thought of the Buddha and so forth, should be made clear by such scriptures as ibhe following: —"One thing there is. Brethren, which, if practised and developed, conduces to utter loathing of the world's vanities, to the cessation of passion, to the end of being, to peace, to insight, to enlightenment, to Nirvana. What is this one thing ? —The meditation on the thought of the Buddha.") When he had thus exhorted the disciples, the Blessed One said, "So too in times past, disciples, the men who jumped to the fatuous conclusion that what was no refuge was a real refuge, fell a prey to goblins in a demon-haunted wilderness and were utterly destroyed ;whilst the men who clave to the absolute and indisputable truth, prospered in the selfsame wilderness." And when he had said this, he became silent. Then, rising up from his seat .and saluting the Blessed One, the layman Anatha-pindika burst into praises, and with clasped hands raised in reverence to his forehead, spoke thus : — "It is clear to us. Sir, that in these present days these disciples were led by error into forsaking the supreme refuge. But the bygone destruction of those opinionated ones in the denion-haunted wilderness, and the prospering of the men who clave to the truth, are hidden from us and known only to you. [98] May it please the Blessed One, as though causing the full moon to rise in the sky, to make this thing clear to us." ' The word deoa, which I have retained in its Pali form, means an angel,' rather ' than a 'god,' in the god-less creed o£ the Buddhist. See hereon Ehys Davids in his 'Buddhist Suttas,' page 162. ' Dhammapada, v. 188 — 192. ^ See note on p. 8. Then said the Blessed One: "It was solely to brush away the world's that by the display of the Ten Perfections^ through myriad seons difficulties I won omniscience. Give ear and hearken, as closely as if you were filling a tube of gold with lion's marrow." Having thus excited the Treasurer's attention, he made clear the thing that re-birth had concealed from them, as though he were releasing the full moon from the upper air, the birthplace of the snows. Once on a time in the city of Benares in the Kasi country there was a king named Brahmadatta. In those days the Bodhisatta was born into a merchant's family, and growing up in due course, used to journey about trading with five hundred carts, travelling now from east to west and now from west to east. There was also at Benares another young merchant, a stupid blockhead, lacking resource. Now at the time of our story the Bodhisatta had loaded five hundred carts with costly wares of Benares and had got them all ready to start. And so had the foolish young merchant too. Thought the Bodhisatta, "If this foolish young merchant keeps me company all along, and the thousand carts travel along together, it will be too much for the road ; it will be a hard matter to get wood, water, and so forth for the men, or grass for the oxen. Either he or I must go on first." So he sent for the other and laid his view before him, saying, "The two of us can't travel together; would you rather go first or last?" Thought the other, "There will be many advantages if I go on first. I shall have a road which is not yet cut up my oxen will have the pick of the grass ; my men will have ; the pick of the herbs for curry; the water will be undisturbed; and, lastly, I shall fixmy own price for the barter of my goods." Accordingly he replied, " I will go first, my dear sir." [99] The Bodhisatta, on the other hand, saw many advantages in going last, for he argued thus to himself — " Those who go first will level the road : where it is rough, whilst I shall travel along the road they have already travelled; their oxen will have grazed oflf the coarse old grass, whilst mine will pasture on the sweet young growth which will spring up in its place ; my men will find a fresh growth of sweet herbs for curry whei-e the old ones have been picked ;where there is no water, the first caravan will have to dig to supply themselves, and we shall drink at the wells they dug. Haggling over prices is killing work; whereas I, following later, shall bairter my wares at the prices they have already fixed." Accordingly, seeing all these advantages, he said to the other, " Then go you first, my dear sir." ' i.e. almsgiving, goodness, renunciation, wisdom, energy, patience, truth, resolntion, loving-kindnesB, and equanimity. (See the Cariyd Pitaka, pp. 45—7 of the Pali text edited by Dr Morris for the Pali Text Society) ; see also Jatakft No. 35 Ac. " Very well, I will," said the foolish merchant. And he yoked his carts and set out. Journeying along, he left human habitations behind him and came to the outskirts of the wilderness. (Now wildernesses are of the five following kinds: —robber wildernesses, wild-beast wildernesses, drought wildernesses, demon wildernesses, and famine wildernesses. The first is when the way is beset by robbers ; the second is when the way is beset by lions and other wild beasts ; the third is when there is no bathing or water to be got ; the fourth is when the road is beset by demons ; and the fifth is when no roots or other food are to be found. And in this was both a drought, and a fivefold category the wilderness in question demon, wilderness.) Accordingly this young merchant took great big water-jars on his carts, and filling them with water, set out to cross the sixty leagues of desert which lay before him. Now when he had reached the middle of the wilderness, the goblin who haunted it said to himself, " I will make these men throw away their stock of water, and devour them all when they are faint." So he [100] framed by his magic power a delightful carriage drawn by pure white young bulls. With a retinue of some ten or twelve goblins bearing bows and quivers, swords and shields, he rode along to meet them like a mighty lord in this carriage, with blue lotuses and white water-lilies wreathed round his head, with wet hair and wet clothes, and with muddy carriage-wheels. His attendants, too, in front and rear of him went along with their hair and clothes wet, with garlands of blue lotuses and white water-lilies on their heads, and with bunches of white lotuses in their hands, chewing the esculent stalks, and dripping with water and mire. Now the leaders of caravans have the following custom whenever the wind blows in their teeth, they ride on : in front in their carriage with their attendants round them, in order to escape the dust ; but when the wind blows from behind them, then they ride in like fashion in the rear of the column. And, as on this occasion the wind was blowing against them, the young merchant was riding in front. When the goblin became aware of the merchant's approach, he drew his carriage aside from the track and greeted him kindly, asking him whither he was going. The leader of the caravan too caused his carriage to be drawn aside from the track so as to let the carts pass by, whilst he stayed by the way and thus addressed the goblin: "We are just on our way from Benares, sir. But I observe that you have lotuses and waterlilies on your heads and in your hands, and that your people are chewing the esculent stalks, and that you are all muddy and dripping with wet. Pray did it rain while you were on the road, and did you come on pools covered with lotuses and water-lilies!" Hereon the goblin exclaimed, "What did you say! Why, yonder appears the dark-green streak of the forest, and thence onward there is nothing but water all through the forest. It is always raining there ; the pools are full ; and on every side are lakes covered with lotuses and waterlilies."Then as the line of carts [101] passed by, he asked where they were bound for. "To suchand such a place/' was the reply. "And what wares have you got in this cart and in this V "So and so." "And what might you have in this last cart which seems to move as if it were heavily laden ?" "Oh, there's water in that." "You did well to carry water with you from the other side. But there is no need for it now, as water is abundant on ahead. So break the jars and throw the water away, that you may travel easier." And he added, " Now coutinue on your way, as we have stopped too long already." Then he went a little way further on, till he was out of sight, when he made his way back to the goblin-city where he dwelt. Such was the folly of that foolish merchant that he did the goblin's bidding, and had his jars broken and the water all thrown away, without — saving so much even as would go in the palm of a man's hand. Then he ordered the carts to drive on. Not a drop of water did they find on ahead, and thirst exhausted the men. All day long till the sun went down they kept on the march but at sunset they unyoked their carts ; and made a laager, tethering the oxen to the wheels. The oxen had no water to drink, and the men none ^to cook their rice with and the tired- ; out band sank to the ground to slumber. But as soon as night fell, the goblins came out from their city, and slew every single one of those men and oxen; and when they had devoured their flesh, leaving only the bare bones, the goblins departed. Thus was the foolish young merchant the sole cause of the destruction of that whole band, whose skeletons were strewn in every conceivable direction, whilst the five hundred carts stood there with their loads untouched. Now the Bodhisatta allowed some six weeks to pass by after the starting of the foolish young merchant, before he set out. Then he proceeded from the city with his five hundred and in due course carts, came to the outskirts of the wilderness. Here he had his water-jars filled and laid in an ample stock of water ; and by beat of drum he had his men assembled in camp [102], and thus addressed them " Let not so : much as a palmful of water be used without my sanction. There are poison trees in this wilderness; so. let no man among you eat any leaf, flower, or fruit which he has not eaten before, without first asking me." With this exhortation to his men, he pushed on into the wilderness with his 500 carts. When he had reached the middle of the wilderness, the goblin made his appearance on the Bodhisatta's path as in the former case. But, as soon as he became aware of the goblin, the Bodhisatta saw through him; foi- he thought to himself, "There's no water here, in this 'Waterless Desert.' This person with his red eyes and aggressive bearing, casts no shadow. Very likely he has induced the foolish young merchant who preceded me, to throw away all his water, aud then, waiting till they were worn out, has eaten up the merchant with all his men. But he doesn't know my cleverness and ready wit." Then he shouted to the goblin, " Begone We're men of business, and do not throw away what water we ! have got, before we see where more is to come from. But, when we do see more, we may be trusted to throw this water away and lighten our carts.'' The goblin rode on a bit further till he was out of sight, and then betook himself back to his home in the demon city. But when the goblin had gone, the Bodhisatta's men said to him, "Sir, we heard from those men that yonder is the dark-green streak of the forest appearing, where they said it was always raining. They had got lotuses on their heads and water-lilies in their hands and were eating the stalks, whilst their clothes and hair were wringing wet, with water streaming off them. Let us throw away our water and get on a bit quicker with lightened carts." On hearing these words, the Bodhisatta ordered a halt aud had the men all mustered. "Tell me,'' said he; "did any man among you ever hear before today that there was a lake or a pool in this wilderness'!" "No, sir," was the answer, "why it's known as 'the Waterless Desert'." " We have just been told by some people that it is raining just on ahead, in the belt of forest; now how far does a rain-wind carry?" [103] "A league, sir." " And has this rain-wind reached any one man here 1 " " No, sir." "How far off can you see the crest of a storm-cloud?" "A league, sir." "And has any one man here seen the top of even a single storm-cloud?" "No, sir." "How far off can you see a flash of light- ning?" "Four or five leagues, sir." "And has any one man here seen a flash of lightning?" "No, sir.'' "How far off can a man hear a peal • of thunder?" "Two or three leagues, sir." "And has any man here heard a peal of thunder? " " No, sir." " These are not men but goblins. They will return in the hope of devouring us when we are weak and faint after throwing away our water at their bidding. As the young merchant who went on before us was not a man of resource, most likely he has been fooled into throwing his water away and has been devoured when exhaus- tion ensued. We may expect to find his five hundred carts standing just as they were loaded for the start ; we shall come on them today. Press on with all possible speed, without throwing away a drop of water.'' Urging his men forward with these words, he proceeded on his way till he came upon the 500 carts standing just as they had been loaded and the skeletons of the men and oxen lying strewn in every direction. He had his carts unyoked and ranged in a circle so as to form a strong laager ; he saw that his men and oxen had their supper early, and that the oxen were made to lie down in the middle with the men round them ; and he himself with the leading men of his baiid stood on guard, sword in hand, through the three watches of the night, waiting for the day to dawn. On the morrow at daybreak when he had had* his oxen fed and everyfchiug needful done, he discarded his own weak carts for stronger ones, and his own common goods for the most costly of the derelict goods. Then he went on to his destination, where he bartered his stock for wares of twice or three times their value, and came back to his own city without losing a single man out of all his company. [104] This story ended, the Master said, "Thus it was, layman, that in times past the fatuous came to utter destruction, whilst those who clave to the truth, escaping from the demons' hands, reached their goal in safety and came back to their homes again." And when he had thus linked the two stories together, he, as the Buddha, spoke the following stanza for the purposes of this lesson on the Truth : Then some declared the sole, the peerless truth; But otherwise the false logicians spake. Let him that's wise from this a lesson take, And firmly grasp the sole, the peerless truth. [105] Thus did the Blessed One teach this lesson respecting Truth. And he went on to say: "What is called walking by truth, not only bestows the three happy endowments, the six heavens of the realms of sense, and the endowments of the higher Realm of Brahma, but finally is the giver of Arahatship [106]; whilst what is called walking by untruth entails re-birth in the four states of punishment or in the lowest castes of mankind." Further, the Master went on to expound in sixteen ways the Four Truths i, at the close of which all those five hundred disciples were established in the Fruit of the First Path^. Having delivered his lesson and his teaching, and having told the two stories and established the connexion linking them together, the Master concluded by identifying the Birth as follows: "Devadatta was the foolish young merchant of those days his followers were the followers of that merchant the followers of ; ; the Buddha were the followers of the wise merchant, who was myself." 1 These four cardinal truths of Buddhism are as follows : — (i) individual existence is pain; (ii) cravings cause the continuance of individual existence; (iii) with the disappearance of cravings, individual existence also would disappear; and (iv) cravings disappear by following the Noble Eightfold Path pointed out by the Buddha. (See hereon Bhys Davids' Hibbert Lecture for 1881.) ' The normal road to the Buddhist ideal after conversion is divided into four successive stages, called the cattaro maggd or 'four paths.' The first of these is that trodden by the sot&panno (one 'who has entered the stream' which flows down to the ocean of Nirvana), who is assured of ultimately reaching his goal but has first to undergo seven more existences none of which can be in a state of suffering the second ; path is that trodden by the sakaddgami, the disciple whose imperfections have been so far eradicated that he has only to 'return' to a human-form once more before attaining Nirvana ; the third path is that of the anagmm, the disciple who will ' not return ' to earth, but will attain the goal from a Brahma realm ; whilst the fourth and Each of these four stages is further subdivided last is Arahatship, which is Nirvana. into two sub-stages, the lower called 'the path,' and the higher 'the fruit.' (See Maha-parinibbfma Sutta and the commentary thereon of the Sumangala Vilasini.)

" Untiring, deep they dug." This discourse was delivered by the Blessed One whilst he was dwelling at Savatthi. About whom, you ask ? About a Brother who gave up persevering. Tradition says that, whilst .the Buddha was dwelling at Savatthi, there came to Jetavana a scion of a Savatthi family, who, on hearing a discourse by the Master, realised that Lusts breed suffering, and was admitted to the first stage of the Brotherhood. After five years passed in preparing for admission to full Brotherhood 1, when he had learnt two summaries and had trained himself in the methods of Insight, he obtained from the Master a theme for meditation which commended itself to him. Retiring to a forest, he passed there the rainy season; but for all his striving during the three months, he could not develope a. glimmer or an inkling of Insight. So the thought came to him, "The Master said there were four types of men, and I must belong to the lowest of all; in this birth, methinks, there is neither Path nor Fruit for me. What good shall I do by living in the forest 1 Back to the Master I will go, and live my life beholding the glories of the Buddha's presence and listening to his sweet teachings." And back again to Jetavana he came. Now his friends and intimates said, "Sir, it was you who obtained from the Master a theme for meditation and departed to live the solitary life of a sage. Yet here you are back again, going about enjoying fellowship. Can it be that you have won the crown of the Brother's vocation and that you will never know re-birth?" "Sirs, as I won neither Path nor Fruit, I felt myself doomed to futility, and so gave up persevering and came back." "You have done wrong. Sir, in shewing a faint heart when you had devoted yourself to the doctrine of the dauntless Master. [107] Come, let us bring you to the Buddha's notice." And they took him with them to the Master. ^ The terms pabbajja and upasampadd,, which denote the two stages of initiation for a Brother of the Buddhist Order, and are oomparable with the successive degrees of Bachelor and Master in a Faculty, suggest the successive ordinations of Deacon and Priest. But, as it is misleading to use Christian' phraseology in speaking of the Buddhist philosophy, these convenient terms have been eschewed in the translation. As will be seen from the Vinaya (Mahavagga i. 49 — 51), fifteen was the normal age for pabbajja and twenty for upasampadd, the interval being that of five years mentioned in the text. When the Master became aware of their coming, he said, "Brethren, you bring with you this Brother against his will. What has he done 1" "Sir, after devoting himself to so absolutely true a doctrine, this Brother has given up persevering in the solitary life of a sage, and is come back." Then said the Master to him, "Is it true, as they say, that you. Brother, have given up persevering?" "It is true. Blessed One." "But how comes it that, after devoting yourself to such a doctrine, you. Brother, should bc^ the one to show yourself not a man desiring little, contented, solitary, and detennined, but a man lacking perseverance? Was it not you who were so .stout-hearted in bygone days ? Was it not by you single-handed, thanks to your perseverance, that in a sandy desert the men and the oxen belonging to a caravan of five hundred carts got water and were cheered ? And how is it that, now, you are giving in ?" These words sufficed to give heart to that Brother. Hearing this talk, the Brethren asked the Blessed One, saying, "Sir, the present faintheartedness of this Brother is clear to us ; but hidden from us is the knowledge of how, by the perseverance of this single man, the men and oxen got water in a sandy desert and were cheered. This is known only to you who are omniscient pray tell us about it." ; "Hearken, then, Brethren," said the Blessed One; and, having excited their attention, he made clear the thing that re-birth had concealed from them. Once on a time when Brahmadatta was king in Benares in Kasi the Bodhisatta was born into a trader's family. Wlien he was grown up, he used to travel about trading with 500 carts. On one occasion he came to a sandy wilderness sixty leagues across, the sand of which was so fine that, when grasped, it slipped through the fingers of the closed fist. As soon as the sun got up, it grew as hot as a bed of charcoal-embers and nobody could walk upon it. Accordingly, those traversing it used to take firewood, water, oil, rice and so forth on their carts, and only travelled by night. At dawn they used to range their carts in a circle to form a laager, with an awning spread overhead, and after an early meal used to the day long. sit in the shade all When the sun went down, they had their evening meal and, so soon as the ground became cool, they used to ; yoke their carts and move forward. Travelling on this desert was like voyaging over the sea; a 'desert-pilot,' as he was called, had to convoy them over by knowledge of the stars [108]. And this was the way in which our merchant was now travelling that wilderness. When he had only some seven more miles before him, he thought to himself, " To-night will see us out of this sandy wilderness." So, after they had had their supper, he ordered the wood and water to be thrown away, and yoking his carts, set out on the road. In the front cart sat the pilot upon a couch looking up to the stars in the heavens and directing the course thereby. But so long had he been without sleep that he was tired out and fell asleep, with the result thathe did not mark that the oxen had turned round and were retracing their steps. All night the oxen kept on their way, but at dawn the pilot woke up, and, observing the disposition of tlie stars overhead, shouted out, " Turn the carts round turn the carts round ! " And as they turned the carts round and were forming them into line, the day broke. "Why this is where we camped yesterday," cried the people of the caravan. "All our wood and water is gone, and we are lost." So saying, they unyoked their carts and made a laager and spread the awning overhead; then each man flung himself down in despair beneath his own cart. Thought the Bodhisatta to himself, "If I give in, every single one will perish." So he ranged to and fi-o while it was still early and cool, until he came on a clump of kusa-grass. "This grass," thought he, "can only have grown up here thanks to the presence of water underneath." So he ordered a spade to be brought and a hole to be dug at that spot. Sixty cubits down they dug, till at that depth the spade struck on a rock, and everybody lost heart. But the Bodhisatta, feeling sure must be water under that rook, de- there scended into the hole and took his stand upon the rock. Stooping down, he applied his ear to it, and listened. Catching the sound of water flowing beneath, he came out and said to a serving-lad, " My boy, if you give in, we shall all perish. So take heart and courage. Go down into the hole with this iron sledge-hammer, and strike the rock." Obedient to his master's bidding, [109] the lad, resolute where all others had lost heart, went down and struck the rock. The rock which had dammed the stream, split asunder and fell in. Up rose the water in the hole till it was as high as a palm-tree and everybody drank and ; bathed. Then they chopped up their spare axles and yokes and other surplus gear, cooked their rice and ate it, and fed their oxen. And as soon as the sun set, they hoisted a flag by the side of the well and ti-avelled on to their destination. There they bartered away their goods for twice and four times their value. With the proceeds they returned to •theirown home, where they lived out their term of life and in the end passed away to fare thereafter according to their deserts. The Bodhisatta too after a life spent in charity and other good works, passed away likewise to fare according to his deserts. When the Supreme Buddha had delivered this discourse, he, the All-Knowing One himself, uttered this stanza : Untiring, deep they dug that sandy track Till, in the trodden way, they water found. So let the sage, in perseverance strong, Flag not nor tire, until his heart find Peace. [110] This discourse ended, he preached the Four Truths, at the close whereof the fainthearted Brother was established in the highest fruit of all, which is Arahatship. Having told these two stories, the Master established the connexion linking them both together, and identified the Birth by saying: "This fainthearted Brother of to-day was in those days the serving-lad who, persevering, broke the rock and gave water to all the people; the Buddha's followers were the rest of the people of the caravan; and I myself was their leader."

"ijf in this faith." This lesson too was taught by the Blessed One while at Savatthi, also about a Brother who gave up persevering. For, when the man was brought by the Brethren exactly as in the foregoing case, the Master said, " You, Brother, who after devoting yourself to this glorious doctrine which bestows Path and Fruit, [ill] are giving up persevering, will suffer long, like the hawker of Seri who lost a golden bowl worth a hundred thousand pieces." The Brethren asked the Blessed One to explain this to them. The Blessed One made clear a thing concealed from them by re-birth. Once on a time in the kingdom of Seri, five aeons ago, the Bodhisatta dealt in pots and pans, and was calledthe Serivan.' In the company of ' another dealer in the same wares, a greedy fellow who was also known as ' the Serivan,' he came across the river Telavaha and entered the city of Andhapura. Apportioning the streets between the two of them, he set about hawking his wares round the streets of his district, and the other did the same in his district. Now in that city there was a decayed family. Once they had been rich merchants, but by the time of our story they had lost all the sons and brothers and all their wealth. The sole survivors were a girl and her grandmother, and they got their living by working for hire.Nevertheless, they had got in their house the golden bowl out of which in the old days the great merchant, the head of the family, used to eat ; but it had been thrown among the pots and pans, and having been long out of use, was grimed over with dirt, so that the two women did not know that it was gold. To the door of their house came the greedy hawker on his round, crying, " Waterpots to sell ! And the damsel, when Waterpots to sell " ! she knew he was there, said to her grandmother, "Oh, do buy me a trinket, grandmother." "We're very poor, dear; what can we offer in exchange for it?" "Why here's this bowl which is no good to us. Let us change that for it." The old woman had the hawker brought in and seated, and gave him the bowl, saying, " Take this, sir, and be so good as to give your sister something or other in exchange." The hawker took the bowl in his hand, turned it over, and, suspecting it was gold) scratched a line on the back of it with a needle, whereby he knew for certain that it was real gold. Then, thinking that he would get the pot without giving anything whatever for it to the women, he cried, "What's the value of this, pray? "Why it isn't worth half a farthing !" [1 1 2] And therewithal he threw the bowl on the ground, rose up from his seat, and left the house. Now, as it had been agreed between the two hawkers that the one might try the streets which the other had already been into, the Bodhisatta came into that same street and appeared at the door of the house, crying, "Waterpots to sell " ! Once again the damsel made the same request of her grandmother ; and the old woman replied, " My dear, the first hawker threw our bowl on the ground and flung out of the house. What have we got left to offer now ? " Oh, but that hawker was a harsh-spoken man, grandmother dear whilst this one looks a nice man and speaks kindly. Very likely he would take it.'' " Call him in then." So he came into the house, and they gave him a seat and put the bowl into his hands. Seeing that the bowl was gold, he said, "Mother, this bowl is worth a hundred thousand pieces; I haven't its value with me." " Sir, the first hawker who came here said that it was not worth half a farthing ; so he threw it to the ground and went away. It must have been the efficacy of your own goodness which has turned the bowl into gold. Take it give us something or other for it and go your way.'' At the ; ; time the Bodhisatta had 500 pieces of money and a stock worth as much more. The whole of this he gave to them, saying, "Let me retain my scales, my bag, and eight pieces of money." And with their consent he took these with him, and departed with all speed to the river-side where he gave his eight coins to the boatman and jumped into the boat. Subsequently that greedy hawker had come back to the house, and had asked them to bring out their bowl, saying he would give them something or other for it. But the old woman flew out at him with these words, " You made out that our golden bowl which is worth a hundred thousand pieces was not worth even a half-farthing. But there came an upright hawker (your master, I take it), who gave us a thousand pieces for it and took the bowl away." Hereupon he exclaimed, " He has robbed me of a golden bowl worth a full hundred thousand pieces ; he has caused me a terrible loss." And intense sorrow came upon him, so that he lost command over himself and became like one distraught. [113] His money and goods he flung away at the door of the house he threw off his upper and under cloths ; and, ; armed with the beam of his scales as a club, he tracked the Bodhisatta down to the river-side. Findidg the latter already crossing, he shouted to the boatman to put back, but the Bodhisatta told him not to do so. As the other stood there gazing and gazing at the retreating Bodhisatta, intense sori'ow seized upon him. His heart grew hot; blood gushed from his lips; and his heart cracked like the mud at the bottom of a tank, which the sun has dried up. Through the hatred which he had conti-acted against the Bodhisatca, he perished then and there. (This was the first time Devadatta conceived a grudge against the Bodhisatta.) The Bodhisatta, after a life spent in charity and other good works, passed away to fare according to his deserts. When the Supreme Buddha had ended this lesson, he, the All-Knowing One himself, uttered this stanza ; If in this faith you prove remiss, and fail To win the goal whereto its teachings lead, —Then, like the hawker called 'the Serivan',' Full long you'll rue the prize your folly lost. After having thus delivered his discourse in such a way as to lead up to Arahatship, the Master expounded the Four Truths, at the close whereof the fainthearted Brother was established in that highest Fruit of all, which is Arahatship. And, after telling the two stories, the Master made the connexion linking them both together, and identified the Birth by saying in conclusion, "In those days Devadatta was the foolish hawker; and I myself was the wise and good hawker."

[114] "With humhlest starV This story was told by the Master about the Elder named Little Wayman, while in Jivaka's Mango-grove ^ near Rajagaha. And here an account of Little Wayman's birth must be given. Tradition tells us that the daughter of a rich merchant's family in Rajagaha actually stooped to intimacy with a slave. Becoming alarmed lest her misconduct should get known, she said to the slave, " We can't live on here ; for if my mother and father come to know of this sin of ours, they will tear us limb from limb. Let us go and live afar off." So with their belongings in their hands they stole together out by the hardly-opened door, and fled away, they cared not whither, to find a shelter beyond the ken of her family. Then they went and lived together in a certain place, with the result that she conceived. And when her full time was nearly come, she told her husband and said, "If I am taken in labour away from kith and kin, that will be a trouble to both of us. So let us go home." First he 1 The scholium here gives the rascal's name as 'Serivu,' not recognising that the gatha-word Serivdyam represents the ' ' ' sandhi of Serivo (not Seriva) with ay am, just ' as dukkhdyam on p. 168 of Vol. i. of the text represents dukkho ayarh. ^ Jivaka, a prominent lay-follower of the Buddha, was physician to the Magadha King Seniya Bimbisara. See, for his history, the account in the Vinaya (Mahavagga Tin. 1). agreed to start to-day, and then he put it oflf till the morrow ; and so he let the days slip by, till she thought to herself, "This fool is so conscious of his great ofif'ence that he dares not go. One's parents are one's best friends so whether ; he goes or stays, I must go." So, when he went out, she put all her household matters in order and set off home, telling her next-door neighbour where she was going. Returning home, and not finding his wife, but discovering from the neighbours that she had started oflf home, he hurried after her and came up with her on the road and then and there she was taken in labour. ; "What's this, my dear?" said he. "I have given birth to a son, my husband," said she. Accordingly, as the very thing had now happened which was the only reason for the journey, they both agreed that it was no good going on now, and so turned back again. And as their child had been born by the way, they called him 'Wayman.' [115] Not long after, she became with child again, and everything fell out as before. And as this second child too was born by the way, they called him 'Wayman' too, distinguishing the elder as 'Great Wayman' and the younger as 'Little Wayman.' Then, with both their children, they again went back to their own home. Now, as they were living there, their way-child heard other boys talking of their uncles and grandfathers and grandmothers so he asked his mother whether ; he hadn't got relations like the other boys. " Oh yes, my dear," said his mother "but they don't live here. Your grandfather is a wealthy merchant in the city of Bajagaha, and you have lalenty of relations there." "Why don't we go there, mother ?" She told the boy the reason why they stayed away but, as the ; children kept on speaking about these relations, she said to her husband, "The children are always plaguing me. Are my parents going to eat us at sight? Come, let us shew the children their grandfather's family." "Well, I don't mind taking them there but I really could not face your parents." "All right; so ; — long as, some way or other, the children come to see their grandfather's family," said she. So those two took their children and coming in due course to Rajagaha put up in a public rest-house by the city gate. Then, taking with them the tv/o children, the woman caused their coming to be made known to her parents. The latter, on hearing the message, returned this answer, "True, it is strange to be without children unless one has renounced the world in quest of Arahatship. Still, so great is the guilt of the pair towards us that they may not stand in our sight. Here is a sum of money for them let them take this and retire to live : where they will. But the children they may send here." Then the merchant's daughter took the money so sent her, and despatched the children by the messengers. So the children grew up in their grandfather's house, Little — Wayman being of tender years, while Great Wayman used to go with his grandfather to hear the Buddha preach the Truth. And by constant hearing of the Truth from the Master's own lips, the lad's heart yearned to renounce the world for the life of a Brother. "With your permission," said he to his grandfather, "I should like to join the Brotherhood." "What do 1 hear?" cried the old man. "Why, it would give me greater joy to see you join the Order than to see the whole world join. Become a Brother, if you feel able." And he took him to the Master. "Well, merchant," said the Master, "have you brought your boy with you ?" "Yes, sir; this is my grandson, who wishes to join your Brotherhood." [116] Then the Master sent for a Mendicant, and told him to admit the lad to the Order; and the Mendicant repeated the Formula of the Perishable Body ^ and 1 Buddhism teaches the impermanenoe of things, and chief of the trains of thought for realising this doctrine is the meditationon the body and its 32 impurities (see Sutta Nipata i. 11, and the 12th Jataka infra). At the present day every novice in Ceylon, when invested with the yellow robe of the Order, repeats the verses which enumerate the 32 impurities. admitted the lad as a novice. When the latter had learned by heart many words of the Buddha, and was old enough, he was admitted a full Brother. He now gave himself up to earnest thought till he won Arahatship ; and as he passed his days in the enjoyment of Insight and the Paths, he thought whether he could not impart the like happiness to Little Waynian. So he went to his grandfather the merchant, and said, "Great merchant, with your consent, I will admit Little Wayman to the Order." "Pray do so, reverend sir," was the reply. Then the Elder admitted the lad Little Wayman and established him in the Ten Commandments. But Little Wayman proved a dullard with four months': study he failed to get by heart this single stanza : Lo ! like a fragrant lotus at the dawn Of day, full-blown, with virgin wealth of scent, Behold the Buddha's glory shining forth, As in the vaulted heaven beams the sun ! For, we are told, in the Buddhahood of Kassapa this Little Wayman, having himself attained to knowledge as a Brother, laughed to scorn a dull Brother who was learning a passage by heart. His scorn so confused his butt, that the latter could not learn or recite the passage. And now, in consequence, on joining the Brotherhood he himself proved a dullard. Each new line he learned drove the last out of his memory ; and four months slipped away while he was struggling with this single stanza. Said his elder brother to him, "Wayman, you are not equal to receiving this doctrine. In four whole months you have been unable to learn a single stanza. How then can you hope to crown yoiu- vocation with supreme success? Leave the monastery." But, though thus expelled by his brother. Little Wayman was so attached to the Buddha's creed that he did not want to become a layman. Now at that time Great Wayman was acting as steward. And Jivaka Komarabhacca, going to his mango-grove with a large present of perfumes and flowers for the Master, had presented his offering and hstened to a discourse; then, rising from his seat and bowing to the Buddha, he went up to Great Wayman and asked, "How many Brethren are there, reverend sir, with the Master V "Just 500, sir." "Will you bring the 500 Brethren, with the Buddha at their head, to take their meal at my house to-morrow?" "Lay-disciple, one of them named Little Wayman is a diillard and makes no progress in the Faith," said the Elder " I accept the invitation for everyone but him." ; [117] Hearing this, Little Wayman thought to himself, "In accepting the invitation for all these Brethren, the Elder carefully accepts so as to exclude me. This proves that my brother's affection for me is dead. What have I to do with this Faith ? I will become a layman and live in the exercise of charity and other good works of a lay character." And on the morrow early he went forth, avowedly to become a layman again. Now at the first break of day, as he was surveying the world, the Master became aware of this; and going forth even earlier than Little Wayman, he paced to and fro by the porch on Little Wayman's road. As the latter came out of the house, he observed the Master, and with a salutation went up to him. "Whither away at this hour, Little Wayman ?" said the Master. "My brother has expelled me from the Order, sir ; and I am going to wander forth." "Little Wayman, as it was under me that you took the vows, why did you not, when expelled by your brother, come to me ? Come, what have you to do with a layman's life? You shall stop with me." So saying, he took Little Wayman and seated him at the door of his own perfumed chamber. Then giving him a perfectly clean cloth which he had supematurally created, the Master said, "Face towards the East, and as you handle this cloth, repeat these words 'Eemoval of Impurity; Removal of Impurity.'" Then at the time appointed the Master, attended by the Brotherhood, went to Jivaka's house and sat down on the seat set for him, Now Little Wayinan> with his gaze fixed on the sun, sat handling the cloth and repeating the words, "Removal of Impurity; Removal of Impurity." And as he kept handling the piece of cloth, it grew soiled. Then he thought, "Just now this piece of cloth was quite clean but my personality has destroyed its ; original state and made it dirty. Impermanent indeed are all compounded things !" And even as he realised Death and Decay, he won the Arahat's Illumination. Knowing that Little Wayman's mind had won Illumination, the Master sent forth an apparition and in this semblance of himself appeared before him, as if seated in front of him and saying, "Heed it not, Little Wayman, that this mere piece of cloth has become dirty and stained with impurity; within thee are the impurities of lust and other evil things. Remove them." And the apparition uttered these stanzas ; Impurity in Lust consists, not dirt; And Lust we term the real Impurity. Yea, Brethren, whoso drives it from his breast, ffe lives the gospel of the Purified. [118] Impurity in Wrath consists, not dirt; And Wrath we term the real Impurity. Yea, Brethren, whoso drives it from his breast, ffe lives the gospel of the Purified. Delusion is Impurity, not dirt; We term Delusion real Impurity. Yea, Brethren, whoso drives it from his breast, He lives the gospel of the Purified. At the close of these stanzas Little Wayman attained to Arahatship with the four branches of knowledge^, whereby he straightway came to have knowledge of all the sacred texts. Tradition has it that, in ages past, when he was a king and was making a solemn procession round his city, he wiped the sweat from his brow with a spotless cloth which he was wearing; and the cloth was stained. Thought he, "It is this body of mine which has destroyed the original purity and whiteness of the cloth, and dirtied it. Impermanent indeed are all composite things." Thus he grasped the idea of impermanence ; and hence it came to pass that it waa the removal of impurity which worked his salvation. Meantime, Jivaka Komarabhacca ofiered the Water of Donation 2; but the Master put his hand over the vessel, saying, "Are there no Brethren, JIvaka, in the monastery?" Said Great Wayman, "There are no Brethren there, reverend sir." "Oh yes, there are, Jivaka," said the Master. "Hi, there !" said Jivaka to a servant "just ; you go and see whether or not there are any Brethren in the monastery." At that moment Little Wayman, conscious as he was that his brother was declaring there were no Brethren in the monastery, determined to shew him there were, and so filled the whole mango-grove with nothing but Brothers. Some were making robes, others dyeing, whilst others again were repeating the sacred texts: each of a thousand Brethren he made unlike all the others. Finding this host of Brethren in the monastery, the man returned and said that the whole mango-grove was full of Brethren. But as regards the Elder up in the monastery Wayman, a thousand-fold self-multiplied, Sat on, till bidden, in that pleasant grove. 1 These four branches were (i) understanding of the sense of the saored books, (ii) understanding of their ethical truth,(iii) ability to justify an interpretation grammatically, logically, &c., and (iv) the power of public exposition. 2 When a gift was made, the donor poured water over the hand of the donee. The gift that was here made by Jivaka was the food bestowed on the Brotherhood, as the Milinda-panho explains (p. 118) in its version of this story. c. J. 2 "Now go back," said the Master to the man, "and say 'The Master sends for him whose name is Little Wayman.' But when the man went and delivered his message, a thousand mouths answered, "I am Little Wayman 1 am Little Wayman ! ! Back came the man with the report, "They all say they are 'Little Wayman,' reverend sir." "Well now go back," said the Master, "and take by the hand the first one of them who says he is Little Wayman, [119] and the others will all vanish." The man did as he was bidden, and straightway the thousand Brethren vanished from sight. The Elder came back with the man. When the meal was over, the Master said, "Jivaka, take Little Wayman's bowl he will return thanks." Jivaka did so. Then like a young lion roaring ; defiance, the Elder ranged the whole of the sacred texts through in his address of thanks. Lastly, the Master rose from his seat and attended by the Order returned to the monastery, and there, after the assignment of tasks by the Brotherhood, he rose from his seat and, standing in the doorway of his perfiimed chamber, delivered a Buddha-discourse to the Brotherhood. Ending with a theme which he gave out for meditation, and dismissing the Brotherhood, he retired into his perfumed chamber, and lay down lion-like on his right side to rest. At even, the orange-robed Brethren assembled together from all sides in the Hall of Truth and sang the Master's praises, even as though they were spreading a curtain of orange cloth round him as they sat. "Brethren," it was said, "Great Wayman failed to recognise the bent of Little Wayman, and expelled him from the monastery as a dullard who could not even learn a single stanza in four whole months. But the All-Knowing Buddha by his supremacy in the Truth bestowed on him Arahatship with all. its supernatural knowledge, even while a single meal was in progress. And by that knowledge he grasped the whole of the sacred texts. Oh how great is a Buddha's ! power ! Now the Blessed One, knowing full well the talk that was going on in the Hall of Truth, thought it meet to go there. So, rising from his Buddha-couch, he donned his two orange under-cloths, girded himself as with lightning, arrayed himself in his orange-coloured robe, the ample robe of a Buddha, and came forth to the Hall of Truth with the infinite grace of a Buddha, moving with the royal gait of an elephant in the plenitude of his vigour. Ascending the glorious Buddha-throne set in the midst of the resplendent hall, he seated himself upon the middle of the throne emitting those six-coloured rays which mark a Buddha, — like the newly-arisen sun, when from the peaks of the Yugandhara Mountains he illumines the depths of the ocean. Immediately the All-Knowing One came into the Hall, the Brotherhood broke off their talk and were silent. Gazing round on the company with gentle loving-kindness, the Master thought within himself, "This company is perfect Not a man is guilty of moving hand or foot ! improperly not a sound, not a cough or sneeze is to be heard ; ! In their reverence and awe of the majesty and glory of the Buddha, not a man would dare to speak before I did, even if I sat here in silence all my life long. But it is my part to begin and I will open the conversation." Then in his sweet divine ; tones he addressed the Brethren and said, [120] "What, pray, is the theme of this conclave? And what was the talk which was broken off?" "Sir," said they, "it was no profitless theme, but your own praises that we were telling here in conclave." And when they had told him word for word what they had been saying, the Master said, "Brethren, through me Little Wayman has just now risen to great things in the Faith in times past it was to great things in the way of wealth ; that he rose, but equally through me." The Brethren asked the Master to explain this and the Blessed One made ; clear in these words a thing which succeeding existences had hidden from them : Once on a time when Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares in Kasi, the Bodhisatta was born into the Treasurer's family, and growing up, was made Treasurer, being called Treasurer Little. A wise and clever man was he, with a keen eye for signs and omens. One day on his way to wait upon the king, he came on a dead mouse lying on the road and, taking ; note of i.lie position of the stars at that moment, he said, "Any decent young fellow with his wits about him has only to pick that mouse up, and he might start a business and keep a wife." Hi.s words were overheard by a young man of good family but reduced circumstances, who said to himself, "That's a man who has always got a reason for what he says." And accordingly he picked up the mouse, which he sold for a farthing at a tavern for their cat. With the farthing he got molasses and took drinking water in a waterpot. Coming on flower-gatherers returning from the forest, he gave each a tiny quantity of the molasses and ladled the water out to them. Each of them gave him a handful of flowers, with the proceeds of which, next day, he came back again to the flower grounds provided with more molasses and a pot of water. That day the flower-gatherers, before they went, gave him flowering plants with half the flowers left on them and thus in a ; little while he obtained eight pennies. Later, one rainy and windy day, the wind blew down a quantity of rotten branches and boughs and leaves in the king's pleasaunce, and the gardener did not see liow to clear them away. [121] Then up came the young man with an ofier to remove the lot, if the wood and leaves might be his. The gardener closed with the ofier on the spot. Then this apt pupil of Treasurer Little repaired to the children's playground and in a very little while had got them by bribes of molasses to collect every stick and leaf in the place into a heap at the entrance to the pleasaunce. Just then the king's potter was on the look out for fuel to fire bowls for the palace, and coming on this heap, took the lot oflF his hands. The sale of his wood brought in sixteen pennies to this pupil of Treasurer Little, as well as five bowls and other vessels. Having now twenty-four pennies in all, a plan occurred to him. He went to the vicinity of the city-gate with a jar full of water and supplied 500 mowers with water to drink. Said they, " You've done us a good turn, friend. What can we do for you ? "Oh, I'll tell you when I want your aid," said he; and as he went about, he struck up an intimacy with a land-trader and a seartrader. Said the former to him, " To-morrow there will come to town a horse-dealer with 500 horses to sell." On hearing this piece of news, he said to the mowers, " I want each of you to-day to give me a bundle of grass and not to sell your own grass till mine is sold." "Certainly,'' said they, and delivered the 500 bimdles of grass at his house. Unable to get grass for his horses elsewhere, the dealer purchased our friend's grass for a thousand pieces. Only a few days later his sea-trading friend brought him news of the arrival of a large ship in port ; and another plan struck him. He hired for eight pence a well appointed carriage which plied for hire by the hour, and went in great style down to the port. Having bought the ship on credit and deposited his signet-ring as security, he had a pavilion pitched hard by and said to his people as he took his seat inside, "When merchants are being shewn in, let them be passed on by three successive ushers into my presence." [122] Hearing that a ship had arrived in port, about a hundred merchants came down to buy the cargo only to be told that they ; could not have it as a great merchant had already made a payment on account. So away they all went to the young man and the footmen duly ; announced them by three successive ushers, as had been arranged beforehand. Each man of the hundred severally gave him a thousand pieces to buy a share in the ship and then a further thousand each to buy him out altogether. So it was with 200,000 pieces that this pupil of Treasurer Little returned to Benares. Actuated by a desire to shew his gratitude, he went with one hundred thousand pieces to call on Treasurer Little. " How did you come by all this wealth?" asked the Treasurer. " In four short months, simply by following your advice," replied the young man ; and he told him the whole story, starting with the dead mouse. Thought Lord High Treasurer Little, on hearing all this, " I must see that a young fellow of these parts does not fall into anybody else's hands." So he married him to his own grown-up daughter and settled all the family estates on the young man. And at the Treasurer's death, he became Treasurer in that city. And the Bodhisatta passed away to fare according to his deserts. [123] His lesson ended, the- Supreme Buddha, the All-Knowing One himself, repeated this stanza: With humblest start and trifling capital A shrewd and able man will rise to wealth. E'en as his breath can nurse a tiny flame. Also the Blessed One said, "It is through me, Brethren, that Little Wayman has just now risen to great things in the Faith, as in times past to great things in the way of wealth." His lesson thus finished, the Master made the connexion between the two stories he had told and identified the Birth in these concluding words, "Little Wayman was in those days the pupil of Treasurer Little, and I myself Lord High Treasurer Little."

TAljrpULANALI-JlTAKA. "Dost ask how much a peck of rice is worth?" This was told by the Master, whilst at Jetavana, about the Elder Udayi, called the Dullard. At that time the reverend Dabba, the MalUan, was manciple to the Brotherhood i. When in the early morning Dabba was allotting the checks for rice, sometimes it was choice rice and sometimes it was an inferior quality which fell to the share of the Elder Udayi. On days when he received the inferior quality, he used to make a commotion in the check-room, by demanding, "Is Dabba the only one who knows how to give out checks ? Don't we know 1" One day when he was making a commotion, they handed him the check-basket, saying, "Here! you give the checks out yourself to-day!" Thenceforth, it was Udayi who gave out the checks to the Brotherhood. But, in his distribution, he could not .tell the best from the inferior rice; nor did he know what seniority ^ was entitled to the best rice and what to the inferior. So too, when he was making out the roster, he had not an idea of the seniority of the Brethren thereon. Consequently, when the Brethren took up their places, he made a mark on the ground or on the wall to shew that one detachment stood here, and another there. Next day there were fewer Brethren of one grade and more of another in the check-room where ; there were fewer, the mark was too low down where the number was greater, it ; was too high up. But Udayi, quite ignorant of detachmefits, gave out the checks simply according to his old marks. Hence, the Brethren said to him, "Friend Udayi, the mark is too high up or too low down ; the best rice is for those of such and such seniority, and the inferior quality for such and such others." But he put them back with the argument, "If this mark is where it is, what are you standing here for? Why am I to trust you 1 It's my mark I trust." Then, the boys and novices [124] thrust him from the check-room, crying, "Friend Udayi the DuUard, when you give out the checks, the Brethren are docked of what they ought to get you're not fit to give them out; get you gone ; fi'om here." Hereupon, a great uproar arose in the check-room. Hearing the noise, the Master asked the Elder Ananda, saying, "Ananda, there is a great uproar in the check-room. What is the noise about 1" The Elder explained it all to the Buddha. "Ananda," said he, "this is not the only time when Udayi by his stupidity has robbed others of their profit ; he did just the same thing in bygone times too." The Elder asked the Blessed One for an explanation, and the Blessed One made clear what had been concealed by re-birth. Once on a time Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares in Kasi. In those days our Bodhisatta was his valuer. He used to value horses, elephants, and the like ; and jewels, gold, and the like ; and he used to pay over to the owners of the goods the proper price, as he fixed it. 1 See Vinaya, Vol. iii. p. 158. " Compare Vinaya, Vol. ii. p. 167, and commentary thereon (Sdmanta-pasadikS) for the right of seniors, according to the roster, to be served first. The manciple was to call out the roster. But the king was greedy and his greed suggested to him this thought "This valuer with his style of valuing will soon exhaust all the riches iu niy house; I must get another valuer." Opening his window and looking out into his courtyard, he espied walking across a stupid, greedy hind in whom he saw a likely candidate for the post. So the king had the man sent for, and asked him whether he could do the work. "Oh yes," said the man ; and so, to safeguard the royal treasure, this stupid fellow was appointed valuer. After this the fool, in valuing elephants and horses and the like, used to fix a price dictated by his own fancy, neglecting their true worth ; but, as he was valuer, the price was what he said and no other. At that time there arrived from the north country' a horse-dealer with 500 horses. The king sent for his new valuer and bade him value the horses. And the price he set on the whole 500 hoi-ses was just one measure of rice, which he ordered to be paid over to the dealer, directing the horses to be led off to the stable [125]. Away went the horse-dealer to the old valuer, to whom he told what had happened, and asked what was to be done. "Grive him a bribe," said the ex-valuer, "and put this point to him: 'Knowing as we do that our horses are worth just a single measure of rice, we are curious to learn from you what the precise value of a measure of rice is; couldyou state its value in the king's presence?' If he says he can, then take him before the king; and I too will be there." Readily following the Bodhisatta's advice, the horse-dealer bribed the man and put the question to him. The other, having expressed his ability to value a measure of rice, was promptly taken to the palace, whither also went the Bodhisatta and many other ministers. With due obeisance the horse-dealer said, "Sire, I do not dispute it that the price of 500 horses is a single measure of rice ; but I would ask your majesty to question your valuer as to the value of that measure of rice." Ignorant of what had passed, the king said to the fellow, "Valuer, what are 500 horses worth?" "A measure of rice, sire," was the reply. "Very good, my friend ; if 500 horses then are worth one measure of rice, what is that measure of rice worth?" "It is worth all Benares and its suburbs," was the fool's reply. (Thus we learn that, having first valued the horses at a measure of hill-paddy to please the king, he was bribed by the horse-dealer to estimate that measure of rice at the worth of all Benares and its suburbs. And that though the walls of Benares were twelve leagues round by themselves, while the city and suburbs together were three hundred leagues round In the Ceylon E. A. S. J. 1884, p. 127, it is argued from the indefinite use of ' uttara-patha for all countries north of Benares that the date of writing must be before the 3rd century B.C., when Buddhistic embassies were sent to Mysore and North Canara and when the Dakshinapatha was familiar. Yet the fool priced all this vast city and its suburbs at a single measure of rice !) [126j Hereupon the ministers clapped their hands and laughed merrily. "We used to think," they said in scorn, "that the earth and the realm were beyond price ; but now we learn that the kingdom of Benares together with its king is only worth a single measure of rice ! What talents the valuer has ! How has he retained his post so long ? But truly the valuer suits our king admirably." Then the Bodhisatta repeated this stanza': Dost ask how much a peck of rice is worth ? — Why, all Benares, both within and out. Yet, strange to tell, five hundred horses too Are worth precisely this same peck of rice! Thus put to open shame, the king sent the fool packing, and gave the Bodhisatta the office again. And when his life closed, the Bodhisatta passed away to fare according to his deserts. His lesson ended and the two stories told, the Master made the connexion linking both together, and identified the Birth by saying in conclusion, "Udayi — the Dullard was the stupid rustic valuer of those days, and I myself the wise valuer."