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of Tawatee and six in the monastery of Dzetawon. This book, called History of Budhas, and other writings do not agree as to the places where he spent the 25 remaining seasons. The amount of seasons spent by our Phra since he obtained the Budhaship is forty five.

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During all the time, he was travelling about the country, preaching the law to those that were worthy to obtain deliverance. He had reached his 80th year, when he summoned to his presence Ananda who had been constituted his chief agent in all that related to his own person, and through whom all messages were conveyed to the Rahans and said to him,—Ananda, invite all the Rahans to come and meet me, I have special instructions to deliver unto them. According to the order he had received, Ananda assembled all the Rahans and led them to the place that had designed for that purpose. Phra spoke to them as follows: Beloved Bickus as long as you will remain united and continue to hold regular meetings, you will certainly prosper and flourish : as long as you will agree together, and come unitedly to a decision on all principal affairs, so that you will impose no obligation where there is no precept, and that you will fervently observe all the commands, strictly adhering to all the rules of your profession, you will ever be in a prosperous condition. It is required that you should be respectful towards your superiors, yielding due obedience to their injunctions. Beware of passions and particularly of concupiscence, lest you should ever be brought under their tyrannical yoke. Love retreat and solitude, endeavour to observe your regulations, as well as all the ordinances and ceremonies of the law. As long as you observe these important points and adhere to them, you will prosper and be ever respected by all, you will carefully avoid all that which is base and unbecoming your sacred calling.

When the instruction was over, Budha called Ananda and bade him to inform the Rahans to hold themselves ready for going to Ampaladaka.

Whilst staying in a Zeat or Bungalow, Thariputra approached Budha and having paid him his respects, said to him: O most illustrious Budha, there is no one that surpasses or even that is equal

to you in the knowledge of the law. There has never been, nor will ever be, a being that can be compared to you. This is what elicits my admiration towards and love for your person. Budha replied: you are not mistaken, Thariputra-blessed are they who like you know to value the science of a Budha. Desiring to try the wisdom of his great disciple, he added: beloved son, how do you know that no one can be compared to me, and that my knowledge of the law is unrivalled? Thariputra answered: I have not the knowledge of the present, past and future, but I understand the law through you, O most illustrious Budha, I have come to that understanding; you have said that you have infinite wisdom, hence I conclude that you know the present, past and future— you are to be ever praised, you are most excellent, ever glorious and free from all passions, and therefore to you I attribute all the qualities attending him who is invested with the Budhaship.

Phra summoned again Ananda to his presence and directed him to tell the Rahans to be ready for a voyage, as he desired to go to the village of Patalee. When he arrived at that place, the people prepared for him the Zeat85, that he might remain there with comfort and preach the law. Everything being ready, they invited Phra, who by his silence testified the acceptance of their invitation. Water to drink, to wash the mouth, hands and feet was ready. Budha sat leaning against the central post of the Zeat facing the East. His disciples remained behind in a humble posture, whereas the people sat opposite to him, having their faces turned towards the West. Phra began to explain to the numerous hearers the demerits and punishments attending the trespassing of the precepts of the law, and the advantages reserved to those who religiously observe them. Darakas, said he, whoever trespasses the moral precepts or is remiss in observing them will see his happiness and fortune gradually decreasing, and his good character falling away. He will ever live in a sad state of doubt and uncertainty and at last, when death shall have put an end to his existence, he will fall into hell. But the lot of the faithful observer of the great precepts shall be widely different. He will obtain

riches and pleasures and gain an honorable reputation. He will be welcome in the assemblies of Princes, Pounhas and Rahans, doubts shall never enter his mind, and his death will open before the way to the pleasant seats of Nats. The people were so much taken up with the preaching, that they remained in the Zeat until a very late hour. At last they paid their homage to Budha, rose up, turned on the right and departed.

On the morning Budha went on the bank of the Ganges, preached the law to certain Pounhas who in return made him offerings, and paid him much respect. He stood on that place as if waiting for some boat to cross the mighty stream. Some of the people were looking out for boats, others were busily engaged in preparing rafts. Whilst they were making all the necessary arrangements, Budha stretched both arms and found himself with all his Rahans on the opposite bank. Turning his face in the direction of those who were in search for boats and rafts, he said: he is an Ariah, he who has crossed the sea of passions. The practice of the great duties are the boats and rafts whereupon they contrive to cross the sea of passions. He who desires to pass a river wants the aid of rafts and boats which are made up of different pieces of wood joined together, but he who has become an Ariah, by the knowledge of the great roads that lead to perfection, weakens all passions and extricates himself from the whirlpool of concupiscence: he can also without the help of boats or rafts cross rivers.

Phra informed Ananda that he intended to go to the village of Kantikama. Having reached that place, he explained to the Rahans the glorious and sublime prerogatives of Ariahs. Thence he passed over to the village of Nadika. It was in that place that Ananda asked him what had become of a certain Rahan named Thamula and of a certain Rahaness named Anaunda, who had both just died. The Rahan, answered Budha, has conquered all his passions and has obtained the state of Niban. As to the Rahaness she has gone to one of the seat of Brahmas: thence she wilk migrate to Niban, without re-appearing in the world of passions. Budha went to the country of Wethalee. There lived a famous

courtezan named Apapalika. She had her dwelling in a beautiful place near to an extensive and splendid grove planted with mango trees. She went along with others to hear the preaching of Gaudama, which had the good effect to dispose her to make a great offering to the great preacher and his followers. Budha was submissively requested to come, on the following day, with all the Rahans, to receive his food. The invitation was graciously accepted. The courtezan hastened to prepare the meal for Budha and his followers. On the same day he preached the law to a number of young princes, who had offered to supply him with his meal on the following day. He refused to accept the invitation, because he had already promised to Apapalika to go to her place for the same purpose. The princes were greatly disappointed at the preference given to the courtezan. On the following day Gaudama went to the mango grove attended by all his Rahans. After the meal Apapalika presented the grove to Gaudama who readily accepted the pious gift.

Having remained awhile on this spot Budha went to the village of Weluwoot. There he assembled the Rahans and said to them: I intend to spend a season in this place, but you have my permission to go and remain in the neighbouring districts. The reason that induced him to part for a while with his disciples was the smallness of the place and the difficulty of procuring rice: whilst in the contiguous districts there were many monasteries and an abundance of all the necessaries of life. He would not, however, allow them to withdraw to too great a distance, for two reasons, the first, because he knew that in ten months hence he would attain the state of Niban, and the second, because he desired to see them assembled in his place several times every month, that he might have an opportunity to preach the law to them and deliver his final instructions.

Whilst he was living in that place, Budha was visited with a most painful distemper which threw him into a state of prolonged agony. But owing to the absence of his disciples, and knowing besides that this was not the spot he was to select for his last moments, he overcame with his incomparable power the evil influence of the illness, and entering soon into a state of absolute

trance, he remained therein for a while. Awakening from that position, he appeared anew with his strength and usual vigor. When he came out from the monastery to take his wonted walk, Ananda came to his presence, and expressed to him the profound grief felt by all those who had heard of his illness. When I saw you ill, O illustrious Budha, said the faithful Ananda, I was so deeply affected that I could scarcely hold up my head or draw my breath. I always cherished the hope that you would not go to Niban, ere you had preached once more the law to us all. Ananda, replied Budha, why are the Rahans so much concerned about my person? what I have preached has no reference to what is in me, or without me. Besides me, there is no one else to preach the law. Were they not looking upon me as such, it would be perfectly useless to attempt to preach to them. I am now very old, my years number eighty,—I am like an old cart, the irons, wheels and wood of which are kept together by constant repairing, my earthly frame is kept entire and whole by the force and power of the trance. O Ananda, I feel truly happy whenever I consider the state of Arahat, which is the deliverance from all the miseries of this world and sets a being free and disentangled from all visible and material objects. As to my disciples, as long as my religion shall last, they ought to rely on themselves, and take refuge in the law, for there is no other refuge. They will truly rely on themselves, when by a careful attention, a profound reflexion and wisdom they be bent upon destruction of concupiscence and anger, and meditating upon the constituent elements of this body. Such were the instructions he gave to Ananda.

Having spent a season in the village of Welouwa, the most excellent Budha desired to return by the same way he had previously followed to the country of Thawati. Having arrived there he took up his residence in the monastery of Dzetowan 86. The great disciple Thariputra having just returned from begging his rice hastened to render to Budha the usual services. He swept the place, spread the mat and washed his feet. These duties being performed, he sat in a cross-legged position, entered into a trance for a while, whence having awakened he thought within himself as follows; has it been the custom in former ages that the Budhas should first arrive to the state of Niban, or their great

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