women, have not yet acquired sufficient knowledge, prudence and penetration, courage and resolution. They have not been as yet properly instructed in the most essential and highest articles of the law; they are unable to teach others: my religion is not yet resting on a strong foundation. The time therefore is not yet come for me to enter into the state of Niban. Now in this very

Dzedi of Hapala, he has come anew and told me the same thing. Do not trouble yourself, miserable wretch, have I said to him, three months hence I will obtain the state of Niban. On this occasion I have fallen into a state of ecstacy.

Ananda said to Phra: illustrious Budha, please to remain during a whole Kalpa in this world, for the benefit of men, Nats and Brahmas. Ananda, replied Phra, your present request is too late and cannot be granted. Three times the faithful disciple begged his great teacher this favor and three times he received the same refusal. Do you believe, O Ananda, that I know the four ways that lead to science and wisdom, or that I am perfect in the four laws of Edcipat. I do believe it, answered Ananda. Do you recollect, O Ananda, that on a certain occasion I said to you three times, that he who was perfect in the laws of Edeipat, could remain, if he choose, during an entire Kalpa in this world. I added that I was thoroughly acquainted with these four laws: but you remained silent, and made no demand to me to remain longer in this world. The time for making this request is now irrevocably past. The term of my life is for ever fixedly determined. Now Ananda

let us go to Mahawon Kootagara. Having reached the place he desired his faithful attendant to go to Wetbalee and assemble all the Rabans in the Dzeat. When they had all assembled in that place, Ananda informed Budha that his order had been duly executed. Phra went to the Dzeat, and sat in the place prepared for him; he then, addressing the assembly said: my beloved children, the law which my supreme wisdom had discovered, I have announced to you for your benefit and advantage. You have attentively and perseveringly listened to it, firmly adhered to its tenets and zealously propagated them. Now my religion shall last for a long period, and will prove the source of great blessings to all Nats. But to the end that my religion may last long, shine

forth with splendor and be productive of incalculable benefits, it is necessary that great attention should be paid to the thirty seven laws from which all good works proceed. These laws you have been acquainted with by my preachings: it is to you to announce them to all beings. Meditate with unremitting attention on the. principles of changes and mutability. As to me, ere long I will go to Niban; three months more and this last drama shall be over.

In the morning Budha putting on his dress went out to beg his food, carrying the Patta on his left arm. When he had eaten his meal, he looked with the steadiness of an clephant, over the whole country. The reason why he cast a look like an elephant over Wethalee is, as he explained to Ananda, the following. The bones of all Budhas are kept together, like the links of a chain : hence when they wish to consider some object lying behind, they cannot turn their heads backwards, but the whole body, like that of the elephant, must follow the same motion. On this and other occasions of this kind, our Budha had not to make any effort, but the earth turning round like the wheel of the potter, brought the object to be looked at before him. The country Wethalee within three years was to be destroyed, but the inhabitants having built a fine Dzeat and made before it offerings of flowers and perfumes, the country was to be saved from the approaching calamity. This is the motive that induced Budha to cast a look over it.

Budha went to a place called Pantoogama, thence to Banganagara, where he preached the four laws of Padela. Summoning Ananda to his presence he desired him to inform the Rahans to hold themselves ready to go to the Pawa country. Having reached that country, he went with all his Rahans to live in a monastery built in a grove of mango trees erected by Tsanda the son of wealthy goldmith. Tsanda had previously seen Budha and obtained the state of Tautapan. His gratitude induced him to build a monastery, which together with the grove he had given over to Budha.

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Informed that Phra had come to the monastery, Tsanda repaired hastily thither, prostrated before him and having taken a seat at a becoming distance, he requested Budha to accept the meal he would prepare for him and all the Rahans. Budha by his silence

acquiesced in the request and Tsanda rose up, bowed down and turning on the right, left the monastery. During the whole night all sorts of the choicest dishes were prepared. He had a young pig, neither fat nor lean, killed, and the flesh dressed with rice in the most excellent manner. The Nats infused into it the most delicious flavor. At daybreak every thing being ready, Tsanda went to the monastery and invited Budha and all the Rahans to come and partake of the meal that was ready for them. Budha rose up and carrying his Patta, went to Tsanda's house where he sat in the place prepared for his reception. He took for himself the pork and rice, but his attendants feasted upon the other dishes. When he had eaten, he desired Tsanda to bury in the earth the remains of the pork and rice, because no one but himself in the Nats or Brahmas seats could digest such food. A little while after, Budha was seized with a violent attack of dysentery: the pain whereof he bore with the greatest patience and composure. He suffered so much, not because of the food he had taken, as he would otherwise have been exposed to the same distemper. The pain was rather alleviated by the eating of the pork and rice, as the Nats had infused therein the choicest flavor.

Budha desired Ananda to be ready to go to the place of Kootheinnaron. While on the way, he felt very weak and retired under the shade of a tree, commanding Ananda to fold his Dugout to sit upon. When he had rested a little, he called Ananda and said to him. Ananda I am very thirsty, bring me some water. Ananda replied: The Prince Malla named Pookkatha has just passed through the river with five hundred carts and the water is quite muddy. But notwithstanding this objection Budha repeated three times the injunction. Ananda at last took up Phra's Patta and went to the stream to fetch water. How great was his surprise, when he found the water clear and limpid. He said to himself, great indeed is the power of Budha who has worked such a wonderful change in this stream. He filled the Patta with water and brought it to his great teacher, who drank of it.

Prince Pookkatha had been a disciple of the Rathee Alara. He came to Budha and said to him whilst under the shade of the tree great indeed is the peace and calm composure of mind of the

Rahans. On some former occasion, added he, the Rathee Alara was travelling and went to rest under the shade of a tree, at a small distance by the way side. A merchant with five hundred carts happened to pass by. A man that followed at a distance came to the place where Alara was resting, and inquired from him if he had seen the five hundred carts. Alara replied that he was not aware that any cart had come in sight. The man at first suspected that Alara was unsound in his mind, but he was soon convinced that what he was at first inclined to attribute to mental derangement, was caused by the sublime abstraction of the Rathee from all that was taking place. Budha having heard this story rejoined: what is more wonderful, to see a man in his senses and awake not to notice the passing of five hundred carts or even one thousand, or another man equally awake and in the enjoyment of his mental faculties not hearing the violence of a storm, a heavy fall of rain accompanied with loud peals of thunder and uninterrupted flashes of lightning? In former times, I, Budha was sitting under a small shed, a most violent storm came on, peals of thunder resounded more awfully than the roaring of the sea, and lightning seemed to rend the atmosphere in every direction. At that time two brothers were ploughing a field with four bullocks. They were all killed, men and bullocks, by lightning. A man came to me whilst I was walking in front of the shed, and told me that he came to see the accident that had just happened, and asked me some particulars concerning it. I answered him that I was not aware that any storm had raged near this place, nor any accident attended it. The stranger inquired from me whether I was asleep, or if not whether I was in possession of my senses. I answered him that I was not asleep, and that I was in the perfect enjoyment of my mental and physical faculties. My answer made a powerful impression upon him: he thought within himself that great and wonderful is the power of Thamabat, which procures to the Rahans such an undisturbable calm of mind, which cannot be overturned by the mightest convulsions of nature. Now, Prince Pookkatha, in whom do you think that the greatest calm of mind has prevailed? Most excellent Phra, replied the prince, the great

respect I bore formerly unto the Rathee Alara has disappeared like the chaff before the wind, and like the water of a rapid stream. am now like a man to whom the true road has been pointed out, who has discovered hidden things, who has a shining light before him. You have announced to me the true law which has dispelled the cloud of ignorance, and brought happiness and calm to my hitherto disturbed soul. From this moment I believe in Budha, the law and the assembly, and to the end of my life I will ever remain a believer. The prince called a young man and directed him to go and bring two beautiful and rich pieces of cloth having the color of pure gold thread. When they had been brought over, the prince holding them into his hands said: O most glorious Budha, these pieces of cloth I have occasionally worn, they are in color like gold, and the tissue is of the finest description, please to accept them as an offering I make to you. Phra desired him to present one of these pieces to himself and the other to Ananda, that his merits might be greater, since the offering would be made to Budha and to the assembly in the person of Ananda. This attention in favor of Ananda was also intended to reward Ananda for his unremitting exertions during twenty five years he had served Budha with the utmost respect, care and affection, without having received any return for his services. Budha preached afterwards the law to the prince. When the instruction was over, Pookkatha rose up, prostrated before Budha, turned on the right and departed.

Ananda after the prince's departure brought the two dresses to the great Phra, who put on one whilst the other was girded round his waist. His body appeared shining like a flame. Ananda was exceedingly surprised. Nothing of this kind had as yet happened. Your exterior appearance, said he to Budha, is at once white and beautiful above all expression. What you say, O Ananda, is perfectly true. There are two occasions when my body becomes extraordinarily beautiful and shining: the first, on the night I obtained the supreme intelligence; and the second I am a enter into the state of Niban. Doubtless, O Ananda, on the morning after this very night in a corner of Kootheinnaron country,