tered the wood, there has been a supernatural light shed ar us;" and so the Gâtha says "This is either one of the Pasuva Devas, Or one of the Devas dwelling in the storied-heavens, Bright as the sun first rising on the world." Then all those Brahmans, practising their religious austeries wi that wood, took of all that they had, and respectfully approac Bodhisatwa offered their gifts to him with great reverence, an they bowed themselves before him they said, "Welcome, O 1 one. We all respectfully request your Holiness to take up abode with us in this wood. Whatever fruits, or medicinal pla or roots, or flowing streams are here—these all are at your serv Here it was all the old Rishis dwelt who sought after final deli ance. Here it is easy to obtain peace and rest, etc." Then another Brahman of the company, having observed grace and force of Bôdhisatwa's manner, addressed one stand by and said, "Venerable one! it seems to me that this is no ot than a child of Heavenly birth, thoroughly acquainted with human heart, who now by means of this expedient desires to acc plish some illustrious purpose. For why? we find that in the wo men speak thus-'I must nourish and bring up my sons in or that when they grow up they may help to establish and benefit 1 family name, in buying and selling and getting profit for me, that when I am old I may be able to devote myself to religio inquiries and practices.' It is thus men generally think and spea they have a reference in all they do to their own advantage. B with this one it is not so, he seeks the good of others and not h own, he provides nothing for himself." To him another Brahman answered-"It is even as you sa reverend Sir! in the world men do nothing but think of themselve 1 Or, perhaps, Pasuva. Vide Colebrooke, p. 262. Suva Devas, g in the storied-heavens, g on the world.” g their religious austeries within ompany, having observed the "It is even as you say, ng but think of themselves, olebrooke, p. 262. was conceived in the womb, to be pass that in the grove where these F selves two golden-coloured trees, wi strength down to the night when B recluse. On that night they sudder one of the Rishis, observing this and began to think within himself, was a bad omen, and portended s this time Bodhisatwa, observing manner, approaching by degrees "Venerable Sir! why is your brow down in grave reflection as you sit hisatwa and said, "Illustrious cl I dwell, in former days there sp which grew, and increased as the now suddenly they have disappea therefore my heart is sad, and m thought." Then Bodhisatwa ing what time did those trees first app now just twenty-nine years ago. "And when did they disappear?" began to decay and to die." Th said, "Those two trees were first ligious merit, and when I attain t and begin to preach, then in this (garden) for my own use, where I because I left my home last night decayed and died; let not your hea Thus it was Bodhisatwa dwelt their religious practices day by c Now there was one Rishi partic to whose abode Bôdhisatwa pro▪ observing the way in which the satwa entered into the following just entered on a course of religi desire to ask some questions, if ■ edible herbs (tsae), or sprouting shoots of plants (t'he), or tender stems of the Nyagrodha tree, or of the Dukûla (?) tre of the Kanikala tree; whilst others eat nothing but the sten one particular tree (ekadruma), others eat the excrements of ox, others nothing but the roots of certain plants, or the ma fibres of different shrubs; again there are others who take water enough to preserve life, etc.; some clothe themselves hempen vesture; others with the fleece of the black sheep; ot with grassy robes; others with the cotton of the wild caterpill others with the dragon-beard plant; others with deer skins; ot with the rags off corpses, or with filthy rags; some again slee boards, some on chips, some on tree-trunks, some on pestle-1 mers; some again dwell in cemeteries; others in holes; ot under the open heavens; others stand in water; others use to their inconvenience; others turn always to the sun; ot raise both arms above their heads and keep them so; others si one fixed posture on the earth; others cleanse not their bo from filth; others have their hair spirally-twisted; others pull the hair of their heads; others pull out the hair on their faces; t it is these different Rishis practice self-mortification, whilst in t they give themselves to profound meditation and ardent pray and vows to be born in Heaven, or to be born again amongst m etc." Then Bodhisatwa addressed the Rishis once more and said, perceive that your system, although it promises the reward Heaven to certain persons, yet provides no means of final deliv ance; and so the Gâtha says— "You give up all, friends, relatives, and worldly delights, And suffer pain that you may be born in Heaven, Not considering that after being thus born on High, In future years you may return and be born even in Hell.'" And then he continued, "If a man, because of the sorrows of l desiring earnestly to find some higher destiny, seek after a bi in heaven to enjoy there the happiness he covets, he forgets that selves by eating nothing shoots of plants (t'he), or the ree, or of the Dukûla (?) tree, or rs eat nothing but the stems of thers eat the excrements of the of certain plants, or the mashed there are others who take just C.; some clothe themselves with leece of the black sheep; others e cotton of the wild caterpillars; others ; others with deer skins; Filthy rags; some again sleep on ee-trunks, some on pestle-hamteries; others in holes; others stand in water; others use fire arn always to the sun; others and keep them so; others sit in thers cleanse not their bodies pirally-twisted; others pull out out the hair on their faces; thus elf-mortification, whilst in turn meditation and ardent prayers to be born again amongst men, Rishis once more and said, "I gh it promises the reward of des no means of final deliver s, and worldly delights, nd be born even in Hell."" ecause of the sorrows of life, r destiny, seek after a birth he covets, he forgets that in being overcome with fear, the because of this very desire they inconstant state of life they ha ever-recurring evil of future bir they consider nought about th condition involves the necessity They strive by penance to fit the to get rid altogether of the bod can never change. And so the "Because of the ever-changing First bring the mind to be q The body is like a stone or tı decay and perish.' Again Bodhisatwa continuedabout abstention from sufficie true, then surely the wild beast roots, ought to be most merito suffers poverty and hardships ou piness as a consequence of his are not so." Then the Rishi answered B oh, venerable and learned Sir! ligious discipline ?" Bodhisatwa answered, "You kind of mortification, and here very condition that you now ho They added again-" But ou those we have named." "And what good will these d you are not satisfied about fina (absence of fear) can such a sys They replied, "Oh, venerabl For this very pain we suffer gi that you have escaped the necessity of returning to the same dition you are now in? what assurance have you that you have ever got rid of sorrow ?" They replied, "Venerable Sir! Not so! it does not follow t we shall hereafter return to sorrow! for the express purpose of present discipline is, that we may secure happiness and joy a certainty." Bodhisatwa replied, "But there is no wisdom in this, for wo a wise man seek for something apparently profitable if he kn that it involved as a consequence future loss, would this be t work of wisdom ?" Then one of the Brahmans of the company exclaimed, in a lo voice, "Wonderful! wonderful! This Râjaputra tells the trut this is true wisdom! for would a man eat something sweet a agreeable if he knew there was poison concealed in it? And with us. Although these rules of ours may secure for us son immediate reward, yet they do not destroy the necessity for bir and death, disease, and old age. How can we help, then, retur ing to a condition of sorrow hereafter ? " Then Brôdhisatwa resumed: "Unhappy world! hating th demon Death, and yet seeking hereafter to be born in heaven What ignorance! what delusion is this!" The Rishis replied: "Illustrious Râjaputra! you have but partial knowledge of our system. In days gone by, countless hol men practised this method of self-discipline in this very place Countless Rishis of regal birth, myriads of such persons, by under going these mortifications, sought to attain to future bliss!" Bodhisatwa said: "A thousand myriad years (perhaps you would say)! Oh, wonderful delusion! Alas! alas! what deceptive speech! for where is the promise of escape in the end? the future joy involves the necessity of birth and death, and therefore of future misery!" The Rishis continued—“Venerable Râjaputra! the monarch of this region, who rules over the city of Mithila, desiring to make an |