ddhas, id, "Worldthe golden ot let slip, e wisdom of -honoured! it not so ?" and said, possessed or impedies (of his he wisdom ectly able 1onoured! heavenly God; he oundaries all truth. 'Buddha. Buddha, on this, remained silent: and question had been thrice uttered, but and answered thus! "Never, Ananda, to compare the wisdom of Tathagata v lowers. For let me tell you, at this mo heavenly eyes, exceeding the power of hi the Bodhisatwas of all the Buddhaksh sands of the Ganges, belonging to the and trace the virtuous principles which a aim at the attainment of Supreme Wis Bodhisatwas who have received the pre fection, and those who are now advancin can see countless others who, having pu of pure conduct in the presence of all the nated from the Tusita Heavens in thei see others who are born (tan-yuh) from th I can see growing up as youths; others, walls, indulging themselves in sensual pl jecting the thought of becoming Chakra their homes as hermits, to practice the att I can see conquering the four sorts of Sat jected to; others, under the Bôdhi tree, ai Sambôdhi; others emancipated and fille see, seated in a becoming manner, conside ways (of proceeding)3; others, I can see law4; others, I can see, for the sake of all life, and preparing to enter the perfect con I can see others who, after they have ente true law to abide, and the law of Ima 1 I. e., the innumerable worlds of space 2 The joyous heavens in which all about to become Buddhas) are born, pr tion. 3 I. e., whether to preach the law or ref 4 This expression will be considered un 5 For a full explanation of these period [The second kiouen contains 6481 words, and cost 3.24 taels.] CHAPTER III. Exciting to religious sentiment. r this time, Ananda arose from his seat, and, baring his right oulder, &c., addressed Buddha thus:-"World-honoured! Tathâta in ages past, by religious service to the various Buddhas, ught to attain perfection; by whose aid and instrumentality was that Buddha, sowing the seeds of virtue for the sake of future es, thus aimed at Bôdhi?" Buddha replied, "Ananda! listen and examine my words! For ur sake, I will recount the names of those Buddhas, and the aces where those seeds of virtue were sown. Ananda! I rememr in ages gone by, there was a Buddha born in the world, called pañkara Tathâgata, &c., and by his side I laid the foundation of a rtuous life for the future perfection of Buddha. Again, there was a Buddha who appeared in the world, called uttara; after him, Padmottara; after him, Atyushagami [and on for five generations]; after him, Vipasyi; after him, Sikhi d Vishaman; after these, Kakutsanda and Kanakamuni, and syapa. Moreover, I have practiced every virtuous principle by e side of Maitreya Bôdhisatwa, for the benefit of future ages. nd so the Gâtha says, This eminently virtuous Buddha, Removing lust, arriving at Rest; Has sedulously prepared himself for coming."" At this time, Ananda asked Buddha this question—“In all these ses what means did Tathagata employ for the purposes aforesaid ?" 1 this, Buddha addressed Ananda, and said, "Ananda! I rememr when Dipañkara Buddha was born into the world, that countless took my poor garment from the place whe away, and flung it on one side; whilst 1 for me! Will not the world-honoured Dip think of me in my distress ?' No sooner Buddha, knowing my heart, took pity on Divine power, he caused a portion of the were covered with mud,1 on which thos looked at one another, but not one of t place to help Dipañkara across. Then spread out my skin garment on the mud hair, covered the garment with my hai cross over in perfect comfort, as on a bri that I might in future ages become a Bu possessed of the same miraculous power, gods and men; and then I vowed that i me a prediction of becoming Buddha, I w mud. Then the earth quaked six times, that I should be born as Sâkya Muni2. "Ananda! observe well my words, they for as Dipankara Buddha gave me this d structed me, so, relying on the merit of this dignity I have now arrived at the Samyak Sambodhi." At this time the world-honoured one said, and properties of this world-honoured Tathagata.' Then tha Buddha knowing the thoughts of my heart immediately smile gently,1 on which his disciples respectfully inquired the reason of his doing so, whereupon that Buddha addressed them thus 'Bhikshus! do you see this man scattering upon me (or before me) these golden flowers? To which they replied in the affirmative, on which he continued, this man, after a Kalpa has gone by, shall become a Buddha, and his name shall be Sâkya-muni Tathâgata. On that occasion, Ananda, although I received this positive assurance, I ceased not in my earnest endeavours to obtain the requisite merit for arriving thus at perfection, and so I was born in countless worlds in the Brahma heavens, and as a Chakravarttin monarch, and on one occasion I was born as a king called Sadarsana. The very streets, and gates, and towers of my capital city were all ornamented with the purest gold, and so the gardens, fountains, tanks, etc., were all ornamented, and this in consequence of my merit in giving the golden flowers, and shortly afterwards I attained the perfection of a Buddha, and turned the pure and incomparable wheel of the law. 66 Ananda, I remember in ages gone by, there was a Tathagata called Padmottara, and in whose honour I scattered silver flowers and made a similar vow, and from whom I received a similar prediction, in consequence of which, among other births I was born as a king called Mahâsadarsana, in a city called Kusina, all of silver (as before). Ananda! from the remotest period till now it has always been the case, that at the time of the birth of Bôdhisatwa, he should without assistance walk seven paces to the East, the West, the North, and South. Ananda! at the time of the birth of Pad 1 This notice of the smile of Buddha, illustrates the reference to the same token in many medieval legends, such as, e. g., that of Edward the Confessor when he saw the Seven Sleepers of Ephesus; also when he smiled during the celebration of the Holy Sacrament, seeing the King of Denmark drowning as he fell from his boat, etc. (Vide Carter's "Specimens of Ancient Sculpture," p. 17.) KS ata.' Then that mediately smiled uired the reason ssed them thus: on me (or before ied in the affir alpa has gone by, âkya-muni Tatceived this posivours to obtain n, and so I was and as a Chakporn as a king d towers of my old, and so the , and this in s, and shortly d turned the one time cried out with a loud voice in ev huatwa's name shall be Padmottara,' an so named by men. "Ananda! I remember in years gone born called Atyushagami, etc., in whose ful of golden millet, and in consequenc a thousand Kalpas I should become a B (as before). Ananda! Atyushagami Ta to go to a town or village to beg his footsteps six cubits from the ground, a the supernatural beings, before named Atyushagami (going very high),' etc. years gone by there was another Buddha house as a charitable offering, and invit shus to come to it. In consequence of th that I should be born after five hundre (as before); in one of my subsequent Chakravarti Râja called Sudarsana, on w Visvakarman to build me a house,1 afte fection (as before). “Ananda! I remember in years gone by called Sâkya Muni, etc., his name the san and mother in name and life the sam this Tathagata a Kusumana flower (Th he offered a handful of gold,') on which that after one hundred Kalpas, etc. An ing the Bôdhi pakckika Dharma,2 I obtain remember in years gone by there was a B Tathagata, etc., before whom I scattered |