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visible to these eyes of mine." Then, beholding the Buddha's form, which was created by him, adorned with the thirty-two marks of a Great Man, resplendent with the eighty minor characteristics, born of the power of merit pervading his entire body, like a water surface adorned with blooming lotuses, water lilies, and white lotuses, like the sky shining brightly with the pure radiance of a network of stars, resplendent with the beauty of a fathom-wide aura interwoven with various colored rays of blue, yellow, red, and so forth, like the peak of a golden mountain encircled by the charming glow of a rainbow and flashes of lightning, with a beautiful head adorned with various pure, radiant banner-like streamers, a delight to the eyes of Brahmās, devas, humans, nāgas, and yakkhas, he performed eye-worship for seven days. It is said that the king, after attaining consecration, adhered to external sects for only three years. In the fourth year, he became devoted to the Buddha's Dispensation. It is said that his father, Bindusāra, was a supporter of Brahmins. He established a daily meal for sixty thousand Brahmins and Brahmin-caste ascetics, such as white-robed wanderers. Asoka, too, continued the alms established by his father in his own palace. One day, standing in a lion's cage, he saw them eating with an unpeaceful, unrestrained manner, seeing those with uncontrolled faculties in their deportment, he thought: "Such a gift, having examined it, should be given in a suitable place." Thinking thus, he said to his ministers: "Go, sirs, bring your own well-esteemed ascetics and brahmins to the inner palace; we shall give a gift." The ministers, saying "Yes, Your Majesty," agreed with the king, and bringing those white-robed wanderers, Ājīvakas, Nigaṇṭhas, and others, they said: "These, Great King, are our Arahants." Then the king, having arranged high and low seats in the inner palace, and saying "Let them come," said to those who had come: "Sit on seats appropriate to each of you." Some of them sat on fine stools, some on wooden planks. Seeing them, the king, knowing "There is no inner essence in them," gave them food and drink suitable for them, and dismissed them. As time passed thus, one day the king, standing in the lion window, saw the novice Nigrodha walking through the royal courtyard, restrained, guarded, with tranquil faculties, perfect in deportment. Who, then, was this Nigrodha? The son of Prince Sumana, the eldest son of King Bindusāra. Here is the sequential story: When King Bindusāra was in a weak state, Prince Asoka, having abandoned the Ujjenī kingdom he had obtained, came and took control of the entire city, and seized Prince Sumana. On that very day, Sumana's queen, named Sumanā, was full-term pregnant. She, disguised, went out, and going towards a certain Caṇḍāla village not far away, she heard a voice from a deity dwelling in a certain Nigrodha tree not far from the chief Caṇḍāla's house, saying "Come here, Sumanā." She went near her. The deity, by her power, created a hall and gave it, saying "Dwell here." She entered that hall. And on that very day she gave birth to a son. Because she was taken care of by the Nigrodha deity, she named him "Nigrodha." i. From the day the chief outcaste saw her, he established a constant practice, considering her as his own lord’s daughter. The king’s daughter lived there for seven years. Prince Nigrodha also became seven years old. At that time, a certain Arahant named Elder Mahāvaruṇa, seeing the auspicious conditions of the boy, and protecting him, dwelling there, thought, “Now the boy is seven years old, it is time to ordain him.” He informed the king’s daughter, and ordained Prince Nigrodha. The prince attained Arahantship at the very moment of shaving. One day, early in the morning, he attended to his body, performed duties to his preceptor and teacher, took his bowl and robe, and set out, thinking, “I will go to the house-door of the mother-devotee.” His mother’s dwelling place was to be reached by entering the city through the south gate, going through the middle of the city, and exiting through the east gate. At that time, King Asoka, the Righteous Monarch, was pacing in a lion-cage, facing the eastern direction. At that very moment, Nigrodha arrived at the royal courtyard, with calm faculties, with a calm mind, looking a yoke’s length ahead. Thus it was said: “One day, the king, standing in a lion-cage, saw the novice Nigrodha passing through the royal courtyard, disciplined, guarded, with calm faculties, perfect in deportment.” Seeing him, this thought occurred to him: “All these people are distracted in mind, like bewildered deer. But this boy is not distracted in mind, and his looking and glancing, his bending and stretching, are exceedingly graceful. Surely, within him there must be a supramundane Dhamma.” Immediately upon seeing the novice, the king’s mind became clear, and affection was established. Why? Because in a previous life, when performing meritorious deeds, he was the king’s elder brother, a merchant. It has also been said: “By previous association, or by present benefit; Thus does that affection arise, like a lotus in water.” (Jā. 1.2.174) Then the king, with arisen affection and great respect, sent his ministers, saying, “Summon this novice.” “They are taking too long,” Again he sent two or three (men) – "Come quickly!" The novice went at his own usual pace. The king, seeing a suitable seat, said, "Please sit." He looked here and there, and thinking, "There are no other monks now," approached the royal couch with the raised white parasol, and made a gesture to the king for the bowl to be taken. The king, seeing him approaching the couch, thought, "Today this novice will become the master of this house!" The novice gave the bowl into the king's hand, ascended the couch, and sat down. The king offered all the gruel, snacks, and various foods prepared for himself. The novice accepted only what was sufficient for his sustenance. At the end of the meal, the king asked, "Do you know the advice given to you by the Teacher?" "I know, great king, in part." "My dear, tell it to me too." "Very well, great king," and he recited the Appamāda Vagga from the Dhammapada, suitable for the king, as an anumodanā (blessing/exhortation). The king, however, upon hearing, "Diligence is the path to the Deathless, negligence is the path to death," said, "It is understood, my dear, you may conclude." And at the end of the anumodanā, he said, "My dear, I give you eight permanent meals." The novice said, "These I give to my preceptor, great king." "Who is this, my dear, called a preceptor?" "One who, seeing what is right and wrong, admonishes and reminds, great king." "I will give you another eight, my dear." "These I give to my teacher, great king." "Who is this, my dear, called a teacher?" "One who establishes (me) in the teachings to be learned in this Dispensation, great king." "Good, my dear, I will give you another eight." "These too I give to the community of monks, great king." "Who is this, my dear, called the community of monks?" "It is that, great king, by relying on which our teachers and preceptors, and I, have our going forth and our full ordination." The king, with a mind even more pleased, said, "Another..." I will give you eight, my dear.” The novice, saying “Good,” accepted, and on the next day, taking thirty-two monks, entered the royal palace and performed the meal. The king, saying, “Let another thirty-two monks take alms with you tomorrow,” by this means, increasing them day by day, cut off the food of sixty thousand Brahmins, wanderers, and others, and established a permanent meal for sixty thousand monks within the inner palace, with the same devotion as he had for Thera Nigrodha. Thera Nigrodha also established the king and his retinue in the three refuges and the five precepts, and established them in unshakeable faith in the Buddha’s Dispensation, with the faith of ordinary people. Again, the king built a great monastery called Asokārāma, and established a permanent meal for sixty thousand monks. Throughout the entire Jambudīpa, in eighty-four thousand cities, he had eighty-four thousand monasteries built, adorned with eighty-four thousand stupas, by righteousness, not by unrighteousness. One day, it is said, King Asoka, having given a great donation at Asokārāma, sat in the midst of the sixty thousand strong assembly of monks, and having invited the Saṅgha with the four requisites, asked this question: “Bhante, how much is the Dhamma taught by the Blessed One?” “In terms of parts, great king, there are nine parts; in terms of aggregates, there are eighty-four thousand Dhamma-aggregates.” The king, delighted in the Dhamma, said, “I will honor each Dhamma-aggregate with a monastery.” And on that very day, he spent ninety-six crores of wealth, and commanded his ministers: “Come, sirs, building one monastery in each city, build eighty-four thousand monasteries in eighty-four thousand cities.” And he himself began the work for the great Asoka Monastery at Asokārāma. The Saṅgha appointed Thera Indagutta, a monk of great psychic power, great majesty, and an Arahant, as the superintendent of the new construction. Whatever was not completed, the Thera completed by his own power. Thus, even three in three years he finished the monastery work. On one single day letters arrived from all cities. The ministers informed the king: "Finished, Your Majesty, are the eighty-four thousand monasteries." The king had a drum beaten in the city: "After seven days from now there will be a monastery festival. Let everyone undertake the eight precepts and prepare for the monastery festival inside and outside the city." Then, after seven days, surrounded by an army of a hundred thousand, adorned with all ornaments, desiring to make the city more splendid than the capital Amaravati in the world of devas, the king, full of enthusiasm,