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7. "The king, the leader, thought of bricks for the cetiya; Go a yojana away from the city, near a deep river. 8. Make bricks there," thus Sakka spoke; Vissakamma came here, and made bricks there. 9. In the morning, a hunter with his dogs went into the forest there; A earth-deity, in the form of a monitor lizard, showed herself to the hunter. 10. The hunter, pursuing it, went and saw the bricks; As the monitor lizard disappeared, he thought there. 11. "Our great king wishes to build the Great Stupa; This is an offering for him," thus he went and reported. 12. Hearing his words, the beloved one, dear to the people, the king, with a joyful mind, made a great offering. 13. In the north-eastern part of the city, three yojanas away; In the village of Ācāra-viṭṭhi, in sixteen karīsas of land. 14. Golden seeds arose, of various sizes; A span in height, and an anguli in measure below. 15. Seeing that land full of gold, the residents of the camp; Taking the gold, went and reported to the king. 16. In the eastern part of the city, seven yojanas away; On the other side of the Gaṅgā, at Tambapiṭṭha, copper arose. 17. The villagers, taking the copper seeds in a bowl; Approached the king, and reported the matter. 18. In the south-eastern region, four yojanas in front; In the village of Sumanavāpi, many gems arose. 19. Mixed with upala and kuruvinda, the villagers; Taking them in a bowl, went and reported to the king. 20. In the southern part, in front, eight yojanas away; In the Ambaṭṭha-kola cave, silver appeared. 21. A merchant in the city, one, taking many carts, To Malaya, to bring ginger and other spices, went to Malaya. 22. Not far from the cave, having parked the carts, Wishing for a goad-stick, he climbed that mountain. 23. There, a fruit the size of a bowl, bent down with its ripe weight; Seeing that fruit on a branch and on a rock. 24. Thinking, "I will cut it at the stem with an axe and show it to the chief," He sounded the call with faith, and four stainless ones came. 25. Joyful, he saluted them, and respectfully seated them; Cutting the skin near the stem with an axe, he made an opening. 26. Releasing that juice, which filled the hollow, he took it with leaves; He filled four leaf-cups with juice and gave them to them. 27. They took it and departed, He sounded the call again; Other elder monks, whose defilements were destroyed, Four of them came there. 28. Taking leaf-cups for them, he filled them with the pulp; He gave it to them, and they departed, three, but one did not depart. 29. To show him the silver, he descended from there; Sitting near the cave, he ate that pulp. 30. The merchant, having eaten the remaining pulp as much as he wished; Taking it in a bundle, he followed the remaining elder. 31. "By this path, you too, lay follower, go now; Go and see the elder, and perform a great service." 32. And the elder made a path for him by the cave entrance; Saluting the elder, as he went by that path, he saw the cave. 33. Standing at the cave entrance, and seeing the silver; He struck it with an axe, and recognized it as silver. 34. Taking one lump of silver, going to the carts; Having arranged the carts, he took that lump of silver. 35. Quickly, the excellent merchant came to Anuradhapura; Showing the silver to the king, he also reported the matter. 36. On the eastern and western sides, at a distance of five yojanas; Pearls, as large as great myrobalan fruits, in Uruvela-paṭṭana. 37. Along with coral, they descended to the seabed; Fishermen, observing them, made a heap. having gathered them together. 38. Having brought from a dish, pearls and corals, they approached the king and reported that matter. 39. To the north, in front, seven leagues away, at the village of Peḷivāpika, in the ravine by the reservoir, 40. four excellent gems were born on a sandbank, the size of a mortar, bright like jasmine flowers. 41. Seeing them, a fierce dog, without going to the king, reported: "Such gems have been seen by me." 42. These bricks and so forth, the greatly meritorious and wise one heard that they had arisen for the Great Stūpa, on that very day. 43. Having shown them due honor with great respect, and making these their guardians, he had all of them brought. 44. Not considering the unbearable weariness of the body, one who has accumulated merit with a joyful mind, accomplishes hundreds of means that bring happiness. Therefore, one should perform merit with a joyful mind. The Twenty-Eighth Chapter, named "Acquisition of Materials for the Great Stūpa," in the Mahāvaṃsa, composed for the serene joy and emotion of good people. The Twenty-Ninth Chapter Commencement of the Stūpa 1. When the materials were thus complete, on the full moon day of Vesākha, when the Visākha constellation was ascendant, he began the Great Stūpa. 2. Having cleared the ground for the stūpa there, the king, with a spade in hand, dug the stūpa site to make it firm in many ways. 3. Having had the soldiers bring round stones there, and having had them pounded with hammers, the stones were then crushed. 4. He had them trampled by large elephants whose feet were covered with leather, for the sake of the ground's firmness, he, skilled in what is beneficial and not beneficial. 5. In the constantly wet place where the celestial Ganges fell, the soil there was very fine, all around for thirty leagues. 6. This fine soil is called "butter-like earth." Arahant novices brought that soil. 7. He had the soil spread on the stone foundation there. He had bricks spread on top of the soil. 8. On top of that, fine plaster, and on top of that, corundum. On top of that, a net of iron, and then gravel. Next. 9. Brought by novices From the Himalayas, fragrant things; The king had them spread, And crystal on top of that. 10. He had slabs spread, And a crystal layer on top; Everywhere for the clay work, There was a butter-like substance. 11. With wood apple resin, Mixed in juice and water; Eight fingers thick, Iron plates on the slabs. 12. With red arsenic, Mixed with sesame oil; Seven fingers thick, a plaster layer, The chief of chariots spread. 13. At the Great Stupa's Foundation place, thus the king; Having done the preparations, With a serene mind. 14. On the fourteenth day, Of the bright half of Āsaḷhī; Having gathered the community of monks, He said this. 15. For the Great Cetiya, Venerables, The auspicious brick; I shall lay tomorrow here, Let the whole Sangha gather. 16. For Buddha worship, Desiring the people's welfare; "Let the people observe Uposatha, Taking perfumes, garlands, and so on." 17. "Let them go to the Great Stupa's Foundation place tomorrow"; And for decorating the Cetiya site, He appointed ministers. 18. Commanded by the king, Out of love and respect for the Sage; In many ways, They adorned that place. 19. The entire city, And the path leading here; In many ways, The king had them adorned. 20. And in the morning, At the four gates of the city, he stationed; Barbers and bath attendants, Both few and many. 21. Clothes, perfumes, and garlands, And sweet foods; For the people, the king, Delighting in the people's welfare. 22. These preparations, Having enjoyed them as they wished; The townspeople and country folk Came to the Stupa site. 23. By many well-adorned ones, According to their rank; Guarded by ministers, The king went to the proper place. 24. By many well-adorned ones, Resembling celestial maidens; Surrounded by dancers, Well-adorned and embellished. 25. By forty thousand men, Surrounded; With various musical instruments resounding, Having the splendor of a king of gods. 26. The Great Stupa's Foun- (He was) discerning of what is proper and improper; In the afternoon he arrived, gladdening the great multitude. 27. He caused one thousand and eight robes to be placed; Tied in bundles in the middle, and then on four sides. 28. The king made piles of various cloths; And honey, ghee, jaggery, and so on, he caused to be placed for auspiciousness. 29. From various countries came many monks here; What need to speak of the Sangha of this island coming here? 30. The Elder came, taking eighty thousand monks; Indagutta, the great leader, from the vicinity of Rājagaha. 31. Taking twelve thousand monks from Isipatana; The Great Elder Dhammasena came to the Cetiya-place. 32. Taking sixty thousand monks, he came here; The Great Elder Pīyadassī, from Jetārāma monastery. 33. From the Great Forest of Vesālī, the Elder Buddharakkhita; Came, taking eighteen thousand monks. 34. From Ghositārāma in Kosambī, the Elder Dhammarakkhita; Came here, taking thirty thousand monks. 35. The Elder, the ascetic from Dakkhiṇagiri; Saṅgharakkhita the eminent, taking forty thousand (monks) in Ujjenī. 36. Taking one hundred thousand and sixty thousand monks; The Elder named Mittiṇṇa, from Asokārāma in Pupphapura. 37. Two hundred thousand and eighty thousand monks; Having taken them, the Elder came from the region of Kashmir. 38. Four hundred thousand and sixty thousand monks; The greatly wise Mahādeva, from Pallavabhoga. 39. From Alasanda in Yonanagara, the Yona Great Elder Dhammarakkhita; Came, taking thirty thousand monks. 40. From the monastery of Vañjhāṭavivattaniya, the Elder Uttara; Came, taking sixty thousand monks. 41. The Great Elder Cittagutta, from Bodhimaṇḍa monastery; Having taken thirty thousand monks, came here. 42. The Great Elder Candagutta, from the region of Vanavāsa; Having taken eighty thousand monks, came here. 43. Sūriyagutta, the Great Th... from Kelāsa, from the monastery, ninety-six thousand monks he brought. 44. Of the monks, island dwellers, and those who came from all directions, the number was not specified by the ancients. 45. Of all the monks assembled at that gathering, ninety-six crores were said to be Arahants. 46. They surrounded the site of the Great Cetiya