English
Then the king, having had various seats prepared In the inner palace, said, "Let them come," and as they arrived, He said, "Sit on a seat suitable to yourselves." Some sat on auspicious stools, Some on wooden stools, Seeing this, the king, knowing, "There is no inner essence in these," Gave them food and drink according to their worth. He urged them on. Thus as time went on, one day, seeing Nigrodha the novice standing in the lion's cage, having faith arisen in him, pleased with the Buddha's teaching, having removed about sixty thousand sectarians, feeding about sixty thousand monks, being pleased with the Buddha's teaching, having built the Ashoka monastery, causing them to dwell there, one day, in the Ashoka monastery, having given alms to sixty thousand monks, sitting in their midst, having invited the Sangha with the four requisites, he asked this question: "Venerable sirs, how much is the Dhamma taught by the Blessed One?" "O Great King, nine parts, in aggregate, eighty-four thousand aggregates of Dhamma." The king, pleased with the Dhamma, thought, "I will honor each aggregate of Dhamma with a monastery." Having spent ninety-six crores in one day, he commanded the ministers, "While building one monastery in each city, cause eighty-four thousand monasteries to be built in eighty-four thousand cities." And he himself, in the Ashoka monastery, began the work for the Ashoka Great Monastery. The Sangha gave Indagutta Thera, a monk of great psychic power, great influence, a perfected one, as the superintendent of the new construction. Whatever was not completed, the Thera completed by his power. Thus, in three years, the monastery work was completed. On one day, letters came from all the cities. The ministers announced to the king, "O King, the eighty-four thousand great monasteries are completed." Then the king approached the Sangha of monks and asked, "Venerable sirs, I have caused eighty-four thousand monasteries to be built, from where shall I obtain relics?" "O Great King, we hear that there is a relic treasure, but it is not known in such and such a place." The king, having had a shrine broken down in Rajagaha, not finding a relic, had it restored, and taking the four assemblies, monks, nuns, laymen, laywomen, he went to Vesali. Not finding it there either, he went to Kapilavatthu, not finding it there either, to Rama. Having gone to Āma, in Rāmagāma the Nāgas did not allow the stupa to be broken. The crowbar, having fallen on the stupa, became chipped and broken. Thus, not obtaining [relics] there either, having broken all the stupas from Allakappa to Pāvā and Kusinārā, and not obtaining relics, having made them into pots, having gone to Rājagaha, having convened the four assemblies, he asked, "Has it ever been heard by anyone that there is a relic deposit in such and such a place?" There, an elder of twenty years said, "I do not know that there is a relic deposit in such and such a place, but when I was seven years old, my great-grandfather elder, having made me hold a flower basket, [said,] 'Come, Sāmaṇera, there is a stone stupa in such and such a grove. Let us go there,' having gone and worshipped, he said, 'It is fitting to note this place, Sāmaṇera.' I know only this, great king." The king, saying, "It is this very place," having gone and had [the stupa] dug up, having removed the stone stupa and the dust, saw a lime floor below, then having had the lime and bricks removed, descending gradually into the enclosure, he saw a seven-jeweled sand and swords in hand and wooden figures revolving. He, having summoned the Yaksha slaves, even having had the offering ceremony performed, not seeing the end, worshipping the deities, [said,] "Having taken these relics, I will deposit them in eighty-four thousand monasteries and make offerings. May the deities not cause me any obstruction for me." Sakka, the king of the gods, while wandering on a tour, seeing that, having addressed Vissakamma, [said,] "Dear one, King Asoka Dhammarājā, having descended into the enclosure, will take out the relics. Go and have the wooden figures removed." He, in the guise of a boy from the village of Pañcacūla, having gone and stood before the king with a bow in his hand, [said,] "I will remove them, great king." "Remove them, dear one," having taken the sound, he pierced [the figures] at the joints themselves, everything was scattered. Then the king took the key-seal of the box [or casket], having seen a jewel-trunk, having seen the letters written on the document, "In the future, poor kings, having taken this jewel, will make offerings to the relics," having become angry, [said,] "Like me..." But it was not right to call those kings poor kings, so repeatedly trying, opening the door, entering the inner chamber, lamps placed over two hundred and eighteen years ago were still burning, blue lotus flowers, as if just brought and placed, a spread of flowers, as if just spread, fragrances, as if just ground and placed, were there. The king, taking a golden plate, reading, "In the future, a prince named Piyadassa, raising the umbrella, will become a righteous king named Asoka, he will spread these relics," said, "I was seen by the venerable Mahākassapa Thera," and bending his left hand, clapped with his right hand. He, placing only the relic for worship in that place, taking all the remaining relics, closing the relic chamber as it was closed before, making everything as it was originally, establishing a stone stupa above, established relics in eighty-four thousand monasteries. Then one day, the king, going to the monastery, venerating the Sangha of monks, sitting on one side, "Even having spent ninety-six crores of wealth, having built eighty-four thousand monasteries and stupas, I am not an heir, venerable sirs. Who else is an heir?" "You, great king, are a provider-heir, but whoever ordains their own son and daughter, that one is called an heir in the Dispensation," thus spoken, King Asoka, desiring heirship in the Dispensation, seeing Prince Mahinda standing not far away, said, "Can you, dear, ordain?" The prince, naturally wanting to ordain, hearing the king's words, became exceedingly joyful, "I will ordain, lord. Ordaining me, may you be an heir in the Dispensation," he said. And at that time, the king's daughter, Sanghamittā, was also standing in that place. Seeing her, he said, "Can you also, mother, ordain?" "Good, father," she replied. The king, knowing the minds of his children, Having obtained it, with delighted mind, approaching the Sangha, "Venerable sirs, ordain these boys, and make me an heir in the Dispensation." The Sangha, accepting the king's word, had the boy ordained with Moggalliputta Tissa Thera as preceptor, and Mahadeva Thera as teacher. He was given the higher ordination by Majjhantika Thera as teacher, and immediately upon ordination, he attained arahantship with the discriminations. For Sanghamittā also, the king's daughter, the female teacher was named Ayupāla Theri, the preceptor was named Dhammapāla Theri. The king, in various ways, adorned the Buddha's Dispensation, and with the help of Moggalliputta Tissa Thera, expelled about sixty thousand immoral sectarians from the Buddha's Dispensation, and completed the Third Dhamma Recital. How many monks and nuns were there at that assembly? It was said: 12. In that assembly there were eighty crores of monks; There were hundreds of thousands, among them ascetics free from taints. 13. Ninety hundred thousand nuns were there; Nuns free from taints, there were a thousand among them. Thus, that Asoka, the righteous king, having become the foremost king in all of Jambudīpa, lived adorning the Buddha's Dispensation. This is a summary here, the full account is stated in the Mahāvaṃsa. It was said: 14. Because it is complete, this threefold intention is a honey-source; Everywhere, always, all attainments it fully enjoys. The middle merchant, however, due to the fault of criticizing others, was reborn in the island of Laṅkā across the sea. The course of this story should be understood thus. In Tambapaṇṇidīpa, it seems, a king named Muṭasīva ruled for sixty years; he had ten sons endowed with merit and wisdom, mutually seeking each other's welfare, and two daughters. All of them lived in harmony and concord. Then, at another time, the ministers said to King Muṭasīva, They consecrated Prince Tissa, beloved of the gods, And at the moment of his consecration, many wonders occurred. The teachers of the Great Chronicle, declaring them, said: 15. Devānampiyatissa, Was known as the second son; Among all the brothers, He was most virtuous and wise. 16. Devānampiyatissa, Became king upon his father's death; With his consecration, Many wonders occurred. 17. In the entire island of Lanka, Treasures and jewels, Hidden within, rising up, Appeared on the surface of the earth. 18. Near the island of Lanka, Jewels from wrecked ships, And those born there, Came ashore. 19. At the foot of Mount Chāta, Three bamboo staffs, Equal in measure, To the length of a chariot goad, arose. 20. Of these, one was a creeper staff, The creeper with a silvery sheen; Golden in color, beautiful, Appeared delightful. 21. One was a flower staff; The flowers upon it, Various and of many colors, Appeared fully bloomed. 22. One was a bird staff; Many birds and beasts upon it, Various and of many colors, Appeared as if alive. 23. Horses, elephants, chariots, garlands, Finger rings and bracelets, Kakudha fruits naturally formed, These eight kinds appeared. 24. Pearls rising from the ocean, Lay on the shore like a heap; All this was due to the merit, Of Devānampiyatissa. 25. Sapphires, beryls, Rubies, and these jewels, Pearls, those staffs, Within a week, they brought, to the king. At that time, the great king Devānampiyatissa and King Asoka, the righteous, were unseen friends.