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Bays proceeded from his body ; they first came from his right side, went roand him three times, and then extended on his right side 80 cnbits ; from his left side there was a similar appearance, as well as from behind. Rays also proceeded from his month to the same distance, as if to parify the path ; and from his head, extending npward, as if to invite the presence of the d^was and brahmas. On approaching the city, the rays preceded him, went round it three times, and lighted ap its gates, walls, monuments, and towers,* as if there had been poored npon them a stream of liquid gold. The whole city was full of light. In consequence of these wonders, all the citizens went forth to meet him. As the rays of the moon fall upon all places alike, whether they be clean and impure, so G6tama, like the former Badhas, manifested his affection equally to all, by g^ing to all the houses in regular order, without omitting any. As the people were not accustomed to this mode of procuring alms, there was no one to carry his bowl or present him with food ; all looked on in surprise. When he approached the palace, ladies who had never previously descended from the upper story, now came down and opened the windows, that they might look * The word here used is attili ; there is s similar word in Spanish and Portucraeie, atalaia or attalia, meaning a watch-tower. 208 A MANUAL OF BUDHISM. at him. No sooner was Yasddhard-d^wi apprised of what was done, than she exclaimed, " The prince Sidh&rtta is now going from house to house to receive alms, in the city where he was accustomed to ride in the chariot, with the sixty- four ornaments upon his person, and attended by a thousand nobles ; his head is shorn ; his robe is like a red clout ; he holds in his hand an earthen bowl. This is what I have heard. I must go and see whether this guise befits him or not." As she stood near one of the entrances to the palace, she saw the rays proceeding from the person of Budha, and worshipped him; after which she said, " Sidhdrtta, on the night in which Rahula was bom, you went away secretly ; at that time you rejected the kingdom of which you were heir, but you have received in its stead a more glorious kingdom." She then went and informed his father, Sudhodana, that the prince was begging from house to house ; and in eight stanzas described the beauty of his appearance. The king went to him in haste, without staying even to adjust his garments, and said, " Why do you disgrace me thus ? If you had even been accompanied by all the kings of Jambudwipa and their attendants, could 1 not have supplied the whole with food ? How much easier, then, is it for me to supply you and your 20,000 priests ?*' Budha replied, " It is the custom of my race." But the king said, *'How can this be? You are lineally de- scended from Maha Sammata ; none of your race ever acted in this manner. Some of your ancestors could stamp with the foot, and they received whatever they wished." Budha then informed his father that he spoke not of the race of Sammata, but of the race of the Budhas ; and said that when any one found a hidden treasure, it was his duty to make an offering of the most precious of the jewels to his father in the first instance ; he therefore opened the mine of the dharmma, and delivered to him a discourse. '* Do not procrastinate ; listen to the excellent dharmma ; he who thus listens, will attain prosperity." The k'ng, whilst listening to this discourse, entered the first path. Budha then repeated another stanza : " Practise that which is enjoined in the dharmma ; avoid that which is forbidden in the dharmma; he who listens to the dharmma will attain pros- perity." On hearing this, the king entered into the second path. After thus hearing bana in the open street, Sudhddana carried the alms-bowl of Budha, and gave food to him and his attendant VII. LEGENDS OF G<3tAMA BUDHA. 209 priests. When the repast was finished, the 40,000 ladies of the palace came and worshipped him. The king then sent to inform Yds6dhard-dewi that she also might come and worship Sidhartta ; but she replied, " Surely, if I am deserving of any regard, he will come and see me ; I can then worship him." Bndha, however, went to her apartments. As they were going, he informed Seriynt and Mugalan that the princess had been an assistance to him in former births, and would now be released from the evils of existence. " I am free from evil desire," said he, " though the princess is not so ; from not having seen me for so long a time, she is exceedingly Horrow- i'ul; unless this sorrow be allowed its course, her breast will cleave ; she will take hold of my feet, but as the result will be that she and the other queens will embrace the priesthood, you must not prevent her." When Yas6dhard-d6wi heard that Budha was about to visit her, with 500 of her attendant ladies she cut off her hair, and put on mean garments, and then went to meet her lord. From the abundance of her affection, she was like an overflowing vessel, unable to contain herself ; and forget- ting that she was a mere woman, and that Budha was the lord of the world, she held him by the feet, and wept. But remembering that Sudh6dana was present, she felt ashamed, and rose up; after which, she reverently remained at a Utile distance. It is not permitted even to Maha Brahma to touch the body of Budha. The king apologised for the princess, and said, '^ This arises from her affection ; nor is it merely a momentary display ; in the seven years that you were absent from her, when she heard that you had shaved your head, she did the same ; when she heard that you had put on mean garments, she put on the same ; when she heard that you had left off the use of perfumes and ornaments, she left off the same ; like you, she has only eaten at appointed times, and from an earthen bowl ; and like you she has renounced high seats, with splendid coverings ; when other princes asked her in marriage, she refused their offers, and said that she was still yours; therefore grant unto her forgiveness." Then Budha related in what manner, when in a former age she saw the glory of the princess who was the wife of Paduma previous to his reception of the Budhaship, she had formed the wish to become the wife of a future Budha ; and in what manner she had so assisted him during four asankya-kap-lakshas, as now to be the 210 A MANUAL OF BUDHISM. wife of G6tama BndHa.* By this relation tHe sorrow of the princess, and the fears of the king, were overcome. 12. Nanda. amd Bdkula become the Disciples of Bvdha. The next daj Budha went from the Nigrodha garden to a festival that was held in hononr of Nanda, the son of Maha Pra- japati, who was the sister of Maha M^ya-d6wi, and wife of Sud- h6dana. It was a three-fold festival, as on this day he was to be elevated to a new office, to enter npou a new residence, and to be married. Badha went with Us rahats to the festival hall, that he might release Nanda from the sorrows of existence. When seated npon the throne that had been prepared for' him, he repeated the following stanza : — "The destmction of evil desire; the keeping of the brahma-chariya, (or the continuing in con- tinence) ; the knowing of the four great truths ; and the com- prehending of nirwana ; these constitute the greatest festival." Having in this manner made him willing to follow the ad- vice he received, he put the alms-bowl in his hand, which he took, though at that time he was arrayed in the richest orna- ments Budha then arose from the throne, and went to the wihAra, followed by Nanda. The betrothed princess, Janapada- kalydni, called out to him from the window, to enquire why he went, but he gave her no reply. On arriving at the wihara, Budha said to Nanda, " Regard not the honors of the chakra- wartti ; become a priest like me." The thoughts of the prince still wandered after his betrothed wife, but as he said nothing against this advice, Budha directed Seriyut and Mugalan to admit him to the priesthood. Still, his mind was fixed upon the same object, and he became sorrowful. The other priests saw that he pined away, and asked him the cause of his soitow ; they wondered why he appeared so disconsolate, as he was the younger brother of Budha, a member of the royal family, and in every respect most fortunate.