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He thought within himself, '^ I have Vll. LEGENDS OF OdXAMA BUDHA. 259 run after elephants, horses, chai*iots, and the swift deer, and have overtaken them, but this priest outstrips me." He then called out to the priest to stop ; and Bndha did so, but told him to remain where he was, and not come nearer. As Anguli-m41a thought he must have some design in this, he was obedient ; when Budha gave him good advice, telling him to be kind to all sentient beings, by which means he would save himself from the four hells. On hearing this, Anguli-m^la knew that it was Budha, and that he had put himself to this trouble in order to assist him; he therefore, worshipped the sage, received the precepts, and requested ordination. Budha replied, " Ehi Bhikkhu; hither, priest!" at the same time lifting up his right hand. By this means Anguli-mila was enabled to receive the e^ht requisites of the priesthood at the same moment ; and at once became of the upasampadd order, without being previously a s&man6ra novice. After this transformation, Anguli-mala went to reside as a priest in the J6t&wana wih^ra. His father and mother went to the forest, but were not able to find him. The king saw that it was necessary for him to exert himself, in order to save his people from this great danger. He was ashamed to remain in the city when his people were so urgent, and yet he was afraid to go ; so he went to the wih&ra to ask the advice of Budha. The sage said to him, *' What is the matter, oh king ? Is Bimsara become your enemy ; or are you afraid of the princes of Wis41a, or of some other monarch?" The king: "No; I am going to the forest to secure a noted robber called Anguli-mdla." Badha : " If he should have become a priest, how would you act ? " The king : " I should pay him due reverence ; " but he thought it was impossible that Budha could receive into the priesthood so great a sinner. The king asked where he was at that time ; and when informed that he was in the same wihara, ho became greatly afraid ; but Budha told him not to be alarmed. Then the king requested to be taken to his presence, and loosing his rich girdle from his loins, he laid it at the priest's feet ; but like one keeping the ordinances called telesdhutdnga, he would not receive it. At this the king was greatly surprised, and said, " This is a wonderful circumstance ; the cruel has become kind ; the covetous, liberal ; the wicked, pure ; this is through your influence ; for we may crush the people with clubs, and scourge s 2 260 A MANUAL OF BUDHISM. them, but there is no amendment in their condact." Soon after- wards, Anguli-mAla went to his own village with the alms-bowl ; bnt when the people heard his name, they were afraid, and gave him nothing, so that he became very faint. On his retam to the city, he saw a woman in severe labour, unable to bring forth ; and he greatly pitied her. He who had slain 999 people, now felt compassion for an afflicted woman, from having entered the priesthood. On his arrival at the wih&ra, he informed Bndha of what he had seen, who said to him, *' Go to the place, and say, * I have never knowingly pnt any creature to death since I was bom ; by the virtue of this observance may you be free from pain ! '' The priest replied that he could not tell a lie, as he had knowingly pat to death many persons ; but Budha said, *' Tea, but this was when you were a laic ; you are now a priest ; yon have been bom again ; when you now say that such a thiniar is from the time of your birth, you mean that it is from the time you entered the priesthood." In consequence of this intimation, he went to the place ; a screen was placed around the mother, and sitting upon a chair he repeated the words of Budha ; when in an instant the child was born, with as much ease as water falls from a vessel. Upon the same spot a hall was after- wards erected, for the assistance of afflicted females, as the virtue communicated by Anguli-mala still continued ; and other diseases were healed in the same way. At times Anguli-m^la was in great distress, because the people, from fear, were unwilling to give him alms. When he thought of the murders he had committed, how parents had entreated to be spared for the sake of their children, and how he had been deaf to the cries of the people when they pleaded for mercy, he felt the keenest sorrow. But Budha consoled him by saying, that these things were the same as if they had been done in a former birth, inasmuch as they were done before he became a priest. In a little time he became a rahat. When going to procure alms, if the people were throwing any missile to send away the dogs or the crows, it was sure to hit his body. One day when his head was thus laid open, streaming with blood he went to Budha; who told him he must endure all this patiently, as it was the consequence of the murders he had committed, and was instead of having to suffer a hundred thousand years in hell. *' That which has been done in a former state of existence," said Budha, VII. LEGENDS OF G(3tAMA BUDHA. 261 *' will receive its reward in the present life, whether it was good or evil ; but if it be deprived of its power (as by becoming a rahat), no farther consequences are produced. So long as existence continnes, the effects of karma must continue ; and it is onlj by the cessation of existence that they can be entirely overcome.*' "When any priest attains the rahatship, he cuts off the consequences of demerit as regards all subsequent existence ; hut if he has done any great misdeed in a former birth, the consequence will be felt in the present birth ; yet in this alone, as it ceases on the attainment of nirwdna. Reflecting on these things, Anguli-mala was comforted, and said, ''The hook of the driver subdues the elephant and other animals ; but Badha subdues by kindness." At different times many other robbers and murderers were overcome by Budha, as Sankicha, Atimuk- taka, and Khdnu-kondanya, each of whom had 500 companions, as well as Kelaruwan, who had 900 companions ; and many hundreds and thousands of robbers were brought to nirwana by his assistance. (Amdivaiura.) 22. The History of Sabkiya, In a former age, after Kdsyapa Budha had attained nirwdna, the priests became negligent, and did not observe the precepts ; but seven individuals, who were desirous of entering the paths before the power to do so was entirely lost, became priests, and ascended a high rock by a ladder ; after which they threw down the ladder, and had no means of escape. The same night the oldest of the seven became a rahat, and went to Anotatta and Uturukuru, whence he brought water and rice to his com- panions ; but they refused to receive them, until they also had become rahats. Soon afterwards the second priest entered the path andgdmi, and he also urged the others to partake of the food, but they still refused. The first priest entered nirwdna ; the second was bom in the Sudassa brahmaldka ; and the rest, who died in seven days from the want of food, were bom in different kdmawachara worlds. In the time of G6tama Budha, one of them was the maha-raja Poksi ; another was Maha- kisyapa ; a third, the priest Ddruchi ; a fourth, the priest Tissa, son of Dharmmapala ; and a fifth, Sabhiya, a paribrdjika. The last mentioned individual was the son of Sabhiyd, a paribraji- kdwa, who at the time she was receivinc: the instructions of a 262 A MANUAL OF BUDHISM. certain teacher, became connected with another papil, ihe consequences of which were soon apparent, and she was sent away. When the child of which she was delivered grew np, he was so exceedingly well skilled in argument, that no one was able to dispute with him. His residence was near the gate of the city, and he taught the princes. At the same time tbe abode of Budha was in the W^luwana wihAra, near Bajagaha ; but Sabhiya did not know of his existence. The priest who hacl been born in the brahma-16ka one day examined into the cause of his prosperity ; and when he discovered it he wondered what had become of the other priests who were with him upon the rock ; and as he saw the situation of Sabhiya, he resolved thai; he would make known to him the merits of Budha.