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When Budha saw him he enquired how it was that he had returned so soon ; and on learning the cause, the sage said that though he might not be able to perform all that was required, there was at least one thing he could do, and that was, he might subdue his mind by returning to the same wihdra. ^*The mind not being subdued," said he, "a thousand thoughts enter into it ; it wanders here and there, and runs after this and that ; but it must be subdued. The mind is light, and easily moved, or overturned ; it is heedless, not enquiring into the reason of things. It does not consider ; wherever it wishes to go, there it goes. Therefore, as the sea does not retain any dead body or any manner of filth, but rejects it and casts it forth, so must the mind free itself from ignorance and evil desire. Again, as the sea does not cast forth the pearls and gems that are in it, but retains them; so must the mind retain and cherish the virtue that is produced by the keeping of the precepts and meditation. As the sea does not overflow, though it receives the waters of thousands of rivers, and infinite showers of rain, so must the mind be kept within bounds, in an even state, not passing to excess. And as the sea receives the waters that flow into it in succession, continually ; so must the mind never be satisfied with the benefit it has gained, but continually seek for more and more accessions of good." The priest took the advice that was given him, went again to the village of Mdtika, attained the state of purity, and saw nirwdna. The priest then looked to see if he had ever received any other benefit from the same woman in former states of existence, when he discovered that she -had been his wife in ninety-nine diCEerent births, in all of which she had been faithless to him, and had been the means of his destruction. The woman also looked at the same things, but as she looked still further back, she saw that in the hundredth birth from that time she had u 290 A MANUAL OF BUDHISM. saved him frum death, and that it was through the merit of this act she had been enabled to render him the assistance he now received. The priest, after this, again returned to Bndha, who informed him that he had accomplished his purpose, by the giving np of his will in returning to the village ; as this subduing of his mind had enabled him to perform the exercise of meditation. ( SadharniTnaratnakdre. ) 31. The Prowess of JBandhida, There was a powerful warrior, called Bandhula, who was the son of the sister of a Malwa king, who reigned at Kusinard. No one in all Jambudwipa excelled him in the use of the five wea- pons—the sword, shield, bow, club, and spear. In his jouth his royal uncle was desirous to see a display of his strength ; and that this might be accomplished, he prepared sixty iron rods, which he concealed in as many bamboos, each of which had sixty knots. The whole were then made up into a bundle, or fascine ; and Bandhula's uncle said to him, '^ If you can cleave this bundle of bamboos, cutting through the whole by a single blow of the sword, I will give you my daughter to wife ; but if you fail, I will give her to some other person." The young man smiled on hearing this, and thought it would be no great feat. At once he drew his sword, and flourished it a little, and then lifted it up towards the sky eighty cubits. The courtiers who were looking on trembled, as they were apprehensive it might come down upon their own persons. But Bandhula struck the fascine sixty limes, at each time cutting ofE a knot from each of the sixty bamboos. When the pieces fell to the ground he heard a jingling sound, and saw that there was iron. At this he was displeased ; as he thought the king ought not to have placed him in a position where he might have been disgraced in the presence of the people. So he said in anger to the king, " I will remain no longer here ; I will seek some other country ;" and taking the king's daughter, who received the name of Bandhn- mallikd, he departed from the city, neither king nor princes being able to stop him. First he went to the king of Kosol, as he had been educated with him in his childhood. The king received him gladly, say- ing, " Now that one so powerful is become my friend, all Jom- bndwipa is mine ;" and made him the chief of his forces and the VII. LEGENDS OF GOTAMA BUDIIA. 291 second person in the kingdom. The other kings were alarmed, when they heard that Kosol had received the assistance of the formidable Bandhnla. The wife of Bandhnla had the strength of five elephants ; in this respect being eqnal to Wis^khd; and like her also she possessed the ornament called m^khala, or m61a, and was a disciple of Bndha. But she had no child, which was a great disappointment to Bandhnla, as he wished to have a son as powerful as himself. When, however, he determined to send her away to her father's honse, and take to himself another wife, she received his command to depart with sorrow, as Bndha then resided in Kosol, and she regretted the loss of the privilege she there enjoyed in being able to listen to his discourses. In her distress she went to the sage, resolved that she would do what- ever he appointed. The sage, when he had heard her story, directed her to return to the house of Bandhnla, who again received her, as they knew that something must be intended by the giving of this advice. From this time they lived together in harmony, and it soon became apparent that the wish of the warrior was likely to be gratified. Not long afterwards Band- humallikd desired to bathe in the bath belonging to the princesses of Lichawi, but she knew that it was impossible, as it was pro* tected by a network of metal, and if she could even approach it from the sky, her intention would be frustrated. When the wish was communicated to Bandhnla, he said that as it was not an impossibility upon which her mind was set, he would see that it was accomplished. Taking his wife with him, the warrior left Sewet early in the morning, and arrived at Wisdli, a distance of fifty-four yojanas, about the middle of the day. Loudly did he knock at the gate, and when the princes heard the noise, they said that it could be none other than Bandhnla that knocked with such force, and that it boded to them no good. After gain- ing an entrance into the city, he went at once courageously to the bath ; and as the guards fled in terror, he cut the network with his sword, and entered the water with his wife ; and after her wish was thus gratified, they set their faces to return to Sewet. A number of the Lichawi princes then went to the king, Maha-li, and said that they were for ever disgraced by the presumption of Bandhnla. They, however, made a vow that they would eat no rice until they had brought back his head ; and 500 princes u2 292 A MANUAL OF BUDHISM. mounted their chariots to pnrsne him. The king tried to persuade them from their purpose, as he said that the warrior had strength sufficient to destroy them all at a single hlow ; but they replied, *^ Is he more than a man, and are we women ?" When Maha-li saw that they were determined, he gave them advice by which they might deceive their enemy, and overcome him ; but they heeded it not, and as they approached him in a line, one covered by the other, he sent an arrow towards them, by which they were all wounded to the death, though they did not fall. Bandhnla, when this was done, went on his way, the princes calling to him to stop, that they might measure their strength with him ; bat he replied that he did not war with the dead. On hearing this, they thought he had become insane through fear ; but when he said that if they did not believe him they might learn the tmih by unloosing their armour, the first and second princes did so, and immediately expired. When the other princes saw this they set off in terror to return to the city, but on reaching their homes the whole number died. Bandhula and his wife reached Sewet in safety ; after which they had two sons ; and during sixteen years BandhumaliildL had two sons each year, so that the number amounted to thirty- two. The good fortune of this princess came to her because in former years she had presented the requisites of the priesthood in alms, and had been charitable to the poor and aged. 32.