Dialogues of the Buddha (Digha Nikaya)

1 This difference in the mental endowments of the two gods, — the one the mere king of the gods, an Indian Zeus ; and the other the Great First Cause, the outcome of the hightest speculation — is always carefully observed in the various speeches ascribed, in the early Buddhist texts, to these divinities. See above, p. 175, for another instance. 2 The doctrinal material stands on a different footing. Already in 1877 I ventured to point out the difference (in ' Buddhism,' pp. 86-7), and the point has since increasingly forced itself upon my notice. The whole story is retold, in a Sanskrit dialect and in different phraseology and order, in the Mahavastu. The following table will make the degree of the resemblance and difference plain. Maha-govinda Suttanta. Govindiya Sutta in Mahavastu. § 1 Vol. Ill, p. 197 30 205 31, 32 206 34 2°7 35, 36 208 37. 38 209 43,44 210,11 Now we do not know exactly when and where Buddhists began to write in Sanskrit, though it was probably in Kashmir some time before the beginning of our era. They did not then translate into Sanskrit any Pali book. They wrote new books. And the reason for this was twofold. In the first place they had already come to believe things very different from those contained in the canon ; they were( no longer in full sympathy with it. In the second place, though Pali was never the vernacular of Kashmir, it was widely known there, and even very probably still used for literary work ; translations were therefore not required.

This gives a possible explanation of the most astounding Professor Windisch (in 'Die Composition des Mahavastu,' Leipzig, 1909, p. 494) supports this view. fact we know about the Mahavastu. It purports to be the Vinaya (that is, the Rules regulating the outward conduct of the members of the Order), as held by the school of the Lokottara-vadins. In M. Senart's admirable edition it fills three bulky volumes. There is not, from beginning to end of them, even one single Rule of the Order! No explanation has been given of this extraordinary state of things, though it was pointed out at once on the publication of the edition K Prof. Windisch in his able discussion (just above referred to) of the actual contents of the book does not refer to this remarkable omission. The old Vinaya begins with the Sutta Vibhanga, that is, the Rules themselves elucidated by discussion of their origin and meaning. This occupies 615 pages in Oldenberg's editions. Then follow in 660 pages the Khandhakas, twenty-two in number, dealing with various points of Canon Law. At the beginning of these is an Introduction, explaining how the Order arose ; and at the end an Appendix, on the Councils 2. This old Vinaya has never been translated into Sanskrit. The Mahavastu is based on the Introduction to the Khandhakas, rewritten, added to, enormously expanded, and arranged according to the order of the Pali Nidana Katha. Now why did the Lokottara-vadins, in their Vinaya, omit practically the whole of the Vinaya, and confine themselves to rewriting the Introduction to what is only a part of the Vinaya ? Why did not they also rewrite the rest? May it be because, when they wrote, the old rules and explanations, with which they did not quarrel in the least, were still well known and used in the original Pali, or in some closely cognate shape? 3

It must have been from some such cognate recension, and not from our Pali text, that the Govinda story was Sanskritised. The differences between the Digha and the Mahavastu are too great to have arisen at one stage. The whole point of the story in the Digha is the way in which Brahma describes his 1 Rhys Davids, J. R. A. S., 1898, 424. 2 There is a supplementary work, the Parivara, much shorter, and consisting mainly of what we should now call examination papers. This volume, though most interesting from the point of view of the history of Indian education, presupposes the old Vinaya, and is later. As is well known the Khandhakas come first in Oldenberg's edition, but the order in the MSS. is as above. See for instance Oldenberg's 'Catalogue of the Pali MSS. in the India Office Library/ J.P.T. S., 1882, p. 59. 3 Compare Oldenberg's remarks on the Chinese translations of Vinava at the end of his introduction to the Pali Text. ideal brahmin as quite emancipated from animistic superstitions and practices. He gains access to Brahma by practising (with reference, no doubt, to the closing scene of the Maha-Sudassana, and also to the Tevijja and other passages) the Rapture of Mercy, one of the Brahma-viharas, or Sublime Conditions. The Mahavastu is not satisfied with that. It makes him add to it the kindling of the mystic Fire, Agni (D. II, 239 and Mhvst. Ill, 210). The paean of delight at the arrival of the new gods (D. II, 227 and Mhvst. Ill, 203) is introduced in the Mahavastu by the words : ' He (Brahma) addressed them in verses.' But it gives only one verse. The others are found in the Digha. Perhaps their ethical standpoint did not appeal any more to the Lokottara-vadins. In the eulogy on the Buddha (D. II, 222 and Mhvst. 111,199) the Mahavastu mentions that there are eight points concerning which the Buddha was worthy of praise. It gives, however, only seven, differing in order and meaning from the eight given in the Digha. Verbal differences throughout the whole story are found in almost every paragraph.

In column 136 of Bunyiu Nanjio's catalogue of Chinese Buddhist books we find mentioned a translation of the MahaGovinda evidently from some recension different from the Pali. It would be interesting to know whether there has, in this version, been preserved an intermediate stage between the Digha and the Mahavastu. [220] Thus have I heard. 1. The Exalted One was once staying at Rajagaha on Vulture-peak Hill. Now when the night was far spent, Five-crest of the Gandharva fairies,1 beautiful to see, irradiating the whole of Vulture-peak, came into the presence of the Exalted One, and saluted him, and stood on one side. So standing Five-crest the Gandharva addressed the Exalted One, and said : — ' The things, lord, that I have seen, the things I have noted when in the presence of the gods in the heaven of the Three-and-Thirty, I would tell to the Exalted One.' ' Tell thou me, Five-crest,' said the Exalted One. 2. ' In days gone by, lord, in days long long gone by, on the Fifteenth, the holy-day, at the Feast of the Invitations 2 on the night of full moon, all the gods in the heaven of the Thirty-Three were assembled, sitting in their Hall of Good Counsel. And a vast celestial company was seated round about, and at the four quarters of the firmament sat the Four Great Kings. There was Dhatara^a, king of the East, seated facing the west, presiding over his host ; Viru/haka, king of the South, seated facing the north, presiding over his host ; [221] Virupakkha, king of the West, seated facing the east, presiding over his host ; and Vessava^a, king of the North, seated facing the south, presiding over his host. Whenever, lord, all the gods in the heaven of the Thirty-Three are assembled, and seated in their Hall of Good Counsel, with the vast celestial company seated around them, and with the Four Great Kings at the four quarters of the firma-

1 Paficasikho Gandhabbo. See above, p. 244. 26o XIX. MAHA-GOVINDA SUTTANTA. D. ii. 221. merit, this is the order of the seats of the four. After that come our seats. And those gods, lord, who had been recently reborn in the hosts of the Three-andThirty because they had lived the higher life under the Exalted One, they outshone the other gods in appearance and in glory. Thereat, verily, lord, the Three-and-Thirty gods were glad and of good cheer, were filled with joy and happiness, saying, " Verily, sirs, the celestial hosts are waxing ; the hosts of the titans are waning ! " 3. ' Then Sakka, lord, ruler of the gods, when he saw the satisfaction felt by the Three-and-Thirty gods, expressed his approval in these verses : — - The Three-and-Thirty, verily, both gods and lord, rejoice, Tathagata they honour and the cosmic law sublime, Whereas they see these gods new-risen, beautiful and bright, Who erst the holy life had lived, under the Happy One, The Mighty Sage's hearers, who had won to higher truths, Come hither ; and in glory all the other gods outshine. This they behold right gladly, both lord and ThirtyThree, Tathagata they honour and the cosmic law sublime.

1 Hereat, lord, [222] the Three-and-Thirty gods were even more abundantly glad and of good cheer, and filled with joy and happiness, saying : " Verily, sirs, the celestial hosts are waxing ; the hosts of the titans are waning ! " 1 4. ' Then Sakka, lord, perceiving the satisfaction of the Three-and-Thirty gods, addressed them thus : — "Is it your wish, gentlemen, to hear eight truthful items in praise of that Exalted One ? " " It is our wish, sir, to hear them." 1 Then Sakka, lord, ruler of the gods, uttered before P. ii. 223. THE LORD HIGH STEWARD. 261 the Three-and-Thirty gods these eight truthful items in praise of the Exalted One : — 5. " Now what think ye, my lords gods Three-andThirty ? Inasmuch as the Exalted One has so wrought for the good of the many, for the happiness of the many, for the advantage, the good, happiness of gods and men, out of compassion for the world — a teacher of this kind, of this character, we find not, whether we survey the past or whether we survey the present — save only the Exalted One. 6. " Inasmuch, again, as the Doctrine has been proclaimed by that Exalted One, a Doctrine for the life that now is, a Doctrine not for mere temporary gain, a Doctrine of welcome and of guidance, to be comprehended by the wise each in his own heart — a preacher of such a Doctrine so leading us on, a teacher of this kind, of this character we find not, whether we survey the past, or whether we survey the present, save only the Exalted One.

7. " ' This is good ; that is bad ' — well has this been revealed by that Exalted One, well has he revealed that this is wrong, [223] and that is right, that this is to be followed, that to be avoided, that this is base and that noble, that this is of the Light and this of the Dark1. Such a Revelation of the nature of things, a teacher of this kind, of this character we find not, whether we survey the past, or whether we survey the present, save only the Exalted One. 8. "Well revealed, again, to his disciples by that Exalted One is the Way leading to Nirvana ; they run one into the other, Nirvana and the Way. Even as the waters of the Ganges and the Jumna now one into the other, and go on together united, so it is with that well-revealed Way leading to Nirvana; they run one into the other, Nirvana and the Way. A revealer of such a Way leading to Nirvana, a teacher of this kind, 1 In Milinda, these contrasted distinctions are given to illustrate the exercise of sati ('minding' or 'remembering') by way of careful practice. ' Questions of King Milinda,' i. 58.

262 XIX. MAHA-GOVINDA SUTTANTA. D. ii. 223. of this character we find not, whether we survey the past, or whether we survey the present, save only that Exalted One. 9. " Comrades too has this Exalted One gotten, both students only, travelling along the Way, and Arahants who have lived ' the life.' Them does he not send away, but dwells in fellowship with them whose hearts are set on one object. A teacher so dwelling, of this kind, of this character, we find not, whether we survey the past, or whether we survey the present, save only that Exalted One. 10. "Well established1 are the gifts made2 to that Blessed One, widely established is his fame, so much so that the nobles, methinks, continue well disposed towards him. Yet notwithstanding, that Exalted One takes sustenance with a heart unintoxicated by pride. One so living, a teacher of this kind, of this character, we find not, whether we survey the past, or whether we survey the present, save only that Exalted One. 1 1. [224] " The acts, again, of that Exalted One conform to his speech ; his speech conforms to his acts. One who has so carried out hereby the greater and the lesser matters of the Law, a teacher of this kind, of this character, we find not, whether we survey the past, or whether we survey the present ; save only that Exalted One.

12. " Crossed, too, by that Exalted One has been the sea of doubt, gone by for him is all question of the ' how ' and ' why,' accomplished for him is every purpose with respect to his high resolve and the ancient rule of right. A teacher who has attained thus far, of this kind, of this character, we find not, whether we survey the past, or whether we survey the present, save only that Exalted One." ' These eight true praises, lord, of the Exalted One 2 Ajjhasayaw adi-brahmacariyaOT. Buddhaghosa says these two words are to be taken distributively, and refer to his lofty intentions and to the ethics of the Aryan Path. D. ii. 225. THE LORD HIGH STEWARD. 263 did Sakka, ruler of the gods, utter before the Threeand-Thirty gods. Hereat the Three-and-Thirty gods were even more abundantly pleased, gladdened and filled with joy and happiness over the things they had heard. 13. 'Then certain gods, lord, spoke thus: — "Oh! sir, if only four supreme Buddhas might arise in the world and teach the Doctrine even as the Exalted One ! That would make for the welfare of the many, for the happiness of the many, for compassion to the world, for the good and the gain and the weal of gods and men."

' And certain other gods spoke thus : — " It would suffice, sir, if there arose three supreme Buddhas in the world." ' And certain other gods spoke thus : — " It would suffice, sir, if two supreme Buddhas arose in the world . . . for the good and the gain and the weal of gods and men." 14. [225] 'Then answered Sakka, ruler of the gods to the Three-and-Thirty : — " Nowhere, gentlemen, and at no time is it possible that, in one and the same world-system, two Arahant Buddhas supreme should arise together, neither before nor after the other. This can in no wise be. Ah ! gentlemen, would that this Blessed One might yet live for long years to come, free from disease and free from suffering" ! That would make for the welfare of the many, for the happiness of the many, for loving compassion to the universe, for the good and the gain and the weal of gods and men ! ' Then, lord, the Three-and-Thirty gods having thus deliberated and taken counsel together concerning- the matter for which they were assembled and seated in the Hall of Good Counsel, with respect to that matter the Four Kings were receivers of the spoken word, the Four Great Kings were receivers of the admonition given, remaining the while in their places, not retiring1.

1 This sounds very much as if the Four Great Kings were looked upon as Recorders (in their memory, of course) of what had been 264 XIX- MAHA-GOVINDA SUTTANTA. D. ii. 225. Taking the uttered word and speech, the Kings Stood there, serene and calm, each in his place. 15. ' Then, lord, from out of the North came forth a splendid light, and a radiance shone around, surpassing the divine glory of the gods. Then did Sakka, ruler of the gods, say to the dwellers in the heaven of the Three-and-Thirty : — "According, gentlemen, to the signs now seen, the light that ariseth, the radiance that appeareth — will Brahma now be made manifest. For this is the herald sign of the manifestation of Brahma, when the light ariseth and the glory shineth. Even by yonder signs great Brahma draweth nigh. For this is Brahma s sign, this glorious splendour vast. [226] c Then, lord, the Three-and-Thirty gods sat down again in their own places, saying : — " We will ascertain what shall be the result of this radiance ; when we have realized it, we will go to meet him." The Four Kings also sat down in their places, saying the same- And when they heard that, the Three-andThirty gods were all agreed saying : " We will ascertain what will be the result of this radiance ; when we have verified it, we will go to meet him."

16. 'When, lord, Brahma Sana^zkumara appears before the Three-and-Thirty gods, he manifests himself as an individual of relatively gross substance which he has specially created. For Brahma's usual appearance is not sufficiently materialized for the scope of the sight of the Three-and-Thirty gods. And, lord, when Brahma Sana;?zkumara is manifested before these gods, he outshines the other gods in his appearance and his glory. Just as a figure made of gold outshines the human frame, so, when Brahma Sanawkumara is manifested before the Three-and-Thirty gods, does he outshine the other gods in his appearance and his glory. And when, lord, Brahma Sanawkumara is manifested said. They kept the minutes of the meeting. If so (the gods being made in the image of men) there must have been such Recorders at the meetings in the Mote Halls of the clans. D. ii. 228. THE LORD HIGH STEWARD. 265 before the Three-and-Thirty gods, not one god in that assembly salutes him, or rises up, or invites him to be seated. They all sit in silence with folded hands and cross-legged, each thinking : ' Of whichever god Brahma Sanawkumara now desires anything, he will seat himself on that god's divan. And that god by whom he does so seat himself is filled with a sublime satisfaction, a sublime happiness, [227] even as a Kshatriya king that is just anointed and crowned, is filled with a sublime satisfaction, a sublime happiness.

17. 'Then, lord, Brahma Sana;^kumara, perceiving how gratified were those Three-and-Thirty gods, uttered his approval while invisible in these verses : — . The Three-and-Thirty, verily, both gods and lord, rejoice, Tathagata they honour and the cosmic law sublime, Whereas they see these gods new-risen, beautiful and bright, Who erst the holy life had lived, under the Happy One, The Mighty Sage's hearers, who had won to higher truths, Come hither ; and in glory all the other gods outshine. This they behold right gladly, both lord and ThirtyThree, Tathagata they honour and the cosmic law sublime. 18. 'This, lord, was the substance of Brahma the Eternal Youth's speech. And he spoke it with a voice of eightfold quality — a voice that was fluent, intelligible, sweet and audible, sustained and distinct, deep and resonant. And whereas, lord, he made himself audible to that assembly by his voice, the sound thereof did not penetrate beyond the assembly. He whose voice has these eight qualities is said to have a Brahma-voice. 19. ' Then, lord, to Brahma the Eternal Youth the Three-and-Thirty gods spoke thus : — " 'Tis well, O Brahma ! we do rejoice at this that we have noted. [228] Moreover Sakka, ruler of the gods,

266 XIX. MAHA-GOVINDA SUTTANTA. D. ii. 228. hath rehearsed to us eight truthful praises of that Exalted One, and these too we have marked and do rejoice thereat." ' Then, lord, Brahma the Eternal Youth spoke thus to Sakka, ruler of the gods : — " Tis well, O ruler of the gods ; we too would hear the eight truthful praises of that Exalted One." " So be it, O Great Brahma," replied Sakka. And thereupon, beginning " Now what thinketh my lord, the Great Brahma ? " [he uttered once more those eight truthful praises of the Blessed One, §§ 2 1-27]1. Hereat, lord, Brahma the Eternal Youth was pleased and gladdened, and was filled with joy and happiness when he had heard those praises. 28. [230] ' And so, lord, Brahma the Eternal Youth materializing himself and becoming in appearance like the youth Five-crest, manifested himself to the Threeand-Thirty gods, and rising up into the air, he sat down cross-legged in the sky. J ust, lord, as easily as a strong man might sit down cross-legged on a well-spread divan or a smooth piece of ground, even so did Brahma the Eternal Youth, rising up into the air, sit down crosslegged in the sky. And he addressed the Three-andThirty gods thus : —

29. "Now what think ye, my lord gods Thirty-andThree ? For how long hath the Blessed One been of great wisdom? 2 Once upon a time there was a king named Disampati. And king Disampati's minister was a brahmin named Govinda (the Steward) 3. And king Disampati had a son named Re/m, and Govinda had a son named Jotipala. And prince Renu. and the young Jotipala and six other young nobles — these eight — were great friends. [231] Now in the course of years Govinda 1 §§ 5—1 2 repeated in the text. 2 The Cy. here supplements: Himself desirous of clearing up this problem, it is as if he went on to say, that there was nothing wonderful in that, so he tells the story. 3 It is evident from §§ 30, 31 that Govinda, literally 'Lord of the Herds,' was a title, not a name, and means Treasurer or Steward. D. ii. 232. THE LORD HIGH STEWARD. 267 died. And king Disampati mourned for him, saying : — ' Alas ! just when we had devolved all our duties on Govinda the brahmin, and were surrounded by and giving ourselves up to the pleasures of sense, Govinda has died ! '

Then said prince Keuu to the king : — ' Mourn not, sire, so excessively for Govinda, the brahmin. Govinda has a son, young Jotipala, who is wiser than his father was, better able to see what is profitable than his father. Let Jotipala administer all such affairs as were entrusted to his father.' 1 Do you think so, my boy ? ' ' I do, sire.' 30. Then king Disampati summoned a man and said: 'Come you, good man, go to Master Jotipala, and say to him : — May good fortune attend the honourable Jotipala! King Disampati calls for the honourable Jotipala. King Disampati would like to see the honourable Jotipala.' ' So be it, sire,' responded the man, and going to Jotipala he [232] repeated the message. ' Very good, sir,' responded Jotipala, and went to wait upon the king. And when he had come into the king's presence, he exchanged with the king the greetings and compliments of politeness and courtesy, and sat down on one side. Then said king Disampati to Jotipala: — "We would have the honourable youth Jotipala administer for us. Let him not refuse to do so. I will set him in his father's place and appoint him to the Stewardship1."

' So be it, sire,' replied Jotipala in assent. 31. So king Disampati appointed Jotipala as his Steward, and set him in his father's place. And thus appointed and installed, whatever matters his father had administered, those did Jotipala administer ; and 1 Govindiye abhisificissami. Literally, ' I will anoint him to the Govinda-ship ' (the Lordship over the herds). The expression ' anoint ' is noteworthy. It suggests that the office was of royal rank. But a king was of lower rank then than now. 268 XIX. MAHA-GOVINDA SUTTANTA. D. ii. 232. whatever his father had not administered, those matters did he too not administer. And whatever works his father had accomplished, and no others, even such works, and no others, did he too accomplish. Of him men said : — ' The brahmin is verily a Steward ! A Great Steward is verily this brahmin ! ' And on this wise Jotipala came to be called the High Steward. 32. Now it came to pass that the Great Steward went to those six nobles, and said to them : ' Disampati the king is old and wasted with age, [233] full of years, and arrived at the term of life. Who indeed can answer for the survival of the living ? When the king dies, it will behove the king-makers to anoint Re/m the prince as king. I suggest, gentlemen, that you wait on prince Re72u, and say to him thus : ' We are the dear, beloved, and congenial friends of our lord Re/m. We are happy when our lord is happy ; unhappy when he is unhappy. Disampati, our lord king, is old and wasted with age, full of years and arrived at the term of life. Who indeed can answer for the living ? When the king dies, it will behove the kin^-makers to anoint our lord Re;m kin^. If our lord Re;/u should gain the sovereignty, let him divide it with us." '

33. ' So be it,' responded the six nobles, and waiting upon prince Re;m they repeated these words to him. ' Why, sirs, who besides myself ought to prosper in this realm if it be not you ? If I, sirs, shall gain the sovereignty, I will divide it with you.' 34. [234] And it came to pass in course of time that king Disampati died. And after his death, the kingmakers anointed Re/m his son king. And he, when he was made king, lived surrounded by and given up to the pleasures of sense. Then the High Steward went to those six nobles and said thus : — ' Disampati, gentlemen, is dead, and my lord Re;m lives surrounded by and given up to the pleasures of sense. Well, gentlemen, who can say ? The pleasures of sense are intoxicating, I would suggest, gentlemen, D. ii. 235. THE LORD HIGH STEWARD. 269 that you wait on king Rezm and say to him : " king Disampati, my lord, is dead, my lord Re/m is anointed king. Does my lord remember his promise ? " ' Very good, sir,' responded the six nobles, and going into ReWs presence, they said : —

' King Disampati, sire, is dead, and my lord Re?zu is anointed king. Does my lord remember his promise ? ' 1 I do remember my promise, gentlemen. Which of you gentlemen now is able successfully to divide this mighty earth, so broad on the north and ... x on the south, into seven equal portions ? ' ' Who, sire, is able if it be not the Great Steward, the brahmin ?' 35. Then king Re;m sent a man to the Great Steward, saying : — ' Come, my good fellow, go to the Great Steward, the brahmin, and say : " The king has sent for you, my lord." [235] And the Great Steward was told and obeyed, and, coming into the king's presence, exchanged with him the greetings and compliments of politeness and courtesy, and sat down on one side. Then said the king to him : ' Will you go, my lord Steward, and so divide this great earth wide on the north and .... on the south into seven equal portions, all . . .' ' Very good, sire,' responded the High Steward, [And this he did.] 36. And king Re;m's country held the central position. As it is said : —

1 Saka/amukka. This adjective, applied here to the earth, and at the end of the next section to the seven kingdoms, is at present quite unintelligible ; and is left untranslated. The traditional explanations differ. Samarasekara (Colombo, 1905) translates here (p. 1016) dakurcu pasin gael mukhayak lesa/a, that is, 'on the south side like a waggon's mouth.' Buddhaghosa has nothing here ; but below as applied to the kingdoms he explains ' with their mouths debouching together.' Neither is satisfactory. It has been suggested that it might mean ' facing the Wain,' that is, the constellation of the Great Bear. But this is unfortunately in the North. The front opening of a bullock waggon is (now) elliptical in form. 2 70 XIX. MAHA-GOVINDA SUTTANTA. D. ii. 235. Dantapura of the Kalingas, and Potana for the Assakas, Mahissati for the Avantis, and Roruka in the Sovira Mithila of the Videhas, and then Campa among the Aiigas, Lastly Benares in the Kasi realm :— all these did the Great Steward wisely plan. [236] Then were those six nobles well pleased each with his allotted gain, and at the success of his plan. For they said : — ' What we wished for, what we desired, what we intended, what we aimed at, lo ! that is what we have gotten.' And the seven kings were named : —

Sattabhu and Brahmadatta, Vessabhu with Bharata, Kenu and two Dhatara/Mas : — These are the seven Bharatas.1 Here ends the first Portion for Recitation. 1 If we follow the order of the names in this no doubt very old mnemonic doggrel, the result may be tabulated thus : — x. Dantapura Kalingas Sattabhu. 2. Potana Assakas Brahmadatta. 3. Mahissati Avantis Vessabhu. 4. Roruka Soviras Bharata. 5. Mithila Videhas Re;*u. 6. Campa Ahgas Dhatara/Ma. 7. Barawasi Kasis Dhatara///za. This list is enough to show that the verses do not fit with the story. Re?zu's kingdom is said in the text to be in the middle. No one of these seven kingdoms is in the midst of the others. Benares would suit that position less badly, than any other. It was probably intended therefore that Disampati and Re;/u were kings or chieftains in Benares. The king Bharata of the Soviras of J. Ill, 470 may be the same as the Bharata who also appears in the table here as king of the Soviras. The Remi of J. IV, 444 is king of the Kurus. None of the numerous Brahmadattas in the Jatakas can be identified with our Brahmadatta. Our Disampati and Re/m are referred to, apparently as kings of Benares, at Dipava/wsa III, 40.

The verses survived, but in a very corrupt state, down to the time of the Mahavastu (Vol. Ill, p. 208, ed. Senart). B. ii. 238. THE LORD HIGH STEWARD. 27 1 37. Now those six nobles came to the High Steward and said to him : — ' Just as the honourable Steward was dear, beloved and congenial as companion to Re;m the king, so has he been also to us a companion, dear, beloved and congenial. We would that the honourable Steward administer our affairs ; we trust he will not refuse to do so.' ' Very good, sirs,' replied the Great Steward. And so he instructed those seven anointed kings in government ; and he taught the mantras to seven eminent and wealthy Brahmins and to seven hundred young graduates. 38. [237] Now later on the excellent reputation of the brahmin, the High Steward, was noised abroad after this fashion: — 'With his own eyes the High Steward sees Brahma ! Face to face does the High Steward commune with Brahma, converse and take counsel with Him ! ' Then the High Steward thought : 4 This flattering rumour is noised abroad about me, that I both see Brahma and hold converse with Him. Now I neither see Him, nor commune with Him, nor converse or take counsel with Him. But I have heard aged and venerable brahmins, teachers and pupils, say : "He who remains in meditation the four months of the rains, and practises the ecstasy of pity, he sees Brahma, communes, converses, takes counsel with Brahma ? What if I now were to cultivate that discipline ? " '

39. So the High Steward waited on king Re?^u, and telling him of the reputation imputed to himself, and of his wish to practise seclusion, added : ' I wish, sir, to meditate during the four months of the rains and to practise the ecstasy of pity. No one is to come near me save some one who will bring me my meals.' ' Do, honourable Steward, whatever seems to you fit.' 40. [238] And the High Steward went round to each of the six nobles, told them the same, and took his leave of them also. 41. Then he went to those seven eminent and wealthy Brahmins, and to the seven hundred graduates, 2 72 XIX. MAHA-GOVINDA SUTTANTA. D. ii. 238. and telling them [too of the rumours and of his wish to practise seclusion], said : — ' Wherefore, sirs, according as you have heard the mantras and have committed them to memory, continue to rehearse them in full, and teach them to each other. I, sirs, wish to meditate during the four months of the rains, and to practise the ecstasy of pity. No one is to come near me save some one who shall bring me my meals.'

' Do, honourable Steward, whatever seems to you fit.' 42. [239] Next the High Steward went to his forty wives who were all on an equality, and told them [too of the rumours and of his wish to practise ecstasy in seclusion. And they replied like the others.] 43. Then the High Steward had a new rest-house built eastward of the city, and there for the four months of the rains he meditated, rapt in the Ecstasy of Pity ; nor did any one have access to him save one who brought him his meals. But when the four rainy months were over, then verily came disappointment and anguish over him as he thought : ' Here have I heard aged and venerable brahmins, teachers and their pupils, say : "He who remains in meditation the four months of the rains, and practises the Ecstasy of Pity, he sees Brahma, communes, converses, and takes counsel with Brahma." But I see not Brahma, I commune not, nor converse, nor take counsel with Him.' 44. Then Brahma, the Eternal Youth, when in his mind he knew the thoughts [240] of the High Steward's mind, vanished from his heaven, and, like a strong man shooting his arm out or drawing back his out-shot arm, appeared before the High Steward. Then verily came fear, then came trembling upon the High Steward, then did the hair of his flesh stand up * when he saw this thing that had never been seen before. And he, full of fear and dread with stiffening hair, addressed Brahma the Eternal Youth in these verses : —

1 See above, p. 240. D. ii. 241. THE LORD HIGH STEWARD. 27 ' O Vision fair, O glorious and divine ! Who art thou, lord ? knowing thee not we ask, That we may know ! ' 1 In heaven supreme I'm known As the Eternal Youth. All know me there. Know me e'en thou, Govinda.' ' To a Brahma Blest Let seat and water for the feet and sweet Cooked cakes and drink be brought. We ask what gift The Lord would take. Would he himself decide The form for us V ' Hereby we take thy gift, And now — whether it be for good and gain In this thy present life, or for thy weal In that which shall be — Thou hast leave. Come, ask, Govinda, whatsoe'er thou fain would'st have ? ' 45. Then the High Steward thought: 'Leave is given me by Brahma the Eternal Youth ! What now shall I ask of him, some good thing for this life, or a future good ? ' [24l] Then it occurred to him : ' I am an expert regarding what is profitable for this life. Even others consult me about that. What now if I were to ask Brahma the Eternal Youth for something of advantage in a life to come ? ' And he addressed the god in these verses : —

' I ask the Brahma, the Eternal Youth, Him past all doubt I, doubting, ask anent The things that others would fain know about. Wherein proficient, in what method trained Can mortal reach th' immortal world of Brahm ? ' 1 The expressions here are all elliptical, and it is not certain that the meanings supplied are quite right as the idioms agghe pucchati and aggha7« no karoti do not occur elsewhere. The sequence of ideas would seem to be : ' Only such and such are fit to be offered as a mark of respect to so holy a deity. But not knowing which is best, I ask. Let the Holy One make it right.' Then the deity, who wants nothing, taking the will for the deed, says he accepts ; and offers a boon. 2 74 XIX« MAHA-GOVINDA SUTTANTA. D. ii. 241. ' He among men, O Brahmin, who eschews All claims of " me " and " mine " ; he in whom thought Rises in lonely calm, in pity rapt, Loathing all foul things, dwelling in chastity, — Herein proficient, in such matters trained, Mortal can reach th' immortal heav'n of Brahm.' 46. 'What the Lord saith touching "eschewing all claims of 'me' and 'mine' I understand. It is to renounce all property whether it be small or large, and to renounce all family life, whether the circle of one's kin be small or large, and with hair and beard cut off and yellow robes donned, to go forth from the home into the homeless life. Thus do I understand this.

' What the Lord saith touching " thought rising in lonely calm" I understand. It is when one chooses a solitary abode — the forest, at the foot of a tree, a mountain brae, a grotto, a rock-cavern, a cemetery, or a heap of grass out in the open field. Thus do I understand this [242]. ' What the Lord saith touching " in pity rapt " I understand. It is when one continues to pervade one quarter of the horizon with a heart charged with pity, and so the second quarter, and so the third, and so the fourth. And thus the whole wide world, above, below, around and everywhere does one continue to pervade with a heart charged with pity, far-reaching, expanded, infinite, free from wrath and ill will. Thus do 1 understand this. ' Only in what He saith touching " loathing the foul " do I not understand thee, Lord. ' What mean'st thou by " foul odours among men," O Brahma ? here I understand thee not. Tell what these signify, who knowest all. When cloaked and clogged by what is man thus foul, Hell-doomed, and shut off from the heaven of Brahm ? '

[243] ' Anger and lies, deceit and treachery, Selfishness, self-conceit and jealousy, D. ii. 244. THE LORD HIGH STEWARD. 275 Greed, doubt, and lifting hands 'gainst fellow men, Lusting and hate, dulness and pride of life, — When yoked with these man is of odour foul, Hell-doomed, and shut out from the heav'n of Brahm.' 4 As I understand the word of the Lord concerning these " foul odours," they cannot easily be suppressed if one live in the world. I will therefore go forth from the home into the life of the homeless state.' 1 Do, lord steward, whatever seems to you fit.' 47. Then the High Steward waited on king Re/m and said to him : — ' Will my lord now seek another minister, who will administer my lord's affairs ? I wish to leave the world for the homeless life. I am going forth in accordance with the word of Brahma which I have heard concerning- foul odours. These cannot be easily suppressed when one is living in the world. 1 King Re«u, lord o' the land, I here declare : — Do thou thyself take thought for this thy realm ! I care no longer for my ministry.'

' If for thy pleasures aught there lacketh yet, I'll make it good. If any injure thee, Them I'll restrain, warlord and landlord I ! Thou art my father, Steward, lo ! I am thy son ! Abide with us, Govinda, leave us not.' ' Naught lack I for my pleasures, nor is there One who doth injure me. But I have heard Voices unearthly. Henceforth home holds me not.' [244] ■ What like is this Unearthly ? What did He say To thee, that having heard thou will straightway Forsake our house and us and all the world ? ' ' Ere I had passed through this Retreat, my care Was for due altar-rites, the sacred fire Was kindled, strewn about with kusa-grass. But lo ! Brahma I saw, from Brahma's heav'n, Eternal god. I asked ; he made reply ; I heard. And now irksome is home to me.' 276 XIX. MAHA-GOVINDA SUTTANTA. D. ii. 244. ' Lo ! I believe the words that thou hast said. Govinda. Having heard the Unearthly Voice. How could it be thou should'st act otherwise ? Thee will we follow after. Be our guide, Our teacher ! So, like gem of purest ray, Purg'd of all dross, translucent, without flaw, — As pure as that we'll walk according to thy word.'

' If the honourable Steward goes forth from the home into the homeless, I too will do the like. For whither thou goest, I will go.' 48. Then the High Steward, the brahmin, waited upon the six nobles, and said to them : ' Will my lords now seek another minister who will administer my lords' affairs ? I wish to leave the world for the homeless life. I am going forth in accordance with the word of Brahma which I have heard concerningfoul odours. These cannot be easily suppressed when one is living in the world.' Then the six nobles went aside together [245] and thus deliberated : — ' These brahmin folk are greedy for money. What if we were to gain him over through money?' And coming to the High Steward they said : — ' There is abundance of property, sir, in these seven kingdoms. Wherefore, sir, take of it as much as seems profitable to you.' ' Enough, sirs ! I have already abundant possessions, thanks to the action of my lords. It is that luxury that I am now relinquishing in leaving the world for the homeless life, [even as I have told you].'

49. Then the six nobles went aside together, and thus deliberated : ' These brahmin folk are greedy about women. What if we, were to gain him over through women?' And coming to the High Steward they said : ' There is, sir, in those seven kingdoms abundance of women. Wherefore, sir, conduct away with you as many as you want.' ' Enough, sirs ! I have already these forty wives equal in rank. All of them I am forsaking in leaving the world for the homeless life, [even as I have told you].' D. ii. 247. THE LORD HIGH STEWARD. 277 50. [248] ' If the honourable Steward goes forth from the home into the homeless life, we too will do the like. Whither thou goest we will go.' • If ye would put off fleshly lusts that worldling's heart coerce, Stir ye the will, wax strong, firm in the power of patience. This is the Way, the Way that's Straight1, the Way unto the End 2, The Righteous Path that good men guard, to birth 51. 'Wherefore, my lord Steward, wait yet seven years, and when they are over, we too will go forth from the world into the homeless life. Whither thou goest we will go.'

' Too long, my lords, are seven years ! I cannot wait for my lords seven years. For who can answer for the living ? 3 We must go toward the future, we must learn by wisdom 4, we must do good, we must walk in righteousness, for there is no escaping death for all that's born. Now I am o-oino- forth in accordance with the word of Brahma which I have heard concerning foul odours. They cannot be easily suppressed when one is living in the world.' 52. 'Well then, lord Steward, wait for us six years, . . . [or] wait five years . . . four years . . . three . . . two years . . • one year. When a year has gone by we too will leave the world for the Homeless State. Whither thou goest we will go.' 53. 'Too long, my lords, is one year. I cannot [247] wait for my lords one year. For who can answer for the living ? We must go towards the future, we must learn by wisdom, we must do good, we must walk 1 See S. I, 33 : — ' Straight is that way named.'

2 Anuttaro, lit. having no beyond. The Cy. interprets asadiso, uttamo (unique, supreme). 3 See above, p. 268. * Mantaya. Manta vuccati pafifia, says Buddhaghosa. Cp. the commentary on Dhp. 363; and Anguttara II, 141-228. 278 XIX. MAHA-GOVINDA SUTTANTA. D. ii. 247. in righteousness, for there is no escaping death for all that's born. Now I am going forth in accordance with the word of Brahma which I have heard concerning foul odours. They cannot easily be suppressed when one is living in the world.' 54. ' Well then, lord Steward, wait for us seven months . . . six months . . . five . . . four . . . three . . . two months . . . one month . . . [55] half a month . . . seven days, [248] till we have devolved our kingdoms on to our sons and brothers. When seven days are over, we will leave the world for the Homeless State. Whither thou goest we will go.' ' Seven days, my lords, is not a long time. I will wait, my lords, for seven days.' 56. Then the High Steward, the brahmin, came to those seven eminent and wealthy brahmins and to those seven hundred graduates, and said: — 'Will ye now seek another teacher, sirs, who will (by repetition) teach you the mystic verses ? * I wish to leave the world for the homeless life. I am going forth in accordance with the word of Brahma which I have heard concerning foul odours. These cannot easily be suppressed when one is living in the world.'

' Let the honourable Steward not leave the world for the homeless life ! Leaving the world means little power and little gain ; to be a brahmin brings great power and great gain.' ' Speak not so, gentlemen, of leaving the world or of being a brahmin. Who for that matter has greater power or wealth than I ? I, sirs, have been hitherto as a king of kings, as Brahma to brahmins, as a deity 2 to householders. And this, all this, I put away in leaving the world, in accordance with th? word of Brahma . . .' [249] ' If the lord Steward leaves the world for the Homeless State, we too will do the like. Whither thou goest, we will go.' 1 Mante. See last note. 2 Devata; ' like Sakka, king of gods, to all other heads of families.' Cy. The phrase might be taken to mean that Brahma was not a devata. 1). ii. 250. THE LORD HIGH STEWARD. 279 57. Then the High Steward, the Brahmin, went to his forty wives, all on an equality, and said : — ' Will each of you, ladies, who may wish to do so, go back to her own family and seek another husband ? I wish, ladies, to leave the world for the homeless life, in accordance with the word of Brahma . . .'

4 Thou, even thou, art the kinsman of our hearts' desire ; thou art the husband of our hearts' desire. If the lord Steward leaves the world for the Homeless State, we too will do the like. Whither thou sroest, we will go.' 58. And so the High Steward, the brahmin, when those seven days were past, let his hair and beard be cut off, donned the yellow robes and went forth from his home into the Homeless State. And he having so acted, the seven kings also, anointed kshatriyas, as well as the seven eminent and wealthy brahmins and the seven hundred graduates, the forty wives all on an equality, several thousand nobles, several thousand brahmins, several thousand commoners and several young women from women's quarters, let their hair be cut, donned the yellow robes and went forth from their homes into the Homeless State. And so, escorted by this company, the High Steward, the brahmin, went a-wandering through the villages, towns, [250] and cities. And whether he arrived at village or town or city, there he became as a king to kings, as Brahma to brahmins, as a deity to commoners. And in those days when any one sneezed or slipped, they called out : — ' Glory be to the High Steward, the brahmin ! Glory be to the Minister of Seven ! '

59. Now the High Steward, the brahmin, continued to pervade each of the four quarters of the horizon with a heart charged with love . • . with pity . . . with sympathy in joy . . . with equanimity. And so the whole wide world above, below, around, and everywhere did he continue to pervade with heart charged with equanimity, far-reaching, expanded, infinite, free from wrath and ill will. And he taught to disciples the way to union with the world of Brahma. 28o XIX. MAHA-GOVINDA SUTTANTA. D. ii. 250. 60. Now all they who at that time had been the High Steward's disciples and in all points wholly understood his teaching, were after their death reborn into the blissful world of Brahma. They who had not in all points wholly understood his teaching, were after their death reborn into the company either of the gods who Dispose of Joys purveyed from without, or of the gods of the Heaven of Boundless Delight, or of the gods of the Heavens of Bliss, or of the Yama gods, [25l] or of the Three-and-Thirty gods, or of the gods who are the Four Kings of the Horizon. Even they who accomplished the lowest realm of all, attained to the realm of the Gandharva fairies.

Thus of all those clansmen there was not one whose renunciation proved vain or barren ; in each case it bore fruit and development.' 61. ' Does the Exalted One remember?' ' I do remember, Five-crest. I was the High Steward of those days.1 I taught my disciples the way to communion with the Brahma world. But, Five-crest, that religious life did not conduce to detachment, to passionlessness, to cessation of craving, to peace, to understanding, to insight of the higher stages of the Path, to Nirvana, but only to rebirth in the Brahma-world. On the other hand my religious system, Five-crest, conduces wholly and solely to detachment, to passionlessness, to cessation of craving, to peace, to understanding, to insight of the higher stages of the Path, to Nirvana. And that is the Aryan Eightfold Path, to wit, right views, right intention, right speech, right, action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right rapture. 62. ' Those of my disciples, Five-crest, who in all points wholly understand my teaching, they from the 1 In spile of this express statement this legend of the High Steward does not appear in the canonical collection of Birth Stories. See Rhys Davids's ' Buddhist India,' p. 196, for other instances.

D. ii. 252. THE LORD HIGH STEWARD. 28 1 destruction of the Deadly Taints have by and for themselves understood, realized and attained to, even in this life, freedom from taint, liberty of heart, liberty of intellect. [252] Those who do not in all points wholly understand my teaching, some of them, in that they have broken away the five Fetters belonging to the Hither Side, are reborn without parents, where they will utterly pass away, being no more liable to return to this world. And some of them, in that they have broken away three [other] Fetters, and have worn down passion and hate and dulness, become OnceReturners, who after once returning to this world shall make an end of 111. And some of them, again, in that they have broken away those three Fetters, become Stream-Attainers, not liable to be reborn in any state of woe, but assured of attaining to the Insight. And so, Five-crest, of all, even all those persons, there is not one whose renunciation is vain or barren ; in each case it will have brought fruit and development' Thus spoke the Exalted One. And Five-crest of the Gandharva fairies was pleased at the word of the Exalted One, and in delight and gladness he saluted the Exalted One, and with the salutation of the right side he vanished from that place.

Here endeth the Story of the Lord High The method followed in this poem is nearly the same as in the two previous Suttantas, only here it is rather the minor gods, — the local deities, the personification of natural phenomena, guardian spirits, fairies, harpies, naiads, dryads, and many others — who are represented as themselves proclaiming their adherence to the new movement. Important gods are indeed incidentally mentioned ; and it is perhaps not without intention that great and small are here thrown together, as if Soma and Varu/^a and Brahma were really all of the same kind as the long list of spirits and fairies in which they appear *. The poem is almost unreadable now. The long list of strange names awakes no interest. And it is somewhat pathetic to notice the hopeless struggle of the author to enliven his unmanageable material with a little poetry. It remains, save here and there, only doggrel still. There are three parts to the poem. The first is the list of gods ; the second the frame-work, put into the Buddha's mouth, at the beginning (after the prologue), and at the end ; the third the prologue, with the verses of the four gods of the Pure Abode. The prologue has been preserved as a separate episode in the Sa;«yutta, I, 27. The way in which the list is fitted into the frame-work in our sections 4, 5, and 6 is very confused and awkward ; and the grammar of the frame-work is inconsistent with the grammar of the list. It is highly probable therefore that the list itself, and also the epilogue, had been handed down as independent works in the community before our Suttanta was composed. The frame-work may be the work of the editor.

Our list here begins in §§ 7, 8, with seven classes or groups of gods, without personal names. The personal names begin at § 9, with the four Great Kings of the four quarters ; and 1 So above, Vol. I, p. 1 7, the worship of Agni is deliberately inserted in a list of animistic hocus-pocus. §§ 10-20 follow with ten other groups in each of which the principal personal names are given. There is another list of gods in the A/ana/iya (No. 32 in the Digha). This other list also begins with the four Great Kings ; and then adds, as a sort of afterthought or appendix, the names of forty-one gods, all mentioned one after another, without division into groups, and without any details. Our §§ 10-20 look very much like an improved and enlarged edition of the bare list in the A/ana/iya. The latter is just such a mnemonic doggrel as was found useful in other cases also by the early Buddhists, who had no books, and were compelled to carry their dictionaries and works of reference in their heads. There are other instances in Pali literature of the original mnemonic verses, and their subsequent expansion, having both been preserved.

As the contents of the two lists, and their great importance for the history of religion in India, have been discussed elsewhere \ it is only necessary here to remind the reader that when these Suttantas were composed the names they contain were full of meaning to the people ; and that the legends here told were intended to counteract the animistic delusions about them then so prevalent in the Ganges valley. They are almost the only evidence we have as yet outside the priestly books. Perhaps the most important fact to which they bear testimony is the continual change in animistic belief that went on in India. They are of especial value, as they show what those beliefs were at a particular period. We shall not be able to have a scientific history of religion in India until the absurd anachronisms of the classical Sanskrit literature have been discarded ; and until we have learnt carefully to distinguish between the divers faiths and gods which, in those books, are mixed up together, and supposed to have remained the same for many centuries on end. 1 Rhys Davids's 'Buddhist India/ pp. 219-237. i. [253] Thus have I heard. The Blessed One was once dwelling among the Sakiyas, at Kapilavatthu in the Great Wood, together with a great band of the brethren, about five hundred of them, all being Arahants. And gods from the ten thousand worldsystems oft-times assembled there that they might visit the Exalted One and the band of brethren.

2. Now to four gods of the hosts of the Pure Abodes this thought occurred : — ' That Blessed One is now dwelling among the Sakiyas, at Kapilavatthu in the Great Wood, together with a great band of the brethren, about five hundred of them, all being Arahants. And gods from the ten thousand world-systems oft-times are assembling there to see the Exalted One and his band of brethren. What if we, too, were to go into his presence, and before him were to recite each of us a poem ? ' 3. Then those gods, as easily as a strong man might stretch out his arm, or draw back his out-stretched arm, [254] vanished from the Pure Abodes, and appeared before the Exalted One. There they saluted him and stood on one side. And so standing one of the gods recited to the Blessed One this verse : — ' Great is the gathering in the glade ! The hosts of heaven together met ! We too are come unto this congress blest, and fain would see Then another god recited to the Exalted One this verse : — D-.ii. 255. THE GREAT CONCOURSE. 285 ' The brethren there, wrought up to concentration rapt, make straight their hearts, Wisely, as driver keeping grip on rein, their faculties they guard.'

Then another £od recited to the Exalted One this 1 All bars and bolts are hewn in twain for them, The threshold is dug up.1 In purity, their way they go, Stainless, with vision clear, like well-tamed elephants.' [255] Then the other god recited to the Exalted One this verse : — ' Who in the Buddha refuge take, they shall not go to woeful doom. WThen they put off this human frame they shall fill up the hosts in heaven.' 4. Then said the Exalted One to the brethren : — 'Oft-times, brethren, do gods from the ten worldsystems foregather to see the Tathagata and the company of the Brethren. Whosoever, brethren, in the past were Arahant Buddhas supreme, upon them waited a like number of the heavenly hosts, and a like number shall wait upon whosoever shall, in the future, be Arahant Buddhas supreme. I will detail to you, brethren, the names of the hosts of gods, I will publish abroad, brethren, their names, I will teach you, brethren, their names. Hearken hereunto and pay heed, and I will speak.' ' Even so, lord,' responded the brethren. And the Exalted One spake thus : — 5. 'In measured speech I will give utterance : — Where'er their realm, there will ye find the gods, But they who in the bowels of the hills

Sit with heart throughly purged and well composed, 1 ' The bars and bolts and hindering threshold stone of lust, ill-will and stupidity,' explains Buddhaghpsa. 286 XX. MAHA-SAMAYA SUTTANTA. D. ii. 255. Like to so many lions crouching still, Are vanquishers over the creeping dread, White-minded, pure, serene and undefiled. [256] Seeing within Kapilavatthu's grove Five hundred such and more, disciples all, To them who loved his word the Master spoke : " Celestial hosts draw nio-h ! Look to it, brethren, that ye them discern ! " And they, hearing the Buddha's word, forthwith Strove ardently to see.1 6. And lo ! in them Arose vision of those not born of men. Some saw one hundred gods, ten hundred, some, And some saw seventy thousand, others saw Infinite multitudes throngfino- around. And all their sight and seeing He Who Sees Intuitively marked and understood. Then to his followers who loved his Word The Master turned and spoke : — " Celestial hosts Draw near ! Them do ye, brethren, recognize As I, in rhythmic speech, each in their turn Proclaim them unto you in order due : — " 7. Seven thousand Yakkhas of our country's soil Of wondrous gifts and powers exceeding great, And comeliness, and splendid following 2,

Are come rejoicing to the forest glade To see the brethren met together there. Six thousand Yakkhas from Himalaya, Diverse in hue, of wondrous gifts and powers 1 The connexion of the various clauses of this stanza is obscure ; and the interpretations of the native scholars differ. We have followed the version of the Colombo Sannaya of 1 89 1 . Samarasekhara's translation (Col. 1905) takes the assita in line 1 to refer to the Arahants. Buddhaghosa's commentary may be understood either way. All agree in referring fiatva in line 5 to the Buddha. 2 Yassassino, glossed here by Buddhaghosa as parivarasampanna, and later, in this Suttanta, by yasena samannagata. D. ii. 257. THE GREAT CONCOURSE. 287 And comeliness and splendid following, Are come rejoicing to the forest glade To see the brethren met together there. From Sata's Hill three thousand Yakkhas more, Diverse in hue, of wondrous gifts and powers And comeliness, with splendid following, Have come rejoicing to the forest glade To see the brethren met together there. Thus have I sixteen thousand Yakkhas told, Of diverse hue, of wondrous gifts and powers And comeliness, and splendid following, Who come rejoicing to the forest glade To see the brethren met together there.

8. [257] Five hundred more from Vessamitta's host, Of diverse hue, of wondrous gifts and powers And comeliness and splendid following, Have come rejoicing to the forest glade To see the brethren met together there. Kumbhira, too, of Rajagaha town, Having his dwelling on Vepulla's mount, More than a hundred thousand in his train, This Yakkha likewise to the wood is come. 9. King Dhatara///£a rules the Eastern clime, Lord of Gandhabbas, mighty monarch he, With splendid following. Sons has he too, Many and strong, all after Indra named. And these of wondrous gifts and mighty power And comeliness and splendid following, Have come rejoicing to the forest glade To see the brethren met together there. Viru/ha, ruler of the Southern clime, Lord of Kumba;^as, mighty monarch he, With splendid following. Sons has he too, Many and strong, all after Indra named. And these of wondrous gifts and mighty power And comeliness and splendid following, Have come rejoicing to the forest glade To see the brethren met together there. 288 XX. MAHA-SAMAYA SUTTANTA. D. ii. 257. Virupakkha rules o'er the Western clime, Lord of the Nagas, mighty monarch he, With splendid following. Sons has he too, Many and strong, all after Indra named. And these, of wondrous gifts and mighty power And comeliness and splendid following, Have come rejoicing to the forest glade To see the brethren met together there.

Kuvera rules over the Northern clime, Lord of the Yakkhas, mighty monarch he, With splendid following. Sons has he too, Many and strong, all after Indra named. And these, of wondrous gifts and mighty power [258] And comeliness and splendid following, Have come rejoicing to the forest glade To see the brethren met together there. So stood those four great kin^s within the wood Of Kapilavatthu, on the four climes Shedding effulgent radiance round about : Over the East King- Dhatara///^a shone, To right, Viru/haka, westward Virupakkha, Kuvera o'er the North. 10. With them are come their vassals versed in craft, Hoodwinking wizards, apt to cloak and feign : — Maya, Ku/e/^u, Ve/e/^u, ViAi, Vi/ucca, Candana, Ramase////a too, K'mnugha.udu, Nighandu (nine in all). Next, these Gandhabba chieftains all are come : — Panada, Opamanfia too, and Matali The driver of the gods, Cittasena The Gandhabba, Nala, Janesabha, Daughter of Timbaru. These princes all And with them other chiefs, Gandhabbas too, Are come rejoicing to the forest glade To see the brethren met together there. 1 1. Now too Nagas are come from Nabhasa, And from Vesali and from Tacchaka, D. ii. 259. THE GREAT CONCOURSE. 289 With all their kin. Nagas from Yamuna,

And Dhatara///£a, too, with brilliant trains, Eravana, great among Naga folk, He too is come into the forest glade. They who twice-born \ winged and keen Of sight, the heavenly Harpies who, With violence prey on Naga chiefs, — Gaudy and Well-winged are their names — Have flown into the wood. [259] — The cobra kings felt quite secure. A refuge from the dreadful birds Buddha had made. With gentle words Entreating one another they, The Harpies and their prey alike To the Buddha as their Sanctuary come. 12. They whom the Lightning- Hand did smite, Now dwellers in the ocean, A suras, Vasava's brethren, they of wondrous gifts And splendid train 2 : — The Kalakanjas all Of fearsome shape, the Danaveghasas, Sucitti, Vepacitti, and Paharada — With them came Namuci, spirit of Evil ; And Bali's hundred sons, all of them named After Veroca 3, having armed a host Of warriors, hied them to their noble liege, And Rahu said, " Good luck attend this mote For which the brethren now have sought the wood ! " 13. The gods of Fire and Water, Earth and Air Are hither come ; celestial Varu^as 1 All birds are twice-born, first from the mother's womb (when she lays the egg), and then from the egg itself.

2 These are all born of Suja, Vasava's mother, and had been driven out of heaven by ' Him-with-the-thunderbolt-in-his-hand.' The latter had been identified, at the time when this poem was composed, with Sakka. 8 That is, their uncle Rahu. III. U 290 XX. MAHA-SAMAYA SUTTANTA. D. ii. 259. With their attendant Varuneian sprites, And Soma with Yaso. Come, too, the gods From Love and Pity born, with splendid train. These ten, a tenfold host in all, of hue Diverse, of wondrous gifts and mighty power, And comeliness, with splendid following, Are come rejoicing to the forest glade To see the brethren met together there. 14. Come Vishnu with his gods, the Sahalis, The Asamas and the Yama twins 1 ; the elves That dwell within the moon attend the Moon, The solar fairies too attend the Sun, While fragile spirits of the Clouds attend The Constellations ; [260] Lord of the Vasus, too, God Sakka, Generous One of yore 2 : — These ten, a tenfold host in all, of hue Diverse, of wondrous gifts and mighty powers, And comeliness, with splendid following, Are come rejoicing to the forest glade To see the brethren met together there. 15. Now too are come the fairies Sahabhu, In flaming radiance like crests of fire : — The Ari/Z/zakas, Rojas, like azure flowers, With Varuwa and eke Sahadhamma, And Accuta is come, Anejaka

And Suleyya and Rucira are come, Come too Vasavanesi deities. These ten, a tenfold host in all, of hue Diverse, of wondrous gifts and mighty powers, And comeliness, with splendid following, Are come rejoicing to the forest glade To see the brethren' met together there. 16. Samanas, Great Samanas, sprites like men And sprites like Supermen, are come, the gods » — — . — ■ ■ ■■ — ...... , . , , . .. . . , 1 The Castor and Pollux of Indian mythology. 2 This seems to come in here most strangely : but it is an epithet of Sakka expressly designed to distinguish him from Indra, the Vedic god, whose epithet was 'Destroyer of Towns,' see p. 297. B. ii. 261. THE GREAT CONCOURSE. 29 1 Debauched-by-sport x are come and those DebauchedIn-mind2, fairies that haunt the Green and they That wear the Red, they too that Pass-Over, And the Great Passers-o'er, with splendid following. These ten, a tenfold host in all, of hue Diverse, of wondrous gifts and mighty powers, And comeliness, with splendid following, Are come rejoicing to the forest glade To see the brethren met together there. 17. Sukka, Arufta, Karumha fairies too, With Veghanasas, having at their head Th' Odatagayhas, come ; Vicakkha/zas, Sadamattas, Haragajas, and they

Called the Mixed gods with splendid following ; Pajunna thundering is come, he who Pours down the rains upon the quarters four. These ten, a tenfold host in all, of hue Diverse, of wondrous gifts and mighty powers, And comeliness, with splendid following, Are come rejoicing to the forest glade To see the brethren met together there. 18. [261] The Khemiyas and gods from Tusita And Yama heav'ns, the Kanakas and suite, Lambitakas and the chief Lama-gods, The Fiery spirits, and the Asavas, They who rejoice in shapes they make themselves, And they who use creations not their own 2. These ten, a tenfold host in all, of hue Diverse, of wondrous gifts and mighty powers, And comeliness, with splendid following, Are come rejoicing to the forest glade To see the brethren met together there. 19. These sixty spirit hosts, of divers hues, According to their name and class are come, 1 On these described in the Brahmajala Suttanta, see Dialogues I, 292 XX. MAHA-SAMAYA SUTTANTA. D. ii. 261. And with them others, whosoe'er they be, Saying " Him who has outlived birth, for whom No barrier stands, for whom the flood is crossed, The Asavas are not, Him shall we see, Ferry-man o'er the flood, mighty through purity \ Moon that has passed beyond th' enshrouding dark."

20. Then Tissa, the Eternal Youth, and with Him Paramatta and Subrahma, sons Of the Potent One, came to the congress-wood. Great Brahma, suzerain of thousand worlds In Brahma-heaven, has thither been reborn2, Mighty in power, and in shape awesome And vast, of great renown. Ten of his lords, Each regnant o'er a Brahma-world, are come, And in their midst with all his suite comes Harita3. 1 In this word-play, Nago means also N'agu, not having sin, says the Cy. : — agum akarawato. So the gods, too, make bad puns! — untranslateable ones, alas. 2 Upapanno. Note the Buddhist care to bring even ' Great Brahma ' under the universal Law, ' rem inexorabilem.' 3 The inter-dependence of the clauses, and also of the names, in this stanza, is ambiguous. It may hereafter become clear that the author (or authoress) thought of Tissa and the Eternal Youth as two distinct persons, or of the Eternal Youth and the Great Brahma of the Buddha's time as one. The grammar is against the first of these suppositions. But we have seen (above, p. 272, 3) that the MahaBrahma of Govinda's time was Sanaw-kumara, the Eternal Youth (so also D. I, 200 compared with D. II, 209, 225) ; and Tissa according to tradition (Smp. p. 296, 7) was the name of a Maha-Brahma. Buddhaghosa explains ' the Potent One ' (i d d h i m a) as the Buddha ; it is much more likely to have been intended for Brahma, who claims (above, p. 247) to have acquired the potency of i d d h i.

This legend of the Ever-virgin Knight, Sanaw-kumara, is the Indian counterpart of the European legend of Sir Galahad. The oldest mention of it is in the Chandogya Upanished (Ch. VII), where the ideal of the saintly knight teaches a typical brahmin about the highest truth (compare Deussen's note on p. 171 of Sechzig Upanishads '). In the Nikayas the Eternal Youth is frequently quoted as the author of a famous verse which says that, though the knight takes precedence among all those that trust in lineage, he that is perfect in wisdom takes precedence over all (see above, I, 121, and M. I, 358; S. I, 153; A. V, 326. At S. II, 284 the verse is ascribed to the Buddha). A similar sentiment is ascribed to him in the Great Bharata. In mediaeval literature he is said to have been one of five or seven mind- D. ii. 262. THE GREAT CONCOURSE. 293 21. To all of them thus hither come, those eods, Marshalled around the Lord and Great Brahma, The host of Mara cometh up. Lo ! now The folly of the Murky One J :— [262] " Come on And seize and bind me these, let all be bound By lust ! Surround on every side, and see Ye let not one escape, whoe'er he be ! " Thus the Great Captain bade his swarthy host 2, And with his palm did smite upon the ground Making a horrid din, as when a storm-cloud Thunders and lightens, big with heavy rains. Then he recoiled, still raging, powerless Aught to effect.

22. And He-Who-Sees by insight knew all this And understood. Then to his followers Who loved his word the Master spake: " The host Of Mara comes ! Brethren, beware of them ! ' And they, hearing the Buddha's word, forthwith Held themselves all alert. The foe departs From them in whom no lust is found, nor e'er Upon whose bodies stirs a hair. [Then Mara spake : — ] " All they, those victors in the fight, for whom All fear is past, great of renown, His followers, Whose fame among the folk spreads far and wide, Lo ! now with all creation they rejoice3." born sons of Brahma, like the Sons of the Potent One in our verse. (For the five see the references in Wilson's ' Vishwu Purawa,' I, 38 ; for the seven those in Garbe's ' Sawkhya-philosophie,' p. 35). Buddhaghosa has a similar tale (quoted J. R.A.S., 1894^.344). Alater and debased Jain version of the legend tells us at length of the love adventures and wives of the chaste knight, with a few words at the end on his conversion to the saintly life (Jacobi, ' Ausgewahlte Erzahlungen in Mahara^/ri,' pp. 20-28, translated by de Blonay in 'Rev. de l'H. des Rel.,' 1895, pp. 29-41).

1 Ka«ho, for Mara. Cf. Kali, the Black Woman. 2 Mara is called Ma ha-se no, his army being of course sen a. The Pali, making no distinction between syena (hawk) and sena, it is not impossible that a pun is here intended. 3 We have followed the traditional interpretation in ascribing these last four lines to Mara. They may quite as well, or better, be a statement by the author himself. THIS is the last of the series of mythological dialogues, and in some respects the most interesting of them all. Here we reach the culmination, in the last paragraph, in the conversion of Sakka. Though the various episodes leading up to this culmination are not all equal in literary skill to the charming story and striking verses of Five-crest, they have each of them historical value ; and they lead quite naturally up to the conversion at the end. It seems odd to talk of the conversion of a god. But what do we understand by the term god ? He — it is often more correct to say she, or it — is an idea in men's minds. To the worshipper he seems immense, mysterious, unchanging, a unity. And he is, in a sense, a unity — a temporary unity of a complex of conceptions, each of them complex. To use the technical Buddhist terms a god is kha^ika, and sawkhara. In the same sense we can speak of a chemical compound as a unity ; but to understand that unity we must know of what it is compounded. Now what are the ideas of which the unity we know under the name of Sakka is made up ? Let us take them in the order of personal character, outward conditions, and titles.

Sakka has not become free from the three deadly evils — lust, illwill, and stupidity (A. I, 144; S. I, 219). He is not free from anxiety (S. I, 219). He is still subject to death) and rebirth (A. I, 144). As examples of this it is mentioned that Sunetta had thirtyfive times been reborn as Sakka (A. IV, 105), a statement transferred to the Buddha (A. IV, 89) \ He comes down from heaven to confirm Uttara's teaching 1 We have had another instance (above, p. 73) of a detail in Sunetta's biography being taken over into the biography of the Buddha. that one should bear in mind and compare one's own and others' failings and attainments (A. IV, 162). One of the shortest of the Sawzyuttas is devoted to Sakka. It has twenty- five short Suttas. In the first and second, Sakka praises energy (viriya). In the third he denounces timidity. In the fourth he shows forbearance to his enemy \ In the fifth he advocates the conquest of anger by kindness ; in the sixth kindness to animals ; in the seventh he denounces trickery even towards enemies ; and in the ninth he preaches courtesy and honour to the wise (to Rishis). In eleven it is said he acquired his position as Sakka by having observed in a former birth seven lifelong habits — support of his parents, reverence to clan elders, gentleness of speech, dislike of calumny, generosity, truth, and freedom from anger. Twelve and thirteen repeat this and explain his titles. In fourteen Sakka explains how new gods who outshine the old ones do so because they have observed the Buddha's teaching2. In fifteen he says that the most beautiful spot is where Arahants dwell. In sixteen he praises gifts to the Order. In seventeen he praises the Buddha, but is told he has selected the wrong attributes for praise. In eighteen to twenty he says that, whereas brahmins and nobles worship him, he himself worships good men, and Arahants. Nos. 21, 22, 24 and 25 are against anger, and 23 is against deceit.

In one passage Sakka is represented as coming down from heaven to make an inquiry about Nirvana (S. I, 201), and in another as listening, in heaven, to Moggallana's exposition of the simplest duties of a good layman (S. IV, 269-280). He, Sakka, is present at the death of the Buddha and utters, in verse, a simple lament very different from the thoughtful verses ascribed to Brahma (above, p. 1 75). He proclaims a eulogy on the Buddha, in which he emphasizes eight points of comparatively simple character (above, p. 260). These Nikaya passages are sufficient to show that Sakka was considered by the early Buddhists to be a god of high character indeed, kindly and just ; but not perfect, and not very intelligent. He has reached as far as a good layman might have reached, to the point where his conversion was immanent. Sakka dwells in the Tavatiwsa heaven, that is, in the heaven of the thirty-three great gods of the Vedic pantheon. 1 This Sutta is repeated at Sa/wyutta IV, 201. J The very words of the Sakka-panha are here used. This is not by any means the highest plane of being, nor is it quite the lowest. It is an essential part of the early Buddhist cosmogony (and not held by any other school in India) that there were twenty-six planes of celestial beings : — 1. The Four Great Kings, guardians of the four quarters of the world. 2. The Thirty-Three. 3. The Yama gods. 4. The Tusita gods. 5. The Nimmana-rati gods. 6. The Paranimittavasavatti gods l. Above these are the twenty worlds of Brahma. For practical ethical purposes the stress is laid on two planes only — the six just mentioned, which have a collective name (Kamavacara-devaloka), and the world of Brahma 2. It is only the lower of these two that is meant when heaven (sagga) is referred to. Sakka dwells therefore in the lowest heaven but one of the lower plane.

There he dwells in the palace Victoria (Vejayanta, S. I, 235, 6). It was built by Sakka, is described at Majjhima I, 253, and is illustrated on the Bharahat Tope 3. Dwelling in that palace he is king over all the Thirty-Three. When the gods fight the Titans (Asuras) it is under his banner, and under his orders, that they fight. But he is no absolute monarch. He is imagined in the likeness of a chieftain of a Kosala clan. The gods meet and deliberate in their Hall of Good Counsel ; and Sakka, on ordinary peaceful occasions, consults with them rather than issues to them his commands. Yet in ten matters he surpasses them all — in length of life, in beauty, in happiness, in renown, and in lordship, and in the degree of his five sensations, sight, hearing, smelling, taste, and touch (A. IV, 242). Sakka. In its Sanskrit form, S'akra, it occurs nearly fifty times in the Vedas as an adjective qualifying gods (usually Indra). It is explained as meaning ' able, capable *.' It is not found as a name in pre- Buddhistic literature. Kosiya used, not in speaking of, but in speaking to Sakka, just as the family (gotta) name, not the personal name, is used

1 These are often mentioned in sequence. See, for instance, above, Vol. I, pp. 280, 281. 2 The later Maha-bharata borrowed this idea, though, as Hopkins points out (' Religions of India,' 358), it is 'a view quite foreign to the teaching current elsewhere in the epic' 3 Cunningham, ' Stupa of Bharhut,' p. 137. 4 For another derivation, a pretty piece of word-play, see Sawyutta, I, 230. by polite persons in addressing a man 1. It means ' belonging to the Kusika family,' and occurs D. II, 270; M. I, 252. It is used once in the Rig Veda of Indra, in what exact sense is not known. Have we a survival here from the time when Indra was only the god of a Kusika clan? Vasava, as chief of the Vasu gods'- (D. II, 260, 274; S. I, 223-30; SN. 384). Purindada, ' the generous giver in former births '(S. 1,230; P. V. II, 9, 12, 13 ; Jat. V, 395), no doubt with ironical allusion to the epithet of Indra, Purandara, ' destroyer of cities.' Sujampati, the husband of Suja. (S. I, 225, 234-6; SN. 1024). Maghava, because, as a man, he had once been a brahmin of that name (S. I, 230 ; cp. Jat. IV, 403 = V, 137). This had been also, for another reason, an epithet of Indra and other gods.

Thousand-eyed (Sahassa-cakkhu, sahassakkha, S. I, 230, sahassa-netta, S. I, 226; SN. 346). This also had been used of Indra. Yakkha. Scarcely perhaps an epithet : but it is interesting to notice that even so high a god as Sakka was considered to be a Yaksha (M. I, 252 ; see S. I, 206). Inda ( = Indra). This is used occasionally of the Vedic god (e.g. D. I, 244; ii. 274; SN. 310), but is applied also to Sakka himself (D. I, 221, 261, 274 ; SN. 316, 679, 1024). The god Indaka, of S. I, 206 and PV. 11,9, *s quite another person. Now what are the conclusions which can fairly be drawn from the above facts? In the first place it is evident that Sakka and Indra are quite different conceptions. Of course Indra is also a complex conception, and not by any means only the savage ideal of a warrior, big and blustering and given to drink. But we shall not be far wrong if we say that no single item of the personal character of Sakka is identical with any point in the character of the Vedic Indra, and not one single item of the character of Indra has been reproduced in the descriptions of Sakka. Some of the epithets are the same, and are certainly borrowed, though they are explained differently in harmony with the new conception. Some of the details of the outward conditions may be, and probably are, the outgrowth of corresponding details as told of the older

1 This point has been discussed above, Vol. I, pp. 193-6. 2 Their names (ten of them) in PVA., p. 111. god, but varied and softened m harmony with the new conception. And further, all these mythological dialogues are Tendenzschriften, written with the object of persuading the Kosala clansmen that they need not be in the least afraid, for their own gods were on the side of the reformation. The storytellers who invented them have twisted the details to suit their purpose. But they will not have changed the figure of the god so much that there could be any doubt as to the god they talked of being the then popular god. To do so would have been to defeat their object. We may be sure that at the time when Buddhism arose the popular god in Kosala was already very different from Indra, so different that he was spoken of under a new name. This remains true, though he probably was a degeneration, as the brahmins would say, or a development, as their opponents would say, of the old Vedic hero-god. We cannot be surprised to learn that the conception which appealed so strongly to a more barbarous age, and to clans when engaged in fighting their way into a new country, were found discordant, unattractive, not quite nice, in the settled and prosperous districts of Kosala, after many centuries of progress and culture. It is so with every god known to history. He seems eternal. But by the gradual accumulation of minute variations there comes a time, it may be in a few generations, it may be after the lapse of centuries, when the old name no longer fits the new ideas, the old god falls from his high estate, and a new god, with a new name, occupies the place he filled in the minds of men. Of course the priests went on repeating the old phrases about Indra. But even to the priests they had become barely intelligible. The people paid little heed to them ; they followed rather other gods more up-to-date, and of their own making. And it was of these new gods that the leaders of the new movement told their new stories to point a new moral *.

1 The above is based exclusively on Nikaya evidence. It is confirmed by that of the later books given by Childers {sub voce Sakko). i. [263] Thus have I heard. The Exalted One was once staying in Magadha, to the east of Rajagaha, at a brahmin village named Ambasaw^/a. There he resided on the Vediya mountain to the north of the village, in the cave called the cave of Indra's Sal Tree '-'. Now at that time a longing came over Sakka, the king of the gods, to visit the Exalted One. And this idea occurred to him : — 'Where may he now be staying, the Exalted One, the Arahant, the Buddha supreme ? ' And Sakka saw that he was staying in Magadha at Ambasa;^a, east of Rajagaha, in the cave called Indra's Saltree Cave on the Vediya mountain to the north of the village. And seeing that, he said to the Three-and-Thirty gods : — ' Gentlemen, that Exalted One is staying in Magadha, to the east of Rajagaha at a brahmin village named Ambasawda, in the cave called Indra's Saltree Cave, on the Vediya mountain to the north of the village. How would it be, gentlemen, if we were to go and visit the Exalted One ? '

' So be it and good luck to you ! ' replied the Threeand-Thirty gods consenting. 1 This Suttantais quoted by name at Sawyutta III, 13 ; Mahavastu I, 350; Milinda 350; Sumahgala Vilasini I, 24 (where it is called vedalla). The last passage is repeated at Gandha Va/wsa 57. 1 Inda-sala-guha. Buddhaghosa says there was a cave here between two overhanging rocks with a large Sal tree at the entrance. The village community had added walls with doors and windows; and ornamented it with polished plaster scroll-work and garlands, and presented it to the Buddha. In Fa Hian's time (Legge, p. 81) it was still inhabited. In Yuan Chwang's time (Watters, II, 173) it was deserted. Both pilgrims were told that certain marks on the rock had been made by Sakka writing his questions (!). The Sanskritisation of the name into Indra-saila-guha (Schiefner, Bohtlingk-Roth, Julien, Legge, and Beal) is a mere blunder. The name Indra enters into the names of several plants, probably merely in the sense of excellent. There is nothing to justify the idea that Indra was supposed to haunt this tree. 300 XXI. SAKKA-PANHA SUTTANTA. D. ii. 263. 2. Then Sakka [made the same statement and proposal to Five-crest the Gandhabba, [264] and received the same reply] and Five-crest taking his lyre of yellow Beluva wood, followed in attendance on Sakka, the king of the gods.

So Sakka, the king of the gods, surrounded by the Thirty-and-Three, and attended by Five-crest the Gandhabba, vanished from his heaven as easily as a strong man might shoot out his arm, or draw in his arm outshot, and reappeared in Magadha, standing on the Vediya mountain. 3. Now at that time the Vediya mountain was bathed in radiance, and so was Ambasa;^a, the brahmin village, — such is the potency of the celestials — so much so that in the villages round about folk were saying : — ' For sure the Vediya mountain is on fire to-day, for sure the Vediya mountain is burning to-day, for sure the Vediya mountain is in flame to-day ! Why, O why, is the Vediya mountain bathed in radiance to-day, and Ambasa;^a too the brahmins' village ? ' And they were anxious and sore afraid. 4. Then said Sakka, the king of the gods, to Fivecrest the Gandhabba : — [265] ' Difficult of approach, dear Five-crest, are Tathagatas, to one like me, when they are rapt in the bliss of meditation, and for that purpose abiding in solitude. But if you were first to gain over the Exalted One [by your music] then might I afterwards come up and visit him, the Arahant, the Buddha supreme.'

' So be it and good luck to you ! ' consented Fivecrest, and taking his lyre he went to the Indra-Saltreecave. On coming there he thought : — ' Thus far will the Exalted One be neither too far from me nor too near to me, and he will hear my voice.' And he stood on one side, and let his lyre be heard and recited these verses concerning the Awakened One and the Truth, the Arahants and Love : — 1 1 This idea is found again in the Maha-bharata (I, 2. 383). That poem there claims to be artha-sastra, dharma-sastra, and kama- D. ii. 266. THE QUESTIONS OF SAKKA. 3OI 5. ' Lady, thy father Timbaru I greet With honour due, O Glory-of-the-Sun ! x In that he wrought a thing so nobly fair As thou, O fount divine of all my joy ! Sweet as the breeze to one foredone with sweat, Sweet as a cooling drink to one athirst, So dear art thou, O presence radiant ! To me, dear as to Arahants the Truth. [266] As medicine bringing ease to one that's sick, As food to starving man, so, lady, quench, As with cool waters, me who am all a-flame.

E'en as an elephant with heat oppressed, Hies him to some still pool, upon whose face Petals and pollen of the lotus float, So would I sink within thy bosom sweet. E'en as an elephant fretted by hook, Dashes unheeding curb and goad aside, So I, crazed by the beauty of thy form, Know not the why and wherefore of my acts. By thee my heart is held in bonds, and all Bent out of course ; nor can I turn me back, No more than fish, once he hath ta'en the bait. Within thine arm embrace me, lady, me With thy soft languid eyne embrace and hold, O nobly fair ! This I entreat of thee. Scanty in sooth, O maid of waving locks, Was my desire, but now it swelleth aye, Indefinitely great, e'en as the gifts Made by the faithful to the Arahants. sastra. So Windisch ('Buddha's Geburt,' 82) speaks of a group of ideas, recurrent in Indian literature, which very happily sums up and exhausts the matter — the Useful, the True, and the Agreeable— to which Emancipation is sometimes added as a fourth. Our passage here is the earliest in which such a group appears.

1 Suriya-vaccase, the young lady's name; sunshine in prose. See § 10 of the Maha-samaya.

[267] Whate'er of merit to such holy ones I've wrought, be thou, O altogether fair, The ripened fruit to fall therefrom to me. Whate'er of other merit I have wrought In the wide world, O altogether fair, Be thou the fruit thereof to fall to me. As the great Sakyan Seer, through ecstasy Rapt and intent and self-possessed, doth brood Seeking ambrosia, even so do I Pursue the quest of thee, O Glory-of-the-Sun ! As would that Seer rejoice, were he to win Ineffable Enlightenment, so I With thee made one, O fairest, were in bliss. And if perchance a boon were granted me By Sakka, lord of Three-and-Thirty gods, 'Tis thee I'd ask of him, lady, so strong My love. And for thy father, wisest maid — Him as a sal-tree freshly burgeoning I worship for such peerless offspring giv'n.' 6. When Five-crest had finished the Exalted One said to him : — ' The sound of your strings, Five-crest, so harmonizes with that of your song, and the sound of your voice with that of the strings, that your lyre does not too much colour your song, nor your song too much colour your play. Where, Five-crest, did you learn these verses " concerning the Awakened One and the Truth, the Arahants, and Love ? "

* The Exalted One, lord, was once staying at Uruvela, on the bank of the Neranjara river, at the foot of the Goatherd's Banyan tree [268] before he attained to Enlightenment. I Now at that time, lord, the lady called Bhadda, in appearance as Sunshine, daughter of Timbaru, king of the Gandhabbas, was beloved by me. But that lady, lord, was in love with another — Sikhaddi, son of Matali the charioteer. And since I could not get the lady by any method whatever, I took my lyre of yellow Beluva wood, and going to the abode of Timbaru, king of the Gandhabbas, I D. ii. 268. THE QUESTIONS OF SAKKA. 303 played my lyre and recited these verses concerning the Awakened One, the Truth, the Arahants and Love : — 7. ' Lady, thy father Timbaru I greet With honour due, O Glory-of-the-Sun, In that he wrought a thing so nobly fair As thou, O fount divine of all my joy ! Sweet as the breeze to one foredone with sweat, Sweet as a cooling drink to one athirst, So dear art thou, O presence radiant ! To me, dear as to Arahants the Truth. As medicine bringing ease to one that's sick.

As food to Starving man, so, lady, quench, As with cool waters, me who am a-flame. E'en as an elephant with heat oppressed, Hies him to some still pool, upon whose face Petals and pollen of the lotus float, So would I sink within thy bosom sweet. E'en as an elephant fretted by hook, Oashes unheeding curb and goad aside, So I, crazed by the beauty of thy form, Know not the why and wherefore of my acts. By thee my heart is held in bonds, and all Bent out of course ; nor can I turn me back, No more than fish, once he hath ta'en the bait. Within thine arm embrace me, lady, me With thy soft languid eyne embrace and hold, O nobly fair ! This I entreat of thee. Scanty in sooth, O maid of waving locks, Was my desire, but now it swelleth aye, Indefinitely great, e'en as the gifts Made by the faithful to the Arahants. Whate'er of merit to such holy ones I've wrought, be thou, O altogether fair, The ripened fruit to fall therefrom to me. 304 XXI. SAKKA-PANHA SUTTANTA. D. ii. 268. Whate'er of other merit I have wrought In the wide world, O altogether fair, Be thou the fruit thereof to fall to me.

As the great Sakyan Seer, through ecstasyRapt and intent and self-possessed, doth brood Seeking ambrosia, even so do I Pursue the quest of thee, O Glory-of-the-Sun ! As would that Seer rejoice, were he to win Ineffable Enlightenment, so I With thee made one, O fairest, were in bliss. And if perchance a boon were granted me By Sakka, lord of Three-and-Thirty gods, 'Tis thee I'd ask of him, lady, so strong My love. And for thy father, wisest maid — Him as a sal- tree freshly burgeoning I worship for such peerless offspring giv n. ' And when I had finished, lord, the Lady Suriyavaccasa said to me : — " That Blessed One, sir, I have not seen face to face, and yet I heard of him when I went to dance at the Sudhamma Hall of the Three-and-Thirty gods \ Since you so extol the Blessed One, let there be a meeting between thee and me to-day. [269] So, lord, I met that lady, not on that day but afterwards." 8. Now Sakka, the king of the gods, thought : — ' Five-crest and the Exalted One are in friendly converse.' And he called to Five-crest and said : — ' Salute the Exalted One for me, dear Five-crest, and tell him : — " Sakka, lord, the ruler of the gods, with his ministers and suite, does homage at the foot of the Exalted One." [And Five-crest did so.] ,

1 May good fortune, Five-crest, attend Sakka, ruler of gods, and his ministers and suite. For they desire happiness— those gods and men, Asuras, Nagas, Gandhabbas, and whatever other numerous hosts there be ! ' 1 When Sakka pronounced his eulogy in the Maha-govinda, says Buddhaghosa. D. ii. 271. THE QUESTIONS OF SAKKA. 305 On this wise do the Tathagatas salute these dignitaries. And so saluted by the Exalted One, Sakka, the king of the gods, entered the cave of Indra's Sal-tree, and saluting the Exalted One stood on one side. Thus did also the Three-and-Thirty gods and Five-crest the Gandhabba. 9. Now at that time in the cave the rough passages were made smooth, the narrow spaces were made wide, and in the dark cavern it became bright, such was the potency of the celestials [270], Then said the Exalted One to Sakka : — ' Wonderful is this ! marvellous is this, that the venerable Kosiya, with so much to do, so much to perform, should come hither ! ' ' For a long time, lord, have I been desirous of coming to see the Exalted One, but I was hindered by one task and another that I had to perform for the Three-and-Thirty gods, and was not able to come. On one occasion the Exalted One was staying at Savatthi, in the Sa/ala cottage. So I went to Savatthi to see the Exalted One.

10. ' Now at that time, lord, the Exalted One was seated, rapt in some stage of meditation, and Bhunjati, wife of Vessava^a l, was waiting on him, worshipping with clasped hands. Then I said to Bhunjati : — " Madam, do you salute the Exalted One for me, and say : — ' Sakka, lord, ruler of gods, with ministers and suite, does homage at the feet of the Exalted One.' And Bhunjati replied : — " 'Tis not the right time, sir, for seeing the Exalted One ; he is in retreat." [271] " Well then, madam, when the Exalted One rouses himself from his meditation, salute him for me and say what I have told you." Did the lady so salute the Exalted One, lord, for me ? And does the Exalted One remember what she said ? ' ' She did salute me, ruler of gods. I remember her words. And this too — that it was the noise of your 1 That is, Kuvera, king of the North Quarter, ruler over Yakkhas. See previous Suttanta, § 9. 306 XXI. SAKKA-PANHA SUTTANTA. D. ii. 271. excellency's chariot wheels that aroused me from that meditation.' 11. 'Lord, I have heard and understood when in the presence of those gods who were reborn into the heaven of the Three-and-Thirty before Us, that when a Tathagata, an Arahant Buddha supreme, arises in the world, the celestial hosts wax in numbers, and the Asura hosts wane. And I myself, lord, have seen and can witness that this is so. Take, lord, this case. There was, at Kapilavatthu, a daughter of the Sakyans named Gopika, who trusted in the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Order, and who fulfilled the precepts. She, having abandoned a woman's thoughts and cultivated the thoughts of a man, was, at the dissolution of the body after her death, reborn to a pleasant life, into the communion of the Three-and-Thirty gods, into sonship with us. And there they knew her as " Gopaka of the sons of the gods, Gopaka of the sons of the gods." Moreover, lord, there were three bhikkhus who, having followed the religious life prescribed by the Exalted One, were reborn into a lower state among the Gandhabbas. Surrounded by and enjoying the pleasures of the five senses, they used to wait upon and minister to us. Things being so, Gopaka upbraided [272]them saying : — " Where were your ears, sirs, that ye hearkened not to the Dhamma of the Exalted One ? Here am I who being but a maiden, trusting in the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Order, and fulfilling the precepts, abandoned all my woman's thoughts and, cultivating a man's thoughts, was reborn after my death into a pleasant life, into communion with the Three-andThirty gods, into the sonship of Sakka, the lord of the gods, and am known as Gopaka, son of the gods. But ye, sirs, following the religious life of the Exalted One, have only been reborn into the lower state of Gandhabbas. A sad thing, indeed, is this to see, when we behold our co-religionists reborn into the inferior condition of Gandhabbas." Of those fairies, lord, thus rebuked by Gopaka, two acquired in that same lifetime

D. ii. 273. THE QUESTIONS OF SAKKA. 307 mindfulness, and therewith the heaven of the ministers of Brahma. But the third fairy clave to sensuous enjoyment. " Disciple once of Him-Who-Sees, — By name they called me : — Gopika, — In Buddha, Dhamma, firm my trust, I served the Order glad of heart. Through this good service paid to Him Behold me son of Sakka, born All glorious in the Deva-world, Of mighty power, and known henceforth As Gopaka. Now saw I men Who, bhikkhus in a former birth, Had won to mere Gandhabba rank. What ! persons erst of human kind, And followers of Gotama, — Supplied by us with food and drink And tended in our own abode, — [273] Where were their ears that they, so blest, Yet failed to grasp the Buddha's Law ? The Gospel well proclaimed to all And understood by Him-Who-Sees, Each for himself must comprehend. I, serving only you, have heard The orood words of the Noble Ones — And now behold me reborn here, All glorious and powerful, As Sakka's son in Deva-world, But you who served the Best of men, And by the Highest shaped your lives, Have re-appeared in lowly rank, Degraded from your due advance.

An evil sight is this, to see One's co-religionists sunk low, Where, as Gandhabba spirits, sirs, Ye come to wait upon the gods. For me see ! what a change is here ! 308 XXI. SAKKA-PANHA SUTTANTA. D. ii. 273. From house-life as a woman, I, A male to-day, a god reborn, In joys celestial take my share." Upbraided thus by Gopaka, Disciple erst of Gotama, They in sore anguish made response : — " Yea verily ! let us go hence And strive our utmost, lest we live The slaves of others ! ,] Of the three [274] Two bent their will unto the work, Mindful of Gotama's behests. The perils in the life of sense They saw, e'en here cleansing their hearts ; And like an elephant that bursts Each strap and rope, so they o'ercame The fetters and the bonds of sense, Ties of the Evil One, so hard To get beyond — yea, e'en the gods, The Three-and-Thirty, seated round With Indra, with Pajapati, Enthroned in Sudhamma's Hall, The heroes twain left far behind, Purging all passion, ousting lust. At sight of them distress arose In Vasava, ruler of gods, In midst of all his retinue : — " Lo now ! these, born to lower rank,

Outstrip the Three-and-Thirty gods ! ' His sovereign's apprehension heard, Gopaka spake to Vasava : — " O Indra ! in the world of men A Buddha, called the Sakya Sage, Is conqueror o'er the world of sense. And these his children, who had lost All conscience when they left the world, Through me their conscience have regained. [275] One of the three yet dwelleth here, Reborn among Ganclhabba folk ; And two, on highest Wisdom bent, In deepest rapture scorn the gods. D. ii. 275. THE QUESTIONS OF SAKKA. 309 Let no disciple ever doubt That by the kind who here abide The Truth may yet be realized. All hail to Buddha who hath crossed The flood and put an end to doubt, Great Conqueror and Lord of all ! " They recognized thy Truth e'en here ; and they Have onward passed and won to eminence. 'Mong Brahma s ministers they twain have won A higher place than this. And we are come, O master, here that we too may attain That Truth1. If the Exalted One should grant Us leave, Master, we fain would question him.' 13. Then the Exalted One thought: 'For a longtime now this Sakka has lived a pure life. Whatever question he may ask of me will be to good purpose, and not frivolous. And what I shall answer, that will he quickly understand.' Then did the Exalted One address these verses to Sakka, lord of gods : —

' Question me, Vasava, whate'er thy mind desires, And on each problem put I'll end thy doubts ! ' End of the First Portion for Recitation. 1 We follow the printed text. It is more probable that pattiya is the gloss. In that case the version would be : ' For that Truth's sake, O master, have we come.' The full stop after vises agu is a misprint. i. [276] Thus invited, Sakka, the ruler of the gods, asked this first question of the Exalted One : — ' By what fetters, sir, are they bound — gods, men, Asuras, Nagas, Gandhabbas, and whatever other great classes of beings there be — in that they, wishing thus : — " Would that, without hatred, injury, enmity, or malignity, we might live in amity ! " — do nevertheless live in enmity, hating, injuring, hostile, malign ? ' Such was the fashion of Sakka's first question to the Exalted One. To him the Exalted One so asked made answer : — ' By the fetters of envy and selfishness, ruler of gods, are they bound — gods, men, Asuras, Nagas, Gandhabbas and whatever other great classes of beings there be — in that they wishing thus : — " Would that, without hatred, injury, enmity, or malignity, we might live in amity ! " — do nevertheless live in enmity, hating, injuring, hostile, malign.'

Such was the fashion of the Exalted One's answer to Sakka's question. And Sakka, delighted with the Exalted One's utterance, expressed his pleasure and appreciation saying : — ' That is so, Exalted One, that is so, Welcome One ! I have got rid of doubt and am no longer puzzled, through hearing the answer of the Exalted One.' 2. [277] So Sakka, expressing pleasure and appreciation, asked a further question of the Exalted One : — ' But envy and selfishness, sir, — what is the source thereof, the cause thereof ? what gives birth to them ? how do they come to be ? What being present, are envy and selfishness also present ? What being absent, are they also absent ? ' ' Things as dear and not dear to us, ruler of gods, — this is the source and cause of envy and selfishness, this D. ii. 277. THE QUESTIONS OF SAKKA. 3II is what gives birth to them, this is how they come to be. In the presence of what is dear or not dear, envy and selfishness come about, and in the absence of such feelings, they do not come about' ' But what, sir, is the source, what the cause of things being dear and not dear, what gives birth to these feelings, how do they come to be ? What being present, do we so feel, and what being absent, do we not so feel ? '

' Desire \ ruler of gods, is the source and cause of things being dear or not dear, this is what gives birth to such feelings, this is how they come to be. If desire be present, things become dear and not dear to us ; if it be absent, things are no more felt as such.' ' But desire, sir, — what is the source and cause of that ? What gives birth to it, how does it come to be ? What being present, is desire present, and what being absent, is desire also absent ? ' ' Mental pre-occupation 2, ruler of gods, — this is the source, this is the cause of desire, this is what gives birth to desire, this is how desire comes to be. Wherewith our mind is pre-occupied, for that desire arises ; if our mind is not so pre-occupied, desire is absent.' 1 But what, sir, is the source and what is the cause of our mind being pre-occupied ? What gives birth to such a state, how does it come to be ? What being present, does our mind become pre-occupied, and what being absent, does it not ? '

1 C hand a. The Cy. distinguishes exegetically five kinds of chanda: — desire to seek, to gain, to enjoy, to hoard, to spend, and includes all in the present connexion with the words : ' here it is used in a sense tantamount to craving (ta^ha).' 2 Vitakka. The Cy. does not give the Abhidhamma definition of this term (see Dh. S., § 7 ; ' Bud. Psy.,' p. 10 : 'the disposing, fixating, focusing, applying the mind.' Cf. also ' Compendium of Buddhist Philosophy,' Appendix: vitakka, P.T.S., 1910), but gives as a parallel term vinicchaya (see above, p. 55 ' labhaw pa/icca vinicchayo' — 'deciding respecting gain '). The word is used, according to Suttanta method, not with any fine shade of psychological meaning, but in its popular sense of ^epi/xvaw, ' taking thought for ' (Matt. vi. 25), ' being pre-occupied about.' 312 XXI. SAKKA-PANHA SUTTANTA. D. ii. 277. ' The source, ruler of gods, the cause of our becoming pre-occupied is what we may call obsession l. This is what gives birth to pre-occupation of mind, this is how that comes about. If that obsession is present, our mind is pre-occupied [by the idea by which we are obsessed] ; if it is absent, it is not.'

3. ' But how, sir, has that bhikkhu gone about who has reached the path suitable for and leading to the cessation of obsession ? ' '[278] Happiness, ruler of gods, I declare to be twofold, according as it is to be followed after, or avoided. Sorrow too I declare to be twofold, according as it is to be followed or avoided. Equanimity too I declare to be twofold, according as it is to be followed or avoided. 'And the distinction I have affirmed in happiness, was drawn on these grounds : — When in following- after happiness I have perceived that bad qualities developed and good qualities were diminished, then that kind of happiness was to be avoided. And when, following after happiness, I have perceived that bad qualities were diminished and good qualities developed, then such happiness was to be followed. Now of such happiness as is accompanied by pre-occupation and travail of mind, and of such as is not so accompanied, the latter is the more excellent. 1 Thus, ruler of gods, when I declare happiness to be 1 Papafica-sanfia (idde fixe). An exactly similar sequence of ethical states is put elsewhere (M. I, 111, 112) into the mouth of Maha Kaccana. Buddhaghosa glosses pap ana here by mattappamatta.kara-pa.pana, where papana is etymological word-play, and mattappamatta may be rendered 'infatuation.' The infatuation is either craving (tawha) in one or other of its 108 forms, or self-conceit (man a) in one or other of its nine /orms, or speculation (di/Mi) in one or other of its sixty-two forms.

This is one of the most recurrent conceptions of the higher Buddhism, the system of the Aryan Path (see above, Vol. I, p. 188), and is one of the many ways in which the early Buddhists struggled to give more precise and ethical an implication to the Indian conception of Avijja. It is also one of the technical terms most frequently misunderstood. Neumann all through the Majjhima renders it Vielheit, plurality, and Dahlke follows him. B. ii. 279. THE QUESTIONS OF SAKKA. 313 twofold, according as it is to be followed after, or avoided, I say so for that reason. ' Again, ruler of gods, when I declare sorrow to be twofold, according as it is to be followed after, or avoided, for what reason do I say so ? When, in following after sorrow * I have perceived that bad qualities developed and good qualities were diminished, then that kind of sorrow was to be avoided. And when, following after sorrow, I have perceived that bad qualities were diminished and good qualities were developed, then such sorrow was to be followed after. Now of such sorrow as is accompanied by pre-occupation and travail of mind, and of such as is not so accompanied, the latter2 is the more excellent. Thus, ruler of gods, when I declare sorrow to be twofold, according as it is to be followed after, or avoided, I say so for that reason.

' [279] Again, ruler of gods, when I declare equanimity to be twofold, according as it is to be followed after, or avoided, for what reason do I say so ? When, in following after equanimity, I have perceived that bad qualities developed and good qualities were diminished, then that kind of equanimity was to be avoided. And when, following after equanimity, I perceived that bad qualities were diminished and good qualities were developed, then that kind of equanimity was to be followed after 3. Now of such equanimity 1 The two sorts of sorrow or grief are geha-sita and nekkhammasita, and are well paralleled by St. Paul's tov koct/jlov Xv7rrj and Kara Oebv Xvirrj (2 Cor. vii. 10). And the working of the latter: 'for that ye sorrowed after a godly sort . . . wrought in you . . . what vehement desire, yea, what zeal' — has its counterpart in Buddhaghosa's exposition, namely, that through insight into the impermanence of all sensuous satisfaction ' arouses yearning for deliverances even without beyond (anuttaresu), and that yearning leads to sorrow, when one thinks, O that I might reach that state wherein the elect (Ariyas) do dwell even now.' 2 According to the Cy., 'the latter' in this and the foregoing paragraph refers especially to the state of mind reached in the second and higher stages of Jhana, as compared with the first, which is savitakkaw savicaraw/.

3 For equanimity thus ethically distinguished, see M. I, 364. The 3 '4 XXI- SAKKA-PANHA SUTTANTA. D. ii. 279. as is accompanied by pre-occupation and travail of mind and of such as is not so accompanied, the latter is the more excellent. Thus, ruler of gods, when I declare equanimity to be twofold, according as it is to be followed after, or avoided, I say so for that reason. ' And it is on this wise that a bhikkhu, ruler of gods, must have gone about, who has reached the path suitable for, and leading to, the cessation of perceiving and taking account of distractions.' Such was the fashion of the Exalted One's answer to Sakka's question. And Sakka, delighted with the Exalted One's utterances, expressed his pleasure and appreciation saying : — ' That is so, Exalted One, that is so, O Welcome One ! I have got rid of doubt and am no longer puzzled, through hearing the answer of the Exalted One.' 4. So Sakka, expressing his pleasure and appreciation, asked a further question of the Exalted One : — ' But how, sir, has that bhikkhu gone about who has acquired the self-restraint enjoined by the Patimokkha?'

' I say, ruler of gods, that behaviour in act and in speech, as well as those things we seek after are twofold, according as they are to be followed after or avoided. [280] And for what reason do I say so ? When, in following some mode of behaviour in act or speech or in pursuing some quest, I have perceived that bad qualities developed and good qualities diminished, then such behaviour or such pursuits were to be avoided. And when, again, I perceived as the consequence of some other mode of behaviour in act or speech, or of some other pursuit that bad qualities were diminished and good qualities were developed, then that behaviour, or that pursuit, was to be followed after. Thus when I, ruler of gods, declare that behaviour in act, behaviour in speech, and the things we seek after are twofold, I say so for those reasons. Commentator (who repeats his comment in Asl. 194) describes the former ethical indifference (upekha) as that of the foolish average person, confused in mind, who has not overcome limitations or results (of Karma), but is bound by his world of objects of sense. I). ii. 282. THE QUESTIONS OF SAKKA. 3 I 5

[28l] ' And it is on this wise, ruler of gods, that a bhikkhu must have gone about to have acquired the self-restraint enjoined by the Patimokkha.' Such was the fashion of the Exalted One's answer to Sakka's question. And Sakka, delighted with the Exalted One's utterance, expressed his pleasure and appreciation saying : — ' That is so, Exalted One, that is so, O Welcome One ! I have got rid of doubt and am no longer puzzled, through hearing the answer of the Exalted One.' 5. So Sakka, expressing his pleasure and appreciation, asked a further question of the Exalted One : — ' But how, sir, has that bhikkhu gone about who has acquired control of his faculties ? ' ' I say, ruler of gods, that the objects of the senses — visible, audible, odorous, sapid, tangible and mental objects 1 — are twofold, according as they are to be followed after or avoided.' Then said Sakka to the Exalted One: — 'I, sir, understand the details of that which you have told me in outline. [282] Those sense-objects which are not to be followed are such as cause bad qualities to develop and good qualities to diminish ; and those sense-objects which have the opposite effect are to be followed after. And because I can thus understand in detail the meaning of that which the Exalted One has told me in outline, I have got rid of doubt and am no longer puzzled, now that I have heard the Exalted One's answer to my question.'

6. So Sakka, expressing his pleasure and appreciation, asked a further question of the Exalted One : — ' Are all recluses and brahmins, sir, wholly of one creed, one practice, one persuasion 2, one aim ? ' 1 According to Buddhist psychology, these are not ideas as distinct from impressions, but are any presentations or objects of consciousness, whether on occasion of sense or of reflexion, at that stage when mind 'turns toward' the object and 'receives' it (avajjana, sampa- /icchana). 2 Ekantacchanda, lit. of one desire, will or purpose ; but equated by the Cy. with ekaladdhika, of one heresy. 3l6 XXI. SAKKA-PANHA SUTTANTA. D. ii. 282. ' No, ruler of gods, they are not.' ' But why, sir, are they not ? ' 1 Of many and divers elements, ruler of gods, is this world composed. And that being so, people naturally incline to adhere to one or another of those elements ; and to whichsoever it be they, being so inclined, become strongly and tenaciously addicted, holding that "just this is true, the rest is foolish." And therefore it is that recluses and brahmins are not all wholly of one creed, one practice, one persuasion, one aim.'

[283] ' Are all recluses and brahmins, sir, perfectly proficient, perfectly saved, living perfectly the best life1, have they attained the right ideal 2 ? ' ' No, ruler of gods, they are not all so.' ' Why, sir, are they not all so ? ' 1 Those recluses and brahmins, ruler of gods, who are set free through the entire destruction of craving, only they are perfectly proficient, only they are perfectly saved, only they are living perfectly the best life and have attained the ideal. Therefore is it that not all recluses and brahmins are perfectly proficient, perfectly saved, living perfectly the best life, and have attained the ideal V Such was the fashion of the Exalted One's answer to Sakka's question. And Sakka, delighted with the Exalted One's utterances, expressed his pleasure and appreciation saying : — ' That is so, Exalted One, that is so, O Welcome One ! I have got rid of doubt and am no longer puzzled, through hearing the answer of the Exalted One.' 7. So Sakka, expressing his pleasure at, and appre- 1 Accanta-brahmacari = ' se//Aa/Mena brahmawi ariyamaggawz caratiti.' Cy. ' Walking 'in the highest, Aryan Path.' 2 Accanta-pariyosana = ' pariyosanan ti nibbanaw.' Cy. ' The ideal ' is a free rendering, the term meaning the end, goal or climax.

3 This paragraph is quoted as from the Sakka-pa/zha at Sawyutta III, 13. Two unnecessary words are there added at the end of it. Buddhaghosa does not say anything on the discrepancy. The two words are either there added by mistake from Majjhima I, 251, where the phrase recurs, or stood originally in our text here. D. ii. 284. THE QUESTIONS OF SAKKA. 31 7 ciation of the Exalted One's utterance, spoke thus : — 1 Passion \ lord, is disease, passion is a cancer, passion is a dart, passion drags a man about by one rebirth and then another, so that he finds himself now up above now down below. Whereas other recluses and brahmins not of your followers, lord, gave me no opportunity to ask these questions, the Exalted One has answered for me, instructing me at length, so that the dart of doubt and perplexity has by the Exalted One been extracted.' [284] ' Do you admit to us, ruler of gods, that you have put the same questions to other recluses or brahmins ? ' < I do, lord.' 1 Then tell me, if it be not inconvenient to you, how they answered you.' 1 It is not inconvenient to me when the Exalted One is seated to hear, or others like him.'

' Then tell, ruler of gods.' ' I went to those, lord, whom I deemed to be recluses and brahmins, because they were dwelling in secluded forest abodes, and I asked them those questions. Being asked, they did not withdraw themselves, but put a counter-question to me : — "Who is the venerable one ? " I replied, " I, sir, am Sakka, ruler of gods." They asked me further : — "What business has brought the venerable ruler of gods to this place ? " Whereupon I taught them the Dharma as I had heard and learnt it. And they with only so much were well pleased saying : — " We have seen Sakka, ruler of gods, and he has answered that which we asked of him ! " And actually, instead of me becoming their disciple, they became mine. But I, lord, am a disciple of the Exalted One, a Stream-winner, who cannot be reborn in any state of woe, and who has the assurance of attaining to enlightenment V 1 Eja = calana////ena ta«ha. Cy., i.e. 'Craving, with respect to the thrill' (e-motion, com-motion) caused by it. 'Passion' lacks etymological coincidence with the implication of ' movement ' in e j a, but no other term is forceful enough.

2 Cf. Vol. I, pp. 190-2. ,l8 XXI. SAKKA-PANHA SUTTANTA. D. ii. 284. ' Do you admit to us, ruler of gods, that you have ever before experienced such satisfaction and such happiness as you now feel ? ' [285] ' Yes, lord, I do admit it.' ' And what do you admit, ruler of gods, with regard to that previous occasion ? ' ' In former times, lord, war had broken out between gods and asuras. Now in that fight the gods won and the asuras were defeated. Then when the battle was over, to me the conqueror the thought occurred : 'The gods will henceforth enjoy not only celestial nectar but also asura-nectar." But, lord, the experiencing satisfaction and happiness such as this, which was wrought by blows and by wounds, does not conduce to detachment, nor to disinterestedness, nor to cessation, nor to peace, nor to the higher spiritual knowledge1, nor to enlightenment, nor to Nirvana. But this satisfaction, lord, this happiness that I have experienced in hearing the Dhamma of the Exalted One, this which is not wrought by blows and by wounds does conduce to detachment, to disinterestedness, to cessation, to peace, to spiritual knowledge, to enlightenment, to Nirvana.'

8. ' What are the things present to your mind, ruler of gods, when you confess to experiencing such satisfaction and such happiness ? ' 'Six are the things present to my mind, lord, that I feel such satisfaction and happiness : — ' I who here merely as a god exist Have [by my acts]2 incurred the destiny To live again once more. Hear, sir, and know ! ' This, lord, is the first meaning implied in what I said. [286] ' Deceasing from the gfods I shall forsake The life that 's not of men, and straight shall go Unerring to that womb I fain would choose. 1 Abhinna, i.e. knowledge of that advanced (abhi-) nature, which is neither conveyed by the channels of sense, nor is occupied with sense-experience as such. 2 Cy. afinena kammavipakena, by another result of action. D. ii. 287- THE QUESTIONS OF SAKKA. 319 1 This, lord, is the second meaning implied in what I said. ' I who have had my problems rendered clear And live delighting in His Word, shall then Live righteously, mindful and self-possessed. 1 This, lord, is the third meaning implied in what I said. ' And if into my life thus rightly led Enlightenment should come, then shall I dwell As one who Knows, and this shall be the end.

' This, lord, is the fourth meaning implied in what I said. ' Deceasing from the human sphere, I then Forsake the life of men, and lo ! once more A god I'll be, best in the Deva-world. ' This, lord, is the fifth meaning implied in what I said. ' Finer than Devas are the Peerless Gods * All glorious, while my last span of life Shall come and go 'tis there my home will be. [287] ' This, lord, is the sixth meaning implied in my confession of experiencing such satisfaction and such happiness. ' These, lord, are the six things present to my mind that I feel such satisfaction and such happiness.' 9. ' With aspirations unfulfilled, perplexed And doubting, long I wandered seeking him Who-had-on-That -wise-Thither-Come. Me- thought, Hermits who dwell secluded and austere Must sure enlightened be ! To them I'll fare. " What must I do to win, what doing fail ? ' Thus asked they rede me naught in Path or Ways. 1 Those called Akani//M. 320 XXI. SAKKA-PANHA SUTTANTA. D. ii. 287. But me, forsooth, whereas they know that I Who come, am Sakka of the gods, 'tis me They ask, " What would'st thou that thou comest

here ? " Thereat to them I teach, as I have heard, As all may hear, the Dhamma ; whereat they Rejoicing cry, forsooth, " Vasava have we seen ! " But since I've seen the Buddha, seen my doubts Dispelled, now would I, all my fears allayed, On him, the Enlightened One, adoring wait. Him do I worship who hath drawn the dart Of craving, him the Buddha, peerless Lord. Hail, mighty hero ! hail, kin to the sun ! [288] E'en as by gods is Brahma reverenced, Lo ! even thus to-day we worship thee. Thou art the Enlightened One, Teacher Supreme Art thou, nor in the world, with all its heav'ns Of gods, is any found like unto thee ! ' 10. Then spake Sakka, ruler of gods, to Five-crest of the Gandhabbas : — ' Great has been your help to me, dear Five-crest, in that you first placated the Exalted One. For it was after you had first placated him, that we were admitted to his presence to see the Exalted One, the Arahant, Buddha Supreme. I will take the place of father to you, and you shall be king of the Gandhabbas, and I will give to you Bhadda, the Sunmaiden, whom you have longed for.'

Then Sakka, touching the earth with his hand to call it to witness, called aloud thrice : — * Honour to the Exalted One, to the Arahant, to the Buddha Supreme ! ' Now while he was speaking in this dialogue, the stainless spotless Eye for the Truth arose in Sakka, the ruler of the cmds, to wit : ' Whatsoever thingr can come to be, that must also cease to be '.' And this happened also to eighty thousand of devas besides. 1 See Vol. I, p. 184. B. ii. 289. THE QUESTIONS OF SAKKA. 32 1 [239] Such were the questions which Sakka was invited to ask, and which were explained by the Exalted One \ Therefore has this dialogue the name of ' The Questions of Sakka.' 1 'Was invited' is doubtful. Sakka had not been invited to put any particular questions. Leave had been granted him generally to put any question he liked. Yet the editions printed in Siam and Ceylon read 'the invited questions put.' Buddhaghosa reads ajjhitta. It is doubtful whether the other reading (ajji//M) could be properly applied to a question. In Vin. I, 113 it is applied to a person who is invited to speak. It looks here like a conjectural emendation of a lectio difficihor.

The doctrine here expounded is perhaps the most important, after that of the Aryan Path, in early Buddhism ; and this tract, the oldest authoritative statement of the doctrine, is still in frequent and popular use among those Buddhists who have adhered to the ancient faith. The two doctrines are closely connected. The exposition here of mindfulness (Sati) includes that of the Path, and no exposition of the Path is complete without the inclusion of mindfulness. Whosoever neglects the fourfold practice of mindfulness he misses the Path, whosoever practises mindfulness has found the Path (Sa/wyutta V, 179, 180, 294). The right way to the practice of mindfulness is precisely the Aryan Path (ibid. 183). And that practice is in turn, in one passage, called the Path to the Unconditioned (Asawkhata, that is, Arahantship, Nirvana, the goal of the Aryan Path).1 What then is this Mindfulness? This Suttanta will show. But a few observations may help the student of it. Etymologically Sati is Memory. But as happened at the rise of Buddhism to so many other expressions in common use, a new connotation was then attached to the word, a connotation that gave a new meaning to it, and renders ' memory ' a most inadequate and misleading translation. It became the memory, recollection, calling-to-mind, being-aware-of, certain specified facts. Of these the most important was the impermanence (the coming to be as the result of a cause, and the passing away again) of all phenomena, bodily and mental. And it included the repeated application of this awareness, to each experience of life, from the ethical point of view. ' Thus does he cultivate those qualities which ought to be practised, and not those which ought not. That is how repetition is the mark of Mindfulness,' says Nagasena2, in complete accord with our Suttanta.

1 Satfzyutta IV, 363. 2 Questions of King Milinda, I, 59. When Christians are told : ' Whether therefore ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God,' a way is shown by which any act, however lowly, can, by the addition of a remembrance (a Sati), be surrounded by the halo of a high moral enthusiasm ; and how, by the continual practice of this remembrance, a permanent improvement in character can be obtained. The Buddhist idea is similar. But the remembrance is of what we should now call natural law, not of a deity. This has been made a corner-stone of the system of ethical self-training. The corresponding cornerstone in the West is conscience ; and indeed, so close is the resemblance in their effects that one scholar has chosen ' conscience' as a rendering of Sati; — wrongly, we think, as this introduces a Western idea into Buddhism. The curious notion of an internal monitor, distinct from the soul, yet speaking independently of the will of the man himself, is confined to animistic modes of thought. Buddhaghosa uses it, indeed, as a simile, to explain the connotations of Sati; but he expressly pours scorn on any idea of a separate entity.1

On the other hand though Sati (Smrti) does not occur in any ethical sense in pre-Buddhistic literature, it is possible that the Buddhist conception was, in one way, influenced by previous thought. Stress is laid in the Upanishad ideal on Intuition, especially as regards the relation between the soul, supposed to exist inside each human body, and the Great Soul. In the Buddhist protest against this, the doctrine of Sati, dependent not on intuition, but on grasp of actual fact, plays an important part. This opposition may have been intentional. On the other hand, the ethical value of Mindfulness (in its technical sense) would be sufficient, without any such intention, to explain the great stress laid upon it. The following are some of the proposed translations of Sati:— Conscience, Spence Hardy, 'Manual,' 412. Attention, Spence Hardy, ' Manual,' 497. Meditation, Gogerly, ' Ceylon Buddhism,' 584. „ Childers, ' Dictionary.' 2 Memory, Oldenberg, ' Vinaya Texts,' I, 96. „ E. Hardy, ' Buddha,' 40. 1 See Mrs. Rhys Davids's 'Buddhist Psychology,' p. 16, note 1 ; and note 1 above on Vol. I, p. 81. 2 He renders kayagata sati, where the word occurs in its technical sense, as 'meditation on the body.' He has other renderings for popular usage.

Contemplation, Warren, ' Buddhism in Translations,' 353. Insight, Neumann, ' Majjhima,' I, 85. Thought, Pischel, < Buddha,' 28. „ Oldenberg, 'Buddha' (English translation), The other word in the compound that gives the title to this Suttanta is Pa^/dna — which would mean etymologically ' putting forward, setting forth.' It does not occur in preBuddhistic literature. It has not been yet found in the Nikayas in its concrete, primary, sense ; or in any connexion except this. Buddhaghosa here paraphrases it, exegetically only, by gocara, which is the feeding- ground, resort, of an animal. The mediaeval use of the word (in its Sanskrit form) was in the sense of starting off, going away, departure. It is the title of the most often quoted book in the Abhidhamma, and there means probably Origins, Starting-points, as it gives under twenty- four categories the paccayas (causes) of phenomena. In one passage of a fifth-century commentator (Tat. I, 78.5) the Abhidhamma Pi/aka as a whole is said to be samantapa//Mna, ' having (or giving) the settings-on-foot, the points of departure, of all things.' Childers gives the word as a neuter. It is masculine throughout our Suttanta. But he analyses the compound (sub voce u pa ////an a m), not into Sati + pa////ana, but into Sati + upa////ana. This is a possible contraction, and Buddhaghosa gives it as an alternative explanation which he does not adopt. Had we adopted it, the rendering of the title would have been ' The gettingready of Mindfulness.' Neumann renders it ' Pillars of Insight,' and Warren ' Intent Contemplations.' Neither of these is much more than a distant cousin of the Pali.

It is not easy at first sight to understand the choice of just those four fields or areas (comp. pa////ana = thana = gocara), to which, in this Suttanta, ' mindfulness ' is to be applied, or in respect to which it is to be set up. We need ourselves to be mindful, lest, in interpreting them, we follow too closely European points of view. In trying to avoid this danger, we do not consider our choice of terms leaves nothing to be desired, or to be explained. 1 The ethical desirableness of Sati, as the instrument most efficacious in self-mastery, lay in the steady alertness of inward vision which it connoted, whether past or present experience was contemplated. In discussing it, the Buddhist was concerned, not with the outer world as such, but with the microcosm of his subjective experience, and with the vehicles thereof — sense and mind. These he is here represented as considering under the fourfold aspect of — (1) kaya, physical structure and activities, (a) vedana, the emotional nature, first as bare feeling, then as having ethical implications. (3) citta, conscious life, consciousness or intelligence, con- sidered under ethical aspects. (4) d ha mm a, with its subdivisions —