UMMAGGA JÄTAKA

Glory be to the Blessed, the Holy, and All-Wise.

ONCE upon a time our Lord Buddha, the completely Enlightened One, the Lion of the Śakya race, the Benefactor of all, the comparable to the Incomparable ones, the Tilaka of the three worlds, the Gem in the diadem of the three bhuvanas, the Mine of mercy, the Abode of friendship and love, the Master of wisdom, whose virtue is boundless as the water of the ocean, firm as the earth, high as Mahameru, pure as crystal, his mind absorbed in sentiments of mercy, kindness, love, and impartiality towards all, related this Jātaka in the pleasant grove of Jetavana, which is filled with all marks of wealth and greatness, and adorned with hundreds of temples, monasteries, walks, and colleges, surpassing in beauty even Naйdun Uyana, the pleasure-garden of the mighty Indra, in order that he might manifest the supernatural wisdom which was concealed under his bodily form. This grove, Jetavana, is situate close by the royal city of Sevet, which is enriched with hal, campaka, ironwood, jak, mango, and other fruit-bearing trees; it contains beautiful pleasure-gardens, with hundreds of noble trees, hundreds of ponds and tanks of pure water, decked with the five kinds of lotuses; nor are there wanting palaces, houses, and gates adorned with gold and silver, and teeming crowds with bright and varied garments. This royal city of Sevẹt is surrounded with a white wall, the

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windings whereof rival the wavelets on the bosom of the milky sea.

If it be asked, How? the story runs thus:

One day, when the sun had disappeared behind the western horizon, the pre-eminent Bhikkhus, gifted with the virtues of morality, meditation, and wisdom, clothed in deep red, beautiful Pāṁśukula robes, like the evening clouds, having left their night-cells like an army of disciplined warriors gathering together for the battlefield, or like a body of musk elephants clad in beautiful armour inlaid with gems, or like a troop of lions who stalk abroad alone-gathered round the majestic throne in the Dharmaśālā, festooned with wreaths of sweet-scented flowers,' canopied with a tapestry, adorned with stars made of gold, silver, and gems, and dazzling in all glory and grandeur-expatiated in the following manner on the perfection of the wisdom of Buddha; while they at the same time expected the appearance of Buddha, the King of righteousness, the Lord of mercy, equity, and justice, and the Teacher of the three worlds at the Hall, like the celestials who assembled in the heavenly court of Sudharma awaiting Indra's coming. And thus they spake:

"Brethren! Buddha possesses wisdom of the highest order, extending over the whole region of morality, &c. Like scented oil poured on the sea, it diffuses itself over all doctrines that require to be known; it is permeated with a fulness of love towards all things; it is endowed with a swift perception, as swift as the swiftest hamsa. With an acute perception it penetrates the veiled meaning of the Artha Dharma, Nirukti, and Pratibhāna, as an iron heated all day eats through a withered leaf without obstruction; it enables him to penetrate through all kinds of doctrines, in every way as one does through a crystal placed on the palm. While suppressing heretical opinions,

1 Lit., wreaths of flowers and perfumes.

such as eternity of matter and spirit, annihilation of matter and spirit, and such like doctrines, he, by his unrivalled and penetrating wisdom, converted such Brahmins as Kūṭadanta, Verañja, and hundreds of other Brahmins, and also such Paribrājikas as Sabhiya and Bahiya, and cannibals like Ālavaka, such desperate characters as Angulimāla, and such gods as Indra, who, in consequence of their wealth, power, and ability, entertained no feelings of respect towards the three gems, and also such Brahmas as Baka, who, holding heretical opinions, such as concern the eternity of matter and spirit, strayed into the path leading to hell, and the Lord did indeed destroy their venom-like sins by the unrivalled power of his omniscience.

"Moreover, this Buddha has subjugated their words, thoughts, and deeds, led a great many to the four paths and stages, and made them enter his holy order, and secured to them the bliss of Nirvana. Brethren thus

is Buddha endowed with wisdom as above mentioned." The Bhikkhus, who had assembled in the Hall of Preaching, were thus expatiating on the various great virtues and wisdom of Buddha, when our Lord Buddha, the Lord of the [three] worlds, the Chief of the [three] worlds, Joy of the world, whose feet are adored by gods and kings,' having heard with his divine ear when in his scented cell the conversation which had arisen in the

Dharma Šālā, just as if he himself had been there, thought of what mighty things he could do by his divine power, and resolved to go there. Rising from his bed, he dressed himself, so as to cover three parts of his body with his robe, which was like a bouquet of Muruta flowers wet with scarlet-lake, girded on his belt, which was like a flash of lightning with hundreds of strokes illuminating an evening cloud, and over them he put on the excel

the

1 Lit., whose lotus-like feet are adored by the pencils of rays emitting from gems inlaid in the crowns of all kings and gods.

lent Mahā-Pāmšu-kūla robe, coloured like a well-ripened nuga fruit, causing the mountains Meru and Mandara to shake, as if also covering a golden dagaba with a golden cloth, or covering a golden "Egeya" of eighteen fathoms with a net of pearls, or encircling the Chitrakūṭa mountain with a wreath of bandhu-jīva flowers, or as if pouring liquid lac over a golden mountain, and displaying the glory and grandeur of his world-renowned feet (which bore the thirty-two auspicious marks that seemed to obscure the glory of thirty-two suns, thirtytwo Brahma gods, and thirty-two universal monarchs), and of his eighty minor beauties, and of the halo that surrounded him a fathom deep, he left his fragrant chamber by the door which spontaneously opens itself by virtue of his merits, accumulated during countless previous ages, like the sun rising from out of a bank of clouds, or like the moon breaking through a heavy dark cloud, or like a brave lion leaving his golden cave with mane erect; and placing his feet, adorned with one hundred and eight auspicious marks, upon lotuses containing seven layers of petals, sprung up by the merits accumulated in countless births, by approaching Buddhas and other wise men he arrived at the Dharma Sālā with all the incomparable majesty of a Buddha, spreading light by his ineffable looks on all the ground over which he passed, as if pouring nectar on it. And just as the Blessed Lord entered the Hall of Preaching, he caused the "šālā " to be filled with the light of the halo composed of streams of six coloured rays, and looking with his eyes of proportionate length and breadth, like unto two windows of a golden palace made of shining blue sapphires, or like unto a pair of bees that hover over a lotus-like face shining as brightly as a golden dagoba and dazzling with the five colours, towards the body of priests, who were like vessels laden with every kind of precious trea

sure, or like unto a forest of full-blown lotuses, or like unto a wreath of flowers offered round a golden dāgaba, he thought within himself thus:

"These priests who are here have their senses well restrained; their minds are calm and quiet; they have control over their words, their minds, and their bodies: therefore, if I do not speak to them first, not one of them will dare to speak to me." So thinking, he opened his lotus-like mouth, pregnant with the deeds of merit achieved during countless millions of ages past, and addressed them thus: "Bhikkhus! what was the conversation you were engaged in previous to my arrival here ? If there is anything which you understand not, or have any doubts about, from which you may desire to be freed, tell me. By the enlightened eyes of my incomparable Buddhahood I shall determine them exactly and explain to you all such matters." Having uttered thus much he remained silent, giving a starting-point to the exposition of the Law. Then one of the Bhikkhus said, "Lord! we were not engaged in conversing on any of the thirtytwo subjects, such as stories about kings, robbers, &c., that have been prohibited to us. We have been enjoying the sweets of discourse on the subjects of the intense purity and keenness of the wisdom of Buddha." Then Buddha replied saying, "Bhikkhus! Buddha has been renowned for his wisdom, not only now, but also during countless previous births. He was renowned for his wisdom even during the period that he was qualifying himself for Buddhahood." Having uttered thus much he resumed silence, when one of the Bhikkhus, with the consent of the rest, rose up, adjusted his robes so as to cover only one shoulder, and with his hands joined together in supplication, addressed him saying, "Lord! we know that Buddha is gifted with great wisdom, as that is perfectly manifest to us, but the immature wisdom