It was here, too, that several interesting incidents in the life of Buddha occurred. For example, it was here in a cavern that the Buddha often meditated. It was here that he often preached and taught; and it was here, or in the neighbourhood of the city, that the god Ṡakra (Indra) once appeared to Buddha, bringing a musician from heaven to entertain him, and afterwards testing his knowledge by forty-two questions. These the god traced with his finger on the rock, and the impression of them, according to Fā-hien, was to be seen there in his time, and a monastery was built on the spot. With reference to this legend we may note that the answers to the forty-two questions are supposed to be contained in a celebrated Tibetan work called the ‘Forty-two points on which the Buddha gave instruction[204]’, the importance of which is proved by its being translated into several languages. It was in this neighbourhood, too, that Buddha’s two chief disciples—Ṡāriputra and Maudgalyāyana (Pāli, Moggallāna, p. 47)—had their noted meeting with Aṡvajit (Pāli, Assaji), already mentioned (p. 104). Here, also, a Jaina ascetic made a pit of fire and poisoned the rice, and then invited Buddha to eat. Lastly, it was here that many of Deva-datta’s plots against the Buddha’s life (see p. 52) were carried on. The story of these is so interesting that I abridge it from the Sacred Books of the East (vol. xx. p. 238):— Now at that time the Venerable One was seated preaching the Law and surrounded by a great multitude, including the king and his retinue. And Deva-datta rose from his seat, and said, ‘The Venerable One is now aged, he has accomplished a long journey, and his term of life is nearly run. Let the Venerable One now dwell at ease and give up the Saṅgha to me, I will be its leader.’ Then said the Buddha, ‘I would not give over the Saṅgha, even to Sāriputta and Moggallāna; how much less then to so evil-living a person as you.’ Then Deva-datta thought: ‘The Venerable One denies me before the king, and calls me “evil-living,” and exalts Sāriputta and Moggallāna.’ With these thoughts in his mind he departed, angry and displeased, and went to Ajāta-sattu and said, ‘Do you, prince, kill your father, and become Rājā; and I will kill the Venerable One and become the Buddha.’ And prince Ajāta-sattu, taking a dagger, entered his royal father’s chamber. And the Rājā Bimbi-sāra said, ‘Why do you want to kill me, O prince? if you want the kingdom, let it be thine.’ And he handed it over to Ajāta-sattu. Then Deva-datta said, ‘Give orders, O king, to your men, that I may deprive the Samana Gotama of life.’ And Ajāta-sattu did so. Then sixteen men were sent to kill Gotama. They went, and returned and said, ‘We cannot kill him. Great is the power of the Venerable One.’