Buddha is slandered in Thawattie -- Questions put to him by a pounha -- Story of Anatapein's daughter -- Conversion of a pounha whose navel emitted rays of light -- Blank in a great part of Buddha's life -- Story of Dewadat -- His jealousy towards Buddha -- His friendship with Prince Adzatathat -- His ambition -- His attempt to kill Buddha -- His miserable end. 256 LEGEND OF THE BURMESE BUDDHA CALLED GAUDAMA. CHAPTER I. _Invocation of the Burmese translator -- Slow but steady progress of Phralaong towards the Buddhaship -- Promise made to him by the Buddha Deipinkara -- Origin and beginning of the Kapilawot country and of its Rulers -- Birth of Thoodaudana -- His marriage with the Princess Maia -- Rumour of the coming birth of a Buddha -- Phralaong in the seat of Nats -- Dream of Maia -- Conception of Phralaong -- Wonders attending that event._ I adore[1] Buddha who has gloriously emerged from the bottomless whirlpool of endless existences, who has extinguished the burning fire of anger and other passions, who has opened and illuminated the fathomless abyss of dark ignorance, and who is the greatest and most excellent of all beings. I adore the Law which the most excellent Buddha has published, which is infinitely high and incomparably profound, exceedingly acceptable, and most earnestly wished-for by Nats and men, capable to wipe off the stains of concupiscence, and is immutable. I adore the Assembly of the Perfect, of the pure and illustrious Ariahs in their eight sublime states, who have overcome all the passions that torment other mortals, by eradicating the very root of concupiscence, and who are famous above all other beings. I undertake to translate from the Pali[2] text the history of our most excellent Phra, from the period he left Toocita,[3] the fourth abode of Nats, to the time he entered into the state of Neibban. Previous, however, to commencing the work, I will relate succinctly what is found in our books respecting the great Being who, by a slow but sure process, was qualifying himself for his great and high destiny. It is stated that all the following particulars were narrated by Gaudama himself to the great disciple Thariputra. For seven thingies of worlds, he who was to become a Buddha felt, during that immense number of revolutions of nature, a thought for the Buddhaship awakening in his soul. This thought was succeeded by a wish, a desire, and a longing for that extraordinary calling. He began to understand that the practice of the virtues of the highest order was requisite to enable him to attain the glorious object of his ardent wishes, and no less than 125,000 Buddhas appeared during that space of time.