The Life or Legend of Gaudama, the Buddha of the Burmese (Volume I)Bigandet, Paul Ambroise
Religion
The Life or Legend of Gaudama, the Buddha of the Burmese (Volume I)
Bigandet, Paul Ambroise
Buddhism -- Burma; Burma -- Religion; Gautama Buddha
At that time the wicked Nat Manh came into the presence of Buddha, and
tempted him in the following manner: "Men and Nats," said he, "have the
five senses; through those five senses passions act upon them, encompass
their whole being, and finally keep them bound up with the chains of an
unresistible slavery. As to you, Rahan, you are not an exception to that
universal condition, and you have not yet outstepped the boundaries of
my empire." Phra replied: "O vile and wretched Nat! I am well acquainted
with the passions men and Nats are subjected to. But I have freed myself
from them all, and have thereby placed myself without the pale of your
empire; you are at last vanquished and conquered." Manh, yet undismayed,
replied: "O Rahan, you may be possessed of the power of flying through
the air; but even in that condition, those passions which are inherent
in the nature of mortal beings will accompany you, so that you cannot
flatter yourself of living without the boundaries of my empire." Phra
retorted: "O wicked Nat, concupiscence and all other passions I have
stifled to death in me so that you are at last conquered." Manh, the
most wretched among the wretched, was compelled to confess with a broken
heart that Phra had conquered him, and he instantly vanished away.
Full of fervour in preaching the law, the Rahans saw themselves
surrounded with crowds of converts, who asked for the dignity of Rahan.
They poured in daily from all parts, into the presence of Buddha to
receive at his hands the much-longed-for high dignity.[10] Buddha said
to them, "Beloved Rahans, it is painful and troublesome both to you and
to those who desire to be admitted into our holy brotherhood to come
from such a great distance to me. I now give to you the power of
conferring the dignity of Patzin and Rahan on those whom you may deem
worthy to receive it. This is the summary way you will have to follow on
such occasions. Every candidate shall have his hair and beard shaved,
and shall be provided with the tsiwaran of yellow colour. These
preliminaries being arranged, the candidate, with the extremities of the
kowot thrown over his shoulders, shall place himself in a squatting
position, his joined hands raised to the forehead, repeating three
times, 'I adhere to Buddha, to the law, and to the assembly of the
perfect.'"
Gaudama, assembling again round him the Rahans, said to them, "Beloved
Rahans, it is owing to my wisdom, aided by constant reflection and
meditation, that I have at last reached the incomparable state of
Arahatapho; endeavour all of you to follow my example, and arrive at
last at the same state of excellence and perfection."
The vile and wretched Nat Manh appeared again before Buddha, striving to
tempt him in the same manner as before. Buddha, discovering the snares
laid down by the tempter, returned the same reply. Finding himself
discovered, Manh vanished from his presence.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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