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
Buddha thought within himself, There are many among my disciples who can
make a display of great wonders; it is meet that the crowds should be
aware of it, and see how, with hearts stout as that of the lion, they
are ready to perform the most wonderful feats. He said aloud, "Who are
they that can do wonders? let them come forward." Many came into his
presence with a lion-like boldness and a thundering voice, craving for
the honour of displaying supernatural powers. Among them was a rich
man, named Anatapein; a female child, called Tsera; a grown-up woman,
and Maukalan. They volunteered their services to perform the most
extraordinary wonders, in order both to frighten the heretics, and make
them understand that, if such a power belonged to the disciples, what
that of Buddha himself must be. But Buddha would not accept their
proffered services, and said to them that the people had not been
assembled there for their sake, but for his; and that to him alone was
reserved the task of enrapturing the crowds by the great wonders he was
preparing to show. Addressing Maukalan, he said to him that, being a
Buddha, he could not leave to others the trouble of performing his own
duty. In a former existence, when he was a bullock, he drew from a muddy
place a heavily-laden cart, to save a Brahmin's property and rejoice his
heart.
Buddha ascended to the immense road which he had created in the air in
the presence of the crowd, that filled a place of eighteen youdzanas in
breadth and twenty-four in length. These wonders which he was about to
display were the result of his own wisdom, and could not be imitated by
any one. He caused a stream of water to issue from the upper part of his
body and flames of fire from the lower part, and on a sudden the reverse
to take place; again fire issued from his right eye, and streams of
water from his left eye, and so on from his nostrils, ears, right and
left, in front and behind. The same wonder too happened in such a way
that the streams of fire succeeded the streams of water, but without
mingling with each other. Each stream in an upward direction reached the
seats of Brahmas; each stream in a downward direction penetrated as far
as hell; each in a horizontal direction reached the extremities of the
world. From each of his hairs the same wonderful display feasted the
astonished eyes of the assembled people. The six glories gushed, as it
were, from every part of his body, and, made it appear resplendent
beyond description. Having no one to converse with, he created a
personage, who appeared to walk with him. Sometimes he sat down, while
his companion was pacing along; and at other times he himself walked,
whilst his interlocutor was either standing or sitting. All the while
Buddha put to him questions which he readily answered, and in his turn
replied to the interrogations that were made to him. At intervals Phra
preached to the crowd, who were exceedingly rejoiced, and sung praises
to him.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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