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
According to their good dispositions, he expounded the various
points of the law. The people who heard him and saw the wonderful works
he performed, obtained the understanding of the four great principles.
Buddha, having completed the twofold work of preaching to the crowds,
and exciting their respect and admiration by the most astonishing
display of the most extraordinary miracles, began to think within
himself as follows: To what place have all former Buddhas resorted after
the display of signs, and spent the season? He saw by a stretch of his
incomparable foresight that all of them had gone to the seat of
Tawadeintha, in the Nats' country, to announce the perfect law to their
mothers. He resolved to go thither too. With one step he reached the
summit of the mountain Ugando, at a distance of 160,000 youdzanas, and
another step carried him to the top of the Mienmo mountain. This was
done without any effort on the part of Buddha. Those mountains lowered
their summits to the very spot where he was standing, and rose up again
to resume their lofty position. Buddha found himself brought almost
instantaneously to the seat of Tawadeintha.[6] He took his position on
the immense rock Pantukambala. When he lay extended there upon his
tsiwaran, the huge mass on a sudden contracted itself to the very narrow
dimensions of his dress.
The people who had seen Buddha, and who could not now descry him, found
themselves in a state of bereavement, as if the sun and the moon had
disappeared from the sky. They gave full vent to their cries and
lamentations, saying: We are now deprived of the blessed presence of him
who is the most excellent among the three sorts of beings, men, Nats,
and Brahmas. Some said he has gone to this place; some replied, no, he
has gone to that place. Many of the people, who had just arrived from
different parts of the country, were exceedingly grieved, because they
could not see him. They all repaired before Maukalan, to ascertain from
him what place Buddha had gone to. Maukalan knew it, but he wished to
leave to Anourouda the honour of satisfying their curiosity. The latter
said to them that Buddha had gone to the seat of Tawadeintha to preach
the law to his mother, and spend there one season on the rock of
Pantukambala. He added, that he would be back in three months hence, on
the day of the full moon of Thadin-kioot (October). They came to the
spontaneous resolution to remain on that very spot, and not to return
to their homes, until they had seen Buddha a second time. They erected
temporary sheds; and, though the place was small for such a countless
multitude, they managed to accommodate themselves in the best way they
could. Previous to his departure, Buddha had enjoined on Maukalan to
remain with the people and preach to them the law. Maukalan faithfully
complied with the request, and during three consecutive months
instructed the people, and answered all their questions. The rich man
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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