of these, he unhesitatingly replied, that he was more excellent than any of them. His mother thought within herself: If my son be so exalted, how much more must Buddha be! Her heart then overflowed with the purest joy. Thariputra rightly understood that the moment had come to preach the law to his mother. He said to her, “Woman, at the time my great teacher was born, when he obtained the supreme intelligence, and preached the most excellent law, a great earthquake was felt throughout ten thousand worlds. No one has ever equalled him in the practice of virtue, in understanding, wisdom, and in the knowledge of and affection for the transcendent excellencies of the state of Arahat.” He then went on explaining to her the law, and many particulars relating to the person of Buddha. “Beloved son,” said his mother, delighted with all that she heard, “why have you been so late in acquainting me with such a perfect law?” At the conclusion of the instruction, she attained the state of Thautapan. Thariputra replied, “Now, woman, I have repaid you for all the labours you have bestowed on me in bearing, nursing, and educating me; depart from me and leave me alone.”[5] Thariputra inquired of the devoted Tsanda whether the moment had come. Having been informed that it was nearly daylight, he requested to be set up. By his order all the Rahans were called to his presence, and he said to them, “For the last forty-four years you have ever been with me; if I have offended any one of you during all that time, I beg to be pardoned.” The Rahans answered him: “Great teacher, we have lived with you during the last forty-four years, and have been your inseparable attendants, following you everywhere, as the shadow follows the body. We have never experienced the least dissatisfaction with you, but we have to request your forbearance with us and pardon for ourselves.” It was on the evening of the full moon Tatsaongmon (November), when Thariputra went to his mother’s place, and lay down in the room wherein he had been born. During the night he was attacked with the most distressing distemper. In the morning, at daylight, he was habited with his tsiwaran and made to lie on his right side. He entered into a sort of ecstasy, passed successively from the first state of Dzan to the second, third, and fourth, and thence dived into the bottomless state of Neibban, which is the complete exemption from the influence of passions and matter.