Dialogues of the Buddha, Part II — trans. T. W. and C. A. F. Rhys Davids (1910)

3. 'And when, Ananda, the Great King of Glory had entered the chamber of the Great Complex, and had seated himself upon the couch of gold, having put away all passion and all unrighteousness, he entered into, and remained in, the First Rapture, — a state of joy and ease, born of seclusion, full of reflection, full of investigation.

' By suppressing reflection and investigation, he entered into, and remained in, the Second Rapture, —

1 I have here translated kamma by ' previous character ' and by ' quality.' The easiest plan would, no doubt, have been to preserve in the translation the technical term karma, which is explained at some length in ' Buddhism,' pp. 99-106.

D. ii. i86. THE GREAT KING OF GLORY. 2IQ.

a state of joy and ease, born of serenity, without reflection, without investigation, a state of elevation of mind, of internal calm.

' By absence of the longing after joy, he remained indifferent, conscious, self-possessed, experiencing in his body that ease which the noble ones announce, saying: — " The man indifferent and self-possessed is well at ease," and thus he entered into, and remained in, the Third Rapture.

1 By putting away ease, by putting away pain, by the previous dying away both of gladness and of sorrow, he entered into, and remained in, the Fourth Rapture, — a state of purified self-possession and equanimity, without ease, and without pain 1.

4. ' Then, Ananda, the Great King of Glory went out from the chamber of the Great Complex, and entered the oolden chamber and sat himself down on the silver couch. And he let his mind pervade one quarter of the world with thoughts of Love ; and so the second quarter, and so the third, and so the fourth. And thus the whole wide world, above, below, around, and everywhere, did he continue to pervade with heart of Love, far-reaching, grown great, and beyond measure, free from the least trace of anger or ill-will.

' And he let his mind pervade one quarter of the world with thoughts of Pity ; and so the second quarter, and so the third, and so the fourth. And thus the whole wide world, above, below, around, and everywhere, did he continue to pervade with heart of Pity, far-reaching, grown great, and beyond measure, free from the least trace of anger or ill-will.

' And he let his mind pervade one quarter of the

1 The above paragraphs are an endeavour to express the inmost feelings when they are first strung to the uttermost by the intense effects of deep religious emotion, and then feel the effects of what may be called, for want of a better word, the reaction. Most deeply religious natures have passed through such a crisis ; and though the feelings are perhaps really indescribable, this passage is dealing, not with a vain mockery, but with a very real event in spiritual experience. It implies neither hypnotism nor trance.

p. 220

world with thoughts of Sympathy ; and so the second quarter, and so the third, and so the fourth. And thus the whole wide world above, below, around, and everywhere, did he continue to pervade with heart of Sympathy, far reaching, grown great, and beyond measure, free from the least trace of anger or ill-will.

'And he let his mind pervade one quarter of the world with thoughts of Equanimity l ; [187] and so the second quarter, and so the third, and so the fourth. And thus the whole wide world, above, below, around, and everywhere, did he continue to pervade with heart of Equanimity, far-reaching, grown great, and beyond measure, free from the least trace of an^er or ill-will.

5. ' The Great King of Glory, Ananda, had four and eighty thousand cities, the chief of which was the royal city of Kusavati :

' Four and eighty thousand palaces, the chief of which was the Palace of Righteousness :

' Four and eighty thousand chambers, the chief of which was the chamber of the Great Complex :

' Four and eighty thousand divans, of gold, and silver, and ivory, and sandal wood, spread with longhaired rugs, and cloths embroidered with flowers, and magnificent antelope skins ; covered with lofty canopies ; and provided at both ends with purple cushions :

' Four and eighty thousand state elephants, with trappings of gold, and gilded flags, and golden coverings of network, — of which the king of elephants, called " the Changes of the Moon," was chief: