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

p. 239

5, 6. Having thus pondered, alone and privately, concerning the Mao-adhese adherents, the venerable Ananda rose up the next morning and came into the presence of the Exalted One, and being come, saluted him and sat down on one side. And so sitting, he told the Exalted One [all that he had heard and thought *]. [204] And when he had made an end of thus speaking before the Exalted One, he rose from his seat, saluted the Exalted One rightwise, and went away.

7. Then the Exalted One, not long after the venerable Ananda had gone away, robed himself in the morning and, taking a bowl and cloak, went forth for alms to Nadika. And when he had walked through Nadika for alms, after his meal, when he had come back again from his round for alms and bathed his feet, he entered the Brick House and sat down on a seat made ready, thinking over and cogitating upon and concentrating his whole mind on the Magadhese adherents, saying to himself : ' I will find out their future, their fate after this life, whither these good men are bound, what their destiny is.' And he, the Exalted One, saw the Magadhese adherents, whither they were bound, [205] and what their destiny was. Then at eventide the Exalted One, arising from his meditation, went out of the Brick House, and sat down on a mat spread in the shade behind the lodging place.

8. Then the venerable Ananda came into the presence of the Exalted One, saluted him and sat down on one side. Thus seated he said to the Exalted One : — ' My lord the Exalted One looks serene, his complexion shines forth, as it were, owing to the tranquillity of his faculties. Has the lord the Exalted One spent a pleasant day ?'

9. ' When you had made that speech to me, Ananda, concerning the Magadhese adherents and had gone away, I, when I had gone to Nadika for alms, had dined, returned, bathed my feet and entered the Brick House, sat me down on a mat spread there and thought

1 Repeated from §§1,2, 4, nearly word for word.

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over, cogitated upon, and concentrated my whole mind on those Magadhese adherents, resolving to know their future, their fate after this life, whither these good men were bound, what their destiny would be. And I saw, Ananda, those Magadhese adherents, whither the good men were bound, what their destiny would be. Thereupon an invisible spirit made himself heard, saying : — " I am Jana-vasabha, O Exalted One ; I am jana-vasabha, O Welcome One ! " Now do you allow, Ananda, that you have ever heard of any one bearing such a name as Jana-vasabha ?'

' I confess, lord, that I have never heard of one bearing such a name as Jana-vasabha. Moreover, lord, on hearing such a name as Jana-vasabha, I am thrilled with excitement \ and I fancy [206] it can be no ordinary spirit who bears such a name as Janavasabha 2.'

A

10. ' After those words had been spoken, Ananda, the spirit himself appeared before me, a splendid presence. And he made a second utterance : — " I am Bimbisara, O Exalted One ! I am Bimbisara, O Welcome One ! 'Tis now the seventh time, lord, that I am reborn into the communion of the great King Vessava^a. Deceased as a human king, I am in heaven become a non-human king-.

Hence seven, thence seven, in all fourteen rebirths —
So much I know of lives I've lived in the long past.

Long, lord, have I, who am destined not to be reborn in states of woe, been conscious of that destiny, and now is there desire in me to become a Oncereturner."

' Wonderful is this, marvellous is this that you, the venerable spirit Jana-vasabha, tell me : — " Long have I who am destined not to be reborn in states of woe,

1 Literally, the down of my skin bristles.

2 Literally, the ' Bull of the Folk,' that is glorious among the people. The name seems scarcely to justify the good Ananda's excitement, as such epithets were then, as now, common enough in India. But it is part of the art of the story-teller to make a mystery of it.

D. ii. 207. JANA-VASABHA S STORY. 24 1

been conscious of that destiny ; " and again : — " Now is there desire in me to become a Once-returner." How has it come about that Jana-vasabha the venerable spirit recognizes his attainment to a distinction so splendid ? '