548 PROCEEDINGS OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY. 



her own accord. She consented to stay, however, on the condition that 

 she should be allowed to entertain the Buddha. On the occasion of the 

 Teacher's first visit, Migara and his wife were established in the Fruit 

 of Conversion. Visakha's life abounded in good works ; and she lived 

 to be an hundred and twenty years old. She endeavored to sell her 

 magnificent trousseau, intending to devote the proceeds to the work 

 of the Order ; but finding that no one else was rich enough to buy it, 

 made up the price herself, and erected a splendid monastery. The 

 Teacher informed the monks that Visakha's noble life was the fruit of 

 good works performed in the dispensations of Padumuttara and Kas- 

 sapa, and then pronounced Stanza 53, establishing many in the Fruits. 

 (404^420) 



Book IV. Story 9. The Elder Ananda's Question. 



ILLUSTRATING STANZAS 11-12 = 54-55. 



Once upon a time the Elder Ananda pondered the following thought 

 in his mind : " The Exalted One possesses three kinds of perfumes ; 

 but each of these goes with the wind. Is there, perhaps, a kind of per- 

 fume that goes against the wind ? " So he went to the Teacher and 

 put the question to him. The Teacher replied, " Certainly there is a 

 kind of perfume that goes against the wind." "Which kind is it 1 ?" 

 "The perfume of good works." Then the Teacher pronounced Stan- 

 zas 54-55, at the conclusion of which many were established in the 

 Fruits. (420-423) 



Book IV. Story 10. Sakka bestows Alms on Maha Kassapa. 



ILLUSTRATING STANZA 13 = 5G. 



Sakka's five hundred wives once endeavored to obtain the privilege 

 of bestowing alms on Maha Kassapa, but the latter refused them the 

 privilege, on the ground that he preferred to allow the poor to accumu- 

 late merit by so doing. When Sakka learned of this, he disguised 

 himself as an old, broken-down weaver, transformed Wellborn into an 

 old woman, and had no difficulty at all in persuading Kassapa to 

 accept his alms. When Kassapa discovered that it was Sakka from 

 whom he had accepted alms, he reproached him for deceiving him and 

 defrauding the poor. But Sakka explained that he hoped by the per- 

 formance of this and similar works of merit to make his own lustre 

 equal to that of three other deities who bad hitherto outshone him. 

 The Teacher, becoming aware of what had happened, pronounced 

 Stanza 56, at the conclusion of which many were established in the 

 Fruits. (423-430) 



