696 Pdli Buddhistical Annals. [Auo. 



In nearly the same words, other individuals " influenced by each 

 preceding example, proceeded to collect salt for four days and eight 

 days." 



"In this manner, descendants of Wa'settho! men laying up stores of s&li, 

 began to meet together, for the purpose of feasting thereon. Thereupon the inner 

 pellicle formed on the grain of rice, and the outer husk also formed on the grain of 

 rice : and it (the rice stalk) no longer grew at the point at which it was cut down. 

 The loss sustained became obvious ; and the s&li were only found in clumps (at the 

 places where they had not been cut down yet). 



11 Descendants of Wa'settho ! these individuals then assembled, and said one to 

 another, ' Friend 1 wickedness has descended among men : we were originally pro- 

 duced by an act of our own volition (mandnayd, an apparitional birth) and lived for 

 a long time, feeding on the aliment of felicity, illumined by the light of our 

 effulgence, and moving through the air, &c.' " 



The lamentation then proceeds to specify how these blessings were 

 lost ; at the termination of which, the revelation is thus continued. 



41 ' Should we now divide off these s&li clumps, and set boundaries, it will be most 

 proper:' and thereupon, descendants of Wa'settho! these individuals divided 

 off, and set boundaries to the sali accordingly. 



" Then, O descendants of Wa'settho ! a certain individual, impelled by covetous- 

 ness, reserving his own share, fed on a share not assigned to him, robbing the 

 same. They seized that person, and having seized him, thus admonished him. 

 * Friend! most assuredly thou hast been guilty of a crime: doth any one, any 

 where, hoarding up his own share, appropriate, unbestowed, the portion of another 

 person? Friend! man, commit not again such an act.' Descendants of 

 Wa'settho! this individual answered those persons saying ; * so be it, friends!' " 

 In precisely the same terms, Buddho proceeds to narrate that 

 the same individual committed the same offence again, and was 

 admonished in the same manner. After the third offence, the revelation 

 proceeds : 



'* Descendants of Wa'settho!, some beat him with their hands, some pelted 

 him with (hard) substances, others struck him with clubs. From that period, 

 descendants of Wa'settho! the appropriation of things unbestowed (thefts) 

 degradation, fraud and the (consequent) punishments ensued. 



"Thereupon, descendants of Wa'settho! these men assembled, and having 

 assembled thus deliberated. ' Friends! most assuredly wicked actions have become 

 prevalent among mankind : every where, theft, degradation, fraud and punishment 

 will prevail. It will be most proper that we should elect some one individual, who 

 would be able to eradicate most fully that which should be eradicated, to degrade 

 that whichs hould be degraded, to expel those who should be expelled; and we will 

 assign to him (the person elected) a share of our sAli*.' 



" Thereupon, descendants of Wa'settho! these persons having selected an indivi- 

 dual, in person more beautiful, in personal appearance more pleasing, and (in all 

 respects) more calculated to conciliate than any one of tL.cn selves was ; ap- 

 proaching that individual, they thus invoked him. « Man! come hither: that 

 which should be destroyed, nnuihilate most fully.; that which should be degraded, 

 degrade most fully; that which should be rejected, reject: we will assigu to thee 

 a portion of our sali.' 



* The Atihakathd explains that each individual was to pay one ammunam. 



