CEYLON BRANCH ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY. 



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four quarters four crystal bowls, saying, Receive in these, 

 Lord Bagawa, the fried grain and honey. Bagawa accepted 

 these, and in one of them received the fried grain and honey 

 and ate it. Then the merchants Passa and Ballika said, We, 

 O Lord, take refuge in Bagawa and in his doctrines, (g) 

 Receive us, O Bagawa, as disciples ; from this time to the 

 end of life we flee to thee for refuge. These were the two 

 first persons who by a verbal declaration became disciples. 



After this Budha thought, that although he had attained 

 to the perfection of wisdom, it was so difficult to be under- 

 stood, that others would not comprehend it, and that the 

 effort to communicate his doctrines to others would only be 

 attended with trouble and fatigue to himself, without benefit- 

 ing them, he therefore was disposed not to preach. The Maha 

 Brahma Sahampati, (Chief of the Brahma worlds) perceiving 

 this intention of Budha, instantly quitted his abode in the 

 Brahma worlds, appeared before him, and kneeling on one 

 knee thrice, solicited him to preach his doctrines, assuring 

 him that there were those who would understand and appre- 

 ciate them. He at length consented, and determined to pro- 

 ceed to Baranasiya (Benares) and first declare his doctrine 

 to the five priests with whom he had formerly associated. 

 On his way he is met by an ascetic, named Upako, who 

 enquired whose doctrine he professed ; under whose direction 

 he was priest, and who was his teacher ? He replied, " I 

 have no teacher, no one resembles me : among the gods there 

 is not one who is my equal : I am the most noble in the 

 world, the irrefutable teacher, the sole all perfect Budha.'" 

 He then states that he is going to Benares to preach his 

 doctrines to a world enshrouded in darkness. The five 

 priests were rejoiced to see him, but still regarded him as 



(g) There being no priests at that time this was the only form which could be 

 used, afterwards it was, I go for refuge to Budha, to his doctrines, and to the 

 associated priesthood, 



