172 



BUDDHISM. 



Gotamo receive me as a Buddhist layman ; from this day for- 

 ward, till life shall close, may the refuge be granted me, which 

 I have arrived at, and may I be favoured by the illustrious 

 Gotamo, with the great company of Bhikkhus, observing 

 Was{l) In Weranji. The illustrious Bhagawa assented by being 

 silent. Then Weranja Brahman knowing that Bhagawa had 

 assented, rose from his seat, saluted Bhagawa, and departed,, 

 having his right side presented (2). 



At that time there was a famine in Weranja; men's minds 

 were distracted, they became like skeletons, their crops failed^ 

 and it was not easy by begging to obtain a livelihood. At 

 that time horse-dealers from the North arrived at Weranja, in 

 the Was season, with about 500 horses, and there in the horse- 

 sheds were some measures of gram prepared. The Bhikkhus at 

 dawn of day having robed themselves and taken their bowl and 

 robes, and not having received any alms, came to the horse- 

 sheds, took some measures of gram, pounded and pounded them 

 in a mortar, and eat them. The Venerable Anando having 

 ground on a rock a vessel full of the gram, brought it near to 

 Bhagawa. Bhagawa ate it. Bhagawa, hearing the sound of 

 the mortars (and pestles)— (knowing a matter Tathagatas enquire, 

 knowing a matter they do not enquire ; knowing the time they 

 enquire ; knowing the time they do not enquire ; purposely Ta- 

 thagatas enquire, not without a purpose, but for removing the 

 cause of there not being a purpose to Tathagatas. There are 

 two modes in which the wise Bhagawas question the Bhikkhus 

 (saying) Shall we preach the Dhamma, or promulgate the 

 Commandments to the disciples ?) — Then Bhagawa called the 



(1.) Was; lit. rain. — A season of seclusion among Buddhist 

 Priests for a period of three months. 



(2.) A respectful form of going out of the presence of a digni- 

 tary. 



