60 



ON MIRACLES. 



named'; and, taking some of its fruity went to the residence 

 of his kind friend before he himself arrived in it. When, 

 however, the Jatila Chief saw Got-ama whom he had just 

 before left behind, he was not a little amazed, and inquired, 

 how that came to pass. Gotama it is said explained, and 

 gave his host some Kose-apple, which he refused to accept. 



Going through the air is a Miracle, the performance 

 of which is stated by Gotama himself to be possible. But 

 it is not a little remarkable that he admits that the same 

 feat may be worked by Magic, and that the gods had to 

 provide him who could rise in the air with a Kumbuk 

 branch to help his ascent from the well. We therefore 

 refrain from any further comments beyond stating that if 

 Gotama intended an ocular deception, which we, for rea- 

 sons which will be explained, are rather disposed to disbe- 

 lieve, he might have overtaken the Jatila Chief by a nearer 

 passage, andreached his house before him, 



MiraclesjNos. 7, 8, g, and io, are similar to the last ; 

 and have reference to the fetching of different fruits and 

 flowers from very distant places, one of which was the 

 heaven called Tavatinsa. On all these occasions Kassapa 

 was overawed by the might and wondrous power of his 

 guest ; but reflected, as before, that Gotama was not 

 superior to himself. 



When such is an acknowledged fact, we may easily 

 conclude, that whatever mystery and miracle there may 

 seem to be in the representation of these acts by the Nar- 

 rator by importing { heavens' into an otherwise plain story, 

 and however much the acts might have been declared as 

 * clever,' yet there was nothing in them so miraculous as 

 to shake the pre-existing faith of the beholder, for whom 



