THE STATURE OF GOTAMA BUDDHA. 



79 



Buddhists nowhere venture to state, that the people generally 

 of the age of Gotama were eighteen feet high. We shall 

 now turn our attention to some of the legends regarding 

 Gotama Buddha. 



i. It is said that Nanda, Gotama's foster brother, who 

 was four arigulas shorter than Gotama, wore a robe in size 

 equal to that of the sage. 



ii. More authorities than one, consisting of the Canon 

 and the Gloss., mention the fact that Gqtama exchanged 

 robes with Maha Kassapa ; and that they both used the robes 

 of each other. 



iii. It is expressly stated that Maha Kassapa was a 

 middle-size man of his age. 



iv. When king Ajatasattha visited Mandamalaka, the 

 monastery in Jivakambavana in Bajagaha, he saw, and 

 entered the presence of a large concourse of priests sur- 

 rounded by Gotama; and yet, seeing nothing extraordinary 

 in Gotama different from those by whom he was surrounded, 

 asked an Ajivaka where Buddha was? The Ajivaka replied, 

 " Maharaja, he is the same (person), who, facing the east, 

 and leaning against the central pillar, is seated, surrounded 

 by the bhikkhus and saiighas." 



v. There appears to have been so little, if any, differ- 

 ence between Gotama and his disciples, that when the 

 Brahmana Sundarika Bharadvaja saw Gotama with his 

 head covered, he approached him, mistaking him for one of 

 his fraternity ; and, when he afterwards saw his bald head, 

 the Brahmana left the sage in disgust. 



vi. When king Pukkusati of Takkasila heard of the 

 great renown of Gotama Buddha, he went down to see him; 

 and on his way, met the sage in a public hall, and entered 

 into conversation. It was not until they had spoken 

 together for a good while that the sage was recognized. 

 Nor even then was it, indeed, from any personal characteristic 



