158 



JOURNAL, E.A.S. (CEYLON). [Vol. YIIL 



The elder asked him, " What is your village ? where are your 

 parents? " " Sir, I have no oDe I belong to ; my parents got tired 

 of me and abandoned me, and are gone." " Well, will you 

 become a monk?" " Sir, I should be glad enough to become a 

 monk, but who would admit such a wretch as me ?" " I will 

 admit you." " Thank you, sir, do so by all means." The elder 

 gave him food, hard and soft, took him to his dwelling, bathed him 

 with his own hands, admitted him, and when he was of full age 

 ordained him. When he was old he was known as the elder 

 Losakatissa, and was always unfortunate,* never in luck. Even 

 on special alms-days, they say, he never got a bellyful ; he only got 

 just enough to hold life together. When a single spoonful of gruel 

 was put in his bowl, the bowl looked as if it were filled ; so people 

 thought e< This man's bowl is full," and gave the gruel to the 

 next. They say, too, that when people gave gruel to his bowl, 

 the gruel in their own basin vanished. It was the same way 

 with solid food and everything else. Afterwards he acquired full 

 insight, and was established in the highest fruit of Rahatship, 

 but even then he was a little-gain. In due course, his life-material 

 being exhausted, the day of his final extinction arrived. The lord 

 of religion, making mental inquiry, perceived the fact of his attain- 

 ing extinction to-day, aud feeling " This elder Losakatissa will 

 attain extinction to-day, I must give him food to his heart's 

 content," took him with him and entered Savatthi to beg. 

 Because of him, even the great elder held out his hand in 

 populous Savatthi, but got not a bow. The (great) eider sent 

 him in, saying " Go on brother, sit in the sitting-hall," and 

 sent him the food he received, saying " Take this to Losaka." 

 The people (to whom it was entrusted) took it and went off, and 

 forgot Losaka, and ate it themselves. When the (great) elder 

 arose, and was going to his dwelling, Losakatissa went and did 

 reverence to him. The great elder stopped and stood and asked, 

 " Did you get the food, brother ?" " I shall get it (in good time) 

 sir," he replied. The elder was disturbed, and took notice of the 

 time. The time (for eating) was passed. * 4 Never mind, brother, 

 sit down here," he said, and giving Losaka a seat in the sitting- 

 hall, he went to the dwelling of the king of Kosala. The king 

 took the elder's bowl, and as it was out of time for cooked food, 

 had the bowl filled with the four sweet offerings (honey, ghee, 

 butter, and sugar). The elder took it and went, and saying " Come 

 brother Tissa, eat these four sweets," stood with the bowl in his 

 hand. The other elder, out of respect, was too modest to eat. 



* Nippuniio i read mppuhiio, as on p. 230 apufino. 



