..續本文上一頁t, circled him 100,000 times, and then said to the Buddha, "World Honored One, we now have provided for the Buddha and the sangha these offerings of supplies. Our only wish is for the Tathagata to mercifully receive our offerings." The Tathagata remained silent and did not accept their offerings. The elders” wish going unfulfilled, their minds were sorrowful and grieved. By the Buddha”s spiritual power, they were moved to a grove of seven Tala trees, and there they silently waited.

　　And at that time, there was the King of Vaisali, his wife, and his palace retinue.

　　From Jambudvipa there were the Kings who had removed the King Ajatasatru from power. They were together with the common people from the villages, towns, and cities of their kingdoms. Among them was one king named Moon Without Defilement. Each wearing four weapons, they wished to go to the Buddha. Each of these Kings had a retinue of one hundred and eighty ten thousands of nayutas of common people. Their carts were war chariots pulled by elephants and horses. The elephants had six tusks and the horses were as swift as the wind. The carts were laden with supplies six times as great as the last. The very smallest of the precious canopies had a circumference easily filling eight yojanas. The very shortest of the flags was sixteen yojanas in length. And the lowest of the precious pennants was thirty-six yojanas high. These Kings peacefully dwelt in the true Dharma and detested scornfully the mistaken Dharmas. They respected the Mahayana and deeply delighted in it. They felt compassion for sentient beings as they would an only child.

　　They carried beverages and food, the aroma of which perfumed the air throughout an area of four yojanas. In the early morning just as the sun was rising, they took up a variety of superior and wondrous sweet delicacies, and went to where the Tathagata was staying between the pair of Saala trees. They said to the Buddha, "World Honored One, we now have provided for the Buddha and the sangha these offerings of supplies. Our only wish is for the Tathagata to mercifully receive our very last offerings." The Tathagata remained silent when he saw this and did not accept their offerings. The Kings” wish going unfulfilled, their minds were sorrowful as they withdrew to sit at one side.

　　And at that time, there was a group of God Kings whose number was like the sands of seven Ganges Rivers. These were only those who removed the wife of Ajatasatru. In order to liberate sentient beings, they manifested themselves with female bodies. They constantly contemplated their bodily conduct. And by way of the Dharmas of emptiness, marklessness, and wishlessness, they perfumed and cultivated their minds. They were the wife Wonder of the Three Realms and the wife Commiserate Virtue. They were those among the Kings” wives. They peacefully dwelt in the true Dharma, cultivating their practice of the precepts, perfect was their majestic deportment. They felt compassion for sentient beings as they would an only child.

　　They said to one another, "We should now make haste to the World Honored One." The Kings” wives gathered offerings seven times as great as the last. They took up aromatic flowers, precious pennants, embroidered silk, flags, canopies, and superior and wondrous beverages and food. The smallest of the precious canopies had a circumference that easily filled sixteen yojanas. The very shortest of the flags was thirty-six yojanas in length. The lowest of the precious flags was sixty-eight yojanas high. The aroma of the beverages and foods perfumed the air throughout an area of eight yojanas. Carrying these offerings of supplies, they went to the Tathagata and prostrated themselves at his feet. They then circled him 100,000 times and said to the Buddha, "World Hon…

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