..续本文上一页 of that night, having provided in his hermitage nice hard food and soft food, let Bhagavat know the time (of the meal): ”It is time, O venerable Gotama, the meal is prepared.” Then Bhagavat in the morning, having put on his raiment and taken his bowl and robes, went to the Gatila Keniya”s hermitage, and having gone there he sat down on the prepared seat, together with the assembly of Bhikkhus. Then Keniya, the Gatila, satisfied and served with his own hands the assembly of Bhikkhus, with Buddha at their head, with nice hard food and soft food. Then Keniya, the Gatila, having gone up to Bhagavat who had finished eating and had taken his hand out of the bowl, took a low seat and sat down apart, and

　　[1. Svâkkhâtam brahmakariyam

　　 Sanditthikam akâlikam

　　 Yattha amoghâ pabbaggâ

　　 Appamattassa sikkhato.]

　　p. 105

　　while Keniya, the Gatila, was sitting down apart, Bhagavat delighted him with these stanzas:

　　 21. ”The principal thing in sacrifice is the sacred fire, the principal thing amongst the hymns is the Sâvitti[1], the king is the principal amongst men, and the sea the principal amongst waters (nadînam[2]). (568)

　　 22. ”Amongst the stars the moon is the principal thing, the sun is the principal thing amongst the burning[3] (objects), amongst those that wish for good works and make offerings the assembly (samgha) indeed is the principal.” (569)

　　 Then Bhagavat, having delighted Keniya, the Gatila, with these stanzas, rose from (his) seat and went away.

　　 Then the venerable Sela together with his assembly leading a solitary, retired, strenuous, ardent, energetic life, lived after having in a short time in this existence by his own understanding ascertained and possessed himself of that highest perfection of a religious life for the sake of which men of good family rightly wander away from their houses to a houseless state; ”birth (had been) destroyed, a religious life (had been) led, what was to be done (had been) done, there was nothing else (to be done) for this existence,” so he perceived, and the venerable Sela together with his assembly became one of the saints.

　　 Then the venerable Sela together with his assembly went to Bhagavat, and having gone (to him) he put his upper robe on one shoulder, and bending his joined hands towards Bhagavat he addressed him in stanzas:

　　[1. Sâvittî khandaso mukham.

　　2. Comp. Nâlakasutta v. 42.

　　3. Âdikko tapatam mukham.]

　　p. 106

　　 23. ”Because we took refuge in thee on the eighth day previous to this, O thou clearly-seeing, in seven nights, O Bhagavat, we have been trained in thy doctrine. (570)

　　 24. ”Thou art Buddha, thou art the Master, thou art the Muni that conquered Mâra, thou hast, after cutting off the affections, crossed over (the stream of existence) and taken over these beings. (571)

　　 25. ”The elements of existence (upadhi) have been overcome by thee, the passions have been destroyed by thee, thou art a lion not seizing on anything, thou hast left behind fear and danger. (572)

　　 26. ”These three hundred Bhikkhus stand here with clasped hands; stretch out thy feet, O hero, let the Nâgas worship the Master”s feet.” (573)

　　Selasutta is ended.

　　--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

　　8. SALLASUTTA.

　　Life is short, all mortals are subject to death, but knowing the terms of the world the wise do not grieve, and those who have left sorrow will be blessed.--Text in the Dasaratha-Gâtaka, p. 34.

　　 1. Without a cause and unknown is the life of mortals in this world, troubled and brief, and combined with pain. (574)

　　 2. For there is not any means by which those that have been born can avoid dying; after reaching old age there is death, of…

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