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MAHẬ-PARINIBBÂNA-SUTTA.
riages, and then alighting and proceeding on foot to the place where the Blessed One was. On arriving there he exchanged with the Blessed One the greetings and compliments of friendship and civility, sat down respectfully by his side [and then delivered to him the message even as the king had commanded 1).
4. Now at that time the venerable Ânanda was standing behind the Blessed One, and fanning him. And the Blessed One said to him: Have you · heard, Ananda, that the Vaggians hold full and frequent public assemblies ?' 'Lord, so I have heard,' replied he.
So long, Ânanda,' rejoined the Blessed One, as the Vaggians hold these full and frequent public assemblies; so long may they be expected not to decline, but to prosper.'
[And in like manner questioning Ånanda, and receiving a similar reply, the Blessed One declared as follows the other conditions which would ensure the welfare of the Vaggian confederacy 2]
So long, Ânanda, as the Vaggians meet together in concord, and rise in concord, and carry out their undertakings in concord-so long as they enact nothing not already established, abrogate nothing that has been already enacted, and act in accordance with the ancient institutions of the Vaggians as established in former days --so long as they honour and esteem and revere and support the Vaggian elders, and hold it a point of duty to hearken to their words—so long as no women or girls
i § 2 repeated.
* In the text there is a question, answer, and reply with each clause.
B 2
Digitized by Google
| SR No. | 007674 |
| Book Title | Dhammapada |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | Max Muller |
| Publisher | Oxford |
| Publication Year | 1881 |
| Total Pages | 2540 |
| Language | English |
| Classification | Book_English |
| File Size | 45 MB |