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128
MAHÂVAGGA.
I, 20, 8.
Kassapa he sat down in the room where Kassapa's (sacred) fire was kept !
8. Then the Gatila Uruvela Kassapa saw the Blessed One sitting in the fire room; seeing him he said to the Blessed One: 'By what way have you come, great Samana ? I have departed before you, and you have arrived before me and are sitting in the fire room.'
9. When I had sent you away, Kassapa, I went to pluck a fruit from the gambu tree after which this continent of Gambudipa is named; then I arrived before you and sat down in the fire room. Here is the gambu fruit, Kassapa, it is beautiful, fragrant, and full of flavour ; you may eat it, if you like.'
'Nay, great Samana, to you alone it is becoming to eat it; eat it yourself.
And the Gatila Uruvelâ Kassapa thought: ‘Truly the great Samana possesses high magical powers and great faculties, since he is able, having sent me away before him, to go and pluck a fruit from the gambu tree after which this continent of Gambudipa is named, and then to arrive before me and to sit down in the fire room. He is not, however, holy like me.'
And the Blessed One ate (&c., as in chap. 16. 2).
10. And when that night had elapsed (&c., as in § 7, down to:). Having thus sent away the Gatila Uruvelâ Kassapa, he went to pluck a fruit from a mango tree growing near the gambu tree after which this continent of Gambudipa is named, &c. He
1 Very probably it is this story in which a similar legend has originated that the Ceylonese tell about Mahinda, the converter of their island; see Dipavamsa XII, 75.
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