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I, 20, 12. ADMISSION TO THE ORDER OF BHIKKHUS. 129
went to pluck a fruit from an emblic myrobalan tree, &c., from a yellow myrobalan tree growing near the gambu tree, &c. He went to the Tâvatimsa heaven to pluck a pârikkhattaka (or pârigâtaka) flower; then arriving before Kassapa he sat down in the fire room. Then the Gatila Uruvelâ Kassapa saw (&c., as in § 8).
11. “When I had sent you away, Kassapa, I went to the Tâvatimsa heaven to pluck a pârikkhattaka flower; then I arrived before you and sat down in the fire room. Here is the pârikkhattaka flower, Kassapa ; it is beautiful and fragrant; you may take it, if you like.'
Nay, great Samana, to you alone it is becoming to keep it; keep it yourself.'
And the Gatila (&c., as in § 9). He is not, however, holy as I am.'
12. At that time one day the Gatilas, who wished to attend on their sacred fires, could not succeed in splitting fire-wood. Now these Gatilas thought: *Doubtless this is the magical power and the high faculty of the great Samana that we cannot succeed in splitting fire-wood. Then the Blessed One said to the Gatila Uruvelâ Kassapa : 'Shall the fire-wood be split, Kassapa ?
Let it be split, great Samana.
Then in a moment the five hundred pieces of fire-wood i were split. And the Gatila Uruvela
1 Bigandet (Life of Gaudama, p. 135) translates this passage from the Burmese version: Gaudama split it in a moment, in five hundred pieces.' Doubtless the true meaning is, that there were five hundred pieces of wood, one for each of the five hundred Gafilas over whom was Kassapa chief. In the following two stories (&$ 13, 14) we have five hundred sacred fires. [13]
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