________________
426
Buddha was too important an event to be lightly overlooked.
him,
Devadatta rushed to Prince Ajātasatru and said to
"Prince! In the past, people enjoyed a long life, but now life has become very short. Who knows you may die as a prince (and never get a chance of sitting on the throne). So, Prince, I suggest that you assassinate your father and ascend on the throne, and I do the same to the Buddha and occupy his position in the monastic order".
Ajatasatru hid a dagger beneath his trousers and suddenly burst into the seraglio at noon hour. He was afraid, alarmed, anxious and shaken. In that state, he was caught by the palace guards who said to the prince,
"Speak the truth why you entered into the seraglio at this very odd hour. What is in your mind"?
Ajatasatru "I came to kill my father".
The guards mean thing"?
Ajatasatru
-
-
"But who inspired you to do such a
"Arya Devadatta".
Some guards said that the prince, his instigator and all the Buddhist monks should be beaten up; but others did not agree. They were of opinion that this should be brought to the notice of the king and then they should leave the whole matter to His Majesty's discretion.
The guards conducted the prince to the presence of King Bimbisara and tendered a complete account of all that had happened. The king asked the guards what they thought about it, and these men submitted as they deemed appropriate in a situation like this, whereon the king gave the following order:
"Guards! I do not think that in this matter, the Buddha, his Dharma or his Sangha is responsible
