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the Buddha, 11 lakh residents of Magadha had their pious spiritual eye opened on the same seat and they realised tiha 'whatever is born is transcient'. The remaining one lakh people become lay followers (13).
Being thus converted to the religion of the Buddha, Bimbisara submitted,
"Bhante! In my youth, when I was a prince, I cherished five desires which were: (a) may I be coronated as a king, (b) may the Buddha come to my kingdom, (c) may I have a chance to serve him, (d) may he deliver a sermon for my benefit and (e) may I know him. They have been fulfilled in due order, one after the other, till this day. May I now request you to accept food for to-morrow in the company of all the monks of your order".
So on the following day, Bimbisara, the King of Magadha, served food to the Buddha and his monks with his own hands, and dedicated a royal garden named Venuvana for the use of the monks of the order(14).
The Kütadanta Sutta of the Digha Nikāya contains something which would give support to the above account. Said Kutadanta to other monks who were his companions and counsellors,
"Why should not go to see Sramaņa Gautama ? Srenika, the King of Magadha, with his sons, wives and ministers, has taken shelter with the Buddha, and dedicated his life for him"(15).
A similar assertion is made by Brāhmaṇa Sonadanda in the Sonadanda Sutta (16).
Beginning of Uposa tha
There are many accounts indicating the relation between Bimbisara on the one hand, and the Buddha and his monks on the other. The Vinaya Pitaka, Mahāvagga has several accounts of the meeting between the Buddha and Bimbisāra. In the course of one of these meetings, Bimbisāra made a request as follows:
