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head were placed at the feet of the monk, then, the latter's head would have broken into seven pieces. But no monk would desire his own ann ih ilation. So, no sooner was the child was ushered in than the monk stood up from his seat and bowed before him. The king witnessed this unusual event and himself bowed before the boy. The monk was in possession of the superhuman power of seeing through a time-span of 40•kalpas on both sides. He observed very carefully the physical marks of the boy to make sure if he would be a Buddha, and he had now no doubt about it. He saw that this was a wonderful personality. So he smiled within himself. Next moment, he thought if he would live enough to see him become a Buddha; but after thinking for some time, he saw (to his greatest disappointment) that he would not live to see him (become a Buddha). (He saw that) before the boy would attain Buddha -hood, he would pass away to be born in the Arupa-loka where he would not be enlightened even till the descent of a hundred, nay, a thousand, Buddhas. He began to cry on his own ill-luck. The people present were surprised and asked,
"Holy sire ! Just a moment ago, we saw you gay, but so soon you weep. Did you notice any difficulty for prince?"
The monk became serious and firmly asserted,
"He will have no difficulty. He will undoubtedly be a Buddha."
- "Then what's it that makes you so restless and unhappy"?
The monk's voice was faltering. He said
''I myself won't live to see him be a Buddha".
The monk extended his thought to see if any one from his own family line would witness this great event, and he saw that his own nephew (sister's son) Nälaka would do so. At once, he reached the house of his sister and enquired,
"Where's Nalaka"?
