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Shri Mahavir Jain Aradhana Kendra
www.kobatirth.org
Acharya Shri Kailassagarsuri Gyanmandir
AJITASENA-VYAKARANAM
75
supplemented by a fuller account given by. Profs. Sylvain Lévi and Edward Chavannes in their paper: Les seize arhat protecteurs de la loi (published in the Journal Asiatique, 1916, pp. 5ff.) which gives the French translation of the important portions of the Chinese text. In the introduction to the Chinese book, the following information is given about the arhat Nandimitra :
800 years after the Parinirvāna of Buddha there was in the capital of Sheng-chün * in the Chih-shih-tzu the fifti country an arhat called Nandimitra. He had obtained the eight vimuktis, three vidyās and six abhijñās. He was free from impurites (aranā), could know the aims and objects (pranidhijñāna) of beings, and had obtained the highest samāpatti. He had a great spiritual power which spread his fame far and wide. By the power of his pranidhijñāna, he could know the feelings and actions of all living beings of the world. When his rebirth and its cause had terminated, and he was going to attain parinirvāṇa he collected all the monks and nuns, and recounted to them the great merits acquired by him personally and all that he had done for the benefit of living beings. He then told them that he would be no more, and asked them to put questions in order to have their doubts removed. At this, the monks and nuns began to lament and one of them spoke out thus :
“The Buddha Bhagavā has long since entered into Nirvāņa, the five disciples of his also are gone. The world is now void of any true leader. At present you are the only Venerable who are the eyes of gods and men. Why should you wish to have your turn to abandon us. Have pity on us and live some time more.”
Nandimitra consoled them saying, "It is not proper for you to weep, O good men, you know the law of the world that whatever is born must have decay. The Buddhas who had vanquished the four demons and who possessed the power to fix the length of their
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