________________
between the seven friends that one day they resolved to be together for life and would do everything, including austerities for emancipation, together. In time a few elder monks arrived at Indrakumbha garden. All the seven friends went to see the monks and listen to the discourse. After hearing the religious discourse Mah bala said, “I want to hand over the charge of the kingdom to my son and take initiation”. Hearing Mah bala say this all the six friends said, "What special attraction remains for us here, we too shall take initiation along with you.” All the seven friends gave their respective kingdoms over to their sons and each pulled out five fistfuls of hair each and took initiation from an elder monk.
After initiation into the ascetic order all the seven friends studied the Amgas and wandered about, affecting their souls with the power of restraint and penance. After sometime, those seven monks decided that they would do all the penance together to the same extent! As decided, all the seven monks observed the austerities together. After sometime a thought occurred in monk Mah bala's mind that before accepting monkhood I have been ahead of my friends in terms of prosperity, accomplishment and wealth. These people were never at the same level with me hence I should be ahead of them even in penance. The moment this thought occurred in Mah bala's mind, it gave birth to the idea of deceit, and hidden from his friends, but along with them, he began to observe greater methods of penance. Thus when six monks would observe a hama (six days) fast, he would observe a ama (eight days) fast. Consequently, the desire to be greater and a sense of ego polluted Mah bala's right belief.
This way, despite having taken a vow to observe the same penance with his six friends, hiding his inner secret from them, Mah bala gained the woman n makarma. After this, being devoid of all thorns (obstruction) observing 20 causes (sth nakas) again and again, through intense austerities, he gained the T rthamkara n makarma. The seven monks including Mah bala remained immersed in intense and tough penance. In the end, they undertook a fast along with samlekhan on the Cr Mountain. Those seven monks, being in samlekhan for two months and completing their respective eighty-four lakh prva years, became ahamindra gods in the anuttaravim na named Jayanta. Mah bala became
?Jt dharma Kath s tra, Ch.8, s tra 22
139
