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34. 12. ] the garden of Aso’kavana laid out by merchant As'okadatta, I have seen the teacher, by the name of Vijayasena; he is the festival of all sights worth seeing; he has whitened the expanse of four directions by the flow of the moonlight in the form of handsomeness; knowing all the arts he is like the moon with all its digits; though in the first youth, he is untouched by mental perversities; though he has conquered the god of love, he is attached to the splendour of penance; though he has abandoned all attachment, he is benevolent to all people; he is god Dharma incarnate as it were; he is the son of king Laxmisena and grandson of Samarasena, the lord of the country of Gandharas; and he has adopted all the enblems of a mendicant. Then the king said, "Oh, you are meritorious; [34] you have obtained the fruit of your eyes. If there is no obstruction, I shall see the revered teacher tomorrow.” When the night had passed, the king performed all morning duties and went to that garden. He saw teacher Vijayasena, sur rounded by many friars like the full autumnal moon surrounded by the clusters of stars. Then the teacher was with modesty bowed to by him whose hair-ends bristled with joy; whose eyes were filled with the tears of joy; and who placed his hands and knees on the ground. The teacher gave him the acqusition of religion (i.e. a religious greeting) which is the seed of the tree of happiness of eternal bliss and which causes the destruction of manifold miseries mental and physical. Then he bowed to the remaining friars who carried the burden of 18 thousand subsidiaries of conduct; and who were emaciated with the anxieties for union full of love
