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FO-SHO-HING-TSAN-KING.
IV, 20.
the sea of ignorance. At this time the king sincerely attentive to the words of the All-wise!, 1666
Conceived a distaste for the world's glitter and was dissatisfied with the pleasures of royalty, even as onė avoids a drunken elephant, or returns to right reason after a debauch. 1667
Then all the heretical teachers, seeing that the king was well affected to Buddha, besought the king (mahârâga), with one voice, to call on Buddha to exhibit 2 his miraculous gifts. 1668
Then the king addressed the lord of the world: I pray you, grant their request!' Then Buddha silently acquiesced S. And now all the different professors of religion, 1669
The doctors who boasted of their spiritual power, came together in a body to where Buddha was; then he manifested before them his power of miracle; ascending up into the air, he remained seated, 1670
Diffusing his glory as the light of the sun he shed abroad the brightness of his presence. The heretical teachers were all abashed, the people all were filled with faith. 1671
Then for the sake of preaching to his mother, he forthwith ascended to the heaven of the thirty-three gods; and for three months dwelt in heavenly mansions*. There he converted the occupants (Devas) of that abode, 1672
1 The words of him who knew all things. . To substantiate his claim by exhibiting miraculous power. • By his silence showed his acquiescence.
• There is an account of Buddha's ascent to this heaven in the Manual of Buddhism, pp. 298 seq. Also in Fă-hien, cap. xvii. There are pictures (sculptures) of the scene of his descent in Tree and Serpent Worship, plate xvii, and in the account of the Stapa of Barahut.
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