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fasted for a month, come for alms; his entire store of flesh and blood dried up by penance, like a choice pool with its mud and water dried up by the summer season; with a network of veins visible like an ocean with high waves; his joints creaking like an old mat of bamboo; not horrifying, though his ribs were apparent and his belly emaciated, shining with a blameless wealth of the light of penance; a mirror of dharma. Amitatejas rose to receive him, circumambulated him three times, paid homage to the muni and presented him with pure food, et cetera. From the power of the gift of food, et cetera to the right person the five divine things took place then and there. With righteous actions of this kind many thousands of years passed for Śrīvijaya and Amitatejas absorbed in happiness.
FIVE PREVIOUS INCARNATIONS
Once upon a time King Amitatejas and King Śrīvijaya went together to the garden Nandana to worship the eternal Arhats. After they had finished the worship of the eternal Arhats, while they wandered around from curiosity to see the grounds of the garden Nandana, they saw two excellent flying munis, great sages, named Vipulamati and Mahāmati, standing on a slab of gold. After they had circumambulated and worshipped the two munis, the two excellent kings, who were laymen, listened to a sermon in their presence.
"Death is always very close at hand. So how long can life continue for people in the world like cattle in butchers' shops? Since people, even though knowing that life is transitory like lightning, do not make any effort in dharma, there is, alas! widespread delusion. Delusion, truly the chief enemy from birth till death, cuts down dharma, which is beneficial to men, at the root. Abandoning delusion altogether, dharma must be practiced with a desire for the fruit of a human birth. For another human birth might be difficult."
After hearing this, they asked how much of their lives was left and the munis replied that twenty-six days
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