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STORIES OF THE PLOUGHMAN AND OTHERS 245 in pure meditation, even though his body was fat, he died, and went to Sarvārtha. So the fatness or thinness of ascetics is not a standard. Pure meditation is the means for the highest object of existence (i.e. mokşa).”
The god, Srida's sāmānika, 189 grasped the lesson on Puņdarika, which had been told by Gautama for his sake, by its termination alone. He adopted right-belief, but Vaiśravana delighted by the understanding of his opinion, bowed, and went to his own abode.
In this way Master Gautama passed the night in teaching; and at dawn the ascetics saw him descending the mountain. The ascetics bowed to him and said: “Mahātma, depository of penance, we wish to be your disciples. Be our guru.” Master Gautama said to them: “ The Supreme Lord, the Omniscient, Arhat Mahāvīra is my guru. Let him be your guru.” But Gautama initiated them, as they were persistent, and the outfit of sādhus was brought to them at once by a god.
They set out with Gautama to go to the Master, like young elephants with the Lord of the herd on Mt. Vindhya. At a hamlet on the road at time for alms, the head of the order said to them: “What do you wish for breaking your fast? I shall bring it." They said, “Rice pudding.” When he had finished taking alms, Gautama had in his bowl just enough to fill his own stomach and he brought that. Indrabhūti said to them: “Sit down, sādhus. All of you break your fast with this rice pudding.” Thinking: “ What is the use of that much pudding? Nevertheless, he is our guru,” all the munis sat down. Indrabhūti fed them all by means of the magic power of an unfailing kitchen 190 and ate, himself, afterwards, astonishing them.
“ By good fortune we have obtained Vira, Teacher of
189 239. There has been no mention of this god. It was Vaiśravana himself who had laughed and for whose benefit the story was told.
190 250. Another labdhi. See above, n. 187.
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