________________
XII, 2, 3.
ON THE COUNCIL OF VESÂli.
401
them, they went up stream by boat to Sahagâti, and there disembarked, and took their meal at the foot of a certain tree.
2. Now to the venerable Salha, who retired apart and was plunged in meditation, there occurred this doubtful problem: 'Are the Bhikkhus of the East, or the Bhikkhus of the West, the more in accordance with the Dhamma in the opinion that they hold ?' And having gone over the Dhamma and the Vinaya in his mind, he came to the conclusion, 'The Bhikkhus of the East are not, and the Bhikkhus of the West are, in accordance with the Dhamma in the opinion that they hold.
And a certain one of the deities in the Pure Abode! perceived how this doubtful problem had arisen in the venerable Sâlha's mind, and as quickly as a strong man could stretch forth his bent arm, or draw it in again when it was outstretched, so quickly did that deity vanish from the Pure Abode, and appeared before the venerable Sâlha; saying to him : 'Thou art quite right, Salha ; it is the Eastern Bhikkhus whose opinions are against the Dhamma, and the Western Bhikkhus whose opinions accord therewith. Do thou, therefore, O Salha, even as. the Dhamma is, so take thy stand !!
Both formerly, O deity, and now, also, do I take my stand even as the Dhamma is. Notwithstanding, I shall not make manifest my opinion until (the Samgha) shall have appointed me (judge) over this question ?
3. Now the Vaggian Bhikkhus of Vesálí, taking with them the aforesaid property, went to the place
1 The Heaven, so called.
[20]
Compare below, $ 6.
Dd
Digitized by Google
