[from V. The Third Recital]



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[The King’s Dream]
577-594 ≠ Mhv 256-263

During the night the Guardian of the World saw a dream: A pure white noble elephant touched him on his head and took his right hand; the King was fearful and frightened, and in the morning he asked the brāhmaṇas. Hearing about it they answered: “Great King, there is no danger, there will be safety for you; one noble ascetic will come and protect you, having taken your right hand, he will dispel your doubt.”

At the instant the Guardian of the World heard that he went to the Elder and stood knee-deep in water. As the Elder came out of the ship he respectfully gave his right hand, and the Lord of the World said this: “Out of compassion for me, venerable Sir, please take my hand.”

The Great Elder, who was worthy of offerings, out of compassion for the King took hold of the King’s hand, and at that instant descended from the ship. Seeing that the sword-bearer thought: ‘I will cut off his arm,’ but as he drew his sword from the sheaf, the Lord of the World saw his shadow and said: “Formerly, because of holding wrong views I found no satisfaction, do not offend against the Elder.”

The King led the Elder to the garden called Delight-Increasing, washed and rubbed his feet and sat down. Inquiring into the Elder’s proficiency, the Lord of the World said: “Venerable Sir, I desire to see a miracle.”

“Which miracle?” he said.

“An earthquake” he said.

He said: “What do you desire to see, a quake of the whole earth or in one direction?”

He asked, “Which is the more difficult?” and hearing: “A quake in one direction is more difficult,” he said he desired to see that one.

The Elder placed a chariot, a horse, a man and a pot full of water within a boundary of a league on all four sides and shook the earth until its end for a league with his psychic power and showed it to the one sitting there.

Seeing that miracle the King said: “Uphold the Dispensation.”

After coming to the conclusion: ‘The Elder will be able to do this,’ the Lord of the World asked about his doubt: “Venerable Sir, I sent a minister to the monks, saying: ‘After going and settling this dispute in my monastery make the monks hold the Observance today,’ and he deprived so many of those monks of their lives. Through this action is there or is there not evil consequence for me?”

“Through this action there is no evil consequence because the intention was void of defilement.”