Texts from the Buddhist canon : commonly known as Dhammapada

I .
( 121 ;
SECTION XXV.
ANGEE (kODHAVAGGO).
In days of old, when Buddha was residing in the Gridhra-
kiita Mount, near E^jagriha, then Devadatta, in concert
with Aj&talatru E^ja, contrived a plan for the destruction
of the Teacher and his followers. The plan was this :
That the King should prohibit the people of the town
from giving anything in charity to the community, and so,
when they had found their begging excursion through the
streets ineffective, that then the King should ask them all
to an entertainment at the palace. Meantime Devadatta,
having intoxicated 500 elephants, was to let them loose
on the Teacher and his followers, and so destroy them aU.
Accordingly, the invitation was given and accepted by
Buddha, and so on the morrow they entered the city as
agreed upon. On this the elephants, having been let
loose, with upraised trunks, came bellowing down On the
crowd, on which the 500 Eahats who 'followed Buddha
rose into the air (and flew away), but Buddha, with
Aaanda by his side, checked the fury of the beasts, who
now came and bowed down, and went before the Teacher
perfectly subdued. On this Buddha, raising the five
fingers of his hand, caused the appearance of five liong,
who uttered their roar, whilst the earth shook, and the
elephants lay down affrighted on the ground. Hereupon
Buddha and his followers proceeded to the King's palace,
and after Listening to the confession of the King, Buddha
uttered these stanzas :
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