Lives of Alcyone

garden near Rajgriha, where on two successive days he was able to
recall two pictures from the past—his own solemn pledge of future
attainment given to the Buddha, and that scene in the garden when
first he took his cousin Mizar to hear the teaching of the Lord. He
visited Sarnath also, and found there a magnificent grey granite lion
pillar erected on the spot where the great Master used to preach.
This pillar was at the centre of a huge semicircle of other pillars
facing towards the great dagoba, while behind them, outside of the
curve of the semicircle, were arranged the enormous and thickly
populated monastery buildings.
Alcyone regretted the death of King Harsha , who had been a
good friend and patron of his monastery; but , as I have said, the
political troubles and disturbances of the next few years made
wonderfully little difference to the temples or the monasteries. It is
true that they missed the active patronage of the King, but the
crowds of pilgrims came and went in spite of the wars, and even the
Mongolian army felt as deep respect for the temples of the Buddha
as did the ordinary inhabitants of the country. Some six years after
King Harsha’ s death, Alcyone’ s old friend and helper
Dharmajyoti visited the monastery, but this time he was the
celebrated teacher and preacher Aryasanga. He remained for some
time in Kanyakubja, attracting huge crowds by his eloquence.
Indeed they would fain have had him settle there altogether, but he
had set his heart upon carrying the purer teaching of the Buddha
into the highlands of Tibet, and so he would not tarry on his way.
Naturally the old tie at once reasserted itself, though however
it may have been with Aryasanga, Alcyone at any rate did not know
the reason of the compelling attraction which instantly and at first