The Path of Purity Part II (of Concentration)

108* The Path of Purity* • * •his gojing.away he should take leave of us." He consented' by remaining silent. 1 And the lay-brother went home andsaid " A worthy guest has arrived at our abode. We mustwait on him attentively," The lay-sister agreed saying " Verywell," and made ready excellent food, hard and soft. And atmeal-time the lad went to his paternal home. * $o one recognizedhim. There for three months he partook ei their alms,and Ifaving finished his residence for the rains, took his leave.His kinsfolk said To-morrow you will go, sir," and the nextday fed him in the house, filled his oil-tube, gave him a lumpof sugar and a new piece of *cloth, and said " You may go,sir." He thanked them and set out for Eohana. His preceptoralso having performed the Pavarana and coming fromthe opposite direction met him at the place just where theyformerly met. At the foot of a tree, he performed his dutiesto the Elder who asked " Well, Good Face, didst thou see thelay-sister ?" " Yes, sir," he said and told him the wholematter. The Elder's feet he washed with the oil, and he madea drink of the sugar for him. He also gave him the cloth andsaluted him and departed, saying " Eohana suits me, sir."And the Elder came to the monastery and the next dayentered Korandaka village. And the lay-sister thought " Nowmy brother will come bringing my son," and she stood constantlylooking down the path. When she saw the Elder^coming alone she said, " Methmks my son is dead ! The Eldercomes alone," and she fell down at his feet and cried in distress.The Elder comforted her saying " Surely, out of fewness ofwishes the lad has gone without making himself known I" [93]and aftef relating the whole story, took out the cloth fromthe bowl-bag and showed it. The lay-sister became calm andlay down on her breast facing the direction in which her sonhad gone and said, doing obeisance, " Methinks it -was to aliving testimony of a monk like my son that the Blessed Onepreached the practice (prescribed in the) Rathavinlta, 2Nalaka, 3 Tuvataka 4 and Maha-ariyavamsa 5 Suttas, in which1 Read tunMbhdvena.2 Cf % Majjhima 9,145.3 Of 8utta-nipata iii, 11. * Ibid.iv, 14.5 Anguttara ii, 26-28.