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Buddha-carita, or Life of Buddha by Ven. Aśvaghoṣa

An English translation of this famous life of the Buddha, one of the great pieces of Sanskrit literature, with additions to help complete the text.

An English translation of this famous life of the Buddha, one of the great pieces of Sanskrit literature, with additions to help complete the text.

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<strong>Buddha</strong>-<strong>carita</strong>, <strong>or</strong> <strong>Life</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Buddha</strong> - 195<br />

75. On another he perf<strong>or</strong>med the drying, and another he flung up into<br />

the sky; the stone as it flew up reached the blazing city and astonished<br />

all the w<strong>or</strong>lds.<br />

76. After paying their w<strong>or</strong>ship in many ways, Trapusha and Bhallika<br />

duly raised an excellent Caitya and they called it Silāgarbha.<br />

77. The ascetics <strong>of</strong> that neighbourhood paid their homage to the<br />

‘Three Stones’ when they were made into a Caitya, and the noble<br />

stream flowed widely known as the ‘Holy River.’<br />

78. Those who bathe and <strong>of</strong>fer their w<strong>or</strong>ship in the holy river and<br />

reverence the Caitya <strong>of</strong> the three stones, become great-souled<br />

Bodhisattvas and obtain Nirvāṇa.<br />

79. Then seated under a palm-tree the holy one pondered: ‘The<br />

pr<strong>of</strong>ound wisdom so hard to be understood is now known <strong>by</strong> me.<br />

80. ‘These sin-defiled w<strong>or</strong>lds understand not this most excellent (Law),<br />

and the unenlightened shamelessly censure both me and my wisdom.<br />

81. ‘Shall I proclaim the Law? It is only produced <strong>by</strong> knowledge;<br />

having attained it thus in my lonely pondering, do I feel strong<br />

enough to deliver the w<strong>or</strong>ld?’<br />

82. Having remembered all that he had heard bef<strong>or</strong>e, he again<br />

pondered; and resolving, ‘I will explain it f<strong>or</strong> the sake <strong>of</strong> delivering<br />

the w<strong>or</strong>ld,’

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