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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> - 225<br />

youth came to the Bodhi tree and practised f<strong>or</strong> six years a penance<br />

hard to carry out, then he paid w<strong>or</strong>ship to the chief <strong>of</strong> saints who had<br />

attained perfect knowledge, and he became the well known Kāśyapa,<br />

the chief <strong>of</strong> ascetics, the f<strong>or</strong>emost <strong>of</strong> the Arhats.<br />

13. The saint Naradatta, dwelling on Mount Himavat, remembering<br />

the wholesome w<strong>or</strong>ds <strong>of</strong> his maternal uncle, came to the Sugata with<br />

his disciples, and the holy one admitted them all into the <strong>or</strong>der <strong>of</strong> the<br />

Jina; then a woman named Śakti, and another named Kamalā, preeminent<br />

in Brāhmanical power, came to the Sugata and fell down at<br />

his feet, and then standing bef<strong>or</strong>e him they were received <strong>by</strong> the saint,<br />

and made happy with the staff and begging-bowl.<br />

14. Seven hundred disciples <strong>of</strong> the ascetic Rudraka, remembering the<br />

noble w<strong>or</strong>ds <strong>of</strong> their teacher, becoming mendicants acc<strong>or</strong>ding to the<br />

doctrine <strong>of</strong> the Jina, flocked round him paying him their homage and<br />

carrying their staves; next a seer, named Raivata, joyfully uttering his<br />

praises, having finished his course <strong>of</strong> discipline, became a mendicant,<br />

full <strong>of</strong> devotion to the guru, counting gold and clay as the same, well<br />

versed in sacred spells and meditation, and able to counteract the<br />

three kinds <strong>of</strong> poisons and other fatal harms.<br />

15. Having received as followers and disciples certain householders <strong>of</strong><br />

Śrāvastī, Pūrṇa and others, and given them alms-vessels, – and having<br />

made many po<strong>or</strong> wretches as rich as Kuvera, and maimed persons<br />

with all their limbs perfect, and paupers and <strong>or</strong>phans affluent, – and<br />

having proclaimed the Law, and dwelt two years in the f<strong>or</strong>est Jetaka

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