Literary History of Sanskrit Buddhism

Avadāna – 63
This process of working according to a pattern is carried to the
extent of perpetual reiteration of phrases and descriptions of
situations in unaltered strings of words. Thus following the rigid
pattern every one of our tales begins with the protracted formula:
“The Buddha, the Lord, venerated, highly respected, held in
honour, and lauded by kings, ministers, men of wealth, citizens,
artisans, leaders of caravans, Devas, Nāgas, Yakṣas, Asuras,
Garuḍas. Kinnaras and gigantic snakes, adored by Devas, Nāgas,
Yakṣas, Asuras, Garuḍas, Kinnaras and gigantic snakes, the
Buddha, the Lord, the Renowned, the Served, betook himself,
accompanied by his disciples and provided with all the
necessaries in clothing, food, bedding, covering, refreshments and
medicaments in the shape of alms to .... and was sojourning at ....
“ [49]
Similarly everyone of these tales ends with:
“Thus spake the Lord and with ecstasy in their hearts the monks
applauded the speech of the Master.”
Finally when the moral of the story is pointed out the process is
invariably described in these words:
“Therefore, oh monks, is the fruit of wholly dark deeds wholly
dark; that of wholly white deeds is wholly white; that of mixed
deeds is mixed, wherefore, oh monks, you shall abandon the dark
and the mixed deeds and take your pleasure only in fair acts.”