Original - Ordo Fratres Lucis

INTRODUCTION. XI
peculiar to the highest order of the Arahats,* and having
attained to the acme of knowledge necessary for a chief
Srfivaka was selected as the second chief disciple of Buddha,,
who pronounced him as pre-eminent amongst those having
supernatural powers.
The expounder (Moggallana) having
first traversed the
celestial abodes, and having inquired from the gods (to
what particular merits they owe their births), descended to-
the world of men, and clearly described to them for their
benefit by a scries of questions and answers, the results of
performing good deeds, submitted it to Buddha, and recited
it to the priests.
The questions of Sekra and the replies of the gods given
to him, have also been recited by Mahfi Moggallana.
The questions of Buddha, the Theras and the Dewas,.
and the replies given to them by the Dewas on the various
occasions, were collected by the Great Theras at the
Recension of the Dhamiui and Vinaya, and was recited as
the Yimana-vatthu.
To the first query here "by whom was this recited, &c.?"
the answer
"
by Moggallana
"
is brief and general, as for
a full account of him, his history from the time that ho
made his first resolve (to aspire to the second discipleship)
at the feet of the Buddha An Om ad ass i should be given.
This history will be found in different places in the Com
mentaries of the religion, and may be gathered as narrated
in them.!
To the query "where the stories were narrated, etc.?"
the full answer is that they will be found in the description
given of each celestial abode. Others *
say, one day
Moggallana who had privately retired for the purpose of
* Chililers, Pali Die., p. 360. Patisambhidu. Analytical sciences-
which form the four divisions of the supernatural knowledge of the
Arhats.
t By others the Commentators evidently means the priests of the
Abhayagiri and Jetawanfi, who were the rivrls of the Mahavira
priests.
I Particulars of the history of Moggalluna will he found in the
Manorathapurani, Dhainmapada AHhakathfi and other Commentaries*.