who devote themselves to religion—­there is no distinction between the professed disciple and the unlearned.  Sometimes the mountain-dweller falls into ruin, sometimes the humble householder mounts up to be a Rishi; the want of faith is the engulfing sea, the presence of disorderly belief is the rolling flood.  The tide of lust carries away the world; involved in its eddies there is no escape; wisdom is the handy boat, reflection is the hold-fast.  The drum-call of religion, the barrier of thought, these alone can rescue from the sea of ignorance.”

At this time the king, sincerely attentive to the words of the All-wise, conceived a distaste for the world’s glitter and was dissatisfied with the pleasures of royalty, even as one avoids a drunken elephant, or returns to right reason after a debauch.  Then all the heretical teachers, seeing that the king was well affected to Buddha, besought the king, with one voice, to call on Buddha to exhibit his miraculous gifts.  Then the king addressed the lord of the world:  “I pray you, grant their request!” Then Buddha silently acquiesced.  And now all the different professors of religion, the doctors who boasted of their spiritual power, came together in a body to where Buddha was; then he manifested before them his power of miracle:  ascending up into the air, he remained seated, diffusing his glory as the light of the sun he shed abroad the brightness of his presence.  The heretical teachers were all abashed, the people all were filled with faith.  Then for the sake of preaching to his mother, he forthwith ascended to the heaven of the thirty-three gods, and for three months dwelt in heavenly mansions.  There he converted the occupants of that abode, and having concluded his pious mission to his mother, the time of his sojourn in heaven finished, he forthwith returned, the angels accompanying him on wing; he travelled down a seven-gemmed ladder, and again arrived at Gambudvipa.  Stepping down he alighted on the spot where all the Buddhas return, countless hosts of angels accompanied him, conveying with them their palace abodes as a gift.

The people of Gambudvipa, with closed hands, looking up with reverence, beheld him.

Escaping the Drunken Elephant and Devadatta

Having instructed his mother in heaven with all the angel host, and once more returned to men, he went about converting those capable of it.  Gutika, Givaka, Sula, and Kurna, the noble’s son Anga and the son of the fearless king Abhaya Nyagrodha and the rest; Srikutaka, Upali the Nirgrantha; all these were thoroughly converted.  So also the king of Gandhara, whose name was Fo-kia-lo; he, having heard the profound and excellent law, left his country and became a recluse.  So also the demons Himapati and Vatagiri, on the mountain Vibhara, were subdued and converted.  The Brahmakarin Prayantika, on the mountain Vagana, by the subtle meaning of half a gatha, he convinced and caused to rejoice in faith; the village of Danamati had one Kutadanta, the head