the lower vehicle, at the calamitous conjuncture of a bad time[1] were longing for Buddha-knowledge.
14. But the perfectly-enlightened great Seer has not yet favoured us with a prediction (of our destiny), as if he would say: Do not eat the food that has been put into your hand.
15. Quite so, O hero, we were longing as we heard the exalted voice (and thought): Then shall we be at rest[2], when we shall have received a prediction.
16. Utter a prediction, O great hero, so benevolent and merciful! let there be an end of our feeling of poverty!
And the Lord, who in his mind apprehended the thoughts arising in the minds of those great senior disciples, again addressed the complete assembly of monks: This great disciple of mine, monks, the senior Subhûti, shall likewise pay homage to thirty hundred thousand myriads of kotis of Buddhas; shall show them respect, honour, reverence, veneration, and worship. Under them shall he lead a spiritual life and achieve enlightenment After the performance of such duties shall he, in his last bodily existence, become a Tathâgata in the world, an Arhat, &c. &c, by the name of Sasiketu[3].
His Buddha-field will be called Ratnasambhava and his epoch Ratnaprabhâsa[4]. And that Buddha-field will be even, beautiful, crystalline, variegated with jewel-trees, devoid of pits and precipices, devoid
