19. Then, owing to the power of his merit, in the midst of the hell a lotus sprang up, not rooted in mud like other lotuses[1]. With its row of stamen-teeth[2] it seemed to laugh contemptuously at Mâra.
And with the aid of the lotus, produced out of the large amount of his merit, the Bodhisattva having reached the Pratyekabuddha, filled his bowl with food, while his heart was expanding with gladness and joy.
20. The monk, in order to show his satisfaction, rose into the air. There he displayed his splendour, raining and flaming with as great a majesty as a cloud from which appear flashes of lightning.
21. Mâra, on the other hand, seeing his design overturned, was in low spirits and lost accordingly his splendour. He dared no longer look in the face of the Bodhisattva, and soon he disappeared with his hell.
Why has this been taught? (For this purpose): in this manner the pious wish to exercise almsgiving even in spite of imminent peril; who, then, should not be charitable when safe? [Further this too is to be propounded: 'the virtuous cannot be induced even by fear to take the wrong way.']
V. The Story of Avishahya, the Head of a Guild.
(Comp. the Pâli Gâtaka, No. 340, Fausb. III, 128-132.)[3]
The virtuous do not allow themselves to be deficient in the virtue of charity either from respect to the loss of their fortune, or from the prospect of riches, as will be taught in the following.
- ↑ In the original there is a pun, pamkaga, 'originating in mud, born from mud,' being a common word for 'lotus.'
- ↑ Instead of dantiᵒ I read dantaᵒ.
- ↑ In the Pâli redaction the story is told of the setthi Visayha, not Avisayha, in consequence, it seems, of the misinterpretation of the first pâda of the first gâthâ in this story; that line should be read adâsi dânâni pure 'visayha. Likewise in the Nidânakathâ (Fausb. I, p. 45, l. 14) we must read Kandakumârakâle 'vishahyasetthikâle.
