Page:Buddhist Birth Stories, or, Jātaka Tales.djvu/150

34 ought to sacrifice my life for this Buddha," and having wrapped round the whole of his body in the same way that torches are wrapped, and having filled with clarified butter a golden vessel with jewelled wick-holders, worth a hundred thousand pieces, he lit therein a thousand wicks, and having set fire to the whole of his body beginning with his head, he spent the whole night in circumambulating the shrine. And as he thus strove till dawn not the root of a hair of his head was even heated, 'twas as one enters the calyx of a lotus, for the Truth guards him who guards himself. Therefore has the Blessed One said,

224. Religion verily protects him who walks according thereto, Religion rightly followed brings happiness. This blessing is then in rightly following the Law, The righteous man goes not to a state of punishment.

And through the merit of this work also the bodily lustre of this Buddha constantly extended through ten thousand worlds. At this time our Bodhisatta, having been born as the brahmin Suruci, approached the Teacher with the view of inviting him to his house, and having heard his sweet discourse, said, "Lord, take your meal with me to-morrow." "Brahmin, how many monks do you wish for?" "Nay but how many monks have you in your escort?" At that time was the Teacher's first assembly, and accordingly he replied, "A million millions." "Lord, bring them all with you and come and take your meal at my house." The Teacher consented. The Brahmin having invited them for the next day, on his way home thought to himself, "I am perfectly well able to supply