Page:Buddhist Birth Stories, or, Jātaka Tales.djvu/152

36 seven precious stones had capitals of the same. Next he said, "Let the hall have hanging wreaths of little bells at intervals," and looked again. The instant he looked a fringe of bells hung down, whose musical tinkling, as they were stirred by a gentle breeze, was like a symphony of the five sorts of instruments, or as when the heavenly choirs are going on. He thought, "Let there be hanging garlands of perfumes and flowers," and there the garlands hung. He thought, "Let seats and benches for a million million monks rise up through the earth," and straightway they appeared. He thought, "Let water vessels rise up at each corner of the building," and the water vessels arose. Having by his miraculous power effected all this, he went to the brahmin and said, "Come, sir, look at your hall, and pay me my wages." The Bodhisatta went and looked at the hall, and as he looked his whole frame was thrilled in every part with fivefold joy. And as he gazed on the hall he thought thus within himself, "This hall was not wrought by mortal hands, but surely through my good intention, my good action, the palace of Indra became hot, and hence this hall must have been built by the archangel Indra; it is not right that in such a hall as this I should give alms for a single day, I will give alms for a whole week." For the gift of external goods, however great, cannot give satisfaction to the Bodhisattas, but the Bodhisattas feel joy at their self-renunciation when they sever the crowned head, put out the henna-anointed eyes, cut out the heart and give it away. For when our Bodhisatta in the Sivijātaka gave alms in the middle of his capital, at the four gates of the city, at a daily expenditure of five bushels of gold coins, this liberality failed to arouse within him a feeling of satisfaction at his renunciation. But on the other hand, when the archangel Indra came to him in the disguise of a brahmin, and asked for his eyes, then indeed, as he took them out and gave them away, laughter rose within him,