Page:Buddhist Birth Stories, or, Jātaka Tales.djvu/231

Rh 282. What hast thou seen, dweller in Uruvela, That thou hast abandoned the Fire God, counting thyself poor? I ask thee, Kassapa, the meaning of this thing: How is it thou hast given up the sacrifice of fire?

And the Elder, perceiving what the Blessed One intended, replied in the verse —

283. Some men rely on sights, and sounds, and taste, Others on sensual love, and some on sacrifice; But this, I see, is dross so long as sin remains. Therefore I find no charm in offerings great or small.

And (in order to make known his discipleship) he bowed his head to the Buddha's feet, saying, "The Blessed Lord is my master, and I am the disciple!" And seven times he rose into the air up to the height of one, two, three, and so on, up to the height of seven palm-trees; and descending again, he saluted the Buddha, and respectfully took a seat aside. Seeing that wonder, the multitude praised the Master, saying, "Ah! how great is the power of the Buddhas! Even so mighty an infidel as this has thought him worthy! Even Uruvela Kassapa has broken through the net of delusion, and has yielded to the successor of the Buddhas!"

But the Blessed One said, "Not now only have I overcome Uruvela Kassapa; in former ages, too, he was conquered by me." And he uttered in that connexion the Mahā Nārada Kassapa Jātaka, and proclaimed the Four Truths. And the king of Magadha, with nearly all his retinue, attained to the Fruit of the First Path, and the rest became lay disciples (without entering the Paths).