Page:Gospel of Buddha.djvu/118

 he recognized at once the error of the naked ascetics, and, considering the indecency of their habit, clad himself in cast-off rags.

Having attained enlightenment and rejected all unnecessary self-mortifications, the Blessed One and his bhikkhus continued for a long time to wear the cast-off rags of cemeteries and dung-heaps.

Then it happened that the bhikkhus were visited with diseases of all kinds, and the Blessed One permitted and explicitly ordered the use of medicines, and among them he even enjoined, whenever needed, the use of unguents.

One of the brethren suffered from a sore on his foot, and the Blessed One enjoined the bhikkhus to wear foot-coverings.

Now it happened that a disease befell the body of the Blessed One himself, andĂnanda went to Jīvaka, physician to Bimbisāra, the king,

And Jīvaka, a faithful believer in the Holy One, ministered unto the Blessed One with medicines and baths until the body of the Blessed One was completely restored.

At that time, Pajjota, Iting of UJjenī, was suffering from jaundice, and Jīvaka, the physician to king Bimbisâra, was consulted. When king Pajjota had been restored to health, he sent to Jīvaka a suit of the most excellent cloth. And Jīvaka said to. himself: "This suit is made of the best cloth, and nobody is worthy to receive it but the Blessed One, the perfect and holy Buddha, or the Magadha king, Senija Bimbisāra."

Then Jīvaka took that suit and went to the place where the Blessed One was; having approached him, and having respectfully saluted the .Blessed One, he sat down near him and said: "Lord, I have a boon to ask of the Blessed One."

The Buddha replied: "The Tathāgatas, Jīvaka, do not grant boons before they know what they are." 90