Page:Karl Gjellerup - The Pilgrim Kamanita - 1911.djvu/229

 opinion, scholar against scholar. For even if this ascetic should be one of the great disciples of the Son of the Sakyas, yet Vajaçravas was also highly thought of by his own followers, and now, after his death, is even worshipped by the common people as a saint. Who, then, is to decide as to which of these two is in the right?"

"Thou art no longer attending to what I say, Angulimala," said the ascetic; "thou art thinking of that Vajaçravas and his erroneous doctrines."

Much astonished, I acknowledged the truth of what he said.

"So thou, Reverend Sir, didst also know my friend Vajaçravas?"

"People showed me his grave outside of the gate, and I saw foolish travellers offering up prayers there under the delusion that he was a saint."

"So he is no saint, then?"

"Well, if he seems one to thee, let us visit him and see how it fares now with his saintship."

The ascetic said this as though it were a matter of going from one house to another. Thoroughly taken aback, I stared at him.

"Visit him? Vajaçravas? How were that possible?"

"Give me thy hand," he said. "I shall cast myself into that state of self-absorption by the aid of which the path that leads to the gods and that which leads to the demons become visible to a steadfast heart. Then we shall follow in his track, and what I see, that shalt thou also see."

I gave him my hand. For some time he sat there perfectly still, his eyes cast down, the pupils directed inward, and I was conscious of nothing. Suddenly, however, I felt, as probably a swimmer may feel, when the