The Devas revelled in their joys celestial, filled with
unutterable gladness.
[Footnote 99: The distance from the place of the interview with the
ministers to the Vulture Peak would be, in a straight line, about 150
miles.]
[Footnote 100: The sense of the text and context appears to be this,
that as there are those who drink the rain-clouds and yet are parched
with thirst, so there are those who constantly practise religious duties
and yet are still unblest.]
[Footnote 101: The dhyanas are the conditions of ecstasy, enjoyed by the
inhabitants of the Brahmaloka heavens.]
[Footnote 102: The "fortunate tree," the tree "of good omen," the Bodhi
tree.]
[Footnote 103: The six organs of sense.]
CHAPTER IV
Bimbisara Raga Becomes a Disciple
And now those five men, Asvagit Vashpa, and the others, having heard
that he (Kaundinya) "knew" the law, with humble mien and self-subdued,
their hands joined, offered their homage, and looked with reverence in
the teacher's face. Tathagata, by wise expedient, caused them one by one
to embrace the law. And so from first to last the five Bhikshus obtained
reason and subdued their senses, like the five stars which shine in
heaven, waiting upon the brightening moon. At this time in the town of
Ku-i there was a noble's son called Yasas; lost in night-sleep suddenly
he woke, and when he saw his attendants all, men and women, with
ill-clad bodies, sleeping, his heart was filled with loathing;
reflecting on the root of sorrow, he thought how madly foolish men were
immersed in it.
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