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- The seventy Brahmins, hearing these verses, convinced that their desire to return home and enjoy personal indulgence was the evil taint that adhered to them, cast off such thoughts, and, going forward, came to the Vihara, and finally obtained the condition of Arahtas.
ยง 2. Conversion of the Brahmins of Uttaravati
Once the Buddha was residing in the Jetavana, at Shravasti, and preaching his doctrine for the benefit of men and gods, there were in a country to the eastward, called Uttaravati, a company of 500 Brahmins.
They had agreed to go together to the residence of a Nirgrantha ascetic on the banks of the Ganges, who, by polluting himself with dirt, etc., aspired to the condition of a Rishi.
On their way they were overtaken in the desert with thirst. Seeing a tree, and hoping to find some human habitation near, they hastened to it, but when they arrived there they found no sign of life.
On this they raised their voices in lamentation. Suddenly from the tree they heard the voice of the resident Spirit, who asked them why they lamented so, and on hearing the reason, supplied them to the full with drink and meat.
The Brahmins, ready to start onward, asked the Spirit what had been his previous history, that he was thus born.
On which he explained that having gone to the assembly of priests in Shravasti when Sudatta had bestowed the garden on the Buddha, he had remained all night listening to the law Dhamma and having filled his drinking cup with water as he went, had bestowed it in charity among the priests.
On his return next morning, his wife in anger asked him what annoyance he had received that he should stay away all night. On which he replied that he was not annoyed, but he had been to
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