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PALI AND OTHER SOURCES OF “THE BUDDHA AND HIS DHAMMA”
P AGE V ERSE
Note No. (9) 68 14 Lalit Vistara gives a story of 9 girls beside Sujata who provided food to Gotama during his austerities. This story has been adapted by Dharmanand Kosambi also in his play Bodhisatta.
Note No. (10) 73 3 Anguttara iii: 240 and Mahavastu ii: 136 describe 5 dreams in detail as under:—
(1) The world appeared as Couch and Himalaya as pillow. His left hand was plunged in the eastern ocean, right in the western and feet in the southern. This meant complete enlightenment attained by the Tathagata.
(2) A plant called tiriya came from his hand, rose and touched the sky
(3) White worms with black heads crept up as far as his knees and covered them. These were white robed house-holders who came to the Tathagata as a refuge.
(4) Four birds of different colours came from the four quarters, and falling at his feet entirely became white. They represented four varnas (castes) who leaving a household life for the doctrine taught by the Tathagata, realise the highest release.
(5) He was walking on a mountain of dung without being defiled by it. This was the Tathagata, who receives the requisites but enjoys them without attached to them (Thomas, p. 71).