had spoken these words, they immediately led the way forward to the place, singing as they did so.  As they thus went away, the Bodhisattva arose and walked after them.  At a distance of thirty paces from the tree, a deva gave him the grass of lucky omen, which he received and went on.  After he had proceeded fifteen paces, five hundred green birds came flying towards him, went round him thrice, and disappeared.  The Bodhisattva went forward to the patra tree, placed the kusa grass at the foot of it, and sat down with his face to the east.  Then king Mara sent three beautiful young ladies, who came from the north, to tempt him, while he himself came from the south to do the same.  The Bodhisattva put his toes down on the ground, and the demon soldiers retired and dispersed, and the three young ladies were changed into old grandmothers.

At the place mentioned above of the six years’ painful austerities, and at all these other places, men subsequently reared topes and set up images, which all exist at the present day.

Where Buddha, after attaining to perfect Wisdom, for seven days contemplated the tree, and experienced the joy of vimukti; where, under the patra tree, he walked to and fro from west to east for seven days; where the devas made a hall appear, composed of the seven precious substances, and presented offerings to him for seven days; where the blind dragon Muchilinda [1] encircled him for seven days; where he sat under the nyagrodha tree, on a square rock, with his face to the east, and Brahma-deva came and made his request to him; where the four deva kings brought to him their alms-bowls; where the five hundred merchants presented to him the roasted flour and honey; and where he converted the brothers Kasyapa and their thousand disciples;—­at all these places topes were reared.

At the place where Buddha attained to perfect Wisdom, there are three monasteries, in all of which there are monks residing.  The families of their people around supply the societies of these monks with an abundant sufficiency of what they require, so that there is no lack or stint.  The disciplinary rules are strictly observed by them.  The laws regulating their demeanor in sitting, rising, and entering when the others are assembled, are those which have been practised by all the saints since Buddha was in the world down to the present day.  The places of the four great topes have been fixed, and handed down without break, since Buddha attained to nirvana.  Those four great topes are those at the places where Buddha was born; where he attained to Wisdom; where he began to move the wheel of his Law; and where he attained to pari-nirvana.

[Footnote 1:  Called also Maha, or the Great Muchilinda.  Eitel says:  “A naga king, the tutelary deity of a lake near which Sakyamuni once sat for seven days absorbed in meditation, whilst the king guarded him.”  The account in “The Life of the Buddha” is:—­“Buddha went to where lived the naga king Muchilinda, and he, wishing to preserve him from the sun and rain, wrapped his body seven times round him, and spread out his hood over his head; and there he remained seven days in thought.”]