And when he returned he said:
“Great is the power of the Lord. Let the Happy One drink!”
Now at that time a young man named Pukkusa, a disciple of the Brahman Alara, passed along the highway, and seeing the Blessed One very weary beneath the tree he came and saluted him taking his seat respectfully beside him, and the Holy One discoursed with him on the depths of calm in pure contemplation and abstraction of mind from the vain shows about us, and with every power of his mind and heart did the young man listen, and when the great teaching was ended, he said:
“Most excellent, Lord, are the words of your mouth—most excellent. As it were to bring a lamp into the darkness so are your words. And I, even I, betake myself to the Blessed One as my refuge, to the Truth and the Brotherhood. May I be accepted as a disciple!”
And the young Pukkusa presented two robes of burnished cloth of gold to the World-Honoured, saying:
“May favour be shown and these accepted at my hand!”
“In that case, Pukkusa, offer the one to me and the other to Ananda.”
And so it was done and the young man gladdened and strengthened, rose and bowed down and went his way.
CHAPTER XXI
Now not long after the young man was gone the venerable Ananda placed that glorious robe upon the Blessed One, and so placed it appeared to dim and lose its splendour, and Ananda said: