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4.1 | ||
Late in the afternoon, the great recluse crossed the Nerajar
to another Assattha tree on the Western bend of the river, with its sandy
shoreline jutting out into the water. The scene was a delightful one with
lush, emerald-green forest all around. On the way he received a bundle of
cut grass offered by a grass-cutter named Sotthiya, He made a seat out of it
under the shade of the Assattha tree by the riverside.
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4.2 | ||
Thenceforward the Buddha seated Himself for seven weeks in various places, experiencing the bliss of Deliverance and revising and checking His own Achievement and Insights until He was absolutely certain of His Enlightenment. The seven locations during the seven weeks that followed were as follows: | ||
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4.2 | ||
The seven mentioned places were later regarded as being of significance to
Buddhism, and Buddhists. They were called Satta Mahsathna, Seven Great
Places, being ones of the Buddha Cetyas,
memorial places in Buddhism. After the seven weeds, the Buddha returned to the Ajpalanigrodha, banyan tree. This time He did not intend to, experience the bliss of Deliverance but spent the time contemplating the Dhamma of His discovery and realized how difficult and subtle it was for other people to grasp its meaning and reality. For some moments He was inclined towards desisting Himself from making it known to others. But due to His compassion, when He clairvoyantly surveyed further, He was able to know there were after all a number of people who could understand His Dhamma. He then thought first of all of His former teachers the hermits lra and Uddaka, but knew clairvoyantly that they had already passed away. Next He recalled how the Five Ascetics had faithfully attended upon Him and that they were in a position to realise the truth of His teaching. With such a thought in mind He set forth on His journey, heading for the deer-park of Isipatana, in the city of Benares. |
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