ལས་བརྒྱ་ཐམ་པ་པ 23.17

23.17

praised the words of the Blessed One, rejoiced, touched their heads to the Blessed One’s feet, and disappeared on the spot.

After the Blessed One had handed the doctrine to Venerable Mahā­kāśyapa and Venerable Ānanda, the monks said to the Blessed Buddha, “Lord, you have seen that after the Blessed One hands the doctrine to the monk Kāśyapa, and the treasury of teachings to the monk Ānanda, and passes into parinirvāṇa, the two will propagate the doctrine.”

“Not only now,” the Blessed One explained, “but in times past as well, and in the same way, I handed my country and the four divisions of my army to the monk Kāśyapa, and to Ānanda I handed the treasury of my wealth. By safeguarding them after my death, the two made my royal palace flourish. Listen well!

“Monks, in times gone by, when King Mahā­deva reigned in the city of Mithilā, one day his wife conceived. After nine or ten months had passed, she gave birth to a child who was well proportioned, pleasing to the eye, and beautiful. At the elaborate feast celebrating his birth they named him according to their clan. They reared him on milk, yogurt, butter, ghee, and milk solids, and he flourished like a lotus in a lake.

“Soon after, the king fell ill. Though he was treated with medicinal roots, stems, leaves, flowers, and fruits, he could not be cured. The king thought, ‘I shall die from this illness, and my son is still very small. After my death, everyone will think, “This child is king?” and they will come to revile him. Who could be powerful enough to maintain the royal palace after I die and pass on?’

“Now the king had two wise chief ministers, capable, clear-minded,