ལས་བརྒྱ་ཐམ་པ་པ 25.15

25.15

country.’

“The ministers dispatched a messenger with a reply that said, ‘As you wish, master.’

“They invited him and he assumed the mantle of the king, gave gifts, and made merit. To those who wished for food he gave food. To those who wished for something to drink he gave something to drink. To those who wished for clothes he gave clothes. To those who wished for adornments he gave adornments. To those who wished for mounts he gave mounts. To those who wished for other goods he gave other goods, and for the sick and for homes for the sick he provided everything that they needed, appointing healers and attendants.

“He served the orphaned. He prepared a great deal of food and drink and made gifts of it to the creatures that flew through the sky, dwelt in the water, or made their homes in the fields. He set the worldly on the path of the ten virtuous actions, and thereafter, their embrace of the path of the ten virtuous actions was cause for the greater part of those beings to take birth among the gods, until they began to fill all the gods’ residences.

“Then Śakra, king of the gods, thought, ‘There are only two reasons for all the gods’ residences to fill up—the appearance of the Tathāgata, or the appearance of a universal monarch. Has the Tathāgata appeared in the world, or has a universal monarch appeared in the world?’ But when he looked, he saw that neither had the Tathāgata appeared in the world, nor had a universal monarch appeared. ‘Well then, because of whom have the gods’ residences become full?’ he wondered.

“Śakra, King of the Gods, looked, and saw that it was because of King Vijaya. He thought, ‘What is he trying to do there?’ and when he looked again he saw that he was practicing to attain unexcelled, total, and complete enlightenment. Then Śakra, King of the Gods, thought, ‘I will go for a time