When Buddha went up to the Trayastrimsas heaven, and preached the Law
for the benefit of his mother, after he had been absent for ninety days,
Prasenajit, longing to see him, caused an image of him to be carved in
Gosirsha Chandana wood, and put in the place where he usually sat. When
Buddha, on his return entered the vihara, this image immediately left
its place, and came forth to meet him. Buddha said to it, "Return to
your seat. After I have attained to pari-nirvana, you will serve as a
pattern to the four classes of my disciples," [4] and on this the image
returned to its seat. This was the very first of all the images of
Buddha, and that which men subsequently copied. Buddha then removed, and
dwelt in a small vihara on the south side of the other, a different
place from that containing the image, and twenty paces distant from it.
The Jetavana vihara was originally of seven stories. The kings and
people of the countries around vied with one another in their offerings,
hanging up about it silken streamers and canopies, scattering flowers,
burning incense, and lighting lamps, so as to make the night as bright
as the day. This they did day after day without ceasing. It happened
that a rat, carrying in its mouth the wick of a lamp, set one of the
streamers or canopies on fire, which caught the vihara, and the seven
stories were all consumed.
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