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obes for fear of disturbing the sound of the Buddha’s wondrous voice.
King Bimbisara’s eyes grew brighter by the moment. The more he listened, the more he felt his heart open. So many of his doubts and
troubles vanished. A radiant smile appeared on his face. When the Buddha concluded his Dharma talk, King Bimbisara stood up and
joined his palms. He said, “Lord, from the time I was young, I had five wishes. I have now fulfilled them all. The first wish was to receive
coronation and become king. That has been fulfilled. The second wish was to meet in this very life an enlightened teacher. That has also
been fulfilled. The third wish was to have a chance to show respect to such a teacher. That wish has now been fulfilled. The fourth wish was
to have such a teacher show me the true path. That wish has now been fulfilled. And the fifth wish was to be able to understand the teaching
of the Enlightened One. Master, this wish has just been fulfilled. Your wondrous teaching has brought me much understanding. Lord, please
accept me as your lay disciple.”
The Buddha smiled his acceptance.
The king invited the Buddha and all nine hundred of his bhikkhus to have a meal at the palace on the day of the full moon. The Buddha
gladly accepted.
All the other guests stood up to thank the Buddha. Twenty of them expressed the desire to be accepted as the Buddha’s disciples. The
Buddha and Uruvela Kassapa accompanied the king, queen, and little prince Ajatasattu back to the edge of the forest.
The Buddha knew that in less than a month, the rainy season would begin, and it would be impossible to return to his homeland.
Therefore, he resolved to remain with the nine hundred bhikkhus in Palm Forest for another three months. He knew that after three months
of practice, the sangha would be strong and stable enough for him to depart. He would leave in the spring, the season of clear skies and
tender new plants.
King Seniya Bimbisara began at once to prepare for the reception of the Buddha and his bhikkhus. He planned to serve them in the great
palace court paved with fine bricks. He called to his people to deck the streets with lanterns and flowers to welcome the Buddha and his
sangha. He invited a great many other people to attend, including all the members of the government and their families. Children close to the
age of twelve-year-old Prince Ajatasattu were invited, too. Knowing that the Buddha and his bhikkhus did not allow others to kill for their
sake, he ordered that only delicious vegetarian foods be prepared. They had ten days to prepare for the reception.