old-path-white-clouds-thich-nhat-hanh

meditation. The bhikkhus practiced until midnight, before retiring.
The Buddha sat in meditation far into the night. He liked to place his bamboo platform outside his hut and sit on it, enjoying the cool night
air, especially on nights with a moon. Before dawn, he liked to do walking meditation around the lake. Ever joyous, peaceful, and relaxed,
the Buddha did not require as much sleep as the younger bhikkhus. Kassapa sat in meditation far into the night also.
King Bimbisara visited Bamboo Forest faithfully. He did not bring great numbers of guests as he had the time he visited Palm Forest.
Sometimes he was accompanied by Queen Videhi and Prince Ajatasattu. Often he came alone. He would leave his carriage at the edge of
the forest and walk on his own to the Buddha’s hut. One day after seeing the bhikkhus listening to the Dharma talk in the rain, he asked the
Buddha’s permission to build a large Dharma hall where the bhikkhus could both eat and listen to the teaching without being drenched by
the rain. The Buddha consented, and work on the hall began right away. It was large enough to shelter more than one thousand bhikkhus
and one thousand lay disciples. The Dharma hall was a most helpful addition to the monastery.
The Buddha and the king often sat together on the bamboo platform while carrying on conversations. Then Nagasamala built some
simple bamboo chairs to enable the Buddha to receive guests more easily. One day as the Buddha and the king sat on two of these chairs,
the king confided, “I have another son that you have not yet met. I would like very much for you to meet him and his mother. He is not the
child of Queen Videhi. His mother’s name is Ambapali and his name is Jivaka. He will soon be sixteen years old. Ambapali lives in Vesali,
north of the city Pataliputta. She does not like the confined life of the palace, and she is not concerned about titles or prestige. She treasures
only her own freedom. I have provided them with several means of support, including a beautiful mango grove. Jivaka is a diligent and
intelligent boy who is not at all interested in military or political affairs. He is living near the capital, pursuing medical studies. I love them
deeply and hope you will love them too. O Compassionate One, if you would agree to meet Jivaka and his mother, I will ask them to come
to Bamboo Forest in the near future.”
The Buddha liked to sit in meditation late into the night, enjoying the moon and the cool night air.