king Asoka ruled. The royal palace and halls
in the midst of the city, which exist now as of old, were all made by
spirits which he employed, and which piled up the stones, reared the
walls and gates, and executed the elegant carving and inlaid
sculpture-work--in a way which no human hands of this world could
accomplish.

King Asoka had a younger brother who had attained to be an Arhat, and
resided on Gridhra-kuta hill, finding his delight in solitude and quiet.
The king, who sincerely reverenced him, wished and begged him to come
and live in his family, where he could supply all his wants. The other,
however, through his delight in the stillness of the mountain, was
unwilling to accept the invitation, on which the king said to him, "Only
accept my invitation, and I will make a hill for you inside the city."
Accordingly, he provided the materials of a feast, called to him the
spirits, and announced to them, "Tomorrow you will all receive my
invitation; but as there are no mats for you to sit on, let each one
bring his own seat." Next day the spirits came, each one bringing with
him a great rock, like a wall, four or five paces square, for a seat.
When their sitting was over, the king made them form a hill with the
large stones piled on one another, and also at the foot of the hill,
with five large square stones, to make an apartment, which might be more
than thirty cubits long, twenty cubits wide, and more than ten cubits
high.

In this city there had resided a great Brahman, named Radha-sami, a
professor of the mahayana, of clear discernment and much wisdom, who
understood everything, living by himself in spotless purity. The king of
the country honored and reverenced him, and served him as his teacher.
If he went to inquire for and greet him, the king did not presume to sit
down alongside of him; and if, in his love and reverence, he took hold
of his hand, as soon as he let it go, the Brahman made haste to pour
water on it and wash it. He might be more than fifty years old, and all
the kingdom looked up to him. By means of this one man, the Law of
Buddha was widely made-known, and the followers of other doctrines did
not find it in their power to persecute the body of monks in any way.

By the side of the tope of Asoka, there has been made a mahayana
monastery, very grand and beautiful; there is also a hinayana one; the
two together containing six hundred or seven hundred monks. The rules of
demeanor and the schola