Page 209 - Mystic Pathways through the Bible

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keep themselves strong. However, they would not envision Buddha eating food and living in even the slightest comfort.
Soon Buddha realized that he couldn’t advance in meditation and samadhi and attain his spiritual goal in his weakened physical condition. So he mentally willed that he should have food to sustain his body. The moment he willed this, he was approached by a village lady known as Sujata. She was a farmer’s wife who had vowed that if she were blessed with a son she would come to that forest and worship the forest deity. That was precisely the time when her wishes were ful lled, so she brought a richly prepared rice pudding on a golden platter to be presented to the forest god. But nding that there was no other godly being but Buddha, she thought, “Why not worship a living god rather than wait for an invisible one.” She also thought, “Maybe the forest god has assumed this form.” So she presented the food before him and Buddha immediately said, “I am not the god whom you wanted to worship. Nevertheless, I am hungry.” Hearing his words, Sujata allowed Buddha to eat the pudding. As he ate the food, she fanned him with great feeling and devotion. When the seven disciples returned and saw from a distance what was happening, they thought Buddha was caught in illusion and was entangled in the grip of Maya. As a result, they all immediately abandoned him.