The holy Buddha, Sakhya Muni, on dispatching his apostles to proclaim his
religion throughout the peninsula of India, failed not to provide them with
salutary precepts for their guidance. He exhorted them to meekness, to
compassion, to abstemiousness, to zeal in the promulgation of his doctrine,
and added an injunction never before or since prescribed by the founder of
any religion--namely, on no account to perform any miracle.

It is further related, that whereas the apostles experienced considerable
difficulty in complying with the other instructions of their master, and
sometimes actually failed therein, the prohibition to work miracles was
never once transgressed by any of them, save only the pious Ananda, the
history of whose first year's apostolate is recorded as follows.

Ananda repaired to the kingdom of Magadha, and instructed the inhabitants
diligently in the law of Buddha. His doctrine being acceptable, and his
speech persuasive, the people hearkened to him willingly, and began to
forsake the Brahmins whom they had previously revered as spiritual guides.
Perceiving this, Ananda became elated in spirit, and one day he exclaimed:

"How blessed is the apostle who propagates truth by the efficacy of reason
and virtuous example, combined with eloquence, rather than error by
imposture and devil-mongering, like those miserable Brahmins!"

As he uttered this vainglorious speech, the mountain of his merits was
diminished by sixteen yojanas, and virtue and efficacy departed from him,
insomuch that when he next addressed the multitude they first mocked, then
hooted, and finally pelted him.