One evening, soon after the monk’s discourse, Prithusen said humbly, ‘Honoured sir, your humble servant seeks, by accepting the spirit of Universal Brotherhood, to become a traveller on the path of everlasting happiness. Honoured sir, grant me the robes of the religion of the Buddha, accept me into the Threefold Shelter.’

The monk replied, smiling, ‘Arya, for that too, your time will come. The happiness that one experiences on the path of renunciation, which one acquires without snatching anything from anyone, cannot be taken away from him. Young sir, the time will come for that too.’

On his own accord, Prithusen began to observe vinaya and sheel—humility and courtesy—the rules of conduct for a Buddhist bhikshu.

The physician monk, Cheebuk, on receiving a message from Dharma Rakshit, the head of the monasteries of Sagal and Principal of the monastic order, went to meet him one afternoon.

The Principal of the monastic order was extremely worried over the crisis that had overtaken the Buddhist religion. He had heard the town-crier announce with the beating of drums, the order issued by Sarvarth, the President, and it had distressed him terribly. The order of the President ran thus:

‘Any citizen, who delivers to the state authorities, the son of a slave, Prithusen, the enemy of the caste religion, will receive from the state treasury the sum of five hundred gold pieces and a gift estate of one village. The citizen who flouts the law of the state and gives shelter to the low-born, the destroyer of religion, Prithusen, will be liable to the punishment of death, by the court of law.’

Monk Cheebuk, in accordance with the ritual of deference, greeted the Principal by prostrating himself in the five fold obeisance. Dharma Rakshit raised his hand in blessing and prayed for the health and well-being of the monk. Cheebuk went on his knees and asked for the Principal’s command. At a sign from the Principal, Cheebuk sat down on a mat of kausheya grass. Surmising the reason for the Principal’s uneasiness, Cheebuk did not open his mouth and waited for him to speak. Dharma Rakshit, in his agitation, put the matter briefly, ‘May you have a long life. I believe you are aware of the crisis that has overtaken our faith.’

‘Honoured sir,’ Cheebuk replied, ‘faith is never overtaken by a crisis. Only those men who subscribe to a particular faith get frightened and feel that the faith has been overcome by a crisis. Religion finds a place, sometimes in the hearts of many people, sometimes in a few. That is what this humble bhikshu thinks.’

Thinking over the reply of the monk, the Principal said, ‘You are aware of the question that is causing anxiety to my mind. You must have heard the state proclamation.’

‘So I had surmised, honoured sir. I have heard the proclamation,’ Cheebuk admitted.

‘For Prithusen, a person wanted by the state, to receive shelter in a Buddhist monastery is, in this abnormal situation, a source of danger both to the Monastic Order and to the religion. You know that Rudradhir is an avowed enemy of our religion.’