ABSTRACT
Indirectly, however, we do find a rare and extremely brief record of Vardhamâna’s first ascetic experiences interwoven within the narration of the Teyanisagga story. There, Vardhamâna relates, in the first person, to his close disciple Gautama, that after he had accepted Goœâla as his disciple, they both lived together for six years:
‘Thereupon, I lived-together with Gosâla Maôkhaliputtathrough temporary wakefulness for six years on the ground of a barter place (bazaar) experiencing g a i n , l o s s , p l e a s - u r e , p a i n , g o o d t r e a t m e n t a n d b a d t r e a t m e n t . ’141
