“May the sixteen heavens and fifteen earths bless you all, so that you may travel safely,
free from obstacles, disasters, and dangers. May none come to harm you. May you all
achieve your intended goal. May you find the precious immortal Dharma, which will be
the cause for you to enter Nirvana,” Master Bavari gave his usual blessing.

“Amen…” all the ascetics said Amen in unison.

“Go, my beloved disciples… Today, I feel happy for all of you. If my fate still allows, may I
meet you again,” Master Bavari spoke as if realizing that this might be the last time he
would see his disciples.

Then Achita knelt down on the ground, and this was like a signal to everyone about
what to do. Everyone knelt down and bowed to the ground together, as an expression
of gratitude to their teacher. Then the 16,016 ascetics set out on their journey, led by
the 16 head ascetics. The first day of the journey was quite difficult because there were
so many people. Communication between the front and the rear of the procession was
challenging. So, their journey during the initial phase was still within Master Bavari’s
island. Because from the south of the island, where the hermitages were located, to the
northernmost point, where the river split into two branches, was over 30 kilometers.
So, when they reached the northernmost point of the island, it was evening. The group
camped in that area, where the officials of the city of Savatthi had built a pier and rest
stop as a marker for the end of Master Bavari’s territory.

Traveling north was different from traveling south because they couldn’t use rafts or
boats. They had to use carts or walk. Along the way, they would pass through
communities and cities at intervals. Most of the cities were located near rivers. So, the
journey relied mainly on walking along the river, except for some sections where the
river was winding, and the path would cut across. The first city where the group
camped was Ujjeni, about 2 yojanas or 32 kilometers from Master Bavari’s territory. So,
on the second day of the journey, they planned to set out early in the morning to reach
the city before dark, so that the townspeople would know about the arrival of the
ascetics and prepare food to offer them in the morning.

And it was as expected. We reached that city in the late afternoon. The area on both
sides of the road before reaching the city walls was densely populated. Most people
built houses along the river. Outside the city were temples, with architectural styles
similar to Khmer stone castles, but here they were built of brick and plaster and
decorated with gold, which was clearly different from the ordinary houses built with
natural materials. This city had many temples, both small and large. There were
Brahmin villages located near the temples, easily recognizable because the houses
were exquisitely built with tiled roofs, looking better than others. When the people in
the city saw the large group of ascetics arriving, they were alarmed. They gathered to
ask who we were and where we came from. When they received the answer that we
were a group of ascetics from Master Bavari’s school, everyone said “Oh!” because his
school was famous for its kindness, donating gold coins to the needy.

Our group camped under large trees around the moat outside the city walls of Ujjeni.
The news of our arrival spread quickly, reaching the ears of the city ruler and the
Brahmin priests. That evening, a group of royal guards came to invite us to see the king
the next morning so that he could offer us breakfast. Achita, as the leader, accepted the
invitation.

The next day, the 16 ascetics traveled to the place prepared for breakfast. When the
meal was finished, the king had the opportunity to converse with Achita, who was the
leader. After inquiring and learning about the history of the group of ascetics, who they
were and where they came from, the king asked about the reason for their journey.

“Venerable ascetics, where are you traveling to and what is the important reason for
such a large group?” the king asked.

“Your Majesty, we are traveling to the city of Savatthi, the residence of the great man,
according to the vision of the great god who informed our teacher. Now, the one who is
enlightened in the world’s Dharma is the great man who will liberate sentient beings
from the cycle of suffering. He has a radiant aura, conforming to the thirty-two
characteristics of a great man, who has clear vision of all the laws of karma, who has
reached the shore of the end of defilements, who has attained all the ten powers of
knowledge, who is the great teacher of the world, self-enlightened, has appeared in the
human world,” Achita replied.

“If that is true, may I ask my royal teacher to accompany you to the city of Savatthi so
that he can invite that great man to come and teach in my city?” the king asked.

“Your Majesty, we would be very pleased to have your group accompany us,” Achita
replied.

“In that case, I will arrange for a group of soldiers to take care of the cooking for the
ascetics along the way, so that you don’t have to endure hardship,” the king offered.

“That is very kind of you, Your Majesty,” Achita replied.

“Minister and royal teacher, today, please inform the Brahmins who volunteer to travel
with Achita’s group, and prepare the soldiers along with provisions, loaded onto carts,
ready by dawn tomorrow,” the king ordered.

When the king announced that he was looking for Brahmin volunteers to travel with
Achita’s group, within a day, 100 people volunteered. Combined with the soldiers who
were responsible for carrying the belongings in 100 carts with 100 drivers, this event
added 200 people to the journey. The visit to the city of Ujjeni became a turning point,
giving Achita’s group a more organized travel plan. There was a group of soldiers
skilled in traveling in large groups, who normally accompanied the army. They
distributed the 100 carts throughout the procession. Each cart had a driver who served
as a relay for communication from the front to the rear of the procession, allowing the
procession to move as a unified group and avoid wasting time waiting for each other.

Of course, with the addition of 100 carts, the journey looked like a small-scale military
movement. When traveling through cities and communities, it attracted even more
attention.

“Lord Phoche, where is the city of Ujjeni today?” I asked, curious.

“From the place where your group camped on the first night, which is within Master
Bavari’s territory, that place is currently called Ang Thong city or its original name, U
Thong. And when you travel along the Kothawari River, or what you currently call the
Chao Phraya River, for about 20 kilometers, at this point, you have to turn left. Today, it
has become a small river, but it used to be the main route to the city of Ujjeni. But
because the river changed its course, it became less important. The location of the city
of Ujjeni is about 12 kilometers from this junction, in Mueang district, Sing Buri
province, near Wat Phra Non Chakkrasi. And the story of this reclining Buddha is also
directly related to you in the past,” Lord Phoche replied, adding a story that piqued my
interest.

“How is it related to me?” I asked excitedly.

“You are the one who built this reclining Buddha, about 1,000 years after you were
born as Achita,” Lord Phoche replied.

“I built the reclining Buddha? Does it have any significance?” I asked.

“Of course. Do you want to know?” Lord Phoche asked.

“Yes, I want to know. We can pause the story of Achita for now,” I suggested.