Chapter 45

THE LIfE STORIES Of MALE LAY DISCIPLES

1. 1. 1. TAPUSSA and BHALLIKA
         1. Their Past Aspirations

he future Tapussa and future Bhallika were reborn into a worthy family in the city of HaÑsǎvatī, during the time of Buddha Padumuttara. When they were listening to a discourse by the Buddha, they saw two disciples being named as the foremost in being the first of the Buddha's disciples who were established in the Three Refuges. The two brothers aspired to that distinction and after making an extraordinary offering to the Buddha, they

wished for that goal. (Aṅguttara Commentary)

Other Past Existences in The Intervening Period

The two brothers lived a life full of meritorious deeds and, after passing away from that memorable existence, they were never reborn into the miserable states of apǎya but, instead, in the deva-world or the human world only. The future Bhallika was reborn, thirty- one world-cycles ago in a period which was devoid of any Buddhas, as a man who offered all kinds of fruits to a Paccekabuddha named Sumana. for that good deed, he was reborn only in the good destinations. During the time of Buddha Sikhī, he was reborn into a brahmin family in the city of Arunavatī. He heard the news that two merchant brothers, Ujita and Ojita, had opportunity of offering first alms-food to Buddha Sikhī who had appeared from the seventh seven-day abiding in the attainment in Cessation and who was about to begin his eighth seven-day abiding in the attainment of Cessation. He went to visit Buddha Sikhī together with his friend, (the future Tapussa), and after paying homage to the Buddha, requested Him to accept their alms-food offering the next day. On the next day, they made an extra-ordinary offering to the Buddha and said: ‚Venerable Sir, for this good deed, let both of us have the opportunity of making the first alms-food to a Buddha in the future.‛

The two friends were reborn in various existences, during which they performed meritorious deeds together, resulting in rebirth at the fortunate destinations. During the time of Buddha Kassapa, they were born into the family of a cattle merchant. for a long period of life, lasting many years, they offered milk-food to the Sangha. (These events are described in the Commentary on the Theragǎthǎ.)

1. 1. 1. 2. Discipleship in Their Last Existence

The two friends were reborn into the fortunate destinations for the infinite years which constituted the interim period between the two Buddhas. During the time of Buddha Gotama, before the Buddha attained Perfect Enlightenment, they were reborn as two sons to a travelling merchant who carried his goods, using a big caravan, from place to place. Their native town was called Asitañcana (the Commentary on Theragǎtǎ refers to it as Pokkharavatī). The elder brother was named Tapussa and the younger, Bhallika.

They became householders and carried on the trading together, using a caravan of five hundred bullock carts. At that time, Buddha Gotama had attained Perfect Enlightenment and had passed seven times the seven-days of abiding in the attainment of Cessation, and was about to enter into the eighth seven-days period of abiding in the attainment of Cessation at the foot of a ‘Linlun’ tree, (the Sapium baccatum).

The caravan of the two merchant brothers were then not far from that tree. At that

moment, the deva, who had been the mother to the merchant brothers in the immediately previous existence, saw the dire need of the Buddha for sustenance, who, after staying for forty-nine days (having last taken Sujǎtǎ's milk-rice in forty-nine morsels), must eat that day for His survival. She thought that her two sons should be able to provide the food just in time. So, using her psychic powers, she made the bullocks unable to move.

The two brothers inspected the bullocks, the carts, and all relevant conditions which made the carts immobile. They were at their wit's ends to find the reason. Their deva mother, seeing them disheartened, possessed a man in the caravan and said to them: ‚Dear sons, you are not harassed by any demon or peta or nǎga but it is me, a deva of the terrestrial realm, who was your mother in your last existence, who is doing this. (Now, sons,) the Buddha, who is endowed with Ten Powers, is staying at the foot of a ‘Linlun’ tree. Go and offer alms-food to the Buddha which will be the first food He takes after attainment of Buddhahood.‛

The two brothers were delighted by the deva's word. And thinking that if they were to cook alms-food it would take too much time, therefore they took some of their choicest preserved food, put them in a gold salver, and, going near the Buddha, said: ‚Venerable Sir, may you, out of compassion, accept this victuals.‛ The Buddha reviewed the situation and considered what action the previous Buddha did in such a case. The four Great Deva Kings then visited the Buddha and each offered an alms-bowl, which was made of granite and having the colour of the green gram. The Buddha considered the great benefit that would accrue to the four devas, and so accepted all the four bowls, and (placing them one a top the other,) willed that the four bowls became one, and accordingly, the four granite bowls became a single alms-bowl with four rims.

The two brothers then put their alms-food into the Buddha's alms-bowl. (The Buddha ate the food.) After the Buddha had finished eating, the brothers offered water for drinking and washing. Then they made obeisance to the Buddha and sat in a suitable place. The Buddha gave them a discourse, at the end of which, both brothers were established in the Two Refuges. (The story of the establishment of the two brothers in the Two Refuges (dνe νǎcika saraụagamaụa) has been described in Chapter 8.).

After having established in the Two Refuges, before departing, the two brothers requested from the Buddha: ‚Venerable Sir, may the Bhagavǎ, out of compassion, bestow on us something which we may revere every day.‛ The Buddha passed His right hand over His head and gave them eight hairs as relics. The brothers put the hairs in a gold casket and took them home. Back at their town, they erected a shrine at the entrance of the town of Asitañcana where the eight relic-hairs from the living Buddha were enshrined. On uposatha days, the shrine emitted Buddha-rays.

1. 1. 1. 3. The Two Brothers being designated as foremost Lay Disciples

On one occasion, when the Buddha was residing at the Jetavana monastery and acknowledging distinguished lay disciples accordingly to their merits, He declared:

‚Bhikkhus, among My lay disciples who have taken refuge earliest in the Buddha and the Dhamma, the merchant brothers, Tapussa and Bhallika, are the foremost.‛

The Attainment of Path-Knowledge

Tapussa and Bhallika were the earliest of the Buddha's lay disciples who took refuge in the Buddha and the Dhamma. Later, the Buddha made His first discourse, the Dhammacakka, at the Migadǎvana forest near Bereave. After that, He went and resided in Rǎjagaha. The two brothers also arrived at Rǎjagaha on a trading journey. They visited the Buddha, made obeisance and sat in a suitable place. The Buddha gave discourse to them, at the end of which, the elder brother Tapussa was established in Stream-Entry Knowledge and its fruition. The younger brother became a bhikkhu and in due time attained arahatship and was endowed with the Six Supernormal Powers. (Commentary on the Theragǎthǎ, Book I).

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1. 1. 2. ANŒTHAPIṆDIKA the Rich Man
         1. His Past Aspiration

The future Anǎthapiṇďika was reborn into a wealthy family in the city of HaÑsǎvatī, during the time of Buddha Padumuttara. When he was listening a sermon by the Buddha, he saw a lay disciple being named as the foremost lay disciple among those who delight in charity. He had a strong desire to become such a distinguished disciple and after making an extra-ordinary offering to the Buddha, he expressed his aspiration before Him.

1. 1. 1. 2. His Last Existence as A Rich Man

The future Anǎthapiṇďika was reborn in fortunate destinations for a hundred thousand world-cycles and during the time of Buddha Gotama, he was reborn as the son of Sumana, the Rich Man of Sǎvatthi. His name, given by his parents, was Sudattha.

How He came to be known as 'Anǎthapiṇďika'

Sudattha in time became the head of the family. He earned the reputation of ‘one who gives food to the destitute’ which in Pǎli means Anǎtha (destitutes) + piụḍika (rice-giver), hence Anǎthapiṇďika. (for more details about this remarkable man refer to Chapter 29. Here, only a brief account will be given as described in the Commentary on the Aṅguttara Nikǎya.)

One day, Anǎthapiṇďika went to Rǎjagaha on a trading trip where he visited his friend the Rich Man of Rǎjagaha. There, he learned the great news that the Buddha had appeared in the world. He could not wait till the city gates of Rǎjagaha were open in the next morning to meet the Buddha. Such was his zeal. So he left the city at dawn with the devas helping him to have the gate open for his visit. He met the Buddha, benefitted from a discourse by Him, and was established in the fruition of Stream Entry-Knowledge. On the next day, he made a great offering to the Buddha and His Sangha and had the Buddha's consent to visit Sǎvatthi. He returned to Sǎvatthi. On the way back to Sǎvatthi, he made arrangements with his friends of each location by providing them with one lakh of money to build a monastery at interval of one yojana, for the temporary residence of the Buddha and His company of bhikkhus. The distance between Rǎjagaha and Sǎvatthi being forty-five yojanas, therefore, he spent forty-five lakhs on the forty-five temporary transit monasteries. At Sǎvatthi, he bought a large park, which was the pleasure garden of Prince Jeta. He paid the sum of money according to the number of gold coins laid out over the entire park, with their rims touching each other. This amounted to eighteen crores. On that piece of land, he built a (golden) monastery costing another eighteen crores. At the formal dedication ceremony of the Jetavana monastery (meaning monastery built on Jeta's garden), which lasted for three months (some say five months, some even nine months), a lavish feast was provided to guests, both in the mornings and in the daytime. This cost him another additional eighteen crores.

1. 1. 1. 3. Anǎthapiṇďika The foremost Giver

The Jetavana monastery alone cost fifty-four crores. The regular donations to the Buddha and His Sangha consisted of the following offerings:

• five hundred bhikkhus were offered with alms-food daily by the ticket system (Salaka bhatta-drawing lots);
• five hundred bhikkhus were offered with alms-food once during the waxing period of the month and once during the waning period;
• five hundred bhikkhus were offered with rice gruel daily by ‘the ticket system;
• five hundred bhikkhus were offered with rice gruel once during the waxing period of the month and once during the waning period;
• daily offerings of alms-food were made to:
  1. five hundred bhikkhus who had arrived in Sǎvatthi recently and who had not acquainted themselves with the daily route for collecting alms-food;

• 2. five hundred bhikkhus who were about to go on a journey;
  3. five hundred bhikkhus who were sick;
  4. five hundred bhikkhus who tended the sick bhikkhus;
• there was always seating place for five hundred bhikkhus at any time at Anǎthapiṇďika's house.

Hence, on one occasion when the Buddha, while residing at the Jetavana monastery, was acknowledging lay disciples according to their merit, He declared:

‚Bhikkhus, among My lay disciples who delight in giving, Sudattha the Householder, also known as Anǎthapiṇďika, is the foremost.‛

The Anǎthapiṇďikovǎda Sutta, the favourite Discourse of Anǎthapiṇďika

(Here we shall give a condensed account of the Anǎthapiṇďikovǎda Sutta which Anǎthapiṇďika liked very much. A full account of this discourse is contained in Uparipaṇṇǎsa.)

During the Buddha's residence at the Jetavana monastery in Sǎvatthi, Anǎthapiṇďika the householder was sick, in pain, and gravely ill. Then he called an attendant and said: ‚O man, go to the Bhagavǎ and approach Him. Prostrating yourself at His feet and says to Him: ‘Venerable Sir, Anǎthapiṇďika the householder is sick, in pain, and gravely ill. He pays homage with his head at the feet of the Bhagavǎ.’ (Further,) go to the Venerable Sǎriputta, and approach him, prostrating yourself at his feet, and says to him: ‘Venerable Sir, Anǎthapiṇďika the householder is sick, in pain, and gravely ill. He pays homage with his head at the feet of the Venerable.’ And also say thus: ‘Venerable Sir, may the Venerable Sǎriputta, out of compassion, come to the house of Anǎthapiṇďika.’ ‛

(When Anǎthapiṇďika was in good health, he usually paid a visit to the Buddha at least once a day, and twice or three if he could manage it. But now that he was on his death bed, he was sending an attendant as messenger.)

‚Very well, Sir,‛ replied the attendant to Anǎthapiṇďika, and went to the Buddha. He paid homage to the Buddha, prostrating himself at His feet, and said to Him as instructed by his master. Then it was nearly sundown. He next went to the Venerable Sǎriputta, approached him, prostrating himself at his feet, and said to the Venerable as instructed by his master, requesting the Venerable to visit Anǎthapiṇďika. The Venerable Sǎriputta signified his acceptance by remaining silent.

Then, the Venerable Sǎriputta, re-robing himself, carrying his alms-bowl and great robe, went to the house of Anǎthapiṇďika the householder, accompanied by the Venerable Œnanda as his attendant (in place of another bhikkhu which was the custom). Upon arrival and after taking the seat prepared for him, he asked Anǎthapiṇďika: ‚Householder, are you feeling well? Are you feeling better? Is your pain decreasing and not increasing? Does it appear to be decreasing and not increasing?‛

Anǎthapiṇďika, replied to the Venerable Sǎriputta how he was feeling unwell, how he was not feeling any better, how his pain was increasing and not decreasing, and how it appeared to be increasing and not decreasing, by giving four examples.

The Venerable Sǎriputta knew that the illness of the householder was not controllable but that it would end only with this death. So he considered it important not to talk about anything but to give a discourse that would be of benefit to him. (He gave the following discourse in a comprehensive manner: Since there is no possibility of checking an ailment which will end only with the death of the sufferer who, being under the influence of craving, conceit and wrong view, is attached to the six sense-doors, the six sense objects, the six kinds of consciousness, the six kinds of contact, the six kinds of sensation, etc.), He said: ‚Householder, you should practise thus:

‘I will have no attachment, by way of either Craving or Conceit or Wrong view, for the eye, which is corporeality with sensitivity of seeing; then the consciousness which is dependent on the eye (through a subtle fondness nikanti taụhǎ for the eye)

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will not arise in me!’ Householder, you should practise the Threefold Training in this way.‛

(Herein, ‚You should practise thus: ‘I will have no attachment to the eye’ is said to exhort the householder to view the eye as impermanent, woeful (dukkha) and unsubstantial. This is so because if one views the eye as impermanent, Conceit cannot have any foothold, i.e. it cannot arise; if one views the eye as woeful (dukkha), Craving, attachment to the eye as ‘my eye’ cannot arise; if one views that eye as unsubstantial, the Wrong View of a personal identity or the ego as ‘my Self’ cannot arise. Hence to be free of the misconceptions through Conceit, Craving and Wrong View, one should repeatedly view the eye as impermanent, woeful (dukkha) and unsubstantial.

The three misconceptions of Conceit, Craving and Wrong View are crude mental states. Even when those misconceptions may disappear, there is a subtle fondness (nikanti) for the eye that tends to persist in one. The Venerable Sǎriputta exhorts the householder to have his consciousness to be free of this subtle fondness.

The same applies to the other five sense bases, such as ear, nose, etc. and also to sense objects, etc.)

Having exhorted Anǎthapiṇďika to train himself to be free of attachment to the eye through Conceit, Craving and Wrong View, and also to have no lingering fondness for the eye, the Venerable Sǎriputta further exhorted him as follows:

1. ‚That beings so, householder, you should practise thus: ‘I will have no attachment for the ear ...p... the nose ...p..., the tongue ...p... for the mind, the mind-base; (not even a subtle fondness for the mind).’
2. ‚That being so, householder, you should practise thus: ‘I will have no attachment for visual objects ...p... sounds ...p... odours ...p... tangible objects...p...mind-objects (not even a subtle fondness for mind-objects).’
3. ‚That being so, householder, you should practise thus: ‘I will have no attachment for eye-consciousness ...p... ear-consciousness ...p... nose consciousness ...p... body- consciousness ...p... mind-consciousness (not even a subtle fondness for mind- consciousness).’
4. ‚That being so, householder, you should practise thus: ‘I will have no attachment for eye-contact ...p... ear-contact ...p... nose-contact ...p... tongue-contact ...p... body- contact ...p... mind-contact (not even a subtle fondness mind-contact).’
5. ‚That being so, householder, you should practise thus: ‘I will have no attachment for sensation arising out of eye-contact ...p... sensation arising out of ear-contact ...p... sensation arising out of nose-contact ...p... sensation arising out of tongue-contact

...p... sensation arising out of body-contact ...p... sensation arising out of mind-contact (not even a subtle fondness for sensation arising out of mind-contact).’

6. ‚That being so, householder, you should practise thus: ‘I will have no attachment for the Element of solidity ...p... the Element of cohesion ...p... the Element of heat ...p... the Element of motion ...p... the Element of Space ...p... the Element of consciousness (not even a subtle fondness for the element of consciousness.)’
7. ‚That being so, householder, you should practise thus: ‘I will have no attachment for corporeality ...p... sensation ...p... perception ...p... volitional activities ...p... consciousness (not even subtle fondness for consciousness).’
8. ‚That being so, householder, you should practise thus: ‘I will have no attachment for the jhǎna of infinity of Space ...p... the jhǎna of infinity of consciousness ...p... the jhǎna of Nothingness...p...the jhǎna of Neither-consciousness-nor-non-consciousness (not even a subtle fondness for the jhǎna of Neither-consciousness-nor- nonconsciousness).’
9. ‚That being so, householder, you should practise thus: ‘I will have no attachment for the present world; then the consciousness which is dependent on the present world

(through a subtle fondness for the present world) will not arise in me.’ Householder, you should practise the Threefold Training in this way.

‚That being so, householder, you should practise thus: ‘I will have no attachment for the hereafter; then the consciousness which is dependent on the hereafter (through a subtle fondness for the hereafter) will not arise in me.’ Householder, you should practise the Threefold Training in this way.

(from the first to eight rounds of exposition, the sentient world is being referred to. In the last (ninth) round, ‘the present world’ refers to volitional activities related to dwelling, food and raiment and other possessions; ‘the hereafter’ means all forms of existence beyond the human existence. The Venerable Sǎriputta, by mentioning the hereafter, hints that the householder should not crave for grand mansions, gorgeous food and raiment, etc. in any of the celestial world.)

Thus the Venerable Sǎriputta give a comprehensive discourse in nine turns (on the same theme). It may be noted that the three roots, Craving, Conceit and Wrong View, are completely eliminated on attainment of arahatta-phala. Of the three, Wrong View is eradicated when Stream-Entry Knowledge in gained. The Venerable Sǎriputta repeatedly exhorted Anǎthapiṇďika to practise so that no attachment to anything arises in the mind through any of these misconceptions. This connotes that arahatta-phala should be the goal. This theme he impressed on the householder by nine different factors, viz.: Sense-doors, Sense-objects, Consciousness, Contact, Sensation, Dhǎtu (Elements), Khandha (aggregates), jhǎna of the Non-Material Sphere, and all things knowable (sabba-dhamma). The voidness, the emptiness, the unreality of these phenomena is comprehended when one attains arahatta-phala.

When the discourse had ended, Anǎthapiṇďika, wept bitterly. Then the Venerable Œnanda said to Anǎthapiṇďika: ‚Householder are you attached to your possessions? Householder, are you wavering about the meritorious deeds?‛

‚Venerable Sir,‛ replied Anǎthapiṇďika, ‚I am not attached to my possessions. Nor am I wavering. I have indeed, for a long time, attended upon the Bhagavǎ. I have also attended upon the bhikkhus who are worthy of respect. But, I have never heard such words of the Dhamma before.‛

‚Householder, the laity who wear white cloths cannot understand clearly this word of the Dhamma. (for lay persons it is not easy to follow the exhortation to break away from the dear ones, such as wife and children, and various other possessions, such as valued attendants, fertile fields, etc..) Householder, this word of the Dhamma can be understood only by bhikkhus. (Only bhikkhu can appreciate such admonition.)‛

‚Venerable Sǎriputta, I beg of you. Let this word of the Dhamma be made clear to the laity who wear white cloths. Venerable Sir, there are many worthy men whose understanding is not clouded by the dust of defilements. for them, it is a great loss in not being able to see the Supramundane for not having heard the Dhamma. There are likely to be people who will be able to fully understand the Dhamma and attain arahatship, only if you expound the Dhamma to them.‛

(‚I have never heard such words of the Dhamma before.‛ These words spoken by Anǎthapiṇďika needs to be explained. It is not that the householder was never before admonished by the Buddha using words of the same profound meaning. But the Doctrine leading to arahatta-phala expounded by means of such a comprehensive arrangement involving nine different turns (or rounds), such as the six sense-doors, the six sense objects, the six kinds of Consciousness, the six Elements, the Aggregates, the four jhǎnas of the Non-Material Sphere, the present world and the hereafter, through all manner of knowing them, i.e. seeing, hearing, attaining, cognizing, has never been discoursed to him before.

To explain in another way: Charity and the delight in giving is the hallmark of Anǎthapiṇďika's character. Never would he pay a visit to the Buddha or to bhikkhus worthy of respect empty-handed: in the mornings, he would take gruel and eatables

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to them, in the afternoons, ghee, honey or molasses, etc. Even on some rare occasions when he had no offering to make to them, he would take his attendants along, carrying fine sand with them, which he let them spread about the monastic compound. At the monastery, he would make his offering, observe the precepts, and then go home. His noble behaviour was reputed to be one worthy of a Buddha- to-be. The Buddha, during the twenty-four years of association with Anǎthapiṇďika, mostly praised him for his charity: ‚I had practised charity over four incalculable period and a hundred thousand world-cycles. You are following my footsteps.‛ Great disciples, like the Venerable Sǎriputta, usually discoursed to Anǎthapiṇďika on the benefits of giving in charity. That is why the Venerable Œnanda said to him:

‚Householder, the laity who wear white clothes cannot understand clearly this word of the Dhamma‛ with reference to the present discourse by the Venerable Sǎriputta.

This should not be taken to mean that the Buddha never discoursed to Anǎthapiṇďika on the cultivating of Insight, leading to Path-Knowledge and its fruition. In fact, the householder had heard the need for Insight-development. Only that he had never listened to such an elaborate discussion running to nine turns (round) as in the present discourse. As the Sub-Commentary on Anǎthathapiṇďiko- vǎda Sutta has pointed out: ‚As a matter of fact, the Bhagavǎ had discoursed to him (Anǎthapiṇďika) on the subject of Insight development as the straight course to the attainment of the Ariya Path.‛)

Anǎthapiṇďika was reborn in The Tusitǎ Deva Realm

After admonishing Anǎthapiṇďika, the Venerables Sǎriputta and Œnanda departed. Not long after they had left, Anǎthapiṇďika passed away and was reborn in the Tusitǎ Deva realm.

Then, around the middle watch of the night, Deva Anǎthapiṇďika approached the Buddha, made obeisance to Him in verse:

(Herein, before mentioning the verses, the reason for Deva Anǎthapiṇďika's visit to the Buddha should be noted. Being reborn in the Tusitǎ Deva realm, Anǎthapiṇďika found out, was a great thing full of sense pleasure. His body, three gǎvutas long, was shining like a mass of gold. His mansion, pleasure gardens, the Wish Tree where he could get anything by mere wishing, etc. were indeed alluring. He reviewed his past existence and saw that his devotion to the Triple Gem had been the causes of this resplendent fresh existence. He considered his new deva life. It was full of ease and comfort which could easily make him drowned in sense pleasures and forgetting the Good Doctrine. ‚I must now go to the human world and sing in praise of the Jetavana monastery (my past deed of merit), the Sangha, the Buddha, the Ariya Path, and Venerable Sǎriputta. Only on returning from the human world will I start enjoying this fleshly acquired life,‛ thus he decided.)

four Stanzas address to The Buddha

1. ‚(Venerable Sir,) this Jetavana monastery as the resort by day and by night, of the Sangha (Comprising bhikkhus who are arahats as well as those training themselves for arahatship.) It is the residence of the Bhagavǎ, King of the Dhamma. (That is why) it is source of delight to me.

(The Jetavana monastery was a monastic complex comprising the Buddha's Private (Scented) chamber, the square Pinnacled monastery, a number of monastic dwellings with exquisite ornate designs with fruit trees, flowering trees and shrubbery and restful seats. It was a religious premise of rare elegance, a visitor's delight. However, the real attraction of the Jetavana monastery lay in its residents, the taint-free ariyas such as the Buddha and His noble disciples. And it was that spiritual beauty of the place rather than the sensual attraction that appealed to an ariya like Anǎthapiṇďika.)

2. ‚It is through action (i.e. volitional activities associated with magga), Knowledge (i.e. Right View and Right Thinking), Dhamma (i.e. Right Effort, Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration), and virtuous living based on morality (i.e. Right Speech, Right Action and Right Livelihood) that beings are purified. They are not purified through lineage or wealth.

(In this stanza, Anǎthapiṇďika extols the Ariya Path of eight constituents.)

3. ‚That being so, the wise person, discerning his own welfare (culminating in Nibbǎna), should contemplate, with right perception, the impermanence, the woefulness and the unsubstantiality of five aggregates (i.e. this body) which are the object of Clinging, Contemplating, thus, that person is purified through realizing the four Ariya Truths.

(This body, the mind-body complex which one clings to as oneself, when brought to its ultimate analysis by means of Insight-development, reveals its true nature. As Insight fully develops into Path-Knowledge, the Truth of dukkha or woefulness of repeated existences, is seen through by the full understanding of phenomena. The Truth of the Origin of dukkha is seen through and discarded. The Truth of the Cessation of dukkha is realized by direct experience. The Truth of the Path is penetratingly understood by developing it. Then the yogi is free from of the defilements and purity is achieved. In this stanza, Anǎthapiṇďika extolled the development of Insight and the realization of the Path-Knowledge.)

4. ‚A certain bhikkhu reaches the other shore (that is Nibbǎna). In this respect, he is equal to Sǎriputta. But Sǎriputta, with his knowledge, morality and calm (pacification of ǎsaνa), paññǎ, sīla, upasama, is the noblest among those bhikkhus who reach the other shore (that is Nibbǎna).‛

(In this stanza, Anǎthapiṇďika extols the virtues of Venerable Sǎriputta.)

Deva Anǎthapiṇďika addressed these four stanzas to the Buddha. The Buddha listened to them without making any interruption, thus showing His approval. Then Deva Anǎthapiṇďika gladly thinking: ‚The Teacher is pleased with these words, of mine,‛ made obeisance to Buddha and vanished there and then.

Then, when the night passed and morning came, the Buddha addressed the bhikkhus thus:

‚Bhikkhus, last night, about the middle watch of the night, a certain deva approached Me, made obeisance to Me, and stood in a suitable place. Then he addressed to Me with these stanzas.‛ The Buddha recited to the bhikkhus the verses spoken by Deva Anǎthapiṇďika.

(Here, the Buddha did not mention the name of Anǎthapiṇďika because he wanted the intuition of Œnanda to be brought to the fore.)

Accordingly, as soon as the Buddha had spoken, the Venerable Œnanda, without hesitating a moment, said: ‚Venerable Sir, that deva must have been Deva Anǎthapiṇďika. Venerable Sir, Anǎthapiṇďika the householder had much devotion to the Venerable Sǎriputta.‛

‚Well said, Œnanda, well said, Œnanda, you do have the right intuition. Œnanda, that deva is indeed Deva Anǎthapiṇďika,‛ thus said the Buddha.

1. 1. 3. CITTA The Householder

(Both Anǎthapiṇďika and Citta are termed as gahapati, the English rendering being ‘Householders’. In Myanmar renderings, Anǎthapiṇďika is usually termed as ‘thuthay’ whereas Citta is usually rendered as ‘thukywe’. Both these Myanmar terms are synonymous.)

1. 1. 1. 1. His Past Aspiration

The future Citta the householder was reborn into a worthy family in the city of HaÑsǎvatī, during the time of Buddha Padumuttara. On one occasion, while listening to the

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Buddha's discourse, he saw a certain disciple being named by Him as the foremost in expounding the Doctrine. The worthy man aspired to that distinction. After making an extraordinary offering, he expressed his wish that, at some future existence, he would be designated by a Buddha as the foremost disciple in expounding the Doctrine.

In His Existence as The Son of A Hunter

The future Citta was reborn either in the deva realm or the human realm for a hundred thousand world-cycles. During the time of Buddha Kassapa, he was born as a son of a hunter. When he came of age, he took up the vocation of hunter. One rainy day, he went to the forest to hunt, carrying a spear. While searching for games, he saw a bhikkhu with his head covered with his robe of dirt-rags, sitting on a rock platform inside a natural cavern. He thought that must be a bhikkhu meditating. He hurried home and had two pots cooked simultaneously, one in which rice was boiled and the other for meat.

When the rice and the meat had been cooked, he saw two bhikkhus coming to his house for alms-food. He invited them into his house, took their alms-bowls, and requested them to accept his offering of alms-food out of compassion for him. Having had the two bhikkhus seated, he let his family to take care of the offering of alms-food to them while he hurried back to the forest to offer the alms-food to the meditating bhikkhu. He carried the rice and the meat in a pot properly covered with banana leaves. On the way, he gathered various kinds of flowers and wrapped them in some leaves. He went to the bhikkhu in the cavern, filled his alms-bowl with the alms-food and offered it and the flowers to him reverentially.

Then he sat in a suitable place and said to the bhikkhu: ‚Just as this offering of delicious food and flowers makes me very glad, may I, in the future existences in the course of saṁsǎra, be blessed with all kinds of gifts. May flowers of five hues shower down on me!‛ The bhikkhu saw that the donor was destined to gain sufficient merit leading to attaining of magga-phala and taught him in detail the method of contemplating the thirty-two aspects of parts of the body.

That son of the hunter (the future Citta) lived a life full of good deeds and at his death, he was reborn in the deva realm. There, he was blessed with showers of flowers that rained down on him up to knee-deep.

1. 1. 1. 2. Discipleship in His Last Existence

The future Citta was reborn in fortunate destinations throughout the world-cycle that intervened the appearance of the two Buddhas, and during the time of Buddha Gotama, he was reborn as the son of the Rich Man in the town of Macchikǎsaṇďa, in the Province of Magadha. At the time of his birth, flowers of five hues rained down over the whole town up to knee-deep. His parents said: ‚Our son has brought his own name. For he has delighted the mind of the whole town by being blessed with the wondrous floral tribute of five colours. Let us call him ‘Citta’.‛

When young Citta came of age, he was married and at the death of his father, he succeeded to the office of the Rich Man of Macchikǎsaṇďa. At that time, the Venerable Mahǎnǎma, one of the Group of five Ascetics, came to Macchikǎsaṇďa. Citta was full of reverential adoration for Venerable Mahǎnǎma for his serenity. He took the alms-bowl of the Venerable, and invited him to his house for offering of alms-food. After the Venerable had finished his meal, Citta took him to his orchard, had a monastery built for him and requested him to reside there as well as to accept daily alms-food from his house. Venerable Mahǎnǎma consented out of compassion, and seeing that the householder was destined to acquire sufficient merit leading to attainment of magga-phala, he taught a discourse to him extensively on the six internal sense-bases and the six external sense- bases, i.e. sense objects. This subject was taught to Citta because he was a person of middling intelligence, majjhuṁ-puggala.

As Citta had, in his past existences, cultivated Insight into the impermanence, woefulness (dukkha) and unsubstantiality of mind and matter which are conditioned phenomena, his

present efforts in Insight-meditation led him to the enlightenment stage of Never-Returner (anǎgǎmin). (It is not mentioned in the scriptures by which method of meditation he attained anǎgǎmī-phala. However, considering his training, it might be assumed that he attained Path-Knowledge by meditating on the Sense-bases.)

(Incidentally, the difference in the attainments between Citta and Anǎthapiṇďika should be noted here. Anǎthapiṇďika, donor of the Jetavana monastery in Sǎvatthi, was a Stream-Enterer who delighted in charity, (dǎnǎ-bhirata) whereas Citta, donor of the AmbǎÔaka monastery in Macchikǎsaṇďa, was a Never-Returner who delighted in charity as well as in the dhamma, dǎnǎ-bhirata, dhamma-bhirata.)

Householder Citta's Delight in Charity and in The Dhamma

A few instances of Citta's natural delight in charity and in the Dhamma are mentioned here as recorded in the Citta SaÑyutta.

The first Isidatta Sutta

At one time, many bhikkhus were living in the AmbǎÔaka monastery which was donated by Citta the householder, in Macchikǎsaṇďa. One day, Citta went to the monastery and after making obeisance to the bhikkhu-elders, he invited them to an offering of food in his home the next day. Next day, when the bhikkhu-elders were seated at the prepared seats, Citta made obeisance, sat in a suitable place, and said to the Venerable Thera, the senior-most bhikkhu present then: ‚Venerable Sir, ‘Diversity of Elements’, ‘Diversity of Elements’ (Dhǎtu ñǎụattaṁ), it has been said. To what extent is there the diversity of Elements as taught by the Bhagavǎ?‛

The Venerable Thera knew the answer but he was diffident to give a reply to the question, and so he remained silent. for a third time too, the Venerable kept his silence.

Then the Venerable Isidatta, the junior-most bhikkhu among the bhikkhus present, thought: ‚Bhikkhu-elder Thera does not answer the question, nor ask another bhikkhu to answer. The Sangha, by not answering to Citta's question, makes him appear as harassing. I shall save the situation by answering his question.‛ So, he went near the Venerable Thera and said: ‚Venerable Sir, may I be allowed to answer the question by Citta.‛ And the Venerable Thera gave him permission to do so. Then, the Venerable Isidatta returned to his seat and said to Citta: ‚Householder, you asked the question, ‘Venerable Thera, ‘Diversity of Elements’, ‘Diversity of Elements’, it has been said. To what extent is there, the Diversity of Elements?‛

‚Yes, Venerable Sir, that is so,‛ replied Citta. ‚Householder, as taught by the Bhagavǎ there are various Elements, such as Eye-element (cakkhu-dhǎtu), Element of visual object (rǔpa-dhǎtu), Eye-consciousness element (cakkhu-νiññǎụa-dhǎtu), Ear-element (sota-dhǎtu), Element of sound (sadda-dhǎtu), Ear-consciousness element (sota-νiññǎụa-dhǎtu); ...p... Mind-element (mano-dhǎtu), Element of phenomena (dhamma-dhǎtu), Mind-consciousness element (mano-νiññǎụa-dhǎtu). Householder, these are the various Elements (ñǎụatta- dhǎtu), as taught by the Bhagavǎ.‛

Citta was satisfied with the answer given by the Venerable Isidatta and personally attended to him at the food offering. When, after finishing the meal, the bhikkhus returned to monastery, the Venerable Thera said to the Venerable Isidatta: ‚Friend Isidatta, you perceived the problem well. I have no such perception. Therefore, friend Isidatta, when similar questions are asked of us, you may do the answering.‛

The Second Isidatta Sutta

On another occasion, when Citta the householder was making an offering of food to the Sangha in his residence, before serving the food he put this question to the Venerable Thera: ‚Is the world permanent or is it impermanent?‛ The question is characteristic of wrong views, and implies the arising or otherwise of such view. As in the previous case, the Venerable Thera did not answer although he knew it. When he kept his silence for three repeated questionings by Citta, the Venerable Isidatta obtained the elder Thera's permission to answer and replied to him: ‚When there is the erroneous concept regarding the present

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body or the five aggregates, sakkǎya diṭṭhi (wrong views) arises; when there is no erroneous concept regarding the five aggregates, wrong views do not arise.‛

Citta pursued the problem with questions as to how the erroneous concept regarding the present body of five aggregates arises, and how that concept does not arise. The Venerable Isidatta gave analytical answers to the satisfaction of him. (for the complete set of questions and answers the reader may read The Second Isidatta Sutta, 1- Citta SaÑyutta, Saḷǎyatana SaÑyutta.)

After that a conversation between Citta and the Venerable Isidatta took place as follows: Citta:  ‚From which place do you come, Venerable Sir?‛

Isidatta: ‚I come from Avanti country.‛

Citta:  ‚Venerable Sir, in Avanti country there is a friend of mine, whom I have never met, by the name of Isidatta who had become a bhikkhu. Have you met him, Venerable Sir?‛

Isidatta: ‚Yes, I have, householder.‛

Citta:     ‚Venerable Sir, where is that bhikkhu now?‛ The Venerable Isidatta did not give a reply

Citta:     ‚Venerable Sir, are you my friend whom I had never seen?‛ Isidatta: ‚Yes, householder.‛

Citta:  ‚Venerable Sir, may the Venerable Isidatta be pleased to stay in Macchikǎsaṇďa. The AmbǎÔaka monastery is pleasant to live in. I will see to all the four requisites (robes, alms-food, dwelling, medicines).‛

Isidatta: ‚Householder, you speak well. (You say what is good.)‛

(The Venerable Isidatta said so merely to express his appreciation of the donation, but he did not say so with the intention of accepting the donation of any of the four requisites.)

Citta was delighted with the answer given by Venerable Isidatta and personally attended on the Venerable in making offering of alms-food. When the bhikkhus returned to the monastery, the Venerable Thera said to Venerable Isidatta in the same words as he did previously (on the occasion of the first Isidatta Sutta.)

Then the Venerable Isidatta considered that after revealing his identity as an unseen friend of Citta, before becoming a bhikkhu, it would not be proper for him to stay in the monastery donated by Citta. So after tidying up his living quarters and the monastery, he took his alms-bowl and great robe and left the monastery for good, never to return to the town of Macchikǎsaṇďa.

The MahakapǎÔihǎriya Sutta

At one time, many bhikkhus were living in the AmbǎÔaka monastery, which was donated by Citta the householder, in Macchikǎsaṇďa. Then Citta went to the monastery and after paying respects to the Sangha, he invited them to his farmyard the next day, where his cows were kept. On the following day, the Sangha went to his farmyard and sat in the seats prepared for them. Then the householder personally offered milk-rice to the Sangha.

He was served the milk-rice in a gold vessel by his servants at the same time the Sangha were being served. As he was accompanying the Sangha, after the meal, to the monastery, he gave orders to his servants to make offerings of remaining milk-rice to suitable offerees. Then he accompanied the Sangha to their monastery.

It was scorching hot when the Sangha left the householder’s farmyard. Walking in the hot sun, a rich meal was a rather inconvenient thing for the Sangha. Then the Venerable Mahǎka, the junior-most bhikkhu, said to the Venerable Thera, the senior-most bhikkhu:

‚Venerable Thera, would a cool breeze in an overcast-sky with slight rain drops be convenient for everyone?‛ And the Venerable Thera replied: ‚Friend Mahǎka, a cool breeze in an overcast sky with slight rain drops would be convenient for everyone.‛

Thereupon, the Venerable Mahǎka, by his powers, changed the weather, letting the cool breeze blow in an overcast sky with slight rain drops.

Citta noted this event as a marvellous power possessed by the junior bhikkhu. When they arrived at the monastery, the Venerable Mahǎka said to the Venerable Thera: ‚Venerable Thera, is that enough?‛ And the Venerable Thera replied: ‚Friend Mahǎka, that is enough. friend Mahǎka, that is something done well that deserves reverence.‛ After this recognition of the Venerable Mahǎka's powers, all the bhikkhus returned to their respective dwelling places (within the monastery complex).

Then Citta requested the Venerable Mahǎka to display his miraculous powers. The Venerable said: ‚In that case, householder, spread your cloak at the door-step to my monastery. Put a pile of grass from the bundle of grass on the cloak.‛ Citta did as was instructed by Venerable Mahǎka. Then the Venerable entered the monastery, bolted the door from inside and sent out flames through the keyhole and through the edges of the door. The flames burned up the grass but the cloak remained unburnt. Then Citta picked up his cloak and, awestruck and goose-flesh appeared on his skin, he sat in a suitable place.

Thereafter,  Venerable  Mahǎka  came  out  of  the  monastery  and  said  to  Citta,

‚Householder, is that enough?‛ Citta replied: ‚Venerable Mahǎka, that is enough. Venerable Mahǎka, that is something accomplished. Venerable Mahǎka, that deserves reverence. Venerable Mahǎka, may the Venerable Mahǎka be pleased to stay in Macchikǎsaṇďa. The AmbǎÔaka monastery is pleasant to live in. I will see to the four requisites (robes, alms-food, dwelling, medicines).‛

The Venerable Mahǎka said: ‚Householder, you say what is good.‛

However, Venerable Mahǎka considered that it would not be proper for him to stay at the AmbǎÔaka monastery. So after tidying up his living quarters and the monastery, he took his alms-bowl and big robe and left the monastery for good.

[In the above two suttas, Citta the householder had great reverence and admiration for the Venerable Isidatta and the Venerable Mahǎka in donating his monastic complex to the two bhikkhus. However, from the point of view of the bhikkhus, the four requisites they had been donated were flawed because they amounted to rewards for their actions; Isidatta for expounding the Dhamma, and Mahǎka for displaying miraculous power. Hence, out of regard for the bhikkhu rules of conduct, they left the place for good. (The Commentary and the Sub-Commentary are silent on this point.)]

We have chosen these three suttas, the two Isidatta Suttas and the MahǎkapǎÔihǎriya Sutta as examples of how Citta the householder cherished the Dhamma. (The reader is earnestly advised to go through the suttas in the Citta SaÑyutta, Saḷǎyatana SaÑyutta.)

A Brief Story of Venerable Sudhamma

One day, the two Chief Disciples, accompanied by a thousand bhikkhu-disciples, visited the AmbǎÔaka monastery. (At that time, the Venerable Sudhamma was the Abbot of the monastery.) Citta the householder, donor of the monastery, made magnificent preparations to honour the visiting Sangha (without consulting the Venerable Sudhamma). The Venerable Sudhamma took exception to it and remarked: ‚There is one thing missing in this lavish array of offerings and that is sesame cake.‛ This was an innuendo to belittle Citta, whose family, in the earlier generation, consisted of a seller of sesame cakes.

Citta made a suitably rude response in vulgar language to the sarcastic remark of the Abbot, who was touched to the quick and took the matter to the Buddha. After listening to the Buddha’s admonition, the Abbot, Venerable Sudhamma, made amends to Citta. Then, staying at the AmbǎÔaka monastery, and practicing the Dhamma, the Venerable Sudhamma gained Insight and attained arahatship. (This is as mentioned in the Commentary on the Aṅguttara Nikǎya. for details refer to the Commentary on the Dhammapada, Book One; and Vinaya C|ḷavagga, 4-PaÔisǎraṇīya kamma.)

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Citta's Pilgrimage to The Buddha

(The following account is taken from the Commentary on the Dhammapada.) When the Venerable Sudhamma attained arahatship, Citta the householder reflected thus:

‚I have become a Never-Returner. But my stages of Enlightenment from sotǎpatti-phala to anǎgǎmī-phala had been attained without even meeting the Buddha. It behoves me to go and meet Him now.‛ He had five hundred carts fully laden with provisions, such as sesame, rice, ghee, molasses, honey, clothing, etc. for the long journey to Sǎvatthi. He made a public invitation to the populace in Macchikǎsaṇďa that anyone, bhikkhu, bhikkhunī, male lay disciple or female lay disciple, might, if they wished, join him on a pilgrimage to the Buddha and that he would see to every need of the pilgrims. And, in response to his invitation, there were five hundred bhikkhus, five hundred bhikkhunīs, five hundred male lay disciples and five hundred female lay disciples who joined him on the pilgrimage.

The two thousand pilgrims who joined Citta plus the one thousand of his entourage, totalling three thousand, were well provided for the thirty-yojana journey. However, at every yojana of his journey, on the way devas welcomed them with temporary shelter and celestial food, such as gruel, eatables, cooked rice and beverages and every one of the three thousand pilgrims was attended on to his satisfaction.

By travelling a yojana a day, meeting with the devas' hospitality at every stop, the pilgrims reached Sǎvatthi after a month. The provisions carried in his five hundred carts were not used. They even had surfeit of provisions which were offered by the devas and human beings along the way, and which they donated to other persons.

On the day when the pilgrims were due to arrive in Sǎvatthi, the Buddha said to the Venerable Œnanda: ‚Œnanda, this evening Citta the householder, accompanied by five hundred lay disciples, will be paying homage to Me.‛ Œnanda asked: ‚Venerable Sir, are there miracles to happen then?‛

‚Yes, Œnanda, there will be miracles.‛

‚In what manner will they happen, Venerable Sir?‛

‚Œnanda, when he comes to me, there will rain a thick floral tribute of five hues that will rise to knee-deep over an area of eight karisas¹.‛

This dialogue between the Buddha and Venerable Œnanda aroused the curiosity of the citizens of Sǎvatthi. People passed on the exciting news of Citta's arrival, saying: ‚A person of great past merit by the name of Citta a householder, is coming to town. Miracles are going to happen! He is arriving today! We will not miss the opportunity of seeing such a great person.‛ With presents ready, they awaited on both sides of the road for the visitor and his friends.

When the pilgrim party arrived near the Jetavana monastery, the five hundred bhikkhus of the party went first. Citta told the five hundred female lay disciples to stay behind, and follow later and went to the Buddha accompanied by five hundred male lay disciples. (It should be noted that disciples paying homage to the Buddha were not an unruly crowd but well-disciplined; whether sitting or standing, they left a passageway for the Buddha to go to His raised platform, and they would remain motionless and silent on either side of the aisle.)

Citta then approached the aisle between a huge gathering of devotees. Whichever direction the ariya disciple, who had been established in the fruition of the three lower Paths glanced, the people murmured: ‚That is Citta the householder!‛ He became a thrilling object in that big gathering. Citta drew close to the Buddha and he was enveloped by the six Buddha-rays. He stroke the Buddha’s ankles with great reverence and vigour and then the floral tribute of five colours, described earlier, rained. People cheered enthusiastically loud and long.

Citta spent one whole month in close attendance on the Buddha. During that time, he

1. karisa: a measure of land equivalent to 1.75 acres.

made a special request to the Buddha and His Sangha not to go out for alms-food but to accept his offerings at the monastery. All the pilgrims that had accompanied him also were taken care of in every aspect. In his month-long stay at the Jetavana monastery, none of his original provisions were used to feed everyone, for devas and humans made all sorts of gifts to Citta.

At the end of one month, Citta made obeisance to the Buddha and said: ‚Venerable Sir, I came with the intention of making offerings of my own property to the Bhagavǎ. I spent one month on the way and another month here in the Jetavana monastery. Still I have had no opportunity to offer my own property for I have been blessed with all sorts of gilts from devas and humans. It would seem that even if I were to stay here a year, I still may not have the chance to make offerings of my own property. It is my wish to deposit all my property I have brought here in this monastery for the benefit of the Sangha. May the Bhagavǎ be pleased to show me the place to do so.‛

The Buddha asked Venerable Œnanda to find a suitable place for Citta to off-load the five-hundred cart-loads of provisions and were then offered to the Sangha. Then Citta returned to Macchikǎsaṇďa with the five hundred empty carts, people and devas, seeing the empty carts, remarked in mild rebuke: ‚O Citta, had you done such deeds in the past as would lead to your going about with empty cans?‛ Then they loaded his empty carts to the full with seven kinds of treasures. Citta also received sufficient gifts of all kinds, with which he catered to the needs of the pilgrims till he reached Macchikǎsaṇďa in ease and comfort.

The Venerable Œnanda paid his obeisance to the Buddha and said:

‚Venerable Sir, Citta the householder took one month coming to Sǎvatthi, and spent another month at the Jetavana monastery. During this period, he had made great offerings with gifts received from devas and humans. He had emptied his five hundred carts of all provisions which he had brought, and was returning home with empty carts. However, people and devas who saw the empty carts said in mild rebuke: ‘Citta, you had done such deeds in the past as would lead to your going about with empty carts?’ And they are said to have filled Citta's five hundred carts with seven kinds of treasures. And Citta is said to get home comfortably, looking after the needs of his companions with gifts received from devas and humans.

"Venerable Sir, may I be allowed to ask a question: Does Citta meet with such abundance of honour and tribute only because he was on a pilgrimage to the Buddha? Would he meet the same kind of honour and tribute if he were to go elsewhere?‛

The Buddha said to the Venerable Œnanda: ‚Œnanda, Citta the householder will receive the same kind of honour and tributes whether he comes to Me or goes elsewhere. This is indeed so, Œnanda, because Citta the householder had been one who had firm conviction about kamma and its consequences, both in the mundane aspect and the supramundane aspect. further, he had been fully convinced about the supramundane benefits that the Triple Gem are capable of. for a person of such nature, honour and tribute lines his path wherever he goes.‛

The Buddha further uttered this verse (translation in prose):

‚(Œnanda,) the ariya disciple who is endowed with conviction (regarding the mundane and the supramundane aspects) of one's own actions and morality, and is possessed of following and wealth, is held in reverence (by men and devas) wherever he goes.‛

—— (Dh, V 303) ——

By the end of the discourse many hearers attained Path-Knowledge, such as Stream- Entry, etc.

1. 1. 1. 3. Citta designated as The foremost Lay Disciple.

from that time onwards, Citta the householder went about accompanied by five hundred ariya lay disciples. On one occasion, when the Buddha was naming distinguished lay disciples according to their merit, He declared, (with reference to the discourses made by

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Citta as recorded in the Citta vagga of Saḷǎyatana saÑyutta:

‚Bhikkhus, among My lay disciples who are exponents of the Dhamma, Citta the Householder, is the foremost.‛

(The proficiency of Citta in expounding the Dhamma may be gleaned from Saḷyatana vagga SaÑyutta, 7-Citta saṁyutta, 1-Saṁyojana Saṁyutta, and 5- Paṭhǎna kǎmabhǔ Sutta).

The Gilǎnadassana Sutta

(The Gilǎnadassana Sutta, an example of Householder Citta's discourse given even on his deathbed.)

As an anǎgǎmī-ariya who was the foremost expounder of the Dhamma among lay disciples, Citta the householder gave a discourse even on his deathbed. This story is given in Gilǎnadassana Saṁyutta in Citta Saṁyutta.

Once Citta was terminally ill. Then many devas who were guardians of the his premises, guardians of the forest, guardians of certain trees and guardians who had power over herbs and deified trees, (because of huge proportions), assembled before him and said to him:

‚Householder, now make a wish saying: ‘May I be reborn as the Universal Monarch when I die.’ ‛ Citta replied to them: ‚Being a Universal Monarch is impermanent in nature, unstable in nature. It is something that one must leave behind at last.‛

His relatives and friends by his bedside thought he was uttering those strange words in a fit of delirium and said to him: ‚Lord, be careful. Do not talk absent-mindedly.‛

Citta asked them: ‚You say: ‘Lord be careful. Do not talk absent-mindedly.’ With respect to what words of mine do you say so?‛ And the relatives and friends said: ‚Lord, you were saying: ‘Being a Universal Monarch is impermanent in nature, unstable in nature. It is something that one must leave behind at last.’ ‛

Citta then tell them: ‚O men, devas who are guardians of my premises, guardians of the forest, guardians of trees, guardians who have power over herbs and defied trees, came and said to me: ‘Householder, now make a wish saying: ‘May I be reborn as the Universal Monarch when I die.’ So I told them: ‘Being a Universal Monarch is impermanent in nature, unstable in nature. It is something ones must leave behind at last.’ I was not saying these words absent mindedly.‛

Thereupon Citta's friend and relatives asked him: ‚Lord, what advantages did these devas see in advising you to wish for rebirth as Universal Monarch?‛

Citta replied: ‚O men, these devas thought that ‘this householder Citta has morality, has clean conduct, if he would wish for it he could easily have his wish fulfilled. One who is righteous can see benefits accruing to the righteous.’ This was the advantage they saw in advising me to wish for rebirth as a Universal Monarch. Thus, I replied to them: ‚Being a Universal Monarch is impermanent in nature, unstable in nature. It is something one must leave behind at last.’ I was not saying these words absent-mindedly.‛

The friends and relatives of Citta then asked him again: ‚In that case, Lord, give us some admonition.‛ And Citta gave his last discourse thus:

‚In that case, friend and relatives, you should practise with the resolve, ‘We will have perfect confidence in the Buddha, reflecting that:

1. 1. The Buddha is called ArahaÑ because He is worthy of homage by the greatest of devas, humans and Brahmǎs.
   2. The Buddha is called Sammǎsambuddha because He knows all things fundamentally and truly by His own perfect wisdom.
   3. The Buddha is called Vijjǎcaraụasampaññǎ because He is endowed with supreme Knowledge and perfect practice of morality.
   4. The Buddha is called Sugata because He speaks only what is beneficial and true.

1. 5. The Buddha is called Lokaνidǔ because he knows all the three worlds;
   6. The Buddha is called Anuttaropurisa dammasǎrathi because He is incomparable in taming those who deserve to be tamed.
   7. The Buddha is called Satthǎdeνa manussana because He is the Teacher of devas and humans.
   8. The Buddha is called Buddha because He makes known the four Ariya Truths;
   9. The Buddha is called Bhagaνǎ because He is endowed with the six great qualities of glory.

‘We will have perfect confidence in the Dhamma reflecting that:

1. The Teaching of the Bhagaνǎ, the Dhamma, is well expounded.
2. Its Truths are personally appreciable.
3. It is not delayed in its results.
4. It can stand investigation.
5. It is worthy of being perpetually borne in mind.
6. Its Truths can be realized by the ariyas individually by their own effort and practice.

‘We will have perfect confidence in the Sangha reflecting that:

1. The eight categories of ariya disciples of the Bhagavǎ, the Sangha, are endowed with the noble practice.
2. They are endowed with straightforward uprightness.
3. They are endowed with right conduct.
4. They are endowed with the correctness in practice deserving reverence. (Being thus endowed with these four attributes:-)
5. The eight categories of ariya disciples of the Bhagavǎ consisting of four pairs are worthy of receiving offerings brought even from afar.
6. They are worthy of receiving offerings specially set aside for guests.
7. They are worthy of receiving offerings made for the sake of acquiring great merit for the hereafter.
8. They are worthy of receiving obeisance.
9. They are the incomparable fertile field for all to sow the seed of merit.

And also you should practice with the resolve: ‘We shall always lay everything we have to be at the disposal of donees who have morality and who conduct themselves well.’ ‛

Citta the householder then made his friends and relatives to be established in the routine of paying reverence to the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha and in charity. With these last words he expired.

(The scriptures do not specifically say in which realm Citta the householder was reborn, but since he was an anǎgǎmin, he was presumed to be reborn in one of the fifteen Brahmǎ realms of fine Material Sphere outside of Non-Material Sphere, most probably in the Pure Abodes, Suddhǎ νǎsa Brahmǎ realm).

1. 1. 4. HATTHAKŒLAVAKA of Uposatha Habit
         1. His Past Aspiration

The future Hatthakǎḷavaka was reborn into a worthy family in the City of HaÑsǎvatī, during the time of Buddha Padumuttara. On one occasion, when he was listening to the Buddha's sermon, he saw a lay disciple being named the foremost among those lay

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disciples who were accomplished in the practice of the four ways of kind treatment to others². He emulated that man, and, making an extraordinary offering, he aspired to that distinction. The Buddha prophesied that his aspiration would be fulfilled.

1. 1. 1. 2. His Last Existence as Prince Œḷavaka

The future Hatthakǎḷavaka was reborn in the good destinations for the entire one hundred thousand world-cycles. During the time of Buddha Gotama he was reborn as Prince Œḷavaka, son of King Œḷavaka, in the city of Œḷavī.

(In this connection, the background events beginning with the sporting expedition of King Œḷavaka, to the establishment in the Uposatha precepts of Prince Œḷavaka, his attainment of anǎgǎmī-phala, and his following of five hundred lay disciples who were established in the Uposatha precept, have been described fully in Chapter 33. The reader is advised to refer to the relevant pages therein.)

1. 1. 1. 3. Hatthakǎḷavaka being named as The foremost Lay Disciple

One day, Hatthakǎḷavaka, the Uposatha-habituate, accompanied by five hundred lay disciples, visited the Buddha. After making obeisance to Him, he sat in a suitable place. When the Buddha saw the big following of very sedate manners that came with Hatthakǎḷavaka, He said: ‚Œḷavaka you have a big following; what sort of kind treatment do you extend to them?‛ And Hatthakǎḷavaka replied: ‚Venerable Sir, (1) I practise charity towards those persons who would be delighted by my act of charity. (2) I use pleasant words to those who would be delighted by pleasant words. (3) I give necessary assistance to those who are in need of such assistance and who would be delighted by my assistance.

(4) I treat those as my equals in respect of those who would be delighted by such treatment.

With reference to that conversation between the Buddha and Hatthakǎḷavaka, on one occasion, during the Buddha’s residence at the Jetavana monastery when He was conferring titles to outstanding lay disciples, He declared:

‚Bhikkhus, among My lay disciples who kindly treat their followers in four ways, Hatthakǎḷavaka is the foremost.‛

1. 1. 5. MAHŒNŒMA The Sakyan Prince
         1. His Past Aspiration

The future Mahǎnǎma was reborn into a worthy family in the city of HaÑsǎvatī, during the time of Buddha Padumuttara. One day, while he was listening to a sermon by the Buddha, he saw a lay disciple being named as the foremost lay disciple in offerings of the most delicious and palatable alms-food, medicines and medicinal articles. He had a strong wish to become such a distinguished lay disciple in future. After making an extraordinary offering, he made known his aspiration to the Buddha who then prophesied that his aspiration would be fulfilled.

1. 1. 1. 2. His Last Existence as Prince Mahǎnǎma of The Sakyan Clan

One day, the Buddha, after staying in Verañjǎ for the νassa period, made a journey to Kapilavatthu by travelling in stages. Upon arrival, He took up His abode at the Nirodhǎrǎma monastery in Kapilavatthu, together with His many bhikkhus.

When Mahǎnǎma, the Sakyan Prince (Elder brother of the Venerable Anuruddhǎ), learnt of the arrival of the Buddha, he visited Him, made his obeisance, and sat in a suitable place. Then he said to the Buddha: ‚Venerable Sir, I have been told that the Sangha had had a hard time in gathering alms-food in Verañjǎ. May I be allowed the privilege of offering daily alms-food to the Sangha for a period of four months, so that I may provide the

2. four ways of kind treatment to others:

Saṅgaha-Vatthu: Liberality, kindly speech, beneficial actions, impartiality (A. IV, 32: VIII 24).

necessary nourishment (to compensate for the deficiency of nourishing in them during the last three months or more.)‛ The Buddha signified His assent by remaining silent.

Prince Mahǎnǎma, understanding that the Buddha had accepted his invitation, made offerings of five kinds of very delicious victuals and the four-food concoction (catu madhu), which has medicinal effects to the Buddha and His Sangha from the following day onwards. At the end of the four months, he obtained the Buddha's consent to make the same kind of offerings for another four months, at the end of which he obtained permission to continue with his offerings for a further four months, thus totalling twelve months in all. At the end of one year, he sought further approval but the Buddha refused.

[At the end of the year, Prince Mahǎnǎma sought and obtained the approval of the Buddha to let him have the privilege of offering medicinal requisites to the Sangha for life. Yet later, due to circumstances that led to a Vinaya provision in the matter, the Buddha did not extend the period beyond one year. After the Buddha had agreed to let Mahǎnǎma provide medicinal requisites to the Sangha for life, the group of six bhikkhus bullied Prince Mahǎnǎma to cause much annoyance. When the Buddha knew thus He rescinded the earlier privilege allowed to the Prince and laid down the rule known as the Mahǎnǎma sikkhǎpada that no bhikkhu may, without further invitation and a standing invitation, accept medicinal requisites from a donor. Breach of the rule entails pǎcittiya offence. (Read Vinaya Pǎccttiya Section for details.)]

It became the routine practise of Prince Mahǎnǎma to offer five kinds of very delicious victuals and the four foods concoction which has medicinal effects to every bhikkhu who came to his door. This elaborate style of providing alms-food and medicinal requisite to the Sangha became his hall-mark which was recognised throughout the Southern Continent (Jamb|dīpa).

Therefore, on a later occasion, when the Buddha, during his residence at the Jetavana monastery, designated titles to outstanding lay disciples according to their merit, He declared:

‚Bhikkhus, among My lay disciples who are in the habit of making offerings of delicious alms-food and medicinal requisites, Mahǎnǎma, the Sakyan Prince, is the foremost.‛

1. 1. 6. UGGA The Householder
         1. His Past Aspiration

The future Ugga was reborn into a worthy family in the city of HaÑsǎvatī, during the time of Buddha Padumutara. On one occasion, while he was listening to a sermon by the Buddha, he saw a disciple being named as the foremost among those who made gifts that delighted the donees. He aspired to that distinction, and after making extraordinary offerings, he expressed his wish before the Buddha. The Buddha prophesied that his aspiration would be fulfilled.

1. 1. 1. 2. His Last Existence as Ugga The Householder

After being reborn in the deva-world or the human world for a hundred thousand world- cycles, the future Ugga was reborn into a rich man's family in this city of Vesǎlī, during Buddha Gotama's time.

How The Rich Man's Son got The Name 'Ugga'

The future Ugga was not given any name during his childhood. When he came of age, he possessed a majestic physique like an ornamental door-post, or a golden apparel hung for display. His exquisite masculine body and personal attributes became the talk of the town, as such people came to refer to him as ‘Ugga the householder’.

It is noteworthy that Ugga gained Stream Entry Knowledge on his very first meeting with

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the Buddha. Later, he came to be established in the three lower maggas and three lower

phalas (i.e. he became an anǎgǎmin).

When Ugga grew old, he resorted to seclusion and this thought occurred to him: ‚I shall offer to the Bhagavǎ only those things that I cherish. I have learnt directly from the Bhagavǎ: ‘That he, who makes gift of what he cherishes, reaps the benefit that he cherishes.’ ‛ Then his thought extended to the wish: ‚O that the Bhagavǎ knew my thought and appeared at my door!‛

The Buddha knew the thought of Ugga and at that very moment appeared miraculously at his door, in the company of many bhikkhus. Ugga, on learning the Buddha’s arrival, went to welcome Him, paid obeisance to Him with five-fold contact, took the alms-bowl from His hands and invited Him to the prepared seat in his house, at the same time, he offered seats to the accompanying bhikkhus. He served the Buddha and the Sangha with various kinds of delicious food, and after the meal was finished, he sat in a suitable place and addressed the Buddha thus:

1. ‚Venerable Sir, I have learnt directly from the Bhagavǎ that ‘he who makes a gift of what he cherishes, reaps the benefit that he cherishes.’ Venerable Sir, my cake made to resemble the sal flower is delightful. (p:) May the Bhagaνǎ, out of compassion, accept this food.” And the Buddha, out of compassion for the donor, accepted it.

further Ugga said:

‚Venerable Sir, I have learnt directly from the Bhagavǎ that ‘he who makes a gift of what he cherishes reaps the benefit that he cherishes.’ Venerable Sir:-

2. my specially prepared dish of pork with jujube is delightful ... (repeat p:) ...
3. my vegetable dish of water convolvulus cooked in oil and water and done in oil gravy is delightful ... (repeat p:) ...
4. my special rice, carefully discarded of black grains, ... (repeat p:) ...
5. my fine cloth made in Kǎsi Province is delightful ... (repeat p:) ...
6. Venerable Sir, my dais, big carpet of long-fleece, woollen coverlets with quaint designs, rugs made of black panther's hide, couches with red canopies and with red bolsters at either end are delightful. Venerable Sir, I understand that these luxurious things are not proper for use by the Bhagavǎ. Venerable Sir, this seat made of the core of sand wood is worth over a lakh of money. May the Bhagavǎ, out of compassion, accept these pieces of furniture.‛ The Buddha out of compassion for the donor, accepted them.

(Note here that Ugga the householder is offering the items of furniture after serving the gruel but before serving the square meal. His offerings are made not only to the Buddha but also to the Sangha. Under item (6) above, Ugga said: ‚I understand that these luxurious things are not proper for use by the Bhagavǎ.‛ There are also things that are proper for use by the Buddha. He has caused them to be heaped together and assigned items, which are improper for use by the Buddha, to his store room, and donates only items which are proper. The sandalwood, being very dear and rare, is valued so highly. After the Buddha had accepted it, he had it cut up into small bits and distributed to the bhikkhus for use as a powder in preparing eye-lotion.)

Then the Buddha spoke the following verses in appreciation of the donations.

‚(Ugga,) one who gives in charity with a delightful heart reaps the benefit of that deed in various delightful ways. One gives away clothing, dwelling place, food and various other things, strongly desirous of merit, to those Noble Ones who are straight in thought, word, and deed (i.e. arahat).

‚That virtuous one who distinctly knows the arahats as the fertile field for sowing seeds of merit and gives up delightful things that are hard to be given, sacrifices them, releases them liberally in a delightful heart, reaps the benefit of that deed in various delightful ways.‛

After uttering these stanzas in appreciation of the householder's memorable offerings, the Buddha departed (These statements are based on the Manǎpadǎyī Sutta, Aṅguttara Nikǎya, Book Two.)

On that occasion, Ugga the householder said to the Buddha: ‚Venerable Sir, I have heard from the Bhagavǎ's Teaching that ‘he, who makes a gift of what he cherishes, reaps the benefit that he cherishes.’ Venerable Sir, whatever suitable articles in my possession may be assumed by the Bhagavǎ as already donated to the Bhagavǎ and His Sangha.‛ Thenceforth, he always donated various suitable things to the Buddha and His Sangha.

1. 1. 1. 3. Ugga The Householder was named as The foremost Lay Disciple

On account of this, when the Buddha, during His residence at the Jetavana monastery, designating outstanding lay disciples according to their merit, declared:

‚Bhikkhus, among My lay disciples who are in the habit of giving delightful things in charity, Ugga the Householder of Vesǎlī, is the foremost.‛

The Destination of Ugga The Householder

Thereafter, on a certain day, Ugga the householder of Vesǎlī died and was reborn in one of the (five) Pure Abodes of Brahmǎs. The Buddha was then residing at the Jetavana monastery. At that time, about the middle of the night, Brahmǎ Ugga, with his resplendent body that flooded the whole of the Jetavana monastic complex, approached the Buddha, made his obeisance to Him, and stood at a suitable place. To that Brahmǎ Ugga, the Buddha said: ‚How is it? Is your desire fulfilled?‛ And Brahmǎ Ugga replied: ‚Venerable Sir, my desire is indeed fulfilled.‛

Herein, it might be asked: ‚What did the Buddha mean by the ‘desire’? And what does the Brahmǎ's reply mean?‛ The answer is: The Buddha means arahatta-phala and the Brahmǎ's answer is also arahatta-phala. for the main desire of Ugga was attainment of arahatta-phala.)

Then the Buddha addressed Brahmǎ Ugga in these two stanzas:

‚He who gives away a delightful thing begets a delightful thing. He who gives away the best begets the best. He who gives away what is desirable begets what is desirable. He who gives away what is praise-worthy begets what is praise-worthy.

‚He who is in the habit of giving away the best things, things that are desirable, things that are praiseworthy, is reborn as one who lives long and who has a big following.‛

1. 1. 7. UGGATA The Householder
         1. His Past Aspiration

The future Uggata was reborn into a worthy family in the city of HaÑsavatī, during the time of Buddha Padumuttara. On one occasion, he was listening to a sermon by the Buddha when he saw a lay disciple being named as the foremost in attending on the Sangha without discrimination. He emulated that man. As such, he made an extraordinary offering to the Buddha and His Sangha and after that, he aspired to the same distinction in front of the Buddha who prophesied that his aspiration would be fulfilled.

1. 1. 1. 2. His Last Existence as Uggata The Householder

The future Uggata was reborn in fortunate destinations for a hundred thousand world- cycles before being reborn into a rich man's family in Hatthigama, during the time of Buddha Gotama. He was named Uggata. When he came of age, he inherited his father's estate.

At the time when the Buddha, after a tour of the country in the company of many

bhikkhus, arrived at Hatthigama and was sojourning in the Nǎgavana Park, Uggata was then

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indulging himself in a drinking spree, in the company of dancing girls, for seven days at the Nǎgavana Park too. When he saw the Buddha, he was overwhelmed with shame and when he was before the presence of the Buddha, he became sober suddenly. He made obeisance to the Buddha and sat in a suitable place. Then the Buddha preached to him a discourse, at the end of which, he was established in the three lower maggas and phalas, (i.e. he became an anǎgǎmin).

from that moment, he released the dancing girls from his service and devoted himself to charity. Devas would come to him at the middle watch of the night and report to him as to the conduct of various bhikkhus. They would say: ‚Householder, such and such bhikkhu is endowed with the Three Knowledges; such and such bhikkhu is endowed with the six kinds of supernormal powers; such and such bhikkhu has morality; such and such bhikkhu has no morality, etc.‛ Uggata disregarded the failings of the bhikkhus who lacked in morality as his devotion to the Sangha remained steadfast was on account of the bhikkhus of good morality (An example worth following). In making gifts (therefore), he never discriminated between the good and the bad bhikkhu, (his devotion being directed to the Sangha as a whole.) When he went before the Buddha, he never mentioned about the bad bhikkhus but always extolled the virtues of the good.

1. 1. 1. 3. Uggata The Householder was named The foremost Lay Disciple

Therefore, on one occasion, during His residence at the Jetavana monastery, prominent lay disciples were mentioned for their respective merits, the Buddha declared:

‚Bhikkhus, among My lay disciples who devotedly attend on the Sangha without discrimination, Uggata the householder of Hatthigǎma is the foremost.‛

(Incidentally, the householder Uggata's native place, Hatthigama, lay in the Country of the Vajjīs.)

Both Householders Uggata and Ugga of Vesǎlī, have eight marvellous qualities each.

(A brief description of these qualities is given here. for a full account the reader is directed to the Aṅguttara Nikǎya, Book Three, AÔÔhaka Nipǎta, PaÔhama Paṇṇasaska, 3-Gahapati Vagga, the first two suttas.)

The Eight Marvellous Qualities of Ugga of Vesǎlī

At one time, when the Buddha was staying at the K|Ôǎgǎrasǎlǎ monastery in the Mahǎvana forest, near Vesǎlī, He said to the bhikkhus: ‚Bhikkhus, note that Ugga the householder of Vesǎlī, has eight marvellous qualities.‛ He then retired to His private chamber.

Later, a bhikkhu went to the house of Ugga and sat at a place prepared for the Sangha (five hundred seats being made available for the Sangha at all times,). Ugga greeted him, paid his respects to the bhikkhu, and sat in a suitable place. To Ugga, the bhikkhu said:

‚Householder, the Bhagavǎ said that you are endowed with eight marvellous qualities. What are these eight qualities?‛

Ugga replied: ‚Venerable Sir, I am not sure which eight qualities the Bhagavǎ sees in me that He calls marvellous. As a matter of fact, I have eight qualities that are most extraordinary. May your reverence listen to them and consider well.‛

‚Very well, householder,‛ the bhikkhu said. And Ugga told his story:

1. ‚Venerable Sir, from the moment I cast my eyes on the Buddha, I had explicit faith in Him as the Buddha, with no vacillation. So, Venerable Sir, my confidence in                                                                                                                     the Buddha at first sight is the first extraordinary thing about me.
2. ‚Venerable Sir, I approached the Buddha with pure conviction. The Bhagavǎ discoursed to me in a step-by-step exposition on (i) the merits of giving charity, (ii) the

virtue of morality, (iii) the description about the celestial world, the world of devas,

(iv) the practice of the Ariya Path leading to Magga-Phala-Nibbǎna. That made my mind receptive, malleable, free of hindrances, elated and clear. The Bhagava, knowing this, expounded to me the exalted Dhamma, the four Ariya Truth of Dukkha, the Origin of Dukkha, the Cessation of Dukkha, and the Way leading to the Cessation of Dukkha. Consequently, I gained the Eye of the Dhamma and attained the anǎgǎmī- phala. from the time I became an anǎgǎmī ariya, I took the lifelong vow of the Supramundane Refuge and observed the five Precepts with the pure life of chastity (brahmǎ-cariya) as one of the routine precepts. (This is the ordinary five Precepts with abstinence as a vow in lieu of the vow of wrongful sexual conduct.) This is the second extraordinary thing about me.

3. ‚Venerable Sir, I had four teenage wives. When I returned home on the day I became an anǎgǎmī ariya, I called the four wives and said to them: ‘Dear sisters, I have taken the vow of chastity for life. You may continue staying in my house, enjoying my wealth and practising charity, or you may return to your parents' house, taking sufficient riches with you for a comfortable life. Or, if any one of you wishes to remarry, just tell me who is going to be your new bridegroom. Each of you are free to exercise these options.’ Thereupon, my first wife expressed her wish to remarry and she named the bridegroom. I then let that man come to me, and holding my first wife in my left hand, and the libation jug in my fight hand, I offered my wife to that man and sanctified their marriage. In relinquishing my first wife, who was still very young, to another man, I felt nothing in my mind. Venerable Sir, my detachment in giving up my first wife to another man is the third extraordinary thing about me.
4. ‚Venerable Sir, whatever possessions I have in my house, I deem them to be assigned to the virtuous ones with morality. I hold back nothing from the Sangha. It is as though they are already in the possession of the Sangha as a body. Venerable Sir, this liberality towards the Sangha, in considering all my possessions as being assigned to the virtuous bhikkhus, is the fourth extraordinary thing about me.
5. ‚Venerable Sir, whenever I attend to a bhikkhu, I do so reverently and personally, but never irreverently, Venerable Sir, reverentially attending to bhikkhus is the fifth extraordinary thing about me.
6. ‚Venerable Sir, if that bhikkhu preaches me a discourse, I listen reverentially, but never irreverently. If that bhikkhu does not preach me a discourse, I will preach a discourse to him. Venerable Sir, my listening reverentially to a discourse by a bhikkhu, and my preaching a discourse to the bhikkhu who does not preach to me is the sixth extraordinary thing about myself.
7. ‚Venerable Sir, devas often come to me, saying: ‘Householder, the Bhagavǎ expounds the Dhamma which is excellent in the beginning, excellent in the middle, and excellent in the end.’ I would say to those devas: ‘O devas, whether you say so or not, the Bhagavǎ expounds the Dhamma which is indeed excellent in the beginning, excellent in the middle, and excellent in the end.’ I do not think the devas' coming to me to say those words is extraordinary. I do not feel exhilarated by their coming to me and for the experience of conversing with them. Venerable Sir, my indifference to the coming of devas to me and the experience of conversing with them is the seventh extraordinary thing about me.
8. ‚Venerable Sir, I do not see any of the five fetters that tend to rebirth in the lower (i.e. sensuous) realms of existence that have not been discarded in me. (This shows his attainment of anǎgǎmī-magga.) Venerable Sir, my having attained anǎgǎmī-magga is the eighth extraordinary thing about me.

‚Venerable Sir, I know I have these eight extraordinary qualities. But I am not sure which eight qualities the Bhagava sees in me that He calls marvellous.‛

Thereafter, the bhikkhu, having received alms-food from Ugga the householder, departed. He took his meal and then went to the Buddha, made obeisance to Him, and sat in a suitable place. Sitting thus, he related to the Buddha the full details of the conversation that

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took place between him and Ugga the householder.

The Buddha said: ‚Good, good, bhikkhu. Anyone who could answer your questions well, should be given these very answers that Ugga the householder did. Bhikkhu, I say that Ugga the householder is endowed with those eight extraordinary qualities that are marvellous. Bhikkhus, note that Ugga the householder has these very eight marvellous qualities that he told you.‛

The Eight Marvellous Qualities of Uggata of Hatthigǎma

At one time, when the Buddha was sojourning at Hatthigǎma, in the country of the Vajjians, He said to the bhikkhus: ‚Bhikkhus, note that Uggata the householder of Hatthigǎma has eight marvellous qualities.‛ After saying this brief statement, the Buddha went into the monastery.

Thereafter, a bhikkhu visited Uggata the householder’s residence in the morning and put forwards the same questions as those asked by the previous bhikkhu to Ugga of Vesǎlī. Uggata the householder gave his reply as follows:

1. ‚Venerable Sir, while I was indulging myself in sensuous pleasures in my own Nǎgavana Park, I saw the Buddha from a distance. As soon as I cast my eyes on the Buddha, I had explicit faith in Him as the Buddha, and was deeply devoted to him. I became suddenly sober after my drunken bout. Venerable Sir, my explicit faith in and devotion to the Buddha at first sight and my recovering sobriety at that moment is the first extraordinary thing about me.

(2) ‚Venerable Sir, I approached the Buddha with a pure conviction. The Bhagava discoursed to me in a (most appropriate) step-by-step exposition on: (1) the merits of giving in charity, (2) the virtue of morality, (3) the description about the world of devas, (4) the practice of the Ariya Path. That made my mind receptive, malleable, free of hindrances, elated and clear. The Bhagavǎ, knowing this, expounded to me the exalted Dhamma, the four Ariya Truths of Dukkha, the Origin of Dukkha, the cessat- ion of Dukkha, and the way leading to the cessation of Dukkha. Consequently, I gained the Eye of the Dhamma, and attained the anǎgǎmī-phala. from the time I became an anǎgǎmī-ariya, I took the life-long vow of the Supramundane Refuge, together with the observance of the five Precepts with abstinence (Brahmacariya) as one of them. Venerable Sir, my attainment of anǎgǎmī-phala after my first meeting with the Buddha, my subsequent taking up the Supramundane Refuge with the five Precepts with the vow of abstinence, is the second extraordinary thing about me.

3. ‚Venerable Sir, I had four teenage wives. When I returned home on the day I became an anǎgǎmī-ariya, I called up my four wives and said to them: ‘Dear sisters, I have taken the vow of chastity for life. You may continue staying in my house, enjoying my wealth and practising charity, or you may return to your parents' house, taking sufficient riches with you for a comfortable life. Or, if anyone of you wishes to remarry, just tell me who is going to be your new bridegroom. Each of you are free to exercise those options.’ Thereupon, my first wife expressed her wish to remarry and she named the bridegroom. I then let that man come up to me, and, holding my first wife in my left hand, and the libation jug in my right hand, I offered my wife to that man and sanctified their marriage. In relinquishing my first wife, who was still very young, to another man, I felt nothing in my mind. Venerable Sir, my detachment in giving up my first wife to another man is the third extraordinary thing about me.
4. ‚Venerable Sir, whatever possessions I have in my house, I consider them to be assigned to the virtuous bhikkhus. I hold back nothing from the Sangha. Venerable Sir, this liberality towards the Sangha, in considering all my possessions as being assigned to the virtuous bhikkhus, is the fourth extraordinary thing about me.
5. ‚Venerable Sir, whenever I attend to a bhikkhu, I do so reverently and personally, but never irreverently. If that bhikkhu preaches me a discourse, I listen reverentially, but never irreverently. If that bhikkhu does not preach me a discourse, I preach a discourse to him. Venerable Sir, my reverentially attending to bhikkhus, reverentially listening to

their discourses, and my preaching a discourse to the bhikkhu who does not preach to me is the fifth extraordinary thing about me.

6. ‚Venerable Sir, whenever I invite the Sangha to my residence, devas would come to me and say: ‘Householder such and such bhikkhu is emancipated both ways from corporeal body (rǔpa-kǎya) and mental body (nǎma-kǎya), i.e. Ubhatobhǎga Vimutta; such and such bhikkhu has attained emancipation through full knowledge, Insight (paññǎ νimutta); such and such bhikkhu is one who has realized Nibbǎna through nǎmakǎya (kǎyasakkhi); such and such bhikkhu has attained to the three higher magga and phala through Right View (diṭṭhippatta); such and such bhikkhu is emancipated through faith (saddhǎνimutta); such and such bhikkhu is one who follows faith, saddhǎnusarī; such and such bhikkhu is one who pursues Dhamma, dhammǎnusǎrī; such and such bhikkhu has morality, and is virtuous; such and such bhikkhu lacks morality and is vile.’ I do not think the devas' coming to me to say these words is extraordinary. When I attend to the Sangha, it never occurred to me that such and such bhikkhu lacks morality, and so I will make only scant offering to him, or that such and such bhikkhu is virtuous and so I will make much offering to him. I make offerings both to the virtuous bhikkhus and the vile bhikkhus in the same (reverential) spirit. Venerable Sir, my indiscriminate offering and attendance on both the virtuous and the vile bhikkhus is the sixth extraordinary thing about me.
7. ‚Venerable Sir, devas often come to me, saying: ‘Householder, the Bhagavǎ expounds the Dhamma which is excellent in the beginning, excellent in the middle, and excellent at the end.’ And I would say to these devas: ‘O devas, whether you say so or not, the Bhagavǎ expounds the Dhamma which is excellent in the beginning, excellent in the middle, and excellent in the end.’ I do not think that the devas coming to me to say those words is extraordinary. Venerable Sir, my indifference to the coming of devas to me and the experience of conversing with them is the seventh extraordinary thing about to me.
8. ‚Venerable Sir, in the event of my predeceasing the Bhagavǎ, the Bhagavǎ's remarks about me such as: ‘Uggata the householder of Hatthigǎma has no fetters in him that tend to rebirth in the sensuous realm’ will not be anything extraordinary. (This shows that he is an anǎgǎmī-ariya.) Venerable Sir, the fact that there is no fetter in me that tend to rebirth in the sensuous realm is the eighth extraordinary thing about me.

‚Venerable Sir, I know I have these eight extraordinary qualities. But I am not sure which eight qualities the Bhagavǎ sees in me that he calls marvellous.‛

(further events are exactly the same as in the previous case. In the Aṅguttara Nikǎya both the above two householders are called ‘Ugga’. Here we are leaning on the Etadagga Pǎli in calling the householder of Hatthigǎma, Uggata, in contradistinction to Ugga the householder of Vesǎli. Since the noble and rare attributes of these two Householders inspire devotion, these notes are somewhat more than summarized statements.)

1. 1. 8. SURAMBAṬṬHA The Householder
         1. His Past Aspiration

The future S|rambaÔÔha the householder was born into a worthy family in the city of HaÑsǎvatī, during the time of Buddha Padumuttara. While listening to a sermon by the Buddha, he saw a lay disciple being named by the Buddha as the foremost lay disciple who had firm conviction in the Teaching. He aspired to that distinction, and, after making an extraordinary offering, he expressed his wish that at some future existence his aspiration would be fulfilled.

1. 1. 1. 2. His Last Existence as S|rambaÔÔha The Householder

The future S|rambaÔÔha was reborn in the deva or human realms for a hundred thousand world-cycles before being reborn into a rich man's family of Sǎvatthi, during the time of

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Buddha Gotama. His name was S|rambaÔÔha. When he came of age, he married and became a regular lay supporter of ascetics who were outside the Buddha's Teaching.

S|rambaÔÔha The Householder attained Stream-Entry Knowledge

Early one morning, the Buddha, in His routine review of the world for individuals who were ready for Enlightenment, saw the ripeness of the past merit of S|rambaÔÔha the householder to gain sotǎpatti-magga. So, He went to S|rambaÔÔha's house for alms-food. S|rambaÔÔha thought to himself: ‚Samana Gotama comes from a royal family and has earned a vast reputation in the world. Perhaps, it is only proper for me to welcome Him.‛ Thinking thus, he went to the Buddha, made obeisance at His feet, took His alms-bowl, and conducted Him to a raised couch which was set aside for noble persons. He made offerings of food and after attending on Him, sat in a suitable place.

The Buddha preached a discourse, which suited the mental framework of S|rambaÔÔha. At the end of which, he was established in sotǎpatti-phala. After bestowing S|rambaÔÔha with Stream-Entry Knowledge, the Buddha returned to the monastery.

Mǎra tested The Conviction of S|rambaÔÔha

Then Mǎra thought: ‚This S|rambaÔÔha the householder belongs to my fold (being a follower of the ascetics which are outside the Buddha's Teaching). But the Buddha has visited his house today. Why? Has S|rambaÔÔha become an ariya after hearing the Buddha's discourse? Has he escaped from my domain of sensuality? I must find out.‛ Then, being possessed of powers of impersonating anyone, he assumed the form of the Buddha completed with the thirty-two marks of the great man and in perfect Buddha-style of holding the alms-bowl and the robe. In that deceitful impersonation, he stood at the door of S|rambaÔÔha the householder.

S|rambaÔÔha wondered why the Buddha visited a second time, when he was informed by his attendants. ‚The Buddha never comes without some good reason,‛ he replied, and approached the impersonated Buddha in the belief that he was the real Buddha. After making obeisance to the impersonated Buddha, he stood in a suitable place, and asked:

‚Venerable Sir, the Bhagavǎ has just left this house after having a meal. For what purpose does the Bhagavǎ come again?‛

The bogus Buddha(Mǎra) said: ‚Lay supporter S|rambaÔÔha, I made a slip in my discourse to you. I said that all of the aggregates are impermanent, woeful and insubstantial. But the five aggregates are not always of that nature. There are certain of the five aggregates that are permanent, stable and eternal.‛

The Steadfast Conviction of S|rambaÔÔha The Householder

S|rambaÔÔha, a Stream-Enterer, was vexed by that statement. He pondered thus: ‚This is a statement of most serious import. The Buddha never makes a slip in His speech, for He never utters a word without proper consideration. They say that Mǎra is the opponent of the Buddha. Surely this must be Mǎra himself.‛ Thinking correctly thus, he asked bluntly:

‚You are Mǎra, are you not?‛ Mǎra was shocked and shaken as if struck with an axe because it was a confrontation by an ariya. His disguise fell off and he admitted: ‚Yes, S|rambaÔÔha, I am Mǎra.‛

S|rambaÔÔha rebuked: ‚Wicked Mǎra, even a thousand of your kind will not be able to shake my conviction. Buddha Gotama, in His discourse has said: ‘All conditioned things are impermanent.’ And the Buddha's discourse has led me to sotǎpatti-magga. Get out of here!‛ He said sternly to Mǎra, flipping his fingers. Mǎra had no words to cover up his ruse, and vanished immediately.

In the evening, S|rambaÔÔha went to the Buddha and related the visit of Mǎra to him and what Mǎra had said, and how he had dealt him. ‚Venerable Sir,‛ he said to the Buddha, ‚in this way has Mǎra attempted to shake my conviction.‛

1. 1. 1. 3. S|rambaÔÔha is named as The foremost Lay Disciple

Referring to this incident, the Buddha, during His residence at the Jetavana monastery, on the occasion of naming outstanding lay disciples in accordance with their merits, declared:

‚Bhikkhus, among My lay disciples who have unshakeable conviction in My Teaching, S|rambaÔÔha is the foremost.‛

1. 1. 9. J¢VAKA The Physician
         1. His Past Aspiration

The future Jīvaka was reborn into a worthy family in the city of HaÑsǎvatī, during the time of Buddha Padumuttara. While listening to a sermon by the Buddha, he saw a lay disciple being named as the foremost among those who had personal devotion to the Buddha. He aspired to that distinction in future time. After making an extraordinary offering, he expressed his wish before the Buddha who then prophesied its fulfilment.

1. 1. 1. 2. His Last Existence as Jīvaka

The future Jīvaka was reborn in the deva realm or the human realm for a hundred thousand world-cycles, before being reborn, under strange circumstances, in the city of Rǎjagaha, during the time of Buddha Gotama. He was conceived in the womb of a courtesan named Sǎlavatī, the conception being caused by Prince Abhaya.

It was the custom of courtesans to nurture only female children whereas male children were discarded discreetly.

Accordingly, Sǎlavatī, the courtesan, had her newly-born baby put on an old bamboo tray and thrown into rubbish heap by a trusted servant without being noticed by anyone. The child was observed even from a distance by Prince Abhaya who was on his way to attend on his father King Bimbisǎra. He sent his attendants: ‚O men, what is that thing that is being surrounded by crows?‛ The men went to the rubbish heap and finding the baby, said:

‚My Lord, it is a newly-born baby boy!‛

‚Is he still alive?‛

‚Yes, my Lord, he is.‛

Prince Abhaya had the child taken to his royal residence and taken care. As the Prince's attendants replied to their master: ‚It is still alive‛ (‘Jivati’), the child was named Jīvaka. And since he was brought up by Prince Abhaya, he was also called ‘Jīvaka, the adopted son of the Prince (Abhaya)’.

Young Jīvaka, the adopted son of Prince Abhaya, was sent to Taxila for his education at the age of sixteen. He learned Medicine and gained mastery of the subject. He became the King's physician. At one time, he cured King Caṇďapajjota of a grave illness, for which he was honoured by that King with five hundred cartloads of rice, sixteen thousand ticals of silver, a pair of fine cloth made in the Province of Kǎsi, and a thousand pieces of cloth to supplement it.

At that time, the Buddha was staying in the mountain monastery on the side of Gijjhakuta Hill, near Rǎjagaha. Jīvaka, the King's Physician, cured the constipation of the Buddha by administering a mild laxative. Then it occurred to Jīvaka: ‚It were well if all the four requisites of the Bhagavǎ were my donations,‛ and accordingly, he invited the Buddha to stay in his Mango Grove as a monastery. After curing the Buddha's illness, he offered the fine Kǎsi cloth to the Buddha and the one thousand pieces of cloth that were supplementary to it were offered to the Sangha. (This brief account of Jīvaka is based on the Commentary on the Aṅguttara Nikǎya, Book One, Etadagga Vagga. for a fuller account, the reader is urged to refer to Vinayo Mahǎvagga, 8-Cīvarakkhandhaka.)

1. 1. 1. 3. Jīvaka is designated The foremost Lay Disciple

On one occasion, during the Buddha’s residence at the Jetavana monastery when He conferred titles to distinguished lay disciples in accordance with their merit, He declared:

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‚Bhikkhus, among My lay disciples who have personal devotion, Jīvaka, the adopted son of Prince Abhaya, is the foremost.‛

1. 1. 10. NAKULAPITU The Householder
          1. His Past Aspiration

The future Nakulapitu was reborn into a worthy family in the city of HaÑsǎvatī, during the time of Buddha Padumuttara. While he was listening to a sermon by the Buddha, he saw a lay disciple being named by Him as the foremost among those who were close to the Buddha. He aspired to that title. After making extraordinary offerings, he expressed his wish in front of the Buddha, who then prophesied that his aspiration would be fulfilled.

1. 1. 1. 2. His Last Existence as Nakulapitu The Householder

The future Nakulapitu was reborn either in the deva realm or the human realm for a hundred thousand world-cycles until, during the time of Buddha Gotama, he was reborn into a rich man's family in Susumǎragira in the Province of Bhagga. When he succeeded to the family estate, he and his wife were called by the name of their son Nakula, as ‘the Father of Nakula’, Nakulapitu, and ‘the Mother of Nakula’, Nakulamǎtu.

The Buddha, on His tour of the country in the company of many bhikkhus, arrived at Susumǎragira and was sojourning in the Bhesakaḷǎ Forest. (Susumǎragira, ‘the sound of a crocodile’, was the name of the town because, at the time of the founding of the town, a crocodile's sound was heard. The forest was known as Bhesakaḷǎ because it was the domain of a female demon by the name of Bhesakaḷǎ.)

Nakulapitu and his wife went to the Bhesakaḷǎ forest along with other people of the town to visit the Buddha. At the first sight of Buddha, the couple took Him as their own son and prostrating themselves before Him, said together: ‚O dear son, where have you been over this long time, away from us?‛

[Nakulapitu had, in the past five hundred existences, been the father of the Buddha- to-be; for five hundred existences, he had been His paternal uncle (junior to His father); for five hundred existences, he had been His paternal uncle (senior to His father); for five hundred existences, he had been His maternal uncle. Nakulamǎtu had, for the past five hundred existences, been the mother of the Buddha-to-be; for five hundred existences, she had been His maternal aunt (junior to His mother); for five hundred existences, she had been His maternal aunt (senior to His mother); for five hundred existences, she had been His paternal aunt. These long blood-relations of the past existences had left such a strong sense of affection in the hearts of the Nakulapitu and his wife for the Buddha that they perceived Him as their own son (who had been somehow staying away from them).]

The Buddha allowed the couple to remain at His feet (holding them) for as long as they wished, and waited until such time they were satisfied emotionally in the joy of seeing Him again. Then, when the parents of His past existences had gained a mental state of equanimity, the Buddha, knowing their mental framework, i.e. their inclination, preached them a discourse, at the end of which, they were established in the fruition of Stream-Entry Knowledge.

On a later occasion, when the Nakulapitu couple were advanced in age, they made another visit to Susumǎragira. The old couple invited the Buddha to their house and on the next day offered delicious food of various kinds. When the Buddha had finished His meal, the old couple approached Him, made their obeisance, and sat in a suitable place. Then Nakulapitu said to Him: ‚Venerable Sir, since in my youth I married my wife, I had never been disloyal to her even in my thoughts, not to speak of being disloyal physically. Venerable Sir, we wish to see each other in the present existence, and we wish to see each other in our future existences.‛

Nakulamǎtu also said likewise to the Buddha: ‚Venerable Sir, since in my youth I became the wife of Nakulapitu, I had never been disloyal to him, even in my thoughts, not to speak of being disloyal physically. Venerable Sir, we wish to see each other in our present existence, and we wish to see each other in our future existences.‛ (The Commentary to the Aṅguttara Nikǎya, Book One, gives only a brief account. We shall supplement this here.)

Thereupon, the Buddha said to them:

‚Lay supporters, if a certain couple wish to see each other in the present existence as well as in the future existences, their wishes will be fulfilled on these four conditions, namely, (1) they should have the same degree of conviction in the Teaching, (2) they should have the same degree of morality; (3) they should have the same degree of giving in charity; (4) they should have the same degree of intelligence.‛

Then the Buddha uttered the following stanzas:

1. ‚For that couple, both of whom possess conviction in Teaching, who have a liberal mind towards those who come for help, who have restraint (in thought, word and deed), who use kind words towards each other, who lead a righteous life ——
2. benefits multiply, and a life of ease and comfort is their lot. Unfriendly people bear malice against such a couple with equal morality (virtue).
3. for such a couple with equal morality (virtue) and good conduct who are desirous of sensual objects, living a life according to the Dhamma in the present existence, both of them find delight in this world and rejoice in the deva-world.‛

—— Aṅguttara Nikǎya, Book One ——

1. 1. 1. 3. The Nakulapitu Couple designated as The foremost Disciples

The above discourse stemming from the intimate statements made by the Nakulapitu couple is known as the PaÔhama santajīvī Sutta. The discourse reveals the intimate relationship that existed between them and the Buddha in the nature of filial connection. The old couple evidently put great faith in and reliance on the Buddha, whom they considered as their own son. That was why they were disclosing their inner sentiments to the Buddha, without any sense of diffidence.

That was why, while the Buddha was staying in the Jetavana monastery and outstanding lay disciples were designated by Him as foremost in their own merit, He declared:

‚Bhikkhus, among My lay disciples who are close to the Buddha, Nakulapitu, the Householder, is the foremost.‛

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LIfE STORIES Of fEMALE LAY DISCIPLES

1. 1. 1. 1. 1. SUJŒTŒ, Wife of The Householder of Bǎrǎṇasī
               1. Her Past Aspiration

The future Sujǎtǎ was reborn into the family of a rich man in the city of HaÑsǎvati, during the time of Buddha Padumuttara. On one occasion, as she was listening to a sermon by the Buddha, she saw a female lay disciple being named by the Buddha as the foremost in getting established in the Three Refuges. She aspired to that distinction. After making an extraordinary offering, she expressed her aspiration before the Buddha who prophesied that her aspiration would be fulfilled.

1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 2. Her Last Existence as Sujǎtǎ, Wife of The Householder of Bǎrǎṇasī

The future Sujǎtǎ was reborn either in the deva-world or the human world for a hundred thousand world-cycle. Some time before the appearance of the Buddha Gotama, she was reborn as the daughter of Seniya, in the town of Senǎ, near the Uruvelǎ forest. When she came of age, she went to the banyan tree which was near her town and after making an offering to its guardian spirit, she vowed that if she should be married to a bridegroom of equal social status (of the same clan) and if she bore a boy as her first child, she would make offering to the guardian spirit yearly. Her wish was fulfilled.

(Sujǎtǎ was married to the son of the Rich Man of Bǎrǎṇasī and her first child was a boy whom was named Yasa. She kept her vow and made annual offerings to the guardian spirit of the banyan tree.

After making these annual offering at the banyan tree for twenty times or so, on the day the Buddha was to attain Perfect Enlightenment in the year 103 of the Great Era, Sujǎtǎ went to make her annual offering to the guardian spirit of the banyan tree. On that occasion, Sujǎtǎ’s son, Yasa, was already married and was indulging in luxury in the three mansions. This is mentioned because Sujǎtǎ had been generally imagined as a young maiden when she offered the specially prepared milk rice to the Buddha.)

On the full moon of Kason (May) in 103 Mahǎ Era, after six years of self-tormenting practice in search of the Truth, the Buddha attained Perfect Enlightenment. Sujǎtǎ rose early that morning to make an early offering at the banyan tree. On that day, the young calves, somehow did not go near their mothers for milk. When the house-maids of Sujǎtǎ brought the vessels to draw milk from the cows, the nipples of the cows automatically flowed freely with milk. On seeing the strange phenomenon, Sujǎtǎ herself collected the milk, put it in a new cooking vessel, kindled the fire and started cooking the rice milk.

When the milk was being boiled, extra-large bubbles arose in a series and rotated in clockwise direction in the pot and not a drop of milk foam overflowed. The Mahǎ Brahmǎ held the white umbrella above the pot; the four Great Guardian Devas of the World guarded the pot with their royal swords in hand; Sakka attended to the fire which boiled the milk; devas brought various nutrients from the four Island Continents and put them into the pot. In these ways, the celestial beings joined in the effort of Sujǎtǎ in preparing the milk- rice.

While Sujǎtǎ was preparing the rice-milk, she called her servant Puṇṇǎ and said: ‚Good girl, Puṇṇǎ, I believe the guardian spirit of the banyan tree is in a particularly good mood because I had never seen such strange phenomena happen before in these long years. Now, go quickly and clean the precinct for offering at the banyan tree.‛ ‚Very well, Madam,‛ the servant girl responded and went to the banyan tree promptly.

The Buddha-to-be sat at the foot of the banyan tree, earlier than the time for collection of his daily alms-food. The servant girl, who went to clean the foot of the banyan tree,

mistook the Bodhisatta as the guardian spirit of the tree and she reported to her mistress with excitement. Sujǎtǎ said: ‚Well, girl, if what you say is true, I will release you from bondage.‛ Then dressing and decorating herself, Sujǎtǎ went to the banyan tree, carrying on her head the milk-rice, which was put into a golden vessel worth one lakh, covered with a golden lid and wrapped with a white piece of cloth and over which, garlands of fragrant flowers were placed so that they hang around the vessel. When she saw the Bodhisatta, whom she presumed to be the guardian spirit of the tree, she was intensely glad and approached him with a series of slight bowing. Then she put down the vessel, took off the lid and offered it to the Bodhisatta, saying: ‚May your desire come to fulfillment as had mine!‛ Then she left him.

The Bodhisatta went to the Nerañjarǎ river, put down the golden vessel of rice-milk on its bank and bathed in the river. Then, coming out of the river, he ate the rice-milk in forty- nine morsel. After which, he placed the empty gold vessel on the Nerañjarǎ river. It floated against the river current and then sank. He then went to the foot of the Tree of Enlightenment. He attained Perfect Self-Enlightenment and remained there for seven weeks; each week at seven locations at and around the Tree of Enlightenment. At the end of forty-nine days (during which the Buddha dwelled in the attainment of Cessation), He went to Isipatana Migadǎvana forest where He set the Wheel of Dhamma rolling by expounding the Dhamma to the Group of five ascetics. Then He saw the ripeness of the past merit of Yasa, the son of Sujǎtǎ, wife of the householder of Bǎrǎṇasī and He waited for him by sitting underneath a tree.

Yasa had grown weary of sensuous pleasure after seeing the unsightly spectacle in his harem (past midnight). ‚O, how woeful are these sentient beings with their mind and body being oppressed by all sorts of defilements! O, how terribly they are being tormented by defilements!‛ Yasa murmured and left his home in sheer disgust with life.

On leaving the town, he met the Buddha and after listening to His discourse, he gained penetrative knowledge of the Truth and became established in the fruition of Stream-Entry Knowledge. (In the Commentary on the Aṅguttara Nikǎya, he gained the three lower magga and phalas.)

Yasa’s father traced his son’s whereabouts almost behind his heels. He went and asked the Buddha whether his son came that way. The Buddha, by His power, hid Yasa from his father’s vision and preached a discourse to his father. At the end of which, Yasa’s father attained Stream-Entry Knowledge and Yasa, arahatship. Then, the Buddha made Yasa a bhikkhu by calling him up: ‚Come, bhikkhu,‛ and Yasa’s appearance instantly changed into that of a bhikkhu, complete with alms-bowl, robes and essential items for bhikkhu use. These were all mind-made by the Buddha’s power.

Yasa’s father invited the Buddha to his home the next day for an offering of alms-food. The Buddha went, accompanied by the Venerable Yasa. After the meal, He preached a discourse, at the end of which, the Venerable Yasa’s mother, Sujǎtǎ, and his erstwhile wife were established in the fruition of Stream-Entry Knowledge. On the same day, they were established in the Three Refuges. (This is a brief account of Sujǎtǎ and her family. for fuller details, the reader may go through Chapter 12, at two places therein.)

1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 3. Sujǎtǎ was named The foremost female Lay Disciple

On one occasion, while the Buddha was naming foremost female lay-disciples, He declared:

‚Bhikkhus, among My female lay-disciples who were the earliest to get established in the Refuges, Sujǎtǎ, daughter of Seniya the householder, is the foremost.‛

1. 1. 1. 1. 2. VISŒKHŒ, Donor of Pubbǎrǎma Monastery

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1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. Her Past Aspiration

The future Visǎkhǎ was reborn into a rich man’s family in the city of HaÑsǎvatī, during the time of Buddha Padumuttara. On one occasion, when she was listening to a discourse by the Buddha, she saw a female lay disciple being named by Him as the foremost in giving in charity. She aspired to that distinction. After making an extraordinary offering, she expressed her aspiration before the Buddha, who prophesied that it would be fulfilled.

In Her Past Existence as The Youngest Daughter of King Kikī

The future Visǎkhǎ was reborn either in the deva-world or the human world for a hundred thousand world-cycles, where five Buddhas are to appear. During the time of Buddha Kassapa, she was reborn as the youngest of the seven daughters of King Kikī, in the Province of Kikī. His seven daughters were: (1) Princess Samaṇi, (2) Princess Samaṇguttǎ, (3) Princess Bhikkhunī, (4) Princess Bhikhadǎyika, (5) Princess Dhammǎ, (6) Princess Sudhammǎ and (7) Princess SaÑghadǎsi. These seven princesses were reborn during the time of Buddha Gotama as the seven distinguished ladies, viz., (1) Khemǎ Therī, (2) Uppalavaṇṇǎ Therī, (3) PaÔǎcǎrǎ Therī, (4) Mahǎpajǎpati Gotamī Therī, the step mother of the Buddha and (7) Visǎkhǎ, donor of the great Pubbǎrǎma Monastery.

1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 2. Her Last Existence as Visǎkhǎ

Princess Samghadǎsi, the youngest of the seven daughters of King Kikī was reborn in the deva realm or the human realm for the entire interim period between two Buddhas (Kassapa and Gotama). During the time of Buddha Gotama, she was conceived in the womb of Sumana Devī, the Chief Consort of Dhanañcaya the householder, son of Meṇďaka the householder, in the town of Bhaddiya, in the Province of Aṅga. She was named Visǎkhǎ by her parents and kinsmen. When Visǎkhǎ was seven years of age, the Buddha arrived in Bhaddiya in the company of many bhikkhus in His religious mission in the country. He visited Bhaddiya for the purpose of causing the Enlightenment of Sela, the brahmin, and other persons whose past merit had ripened for Enlightenment.

five Personages with Great Past Merit

At that time, Meṇďaka, the father-in-law of Visǎkhǎ, was the chief among the five remarkable personages endowed with great past merit, namely, (1) Meṇďaka the householder, (2) Candapadumǎ, his wife, (3) Dhanañcaya, the son of Meṇďaka, (4) Sumana Devī, the wife of Dhanañcaya and (5) Puṇṇa, the servant of Meṇďaka. (How remarkably endowed with great past merit these five person were, will be described here, condensed from the Commentary on the Dhammapada, Book Two, 18-Mala Vagga, 10-Meṇďaka the householder.)

1. The Miraculous Power of Meṇďaka The Householder

One day, Meṇďaka, wishing to know his own power, had his granaries, 1250 in all, emptied. Then, after washing his head, he sat in front of the door of his house and glanced skyward. Suddenly, there rained from the sky heavy showers of top quality red rice which filled his 1250 granaries. Meṇďaka further wished to know the miraculous powers of the members of his household and asked them to find out themselves.

2. The Miraculous Power of Candapadumǎ, Wife of Meṇďaka

Then, Candapadumǎ, wife of Meṇďaka, having adorned herself, took a measure of rice in the presence of everybody and had it cooked. She sat at a seat prepared at her front door and after announcing to all that anyone wishing to have cooked rice might go to her, she would ladled out, with her golden ladle, to every caller. Her rice-pot never diminished more than one ladle-mark, even after the whole day’s distribution.

How Candapadumǎ acquired Her Name

In her past existence, during the time of some past Buddha, this remarkable lady had offered alms-food to the Sangha, with her left hand holding the rice vessel and her right

hand holding the spoon, filling the alms-bowl full. As the result of that good deed, in her present existence, her left palm bore the mark of a lotus flower (adupa) while her right palm bore the mark of a full moon (canda). further, she had, during the time of some past Buddha, offered filtered water with her hand holding the water-strainer and going about from one bhikkhu to another. As the result of that good deed, her right sole bore the mark of a full moon while her left sole bore the mark of a lotus flower. On account of these distinctive marks on her palms and soles, she was named ‘Canda padumǎ’ by her parents and kinsmen.

3. The Miraculous Power of Dhanañcaya, Son of Meṇďaka

Dhanañcaya the householder, after washing his hair, sat at his door with one thousand ticals of silver by his side, after making a public proclamation to the effect that anyone wishing to have money, could ask from him. He filled the vessel of every caller with money. After having done so, his money of one thousand ticals remained the same amount.

4. The Miraculous Power of Samana Devī, The Daughter-in-law of Meṇďaka Samana Devī adorned herself and sat in the open with a basket of seed grain, after making

an announcement that anyone wishing to have seed-grain could ask from her. She distributed the seed-grain to every caller, filling their vessel. After having done so, her basket of seed-grain remained the same amount.

5. The Miraculous Power of Puṇṇa, The Trusted Servant of Meṇďaka

Puṇṇa, after dressing decently as benefiting his status, yoked a team of oxen, on whose side he made his five-finger imprint of scented unguent and whose horns he decorated with gold, harnessing them to golden chains, and mounting a plough, he started ploughing Meṇďaka’s field before the spectators. His plough made not just a furrow underneath his plough but made three extra furrows on either side, so that in one operation he accomplished seven times his effort.

Thus the whole populace of the Southern Island Continent obtained all their needs, such as rice, seed-grain, money, etc., from Meṇďaka’s house. This is a brief description of the five personages with great past merit.

Within the area of Rǎjagaha, King Bimbisǎra’s domain, besides Meṇďaka, there were four other householders, namely, Jotika, JaÔila, Puṇṇa and Kǎka Vailya. King Bimbisǎra had within his domain these five householders with inexhaustible resources. (Of these five, the story of Puṇṇa the householders will be included in the story of Uttarǎ. The other four will be briefly describes near the end of this book.)

When Meṇďaka heard the arrival of the Buddha, he said to his grand daughter (daughter of Dhanañcaya): ‚Grand daughter, what I am going to say is for the auspicious earning of merit for you and as well as for me. Go and welcome the Buddha, who is on His way, ride with your five hundred female attendants in each of your coaches together with five hundred maid servants.‛

Visǎkhǎ is established in Stream-Entry Knowledge at The Age of Seven

Visǎkhǎ gladly obeyed her grandfather and left home in five hundred coaches. Her grandfather might have thought of her riding the coach to the presence of the Buddha, such being his sense of self-importance, but Visǎkhǎ was a person of innate wisdom and considered it improper to go to the Buddha’s presence riding in a coach. As such, she dismounted at a reasonable distance from the Buddha, went on foot to Him, made obeisance to Him and sat in a suitable place.

The Buddha preached her a discourse which suit her mental frame of (the seven year old). At the end of the discourse, Visǎkhǎ and her five hundred attendants attained Stream- Enlightenment Knowledge and first fruition.

Meṇďaka also visited the Buddha, made obeisance to Him and sat in a suitable place. The Buddha preached a discourse to suit the mental frame of Meṇďaka, at the end of which, he was established in the fruition of Stream-Entry Knowledge. He invited the Buddha to an

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alms-food offering in his house on the next day. On the next day, he made an offering of delicious food to the Buddha and His Sangha. He made the offerings on a lavish scale for fifteen days continuously. The Buddha stayed at Bhaddiya for as long as there were people who deserved to be enlightened.

Visǎkhǎ and family moved to Sǎketa

Pasenadi of Kosala, King of Sǎvatthi, wrote to King Bimbisǎra saying that as there was no householder of inexhaustible resources in his Kingdom, he requested him to send one such family to Kosala.

King Bimbisǎra held a conference with his ministers, who said: ‚Great King, we cannot afford to spare any of our householders who are of inexhaustible resources. But, to satisfy the King of Kosalans, let us send the son of one of your (five) such householders.‛ King Bimbisǎra agreed to the proposal. Dhanañcaya, son of Meṇďaka, was requested to move to the Kosalan Kingdom.

(Herein, the commentary on the Dhammapada states that the Kosalan King and King Bimbisǎra were brothers-in-law, in double sense. King Bimbisǎra could not fail to satisfy the wish of the Kosalan King. He also could not offend his five famous Householders, and so he requested Dhanañcaya to go and settle in the Kosalan Kingdom. Dhanañcaya agreed and he was sent to the King of the Kosalan.)

After moving his family from Bhaddiya to the Kosalan Kingdom, Dhanañcaya identified a location which had great potentials for human settlement. He asked the Kosalan King as to whose territory that location belonged to. And being told that it lay within the Kosalan Kingdom, he further asked as to how far it was from Sǎvatthi, the Capital. The King answered: ‚It is one yojana from here to Sǎvatthi.‛ Then Dhanañcaya said to the King:

‚Great King, Sǎvatthi is not big enough for my householder to live in. If your Majesty would agree, I would settle in this location so that my big following can live in comfort.‛ The King consented. And, Dhanañcaya founded a town at that location. Since it was a location of the settler’s choice, it was named ‚Sǎketa‛.

In Sǎvatthi, Puṇṇavaďďana, son of Mīgǎra the householder, had come of age. His father considered that it was time for his son to get married and he told his kinsmen to look for a bride for his son. The bride should come from a householder’s family. Intelligent and discreet scouts were sent to look for such a bride but none could be found in the City of Sǎvatthi. The scouts therefore went to Sǎketa.

One day, Visǎkhǎ went to a lake, which was outside Sǎketa, accompanied by five hundred attendant maidens who were of the same age as her, to bathe and frolic in the water. At that time, the scouts from Sǎvatthi had left Sǎketa after without success to look for a suitable lady. They resorted to standing at the town’s gate. Then rain came pouring. Visǎkhǎ and her companions had left the town to seek shelter from the rain in a public rest- house. The five hundred maidens ran into the rest-house. None of them caught the eyes of the scouts as promising. But, coming behind these maidens was young Visǎkhǎ, who was walking towards the rest-house in her normal pace, disregarding the rain. The scouts suddenly recognized her beauty. They pondered: ‚As regard personal appearance, there can be no other girl in the world who can equal to her. However, personal beauty is like a fresh ripe pomegranate. Her manner of speech needs to be assessed. We should start a conversation with her.‛ And so they addressed her in the following way:

‚Little daughter, you walk like an elderly lady.‛ Visǎkhǎ replied: ‚Fathers, why do you say so?‛

‚Your companions entered this rest-house by running, fearing to get wet. As for you, you came in your normal steps like an elderly lady. You do not seem to mind your dress being drenched. Supposing, an elephant or a horse were after you, would you take the same leisurely steps?‛

‚Father, clothing may be bought without difficulty. What does my dress matters? But my

person is important to me, for a girl is like a piece of merchandise. If by running, I were to stumble and break my limb and become physically unsound, where is my worth as a likely bride? That was why I did not run?‛

The scouts from Sǎvatthi agreed among themselves that they had found a suitable bride for their master’s son; a girl fair in form as well as fair in speech, with a beautiful voice. They threw the bridal garland above Visǎkhǎ, who, understanding what it meant, acquiesced in the act by sitting on the spot. Migǎra’s scout then put up a screen around the proposed bride. Having been thus ceremonially treated, Visǎkhǎ went back to her home accompanied by her maid servants. Migǎra’s scout went along to the house of her father, Dhanañcaya the householder.

A conversation between Migǎra’s men and Visǎkhǎ’s father about the proposed betrothal took place as follows:

Dhanañcaya: O men, what is your native village?

Elders:           Householder, we represent Migǎra the householder of Sǎvatthi. Our master has learnt that you have a young daughter who is of marriageable age and he wants her as the bride for his son. We came to request the hand of your daughter

Dhanañcaya: Very well, men, your master is not our equal in wealth. However, he is of equal status by birth. It is a rare thing to meet one’s equal, both in status and wealth. Go back and tell your master that his proposal for betrothal is accepted.

Migǎra’s representatives returned to Sǎvatthi and reported to him: ‚O householder, we have obtained the consent of Dhanañcaya the householder of Sǎketa, to have his daughter betrothed to Puṇṇavaďďana.‛ Mīgǎra was overjoyed to find a bride from such a great family for his son. He sent an urgent message to Dhanañcaya to the effect that he would come and fetch the bride in a few day’s time, and would Dhanañcaya made suitable arrangements? Dhanañcaya replied that he would made every arrangement and requested Migǎra to do the needful.

The Kosalan King honoured The Betrothal

Mīgǎra the householder went to the Kosalan King and sought permission to go to Sǎketa to attend the wedding ceremony of his son, Puṇṇavaďďana, a trusted servant of the King, to Visǎkhǎ, daughter of Dhanañcaya the householder of Sǎketa.

The King said: ‚Very well, householder, need we go with you?‛

‚Great King,‛ Mīgǎra said, ‚how could we expect the presence of such an important personage as yourself?‛ The King wanted to honour both parties to the betrothal with his presence and said: ‚So be it, householder, I will go with you.‛ And so the King went to Sǎketa together with the householder.

When Dhanañcaya was informed of the arrival of Mīgǎra and the Kosalan King, he greeted the King personally and escorted him to his house. He made careful arrangements to host the King and his army, Mīgǎra and his entourage. food, lodging, flowers, perfumes and every item of comfort was provided to all, everyone according to their need and status. He attended to these details personally so that every guest had the impression that Dhanañcaya the householder was doing a special favour to them.

Later on, one day, the Kosalan King said to Dhanañcaya through a messsenger:

‚Householder, we are here in too big a crowd. We might be causing a burden to you if we were to stay long. Maybe, you should think of the time for sending the bride to Sǎvatthi.‛ To which, Dhanañcaya replied through the messenger: ‚Great King, now is the raining season. Your army will find it difficult to make a journey. Let the provision of every need of your army be my responsibility. I would request your Majesty to return to Sǎvatthi only when I make the send-off.‛

from the time of the arrival of Mīgǎra and his party, the whole of Sǎketa was in a festive atmosphere. Three months passed in gaiety. The rain-retreat period had ended. It was

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October. The great ornamental dress for the bride was still in the goldsmith’s hand, nearing completion. Dhanañcaya’s executives reported to him that although every item needed in hosting the big gathering from Sǎvatthi was no problem but they had met with a shortage of fuel for cooking. Dhanañcaya ordered that all the stables for his horses and sheds for his elephants be dismantled for fuel. But these structure lasted only fifteen days as fuel and the matter was conveyed to Dhanañcaya again, who said: ‚Wood fuel would be hard to get during the raining period. So, open all my textile stores, make strips of rough cloth into ropes, soak them in oil vats and use them as fuel.‛ In this expedient way another fifteen days supply of fuel for cooking was made available, by which time the great ornamental dress for the bride was completed too.

The bride was sent to the bridegroom on the next day, after the great bridal dress was completed. On the day of her departure, Dhanañcaya called his daughter, Visǎkhǎ, to his side and gave this admonition:

‚Dear daughter, a housewife, who is to serve her husband faithfully in his household, should know these principles and practise them accordingly:

(At that time Mīgǎra was listening in the next room.)

‚Dear daughter, a daughter-in-law living in the parents-in-law’s house:-

1. should not take out the fire from the inside of the house;
2. should not take the fire from outside into the house;
3. should lend only to those who returned what they borrowed;
4. should not lend to those who do not return what they borrowed;
5. should give to those whether they give you or not;
6. sit peacefully;
7. eat peacefully;
8. sleep peacefully;
9. tend to the fire respectfully;
10. worship the deities of the house.

(The implications of these ten points have been discussed in Chapter 35: Story of C|lasubhaddǎ.)

On the following day, Dhanañcaya had all his guests assembled together and in the midst of the Kosalan army appointed eight learned householders to be patrons of Visǎkhǎ at Sǎvatthi, with the request that they, as a body, gave hearing and settled any disputes that might arose concerning her daughter. Then, he had the bride garbed in the great bridal dress of gold lace and jewels, worth nine crores. He gave her a hundred and fifty-four cartloads of money for her toiletry, five hundred maid servant, five hundred coaches which were drawn by thoroughbred horses and a variety of useful items in one hundred pieces for each kind. Having bequeathed these things, as his wedding present, in front of the assemblage, he first made a send-off for the Kosalan King and Mīgǎra the householder.

When it was time for Visǎkhǎ to start her journey, Dhanañcaya called the controller of his cattle yards and gave these instructions: ‚My men, my daughter will need in her new home milk cows and thoroughbred bulls for harnessing to her carts. Let a herd of cattle that will fill the road to Sǎvatthi for an area of eight usabhas (140 spans) in breadth and three gǎνutas in length (i.e. 3/4 yojana) be let out from the pens. The landmark for three gǎνutas is from the pens to a certain ravine. When the foremost cattle in the herd reached that ravine, let a drum signal be made so that the pens can be closed in time.‛ And the responsible persons complied faithfully. As soon as the pens were opened, the stoutest milk-cows only came out. But when the pens were closed, strong draught oxens and bulls jumped over the fence and followed Visǎkhǎ. This was the result of Visǎkhǎ’s past merit, (more particularly, during the time of Buddha Kassapa, whenever she made offering of food to the Sangha, she used to persuade the offerees to take various delicacies even after they had taken their fill.)

Visǎkhǎ entered Sǎvatthi

When Visǎkhǎ’s carriage arrived at the City of Sǎvatthi, she considered whether she should enter the City seated in her coach or stand up, exposing herself to public view. When she remembered the great bridal dress (mahǎlatǎ) that she was wearing, she thought it wise to expose herself by standing in her carriage so that the greatness of her unique bridal dress would be seen by all. As she did so, every citizen of Sǎvatthi, who saw her was excited, saying among themselves: ‚Here she is! The famous Visǎkhǎ! How exquisitely beautiful! And look at that gorgeous bridal dress she wears! How becoming she looks in that wonderful dress!‛ Thus, Visǎkhǎ’s entry into her new residence at Mīgǎra’s house was a flying success.

Right from the moment of her presence in Sǎvatthi, the citizens were fresh with the memories of their long stay in Sǎketa as guests of honour to Dhanañcaya, who had so lavishly and caringly treated them. So they started sending gifts to Visǎkhǎ according to their means. Visǎkhǎ distributed the gifts to various other citizens of Sǎvatthi, ensuring that all houses received them. In this way, the citizens of Sǎvatthi were soaked in charity from her first day there.

On the first night of her arrival at her father-in-law’s house, as soon as the first watch of the night had passed, (and it was bedtime) a thoroughbred female ass in Mīgǎra’s house gave birth to a foal. She had her maid servants hold up the lamps and she attended to the delivery of the foal. She had the mother ass bathed in hot water and then had oil applied onto her body. After seeing through these operations, she went back to her chamber.

Wedding Reception at Mīgǎra’s House

Mīgǎra held a reception for seven days in his house, on the occasion of his son’s wedding. Even though the Buddha was staying in the Jetavana monastery, Mīgǎra, being a follower of different faiths, disregarded the Buddha for the occasion of his son’s wedding, but, instead, he invited a houseful of naked ascetics. He called Visǎkhǎ to make obeisance to the ‘Arahants’. When Visǎkhǎ heard the word ‘Arahant’, she, being an ariya herself, a Stream-Enterer, eagerly went to see the so called ‘Arahant’. She was greatly disappointed to see the naked ascetic. ‚How could these shameless fellows be ‘Arahant’?‛ she made her judgment and wondered why her father-in-law asked her to pay respect to them. ‚Fie! Fie!,‛ she uttered in disgust and turned away.

The naked ascetics, on their part, were angry at Visǎkhǎ’s behaviour. ‚Householder,‛ they said to Mīgǎra, ‚can’t you get a better daughter-in-law? Why have you made this detestable woman, a follower of Samaṇa Gotama, a member of your household? Cast away the demon of a woman!‛ But Mīgǎra thought that he could not expel his daughter-in-law on the advice of the naked ascetics, for she came of a high class status. So, he had to palliate his teachers by saying: ‚Teachers, young people are reckless and say things intentionally or otherwise. Would you kindly keep your patience?‛

Mīgǎra was touched to The Quick

Being a good daughter-in-law, Visǎkhǎ attended on her father-in-law respectfully. She made him sit on a high seat, and served him with milk-rice in which undiluted milk was used. She ladled it out of gold spoon into a vessel and gave it to Mīgǎra who relished the meal. At that time, a bhikkhu, on his alms-round, stood at Mīgǎra’s door. Visǎkhǎ saw the bhikkhu but, knowing her father-in-law as a follower of naked ascetics, she thought it wise not to tell him about the presence of the bhikkhu but merely moved herself aside so that the bhikkhu would stand in direct view of Mīgǎra. foolish as he was, Mīgǎra did see the bhikkhu but pretended not to notice him with his face turned down to his meal only.

Visǎkhǎ knew that her father-in-law was purposely ignoring the bhikkhu, so she went to the bhikkhu and said: ‚Empty-handed, I pay homage to you, Venerable Sir. My father-in- law lives only on old food.‛

Hearing this, Mīgǎra was irritated to wit. When Visǎkhǎ derided the naked ascetics, he

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could bear it. But now that his daughter-in-law said that he was eating excreta (which he interpreted Visǎkhǎ’s word ‚old food‛), he could not bear it. He held away his hand from the vessel he was eating from and said angrily to his attendants: ‚Keep this milk-food! Expel Visǎkhǎ from this house. Look, while I am eating this auspicious milk-food in my auspicious house, Visǎkhǎ says: ‘I am eating human excreta!’ ‛ However, the whole of the household staff were Visǎkhǎ’s servants, and who would take Visǎkhǎ by the hand or by the feet and expel her? far from doing physical violence against her, nobody in the house dared even to offend her by word.

Visǎkhǎ asserted Her Right

When Visǎkhǎ heard her father-in-law’s angry words, she spoke to him cordially and respectfully: ‚Father, I am not obliged to go away from this house by your command, which is not right and proper. You have not brought me to this house like a water carrier girl. A good daughter, whose parents are still living, does not obey this kind of unlawful command. To see to righteous behaviour on all sides, my father had, on the day of my departure, appointed a panel of eight wise householders, saying: ‚If there should arise any problem concerning my daughter, you would be pleased to hear the case and settle it.‛ These eight people are my father’s trustees in whom my security lies. Would you refer my case to them now?‛

How The Problem was resolved

Mīgǎra thought Visǎkhǎ’s words were sensible. He sent for the panel of eight learned householders and laid his complaint, saying: ‚Gentlemen, this girl Visǎkhǎ has not been in this house for a week and she insulted me, who lived in an auspicious house as someone who eats excreta.‛

Elders:   Now, daughter, did you say as the householder has alleged?

Visǎkhǎ:  fathers, my father-in-law might like to eat excreta. I never referred to him as an eater of excreta. The fact is that as he was eating milk-rice cooked with undiluted milk, a bhikkhu stood at his door for alms-food. My father-in-law ignored the bhikkhu. So, I went up to the bhikkhu and said: ‘Empty handed, I pay homage to you, Venerable Sir. My father-in-law lives only on old food.’ By this, I meant to say that my father-in-law does no deed of merit in his present existence but is living only on the fruit of his past merit.

Elders:  Householder, in this case, our daughter is not at fault. She has spoken reasonably. Why should you be angry?

Mīgǎra:  So be it, gentlemen. But his young girl had from the very first night in this house ignored her husband and absented herself from the house.

Elders:   Dear daughter, did you absent yourself as alleged?

Visǎkhǎ:  fathers, I did not go to any other place but the fact is that I was attending to the birth of a foal by a thoroughbred ass at the stable that night. I considered it my duty to do so. I had my maid servants held the lamps and I supervised the proper delivery of the foal.

Elders:  Householder, our daughter had been dutiful and done what even your maid servants could not do. She had done it for your good only. And should you take it as an offence?

Mīgǎra: So be it gentlemen. But I wish to complain about her father, Dhanañcaya’s admonition to her on the day of her departure from her house. She was told

(1) ‘not to take out the fire from the inside of the house.’ How would it be possible for us not to give the fire when needed by our next door neighbours?

Elders:   Dear daughter, were you told by your father as said by the householder?

Visǎkhǎ: Fathers, my father did not mean ‘fire’ in the ordinary sense. What is meant is that the affairs of my parents-in-law and his family should not be divulged to the servants who are outsiders. If I were to do that, I would be causing

unnecessary trouble at home. My father uses the expression, ‘the fire from the inside of the house’ in this sense only.

Mīgǎra:  So be it, gentlemen. But then her father also said that (2) ‘she should not take the fire from outside into the house.’ How would it be possible for us not to take the fire from another house (i.e. outside our house), in case all the fire had gone out in our home?

Elders:   Dear daughter, is that true?

Visǎkhǎ: Fathers, my father did not mean ‘fire’ in the ordinary sense. What is meant here is that what the servants say in criticising the family should not be reported to the members of the family. If I were to do so, I would be causing unnecessary trouble at home. My father used the expression, ‘the fire from outside’ in this sense only. Also when my father said:

3. ‘You should lend only to those who return what they borrow.’ This is not to let those defaulters, who fail to return the things they borrow from me, get the better of me.
4. ‘You should not lend to those who do not return what they borrow.’ This is not to let the defaulters exploit my goodness.
5. ‘You should give to those whether they repay you or not.’ This meant to be liberal to the poor relatives or friends who come to see me. I should make gifts to them regardless whether they can repay me or not.
6. ‘You should sit peacefully.’ means I should show deference to my father- in-law and mother-in-law. When they approach, I should stand up.
7. ‘You should eat peacefully.’ means I should not eat before my parents-in- law and my husband have eaten. Only when they have had sufficient to eat, then I should eat.
8. ‘You should sleep peacefully.’ means I should not go to bed before my parents-in-law and my husband have gone to bed. Only after I have tended to their needs and they have retired, then I should go to bed.
9. ‘You should tend to the fire.’ means I should consider my parents-in-law and my husband as the fire or the dragon that are to be always held in reverence. They should be attended on with respect.

Mīgǎra: So be it, gentlemen. But what about her father’s admonition, ‘to worship the deities of the house’?

Elders:   Dear daughter, what is it that your father-in-law wants to know?

Visǎkhǎ: Father, it is true that my father told me (10) ‘to worship the deities of the house.’ By these words, my father admonished me that when I become a housewife, I should give alms-food to bhikkhus who stand at my door for alms. Only after offering alms-food to them, should I eat.

Elders:  Householder, you seem to please yourself by ignoring bhikkhus who come to you for alms-food.

Mīgǎra found no word to retort this sarcastic remark and held down his face.

Visǎkhǎ’s Triumph

Then the eight learned householders said to Mīgǎra the householder: ‚Householder, is there any other fault with our daughter?‛ Mīgǎra admitted that there was none. They continued: ‚Householder, in spite of her innocence, why did you expel her from your home?‛ Then Visǎkhǎ stood up and said: ‚Fathers, I did not deem it wise to obey to my father-in-law’s rash command in expelling me. For my father had entrusted me to your care and to settle my problem concerning myself. Now that I am cleared of my fault, I am happy to go.‛

Visǎkhǎ then returned to her private chamber and ordered her male and female servants to prepare coaches and do other things for travel. Thereupon, Mīgǎra called the eight-men

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panel of trustees and apologised to Visǎkhǎ for his fault in their presence: ‚Dear daughter, I had been reckless. Forgive me.‛ Visǎkhǎ, seeing her opportunity, said to her father-in- law: ‚Dear father, I really forgive you for what is forgivable. Only that I wish to lay down a condition, which is, I, as an unshakeable devotee of the Buddha, cannot stay away from the Sangha, if only I be allowed to make offering to the Sangha freely, I shall stay here. Otherwise, I leave.‛

To which Mīgǎra promptly replied: ‚Dear daughter, you are at liberty to do so.‛ Mīgǎra The Householder attained Stream-Entry Knowledge

Thereafter, Visǎkhǎ invited the Buddha to her house the next day for an offering of food. On the following day, the Buddha went to her house, accompanied by a big number of bhikkhus, who filled the house and were given seat. Naked ascetics, on learning the visit of the Buddha to Mīgǎra’s house, took a keen interest and sat watching around it.

Visǎkhǎ made her food offerings and poured the libation water. After that she sent her assistant to inform her father-in-law that everything was ready to serve the meal to the Buddha and His Sangha, and invited him to attend to the Buddha personally. Mīgǎra, who was under instructions by his teachers, the naked ascetics, replied to Visǎkhǎ: ‚Let my daughter herself attend on the Buddha.‛ Visǎkhǎ proceeded to do so, offering the Buddha with various kinds of delicious food and beverages. After that, she informed her father-in- law that the offering of food to the Buddha had finished and she invited him to join in listening a discourse by the Buddha.

Mīgǎra’s past merit now began to tell on him, for he thought to himself: ‚If I were to refuse the invitation it would be very wrong.‛ He got an inner urge to listen to the Buddha’s discourse, and went to where He was sitting. However, his teachers, the naked ascetics, advised him to be screened off from the Buddha if he were to listen to His discourse. His servants therefore drew a curtain around the place where he was to sit.

The Buddha preached His discourse as if asserting His own power of letting any listeners to hear Him well, however hidden or far away from Him, whether divided by a wall or as distant as the whole extent of a world-system. As if a big mango tree laden with its golden ripe fruit was shaken from its trunk, the Buddha directed His sermon beginning with alms- giving, through morality and the celestial forms of existence, culminating in pagga hala.

(Note here that when the Buddha made a discourse, everyone among the audience, whether in front of Him or at His back, whether thousands of world-systems away, or even in the topmost Brahmǎ realm of AkaniÔÔha, feels that the Buddha is addressing him alone, face to face. It is like one’s relationship with the moon, which rides on the sky in her own course, but which seems to you to be always above your head. This unrivalled power of the Buddha is the result of His fulfilling the Perfections, more particularly, His supreme sacrifices in giving away His head or limbs, His eyes or heart, or His freedom by serving others as a slave, or as in Vessantara’s existence when He gave His young son and daughter to an old Brahmin, or His own wife, Maddī devī.)

—— Commentary on the Dhammapada, Book 1 ——

At the end of the discourse, Mīgǎra was established in the fruition of Stream-Entry Knowledge. He lifted the screen and laid prostrate at the Buddha’s feet in five-fold contact, and extolled Visǎkhǎ before the Buddha’s presence, with these words: ‚Dear daughter, from this day on, you are my mother!‛ Since then Visǎkhǎ came to be known as ‘Mīgǎra’s mother’. (This is what is mentioned in the Commentary on the Aṅguttara Nikǎya. In the Commentary on the Dhammapada, which follows the reciters of the text, it is mentioned thus: ‘Mīgǎra came out of the screen, came to his daughter-in-law, and putting her breast in his mouth, exclaimed: ‘From today on, you are my mother!’ Since then Visǎkhǎ came to be known as ‘Mīgǎra’s mother’. Later, when a son was born to her, he was called ‘son of Mīgǎra, the householder’.)

In this connection, the commentary on the Aṅguttara Nikǎya gives only a brief account of Visǎkhǎ, but for the benefit of the reader, the events connected with her will  now be

related based on the Commentary on the Dhammapada.)

Mīgǎra’s Wife also attained Stream-Entry

After recognizing his daughter-in-law as his mother, Mīgǎra went to the Buddha and prostrating himself at His feet, holding them adoringly and kissing them with his mouth, said: ‚Venerable Sir, previously I had not known as to making gifts to what type of person is of great benefit. Now I have come to know it, thanks to my daughter-in-law. Now I am saved from the wretched destinations, the miserable states of a aya. The arrival of my daughter-in-law, Visǎkhǎ, has brought me my welfare and happiness.‛ Further, he uttered this verse in elation:

‚(Venerable Sir,) Today I have come to understand as to making gifts to what type of person is of great benefit. My daughter-in-law, possessor of noble characteristics, has indeed (due to any past merit) come to my house to my benefit.‛

On the next day also, the good Visǎkhǎ invited the Buddha for another offering of food. Then, on the following day, her mother-in-law also became a Stream-Enterer. from that day onwards, Mīgǎra’s house was an open door for all needs related to the Teaching.

(A Myanmar rhyme translated in prose:)

“The arriνal of noble person at a house, Opens up the door to the Eightfold Path For its many residents,

Facilitating their entry to Nibbǎna.”

Visǎkhǎ was honoured by Her father-in-law

Then Mīgǎra thought to himself: ‚My daughter-in-law, Visǎkhǎ, is my great benefactor. I should repay my debt of gratitude to her. The pahǎlatǎ bridal gown is too cumbersome for her to wear daily. I shall give her a suitable dress of distinction which may be worn by her by day or by night and in all her bodily postures.‛ So thinking, he had a solid but flexible and easy-to-wear garment worth a hundred thousand ticals of silver, called Ghanamaṭṭhaka, made for Visǎkhǎ. When the dress was ready, he invited the Buddha and His Sangha to an offering of food. He let his daughter-in-law bathed in sixteen pots of scented water, and put on the special dress in the presence of the Buddha, in which she was to pay homage to the Buddha. The Buddha spoke words in appreciation of the offering and returned to the monastery.

From that time onwards, Visǎkhǎ’s life was one of meritorious deeds such as giving charity in which she took great delight, and which she could afford to do much as she like. She won wide recognition as the great female lay supporter after she obtained eight special privileges as boon from the Buddha¹. Her story was comparable to that of the moon in the sky. Her reputation as the head of a big family also was noteworthy, for she had ten sons and ten daughters who had, (like herself) ten sons and ten daughters each. These four hundred grand-children had also ten sons and ten daughters each. Thus making a total of eight thousand great grand-children.

The ancient Theras versified this fact thus:

1. The eight privileges as boons:
   1. lifelong privilege of donating robes to the Saṇgha for use in the raining season,
   2. the privilege of offering food to visiting bhikkhus,
   3. the privilege of offering food to travelling bhikkhus,
   4. the privilege of offering food to sick bhikkhus,
   5. the privilege of offering food to the bhikkhus who were nursing the sick ones,
   6. the privilege of offering medicine to sick bhikkhus,
   7. the lifelong privilege of offering gruel (for breakfast),
   8. the privilege of offering under lower robes to bhikkhunīs.

(See details in Vinaya Mahǎvagga)

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‚For having twenty children, four hundred grand-children and eight thousand great-grand-children, Visǎkhǎ is renounced throughout the Southern Island Continent.‛

Some Distinctive Qualities of Visǎkhǎ

Visǎkhǎ lived up to 120 years of age. Not having a single grey hair, she looked always as if the age of a sixteen year old. When she went to the Buddha’s monastery, accompanied by her children, grand-children and great-grand-children, she was undistinguishable from them.

When people saw Visǎkhǎ walking, they never felt satisfied with watching her walk. But when she stood, she looked as graceful; when she sat or when she was lying down, people thought her very graceful in that posture.

She had physical might equivalent to five great elephant bulls. On one occasion, the King of Kosala, wishing to test her reputed strength, let loose a great elephant bull in her direction. The beast ran towards her menacingly with its trunk uplifted. (Visǎkhǎ’s five hundred companion girls ran away in fear. Some of her five hundred companions hugged her, (as if to safeguard her). This is a Sri Lankǎ version.) ‚What’s up?‛ she asked them. They said: ‚Maiden, the King wants to test your strength and sent an attacking elephant bull at you!‛

Visǎkhǎ thought: ‚What use with running away from this beast? And if I were to handle it squarely, it would be crushed.‛ So thinking, she gently took the beast’s trunk in her two fingers and turned him off, which sent him reeling. The out lookers cheered Visǎkhǎ coolly and then proceeded home.

The Construction of The Pubbǎrǎma Monastery

Visǎkhǎ was widely known as the auspicious lady, not only for her perennial beauty, but also for the health and robustness of her children and grand-children for none of them died before the end of their life span. The citizen of Senath would invite Visǎkhǎ as the guest- of-honour whenever they held ceremonial offerings. One day, after attending such a function and was proceeding to the Buddha’s monastery, she thought it lacking in modesty if she went before Him, attired in her gorgeous mahǎlata dress. So, at the entrance to the monastery, she entrusted it to her maid servant who was reborn into the world due to Visǎkhǎ’s past great deed, for she had to be, like Visǎkhǎ, as strong as the equivalent of five great elephants bulls.

(She left the great gown with her to be kept with her until she came back from the Buddha’s presence after hearing a discourse.)

Leaving the mahǎlata dress with her maid-servant and putting on the Ghanamaṭṭhaka dress instead, Visǎkhǎ went before the Buddha and listened to a discourse. After the discourse, she made obeisance to Him and left the monastery. The maid-servant left the mahǎlata dress at the place where she was listening to the Buddha’s discourse and forgotten to collect it when she left. It was Venerable Œnanda’s routine duty to collect things left through forgetfulness of visitors to the Buddha’s monastery. On that day, when he found Visǎkhǎ’s mahǎlata dress, he reported it to the Buddha who asked him to store it away in a suitable place. The Venerable Œnanda picked it up and hung it at one end of the flight of stairs.

Visǎkhǎ then went around the various places in the Jetavana monastery together with Suppiya², a well-known female lay-disciple, to find out the needs of the guest bhikkhus, the

2. Suppiyǎ the female lay disciple was the wife of Supiyǎ the Householder of Bǎrǎṇasī. This couple were highly devoted to the Triple Gem. They were regular supporters of the Saṇgha with regard to the four bhikkhu requisites. The female disciple Suppiyǎ once sacrificed her own flesh from the thigh to cook a soup for a sick bhikkhus. Due to her intense devotion to the Buddha, the spot, where her flesh was cut, was miraculously restored without leaving a scar. Read Vinaya Mahǎvagga.

sick bhikkhus, and bhikkhus who were on a journey. It was usual for junior bhikkhus and novices who needed ghee or honey or oil to bring containers to be filled by the two visiting ladies on such rounds.

After she had visited the sick bhikkhus, the junior bhikkhus and sǎmaụeras and attended to their needs, she left the Jetavana monastery by another gate. Before leaving the monastery compound, Visǎkhǎ asked her maid-servant to bring the mahǎlata dress for her to wear. Then only the maid remembered about it and said: ‚My lady, I have forgotten to pick it up.‛

‚Then, go and fetch it,‛ instructed Visǎkhǎ. ‚But,‛ she continued, ‚in case the Venerable Œnanda were to have moved it to another place himself, say to him that the dress is to be considered as donated to him.‛ She said this because she knew that the Venerable Œnanda always kept in his custody all articles left by forgetful visitors of all the four classes to the Jevatana monastery.

When the Venerable Œnanda saw Visǎkhǎ’s maid-servant, he asked her why she returned. And being told of the mahǎlata dress, the Venerable Œnanda said to her: ‚I have hung it at one end of the stairway. Go and get it.‛ Then she said: ‚Venerable Sir, my lady has instructed me that if the dress had been held in the hand of your reverence, she would not take it back because she would deem it already donated to you.‛ The maid went back to Visǎkhǎ and reported the matter to her.

Then, Visǎkhǎ said to her: ‚My girl, I consider it donated to the Venerable Œnanda. I have no desire to wear it after the Venerable had handled it. However, keeping it in his custody would be troublesome to him. I will donate something that is proper for the Sangha to use. Go and get it.‛ And the maid did as she was bidden. Visǎkhǎ sent for the goldsmith and let them appraise the value of the mahǎlata dress. The goldsmith said: ‚This dress worths nine crores in material value plus a hundred thousand in workmanship.‛ Visǎkhǎ let the mahǎlata dress being displayed on an elephant and put it for public sale.

But there was no one who could afford to buy a dress worth a fortune. Moreover, there were no women who could withstand the sheer weight of that bejewelled great gown. As a matter of fact, there were only three women on earth who could afford and wear this kind of dress. They were:

1. Visǎkhǎ.
2. Mallikǎ (i.e. a native of Malla province) wife of Bandula the Commander-in-Chief.
3. the daughter of the King of Bǎrǎṇasī.

Since there was no buyer of the great dress, Visǎkhǎ herself bought it at the appraised price (of nine crores and a hundred thousand). She put the money in a cart and took it to the Jetavana monastery where, after making obeisance to the Buddha, she said to Him:

‚Venerable Sir, the Venerable Œnanda, in keeping my mahǎlata dress in his custody, had handled it. from that time onwards, it is not proper for me to wear it. Therefore, I have sold it out for the benefit of the Sangha and in such a way the Sangha might properly put it to use. Since there was no one who could buy it, I have now bought it at its sales value of nine crores and a hundred thousand. In which way, out of the four requisites should this money be utilised?‛ The Buddha said: ‚It would be fitting if you build a monastery for the Sangha near the eastern gate of this city (Sǎvatthi).‛ Visǎkhǎ was very glad to hear this. She bought a piece of land for the site of the monastery for the price of nine crores. The building was to cost her another nine crores. Construction soon began.

Venerable Moggallǎna supervised The Construction of The Monastery

One morning, the Buddha reviewed the world for beings deserving of Enlightenment and he saw Bhaddiya, the son of the householder of Bhaddiya, who had had his former existence in the deva realm. So, after His meal in the house of Anǎthapiṇďika, the Buddha went in the direction of the northern gate of Sǎvatthi.

(It may be noted that the Buddha usually received offering of alms-food at Visǎkhǎ’s house. After which, He would go through the city’s southern gate to Jetavana monastery as His residence. If, He received His alms-food from

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Anǎthapiṇďika, He would go through the city’s eastern gate to the Pubbǎrǎma monastery as His residence. When He left the city by the northern gate, people understood that He was taking a journey.)

When Visǎkhǎ heard the news of the Buddha taking the northern gate, she went to see Him and said: ‚Venerable Sir, are you making a journey?‛ The Buddha replied: ‚Yes, Visǎkhǎ, it is so.‛ Visǎkhǎ said: ‚Venerable Sir, I have sacrificed such big fortune (of nine crores) to build a monastery for your use. Would you wait till the building is complete?‛

‚Visǎkhǎ, my present trip cannot be postponed.‛ Then, Visǎkhǎ understood that the Buddha had in mind some prospective disciple whose past merit having ripened, was due for pagga hala, and said: ‚Venerable Sir, in that case, would you leave behind some bhikkhus who would supervise the construction?‛ Thereupon, the Buddha said: ‚Visǎkhǎ, take the alms- bowl of the bhikkhu of your choice.‛

Visǎkhǎ had a natural liking for the Venerable Œnanda. However, she thought that the Venerable Mahǎ Moggallǎna, with his great powers, would be a real help in the expeditious completion of her monastery. So, she took the alms-bowl of the Venerable Moggallǎna, who glanced towards the Buddha. The Buddha said to the Venerable: ‚Moggallǎna you and your followers of five hundred bhikkhu will stay behind.‛ And so the Venerable Moggallǎna became the bhikkhu to supervise Visǎkhǎ’s monastery construction.

By the great power of the Venerable Mahǎ Moggallǎna, big distances as much as fifty or sixty yojanas were made every day by the people who collected building materials. In carrying them too, they could do it without great hardship. No mishaps such as broken axles in the carts ever occurred. Soon, the two-storey seven-tier monastery was completed on a clear and level site of eight karisas wide. The seven-tier monastery had five hundred chambers on the ground floor and five hundred chambers on the first floor. Around the main building, she added, for better perspective and practical usefulness, five hundred meditation cubicles, five hundred smaller tiered monastic dwellings and five hundred stairways.

The Donation Ceremony that lasts for four Months

The Buddha returned from His tour after nine months. By that time, the construction of the Pubbǎrǎma monastery had been completed, thanks to the supervision of the Venerable Mahǎ Moggallǎna. Visǎkhǎ had a broad gold plate, about the size that might contain sixty water pots, fashioned for the pinnacle of the monastery. When she heard that the Buddha was returning to the Jevatana monastery, she invited Him to stay in her new monastery, known as the Pubbǎrǎma (the eastern) monastery, together with His Sangha, because she wanted to hold ceremonies marking the donation of the monastery. She said: ‚Venerable Sir, I would request the Bhagavǎ to stay in this monastery for the four raining months.‛ The Buddha having acceded to her request, she made great offerings of food to the Buddha and His Sangha. Then, a female friend of Visǎkhǎ went to her and requested a favour:

‚Friend Visǎkhǎ, I would like to donate a piece of floor cover worth a hundred thousand ticals to your monastery. Kindly show me where I should put it.‛ Visǎkhǎ replied: ‚Very well, friend, look for the place yourself, for if I were to say: ‘There is no place for your floor cover, you might misunderstand me.’ ‛ Her friend went about the great monastery, inspecting very part of it, at both the two storeys, but could not find a spot which was not already covered with flooring material of the same quality or better than the one she had brought. She was greatly disappointed and wept in a corner.

The Venerable Œnanda saw her weeping and asked her the reason. She told him her story. The Venerable Œnanda then consoled her: ‚Do not worry, I will show you the spot where you may spread your flooring material,‛ and he pointed to her an uncovered spot at the end of the stairway which was the place for the Sangha to wash their feet. She was told that all the bhikkhus would step over that flooring before the monastery, after washing their feet and that would be a really meritorious thing for her as the donor. (That was the only spot which Visǎkhǎ’s attention missed.)

Offerings of The four Bhikkhu Requisites to The Sangha

for four raining months, Visǎkhǎ made offerings of the four bhikkhu requisites to the Buddha and His Sangha. On the full moon of Tazaungmon (i.e. November) she donated robe material of superior quality. The lowest quality received by a newly admitted bhikkhu was worth one thousand. All the bhikkhus also received the four-foods concoction, catu padhu, to fill their alms-bowl full. The four months long offerings that marked her donation of the Pubbǎrǎma monastery cost her nine crores.

Thus, the site costing nine crores, the building, nine crores, and the ceremonial offering, nine crores, made a total of twenty-seven crores which Visǎkhǎ incurred in her donation towards the Pubbǎrǎma monastery, a sum of money which very few women did on such a scale, and more remarkable for her since she lived in the house of a non-believer.

Exultation of Visǎkhǎ on Her Good Deed

On the evening of the end of the four month long ceremony, Visǎkhǎ amidst her big company of offerings was very happy in her thought that her lifelong ambition had been fulfilled. In sheer exultation, she sang the following five stanzas in a wonderfully melodious voice while going round the big monastery:

1. ‚Ah! My cherished ambition with the thought: ‘When would I (having made my earnest wish and acquiring merit over a hundred thousand world-cycles) be able to build a monastery of fine cement concrete structure that would delight every visitor, (bhikkhu and layman alike)? It is fulfilled now!
2. ‚Ah! My cherished ambition with the thought: ‘When would I be able to donate monastic living place for the Sangha, complete with couch, reclining chair, cushion, pillow, etc.?’ This thought that had occupied my mind, setting Nibbǎna as my goal, since the time of Buddha Padumuttara. It is fulfilled now!
3. ‚Ah! My cherished ambition with the thought: ‘When would I be able to make offerings of food to the Sangha, (the merit whereof accomplishing long life, personal charm (beauty), happiness, strength and intelligence), comprising the seven types of food offering, such as food offering by casting lots, etc.; rice cooked in meat, etc.?’ This thought that had occupied my mind, setting Nibbǎna as my goal, since the time of Buddha Padumuttara. It is fulfilled now!
4. ‚Ah! My cherished ambition with the thought: ‘When would I be able to donate robes to the Sangha, that is robes made of costly Kǎsi cloth, cloth made from cotton fibre, etc.?’ This thought that had occupied my mind, setting Nibbǎna as my goal, since the time of Buddha Padumuttara. It is fulfilled now!
5. ‚Ah! My cherished ambition with the thought: ‘When would I be able to donate to the Sangha the physician’s formula as medicine, that is, the four-food concoction comprising ghee, honey, sesame oil and molasses?’ This thought that had occupied my mind, setting Nibbǎna as my goal, since the time of Buddha Padumuttara. It is fulfilled now!‛

—— Commentary on the Dhammapada ——

Visǎkhǎ was named The foremost

In the morning, Visǎkhǎ’s house was aflame with the colour of the saffron robes of bhikkhus coming and going freely, and the atmosphere was vibrating with the movement of bhikkhus whose robes filled the air with the odour of the dye-stuff. As in the house of Anǎthapiṇďika, Visǎkhǎ’s house had meals cooked for offering to bhikkhus of varying needs, namely, the travelling ones, the sick ones, the visiting ones.

In the morning, Visǎkhǎ offered food to these bhikkhus. In the afternoon, she would go to the Buddha’s monastery with her maids, carrying medicinal properties, such as ghee, butter-milk, honey and molasses, and also eight kinds of beverages made from Eugenia, mango, the Indian butter fruit, the Uraria lagopoides, the madhuka drink, two kinds of banana, and nectar of the lotus and offered them according to the needs of the bhikkhus.

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Then she would listen to a sermon by the Buddha before returning home. (This is a typical day for Visǎkhǎ, replete with meritorious actions.)

Therefore, on one occasion, the Buddha was naming foremost female lay-disciple according to their merit, He declared:

‚Bhikkhus, among My female lay disciples who delight in charity, Visǎkhǎ is the foremost.‛

3 & 4. KHUJJUTTARŒ and SŒMŒVAT¢

1. 1. Their Past Aspirations

The future Khujjuttarǎ and the future Sǎmǎvatī were reborn into the families of rich men in the city of HaÑsǎvatī, during the time of Buddha Padumuttara. As they went to the Buddha’s monastery to listen to a sermon given by the Buddha, the future Khujjuttarǎ saw a female lay disciple being named by Him as the foremost among female lay disciples in learning. She had a strong desire to become one herself. After making an extraordinary offering to the Buddha, she expressed her aspiration to Him, who predicted the fulfilment of her aspiration.

The future Sǎmǎvatī saw a female lay disciple being named by the Buddha as the foremost in abiding in universal goodwill. She had a strong desire to be so designated by a Buddha in future time. After making an extraordinary offering to the Buddha, she expressed her aspiration to that designation to Him, who predicted that her aspiration would be fulfilled.

These two ladies spent their whole lives in deeds of merit. At the end of their respective life span, they were reborn in the deva-world. After being reborn in the either the deva- world or human world for a hundred world-cycles, the present world-system with five Buddhas arrived.

During the time of Buddha Gotama, in the city of Kosambī, Ghosaka the householder and his wife made a routine alms-give of one thousand ticals everyday. (for details of this illustrious couple, read Chapter 27).

1. 2. Khujjuttarǎ and Sǎmǎvatī in Their Existence

It was during the time in which the Ghosaka couple was practising their routine charity that the future Khujjuttarǎ passed away from her deva existence and was conceived in the womb of the governess in the house of Ghosaka. She was humpback at birth and was called Khujjuttarǎ. (As to her destiny of being born a humpback and a slave in spite of her great past merit, we shall discuss later.)

Sǎmǎvatī The Daughter of The Householder

About that time, the future Sǎmǎvatī passed away for her deva existence and was reborn as the daughter of Bhaddhavatiya the householder in Bhaddiya, in the province of Bhaddiya. She was named as Sǎmǎ by her parents.

At one time, the town of Bhaddhiya suffered from famine and the people left the town for other towns for their own survival. Bhaddiya the householder said to his wife: ‚Dear wife, we cannot know when this famine will end. We too must leave this place. Our friend Ghosaka the householder of Kosambī will recognise us if he sees us. Let us go to him.‛ He told his wife about going to Ghosaka but the two Householders had known each other by their reputations only and had never met. They decided to go, leaving behind their servants. The three members of the family (father, mother and daughter) went in the direction of Kosambī, travelling by stages. After going through much hardship on the way, they at last reached Kosambī and stayed in a public rest house which was outside the city.

Sǎmǎvatī’s Woes

Ghosaka the householder was making his daily alms-giving to all the needy who called at

his door. Destitute travellers and mendicants thronged to his house every day. Bhaddhavatiya the householder and his family were looking haggard after a hard journey. They decided they should not present themselves before Ghosaka in the present unsightly state but should rest and recoup themselves first. So, they remained at the rest-house while their daughter Sǎmǎ was sent to the alms-giving station of Ghosaka to beg for food.

Sǎmǎvatī, as a daughter of a householder, was reluctant to jostle through her way in the unruly crowds of alms-seekers. As she stood apart in a hesitant manner, her dignified demeanour was noticed by the superintendent of alms distribution. He thought to himself:

‚While everyone else is making loud noise and trying to reach out ahead of others like in a fisherman’s fish distribution place, this young maiden is keeping back. She must be of some worthy family. And she has a fine personality.‛ And so he addressed Sǎmǎvatī: ‚Dear girl, why don’t you step up and beg?‛ She replied: ‚Dear father, how could a decent girl like me elbow through in such a jammed packed crowd?‛

‚How many persons are there in your family (group)?‛

‚There are three, father.‛

The man doled out three food packages to her.

Sǎmǎvatī gave the food to her parents. Her father who had not eaten for some time, ate it greedily and died of overeating on that every day. On the next day, Sǎmǎvatī went to the food distribution point and asked for only two food packages. Her mother who was not used to poor food as this and who also was bereaved for the loss of her husband was taken ill that evening and died after midnight. Then, on the next day, Sǎmǎvatī went and asked for only one food package.

The superintendent asked her: ‚Dear girl, on the first day, you asked the food package for three persons; on the second day, you asked only for two and now on the third day, you are asking for only one. Why is this?‛ Sǎmǎvatī told him about the death of her father on the first day, her mother on second day, after midnight and that she alone survived.

‚Where do you come from?‛ the man inquired. Sǎmǎvatī told him how her family had fled famine in Bhaddhiya and the consequent information. ‚In that case,‛ the superintendent said, ‚you should be deemed as a daughter of Ghosaka the householder. I have no daughter of my own. So you will henceforth be my daughter.‛

Sǎmǎvatī, the adopted daughter of the superintendent of the alms-distribution place, asked her adopted father: ‚Father why is there such a din at the place?‛

‚When there is such a huge crowd, there has to be a big noise,‛ he replied.

‚But, father, I have an idea!‛

‚Then, say it.‛

‚Father, let there be a barbed wire fencing around the place, keep only one entrance; let the people go in, receive their alms, and go out on the other end, the only exit.‛

The father took her advice and in following her instruction, the distribution centre had then became as quiet and dignified as a lotus pond.

Sǎmǎvatī was adopted by Ghosaka The Householder

Soon after that Ghosaka noted the silence that prevailed in the alms distribution place which was usually full of noise and asked his superintendent:

‚Are you not giving alms today?‛

‚Yes, I do, Master.‛

‚But why is it so silent at the centre which used to be so much of a din?‛

‚Ah! that is true, indeed, Master. I have a wise daughter, I have been able to maintain quiet at the place on the advice of my daughter.‛

‚But, I never knew you had a daughter. Where have you got one?‛

The superintendent had to confess the truth. He related to his master the circumstances under which Sǎmǎvatī became his adopted daughter. Thereupon, Ghosaka said to him: ‚O

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man, why did you do that? You are doing a very improper thing indeed. You have kept me in the dark about this girl who is my daughter in this circumstance. Bring her to my house immediately.‛ The superintendent had to obey his master’s order. From then onwards, Sǎmǎvatī became the adopted daughter of Ghosaka who cherished her as his own daughter and found for her five hundred companions, who were of her own age and from worthy families.

Sǎmǎvatī became Queen of King Udena

One day when King Udena of Kosambī went round the city, he happened to see Sǎmǎvatī and her five hundred maid companions, romping (in the garden) and fell in love with her. On inquiring her parentage, he was told that she was the daughter of Ghosaka the householder. The King enquired whether she was married or not, and learning that she was not married, he sent his royal messengers to Ghosaka to ask for the hand of Sǎmǎvatī for marriage to him. Ghosaka thought to himself: ‚Sǎmǎvatī is our only daughter. We cannot put her life at risk in the King’s court which is full of intriguing women.‛ So he bluntly refused the King’s request. The King was furious and ordered that Ghosaka and his wife be evicted from their house which was to be sealed off.

When Sǎmǎvatī and her playmates returned and met her parents sitting miserably outside the house, she asked them what had happened. On hearing the story, she said to them:

‚Dear parents, why did you not tell the King’s men that your daughter would go and live at the palace on the condition that her five hundred maid-companions were allowed to remain with her there? Now, dear parents, give your reply to the King as I suggest.‛ Her parents said to her: ‚Very well, daughter, we did not know how you would take it (the King’s proposal).‛

King Udena was greatly pleased to hear the message from Ghosaka. He said: ‚Let all the maid-companions come and stay with Sǎmǎvatī, even if they number a thousand!‛ Afterwards, on an auspicious day, at the auspicious hour when the planets were favourable, Sǎmǎvatī, together with her five hundred maid-companion, were conveyed to the palace of King Udena. The King appointed all the five hundred maids as ladies-in-waiting to his wife Sǎmǎvatī when he made her Queen with ceremonial anointing, and put her in a golden terraced mansion of her own, with full state of a Queen.

About this time, Ghosaka and his two householder friends, Kukkuta and Pǎvǎrika of Kosambī, learning the news of the appearance of the Buddha and His residence at Sǎvatthi, went to Him. After listening to a discourse by the Buddha, they were established in Stream- Entry Knowledge. Later, they returned to Kosambī after making great offering to the Buddha and His Sangha for fifteen days. They obtained the assurance from the Buddha that He would visit Kosambī when they would invite Him later. They built a monastery each and on completion of which, they sent messages to the Buddha, inviting Him to visit Kosambī. Hence, the Buddha began His journey to Kosambī but seeing the ripeness of past merit in a brahmin couple by the name of Mǎgaṇďiya, He made a detour to Kammǎsadamma, a market town in the Province of Kuru, where He caused the Mǎgaṇďiyas to comprehend the Ariya Truth and then proceeded to Kosambī.

Travelling by stages, He reached Kosambī and accepted the gift of three monasteries which were donated by three (Ariya) householders. When He entered the town on an alms collecting round, He and His procession of bhikkhus were reviled by a gang of drunken men who were instigated by Queen Mǎgaṇďiya, who held a grudge against the Buddha. The Venerable Œnanda suggested to the Buddha that they leave the town which appeared so inhospitable. Instead, the Buddha gave a discourse to the Venerable Œnanda on the importance of taming oneself, which was recorded in AttadaṇÔa vatthu in the Dhammapada verses 320, 321 & 322. The Buddha stayed on for some time in Kosambī in the three monasteries in towns.

(for details of this episode, read Chapter 27.)

Khujjuttarǎ attained Stream-Entry

The three householders of Kosambī attended on the Buddha and His Sangha in turns, making big offerings for a month. Then they extended the privileges of honouring the Buddha and His Sangha, in making great offerings, to other people of Kosambī by organizing them into localities or association.

One day, the Buddha and His company of large number of bhikkhus were at the house of a florist, to receive his offerings. At that time, Khujjuttarǎ, the personal attendant to Queen Sǎmǎvatī, went to buy flowers, which was her routine duty. The florist said to her: ‚Ah, dear Uttarǎ, I have no time to serve you this morning. I am busy attending on the Buddha and His Sangha. Will you lend a hand in our food offering? This good deed of yours will lead to your emancipation from bondage.‛ Khujjuttarǎ ate her portion of food given by the florist and joined him and his people in serving food to the Buddha. She learnt by heart the Buddha’s discourse, which was preached to those who came near Him. At the end of the discourse, she was established in the fruition of Stream-Entry.

Sǎmǎvatī and Her five Hundred Companions attained Stream-Entry Knowledge Khujjuttarǎ, in her daily purchase of flowers for Queen Sǎmǎvatī, usually bought only

four ticals worth of flowers and pocketed four ticals out of the Queen’s daily allowance of eight ticals for flowers. But on the day she became an ariya (as Stream-Enterer), Khujjuttarǎ had no mind to steal the money entrusted to her, and bought eight ticals worth of flowers, which now filled her basket. Queen Sǎmǎvatī, seeing an unusually large quantity of flowers in Khujjuttarǎ’s basket, asked her: ‚Why dear Uttarǎ, you have such a big basket of flowers today, unlike the previous days! Did the King increase my allowance for flowers?‛

Khujjuttarǎ, as an ariya, was now incapable of telling lies, and so confessed her previous misconduct. The Queen asked her: ‚Why, then, have you brought such a big quantity of flowers today?‛ And Khujjuttarǎ replied: ‚Because I do not steal the money today. I cannot do so because I have realized Nibbǎna. I have comprehended the Deathlessness, after hearing the Buddha’s discourse.‛

Thereupon, Queen Sǎmǎvatī and her five hundred ladies-in-waiting spread out their hands and asked Khujjuttarǎ: ‚Dear Uttarǎ, give us a share of that Deathless Nibbǎna!‛

‚Dear friends, Nibbǎna is not something that can be apportioned to others. I will re-echo the words of the Buddha. If you are endowed with past merit you may gain Nibbǎna, the Deathless, on hearing them.‛

‚Dear Uttarǎ, do go ahead!‛

‚But, I have to remain seated on a higher level than your seats before I start making the discourse.‛

Queen Sǎmǎvatī arranged a higher seat for Khujjuttarǎ and listened to the latter’s discourse, sitting at a lower level. Khujjuttarǎ, exercising the Analytical Knowledge pertaining to an ariya, still teaching herself for arahatship (i.e. sekkha), gave a discourse to Sǎmǎvatī and her five hundred ladies-in-waiting. At the end of which, all of them were established in the fruition of Stream-Entry. from that time onwards, Khujjuttarǎ was relieved of her all-round service duties and was given the task of going to the Buddha’s monastery to hear His sermon and, in turn, to teach Queen Sǎmǎvatī and her ladies-in- waiting what she had learnt from the Buddha. In this way, Queen Sǎmǎvatī and her company of ladies-in-waiting were given regular discourses in the palace by Khujjuttarǎ.

Khujjuttarǎ’s Past Merit and Demerit

Why was Khujjuttarǎ reborn into a slave family? It was due to her past evil deed. She had, during the time of Buddha Kassapa, made a female novice assist her in odd jobs (i.e. running errands for her). On account of that misdeed, she was reborn into a slave family for five hundred existences in succession. Why was she born with a hump-back? When she was a lady at the court of the King of Bǎrǎṇasī before the advent of Buddha Gotama, she saw a Paccekabuddha with a hump-back who went to the palace to collect alms-food. Then she mimicked the Paccekabuddha in the presence of other court ladies. for that evil deed, she was born hump-back in the present existence which was her last existence.

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What merit did she earn in the past to be endowed with inmate wisdom in her last existence? When she was a lady at the court of the King of Bǎrǎṇasī before the advent of the Buddha, she saw eight Paccekabuddha carrying alms-bowls which were filled with milk-rice and were piping hot. To relieve the heat on the hands of these revered ones, she removed eight gold bangles which she was wearing and offered them for use as buffers underneath the alms-bowls. That thoughtful deed was the merit she earned.

Queen Mǎgaṇďī intrigued against Queen Sǎmǎvatī

Although Queen Sǎmǎvatī and her five hundred ladies-in-waiting had become ariyas, they never had the opportunity of meeting the Buddha because King Udena was a non-believer. Since they were Stream-Enterers, they had a great longing to see the Buddha in person. All they could hope for was to get a glimpse of the Buddha whenever He was passing through the city. As there were no sufficient trellis windows to peep through, the ladies bore holes in the walls of their sleeping quarters, through which they peeped to gain precious glimpses of the Buddha.

One day, as Queen Mǎgaṇďī was strolling outside when she noticed the small holes on the walls of the ladies-in-waiting of Queen Sǎmǎvatī and asked the maidens what the holes were for. They did not know that Queen Mǎgaṇďī was holding a grudge against the Buddha and honestly divulged their secret arrangement that had enabled them to watch the Buddha passing by and to honour Him by standing in their own rooms and peeping through the small holes on the wall. Queen Mǎgaṇďī thought to herself, grinning, thus: ‚Now my time has come to avenge Samaṇa Gotama. These girls followers of Gotama will also have their deserts!‛

Then, when Mǎgaṇďī was alone with King Udena, she said to him: ‚Great King, Queen Sǎmǎvatī and her ladies-in-waiting have given their hearts to someone else besides you. They are plotting against your life in a few days. They have no affection for you. They have such great interest in Samaṇa Gotama that they peep at him whenever He goes in the city. They have made holes in the wall of their rooms to get a view of Samaṇa Gotama. The King did not believe her at first but Mǎgaṇďī repeated her story another time, yet the King still did not believe her. for the third time, she repeated it, and when the King refused to believe her, she suggested that the King go to the private quarters of the ladies-in- waiting and inquired. The King did as she had suggested and saw small holes. He asked the ladies-in-waiting about the holes and they honestly and truly told him the purpose of holes. The King was not angry with them but merely ordered that the holes be closed. He let a trellis windows fixed on the upstairs of the ladies’ quarters. (This was the first malicious report on the part of Queen Mǎgaṇďī).

Queen Mǎgaṇďī then hatched another plot. She said to the King: ‚Great King, let us put to the test the loyalty of Sǎmǎvatī and company towards you. Send them eight living hens and ask them to cook a meal with them for Your Majesty. ‚ The King did as Mǎgaṇďī advised. Queen Sǎmǎvatī, being an ariya disciple of the Buddha, was above killing and so replied to the King that it would not be proper to kill the hens.

But Mǎgaṇďī was crafty enough. She said to the King: ‚Great King, say to Sǎmǎvatī to cook a meal with the hens for Samana Gotama.‛ The King did as he was told. This time, Mǎgaṇďī had the hens killed, on the way before they reached Queen Sǎmǎvatī, who, on receiving the lifeless hens, had no suspicions about them in her simple mind. She had them cooked and send the cooked dish to the Buddha. Queen Mǎgaṇďī then pointed the fact of Sǎmǎvatī’s behaviour to the King, saying: ‚Now, do you see where Sǎmǎvatī’s interest lies?‛ However, the King did not take offence against his beloved Sǎmǎvatī. (This was the second malicious plot on the part of Queen Mǎgaṇďī.)

The Third Malicious Plot of Queen Mǎgaṇďī

King Udena had three queens, viz., (1) Queen Sǎmǎvatī, (2) Queen Vǎsuladattǎ, daughter of King Caṇďapaccota of Ujjeni and (3) Queen Mǎgaṇďī. Each Queen had five hundred ladies-in-waiting. The King spent seven days with each of his three queens in turn, in their respective palatial mansions. Queen Mǎgaṇďī kept a small cobra by her side in a bamboo

container which she stealthily transferred into the King’s harp and sealed the small hole in it, when the King visited her. The King always carried his harp wherever he went. He was so fond of it because its music could cast a spell on elephants which would become attracted to it player, the King.

When the King was about to go to Queen Sǎmǎvatī, Queen Mǎgaṇďī said to him (as if she had real concern for the King’s safety): ‚Great King, Sǎmǎvatī is a follower of Samaṇa Gotama. She does not value your life as much as a blade of grass. She is always intent on doing harm to you. So, please beware.‛

After the King had spent seven days with Queen Sǎmǎvatī, he went to stay with Queen Mǎgaṇďī for another seven days. She said to him: ‚How was it, Great King, did Sǎmǎvatī find no opportunity to harm you?‛ Then, taking the harp from the King’s hand, and shaking it, she exclaimed: ‚Why? There’s some living thing moving about inside the harp!‛ And after stealthily opened the small hole in the harp, she exclaimed: ‚O! death unto me! There is a snake in the harp!‛ She dropped the harp and ran away from it. The snake’s coming out from the harp was enough to arouse the King’s anger. Like a bamboo forest on fire, the King was hissing with fury. ‚Go and bring Sǎmǎvatī and all her ladies-in-waiting!‛ he shouted. The King’s men obeyed promptly.

(A Maxim:)

If you control yourself, retaining righteousness and maintaining a loving heart, when someone get angry with you, how could you be the worse for it?

Queen Sǎmǎvatī knew that the King was angry with them. She advised her ladies-in- waiting to diffuse loving-kindness towards the King for the whole day. When they were brought before the King, Sǎmǎvatī and her ladies-in-waiting were made to line up facing the King who stood with bow and poisoned arrow. They remained diffusing loving- kindness towards the King, who found himself unable to shoot and at the same time unable to put down the bow and arrow. Perspiration flowed properly from his body which was trembling. His mouth was discharging saliva. He resembled a man who had suddenly lost his faculties.

Queen Sǎmǎvatī said to him: ‚Great King, are you feeling exhausted?‛ The King replied: ‚My dear Queen, I do feel exhausted. Be my support.‛

‚Very well, O King,‛ she said. ‚direct your arrow towards the ground.‛

The King did as he was told. Then Sǎmǎvatī wished: ‚May the arrow be released.‛ And the poisoned arrow were into the ground.

At that moment, King Udena went and dipped himself in water and in his wet cloths and hair, he fell at Sǎmǎvatī’s feet, saying: ‚Forgive me, my dear Queen. I had foolishly acted under the instigation of Mǎgaṇďī.‛

‚I forgive you, O King,‛ said Sǎmǎvatī.

‚Very well, O Queen, you are full of forgiveness towards me. from now on, you are free to make offerings to the Buddha. Do make offerings and do go to the Buddha’s monastery in the afternoons and attend His sermons. From now on you shall be well protected.‛

Sǎmǎvatī, seizing the opportunity, made this request: ‚If so, Great King, would you ask the Buddha to arrange for a bhikkhu to come to the palace and teach us the Good Doctrine every day?‛ King Udena went to the Buddha and made the request, whereupon the Buddha assigned Venerable Œnanda the task. From that time, Sǎmǎvatī and her ladies-in-waiting invited Venerable Œnanda to the palace and made daily food offerings, after which, they learnt the Doctrine from him.

(The Venerable Œnanda had in one of his past existences offered a needle and a small piece of robe material of a palm’s width to a Paccekabuddha. for that good deed, in his present existence, he was endowed with innate wisdom, and also received gifts of robe material on five hundred occasions.)

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Sǎmǎvatī and Her Ladies-in-waiting were burnt to Death

Mǎgaṇďī was at her wit’s end in her attempts to estrange King Udena and Sǎmǎvatī. She became desperate and made a desperate attempt. She persuaded the King to go on a picnic in the park. She detailed her uncle to commit arson at the palace during the absence of the King. Queen Sǎmǎvatī and her ladies-in-waiting were to be ordered to remain indoors, using the King’s authority. Then their mansion was to be burnt. Queen Mǎgaṇďī’s uncle, the foolish brahmin, executed the plot successfully.

As their past evil deed had now fructified, Sǎmǎvatī and her five hundred ladies-in- waiting could not dwell in the attainment of their fruition of Stream-Entry on that fateful day and lost their lives in the flames, like lumps of bran in a storehouse. The guards, at Queen Sǎmǎvatī’s mansion reported the calamity to the King.

The King made discreet inquiries into the prime mover in this horrible case of arson, and knew that it was none other than Mǎgaṇďī. However, he did not reveal his true intention. Instead, he sent for Queen Mǎgaṇďī and said to her: ‚Dear Mǎgaṇďī, you have done for me what I ought to have done by myself. You have done away with Sǎmǎvatī who had made various attempts on my life. I adore you for this act. I am going to reward you amply. Now, call your kinsmen.‛

Queen Mǎgaṇďī was delighted to hear the King’s words. She gathered all her relatives and also her friends, whom were as if they were her relatives. When all of Mǎgaṇďī’s associates were gathered, the King had deep pits dug in the palace ground, where all the culprits were put with only their heads showing above the ground. Their heads were then severed and then iron plough shares were driven across their broken skulls. As for Queen Mǎgaṇďī, her body was cut into pieces and cooked in oil.

The Past Evil Deeds of Sǎmǎvatī and Her Ladies-in-waiting

The death of Sǎmǎvatī and her ladies-in-waiting by being burnt alive had its root in their past evil deeds. In one of their existences before the advent of Buddha Gotama, the five hundred maidens were standing on the river bank at the Gaṅgǎ after having a long frolicking bath. As they were shivering with cold, they saw a small thatched hut nearby, which was the dwelling of a Paccekabuddha. They rashly burnt it for warming themselves without first seeing whether there was any occupant inside or not.

At that time, the Paccekabuddha was dwelling in the attainment of Cessation. Only when the little hut was reduced to ashes that they found, to their horror, the sitting Paccekabuddha in a motionless state. Although in setting fire to the hut, they had no intention to kill the Paccekabuddha, the thought of killing him now entered their frightened mind because they recognized him as the Paccekabuddha who went to the King’s palace for daily alms-food. To avoid the King’s wrath, they must burnt the revered one and leave no trace of him. So, by way of cremation, they gathered more fuel and set fire to the sitting Paccekabuddha. This act being done with intention to kill, constituted a grave misdeed, carrying grave consequence.

(When the fuel which the maidens put to the fire had exhausted, the Paccekabuddha rose from dwelling in the attainment of Cessation, cleaned His robes of ashes and rising into the air, went away, even as they (maidens) were watching in great wonder. They suffered in niraya for that evil deed, and as a remaining resultant thereof, they were burnt alive.)

1. 3. Designating the foremost female Lay Disciple

After the utter destruction of Queen Sǎmǎvatī and her five hundred ladies-in-waiting, there arose words of praise among the four types of assembly, viz. (1) the assembly of bhikkhus, (2) that of bhikkhunīs, (3) that of male lay disciples and (4) that of female lay disciples, such that:

‚Khujjutarǎ was learned and although a woman, she could expound the Doctrine that resulted in five hundred ladies of the court attaining Stream-Entry.‛

‚Sǎmǎvatī was accomplished in the practice of dwelling in universal goodwill that she was able to avert the arrow of King Udena through her diffusion of goodwill towards the King.‛

Later on, when the Buddha was staying at the Jetavana monastery and was naming female lay disciples, He declared, in respect of Khujjutarǎ:

‚Bhikkhu, among My female lay-disciples who are learned, Khujjutarǎ is the foremost.‛

(Khujjutarǎ earned the distinction because she was given by Queen Sǎmǎvatī and her ladies-in-waiting, after their attaining Stream-Entry, the task of learning further about the Buddha’s Doctrine by listening from Him, His sermons daily. This privilege of hers made her so immersed in the Doctrine that she learnt the Three PiÔakas by heart. This was why the Buddha named her the ‚foremost in learning.‛

As a sekkha, an ariya still learning by herself for arahatship, Khujjutarǎ was endowed with the four Analytical Knowledges pertaining to a sekkha which enabled her to bring Enlightenment to Sǎmǎvatī and her ladies-in-waiting. While the Buddha was staying in Kosambī, Khujjutarǎ went to the Buddha daily and listened to the sermons. On returning to the palace, she repeated what she had learnt to Sǎmǎvatī and her ladies-in-waiting. She would begin her discourses to them with these words: ‚Indeed had the Bhagavǎ said thus; I have heard the arahat say thus:‛ The 112 discourses she made to the ladies have been put on record by the elders at the Council as ‚the Buddha’s words,‛ under the title of Itivuttaka. (See Commentary on the Itivuttaka.)

On that occasion, the Buddha said in respect of Sǎmǎvatī thus:

‚Bhikkhu, among My female lay-disciples who dwell in the jhǎna of universal goodwill, Sǎmǎvatī is the foremost.‛

5. UTTARŒ NANDAMŒTA
   1. Her Past Aspiration

The future Uttarǎ Nandamǎtǎ was reborn into a rich family in the city of HaÑsǎvatī, during the time of Buddha Padumuttara. As she was listening to a sermon by the Buddha, she saw a female lay disciple being named as the foremost among those who dwelt in jhǎna. She had a strong desire for that distinction in some future existences. After making a great offering, she expressed her aspiration to the Buddha who predicted that her aspiration would be fulfilled.

1. 2. Her Last Existence as Uttarǎ, Daughter of Puṇṇasīha The Householder

The future Uttarǎ, after passing away from that existence, was reborn either in the deva realm or the human realm for a hundred thousand world-cycles. During the time of Buddha Gotama, she was reborn as the daughter of Puṇṇasīha and his wife Uttara, who were household servants to Sumana the householder in Rǎjagaha.

Puṇṇasīha’s Ascendancy

It was a festive occasion in Rǎjagaha on account of the auspicious day, according to the planets. Sumana the householder of Rǎjagaha called to Puṇṇasīha and said: ‚O man, Puṇṇa, attending the festivities on this auspicious day and keeping the Uposatha precepts are actually matters that should not concern poor folks (like you). Yet, I am going to give you an allowance for this festive day, and you may either go and enjoy yourself at the festival or do your ploughing as usual. Just let me know whichever you choose.‛

Puṇṇasīha replied: ‚Master, let me first consult this matter with my wife.‛

At home, Puṇṇasīha told his wife Uttara about what his master had said to him. She said

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to him: ‚Dear husband, the householder is our master. Whatever the master says to you is to be taken as justified. But I think you ought not to miss a day’s work for him.‛

And Puṇṇasīha, agreeing with his wife’s suggestion, yoked his oxen and went to the field to do the ploughing.

It so happened that on that great day for Puṇṇasīha, the Venerable Sǎriputta, after rising from his absorption in the attainment of Cessation, reviewed the world as to who deserved his blessing. He saw the ripening of Puṇṇasīha’s past merit as sufficing condition for Enlightenment³ and taking his alms-bowl and great robe at the time for alms-round, he went to the place where Puṇṇasīha was ploughing. He stood at a short distance where he could be seen by Puṇṇasīha, who, on seeing him, stopped ploughing and went near him and made his obeisance with fivefold contact. The Venerable Sǎriputta, wishing to do good to the poor man, looked at him and asked him where some good water might be available. Puṇṇasīha thought that the Venerable wanted to wash his face, and so he made a tooth- brush out of a creeper nearby and gave it to him. While the Venerable was brushing his teeth, Puṇṇasīha took the alms-bowl and water-strainer and fetched a bowl full of fresh clear water, which was properly strained.

After washing his face, Venerable Sǎriputta went on his way to collect alms-food. Then, it occurred to Puṇṇasīha thus: ‚The Venerable had never come this way before. He came today probably to bring benefit to me. Oh, if my wife had brought my meal, how good it would be to offer it to the Venerable!‛

Puṇṇasīha’s wife remembered that it was an auspicious day according to the planets. She had cooked a meal early in the morning with the ration which she received and carried it to her husband. On the way, she saw Venerable Sǎriputta and thought to herself: ‚On the previous days, I did not have anything to offer to the Venerable although I saw him, or when I had something to offer I did not meet him. Today, I have both the gift and the donee at hand. I will cook another meal for my husband and offer this meal to the Venerable now.‛ Thinking thus, she put her cooked rice into the Venerable Sǎriputta’s alms-bowl and made her wish, saying: ‚May we be free from this life of poverty.‛ The Venerable responded: ‚May your wish be fulfilled,‛ showing appreciation and returned to the monastery.

(Herein, it may be noted that in performing a deed of merit there arise many impulsion thought processes of great merit, each consisting of seven meritorious ‘impulsions’ or sub-moments of the thought process. If conditions are favourable, the first of these seven impulsions brings immediate result even in the very present existence.

four present conditions must be there for such immediate resultant, namely, (a) the donee is an arahat or at least a Never-Returner, (b) the gift is something righteously obtained, (c) the donor has a strong will or volition in making the gift,

i.e. his intention is intense before the act, during the act, and he feels glad for it after the act, (d) the donee has just arisen from dwelling in the attainment of Cessation. And above all, there must be sufficient past merit in the donor. In the case of Puṇṇasīha and his wife, all the required present and past conditions co- existed. His past merit to make him a rich man was ripe, so, on that very day, he reaped a harvest of solid lumps of gold from the field he was ploughing. This elevated him to the status of the Rich Man as conferred by the King.)

Puṇṇasīha’s wife returned to her home (without proceeding to her husband) and cooked

3. ‘Sufficing condition for Enlightenment’:

for gaining magga-phala, one must be endowed with past merit, for present favourable conditions by themselves cannot lead to one's Enlightenment. Likewise, an action that brings its result in the very present existence also need the support of sufficing past merit to fructify. Therefore, being a virtuous person with the right reasoning, the fortunate present conditions need sufficing past merit for one to gain Enlightenment. (Sub-Commentary)

another meal for her husband, and brought it to him. fearing that her husband might be angry, (and more so because his anger would nullify the good consequence of her good act), she began with some palliative words, saying: ‚Dear husband, I would request that you restrain yourself from anger for today.‛

‚Why?‛ asked her husband (wondering).

‚Dear husband, I met the Venerable Sǎriputta on my way and offered him your meal; I had to go home and cook another meal for you. That is why I am rather late today.‛

Clods of Earth turn into Lumps of Gold

Puṇṇasīha said to her: ‚Dear wife, you have done the most pleasing thing. I myself had offered tooth-brush and fresh water for washing his face early this morning. So, for this day, every need of the Venerable has been supplied by us!‛ The couple was elated about their good deeds.

Puṇṇasīha then had had his meal. After that he took a nap with his head on his wife’s lap. On waking up, he saw all around him, where he had ploughed, a sea of yellow objects somewhat like the yellow flowers of the sponge gourd profusely scattered about. Surprised, he asked to his wife: ‚Dear wife, what are those things?‛ Directing his finger to those yellow objects (which were clods of earth): ‚Everywhere I had turned, the earth look like gold!‛ His wife said: ‚Dear husband, perhaps you are having a hallucination after your hard work.‛ But Puṇṇasīha insisted: ‚Look, look there yourself!‛ And she looked and exclaimed: ‚Dear husband, what you said is true. Those things do look like gold!‛

Puṇṇasīha stood up and picking up a clod of the yellow earth, struck it against the shaft of his plough. It was a soft lump of gold and stuck to the shaft like a lump of molasses. He called and said to his wife, showing a sample of gold: ‚Dear wife, other people have to wait three or four months to reap what they sowed. for us, our meritorious deed, sown on the fertile soil, that is, the Venerable Sǎriputta, had now brought us this harvest. Throughout this field of about one karisa (1 3/4 acres) there is not a piece of earth the size of a myrobalan fruit which has not turned into gold.‛

‚What should we do about this?‛ his wife asked.

‚Dear wife,‛ Puṇṇasīha replied, ‚we cannot hide this amount of gold.‛ So saying, he picked up clods of earth, filled the vessel, which was used to carry his meal, with lumps of gold. He went to the palace and showed it to the King.

King:    Where did you get these gold?

Puṇṇasīha: Great King, the field I ploughed today has been turned into clods of gold.

May the King send his men to confiscate them.

King:   What is your name? Puṇṇasīha: Great King, my name is Puṇṇa.

Then the King ordered his men to yoke carts and go and collect the gold from Puṇṇasīha’s field.

The family of Puṇṇasīha became A Rich Man family and also attained Stream-Entry The King’s men collected the clods of gold, saying: ‚This is what the great past merit of

the King has brought into being.‛ The gold clods instantly changed back into clods of

earth! Not a piece of gold was collected by them. They reported the matter to the King. King Bimbisǎra told them: ‚In that case, O men, say: ‘This is what Puñña’ s great past merit has brought into being,’ when you pick up those clod.‛ The men went back, said the words as instructed by the King when collecting the gold and were successfully in obtaining the gold.

The clods of gold, taken in many cartloads, were piled on the main square of the palace. It heaped to the height of that of a Palmyra tree. The King summoned merchants and asked: ‚Whose house in the city holds a pile of gold as big as this?‛ The merchants answered: ‚Great King, there is no house that holds this much gold.‛ The King further asked: ‚What should we do with Puṇṇa, who is the owner of this gold?‛ The merchant

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unanimously replied: ‚Great King, that Puṇṇa should be given the title of Royal Treasurer.‛ The King agreed. And so Puṇṇasīha became the Royal Treasurer. All the gold gathered was handed over to him. On that same day, Puṇṇasīha’s inauguration as Royal Treasurer was held in high ceremonial state.

Puṇṇasīha, now the Royal Treasurer, held a grand celebration on that auspicious acquisition of the royal title for seven days, when the Buddha and His Sangha were honoured with magnificent offerings. On the seventh day, after hearing the Buddha’s sermon in appreciation of his great charity, all the members of his family, i.e. Puṇṇasīha, his wife Uttara and their daughter Uttarǎ, were established in the fruition of Stream-Entry.

This is the story of Puṇṇasīha, one of the five great rich men within the dominion of King Bimbisǎra who had inexhaustible resources.

The Union of the Puṇṇasīha’s Family with The Sumana Family, who were Non-believers Sumana the householder of Rǎjagaha, on learning that Puṇṇasīha had a grown-up

daughter, sent messengers to ask for the hand of his daughter in marriage to his son. Puṇṇasīha gave a flat refusal. Sumana was furious. ‚That fellow who had been dependent on me now disdains me because he has become a great man,‛ he thought, conceited as he was of his own wealth. He sent this view of his to Puṇṇasīha through messengers. Puṇṇasīha was not to be outdone. He explained to Sumana’s messengers: ‚Your master is being arrogant. Even though what he says is a fact, he should remember that a man should not be expected to always remain poor because he was born poor. Now, I am wealthy enough to buy householders like Sumana as my slaves. But, I do not say this in derogation of his lineage. I still honour him as a worthy householder. My point is, my daughter is a Stream-Enterer, an ariya in the Buddha’s Teaching. She spends one tical every day on flowers in her offerings to the Triple Gem. I cannot send my daughter to the house of a non-believer like Sumana.‛

When Sumana learnt the adamant stand taken by Puṇṇasīha, he changed his tone. He sent words to Puṇṇasīha, saying: ‚I do not wish to break old ties of friendship. I will see to it that my daughter-in-law gets flower worth of two ticals everyday.‛ Puṇṇasīha, being a man who knew the value of gratitude, agreed to Sumana’s proposition and sent his daughter in marriage to Sumana’s son.

Uttarǎ’s Great Faith in Religious Practice

One day, Uttarǎ said to her husband: ‚Dear husband, in my parents’ house I observe uposatha precept eight days every month. If you may agree, I would do that here too.‛ Although she made her proposition in gentle words, her husband bluntly refused it. She had to put up with the refusal meekly. At the beginning of the rains-retreat period, she sought his permission again to keep the uposatha during the three-month period. Again she received the blunt refusal.

When two and a half month had gone by and only fifteen days were left of the νassa (rain-retreat) period, Uttarǎ asked her parents to send her fifteen thousand ticals of money, letting them know that in the confines of wedlock, she had not had a day to observe the uposatha. She did not say how and why the money was needed. Her parents did not bother to ask why she needed the money but sent her the sum she asked, first.

Uttarǎ then sent for Sirimǎ, a courtesan in Rǎjagaha (who was the sister of Jīvaka the physician) and said to her: ‚Dear Sirimǎ, as I intend to keep the uposatha for fifteen days, I would request you to attend on my husband during these days for a fee of fifteen thousand ticals.‛ Sirimǎ accepted her offer. Uttarǎ’s husband was only too happy about this arrangement and allowed her to keep the uposatha for fifteen days.

Having obtained her husband’s permission, Uttarǎ went about her meritorious deeds freely. She prepared food offerings for the Buddha early in the morning, assisted by her servants. After making offerings to the Buddha, and when the Buddha returned to the monastery, she kept the uposatha and would stay upstairs alone, reflecting on her moral precepts. fifteen days passed peacefully. On the morning of the first waning of the last

month of the three-month period, the day on which her observance of the uposatha was to end, she was preparing gruel and other items of food for offering to the Buddha. She was busy with the job since early morning.

(Moral: Such is the nature of sensual objects that, through their continued enjoyment, one tends to forget that they belong to another, and is tempted into thinking that they are one’s own.)

At that time, the householder’s son, having fun with Sirimǎ on the upper storey of the mansion, drew aside the lace curtain of the window and looked down into the inside of the house. At the same time, Uttarǎ happened to look up into the window and her eyes met those her husband. The husband smiled with the thought: ‚This Uttarǎ is looking like a being from niraya. How odd of her to deny herself the luxury of her status and toil herself unnecessarily (in the kitchen) mingling with the servants.‛ Uttarǎ also smiled with the thought: ‚This son of the householder, being forgetful, thinks that this life of ease and comfort is lasting.‛

Sirimǎ, who saw the couple smiled at each other, became furious with jealousy. ‚This slave, Uttarǎ, is flirting with my husband even in my presence,‛ she thought to herself (for she had now an illusion that she and the householder’s son were real husband and wife). She ran down the stairs, fuming. Uttarǎ understood that Sirimǎ had, after half a month of dominion of the house, considered it her own. So, she entered into the jhǎna of universal goodwill and stood sedately. Sirimǎ, rushing through the servants, took hold of a ladle, filled it with boiling oil from a pot which was cooking over the fire, and suddenly poured it over Uttarǎ’s head. But, since Uttarǎ was dwelling in the jhǎna of goodwill, and her whole body being diffused with loving-kindness, she did not feel the heat of the oil which flowed over her body like water onto a lotus leaf.

At that moment, Uttarǎ’s servant accosted Sirimǎ with abusive words, saying: ‚You slave woman, you are a mere hireling of our Mistress. Yet after staying in this house for just fifteen days you try to rival our Mistress.‛ These words awakened Sirimǎ to her true position. She realized she had gone too far. She went to Uttarǎ, fell on her feet, and apologised to her, saying: ‚Dear Madam, I had been reckless in my behaviour. Do forgive me!‛ Uttarǎ replied: ‚Dear Sirimǎ, I cannot accept your apology now. I have my father in the Buddha. You must first obtain forgiveness from my father, the Buddha, before I can forgive you.‛

Just then, the Buddha and His company of bhikkhus arrived and sat in the seats prepared for them. Sirimǎ approached the Buddha and prostrating herself at His feet, said:

‚Venerable Sir, I have done some wrong against Uttarǎ. I apologised to her for it and she says that I must first obtain forgiveness from the Bhavagǎ before she would forgive me. May the Bhavagǎ forgive me.‛ The Buddha said: ‚Sirimǎ, I forgive you.‛ Then she went to Uttarǎ and made obeisance to her as a token of her apology.

The Buddha, in His discourse in appreciation of the food offering, uttered the following verse:

‚Conquer the angry one by loving-kindness; Conquer the wicked one by goodness; Conquer the stingy one by generosity; Conquer the liar by speaking the truth.‛

—— Dhammapada, verse 223 ——

At the end of the discourse, Sirimǎ was established in the fruition of Stream-Entry. After the attainment of ariyahood, she invited the Buddha to her residence the next morning and she made great offerings to the Buddha and His Sangha.

Thus goes the story of Uttarǎ the householder’s daughter, who also was known as Nanda’s mother after she gave birth to a son by the name of Nanda.

1. 3. Uttarǎ as The foremost female Lay Disciple

On one occasion, when the Buddha was residing at the Jetavana monastery naming distinguished female lay-disciples, He declared:

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‚Bhikkhus, among My female lay-disciple who dwell in jhǎna, Uttarǎ, the mother of Nanda, is the foremost.‛

6. PRINCESS SUPPAVŒSA The Koliyan
   1. Her Past Aspiration

The future Suppavǎsǎ was reborn into a worthy family in the city of HaÑsǎvatī, during the time of Buddha Padumuttara. While she was listening to a sermon by the Buddha, she saw a certain female lay disciple being named by Him as the foremost in offering superior articles. She thus had a strong desire to become such a disciple in the future. After making extraordinary offerings, she aspired to that distinction in front of the Buddha, who predicted that her aspiration would be fulfilled in her future existence.

1. 2. As Princess Suppavǎsǎ, The Koliyan, in Her Last Existence

The future Suppavǎsǎ, after being reborn in either deva realm or human realm for a hundred thousand world-cycles, was reborn as a princess of the Sakyan clan, in the city of Koliya. She was named Suppavǎsǎ. When she was of marriageable age, she was given in marriage to a Sakyan prince. As the housewife in the household of the prince, she had the occasion to listen to a discourse by the Buddha which resulted in her attaining Stream- Entry. Later, she gave birth to a son, named Sīvali. (Details of the episode of the birth of Sīvali has been described in Chapter 43: Sīvali Mahǎthera.)

1. 3. Princess Suppavǎsǎ as The foremost female Lay Disciple

At one time, Princess Suppavǎsǎ, the mother of the Venerable Sīvali, offered choicest food to the Buddha and His Sangha. After finishing the meal the Buddha preached a discourse in appreciation of the special offering, He said:

‚My female lay disciple Suppavǎsǎ, in making this food offering, has in effect made five kinds of offering, namely, life, good appearance, happiness, strength and intelligence. Offering of life leads to longevity, either in the deva realm or in the human realm. Offering of good appearance, happiness, strength and intelligence leads to the blessing of good appearance, happiness, strength and intelligence (respectively) either in the deva realm or in the human realm.‛ This was the occasion that became the ground for the Buddha’s naming of foremost female lay disciple on Suppavǎsǎ.

On another occasion, when the Buddha was residing in the Jetavana monastery in Sǎvatthi, and was naming distinguished female lay disciple, He declared:

‚Bhikkhus, among My female lay disciple who make gifts of the choicest quality, Suppavǎsǎ, the Koliyan Princess, is the foremost.‛

7. SUPPIYŒ

1. Her Past Aspiration

The future Suppiyǎ was reborn into a worthy family in the city of HaÑsǎvati, during the time of Buddha Padumuttara. On one occasion, while listening to a sermon by the Buddha, she saw a certain female lay disciple being named as the foremost in looking after a sick bhikkhu in an exceptional way. She had a strong desire to become such a disciple in her future existence. After making a great offering, she made her wish in front of the Buddha who predicted that her wish would be fulfilled in her future existence.

2. As Suppiyǎ in Her Last Existence

After faring for a hundred thousand world-cycles in the deva realm or the human realm, she was reborn into the family of a rich householder in the city of Bǎrǎṇasī, during the time of Buddha Gotama. She was named Suppiyǎ. When she was of marriageable age she

became the wife of a son of a householder.

It was then that the Buddha visited Bǎrǎṇasī in the company of many bhikkhus and was staying in the monastery at Isipatana Migadǎvana. Suppiyǎ, the householder’s wife, visited the Buddha and after listening to His discourse on her first visit, she was established in the fruition of Stream-Entry.

Suppiyǎ’s Astounding Zeal in Giving

One day, after listening to the Buddha’s sermon, Suppiyǎ made a round of the monastic dwelling at Migadǎvana to see to the needs of their residents. She came across a wan, enfeebled bhikkhu who had taken some purgative. She asked him what sort of food or medicine would do him good. He replied: ‚Lay female supporter, meat soup would do me good.‛ Suppiyǎ said: ‚So be it, Venerable Sir, I will send some meat soup to you,‛ and she left after making obeisance to the bhikkhu. On the next day, she sent her servant to buy some meat in the bazaar, hoping to get some meat for sales to unspecified buyers. The servant could not find such meat and reported to her.

Suppiyǎ thought to herself: ‚I have promised to the sick bhikkhu to send meat soup. If I do not make good my word, he would feel ill at ease because he is not likely to get meat soup from anywhere else. So, I must see that he gets the meat soup somehow.‛ She went into her bedroom and cut a piece of flesh from her thigh, which she gave to her house- maid to cook some soup using the usual ingredient (such as chilli, onion and other condiments) and said: ‚Take this soup to the sick bhikkhu and offer it to him. If he asks about me, tell him that I am taken ill.‛ The house-maid did as she was told.

The Buddha learned about the matter. On the next morning, at the time of making the daily alms-collecting, He went to Suppiyǎ’s house (being invited by her husband) in the company of many bhikkhus. After having seated at the special seat prepared for Him, the Buddha asked the householder: ‚Where is Suppiyǎ?‛

‚She is unwell, Venerable Sir,‛ answered the householder.

‚Let her come to Me, even though she is unwell.‛

‚She is unable to walk, Venerable Sir.‛