English
"I, having been a human among humans, in a former birth, in the human world. "I saw the dustless Buddha, with a mind perfectly clear and untroubled; To him I gave alms, with a joyful heart, with my own hands. "Therefore, such is my radiance, and my radiance shines in all directions." "With surpassing radiance, O deity, you stand, Illuminating all directions, like a luminous star. "By what is such your radiance, and your radiance shines in all directions?" That deity, delighted, with a joyful mind, answered the Sakka, king of the devas, with these verses, telling of the fruit of which karma this was. "I, having been a human among humans, in a former birth, in the human world. "I saw the dustless monk, with a mind perfectly clear and untroubled; To him I gave alms, with a joyful heart, with my own hands. "Therefore, such is my radiance, and my radiance shines in all directions." And Ā, then Ācāmadāyikā; Caṇḍālī and Bhadditthī, Soṇadinnā, Uposathā; Niddā and Suniddā, and two alms-givers; This is called the chapter. The first recitation section is finished. 3. The Pāricchattaka Chapter 1. The Story of the Splendid Mansion 286. "Splendid is your fame and beauty, all directions shine; Maidens dance and sing, divine sons are adorned. 287. They rejoice and attend, in your honor, O goddess; Golden mansions, these are yours, O beautiful one. 288. You are their sovereign, endowed with all desires; You are nobly born and great, you rejoice in the divine realm; O goddess, tell me when asked, of what deed is this the fruit?" 289. "I, being human among humans, in a former birth in the human world; Was a daughter-in-law in a family of bad conduct, among the faithless and stingy. 290. Full of faith and virtue, always delighting in sharing; To one wandering for alms, I gave a cake. 291. Then I told my mother-in-law, 'A recluse came here; I gave him a cake, with my own hands, joyfully.' 292. Then her mother-in-law scolded, 'You are ill-behaved, daughter-in-law; You did not wish to ask me, and gave to the recluse.' 293. Then my mother-in-law, angered, struck me with a pestle; She struck my head and killed me, I could not live long. 294. I, upon the breaking up of the body, freed and passed away from there; Was reborn into the company of the Tāvatiṃsa gods. 295. Therefore, such is my beauty... and my beauty shines in all directions." The first, the Splendid Mansion. 2. The Story of the Sugarcane-Giver's Mansion 296. "Having illuminated the earth with its gods, you outshine the moon and sun; With splendor, beauty, fame, and glory, like Brahmā among the Tāvatiṃsa gods with Indra. 297. I ask you, wearer of lotus garlands, adorned with a wreath, what Adorned, wearing excellent garments, who are you, beautiful deity, who worships me? 298. “What deed did you do yourself before, when you were a human in a former birth? Was it well-practiced giving, or self-restraint in virtue? By what have you attained a glorious happy destination? Deity, being asked, tell me, of what deed is this the fruit?” 299. “Just now, venerable sir, to this very village, for alms, you came to our house. Then I gave you a piece of sugarcane, with a serene mind, with immeasurable joy. 300. “And my mother-in-law later questioned me, ‘Where, daughter-in-law, did you throw away the sugarcane?’ ‘It was not thrown away, nor was it eaten by me, I myself gave it to the peaceful bhikkhu.’ 301. “‘Is this your authority, or mine?’ Thus my mother-in-law scolded me. Taking a stool, she struck me. Having fallen from there, I died and became a deity. 302. “That very wholesome deed done by me, I myself experience the pleasant result of that deed. I sport with the deities, I rejoice with the five strands of sensual pleasure. 303. “That very wholesome deed done by me, I myself experience the pleasant result of that deed. Protected by the lord of devas, guarded by the thirty-three, endowed with the five strands of sensual pleasure. 304. “Such a fruit of merit, not small, is my gift of sugarcane, with great ripening. I sport with the deities, I rejoice with the five strands of sensual pleasure. 305. “Such a fruit of merit, not small, is my gift of sugarcane, with great radiance. Protected by the lord of devas, guarded by the thirty-three, like the thousand-eyed one in the Nandana grove. 306. “And you, venerable sir, knowing compassion, I approached and worshipped, and asked about wholesome deeds. Then I gave you a piece of sugarcane, with a serene mind, with immeasurable joy.” The second Vimāna of the Sugarcane Giver. 3. The Story of the Couch Vimāna 307. “On an excellent couch, adorned with jewels and gold, strewn with flowers, in a splendid couch; There you dwell, O goddess of great power, manifesting various psychic powers. "And these nymphs all around you, they dance, they sing, they delight you; You have attained divine power, O greatly potent one, what merit did you do when you were a human being? By what are you thus shining with power, and your radiance illuminates all directions?" "When I was a human among humans, I was a daughter-in-law in a wealthy family; Not angry, obedient to my husband, I was diligent in the Uposatha vows. Being human, young, and blameless, with a serene mind, I pleased my husband; Day and night, I acted agreeably, I was formerly virtuous. Abstaining from killing, not stealing, with a purified body, pure in conduct; Not drinking intoxicants, nor speaking falsehoods, I was a complete performer of the precepts. On the fourteenth, the fifteenth, and the eighth day of the fortnight; And during the special fortnight, I was of serene mind. Endowed with eight factors, practicing according to the Dhamma, I observed the Uposatha with a joyful mind; And having undertaken this noble Uposatha, endowed with excellent eight factors, a wholesome act leading to happiness; As a good wife, obedient to my husband, I was formerly a disciple of the Sugata. "Having performed such wholesome deeds in the world of the living, having become a partaker of distinction through my actions; At the breaking up of the body, in the next world, I have attained divine power and arrived in a good destination. "In a delightful, excellent palace-mansion, surrounded by a host of nymphs; The self-luminous hosts of devas delight me, I have come to the divine mansion, long-lived." The Couch Mansion, the third. 4. The Story of the Creeper Mansion Latā, adorned, and an excellent deity, radiant, of the glorious best king; And Sutā, daughter of King Vessavaṇa, Rājīmatī, shone with qualities of Dhamma. Here five women came to bathe, in a cool-watered lotus pond, auspicious ...to the river. They, the devatās, having bathed there, having sported, having danced, having sung, heard Lata spoke. "I ask you, O lotus-garland-wearer, O garland-wearer, with hair like gold, O dark-red-eyed one, shining like the sky, O long-lived one, by whom was your glory made? "By what, O good one, are you dearer to your husband, more excellent in beauty than others? Skilled in dance, song, and music, tell us, you who are questioned by men and women." "I, being a human among humans, was a daughter-in-law in a family of great wealth. Not angry, obedient to my husband's will, I was diligent in the Uposatha vows. "Being human, young, and blameless, with a serene mind, I pleased my husband. With my brother-in-law, my parents-in-law, my servants, I pleased them; thereby was my glory made. "I, by that wholesome deed, attained distinction in four ways: long life, beauty, happiness, and strength, and abundant enjoyment of sport and delight. "Have you heard what this Lata says, what we asked her, she told us. Indeed, for our husbands, for distinguished women, their destiny is excellent, and they are devatās. "Let us all practice the Dhamma towards our husbands, where women become devoted to their husbands. Having all practiced the Dhamma towards our husbands, we shall obtain what this Lata says. "Just as a lion, roaming the mountain slopes, having dwelt on the great mountain, having forcibly killed other four-footed animals, eats the small deer, being a flesh-eater. "Even so, a faithful noble disciple here, relying on her husband, devoted to her lord, having slain anger, having overcome stinginess, that virtuous woman rejoices in heaven." "A seven-stringed lute, very sweet, I played delightfully. He calls me on the stage, 'Be my refuge, Kosiyā!'" "I am your refuge" I am, I am a teacher-worshipper; The disciple will not conquer him, O teacher, you will conquer the disciple. With an excellent complexion, O deity, you stand; Illuminating all directions, like a star, like a medicinal herb. By what is your complexion such? By what do you succeed here? And your enjoyments arise, whatever are dear to your mind. I ask you, O greatly powerful deity, what merit did you do when you were a human? By what are you thus shining with power, and your complexion illuminates all directions? That deity, delighted, questioned by Moggallāna; Being asked the question, she explained, of which kamma this is the fruit. A woman who gives excellent cloth, becomes pre-eminent among men and women; Thus giving a pleasing, lovely form, she obtains a divine station upon arrival. See my mansion, I am an apsara with a desirable form; I am pre-eminent among a thousand apsaras, see the result of merits. Therefore my complexion is such, therefore I succeed here; And my enjoyments arise, whatever are dear to my mind. I tell you, O greatly powerful monk, the merit I did when I was a human; Therefore I am thus shining with power, and my complexion illuminates all directions. With an excellent complexion, O deity, you stand; Illuminating all directions, like a star, like a medicinal herb. By what is your complexion such? By what do you succeed here? And your enjoyments arise, whatever are dear to your mind. I ask you, O greatly powerful deity, what merit did you do when you were a human?