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since I was born into this body here. 637. Having seen five hundred years, staying in this mansion, dear ones; I shall pass away due to the exhaustion of life and merit, for that very sorrow I fainted. 638. How could such a one grieve, having obtained an incomparable mansion for a long time? But those who are born for a short time, they indeed should grieve, those of little merit. 639. It is fitting and an instruction to me, that you speak kind words to me. And you, dear ones, protected by me, go safely wherever you wish. 640. Having gone to the land of Sindhu-Sovīra, seeking grain, desiring profit; according to our means, with full generosity, we shall perform a great Serīsaka sacrifice. 641. Do not perform the Serīsaka sacrifice, all that you speak of will be yours. Avoid evil deeds, and establish yourselves in the practice of Dhamma. 642. There is a lay follower in this assembly, learned, endowed with virtue; faithful, generous, very amiable, discerning, contented, wise. 643. Knowing, he would not speak falsely, nor would he intend harm to others; he would not engage in divisive speech or slander, and he would speak gentle and friendly words. 644. Respectful, deferential, disciplined, harmless, purified in higher virtue; that being, his mother and father, he supports righteously, with noble conduct. 645. I think he seeks wealth for the sake of his parents, not for his own sake; and after the passing of his parents, inclined to renunciation, he will lead the holy life. 646. Upright, not crooked, not deceitful, not cunning, nor would he deal with pretense; such a one, a doer of good deeds, established in Dhamma, how could he obtain suffering? 647. For that reason I have revealed myself, therefore, merchants, see the Dhamma; otherwise, here you would turn to ashes, confused and blind... Not destroyed in the forest; By him quickly, lightly, by another, Happy indeed is association with a good person. 648. What is his name, and what work does he do? What is his name, and what is his clan? We too wish to see him, O Yakkha, Out of compassion for whom you have come here. Fortunate indeed is he whom you favor. 649. He is a barber, named Sambhava, A lay follower, who lives by selling fruits. Know that he is your messenger, Do not despise him, he is very gentle. 650. We know whom you speak of, O Yakkha, But we did not know he was such a one. We too will honor him, O Yakkha, Having heard your excellent words. 651. All the people in this caravan, Whether young, old, or middle-aged, Let all of them grasp the celestial mansion, And let the miserly see the fruit of merits. 652. All of them there, saying 'I first!', Having placed that barber in front, All of them grasped the celestial mansion, Like the essence of a cloud of Indra. 653. All of them there, saying 'I first!', Declared their lay followership. They abstained from taking life, They avoided what is not given in the world. They did not drink intoxicants, nor did they speak falsely, And they were content with their own wives. 654. All of them there, saying 'I first!', Having declared their lay followership, The caravan departed, rejoicing, Repeatedly approved by the Yakkha's power. 655. Having gone to the land of Sindhu-Sovīra, Seeking wealth, desiring prosperity, According to their efforts, with full gains, They returned unharmed to Pāṭaliputta. 656. Having returned home safely, United with their sons and wives, Joyful, delighted, cheerful, pleased, They performed a great Serīsaka festival. They built a Serīsaka monastery. 657. Such is the association with good people, Of great benefit is the cultivation of virtuous qualities. For the sake of one lay follower, All beings were happy. were. The Story of the Petī Serīsaka, the second. The third recitation section is finished. 3. The Story of the Petī Nandaka 658. There was a king named Piṅgalaka, he was the lord of the Suratthas; Having gone to attend the Moriyas, he returned again to Surattha. 659. In the heat of midday, the king came to a muddy place; He saw a delightful path, that was the path of description for the departed. 660. The king addressed the charioteer – “This path is delightful, safe, auspicious, and blessed; Let us go by this, charioteer, from here to the vicinity of Surattha.” 661. By that way, the Surattha king proceeded, with his four-fold army; A man, agitated, spoke thus to the Surattha king. 662. “We have entered a wrong path, frightful, hair-raising; The path is seen ahead, but not seen behind. 663. “We have entered a wrong path, to the vicinity of Yama’s men; An inhuman smell wafts, a dreadful sound is heard.” 664. The Surattha king, agitated, spoke thus to the charioteer; “We have entered a wrong path, frightful, hair-raising; The path is seen ahead, but not seen behind. 665. “We have entered a wrong path, to the vicinity of Yama’s men; An inhuman smell wafts, a dreadful sound is heard.” 666. Ascending the elephant’s back, looking in all four directions; He saw a delightful banyan tree, a tree full of shade; Like the color of a blue cloud, resembling the splendor of a cloud’s color. 667. The king addressed the charioteer, “What is that great thing seen; Like the color of a blue cloud, resembling the splendor of a cloud’s color?” 668. “That is a great banyan tree, Your Majesty, a tree full of shade; Like the color of a blue cloud, resembling the splendor of a cloud’s color.” 669. By that way, the Surattha king proceeded, to where that great thing was seen; Like the color of a blue cloud, resembling the splendor of a cloud’s color. 670. On the elephant's back Having descended from the elephant, the king approached the tree; He sat at the foot of the tree, with his ministers and retinue; He saw a full jug of water, and cakes and fried foods. 671. And a man with a divine appearance, adorned with all ornaments; Approaching the king, spoke this to the lord of the land: 672. "Welcome to you, great king, and your coming is not far; Let the king drink water, eat the cakes, O subduer of foes." 673. Having drunk the water, the king, with his ministers and retinue; Having eaten the cakes and drunk, spoke this to the lord of the land: 674. "Are you a deity or a gandhabba, or Sakka, the giver of cities? Not knowing, we ask you, how may we know you?" 675. "I am not a deity, nor a gandhabba, nor Sakka, the giver of cities; I am a hungry ghost, great king, who came here from Surattha." 676. "What was your conduct, what was your behavior, in Surattha formerly? By what holy life of yours is this your power?" 677. "Listen to that, great king, O subduer of foes, O enhancer of the realm; Ministers and councilors, and the brahmin purohita. 678. "In Surattha, O king, I was a man with an evil mind; Wrongly-viewed and immoral, miserly and a slanderer. 679. "'I would hinder many people who were giving and doing; I was an obstacle to others who were giving. 680. "'There is no fruit of giving, how can there be fruit of self-restraint? There is no such thing as a teacher, who will tame the untamed? 681. "'Beings are all equal, how can there be respect for elders? There is no strength or energy, how can there be human effort? 682. "'There is no such thing as the fruit of giving, it does not purify an enemy; A mortal obtains what is to be obtained, resulting from fixed destiny. 683. "'There is no mother, father, brother, there is no world beyond this; There is no given, there is no offered, nothing well-placed exists. 684. "'Even if one were to kill a person, cut off another's head; No one kills anyone, the seven in the opening/gap. Indeed, the soul is unbreakable, indivisible, eight-sided, round like a ball; Five hundred yojanas (in size), who can cut the soul? Just as a ball of thread, when thrown, unwinds and goes forth; Even so, that soul, unwinds and goes forth. Just as leaving one village, one enters another village; Even so, that soul, enters another body. Just as leaving one house, one enters another house; Even so, that soul, enters another body. Eighty-four hundred thousand great aeons, indeed, hundreds of thousands; Both fools and the wise, having exhausted transmigration, will make an end to suffering. Pleasures and pains are measured, by baskets and by bushels; The Conqueror knows all, other beings are deluded. Such was my view before, deluded, enveloped in ignorance; With wrong view and immoral, stingy, and a slanderer. Within six months for me, death will occur; To a hell utterly bitter and dreadful, I shall fall. Four-cornered, with four doors, divided and measured in parts; Surrounded by an iron wall, enclosed by iron. Its iron ground, ablaze, endowed with heat; For a hundred yojanas all around, it spreads and stands always. For hundreds of thousands of years, the sound is heard at once; This is a mark, O great king, of a hundred-fold crore of years. Hundreds of thousands of crores, people are cooked in hell; Those with wrong views and immoral, and those who slander the noble ones. There I, for a long time, will experience painful feelings; The fruit of evil deeds, therefore, I grieve intensely. Listen to this, O great king, subduer of enemies, prosperity of the realm; My daughter, O great king, Uttara, may there be well-being for you. She does good (deeds) ...doing good deeds, delighted in virtues and Uposatha; Self-restrained, and sharing, courteous, free from stinginess. 700. One who keeps the training unbroken, and a daughter-in-law in other families; A female lay follower of the Sakya Sage, of the Glorious Fully Awakened One. 701. And a monk, endowed with virtue, entered the village for alms; With downcast eyes, mindful, with guarded senses, well-restrained. 702. Walking from house to house in order, he came to that dwelling; 'Him she saw, O great king, Uttara, may there be welfare for you.' 703. A full cup of water, and cakes, she gave; 'My father has passed away, Venerable sir,