English
Having become a brahmin named Suruci, Approached, thinking, "I will invite the Teacher," And, having heard sweet Dhamma talk, Said, "Tomorrow, accept alms from me, Venerable Sir." The brahmin asked, "How many monks do you have?" "And how many are your attendant monks, Venerable Sir?" At that time, it was the Teacher's very first assembly. Therefore, he said, "One hundred thousand crores." "Venerable Sir, accept alms from me with all of them," he said. The Teacher consented. The brahmin, having invited them for the next day, Went home thinking, "I am not able to give porridge, rice, clothes, and so on To so many monks, But how will there be a place to sit?" That thought of his Generated heat in the Paṇḍukambala stone throne Of the king of gods, standing at the summit Of eighty-four thousand yojanas. Sakka, looking with his divine eye, Thinking, "Who now wishes to remove me from this place?" Saw the Great Being and thought, "This brahmin Suruci, Having invited the Sangha of monks With the Buddha at its head, Is thinking about a place to sit; It is fitting that I also go there And take a share of merit." Having created the appearance of a carpenter, With axe and adze in hand, He appeared before the Great Being. He said, "Is there any work to be done for wages?" The Great Being, seeing him, said, "What work will you do?" "There is no craft that I do not know; Whether it be a house or a pavilion, Whatever one wants done, I know how to do it." "Then do my work." "Is there anything I can do for you, sir?" "Yes, tomorrow I have invited a hundred thousand million monks, will you make a pavilion for them to sit in?" "How could I do that, unless you can afford to pay me?" "I can afford it, my dear." "Very well, I will do it," he said, and looked at a certain place. A space of twelve or thirteen leagues was as level as a kasina-circle. He thought, "In this place let a pavilion of the seven precious things arise," and he looked. Immediately the pavilion rose up, breaking through the earth. On its golden pillars were silver ornaments, on the silver pillars were golden ornaments, on the jewel pillars were coral ornaments, on the coral pillars were jewel ornaments, and on the pillars of the seven precious things were ornaments of the seven precious things. Then he looked, "Let a network of tinkling bells hang between the pillars of the pavilion." As soon as he looked, the network of tinkling bells hung down, and when stirred by a gentle breeze, a sweet sound issued forth, like a five-piece orchestra. It was like a time for divine music to be played. He thought, "Let garlands and wreaths of fragrant flowers hang between the pillars." Immediately the garlands hung down. He thought, "Let seats and supports for a hundred thousand million monks rise up, breaking through the earth." Immediately they rose up. He thought, "Let a water pot rise up in each corner." Immediately the water pots rose up. Having made so much, he went to the brahmin and said, "Come, sir, look at your pavilion and give me my wages." The great man went and looked at the pavilion. As he looked, his whole body was continuously filled with five-colored joy. Then, having looked at the pavilion, he thought, "This pavilion was not made by a human being, but surely, because of my intention, because of my virtue, Sakka's palace became hot. Therefore, this pavilion must have been made by Sakka, the king of the gods." "But it is not appropriate for me "It is fitting to give alms in such a pavilion for one day only, I will give for a week," he thought. For external almsgiving, even that much, is not able to please the Bodhisattas. But when the adorned head is cut off, or the anointed eyes are plucked out, or the heart flesh is torn out and given, then, relying on the Bodhisattas' generosity, there is satisfaction. For even when we, as the Bodhisatta in the Sivi Jātaka, spent five hundred thousand kahāpaṇas daily, giving alms at the four city gates and in the middle of the city, that almsgiving was not able to produce satisfaction. But when Sakka, the king of the gods, came in the guise of a brahmin and asked for his eyes, then, as he plucked them out and gave them, laughter arose, and not even a hair's breadth of difference was in his mind. Thus, relying on almsgiving, there is no satiety for the Bodhisattas. Therefore, that great man also, thinking, "It is fitting for me to give alms to hundreds of thousands of millions of bhikkhus for a week," had the Sangha of bhikkhus, with the Buddha at its head, seated in that pavilion and gave what is called gavapāna for a week. Gavapāna means filling very large pots with milk, placing them on hearths, and cooking food made with thick, boiled milk, with a little rice thrown in, mixed with cooked honey, sugar powder, and ghee. Humans alone were not able to serve it, even the gods served it intermittently. Even a place measuring twelve or thirteen yojanas was not enough for the bhikkhus to occupy. But those bhikkhus sat down by their own power. On the final day, after having the bowls of all the bhikkhus washed, he filled them with ghee, butter, oil, honey, and molasses for medicine and gave them along with the three robes. The sāṭakas of the three robes received by each of the Sangha-novice bhikkhus were worth a hundred thousand. The Teacher, giving thanks, considering, "This man has given such a great alms, who will he be?" Seeing that, at the end of countless aeons, a Buddha named Gotama would arise, he addressed the great being and predicted, "After so long, you will become a Buddha named Gotama." Having heard the prediction, the great being thought, "I will become a Buddha, what is the use of household life to me? I will renounce," and abandoning such wealth as if it were a lump of spit, he went forth in the presence of the Teacher. Having gone forth, having learned the Buddha's word, and having developed the superknowledges and attainments, at the end of his life, he was reborn in the Brahma world. For the Blessed One Maṅgala, the city was named Uttara. His father was a king named Uttara, his mother was also named Uttarā, Sudeva and Dhammasena were the two chief disciples, Pālita was the attendant, Sīvalī and Asokā were the two chief female disciples, the Nāga tree was the Bodhi tree, and his body was eighty-eight cubits high. When he had lived for ninety thousand years and attained final Nibbāna, ten thousand world-systems became dark with a single blow. In all the world-systems, there was great weeping and lamentation among humans. Thus, after that Blessed One, who had plunged the ten-thousandfold world-system into darkness, had attained final Nibbāna, a Teacher named Sumana arose. He also had three assemblies of disciples. In the first assembly, there were one hundred thousand crores of monks. In the second, at Mount Kañcana, ninety crores of thousands, in the third, eighty crores of thousands. At that time, the great being was a Nāga king named Atula, mighty and powerful, and having heard that "a Buddha has arisen," he emerged from the Nāga abode surrounded by a retinue of relatives, had offerings made to that Blessed One with a retinue of one hundred thousand crores of monks with divine music, established a great almsgiving, gave pairs of cloths to each one, and took refuge. That Teacher also predicted of him, "In the future, you will become a Buddha." For that Blessed One, the city was named Mekhala, the king named Sudatta was the father, and Sirimā was the mother, s Araṇa and Bhāvitatta were the two chief disciples, Udena was the attendant, Soṇā and Upasoṇā were the two chief female disciples, The Nāga tree was the Bodhi tree, Ninety cubits was the height of the body, Ninety thousand years was the life span. After him, Revata, the teacher, arose. He also had three assemblies of disciples, In the first assembly, there was no counting, In the second, there were a hundred thousand kotis of monks, Likewise in the third. Then the Bodhisatta, becoming a brahmin named Atideva, Having heard the teacher's Dhamma teaching, Having established himself in the refuges, Having placed his joined hands on his head, Having spoken of the destruction of defilements of that teacher, Made an offering with his upper robe. He also declared him, "You will become a Buddha." The city of that Blessed One was named Sudhaññavatī, The father was a noble named Vipula, The mother also was named Vipulā, Varuṇa and Brahmadeva were the two chief disciples, Sambhava was the attendant, Bhaddā and Subhaddā were the two chief female disciples, The Nāga tree was the Bodhi tree, The body was eighty cubits in height, The lifespan was sixty thousand years. After him, Sobhita, the teacher, arose. He also had three assemblies of disciples, In the first assembly, there were a hundred kotis of monks, In the second, ninety kotis, In the third, eighty kotis. Then the Bodhisatta, becoming a brahmin named Ajita, Having heard the teacher's Dhamma teaching, Having established himself in the refuges, Gave a great gift to the Sangha of monks with the Buddha at its head. He also declared him, "You will become a Buddha." The city of that Blessed One was named Sudhamma, The father was a king named Sudhamma, The mother also was named Sudhammā, Asama and Sunetta were the two chief disciples, Anoma was the attendant, Nakulā and Sujātā were the two chief female disciples, The Nāga tree was the Bodhi tree, Forty-eight cubits was the height of the body, Ninety thousand years was the life span. After him, having passed one incalculable age, In one and the same aeon, three Buddhas arose. Anomadassī, Padumo, Nārada. The Blessed Anomadassī had three assemblies of disciples, in the first, eight hundred thousand monks were present, in the second, seven, in the third, six. Then the Bodhisatta was a commander of yakkhas, mighty, of great power, lord of hundreds of thousands of millions of yakkhas. Hearing that "a Buddha has arisen," he came and gave a great offering