English
Our teacher, the Blessed One, is a god, revered by the great Brahmās; Worthy of veneration, always with reverence, by the king of gods, the Asuras, and the Siddhas. In all the world systems, those who are supreme and those who are revered; The Blessed One, O great king, is the foremost of them, our power. "It is not fitting, O king, that this was done by the gods' families," they said. Hearing that, the king said, "Indeed, all people speak of the greatness of their own deities. But how do you make known to us the greatness of your teacher?" The lay followers said, "O great king, if you do not trust us, have a plank brought, wrap it in a clean cloth, seal it with your own signet ring, and place it in a well-guarded and protected shrine. After seven days, have it brought out and look at it. Then you will know the great power of our teacher." Then the king, according to their instructions, had it done and ordered it to be placed in the inner shrine, all the doors closed, sealed, and guarded. Then all those lay followers gathered together, giving alms for seven days, keeping the precepts, performing the Uposatha observance, cultivating loving-kindness towards all beings, sharing the merit of their good deeds with all beings, and offering worship to the Three Jewels, they proclaimed thus: "By the power of the merit we have done, may all the gods in the world who are mighty and powerful, and the four great kings who protect the world, show the state of standing to attend upon our teacher." Thus they made a declaration of truth. Then, by the power of their merit, at that very moment, Sakka, the king of the gods' throne of rough cloth, showed a sign of heat. Then, looking at the human world, seeing that offense done by those with wrong views, he was agitated, came, and having bowed at the feet of the Blessed One, making a sleeping posture, Having related the account of the lay followers, he went to his own dwelling. Then on the seventh day, early in the morning, they all went to the king, paid homage, and said, "Your Majesty, our lord, having bowed his head at the feet of the Blessed One, is lying down." Then the king, hearing their words, had a drum paraded in the city, gathered the populace, and surrounded by them, went to the shrine, had the seal broken, the door opened, and the plank brought forth, and had the wrapping cloth removed. Then the king and the populace, seeing that great miracle, abandoning false views, all went for refuge to the Teacher. Then the king had that shrine demolished, had a great and beautiful monastery built, and having performed meritorious deeds throughout his life, was reborn in the heaven world. 13. Not wonderful while the Teacher was living, Seeing the skillful perform deeds of power; Those who, when the Lord of Sages has passed away, Perform meritorious deeds, attain great results. The Fifth Story: Kāvirapaṭṭana. 26. In the Story of the Robber-Slayer, this is the sequential account: It is said that at one time our Blessed One, dwelling near Sāvatthi in Jeta's Grove, was bestowing the wealth of heaven and liberation upon the great multitude through the teaching of the Dhamma. At that time, five hundred robbers, coming from the forest into the city, supported their wives and children by committing robbery at night. Then one day, as the robbers were entering the city for the purpose of robbery, they saw a distressed villager at the city gate and asked, "Friend, where do you live?" He revealed that he was a villager from his own people. Then they said to him, "Why, friend, do you live in this miserable state? Come, joining us in robbery, support your wife and children with wealth of clothes and ornaments. Do not live in this wretched state." He, thinking that they were speaking reasonably, accepted their words. Then they said, "If that is so, come with us," and taking him, they entered the city and committed robbery, plundering here and there. A countryman, having gained wealth, lived his life committing robbery with them, thinking this was better. Then one day, the king's men, having caught them in the act, tightly bound them with their hands behind their backs and presented them to King Kosala. The king, seeing them, said this: "Sirs, among you, whoever kills these, bringing about their death, I will grant him life." Hearing that, all those thieves, because of their mutual kinship, friendship, and connection, did not want that. But that countryman said to the king, "I will kill all these," and, being permitted by him, killed them all. Seeing that, the king, pleased, gave him the job of executioner. He, killing thieves and those liable to punishment, lived for twenty-five years, and in the latter part of his life, he became old. Then, because of his weakened strength, he was not able to kill a thief even with a few blows. The king, knowing that, gave the executioner's job to another. Then he, having been dismissed from the executioner's job, lived in his own house. At that time, another man knew a mantra for killing people with breath through the nose by reciting it. Thus, if he wanted to cut or break anything, such as hands, feet, ears, nose, or head, he would recite the mantra and release breath through his nose. That place would be cut or broken. Such was the great power of that mantra. Then he attended to that man, obtained the mantra, and sent a message to the king: "Before, because of old age, I cut and broke the hands, feet, etc., of thieves with difficulty, and I killed even those who were to be killed with difficulty. But now I do not do so. By the power of my mantra, I will do the cutting and breaking." The king, hearing that message, said "Good!" and had him summoned, restoring him to his former position. From then on, doing that job, he passed another five years. He, old, with diminished life, weak, lying on his deathbed, with great and terrible suffering from the pain of death utteraṃ gato, dānassāyaṃ vipākato. He was lying there, uttering a discordant cry, with closed eyes, seeing a terrifying sight: the blazing flames of hellfire, hell-wardens holding iron clubs and hammers. Then, the people in the neighboring house, hearing his terrifying cries, abandoned their house and fled. On that very day, the Elder Mahā Sāriputta, surveying the world with his divine eye, saw that executioner, having died that very day, being reborn in hell, and knowing, "If I go there, he will be reborn in heaven through faith in me," thinking, "Today I should grant him favor," having dressed in the early morning, he went to the door of his house. Then, seeing the Elder, angry, with his body trembling with rage, thinking, "Today I will strike you, split you open, and kill you," lying down, he recited a mantra, and released breath through his nostrils. The Elder, at that moment, entered into cessation, and rising from cessation, shining like the sun, he stood. Then, he did the same to the Elder three times, but unable to do anything, with his mind greatly astonished, having pleased his mind towards the Elder, he gave the prepared milk-rice to the Elder. The Elder blessed him, and went to the monastery. The executioner, recollecting the gift given to the Elder, at that moment, having died, was reborn in heaven. Oh, the power of the Buddha's sons, free from passion! Thus, even one being reborn in hell, through their power, is reborn in heaven. Thus it is said: 1. Giving is protection for humans, giving is a barrier against misfortune; giving is a stairway to heaven, giving is supreme peace. 2. Giving with desired objects, giving is like a wish-fulfilling jewel; like a wish-granting tree for beings, giving is like a pot of good fortune. 3. Through giving to the virtuous, even the glory of a wheel-turning monarch, they obtain the wealth of Sakka, and also transcendental bliss. 4. Addicted to evil deeds, he was standing on the path to hell; by the power of the alms-food given to the Elder Sāriputta. 5. Having avoided the lower realms, full of various sufferings, he went to the assembly of gods, this is the result of giving. Having wasted away, he went to the excellent city of gods. 6. Therefore, with faith in good fields, give gifts as desired; Giving gifts, morality too, should be beautifully maintained. Then the monks, having gathered in the Dhamma hall, sat down and asked the Blessed One, "Where, O Blessed One, was that evil one reborn in which of the four woeful states?" Then the Teacher said, "Today, monks, by the power of the gift given to Sāriputta, he was reborn in the world of gods, and as a result of that, in the future, he will become a Paccekabuddha," he declared. 7. O Sāriputta, a gift well-placed, Quickly leads to the path of heaven; Therefore, give gifts in good fields, If you desire benefit, heaven, and liberation hereafter. The Sixth Story: The Story of the Thief-Killer. 27. In the story of the faithful lay follower, this is the sequential account: It is said that in the time of Kassapa, the Ten-Powered One, a certain man, faithful and devoted to the Three Jewels, lived by making a living with a sugarcane press. Then he saw a sick monk and gave him a small amount of ghee, and likewise, he gave a monk a lump of jaggery, then on another day, seeing a very hungry dog, he helped it with a lump of rice, then he gave a debtor a kahāpaṇa, then one day while listening to the Dhamma, he offered a cloth to the monk who was teaching the Dhamma, having done so much meritorious work, wandering in existences, "Whatever I desire, even in oceans and mountains, may that be fulfilled," he made a wish, then later, having passed away, by those very wholesome roots, as if awakened from sleep, he was reborn in the world of gods, and there he experienced great divine wealth, and having passed away from there, in the time of our Blessed One, he was reborn in a wealthy, great Sāla family in Sāvatthi, then having reached maturity, from time to time, listening to the Dhamma,