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Now I plant a seed, in a good field, well-regarded; Perhaps I might May I be happy in the next world. 15. Thus thinking, begging for food, making offerings in various ways; Having a pavilion built there, inviting the monks. 16. With effort, I gave the rice gruel, the drink of immortality; By that karmic result, in the delightful heavenly world. 17. I was born, rejoicing in divine pleasures in many ways; Long-lived, beautiful, and radiant was I. Thus, the divine being extensively narrated the meritorious deeds he had done himself, and the Elder, having come to the human world, revealed to humans the divine prosperity he had seen with his own eyes. Having heard that, the great multitude, having performed meritorious deeds, mostly were reborn in heaven. 18. Even the destitute and miserable, without attachment, Giving alms, attain distinction; If you desire heaven or liberation, Having destroyed the stain of stinginess, give. The eighth story is about the miser. 29. This sequential story is in the story of the divine being. It is said that before, in the time of the Buddha Nārada, this island was known by another name, and at one time there was a famine, a scarcity of crops, and the fear of great hunger afflicted beings. At that time, a disciple of the Blessed Nārada, while wandering for alms in a certain village, emerged as if from a washed leaf. Then, in a certain house, people tied a measure of rice in a bundle, threw it into water, cooked it, took the water, and lived by drinking it. Then, seeing the Elder, they paid homage, took his bowl, cooked the rice with that measure, put it in the bowl, and gave it to the Elder. Then, by the power of their faith, that pot was filled to the brim with rice, and seeing that miracle, they, joyful, thinking, "The result of the alms given to the venerable one is seen by us today," gathered a great crowd, fed them the rice, and afterwards ate themselves. The place where the rice was taken kept filling up. From then on, giving alms to the assembled multitude, at the end of their lives, they were reborn in the heavenly world, and then that Elder... Taking his food, he went and sat at the foot of a certain tree, intending to eat. A young god, born in that tree, afflicted by hunger, saw the elder eating and, abandoning his divine form, stood near him in the guise of an old man. The elder ate without paying attention. The young god, setting aside the last morsel, coughed while the elder was eating, making known his presence. The elder, seeing him, felt remorse and placed the last morsel of food in his hand, then he stood holding the morsel of food and thought. "I have never before given food to ascetics or brahmins, or to the poor and needy, or even to crows and dogs. Therefore, even as a god, I do not obtain food. Come, I will give this morsel of food to the elder himself, that it may be for my long-term benefit and happiness." And thinking thus, abandoning attachment to the morsel of food, he approached the elder, saying, "Venerable sir, I am a servant; enough is my association with this world. Grant me association with the next world," and poured it into his bowl. As soon as the morsel of food fell into the bowl, divine food vessels appeared in a three-league area. The young god, venerating the elder with the five-point prostration, then took the divine food, first giving alms and then eating himself. Then, from the second day onwards, the young god, giving great alms to the elder and the assembled people, at the end of his life, was reborn in the deva world, experiencing divine wealth in the six sensual heavens one after another. In the time of the Buddha Padumuttara, having passed away from there, he was born in Benares in the house of a wealthy, wrong-viewed householder. They named him Devotissa. Later, when he came of age, his parents died. Looking at the storehouses filled with gold, jewels, pearls, etc., he thought, "My parents, being of wrong view, did not do any deeds of giving, etc." Having gone to the next world, they departed without taking even a farthing; but I, resolving that I would take it with me, caused a drum to be beaten, gathered the stingy misers, and within a week gave away all my possessions in charity. Then I entered the forest, took the ascetic's vows, performed the preliminary act of the kasina exercise, developed the five supernormal knowledges and the eight attainments, and became an aerial wanderer. Then, at that time, the Blessed One named Padumuttara, residing in the city of Hamsavati, surrounded by gods and brahmas, was seated teaching the Dhamma connected with the Four Noble Truths. Then that ascetic, going through the sky, seeing the great gathering of people and the six-colored rays emanating from the body of the Blessed One, astonished, descended from the sky, sat down in a great display of Buddhahood, and seeing the Blessed One teaching the Dhamma, with a pleased mind, sat in the assembly, listened to the Dhamma, venerated the Blessed One, and went to his own hermitage. Then he, having stayed there as long as he lived, at the end of his life, was reborn in the Tāvatiṃsa heaven, experiencing divine bliss for thirty aeons, wandering among the six sensual heavens in an unbroken sequence. In fifty-one existences he was Sakka, king of the gods; in twenty-one existences he became a wheel-turning monarch, experiencing human prosperity. In this Buddha-era, after the Blessed One had passed away, having been born in Savatthi in a certain family's house, at the age of seven, he saw a monk teaching the Dhamma. Having seen him, he approached him, listened to the Dhamma, obtained the perception of impermanence, and sitting there, attained arahantship. Then, endowed with analytical insights, looking back at the meritorious deeds he had done, revealing that former conduct in the midst of the monks, he said: Therefore. 1. Nārada, it is said, was the Buddha, the best of men, Liberating the world from suffering, giving the deathless state. 2. At that time, his disciple, with bonds cut, Having begged, obtained lamps, consumed the food. I approached the foot of a tree, There I was a tree-deity; Hungry, looking up, I stood near him. He gave me a lump of food, His heart filled with compassion; Having taken the lump, I stood, Enduring hunger then. Because I had not given before, Any gift, excellent; I am afflicted by hunger, Even born in the divine realm. Today a field is well-gained for me, A gift-worthy thing also exists; Here I will sow a seed, For your liberation. Thus thinking, having worshipped, I am your servant, master is enough; Aiding in this world, Do a deed for the next world. Thus having spoken, I gave, He also ate, compassionate; By that meritorious deed, I obtained wealth instantly. Departed from there, in the six heavens, Enjoying great splendor; For a long time I lived there, Endowed with divine powers. One hundred thousand aeons ago, Named Padumuttara, A world-leader arose, A righteous king, a Tathāgata. Then I was powerful, An ascetic in the forest, Having attained the five superknowledges, I traveled through the sky. Then, going through the sky, In the delightful city of Hamsavati; Surrounded by the Buddha's rays, Adorned with banner garlands. Surrounded by a host of gods, I saw the Conqueror teaching; Having seen him, in the sky, I stood in the midst of the assembly. Having heard the Dhamma, I was elated, Having made time for the Teacher; Departed from there, I reached, Delightful Tāvatiṃsa. For thirty thousand aeons, Wandering among gods and humans; I do not experience misfortune, I obtain abundant happiness. Fifty-one times, I ruled as a divine king; Then twenty-one times, I was a wheel-turning monarch. I ruled in regional kingdoms, Many times here and there; In this auspicious aeon, When the Tathāgatas were extinguished. Urged by meritorious action, In the excellent city of Sāvatthi; Having been born in a noble family, At the age of seven. Having heard the Dhamma being spoken, A bhikkhu I am conscious. Having made an end to existence, I have attained arahantship. 20. Well given was that offering of mine then, well heard was the supreme Dhamma; I put an end to suffering, by the power of that deed. And thus speaking, he encouraged many people in meritorious deeds. 21. By giving, even with the last morsel, By listening to the Dhamma for a moment; Beings attain threefold prosperity, What to say of the fruit for the great giver? The Story of the Deva's Son, the Ninth. 30. In the story of the Elder Sīvali, this is the sequential narrative: It is said that one hundred thousand aeons ago, the Teacher named Padumuttara arose in the world, leading beings to the great deathless Nibbāna through the teaching of the Dhamma. At that time, the Blessed One placed a certain bhikkhu in the foremost position among those who receive offerings in Hamsāvatī, amidst the assembly including the king. Then the king, seeing this, desiring that position, gave a great offering to the Saṅgha headed by the Buddha, and bowed his head at the feet of the Blessed One. Then the Blessed One declared to him that in the future, in the dispensation of the Blessed Gotama, he would attain that position. Hearing that, the delighted king performed meritorious deeds and was reborn in the deva world. Then, in another existence, having become the son of a wealthy man in Bārāṇasī, he attended to a thousand Paccekabuddhas with the four requisites for life, and having been reborn in the deva world, he experienced great prosperity. Having passed away from there, in the time of the Blessed Vipassī, he was born in a certain family home in Bandhumatī city. At that time, he worked for the king, staying in the Senagutta place. Then, the lay followers of the city approached the Vipassī Sammāsambuddha, paid homage, and invited the Blessed One, saying, "Bhante, may the Blessed One, with the Saṅgha, grant us favor.