English
Day by day, satisfying ten thousand monks with delicious food and drink, accumulating many merits, one day, being alone in seclusion, he thought thus: "By oppressing the people with royal commands, the giving of alms is not so fruitful. Alms given with what is earned by one's own labor are more fruitful, more beneficial. Thus, it should be done by me." So, entrusting the kingdom to a trustworthy person, his younger brother... Taking it, without informing anyone, in a different guise, he left the city and went to a city named Uttaramadhura. There, a wealthy merchant resided. He approached that merchant and stood. When asked why he had come, the king said, "I will work as a servant in your house." Granted permission by him, he worked for three years. Then, one day, the merchant, seeing him, called him and said, "You are exceedingly delicate. Yet, you have lived long in this house working. In all this time, no laziness has appeared in any work, nor any misconduct. Apart from rice gruel, there is no other favor from me. Why do you work?" Hearing his words, the king said, "In this country, the delightful quality of rice is often heard of. Therefore, I have come here for the sake of rice." Hearing that, the merchant, pleased with them, gave a thousand cartloads of rice. Having obtained the rice, the king said to the merchant, "Sir, bring this to our city." Hearing that, the merchant said, "Very well," and sent a thousand cartloads full of rice to the king's city. Going to the city, the king filled the carts with various colored cloths, gold, silver, and so on for the merchant and sent them back, establishing firm friendship. He then stored the brought rice in the royal palace. Then, after a few days, the king, taking a pestle, with his own hands, pounded the rice, and as he pounded, he snapped his little finger. Thus, both having made a great heap of rice, bringing firewood and water, they cooked sour rice and, setting out five hundred seats in the royal palace, announced the time, "Let the venerable ones come and eat in my house out of compassion." Hearing that, five hundred monks came through the air. The king served them to their satisfaction. Then, among them, a certain elder named Mahāsiva, a resident of Piyangudīpa, taking his meal, resolving, "Let them see me," went through the air to Piyangudīpa and gave the meal to five hundred. Having given it to the monks, he used it. By his power, it was enough for everyone. Thus, even with a small gift, good men please the minds of donors and establish them. It was indeed said: 1. Even with little, the wise one pleases the minds of donors; They increase faith like the moon, the milk ocean with its rays. 2. Not employing in the wrong place, not making accumulation; Without using up, they do not destroy the means. 3. Not leading to theft, not doing likewise; They distribute to the virtuous, having eaten themselves, the virtuous ones. Then the king, standing there with his younger sister, seeing the five hundred monks enjoying themselves on Piyangudipa, was delighted and elated. Then, in the latter part, remembering the excellent gift given by themselves, both of them soon became stream-enterers. 4. Not counting their own suffering, having abandoned great glory; Desiring future existence, the good are thus delighted in good deeds. 5. Merit done with effort is greatly fruitful; Thinking thus, the wise one does it with their own hands. The story of King Mahasena is the first. 32. In the story of Suvannatilaka, this is the sequential narrative: It is said that in Lankadipa, in the city of Anuradhapura, there was a woman full of faith who regularly offered flowers at the Abhayuttara Cetiya. One day, she went with her daughter to that Cetiya to offer flowers. Not seeing water in the flower hall, she placed the flower basket in her daughter's hand and went to the pond with a pot. Then, that girl, while her mother had not yet returned, having taken a handful of flowers and made a circle on the unwashed seat, made this prayer: 1. Of the Great Hero, the Steadfast, the Self-Existent, the Great Seer; Of the Lord, the Protector of the three worlds, the Blessed Teacher. 2. The flowers that I have offered, By the power of that deed, May I be foremost of the beautiful, endowed with height and form. 3. Seeing me, may all men be, overcome with desire; May rays stream from my body, like rays from the sun. 4. May my voice be heart-pleasing, delightful to the ear, sweet and lovely; As the voice of the Kinnaras, so may it flow. Then her mother, having come and seeing the flowers offered at the footstool, said, "Why, o outcast woman, did you offer flowers to the Blessed One at the footstool? It is not fitting that you have done this." Hearing that, she became angry with her mother and called her an outcast woman. Having done so much merit and demerit, in the next existence, having died from there, she was born in Jambudīpa, in Uttaramadhura, as the daughter of an outcast perfumer brahmin. She became exceedingly beautiful. From her body, like lightning from a cloud, rays streamed forth. In a circle of four cubits around her, the darkness vanished by the radiance of her body. From her mouth came the scent of the lotus, from her body the scent of sandalwood. Between her two breasts was a golden-colored mark, from which light streamed forth like the young sun. Those who saw her mostly became senseless with the intoxication of desire, as if mad. Alas, the power of merit and demerit! Thus: 5. Because she was called an outcast woman, by her angry mother; Therefore, she became an outcast woman, despised, of low birth. 6. Having reflected on the qualities of the Buddha, she offered worship then; By the power of that merit, she was beautiful, delightful. 7. In whatever way, one does deeds, meritorious or unwholesome; According to that, one obtains the fruit, like the peacock. 8. By demerit, they are born in the animal realm, by merit they have; A colorful appearance, such is the deed of the peacocks. Then her parents named her Suvaṇṇatilakā (Golden Mark). In that city, even though people were captivated by the sight and sound of her beauty, they did not marry her, fearing the scorn that she was the daughter of an outcast. Then, in that city, the son of the chief outcast brahmin heard of this matter. She sent clothes, ornaments, perfumes, and garlands to her parents, saying, "Let them give the golden mark to us." They announced that matter to her. Disgusted, she mocked him. Then the Brahmin's son, ashamed, went to the king, released his lute, and sang thus: 9. Women with various restless eyes, Young women with trembling lips; The man who pleases the eyes, He does not abandon even the lowest caste. "What is this?" asked the king. He said: 10. Does clay ever unite, O king, With gold by birth? Does a jackal cow, of low birth, Ever unite with a noble lion, O king? And having said this, "O king, in this city there is a Caṇḍāla girl named Suvaṇṇatilakā, she does not accept gifts sent by those of equal birth, she desires only those of noble lineage. When does a crow ever unite with a golden swan, O king?" Hearing that, the king summoned her father and, telling him the matter, asked, "Is it true?" He replied, "It is true, O king, she desires only those of noble birth." The king said, "In that case, listen. In the city of Pañcamadhura there is a Brahmin named Uddāḷa, he is of noble birth, untainted by either mother or father, and he detests and abhors living with women. As he goes and comes from his house to the royal palace, he has sixteen pots of milk-water sprinkled on the road. Having seen a woman, he washes his face with milk-water, saying, 'A bad omen has been seen by me.' Let your daughter be able to live with him. Tell this matter to your daughter." He, having heard that, went home and, summoning his daughter, told her in the same manner as the king had said. Having heard that, she said, "I will be able to live with Uddāḷa Brahmin, do not worry, and do not make any fuss, I will go early in the morning." When she had spoken, her father, saying "Good," covered her body with a thousand-worth painted blanket-cloak, and with lutes and other instruments. Having taken the drums, he set out on the road with his daughter. While traveling, in a certain city along the way, performing music for the king, he had his daughter sit behind him and played the music. Then, Suvaṇṇatilakā, sitting behind him, casting a glance with the corner of her eye, looked at him with affection, slightly lifted her cloak, and revealed the radiance of her body. The king, seeing the radiance of her body and the perfection of her beauty, became infatuated with desire, lost consciousness, and became bewildered. Regaining consciousness after a moment, he inquired about her marital status. Hearing that she was the daughter of a Caṇḍāla, unable to bring her due to fear of reproach, he lamented, "What is the use of my life if I cannot obtain such a jewel of a woman, endowed with such beauty?" Overwhelmed by desire, not knowing what to do or not to do, he took a sword and cut off his own head, and died. In the same way, along the way, five kings, intoxicated by the pride of her beauty, lost their lives, their heads severed by swords. Thus, beings, attached to loved ones such as gold, silver, male and female slaves, children, and wives, overwhelmed by desire, meet with misfortune and calamity. This was said by the Blessed One: 11. From affection springs sorrow, From affection springs fear; For one freed from affection, There is no sorrow, how could there be fear? 12. From love springs sorrow, From love springs fear; For one freed from love, There is no sorrow, how could there be fear? 13. From delight springs sorrow, From delight springs fear; For one freed from delight, There is no sorrow, how could there be fear? 14. From desire springs sorrow,