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Having heard that, the king, with a very pleased mind, having asked her forgiveness, having made great honor and respect, having established her in the place of a mother, saying, "From today you are my mother," went for refuge. The great crowd gathered there, having seen that miracle, established in the refuges and in the precepts, having done meritorious deeds such as giving, went according to their deeds. 17. Thus, having taken up that excellent refuge, She attained coolness in the midst of blazing fire; How could you, protecting the supreme refuge and precepts, Not attain worldly pleasures and also final liberation? The Story of Vessāmittā is the seventh. 8. In the Story of Mahāmandhātu, this is the sequential narrative: It is said that ninety-one aeons ago, Vipassī, the Perfectly Enlightened One, having arisen in the world, turning the excellent Wheel of Dhamma, dwelt in the city of Bandhumatī, being revered by the worlds with gods. At that time, that Mandhātu was born as a tailor in that city. He lived, maintaining his livelihood by the tailor's trade. Then all the inhabitants of the city invited the Saṅgha of monks with the Buddha at its head and gave a great donation. Then he thought thus: "All these inhabitants of the city give donations. I alone am left, due to my poverty. If I do not plant a seed today, I will not be freed from this suffering." He quickly sought out tailor's work, having obtained some wages, not having obtained an opportunity to give a donation to even one person, having gone to the market, having taken a royal māsaka, having filled a small basket, having taken it, to the Saṅgha of monks with the Buddha at its head... Going to the Saṅgha's refectory, he stood and thought thus: "Now there is no opportunity to pour into even one bhikkhu's bowl. Surely, I will scatter these in the sky, so that perhaps even one might fall into a bhikkhu's bowl as they fall. That will be for my long-lasting benefit and happiness." With a pleased mind, he threw them upwards. But as they fell, by the power of the attendant deities and the Buddha's influence, without falling outside, they fell into the bowls of all the bhikkhus, beginning with the Blessed One. Then, seeing that wonder, with a pleased mind, he raised his joined hands to his head and made this aspiration: 1. "By this merit of mine, by the favor to the ascetics, may I be foremost among those enjoying sensual pleasures, in every birth." 2. "Having clapped my hands, when I look at the sky, may a rain endowed with the seven treasures, always fall." From then on, wandering among gods and humans, he experienced great divine wealth, and in this auspicious aeon, at the beginning, he was a king named Mahāsammata. His son was named Roja. His son was named Vararoja, his son was named Kalyāṇa, his son was named Varakalyāṇa. Varakalyāṇa's son was named Uposatha. Uposatha's son was born as Mandhātā. Endowed with the seven treasures and the four powers, he ruled as a wheel-turning monarch. When he folded his left hand and struck it with his right hand, a rain of the seven treasures, knee-high, like divine clouds, would fall from the sky. He was such a wondrous being. He played the games of a prince for eighty-four thousand years. He ruled as sub-king for eighty-four thousand years. He ruled as a wheel-turning monarch for eighty-four thousand years, but his lifespan was countless. One day, unable to fulfill his sensual desire, he showed a sign of longing. The ministers asked, "Lord, what kind of longing is this?" He said, "Friends, when my meritorious deeds are considered, this kingdom is not enough. What Is any place delightful? The world of the Great Kings, O King. He raised the wheel-jewel, and with his retinue, went to the realm of the Four Great Kings. Then the four Great Kings, with divine garlands and perfumes in their hands, surrounded by hosts of deities, went forth to meet him, and taking him, went to the realm of the Four Great Kings, and gave him the kingdom. A long time passed as he ruled in that place, surrounded by his retinue. Even there, unable to satisfy his craving, he showed signs of longing. Then the four Great Kings asked him, "Why, O King, do you long?" "Is any place more delightful than this world?" "O King, we are like attendants of others. The Tāvatiṃsa world is a hundred times more delightful than this." Mandhāta raised the wheel-jewel, and surrounded by his retinue, set out towards Tāvatiṃsa. Then Sakka, the King of the Gods, with divine garlands and perfumes in his hand, surrounded by hosts of deities, went forth to meet him, and taking him by the hand, said, "Come here, O King!" Then, as the king, surrounded by hosts of deities, was traveling, the guiding jewel, taking the wheel-jewel, descended with his retinue into the world of humans, and entered his own home. Sakka led Mandhāta to Sakka's palace, divided the deities into two portions, and splitting his kingdom in half, gave it to him. From then on, both kings ruled the kingdom. As time passed in this way, Sakka, having exhausted his life span of thirty-six million years, passed away. Another Sakka arose, and he too, ruling the kingdom of the gods in the same way, passed away at the end of his life span. In this way, thirty-six Sakkas passed away, but Mandhāta, due to the decline of humans, continued to rule the kingdom of the gods. As time passed for him in this way, craving for sensual pleasures arose in him to an even greater extent. He thought, "What is the use of half a kingdom to me? I will kill Sakka and rule the entire kingdom." But it was not possible to kill Sakka. This craving for sensual pleasures, however, was the root of his downfall. Thus: 3. Better to die here in happiness, than to live there with insatiable desire. The man is killed; Whether here or hereafter, he never finds satisfaction. 4. From craving arises sorrow, From craving arises fear; For one freed from craving, There is no sorrow, whence fear? 5. A man here, a slave to craving, from royal thieves etc., Suffers pain such as having his hands cut off, is afflicted. 6. Through the greed that arises, beings are always defeated; Field, property, gold, cattle, horses, male and female slaves; That greed, with all its might, should be abandoned by the wise. Then, his lifespan diminished, afflicted by excessive desire, old age struck his body, for a human body does not decay in the heavens. Thus, he fell from the heavens and entered the pleasure garden of Bandhumati city. The gardener reported his arrival to the royal family. The king came from the palace and prepared a seat in the garden. Then Mandhata, lying down on the excellent seat prepared in the garden, took to a bed from which he would not rise. Then the ministers asked, "Lord, what shall we say after you?" "After me, you should tell this message to the people: 'King Mandhata, having ruled as a wheel-turning monarch in the four great continents surrounded by two thousand islands, having ruled in the realm of the Four Great Kings, having ruled in the heavens for the lifespan of thirty-six Sakkas, has passed away.'" Having said this, he died and went according to his deeds. To reveal this meaning, the Blessed One spoke these verses in the midst of the four great assemblies: 7. As far as the moon and sun, circle, illuminating the directions; All are slaves of Mandhata, all beings dependent on the earth. 8. Not by a rain of coins, is there satisfaction in desires; Of little taste, painful are desires, thus knowing, the wise one. 9. Even in heavenly desires, he finds no delight; The disciple of the Perfectly Enlightened One delights in the destruction of craving. Having heard that, many attained the fruits beginning with stream-entry. 10. Thus, for those whose destiny is fixed, for those who are supreme in enlightenment; Having brought them under one's control, craving gives release from suffering; Destiny unfixed. What talk is there of forests for those like me? Having abandoned that, thinking thus, O venerable ones, partake of the Three Refuges. The Eighth Story: The Story of Mahāmandhātu. 9. In the Story of Buddhavamma the Merchant, this is the sequential account: It is said that in Jambudīpa, in the city of Pāṭaliputta, there was a merchant named Buddhavamma, living by the business of trade. He, in later times, together with caravans, traveled engaging in trade in villages, towns, districts, and capital cities. At that time, the Blessed One, surrounded by a retinue of one thousand monks, was traveling on a tour through the countryside, delivering many gods and humans from the wilderness of saṃsāra. Then he saw the Blessed One, adorned with the thirty-two marks and minor characteristics, shining like a blazing golden Mount Meru, surrounded by a great assembly of monks. Having seen him, with his body filled with supreme joy, raising his joined hands, he approached the Blessed One, paid homage, and invited the Blessed One for a meal in the evening, due to his unfamiliarity with the Buddha's dispensation. Then the Blessed One said to him, "The Tathāgatas are abstaining from untimely meals." Then he, having paid homage to the Blessed One, asked, "What, venerable sir, will the Blessed One drink at the wrong time?" Then, in response to him, the Blessed One said, "Eight kinds of drinks are allowable for the Tathāgatas to drink at the wrong time. Namely, mango juice, jambu juice, coca juice, banana juice, phārusaka juice, honey drink, grape juice, and lotus root juice." Having heard that, the merchant, with great respect, prepared grape juice and gave it to the Saṅgha of monks with the Buddha at its head. The Teacher, together with the entire Saṅgha of monks, having consumed the drink, taught them the Dhamma and departed on a tour through the countryside.