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He too, with a pleased mind, returned, engaging in trade in those various districts together with the merchants, and reached a wilderness called Mahāvattanīya. There, the water in all their carts was completely exhausted. There was no water for all the people and oxen. Then that merchant, overcome by thirst, wandered searching for water in those various carts. Then, in one cart... Those people, seeing him, approached with compassion and said, "In this pot there is a little water, drink it." Then he went and drank the water. That taste was like the taste of grape juice to him, and as he drank, he thought thus: "The effect of the grape juice I gave to the Perfectly Enlightened One at that time has reached me today." With a mind full of wonder and joy, he himself went and opened the lid of the pot. The entire pot was full of grape juice. Then, seeing that flavorful, potent, inexhaustible, divine-drink-like water, with his body filled with great joy, he exclaimed, "Let everyone drink the water!" Hearing that, everyone gathered together and, seeing the water, became amazed. The merchant, revealing the power of the Buddha among them, said: 1. Behold, good sirs, this power of the Great Sage; Inconceivable wonder, visible, immediate. 2. With a joyful mind, to the Buddha, I gave water; that gift now ripens by the power of the Sage. 3. Flavorful, pleasant, cool, sweet water; Like divine drink of gods, a wondrous inexhaustible thing has arisen. 4. Who, among the wise, would not give to the virtuous? In this world and the next, that supreme gift brings happiness. 5. Taking as you wish, drink the sweet water; Filling your vessels, let all go as they please. And thus speaking, he satisfied all the people and oxen with the grape juice. Even those who came from further away drank the water, and the water did not diminish. Then the merchant, having conducted his trade with the caravan, thought, "I will go and see the Blessed One before returning to my own city," and going to the Bamboo Grove, he paid homage to the Teacher and sat down to one side, having been given permission. The Teacher also engaged in pleasant conversation with him. "Venerable Sir, having seen your miracle, I have come, pleased, to pay homage and then depart. Such and such was the miracle." He spoke at length. Then the Blessed One taught him the Dhamma. Having heard the Dhamma, inviting the Teacher for the next day, giving a great gift, he went to his own home. From then on, doing meritorious deeds such as giving, having passed away from there, he was reborn in the deva-world in a twelve-yojana golden mansion, surrounded by celestial nymphs, endowed with divine power. For the manifestation of his past deeds, in various places, vessels of jewels were filled with divine drinks. Having drunk the beverage, the devas dance, play music, and sport. 6. Not knowing the vast essence of the Conqueror, One obtains vast wealth from giving mere water; Knowing the multitude of virtues, O you, in the three objects, May you obtain special merit by giving to the virtuous. The ninth story is about the merchant Buddhavamma. 10. In the story of Rūpadevi, this is the sequential account: It is said that in the time of the Blessed Vipassi, in that city, a village girl, wandering in the monastery, seeing a sick bhikkhu, with a trembling heart, approached, paid homage, and asked, "Bhante, what illness afflicts and pains your body?" When he said, "Sister, a severe illness afflicts me," she, inviting him, "Then, Bhante, I will relieve that illness," went home and told her parents about the matter. Permitted by them, the next day she prepared a medicinal meal with various excellent flavors. Then that bhikkhu, the next day, having put on his robe, while going for alms, went to her house and stood there. Seeing the Thera arrived, filled with joy, taking the bowl, she prepared a seat and gave it to him. Having served him well with food and honored him, as soon as he had eaten, by the power of her faith, that illness subsided. Then, having recovered from the illness, he did not go to her house on the second day. Then she, going to the monastery, having paid homage to him, asking why he had not come, when he said, "Sister, my illness has subsided, therefore I have not come," she, filled with joy, said, "Good, Bhante." Thus I went. By that meritorious deed, having died, she was reborn in the heavenly world. There, a golden mansion of twelve yojanas arose for her. Enjoying divine glory there, after spending six Buddha-intervals, in the time of our Blessed One, in Jambudīpa, in the city of Devaputta, in a wealthy brahmin family, in the womb of the wife of the chief brahmin, she took rebirth, and in due course, she emerged from her mother's womb. From the time she emerged from her mother's womb, eight nāḷis of rice arose day by day. Seeing her beauty, her delighted parents named her Rūpadevī. Later, they betrothed her to a suitable young man. Then, when she began to cook, taking a nāḷi measure of rice, various curries of meat and other desired things, ghee, butter, yogurt, milk, and other dairy products, and pungent items like cumin and pepper, and ingredients like bananas, jackfruit, honey, and jaggery, filled the vessels, and anything edible or consumable touched by her hand did not become spoiled. Even when she took the rice pot and fed all the inhabitants of the city, a single spoonful of rice did not appear to be missing from where it was taken. Thus, she was of inexhaustible merit, and she was conspicuous in the whole city of Devaputta like the moon and the sun. Then she invited five hundred monks and constantly fed them in her own residence. At that time, among them, the venerable Mahāsaṅgharakkhita, who had attained analytical knowledge, seeing her meritorious power with his divine eye, wondered, "Does she not know the deed she did in the past?" "What if I were to reveal it to her?" One day, having eaten in her residence, while giving thanks, he asked, "Sister, do you know the deed you did in the past?" "I do not know, venerable sir." "I wish to hear it." Then, revealing her past deed, he said: 1. Ninety-one aeons ago, A leader named Vipassī; Was in the world, the unique leader, The breaker of bonds. 2. Then in that delightful city, you were a village girl; Wandering about. While dwelling in a monastery, She saw a disciple of the Conqueror. 3. Sick, emaciated, pale, Breathing heavily again and again; Seeing him, her heart trembled, Inviting that sage. 4. Medicine and food, You gave, and that ascetic; Became free from illness, without suffering, And without trouble. 5. Then, by that deed, By that good deed, having passed away; You were born in the world of gods, Fulfilling all desires. 6. There, by the power of your merit, A palace made of jewels; Adorned with hundreds of jeweled turrets, Decorated with storied mansions. 7. Filled with hundreds of various chambers, Adorned with couches and seats; Crowded with hundreds of nymphs, Resounding with dance, song, and the like. 8. Rambā, ambaja, jambu, sannīra, Pūga, punnāga, pāṭalī; Adorned with groves of nāga and other trees, Rows of decorated gardens. 9. Adorned with lotus, water lily, kaḷāra, And jasmine groves; Filled with honey-intoxicated bees, And lakes crowded with sārasī birds. 10. With many sons of gods, And also with divine nymphs; In constant festivals, great delights, In the delightful, mind-pleasing palace. 11. You, thus enjoying great fame, In that world of gods; Having spent a long time, When Gotama the Conqueror was extinguished. 12. Now in Jambudīpa, You are born in a noble family; A dwelling of merit, wisdom, and virtue, Supreme in beauty, and speaking sweetly. 13. This is your divine glory, Wonderful in the world of gods, This is your human happiness, All in this world. 14. In the time of Vipassī the sage, You gave to one of his monks; A gift to a sick one, Such is the fruit of that. 15. Merit should always be done, By one who desires happiness; Therefore, always, O auspicious one, Be zealous in what is skillful. Thus, having revealed the deed done in her former existence, he now admonished her to be diligent in meritorious deeds. Having heard the Thera's teaching, with great joy, from then on, being devoted to giving and other virtues, doing meritorious deeds, with that same joy, she became a stream-enterer, a noble female disciple. 16. Thus, a young maiden, the essence of meritorious deeds, Giving a gift to a monk, not knowing its full value; Attained happiness both divine and human. You, good sirs, Knowing the ripening of wholesome deeds, why don't you attain peace? The tenth story is about Rūpadevi. The first chapter is Dhammasoṇḍaka. The Nandiyarāja Chapter 11. This is the sequential story in the tale of Nandiyarāja: It is said that one hundred thousand aeons ago, the teacher named Padumuttara arose in the world, leading the world with its gods out of the wilderness of Saṃsāra. At that time, a householder, having heard the teacher's Dhamma discourse, with a pleased mind, invited the Saṅgha of monks with the Buddha at its head, prepared a great offering, and adorned his house like a divine mansion. Having arranged a great seat worthy of the Buddha, he went and requested the Blessed One, "It is time, O Blessed One, for the Blessed One's meal." Then the Blessed One, surrounded by the Saṅgha of monks, went with great Buddha-power and sat on the excellent seat that was prepared. Then the householder, joyful and elated, together with his retinue, served the Blessed One with various delicious foods and drinks. At that time, the great disciple Vasabha Thera, foremost among the practitioners of the ascetic practices in that Blessed One's dispensation, while wandering for alms in accordance with the practice of successive giving, stood at the door of that householder's dwelling.