English
Then, seeing the Thera, he requested, "Venerable sir, the Teacher is sitting inside the house; please enter." The Thera went away without entering. The householder approached the Blessed One and, having told that matter, asked, "Is there, O Blessed One, anyone in the world with its gods who is superior to the Blessed One in virtue?" Then the Teacher, showing the Thera as if he were his own son, praising the Thera's virtues, spoke thus: 1. Protecting, making it stainless, the restraint of the Pātimokkha and so on; Adopting ascetic practices, with few desires, sons of the Sage. 2. Always in the battle of the mind, steadfast like warriors, exulting; They are the basis of merit, for gods and humans, day and night. 3. I wear a fine, beautiful robe; The Buddha's sons, great Nāgas, do not wear such a thing. 4. They wear robes made of rags, pieced together from scraps; Like bark-covering garments, free from desire and greed. 5. I always accept, good sir, the invitation of lay followers; But the sons of the Buddha do not accept, begging for alms. 6. Whatever is obtained by going for alms, be it coarse or fine; My sons are content with that, devoid of craving for flavors. 7. I lie down comfortably, on a well-spread, beautiful bed; But they do not arrange such a bed, fearing the dangers of Saṃsāra. 8. By standing and walking, they maintain their posture; I dwell in mansions, filled with many levels. 9. The sons of the Buddha never enter such covered places; They delight in the roots of trees, in cemeteries, in the open air. 10. Having cultivated the cause for development, the supreme development; I will live in the village, leading people to safety. 11. My sons delight, like crows, in secluded forest dwellings; Among them, the great, peaceful elder, this great bull, Is known in my dispensation as the one who has shaken off evil, the foremost in ascetic practices. Thus, the Blessed One, raising his hand as if striking the orb of the moon, proclaimed the Elder's virtues, then he, hearing that account of his virtues, desiring that other position for himself, thinking, "What if I were to become the foremost of those who practice asceticism in the dispensation of some future Fully Enlightened Buddha?" aspiring to that position, he fell at the Blessed One's feet, the Teacher, having examined the reason, gave a prediction, "One hundred thousand aeons from now, a Teacher named Gotama will arise. At that time, you will become the foremost of those who practice asceticism, and who will be known as Kassa." From then on, full of joy, having performed meritorious deeds, having passed away from there, experiencing divine power among gods and humans, at the time of Vipassī, the Fully Enlightened Buddha, he became a Brahmin named Ekasāṭaka and gave a great donation. Having passed away from there, when Kassapa, the Fully Enlightened Buddha, had passed into Nibbāna, he was born in the city of Bārāṇasī as the Bārāṇasī merchant, having performed meritorious deeds such as giving, having passed away from there, wandering in Saṃsāra, among humans living for ten thousand years, he was born in Bārāṇasī as a householder. That householder, however, Wandering through the countryside, near the border region, in a forest hermitage, he saw a Paccekabuddha. That Paccekabuddha, doing robe-work there, struggling to gather it, where there was no wind. Seeing him, the householder asked, "Venerable sir, what are you doing?" The Paccekabuddha, desiring little, said nothing, though asked. Knowing the robe-cloth was insufficient, he placed his upper cloth, at the Paccekabuddha's feet, and departed. Taking it, arranging it to catch the wind, making a robe, the Paccekabuddha wore it. At the end of his life, the householder passed away, and was reborn in the Tāvatiṃsa heaven, experiencing divine bliss there, for his entire lifespan. Then, passing away from there, he was reborn in a certain city, about three yojanas from Bārāṇasī. His parents named him Nandiya. He had seven brothers. The other six brothers, engaged in various occupations, supported their parents. But Nandiya, lazy, stayed at home. Therefore, the others were angry. His parents, too, admonished Nandiya, but he remained silent. Then, on another occasion, a festival was proclaimed in the village. Then he said to his mother, "Mother, give me a cloth, I will play at the festival." She took out a washed cloth, and gave it to him. "Mother, this is coarse," he said. She took out another, and gave it to him, but he rejected that too. Then his mother said to him, "Dear son, such as we are, born in this house, there is no merit, to obtain anything finer." "I will go to a place of obtaining, mother." "Son, today I wish, for you to obtain kingship, in the city of Bārāṇasī," she said. "Good, mother," he said, having bowed to his mother, and circumambulated her, he departed. His mother thought, "Where will he go? As before, he will sit here, or there, in the house, and come back." But he, urged on by the power of merit, leaving the village, went to Bārāṇasī, to Senagutta's... He lived in the house, then one day, while conversing with his workers, sitting and dozing, he had a dream. It came out of his mouth, spread throughout Jambudīpa, and entered back into his stomach. Awakened, he was frightened and made a loud noise. Then Mahāsena-Gutta asked him, "Nandiya, did you have a dream?" He said, "Yes." Then, asked what it was like, he told it. Then Sena-Gutta asked his family's wandering ascetic what its result would be. The female ascetic said, "If a woman sees it, within seven days, she will receive consecration. If a man sees it, just so, he will become king." Sena-Gutta, hearing her words, thought, "I will make him my relative," and calling his seven daughters, he asked them one by one, "Will you live with Nandiya?" All the rest did not want to, "We do not know whether he is of good family or low family, this newcomer." Then he asked the youngest. She agreed, "Whomever my parents give me to, I will not break their word." Then Sena-Gutta, calling Nandiya, gave him his daughter and gave him great wealth. Then on the seventh day, Nandiya, wandering here and there, thinking, "I will see the king's pleasure garden," went and lay down, covering his head with a worn stone slab. And that was the seventh day for Kālaṅka, the king of Bārāṇasī. The ministers and the chaplain, having performed the king's obsequies, sat in the royal courtyard and conferred. "The king has only one daughter, but he has no son. A kingdom without a king cannot stand. We will release the Phussa chariot." They yoked four Sindh horses the color of lotus petals, and placing the five royal insignia, headed by the white umbrella, on the chariot itself, they released the chariot, and behind it, they had the instruments played. The chariot, exiting through the eastern gate, went towards the garden. Through familiarity, it goes towards the garden. "Let us turn it back," some said. "Do not hinder the prince!" he said. The chariot circled the boy to the right, and stood ready for him to ascend. The brahmin removed the covering, and gazing at the soles of his feet, thought, "This one will be an island." "Capable of ruling as sole monarch over the four great islands with their two thousand surrounding isles." To ascertain his resolve, he had the musical instruments played three times. Then the boy opened his mouth, looked around, and asked, "Why have you come?" "Lord, you will attain the kingdom." "Where is the king?" "The master has gone to the divine realm." "How many days have passed?" "Today is the seventh day." "Is there no son or daughter?" "There is a daughter, lord." "There is no son?" "Then I shall rule the kingdom." They immediately had an anointing pavilion made, adorned the king's daughter with all ornaments, led her to the garden, and anointed the boy. Then, for the newly anointed one, they brought a cloth worth a hundred thousand. "What is this, father?" he asked. "A garment to wear, lord." "But father, is it coarse?" "Among clothes used by humans, there is none finer than this, lord." "Did your king wear such a garment?" "Yes, lord." "I do not think your king was virtuous." Saying this, "Come, bring a golden pitcher, we shall obtain cloth." They brought a golden pitcher. He rose, washed his hands, rinsed his mouth, took water with his hand, and sprinkled it towards the east. Immediately, splitting the solid earth, sixteen wish-fulfilling trees arose. Again, taking water with his hand, he sprinkled it towards the south, west, and north. In all directions, sixteen each, sixty-four wish-fulfilling trees arose. He wore one divine cloth, and draped another over himself. In the territory of King Nandi, he ordered, "Have it proclaimed by drumbeat that women spinning thread should not spin!" Raising the umbrella, adorned and prepared, seated on the excellent elephant's neck, he entered the city, ascended the palace. He experienced great prosperity. Oh, that was the result of giving permission to the Paccekabuddha. Therefore, the ancients said: 12. Just as from a mustard seed, A banyan tree grows; With a hundred branches, Like a great blue cloud. 13. Likewise, from a small good deed, A great result comes; Therefore, a wise person Should not despise a small good deed. As time went on, one day the queen, seeing the king's wealth, showed compassion, saying, "Oh, ascetic!" When asked, "What is this, queen?" she said, "Your wealth, O king, is very great, because you did good in the past. Now do good for the future." "To whom shall we give? There are no virtuous ones." "Jambudīpa is not empty of arahants, O king, prepare a gift, I will find arahants." The next day the king prepared a great and precious gift. The queen, thinking, "If there are arahants in this direction, may they go there and accept our alms," threw flowers upwards towards the northern Himalayas and lay down on her chest.