English
Then the request of Brahmā, the turning of the Wheel of Dhamma, the ordination of Sasa, the ordination of the Bhaddavaggiya, the taming of the three Jaṭila brothers, the visit of Bimbisāra to Laṭṭhivana Park, the entering of Rājagaha, the acceptance of Veḷuvana, and the making of eighty great disciples, then the going to Kapilavatthu, the place where he stood in the jeweled cloister, the ordination of Rāhula, the ordination of Nanda, the acceptance of Jetavana, the twin miracle at the foot of the Gandamba tree in the world of the gods. "Sitting" somewhere. The teaching of the Abhidhamma, the miracle of the descent from the heavens, and the assembly of the Elder's questions. Likewise, the assembly of the Mahāsamayasutta, the Rāhulovādasutta, the Maṅgalasutta, and the Pārāyanasutta, the taming of Dhanapāla, Āḷavaka, Aṅgulimāla, and Apalāla, the relinquishing of the life span, the acceptance of Sūkaramaddava, the acceptance of the pair of Siṅgivaṇṇa cloths, the drinking of the clear water, the passing away, the lamentation of gods and humans, the worship of the Blessed One's feet by the Elder Mahākassapa, the burning of the body, the extinguishing of the fire, the honoring of the pyre, and the division of the relics done by the Brahmin Deṇa. Likewise, he performed hundreds of Jātakas, each with half a verse. Vessantara In the Jātaka, he depicted King Sañjaya, Queen Phusatī, Maddīdevī, Prince Jāliya, and Kanhājina. Then, the gift of the Pāṇḍava elephant, the great gift of seven hundred, the viewing of the city, the gift of Sindh horses, the gods drawing the chariot with Rohitattha-colored steeds, the gift of the chariot, personally taking fruit from a bent tree and giving honeyed meat to the children, the gift of a golden needle to the hunter, the place of dwelling in the cave of Vaṅka Mountain in the guise of an ascetic, the gift of children to the worshipper, the gift of a wife to Sakka-brāhmaṇa, the worshipper taking one child by the power of the gods and going before King Sañjaya, then the assembly of six Khattiyas in the cave of Vaṅka Mountain, Vessantara and Maddī attaining the consecration, the raining down of seven jewels upon entering the city, and finally, being reborn in Tusita heaven, all this he depicted in detail. Then, the request for Buddhahood by ten thousand world-system deities, the entering the mother's womb, never to return, Queen Mahāmāyā, King Suddhodana, the birth in Lumbinī Grove, the falling of two streams of water from the sky, the walking of seven steps facing north, Kāḷadevaḷa placing the feet of the Great Being on his matted hair, seeing the shade of the Jambu tree not moving and the nurses' negligence, sitting cross-legged on the royal couch, and entering into absorption, he depicted. Then, Rāhula's mother and Rāhula Bhaddaka, he depicted. Then, at the age of twenty-nine, going to the park for amusement, seeing the three divine messengers, old age, sickness, and death, and turning back, seeing the form of a renunciate on the fourth occasion, generating the thought, "Renunciation is good," going to the park, experiencing the splendor of the park, bathing in the evening and sitting on the auspicious stone slab, the place of disarray, the place of adornment, then in the middle of the night, seeing the worthlessness of the dancers, mounting the excellent horse Kanthaka, the great... The place of renunciation, the place of departure, the offering made by deities of ten thousand world-systems, the place of the Kaṇṭhaka's return, the shrine, the renunciation on the bank of the Anomā River, the entering into Rājagaha, the dwelling on the slope of Paṇḍava Mountain, the request of King Bimbisāra to accept the kingdom, the acceptance of the milk-rice given by Sujātā, the partaking of the milk-rice on the bank of the Nerañjarā River, the miracle of floating the bowl in the river, the place where he spent the day in the Sāla Grove, the acceptance of the handful of grass given by Sotthiya, and the place where he sat upon ascending the Bodhi-maṇḍa, all this he had depicted in detail. Then he had depicted the Elder Mahinda and the seven who came with him. He had four Great Kings depicted with swords in their hands in the four directions, then thirty-two sons of gods, then thirty-two divine maidens holding golden-handled lamps, then twenty-eight yaksha generals, then deities standing with hands clasped, then deities standing holding bouquets of jeweled flowers, then deities standing holding golden pots, then dancing deities, then deities playing musical instruments, then deities standing holding mirrors ten cubits in size, each worth a hundred thousand, then deities standing holding flower branches of equal value, then deities standing holding the moon disc, deities standing holding the sun disc, then deities standing holding lotuses, then deities standing holding parasols, then sons of gods, wrestlers, wearing various attire, then deities snapping their fingers, then deities standing holding jeweled fans, then deities standing holding the wheel of the Dhamma, then deities holding swords, then deities standing holding on their heads golden bowls filled with fragrant oil to the height of five cubits, with wicks burning in linen wrappings. Then he had four great jewels placed on the top of the crystal canopies at the four corners, and at the four corners, gold, jewels, pearls, and diamonds. He had four heaps made, then lightning flashes on the Meghavaṇṇa stone wall, then jeweled creepers, then Cāḷavijatiyo, then Nāgamaṇavikāyo holding blue lotuses. The king had unique figures made of solid gold. He had the remaining rites of worship performed with the seven jewels. Here, the items of worship mentioned are endless and immeasurable. For example, the Elder Cittagutta, residing at Ambapāsāṇa, while teaching the Dhamma to twelve thousand monks gathered at the lower Lohapāsāda, beginning with the Rathavinīta Sutta, describing the great treasure of relics, hesitated, thinking some would not believe. At that moment, the Elder Mahātissa, a perfected one residing at Koṭapabbata, sitting not far away, listening to the Dhamma, said, "Venerable Dhamma speaker, there is more to your story than that. Speak without hesitation, in detail." Then, in this very island, King Bhātiya was renowned. He would only eat after venerating the Great Cetiya morning and evening. One day, sitting in judgment, deciding a difficult case, he rose very late, forgetting to venerate the Thūpa, and as food was brought, he lowered his hand and asked the people, "Have I venerated the Elder today or not?" For ancient kings called the Teacher "Elder." The people said, "You have not venerated, O King." At that moment, the king dropped the morsel of food he held in his hand into the bowl, rose, had the south gate opened, came and ascended the courtyard of the Great Cetiya through the east gate, venerating, he heard the sound of perfected ones reciting the Dhamma inside the relic chamber, thinking it was at the south gate, he went there and did not see them. In the same way, he went to the other gates and did not see them there either, thinking, "The Elders are reciting the Dhamma as they wander," he placed men at the four gates to watch, and himself wandered again, and not seeing them, he asked the people. Knowing there is no other refuge, making a firm resolution, "I will be reborn within the relic chamber," stretching out his hands and feet, facing the Great Thūpa, near the eastern gate, sacrificing his life, he lay down. "If my lords do not show me the relic chamber, even if I wither away for seven days without food, and scatter like a handful of dust, I will not rise." By the power of his virtue, Sakka's abode showed signs of heat. Sakka, reflecting, knowing the cause, without going himself, said this to the elders who were concluding the Dhamma: "Venerable sirs, this righteous king, devoted to the Buddha's dispensation, having heard the sound of recitation in this place, has laid down, making a firm resolution, 'I will not rise without seeing the relic chamber.' If he does not see the relic chamber, he will die right there. Bring him in and show him the relic chamber." The elders, out of compassion for him, ordered one elder, "Bring the king, show him the relic chamber, and send him away." That elder, taking the king's hand, brought him into the relic chamber, allowed him to worship as he pleased, and when everything was noted, sent him away. The king, going to the city, at another time, had some of the forms he had seen in the relic chamber made adorned with gold, had a large pavilion made in the royal courtyard, had those forms arranged in that pavilion, and gathering the people in the city, said, "These are the golden forms I saw in the relic chamber." Because they were made according to the standard, they became known as "standard forms." Year after year, the king had those forms brought out and shown to the citizens. At the first showing, the citizens, pleased, brought forth one child from each family and had them ordained. Then the king, "Many do not know this matter; I will announce it to them as well," went to the monastery, assembled the Sangha of monks in the lower Lohapāsāda, ascended the Dhamma seat himself, and for three watches of the night, spoke about the relic chamber, and then... He was unable to finish even the concluding rites of the offering in the relic chamber, and much else besides. There a monk asked the king: Great king, have you come after eating your breakfast? You have been extolling the relic chamber for three watches of the night, and were unable to finish even the concluding rites of the offering, and much else besides. What can I say, venerable sir? What I have told you is not even a tenth part of it. And I have only spoken of what I have noticed myself. Endless, venerable sir, are the rites of offering in the relic chamber, he said.