Vimanavatthu5.1.

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5.1. THE FIRST : FROG-DEVA'S MANSION (51)

(Mandukadevaputta-vimana)

The Bhagava(Lord Buddha) was staying at Champa, on the bank of the Gaggara lotus pond. Rising towards dawn and emerging from the attainment of great compassion he saw "To-day when in the evening I am teaching Dhamma(path of eternal truth) a frog, hearing my voice and being attracted by it, suffering violence at someone's hands, will be killed; he will be reborn in a deva(angel)-world and will come while the great populace is looking on; thereby will be a great penetration of Dhamma(eternal truth)." His day's work done, by the pond afterwards he began to teach a fourfold assembly. Then a frog, thinking, "This is what is called Dhamma(path of eternal truth)," came out of the pond and crouched at the back of the listeners. And a cowherd, seeing the Teacher(Buddha) speaking and the congregation quietly listening, stood leaning on his crook and crushed the frog. The frog was reborn in the realm of the Thirty-three(heaven) with a twelve-yojana golden Mansion and attended by nymphs. Reflecting as to what deed he had done to be born there he saw nothing but (his) attraction to the Bhagava(Lord Buddha)'s voice. At once he came with his Mansion, descended from it, and seeing the Bhagava(Lord Buddha) went up to him and honoured him. The Bhagava to reveal the Buddha-majesty asked him:

1 "Who, bright with psychic potency(power) and entourage, with surpassing beauty making all the quarters(directions) shining, is honouring my feet?"

The the deva(angel)-youth, talking about his own former birth, explained in these verses:

2 "I was formerly a frog, a water-denizen. But while I was listening to your Dhamma(path of eternal truth) a (Young)  cowherd killed me.

3 For a moment's serenity of mind, look at my psychic potency(power) and entourage and look at my majesty, beauty, and look at my brightness.

4 Those who for long have heard your Dhamma(path of eternal truth), Gotama(Buddha), it is they who have attained the unmoving place where they who go grieve not."

Then the Bhagava(Lord Buddha), looking upon the qualifications attained by the congregation, taught Dhamma(path of eternal truth) in full. At the end of the teaching that deva(angel)-youth was established in the fruit(benefit) of stream-entry(sotapana, first stage of spiritual awakening). Having honoured the Bhagava(Lord Buddha) he returned to the Deva(angel)-world.