Vimanavatthu1.8

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1.8 THIRD BOAT MANSION (8)

(Tatiya-Nava-vimana)

While the Bhagava(Lord Buddha) was travelling about the province with a large Order of monks he arrived at a brahman village named Thuna in the Kosala country. The brahman(priest high caste) householders of Thuna heard, "The recluse Gotama(Buddha), they say, has arrived in the field of our village." Now the brahman householders, non-believers, of false views, avaricious by nature, said, " if the recluse Gotama(Buddha) should enter this village and stay two or three days, he would establish all these people in his own path, then the brahman religion would have no support," and trying to prevent the Bhagava(Lord Buddha) from stopping there they took the boats away from the landing places and made the bridges and causeways unusable. They filled all the wells except one with weeds and so forth and concealed the watering-places rest-houses and sheds. Thus it is told in the Udana.

The Bhagava(Lord Buddha) learned of their misdeed, and having compassion on them, crossed the river through the air with the Order of monks, went on, and in due course reached the brahman village of Thuna. He left the road and sat down at the foot of a tree. At that moment many women were passing by near the Bhagava(Lord Buddha) carrying water. And in that village an agreement had been made, "If the recluse Gotama(Buddha) comes here, there is to be no welcome or the like made for him, and when he comes to a house, neither him nor to his disciples is any food to be given." Then a certain brahman's servant girl, going along with a jar of water, saw the Bhagava(Lord Buddha) surrounded by the Order of monks, realized that they were tired and thirsty, and having a mind of happiness, wanted to give them water. "Even though these people of this village have resolved that nothing at all to be given to the recluse Gotama(Buddha) and not even a show of respect is to be made,"she said to herself, "Yet, if after I have found these supreme fields of merit and worthy recipients of meritorious giving donations, I do not made a support for myself by a mere giving of water, when hereafter shall I be released from a life of woe? Gladly let my master and everyone who lives in the village beat or bind me, still I will give a gift of water to a field of merit such as this." When she had made this resolve, though the other women carrying water tried to stop her, without regard for her life she lifted down the water-jar from her head, placed it on one side approached the Bhagava(Lord Buddha) full of joy and happiness, greeted him with the five-fold veneration, and offered him water, The Bhagava(Lord Buddha) recognized the bliss of her mind, and as a favour to her, washed his hands and feet and drank the drinking water. The water in the jar was not diminished. The girl saw this, so next, having blissful mind, she gave to one after another of the monks, then to all of them. The water was still not diminished. Joyful and elated, and with her water-jar as full as ever, she went home.

Her master, the brahman(priest high caste), heard for her giving drinking water. "She has broken the rule of the village and I have been subjected to ridicule," he said, and burning and spluttering with rage he hurled her to the ground an beat her with hands and feet. Because of that thrashing she died and was reborn in the realm of the Thirty-There(heaven), and a Mansion arose for her like that described in the First Boat Mansion.

Now the Bhagava(Lord Buddha) addressed the venerable Elder Monk, Ananda, "Come now, Ananda, bring me water from the well." the Elder(Ananda) said, "The well here, reverend sir, has been polluted by the people of Thuna. I cannot bring water." But the Bhagava(Lord Buddha) commanded him a second and a third time. The third time the Elder(Ananda) took the Bhagava's(Lord Buddha's) bowl and went toward the well. As he went, the water in the well filled up to the top, brimmed over the flowed down on every side.

All the rubbish floated to the top and cleared off. By the rising water other watering places were filled, the village was surrounded and the region round the village submerged. The brahmans saw the miracle, and with hearts filled with amazement and wonder, received forgiveness from the Bhagava(Lord Buddha). At once the flood of water disappeared. They provided a place for the Bhagava(Lord Buddha) and the Order of monks to stay, invited them for the next day, and on the next day, having prepared great alms, they presented sumptuous solid and soft food to the Order of monks with Buddha at the head; and when the Bhagava(Lord Buddha) had finished his meal and withdrawn his hand from the bowl all the people of Thuna sat in homage around him.

At that moment the devata(angel) had reflected on her attainment and realized that its cause was her gift of drinking water. Filled with gladness she said" Good, now I will pay homage to the Bhagava(Lord Buddha). I will make known in the world of men the great fruitfulness of deeds, even, of a trifling sort, when done to those who tread the right path," and filled with zeal, with her retinue(attendants group) of a thousand nymphs, and with her pleasaunce(garden) and so on together with her Mansion, she arrived with great deva(angel)-majesty in the sight of the great body of people. She descended from the mansion, approached the Bhagava(Lord Buddha), saluted him, and stood in an attitude of reverence. Then the Bhagava(Lord Buddha), desiring to made the result of merit clear to that multitude which was there before his eyes, asked her:

1 "Lady, you are standing. embarked in a boat with a golden awning; you dip into a lotus-pool, you break off a lotus with your hands.

2 Your dwellings are pinnacled houses, partitioned, the proportion planned. dazzling, they shine forth around the four quarters(directions).

3 Because of what is your beauty such.? Because of what do you prosper here, and there arise whatever are those delights that are dear to your heart?

4 I ask you, devi(angel) of great majesty, what merit did you perform when you were born a human being? Because of what is your brilliant majesty thus and your beauty illumines all the quarters(directions)?"

5 That devata(angel), delighted at being questioned by the Self-Awakened One(Buddha) himself, when asked the question explained of what deed this was the result.

6 "When in former birth I was born a human being among men in the world of men I saw monks who were thirsty and weary. Up and  doing I gave them water to drink.

7 Verily, he who, up and doing, gives water to drink to those who are thirsty and weary-for him there will be streams of cool waters abounding in blossoms and many white lotuses.

8 Beside him moving waters, streams of cool waters fringed with sand for ever flow there are mango-trees and sala-trees, talakas and rose-apples, cassias and trumpet-flowers in full bloom.

9 For him its beauty enhanced by such surroundings, is the finest mansion, greatly shining. This is the resultant of that deed itself. they who perform merit receive such as this.

10 My dwellings are pinnacled houses, partitioned, the proportions planned. Dazzling, they shine forth around the four quarters(directions).

11 Because of this is my beauty such, because of this do I prosper here, and there arise whatever are those delights that are dear to my heart.

12 Because of this is my brilliant majesty thus and my beauty illumines all the quarters(directions). this is the resultant of that deed (of mine) When, up and doing, the Awakened One(Buddha) drank the water (that I gave)."

The Bhagava(Lord Buddha) then, teaching Dhamma(path of eternal truth), explained the truths. At the end of the teaching that devata(angel) was established in the result of stream-entry(sotapana, first stage of spiritual awakening).