Therigatha3.5

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Adapted from Archaic Translation By Mrs. Rhys Davids 1909

Compared with the Pali Tipitaka at www.tipitaka.org

3.5 Ubbiri, Daughter Of A Great Elite Of Savatthi, Wife Of The King

She too, having made her resolve in the time of former Buddhas, and accumulating, in this and that rebirth, Good merit (karma) valid for an aeon of evolution, was reborn, in the time of Padumuttara Buddha, at the town of Hansavati in a clansman's house. Come to years of discretion, she was left alone one day, her parents being engaged with a party in the inner court of the house. And seeing an Arahant(enlightened equal to Buddha) approaching the house-door, she asked him 'Come in here, lord,' and did him homage, showing him to a seat; she then took his bowl and filled it with food. The Elder thanked her, and departed. Then she was reborn therefore in the heaven of the Three-and-Thirty gods(angels), enjoying there a heavenly time and many a happy life from that time on, she was, in this Buddha-era, reborn at Savatthi in the family of a very eminent elite. And she was beautiful to see, and was brought into the house of the King of Kosala himself.[1]  After a few years a daughter was born to her, whom she named Jiva. The King saw the child, and was so pleased that he had Ubbiri anointed as Queen. But later on the little girl died, and the mother went daily mourning to the charnel-field(cremation ground). And one day she went and worshipped the Master(Buddha), and sat down; but soon she left, and stood lamenting by the River Achiravati. Then the Master, seeing her from afar, revealed himself as an ethereal figure projected from his 'fragrant chamber', and asked her: 'Why do you weep?' She said 'I weep because of my daughter, Bhagwa(Lord Buddha).' Buddha said 'Burnt in this cemetery are some 84,000 of your daughters. For which of them do you weep?' And pointing out the place where this one and that one had been laid, he said half the saying:

O Ubbiri, who wails in the wood, Crying 'O Jiva! O my daughter dear!' Come to yourself! Lo, in this burying-ground Are burnt full many a thousand daughters dear, And all of them were named like unto her. Now which of all those Jivas do you mourn? (51) And she pondered with intelligence on the Dhamma(path of eternal truth) thus taught by the Master(Buddha), and so stirred up in insight meditation (Vipassana[1]) that, by the virtue of his teaching and her own attainment of the insight meditation (Vipassana[1]), she reached the topmost fruit, even Arahantship(enlightenment equal to Buddha).[2] And showing forth the high distinction she had won, she spoke the second half of the hymn: Lo! from my heart the hidden shaft(of suffering) is gone! The shaft that nestled there has he removed. And that consuming grief for my dead child Which poisoned all the life of me is dead. (52) To-day my heart is healed, my yearning stayed, And all within is purity and peace. I go for refuge to the Buddha, Dhamma(path of eternal truth) & to the Sangha(order).[3]  (53)

[1] Vipassana : This refers to the foremost insight meditation called 'Vipassana'  taught by Buddha in which attention is focussed on inner phenomenon (breath,body,emotions, sensations & mind) with detachment (samata/equanimity) leading to self-awakening & enlightenment.

[2] She not only reaches it as an unordained lay-woman.

[3] The Buddhist Trinity or Triratna