Dutiya Aputtaka Sutta

10. Translation by Bhikkhuni Uppalavanna

1. King Pasenadi of Kosala approached the Blessed One daily, worshipped and sat on a side. Then the Blessed One asked king Pasenadi of Kosala, "Great king, why do you come to see me daily?"

2. "Venerable sir, a wealthy householder of Sàvatthi, who has no heirs has died. I have caused his wealth to be carried to the royal treasury and came here. Venerable sir, in gold coins only there were one hundred hundred thousands, there's nothing to speak of other coins. This wealthy householder enjoyed meals of porridge prepared of broken rice accompanied with seed cakes. He wore decayed clothes of hemp. His conveyance was a decayed vehicle thatched with leaves.

3. "This happens, great king. In the past this wealthy householder, offering morsel food to a silent Buddha named Tagarasikkhi, said `offer food to the recluse' and getting up from his seat he went away. After giving too he was remorseful and said: `Good, if slaves and workmen were fed with that food.' He also killed his brother's only son, on account of a dispute for wealth.

4. "Great king, if this wealthy householder had offered morsel food to the silent Buddha Tagarasikkhi, as its result he would have been born in heavenly bliss seven times and also he would have been born in this same Sàvatthi seven times as a wealthy housseholder

5. "Great king, as results for saying `good if slaves and workmen were fed with that food' his mind does not bend to enjoy noble food, to wear good clothes, to use noble conveyances and to enjoy the five strands of noble sense pleasures.

6. "Great king, as a result of killing his brother's only son for reasons of wealth, the wealthy householder for many, many hundred thousands of years suffered in hell and as a result of it, for the seventh time, this wealthy householder became heirless and happened to turn, his wealth to the royal treasury. Great king, this wealthy householder's earlier merit got destroyed and new merit did not get accumulated. Today this wealthy householder suffers in the Mahàroruva hell."

7. "Then venerable sir, the wealthy householder is in the Mahàroruva hell."

8. "Yes, great king the wealthy householder is born in the Mahàroruva hell."

9. "Grains, wealth, silver and gold or whatever thing that is seized,
 * Slaves, workmen, messengers or any others living together,
 * None of these are taken, when going everything is abandoned.

10. Whatever is done by body, words and mind, that only becomes his own
 * He goes with it and it follows him like his shadow.

11. Therefore, always do good, accumulating for the here after.
 * Merit establishes living beings in the other world."