Petavatthu(Ghost stories)30

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30. THE STORY OF THE BOY (3.5)
At Savatthi many lay-followers becoming Dhamma­ members(Followers of Buddha's path-Dhamma) built in the town a great pavilion, and there entertained the Teacher(Buddha), and monks. One man protested at all that was given to "shavelings" (shaven headed monks). His mother apologized to the Lord Buddha, and for a week supplied rice-gruel. Her son died shortly afterwards and was reborn as the offspring of a courtesan. When she knew it was a boy she abandoned him and had him lie exposed in a graveyard. There he, guarded only by the strength of his own merit and unharmed, slept happily as upon his mother's lap. They say that deva-beings took care of him. Then when the Lord Buddha, filled with great pity, rose at dawn and with his (divine) Buddha-eye surveyed the world, he saw the boy and went to the graveyard. Many gathered together, saying: The Teacher has come here; it must be for some reason in such a place." And they asked him: "Reverend Sir, what deed was committed by this child in a former life? "  The Buddha told them.

Then a householder of great wealth adopted the boy saying, "In the very presence of the Lord Buddha this is my son!". The Lord Buddha went to the monastery with the words: "This boy has been taken in charge by such a rich man and is made a help to many people."

After this man's death the boy, inheriting his wealth took pleasure in pious charities and other good deeds.

This matter the redactors show in the six following stanzas:

1. Of a wonderful nature is the Buddha's knowledge, as we note how the Teacher made prediction about a person; though some have wide merit, others verily have limited merit.

2. This boy, abandoned in a burial place, passed the night in sucking his thumb ; neither spirits nor reptiles would injure the boy of past merit: dogs licked his feet: crows and jackals made their rounds about him.

3. Flocks of birds removed childbirth impurities, but the crows cleansed his eyes. No one provided ward for him or gave him medicine or mustard fumes.

4. They did not learn even the moon's conjunction with the lunar mansion; nor (to bring luck) did they scatter all the grains over one who bad fallen into utter misery, brought at night and cast into the cremation-field.

5. He who is worshipped by devas and by men saw him quaking like a lump of fresh butter, in a precarious state, with some life remaining. And when the One of great wisdom had seen him, he declared: "This boy because of wealth will become of a foremost family in this city."

Pious laymen :

6. What is his vow? Now what is the religious life?

Why does this good deed have this result, that since such disaster has befallen on him, he should come to enjoy such potency?

Now the way in which the Lord Buddha declared when asked by those lay disciples is made clear by the redactors:

7. The people did great honour to the company of the monks with the Buddha at their head. On that occasion this one had a different opinion: he uttered a harsh and discourteous expression.

8. Since then he had dispelled this thought and afterwards obtained joy and peace of mind, for a week he supported Tathagatha(Buddha) with rice-gruel who was dwelling at Jetvana.

9. His was the vow: his, moreover, is this religious life.

That good deed has this result, that when such disaster has befallen him, he should come to enjoy such potency.

10. He, staying here in this world for a century and provided with all pleasures, at the dissolution of his body, reborn goes to companionship with Vasav(Sakka/Indra i.e. in heaven).