Vimanavatthu7.9

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7.9 WEARING POLISHED EARRINGS MANSION (83)

(Matthakundali-vimana)

The Bhagava(Lord Buddha) was staying at Savatthi, in Jeta Grove. A very wealthy but unbelieving brahman lived there who never gave anybody anything and came to be known as Never-Giver. And he had told his son Mattakundalin that he was not to go near the Bhagava(Lord Buddha) or his disciples. He obeyed. When he fell ill his father would not even afford him medicine, till, the son growing worse, the physicians, when sent for, said it was an incurable case. Now the Bhagava(Lord Buddha), emerging from the attainment of great pity, saw that he might save the son and the father, and standing near their home he sent forth his rays. The son, thrilled and joyful, saluted and lay back. Soon after the Bhagava(Lord Buddha) left he died and was born in a twelve-yojana Mansion among the Thirty-three(heaven). The day after the funeral obsequies the father went weeping to the cemetery calling his son by name. The son, a deva(angel)-youth, seeing him, appeared to the father as Mattakundalin, weeping with arms clasped (in sorrow) saying: "Ah, moon! Ah, sun!" Then the brahman said:

1 "Adorned, wearing polished earrings, bearing garlands, with an application of yellow sandalwood on your skin, clasping your arms you are lamenting. What (sorrow) is afflicting you in the midst of the wood?"

2 "Made of gold and lustrous arose my chariot-frame. I cannot find a pair of wheels for it. Through that sorrow, I will abandon life."

3 "Made of gold, made of jewels, made of rubies or else of silver, you tell me, dear brahman youth, I will procure you a pair of wheels."

The brahman youth, to humble to brahman for having failed to get medicine for his son, said, "They must be large like the moon and the sun," and he requested him thus:

4 That brahman youth spoke out to him, "The moon and the sun are both to be seen here. My chariot, made of gold, would shine with such a pair of wheels."

Then the brahman said:

5 "Fool indeed are you, brahman youth, you who seek for what cannot be obtained. I deem that you will die for you cannot acquire the moon and sun."

The brahman youth said to him, "Which is the (greater) fool, he who weeps for what can be seen or he who weeps for what cannot be seen?"

6 "Their coming and going is to be seen, the natural properties and beauty of both in their courses. But he that is dead and has finished his time(died) is not to be seen. Which (of us)  lamenting here is not the greater fool?"

7 "It is true what you say, brahman youth. (Of us)  lamenting thus, I verily am the greater fool, Like a child crying for the moon I was seeking for him who is dead and has done his time."

And the brahman, coming to be without sorrow through that verse, spoke these verses giving praise to the brahman youth:

8 "Verily I was all ablaze being like a fire over which ghee(clarified butter) had been poured, (but) now am as if sprinkled with water, all my sorrow ended.

9 Verily you drew from me the arrow, the grief that was lodged in my heart, (and) removed for me, overcome by grief, and father's grief for a son.

10 So, I, the arrow drawn, out, am become cooled, am freed. I do not grieve, I do not weep, having heard you, brahman youth."

11 "Now, are you a devata(angel), a heavenly musician, or Sakka(Indra, king of angels), bountenous giver? Or who are you?  Or whose son?  How are we to know you?"

And he spoke of himself to him:

12 "I am that son you cremated in the cemetery for whom you lament and for whom you grieve who, having done a righteous deed, has attained to the companionship of the (Three-and-) Thirty (heaven)".

13 Brahman "Little or much of giving a gift in our house we have not seen, or keeping observance days (Uposatha, fortnightly fasting & confession) and such like By what deed are you gone to a deva(angel)-world?"

Then the brahman youth said:

14 "I was diseased, afflicted, ill in my own dwelling, grievously sick in body. I saw the stainless Buddha, doubt-crossed, well-farer, of perfect divine wisdom.

15 I, my heart gladdened, with a mind of faith,gladly reverenced the Tathagata(Buddha) with clasped hands. I, having done this righteous deed, have attained to the companionship of the (Three-and-)  Thirty (angels of heaven),"

While he was speaking thus the braman's whole physical frame was filled with bliss, and he said:

16 "Wonderful, indeed, marvelous, that this is the resultant of a deed of clasping the hands on reverence. I too, my heart gladdened, with a mind of faith, this very day turn to the Buddha for refuge."

Then the deva(angel)-youth encouraging the going for refuge and the undertaking of the moral precepts, spoke two verses:

17 "This very day, with a mind of faith, do you turn to the Buddha for refuge and to Dhamma(path of eternal truth) and to the Order(of monks). Like-wise do you undertake in their unbroken entirety the five steps in the training.

18 Do you from now refrain from killing of creatures, do you shun what in the world in not given, drink no strong liquor, and do not speak a lie, and be content with your own wife."

When the deva(angel)-youth had urged thus he going for refuge and the undertaking of the moral precepts, the brahman, agreeing to his asking, said:

19 "You desire my good, yakkha, you desire my welfare, devata(angel). I will do your asking, you are my teacher.

20 I go to the Buddha for refuge and to Dhamma(path of eternal truth) supreme and to the order of the deva(angel) among men I go for refuge.

21 At once I refrain from killing of creatures, I shun what in the world in not given, I drink no strong liquor, and do not speak a lie, and I am content with my own wife."