 CHAPTER 30 THE STORY OF VIZAKA, PART 3 Now at that time, Vizakha, Meghara's mother, lived at Savati, and had many children and many children's children, and the children were free from disease, and the children's children were free from disease, and she was considered to bring good luck. Among her thousands of children and children's children, not one had died, and when the inhabitants of Savati had their festivals and holidays, Vizakha was always the first to be invited and the first to be feasted. Now, on a certain day of merry-making, the populace were going in their fine clothes and ornaments to the monastery to listen to the doctrine, and Vizakha, having come from a place of entertainment and wearing the great creeper purue, was likewise proceeding with the populace to the monastery. There she took off her ornaments and gave them to her slave girl, concerning which it is said. Now that time there was a merry-making at Savati, and the people in Gorgia's array went to the park. Vizakha, also Meghara's mother, in Gorgia's array went to the monastery. Then Vizakha, Meghara's mother, took off her ornaments and tying them up in a bundle in her cloak, gave them to those slave girls, saying, Here, take this bundle. It would appear that she thought it not seemly to enter the monastery wearing such an extremely costly and showy purue, a decoration which, when put on, adorned her from head to foot. Thus it was that, as she was proceeding to the monastery, she took it off and made of it a bundle, and gave it to a slave girl, who had been born with a strength of five elephants as a result of former good deeds, and hence was able to carry it. Thus her mistress could say to her, Dear girl, take this purue. I will put it on when I return from the teacher. Having put on her highly polished purue, she drew near the teacher and listened to the doctrine, and at the close of the sermon she rose, did obeisance to the blessed one, and went forth from his presence. The slave girl, however, forgot the purue. Now it was the custom of Ananda, the elder, when the assembly had listened to the doctrine and had departed to put away anything that had been forgotten, and so this day he noticed the great creeper purue and announced to the teacher, Reverend Sir, Visakha has gone for getting a purue. Lay it aside, Ananda. The other lifted it up and hung it on the side of the staircase. And Visakha, in company with her friend Supia, warned about the monastery to see what could be done for the incoming, for the outgoing, for the sick, and others. Now it was custom of the young priests and novices, when they saw the devout ladies bringing clarified butter, honey, oil, and other medicaments to draw near with basins of various kinds, and so that day also they did so. Therein behind Supia saw a certain sick priest, and asked him, Sir, of what do you stand and need? Meat broth, was the reply. Very well, Sir, I will send you some. But as she failed on the next day to obtain any suitable meat, she made the preparation with flesh from her own thigh, and afterwards by the favour of the teacher her body was made whole. When Visakha had attended to the sick and to the young priests, she issued forth from the monastery. But before she had gone far, she stopped and said, Dear girl, bring me the purue, I will put it on. Instantly the slave girl remembered that she had forgotten it, and had left it behind, and she said, Mistress, I forgot it. Go then and get it, and bring it hither. But if my master, Ananda the Elder, has taken it up and laid it away anywhere, then do not fetch it. It is a present to my master. It appears she knew that the Elder was in the habit of putting away valuables which high-born personages had forgotten, and this way was why she spoke as she did. When the Elder saw the slave girl, he said to her, Why have you returned? I went away for getting my Mistress's purue, said she. I have put it by the staircase, said the Elder. Go and get it. My lord, said the slave girl, an article which has been touched by your hand is not to be reclaimed by my Mistress, and so she returned empty-handed. How was it, my dear girl? said Visakha, and she told her. Dear girl, never will I wear an article which my master has touched. I make him a present of it. Nevertheless it would be troublesome for my masters to take care of it. I will sell it, and give them things which are more suitable. Go fetch it. And the slave girl went and fetched it. Visakha did not put it on, but sent for some goldsmiths and had it appraised. It is worth ninety millions, said they, and the workmanship is worth a hundred thousand. Then put the purue in a wagon, said Visakha, and sell it. There is no one who is able to take it at such a price, and a woman worthy to wear such purue is difficult to find. For in all the circuit of the earth only three women have the great creeper purue. Visakha, the great female lay disciple, the wife of Bandula, the general of the Malas, and Malika, daughter of a treasurer of Benaras. So Visakha paid the price herself, and, putting ninety millions and a hundred thousand into a cart, she took them out to the monastery. Reverend Sir, said she, when she had made her obeisance to the teacher, my master, Ananda the Elder, has touched with his hand my purue, and for the time he has touched it, it is impossible for me to wear it. I have endeavoured to sell it, thinking that with the amount I should get for it, I would give things suitable for priests, but when I saw there was no one else able to buy it, I made up the price myself, and now brought the money with me. Reverend Sir, which one of the four reliances shall I give? Visakha, a dwelling place at the east gate for the congregation of the priests, would be fitting. The very thing, Reverend Sir. And Visakha, with a joyous mind, bought a site for ninety millions, and with another ninety millions, she began constructing a monastery. Now one day, as the teacher at dawn was gazing over the world, he perceived that a son, Badia, had been born from heaven into the family of a treasurer of the city of Badia, and was competent to attain to salvation. And after taking breakfast at the house of Anathapindika, he directed his steps towards the north gate of the city. Nad was the custom of the teacher, if he took arms at the house of Visakha, to issue forth from the city by the south gate and lodge at Jatavana Monastery. If he took arms at the house of Anathapindika, he would issue forth by that east gate and lodge in eastern park. But if the blessed one was perceived at sunrise making his way to the north gate, then people knew that he was setting out on his travels. So when Visakha heard on that day that he had gone into the direction of the north gate, she hastened to him, and making an obeisance said, Reverend Sir, are you desirous of going travelling? Yes, Visakha. Reverend Sir, at this vast expanse, am I having a monastery built for you? Reverend Sir, turn back. Visakha, this journey admits not of my turning back. Assuredly thought Visakha, the blessed one has some special reason in all this. Then she said, Reverend Sir, in that case before you go, command some priest to stay behind who will know how the work should be done. Visakha, take the ball of any one you wish. Then Visakha, though fond of Ananda, thought of the magical power of the elder Mogallana the Great and how swiftly the work would progress with him to assist and took his ball. The elder then looked at the teacher. Mogallana said the teacher, take five hundred priests in your train and turn back. And he did so. And by his supernatural power they would go a distance of fifty or sixty leagues for logs and stones, and having secured logs and stones of tremendous size, they would bring them home on the same day. And they who placed the logs and stones on the carts were not exhausted nor did the axels break, and in no long time they had erected a two-story building on high foundations and approached by steps. The building contained a thousand apartments, five hundred apartments being in the lower story and the same number in the upper. After travelling about for nine months the teacher came again to Savati, and in these nine months Visakha had put up her building and was now at work on the peak, which was intended to hold the water-pots and was finished in solid beaten red gold. And Visakha, hearing that the teacher was proceeding towards Jatavana monastery, went to meet him, and conducting him to her monastery she exacted of him a promise. Reverend Sir, dwell here for four months with the congregation of the priests, and I will have the building completed. The teacher consented, and henceforth she gave arms to the Buddha and to the congregation of the priests in the monastery. And it came to pass that a certain female friend of Visakha came to her with a piece of stuff that was worth a thousand pieces of money. Dear friend, she said, I want to replace some of the floor covering in your pavilion, and spread this instead. Tell me a place in which to spread it. Dear friend, if I were to tell you there was no place left you would think she does not want to let me have a place, but look through the two floors of the pavilion and the thousand apartments yourself and find a place in which to spread it. Then the other took the piece of stuff worth a thousand pieces of money and went through the building, but finding no stuff there of less value than hers she was overcome with grief, for she thought I shall have no share in the merit of this building, and stopping still she wept. And Ananda, the elder, happened to see her and said, why do you weep? And she told him the matter. Let not that trouble you, said the elder, I will tell you a place in which to spread it. Make a doormat of it, and spread it between the place for washing the feet and the staircase. The priests, after washing their feet, will wipe them upon the mat before they enter the building. Thus will your reward be great. This spot, it appears, had been overlooked by Visakha. For four months did Visakha give alms to her monastery to the Buddha and to the congregation in which followed him, and at the end of that time she presented the congregation of the priests with stuff for robes, and even that received by the novices was worth a thousand pieces of money. And of medicines she gave the fill of every man's bowl. Ninety millions were spent in this donation. Thus ninety millions went for the site of the monastery, ninety for the construction of the monastery, and ninety for the festival at the opening of the monastery, making two hundred and seventy millions in all that were expected by her on the religion of the Buddha. No other woman in the world was as liberal as this one who lived in the house of a heretic. On the day the monastery was completed, when the shadows of eventide were lengthening, she walked with her children and her children's children round and round the building, delighted with the thought that her prayer of a former existence had now attained its complete fruition. And with a sweet voice, in five stanzas, she breathed forth the solemn utterance. O when shall I a mansion give, plastered with mud and stuccoed over, a pleasing monastery gift? O this my prayer is now fulfilled. O when shall I give household goods, benches and stools to sit upon, and bolsters, pillows for the couch? O this my prayer is now fulfilled. O when shall I provisions give, a ticket food so pure and good, smothered in broths of various meats? O this my prayer is now fulfilled. O when shall I give priestly robes, garments of fine benaris cloth, and linen, cotton goods as well? O this my prayer is now fulfilled. O when shall I give medicines, fresh butter, butter clarified, and honey, treacle, purest oil? O this my prayer is now fulfilled. When the priests heard her, they brought word to the teacher. Reverend Sir, in all this time we have never known Visakha to sing, but now, surrounded by her children and her children's children, she walks, singing around and round the building. Pray is her bile out of order, or has she become mad? Priests said the teacher, my daughter is not singing, but the desire of her heart, having come to pass, in her delight she breathes forth the solemn utterance. But when was it Reverend Sir she made the prayer? Priests, will you listen? Reverend Sir, we will. Whereupon he related a tale of ancient times. Priests, a hundred thousand cycles ago a Buddha was born into the world by the name of Padumatara. His term of life was a hundred thousand years. His revenue of those in whom depravity had become extinct was a hundred thousand. His city was Hamzavati. His father, King Sunanda, and his mother Queen Sujata. The chief benefactress of this teacher, a lay devotee, had obtained the eight boons and held the position of mother and used to provide him with the four reliances. Every evening and morning she used to wait on him at the monastery and a certain female friend constantly accompanied her. When this friend saw on what intimate terms she conversed with the teacher and how much she was beloved, she began to consider, what do people do to the beloved by the Buddhas? And she said to the teacher, Reverend Sir, what is this woman to you? She is the chief of my benefactresses. Reverend Sir, by what means does one thus become chief benefactress, by praying for a hundred thousand world cycles to become one? Reverend Sir, could I become one if I now made my prayer? Assuredly you could. In that case, Reverend Sir, come with your hundred thousand priests and take arms of me for seven days. The teacher consented and for seven days she gave arms of food and on the last day stuffed for robes. Then she did obeisance to the teacher and, following at his feet, made her prayer. Reverend Sir, I do not pray for rule among the gods or any other such reward as the fruit of this arms-giving, but that from some Buddha like yourself I may obtain the eight boons and help the position of mother and be chief of those able to provide the four alliances. The teacher looked into the future for a hundred thousand cycles to see if her prayer could be fulfilled and said, At the end of a hundred thousand cycles a Buddha named Gotama shall arise and ye shall be a female lay disciple of his and have the name Visakha. From him ye shall obtain the eight boons and obtain the position of mother and become chief of the benefactresses who shall provide the four reliances. And after a life of meritorial's deeds she was reborn in the world of the gods and continuing to be reborn in the world of the gods and the world of men she was born in the time of the supreme Buddha Kasapa as the youngest of the seven daughters of Kiki, king of Banaras. In this existence she was called servant of the congregation and having married and with her sisters for a long time given arms and done other meritorious deeds she fell at the feet of the supreme Buddha Kasapa and prayed. At a future time may I hold the position of mother to a Buddha such as you and become chief of the female givers of the four reliances. Now after rebirths in the world of the gods and the world of men she has been born in this existence as the daughter of Dhananajaya, the treasurer, the son of Mandaka, the treasurer and has done many meritorial's deeds for my religion. Thus it is, oh priests, that I say my daughter is not singing, but that at the realization of her prayer she breathes forth a solemn utterance. And the teacher continued his instruction and said, priests, just as a skilful garland maker, if you obtain a large heap of various kinds of flowers will go on and on making all manner of garlands, even so does the mind of a Zaka inclined to do all manner of noble deeds. So saying, he pronounced this stanza, as flowers in rich profusion piled with many a garland furnished forth, so all the years of mortal man should fruitful be in all good works. End of Chapter 30. Recording by Ray of rarity.com r-a-e-r-i-t-y.com From Hong Kong May 2009. End of Buddhist Writings Translated by Henry Clark Warren