བསླབ་པ་ལྔའ་ཕན་ཡན་གྱ་མད 1

1

Homage, with devotion, to the noble Three Jewels.¹⁷

Thus did I hear at one time.¹⁸ The Bhagavān was staying in the Bhesakalā grove deer park¹⁹ at Suṃsumāragiri²⁰ in the country of the Bhaggas.²¹ Early one morning, the Bhagavān, having donned his outer robe and taken up his bowl,²² went to the dwelling of the householder²³ Nakulapitā and, having approached, sat down on a prepared seat. Then the householders Nakulapitā and Nakulamātā²⁴ approached the Bhagavān, greeted him reverently, and sat down to one side.

Sitting to one side, the householder Nakulapitā addressed the Bhagavān: “Ever since, Venerable Bhagavān, the householder Nakulamātā was brought to me as a young girl when I was still a child, not even the thought of being unfaithful to Nakulamātā has occurred to me, and there has been no physical wrongdoing. Bhagavān, this is our mutual experience in this life, and we wish to share this experience in other lives, too.”²⁵

Then the householder Nakulamātā addressed the Bhagavān: “Ever since, Venerable Bhagavān, I was brought as a girl to householder Nakulapitā when he was still young, not even the thought of being unfaithful to Nakulapitā has occurred to me, and there has been no physical wrongdoing. Bhagavān, this is our mutual experience in this life, and we wish to share this experience in other lives, too.”²⁶

Then the Bhagavān said,²⁷ “When a husband and wife both have that wish and have had this mutual experience in this life, they will share this experience in other lives, too. By being equal in faith,