འཕགས་པ་ཀླའ་རྒྱལ་པ་མ་དྲས་པས་ཞས་པ་ཞས་བྱ་བ་ཐག་པ་ཆན་པའ་མད 30

30

I wish to serve the Blessed One to the best of my ability. Why? Because, Blessed One, I cannot repay the Thus-Gone One for the Dharma I have heard from him, yet I pray that through my offerings to the Thus-Gone One I may never be separated from this Dharma teaching in the future. Blessed One, please accept this invitation out of kindness for me!”

The Blessed One declined.

“For just two months?”

The Blessed One again declined.

“For just half a month?”

At that point, out of kindness, the Blessed One signaled his acceptance by remaining silent. The nāga king Anavatapta understood by his silence that the Blessed One had agreed. He was satisfied, pleased, delighted, and joyous. Full of joy and happiness, he bowed to the feet of the Blessed One along with his relatives and retinue. As he left the Blessed One and returned to his homeland, clouds gathered in the sky, thunder cracked all around, and a torrent of rain fell in Jambudvīpa.

When he arrived at his home, the nāga king Anavatapta summoned his eldest son, Sudatta, and gave instructions to his five hundred sons who were followers the Great Vehicle—Sudatta, Susthita, Peaceful, Peaceful Faculties, Vikurvāṇa, Great Splendor, Boundless Splendor, Possessor of Boundlessness, Possessor of Boundless Qualities, Colorful, Supreme Splendor, Inexhaustible Wealth, Patient One, and others.

“Listen, my sons. I have invited the Thus-Gone One, along with his assembly of monks and his clairvoyant bodhisattva great beings, to stay here for half a month. Out of kindness for me, the Blessed One has accepted.