འཕགས་པ་སྤབས་པའ་བླ་གྲས་ཀྱས་ཞས་པ་ཞས་བྱ་བ་ཐག་པ་ཆན་པའ་མད 23

23

After sending the messenger, he swept and sprinkled water on the entire road from Jeta’s Grove to his palace on which the Blessed One would travel. He also scattered flowers about, lined the way with parasols, victory banners, flags, and porticos, and fumigated it with incense.

Out of compassion, the Blessed One came. He was greeted by the king, townspeople, village folk, high ministers, ministers, guards, and retainers. They offered countless baskets filled with flowers, incense, flower garlands, ointments, and aromatic powders before the Blessed One’s feet. They collectively prostrated to the feet of the Blessed One and the assembly of monks. The king and his retinue honored the Blessed One as a spiritual teacher and, with the greatest possible admiration, requested the Blessed One and the assembly of monks to come to the palace, which was adorned with all kinds of jewels in the midst of a great park. For seven days they were honored with all manner of pleasing objects. The king served the Blessed One the midday meal and knew to clean his plate and wash his hands. Then, for the purpose of hearing the Dharma, he sat down with his entourage in front of the Blessed One.

He inquired, “Blessed One, given that I was once lowly and poor, how is it that I have now gained this bountiful dominion?”

The Blessed One responded, “Great King, in the city of Śrāvastī, there is a sponsor known as Pratibhānamati. Previously, he invited the Buddha and the saṅgha of monks to his home for the midday meal.” The Blessed One proceeded to relate the story of how the two anguished people