法苑珠林 37.41

37.41

Furthermore, the Dṛṣṭānta-sūtra says: In the past, after the Buddha entered nirvāṇa, there was a gṛhapati in the kingdom of King Aśoka. That man's blessed virtues were rare in the world; whatever he had in mind would arrive as soon as he thought of it. His family dwelling was made of the seven jewels, and the women in his inner chambers were upright, fair, and with few equals; day and night they enjoyed boundless pleasures. That man had faith in his heart and regularly made offerings to more than twenty thousand monks. King Aśoka, hearing of this, summoned him for an audience and said to him: "I hear that you are very wealthy; what things do you have in your house?" He replied to the king: "My house has nothing at all." The king did not believe him, so he dispatched a person to inspect. When the envoy arrived, he saw only seven-tiered gateways, halls, and pavilions, their seven-jewelled adornments towering and boundless. The envoy entered the rooms and saw no other goods, seeing only women who were upright, fair, and with few equals. The envoy, having seen this, returned and reported everything to the king. The king's mind was gradually cleared of doubt. At that time, the gṛhapati, knowing that the king understood, pointed with his hand to the east before the king; immediately an immeasurable rain of the seven jewels fell from the sky. He pointed to the other three directions, and it was also like this. When the king saw this, he knew that this was a person of great blessed virtue. The king then went to a monastery to inquire about this matter. In the monastery there was an elder (sthavira) who had attained arhatship, the three knowledges, and the six supernormal powers. The king asked the elder: "What blessings did this gṛhapati plant in past lives that whatever he requires comes naturally as soon as he thinks of it?" The elder replied to the king: "Ninety-one kalpas ago in the distant past, after Vipaśyin Buddha entered nirvāṇa, this gṛhapati at that time built a stūpa together with four others, his own intention being particularly earnest. When the stūpa was completed, he took the seven jewels and beautiful flowers, climbed to the top of the stūpa, and scattered them down on all four sides to make offerings. He made a vow, saying: 'May I, life after life, naturally enjoy blessings without interruption.' By virtue of this merit, from then on for ninety-one kalpas he did not fall into the evil destinies; among gods and humans he naturally enjoyed blessings, his happiness boundless. At that time, he only wished to enjoy unending blessings and did not wish for liberation; therefore, up to the present day, he only receives supreme blessings and has not yet attained the traces of the Way."