Dhammapada 1.2.2_3

1.2.2_3

Taṃ divasaṃ bhagavā balavapaccūsasamaye mahākaruṇāsamāpattito vuṭṭhāya pubbabuddhesu katādhikārānaṃ ussannakusalamūlānaṃ veneyyabandhavānaṃ dassanatthaṃ buddhacakkhunā lokaṃ volokento dasasahassacakkavāḷesu ñāṇajālaṃ patthari. Maṭṭhakuṇḍalī bahiāḷinde nipannākāreneva tassa anto paññāyi. Satthā taṃ disvā tassa antogehā nīharitvā tattha nipajjāpitabhāvaṃ ñatvā ‘‘atthi nu kho mayhaṃ ettha gatapaccayena attho’’ti upadhārento idaṃ addasa – ayaṃ māṇavo mayi cittaṃ pasādetvā kālaṃ katvā tāvatiṃsadevaloke tiṃsayojanike kanakavimāne nibbattissati, accharāsahassaparivāro bhavissati, brāhmaṇopi taṃ jhāpetvā rodanto āḷāhane vicarissati. Devaputto tigāvutappamāṇaṃ saṭṭhisakaṭabhārālaṅkārapaṭimaṇḍitaṃ accharāsahassaparivāraṃ attabhāvaṃ oloketvā ‘‘kena nu kho kammena mayā ayaṃ sirisampatti laddhā’’ti oloketvā mayi cittappasādena laddhabhāvaṃ ñatvā ‘‘ayaṃ brāhmaṇo dhanacchedabhayena mama bhesajjamakatvā idāni āḷāhanaṃ gantvā rodati, vippakārappattaṃ naṃ karissāmī’’ti pitari rodante maṭṭhakuṇḍalivaṇṇena āgantvā āḷāhanassāvidūre nipajjitvā rodissati. Atha naṃ brāhmaṇo ‘‘kosi tva’’nti pucchissati. ‘‘Ahaṃ te putto maṭṭhakuṇḍalī’’ti ācikkhissati. ‘‘Kuhiṃ nibbattosī’’ti? ‘‘Tāvasiṃsabhavane’’ti. ‘‘Kiṃ kammaṃ katvā’’ti vutte mayi cittappasādena nibbattabhāvaṃ ācikkhissati. Brāhmaṇo ‘‘tumhesu cittaṃ pasādetvā sagge nibbatto nāma atthī’’ti maṃ pucchissati. Athassāhaṃ ‘‘ettakāni satāni vā sahassāni vā satasahassāni vāti na sakkā gaṇanā paricchinditu’’nti vatvā dhammapade gāthaṃ bhāsissāmi. Gāthāpariyosāne caturāsītiyā pāṇasahassānaṃ dhammābhisamayo bhavissati, maṭṭha kuṇḍalī sotāpanno bhavissati. Tathā adinnapubbako brāhmaṇo. Iti imaṃ kulaputtaṃ nissāya mahādhammābhisamayo bhavissatīti disvā punadivase katasarīrapaṭijaggano mahābhikkhusaṅghaparivuto sāvatthiṃ piṇḍāya pavisitvā anupubbena brāhmaṇassa gehadvāraṃ gato.

On that day, very early in the morning, the Exalted One arose from a Trance of Great Compassion. And for the purpose of seeing those who had made their Earnest Wish under previous Buddhas, those the roots of whose merit were fully developed, brethren capable of conversion, he surveyed the universe with the Eye of a Buddha, spreading the Net of his Knowledge over the ten Cakkavāḷa Worlds. Straightway Maṭṭhakuṇḍali, lying outside on the terrace, appeared within the Net of his Knowledge. As soon as the Teacher saw him, he became aware that he had been removed from the house and laid there; and considering within himself, "Have I sufficient reason for going to him?" he saw the following:

"This youth will repose faith in me, will die, and will be reborn as a deity in the Heaven of the Thirty-three, in a golden mansion, with a retinue of a thousand celestial nymphs. The Brahman will burn his body and will go about the burning-ground weeping. The deity will survey his own person, three-quarters of a league in height, adorned with sixty cart-loads of ornaments, surrounded by a thousand celestial nymphs. And considering within himself, 'Through what merit have I attained this attainment of splendor?' he will perceive that he obtained it by reposing faith in me. Then he will say to himself, 'My father, who failed to provide medicine for me for fear of wasting his wealth, has now gone to the burning-ground and is weeping. I will effect a change in his attitude.' And provoked at his father, he will take the form of Maṭṭhakuṇḍali, will go to a place not far from the burning-ground, and will fling himself on the ground and weep.

"The Brahman will ask him, 'Who are you?' He will reply, 'I am your son Maṭṭhakuṇḍali.' 'Where were you reborn?' 'In the World of the Thirty-three.' The Brahman will ask him, 'What deed of merit did you perform?' and Maṭṭhakuṇḍali will tell him that he was reborn in the World of the Thirty-three by reposing faith in me. Then the Brahman will ask me, 'Are there any that have been reborn in Heaven by reposing faith in you?' and I will reply to him, 'It is not so many hundreds or thousands or hundreds of thousands — there is no counting the number of them.' I will then recite a Stanza in the Dhammapada. At the conclusion of the Stanza eighty-four thousand living beings will obtain Comprehension of the Law, Maṭṭhakuṇḍali will receive the Fruit of Conversion, and so will Adinnapubbaka the Brahman. Thus through this noble youth many will obtain Comprehension of the Law.”

Of all this the Teacher became aware. Accordingly, on the following day, having attended to his toilet, he surrounded himself with a large company of monks, entered Sāvatthi for alms, and in due course arrived at the house of the Brahman. At that moment Maṭṭhakuṇḍali was lying with face turned towards the house. The Teacher, observing that he did not see him, sent forth a ray of light. “What is that radiance?” asked the youth, turning over. Seeing the Teacher from where he lay, he said, “On account of a foolish father, I have been deprived of the privilege of approaching so excellent a Buddha, nor have I obtained the privilege either of waiting upon him or of giving him alms or of hearing the Law. Now I cannot even control the movements of my hands; there is nothing else I can do.” So saying, he reposed faith in the Buddha. The Teacher said, “He has done enough,” and departed.