Verses on Dhamma 5.14.74_12

5.14.74_12

Ānanda, ayaṃ padumuttarassa bhagavato pādamūle katābhinīhāro kappasatasahassaṃ devamanussesu saṃsaritvā kassapabuddhakāle migaluddakakule nibbatto vuddhimanvāya ekadivasaṃ deve vassante migānaṃ māraṇattāya sattiṃ ādāya araññaṃ gantvā mige olokento ekasmiṃ akaṭapabbhāre sasīsaṃ pārupitvā ekaṃ bhikkhuṃ nisinnaṃ disvā ‘‘eko, ayyo, samaṇadhammaṃ karonto nisinno bhavissati, bhattamassa āharissāmī’’ti vegena gehaṃ gantvā ekasmiṃ uddhane hiyyo, ābhatamaṃsaṃ, ekasmiṃ bhattaṃ pacāpetvā aññe piṇḍapātacārike bhikkhū disvā tesampi patte ādāya paññattāsane nisīdāpetvā bhikkhaṃ sampādetvā, ‘‘ayye, parivisathā’’ti aññaṃ āṇāpetvā taṃ bhattaṃ puṭake pakkhipitvā ādāya gacchanto antarāmagge nānāpupphāni ocinitvā pattapuṭe katvā therassa nisinnaṭṭhānaṃ gantvā ‘‘mayhaṃ, bhante, saṅgahaṃ karothā’’ti vatvā pattaṃ ādāya pūretvā therassa hatthe ṭhapetvā tehi pupphehi pūjaṃ katvā ‘‘yathā me ayaṃ rasapiṇḍapāto pupphapūjāya saddhiṃ cittaṃ tosesi, evaṃ nibbattanibbattaṭṭhāne paṇṇākārasahassāni ādāya āgantvā mayhaṃ cittaṃ tosentu, pañcavaṇṇakusumavassañca vassatū’’ti patthanaṃ paṭṭhapesi. So yāvajīvaṃ kusalaṃ katvā devaloke nibbatti, nibbattaṭṭhāne jaṇṇukamattena odhinā dibbapupphavassaṃ vassi. Idānipissa jātadivase ceva idha ca āgatassa pupphavassavassanañca paṇṇākārābhihāro ca sattahi ratanehi sakaṭapūraṇañca tasseva kammassa nissandoti.

Then he ordered additional food to be brought, placed it in a basket, and taking it with him, set out. On the way he plucked various kinds of flowers, placed them in a leaf-basket, and went on to the place where the Elder sat. “Reverend Sir,” said he, “bestow your favor upon me.” So saying, he took the Elder’s bowl, filled it, and placed it in his hand. Then honoring the Elder with those flowers, he made the following Earnest Wish, “Even as this portion of choice food, together with the gift of flowers, has pleased my heart, even so, in the various places where I shall be reborn, may my heart rejoice over the thousands of presents which I shall receive, and may rain of the five kinds of flowers rain upon my head.” During the term of life allotted to him he performed works of merit, and after his death he was reborn in the World of the Gods. In the place where he was reborn celestial flowers rained upon him knee-deep. In his present existence, both on the day of his birth and on the day when he came hither, a rain of flowers rained upon him and presents were offered to him and his carts were filled with the seven kinds of jewels. This was the result solely of his deed in a former birth.