Dhammapada 5.9.p4

5.9.p4

So thokaññeva tathāgatena saddhiṃ caritvā manosilārase nimuggo viya buddharasmīnaṃ anto paviṭṭho satthāraṃ thometvā vanditvā tucchapacchimeva gahetvā gehaṃ agamāsi. Atha naṃ bhariyā pucchi ‘‘kahaṃ pupphānī’’ti? ‘‘Satthā me pūjito’’ti. ‘‘Rañño dāni kiṃ karissasī’’ti? ‘‘Rājā maṃ ghātetu vā raṭṭhato vā nīharatu, ahaṃ jīvitaṃ pariccajitvā satthāraṃ pūjesiṃ, sabbapupphāni aṭṭha muṭṭhiyova ahesuṃ, evarūpā nāma pūjā jātā. Mahājano ukkuṭṭhisahassāni karonto satthārā saddhiṃ carati, yo esa mahājanassa ukkuṭṭhisaddo, tasmiṃ ṭhāne eso’’ti. Athassa bhariyā andhabālatāya evarūpe pāṭihāriye pasādaṃ nāma ajanetvā taṃ akkositvā paribhāsitvā ‘‘rājāno nāma caṇḍā, sakiṃ kuddhā hatthapādādicchedanena bahumpi anatthaṃ karonti, tayā katakammena mayhampi anattho siyā’’ti putte ādāya rājakulaṃ gantvā raññā pakkositvā ‘‘kiṃ eta’’nti pucchitā āha – ‘‘mama sāmiko tumhākaṃ upaṭṭhānapupphehi satthāraṃ pūjetvā tucchahattho gharaṃ āgantvā ‘kahaṃ pupphānī’ti mayā puṭṭho idaṃ nāma vadesi, ahaṃ taṃ paribhāsitvā ‘rājāno nāma caṇḍā, sakiṃ kuddhā hatthapādādicchedanena bahumpi anatthaṃ karonti, tayā katakammena mayhampi anattho siyā’ti taṃ chaḍḍetvā idhāgatā, tena kataṃ kammaṃ sukataṃ vā hotu, dukkaṭaṃ vā, tassevetaṃ, mayā tassa chaḍḍitabhāvaṃ jānāhi, devā’’ti. Rājā paṭhamadassaneneva sotāpattiphalaṃ patto saddho pasanno ariyasāvako cintesi – ‘‘aho ayaṃ itthī andhabālā, evarūpe guṇe pasādaṃ na uppādesī’’ti. So kuddho viya hutvā, ‘‘amma, kiṃ vadesi, mayhaṃ upaṭṭhānapupphehi tena pūjā katā’’ti? ‘‘Āma, devā’’ti. ‘‘Bhaddakaṃ te kataṃ taṃ chaḍḍentiyā, mama pupphehi pūjākārassa ahaṃ kattabbayuttakaṃ jānissāmī’’ti taṃ uyyojetvā vegena satthu santikaṃ gantvā vanditvā satthārā saddhiṃyeva vicari.

His wife asked him, “Where are your flowers?” “I honored the Teacher with them.” “Now what will you do for the king?” “The king may kill me or banish me from his kingdom. I have surrendered my life to the Teacher and rendered him honor. I had eight handfuls of flowers in all, and with these I honored the Teacher. The populace is accompanying the Teacher, shouting thousands of acclamations. It is the noise of the acclamations of the populace that we hear in this place.”

Now the wife of the gardener was an utter simpleton, and was therefore incapable of believing in such a miracle. So she rebuked her husband, saying, “Kings are harsh and cruel, and when once provoked, do much harm by cutting off hands and feet and inflicting other punishments. Much harm might come to me through what you have done.” Then she took her children with her, went to the royal palace, sent for the king, and when he asked her what was the matter, said to him, “My husband has honored the Teacher with the flowers he should have served to you and has returned home empty-handed. I asked him what he had done with the flowers, and this is what he told me. I rebuked him, saying, ‘Kings are harsh and cruel, and when once provoked, do much harm by cutting off hands and feet and inflicting other punishments. Much harm might come to me through the offense you have committed.’ So I abandoned him and came here. What he has done may be good or evil. All that I care for, your majesty, is to have you know that I have abandoned him.”

Now the king was a Noble Disciple. At the very first sight of the Buddha he had obtained the Fruit of Conversion; his faith was firm and his mind was at peace. He thought to himself, “Oh, this woman is an utter simpleton! Naturally she could have no faith in such a work of merit.” But he pretended to be angry and said to her, “Woman, what say you? He honored the Teacher with flowers he should have served to me?” “Yes, your majesty.” “You did well to abandon him. I shall find a way of dealing with this fellow for rendering honor to another with flowers that belonged to me.” Having dismissed her with these words, he went quickly to the Teacher, paid obeisance to him, and walked with the Teacher alone. The Teacher, perceiving that the mind of the king was at peace, proceeded to the city and marched through the street to the beating of kettle-drums, until he arrived at the gate of the king's palace. The king took his bowl and invited the Teacher to enter, but the Teacher indicated his desire to sit in the palace court. The king recognized his desire and gave the order, "Erect a pavilion with all speed." Accordingly a pavilion was immediately erected, and the Teacher sat therein, surrounded by the Congregation of Monks.