Verses on Dhamma 7.9.98_6

7.9.98_6

Atha naṃ so āha – ‘‘kiṃ nu kho tvaṃ ummattako, udāhu kahāpaṇānaṃ ṭhapanokāsaṃ na labhasi, pādampi na agghanakaṃ madhuṃ ‘sahassaṃ gahetvā dehī’ti vadasi, ‘kiṃ nāmeta’’’nti? ‘Jānāmahaṃ, bho, iminā pana me kammaṃ atthi, tenevaṃ vadāmī’ti. ‘‘Kiṃ kammaṃ, sāmī’’ti? ‘‘Amhehi vipassībuddhassa aṭṭhasaṭṭhisamaṇasahassaparivārassa mahādānaṃ sajjitaṃ, tatrekaṃ allamadhumeva natthi, tasmā evaṃ gaṇhāmī’’ti. Evaṃ, sante, nāhaṃ mūlena dassāmi, sace ‘‘ahampi dāne pattiṃ labhissāmi, dassāmī’’ti. So gantvā nāgarānaṃ tamatthaṃ ārocesi. Nāgarā tassa saddhāya balavabhāvaṃ ñatvā, ‘‘sādhu, pattiko hotū’’ti paṭijāniṃsu, te buddhappamukhaṃ bhikkhusaṅghaṃ nisīdāpetvā yāgukhajjakaṃ datvā mahatiṃ suvaṇṇapātiṃ āharāpetvā madhupaṭalaṃ pīḷāpesuṃ. Teneva manussena paṇṇākāratthāya dadhivārakopi āhaṭo atthi, so tampi dadhiṃ pātiyaṃ ākiritvā tena madhunā saṃsanditvā buddhappamukhassa bhikkhusaṅghassa ādito paṭṭhāya adāsi. Taṃ yāvadatthaṃ gaṇhantānaṃ sabbesaṃ pāpuṇi uttarimpi avasiṭṭhaṃ ahosiyeva. ‘‘Evaṃ thokaṃ madhu kathaṃ tāva bahūnaṃ pāpuṇī’’ti na cintetabbaṃ. Tañhi buddhānubhāvena pāpuṇi. Buddhavisayo na cintetabbo. Cattāri hi ‘‘acinteyyānī’’ti (a. ni. 4.77) vuttāni. Tāni cintento ummādasseva bhāgī hotīti. So puriso ettakaṃ kammaṃ katvā āyupariyosāne devaloke nibbattitvā ettakaṃ kālaṃ saṃsaranto ekasmiṃ samaye devalokā cavitvā bārāṇasiyaṃ rājakule nibbatto pitu accayena rajjaṃ pāpuṇi. So ‘‘ekaṃ nagaraṃ gaṇhissāmī’’ti gantvā parivāresi, nāgarānañca sāsanaṃ pahiṇi ‘‘rajjaṃ vā me dentu yuddhaṃ vā’’ti. Te ‘‘neva rajjaṃ dassāma, na yuddha’’nti vatvā cūḷadvārehi nikkhamitvā dārūdakādīni āharanti, sabbakiccāni karonti.

Then he said to the man, "Are you crazy, or have you no way of spending your money? This honey isn't worth a farthing, but you offer me a thousand pieces of money for it; what is the explanation of this?" "That is perfectly true, sir; but I have some use for this honey and I will tell you what it is." "What is it, master?" "We have prepared bounteous offerings for the Buddha Vipassī and his retinue of sixty-eight thousand monks, but we have no fresh honey; that is why I want it." "If that is the case, I will not sell it for a price; if I may receive the merit of the offering, I will give it to you." When the man returned and related the incident to the citizens, the citizens, impressed with the firm faith of the giver, assented, saying, "Good! good! let him receive the merit of the offering."

So the citizens provided seats for the Congregation of Monks presided over by the Buddha, gave them broth and hard food, and then had a great silver vessel brought and strained the honeycomb. The same man also brought a pot of curds as a present, poured the curds also into the vessel, mixed them with the honey, and offered the food to the Buddha and to the Congregation of Monks over which he presided. All took as much as they required and there was more than enough for all.

(We must not ask ourselves the question, "How was it that so little food sufficed for so many?" For this was brought about by the supernatural power of the Buddha; and the power of a Buddha is inconceivable. "He who ponders the Four Inconceivables will go mad.")

Having wrought a good work so slight, the countryman was reborn, when the term of life allotted to him had come to an end, in the World of the Gods. After passing through the round of existence for a very long period of time, he passed at length from the World of the Gods and was reborn as the Prince Royal of Benāres. On the death of the king his father, he succeeded to the throne. Straightway resolving, “I will take a certain city,” he invested the city and sent word to the citizens, “Give me battle or the kingdom.” They replied, “We will give neither battle nor the kingdom.” So saying, they went forth from the lesser gates, procured firewood, water, and so forth, and did all that was necessary to maintain a defense. The king guarded the four principal gates and besieged the city for seven months and seven years.