THE BIRTH SUTRA. (Buddha's predecessor story) Jàtaka. 1. THE ULTIMATE dharma story (Apannaka forerunners) There are people who say… The Blessed One, while at the Ky Vien Vihara, near Savatthi, gave this Dharma talk. For whom is this Dharma talk mentioned? Because the five hundred friends of the millionaire Anāthapindika are all non-Buddhist disciples. One day, the Solitary millionaire brought five hundred of his friends, who were all non-Buddhist disciples, with them many garlands of flowers, perfumes, incense and lighting oils, honey, molasses, cloth, and robes. , went to Ky Vien, paid respects to the Blessed One, offered him materials such as garlands, etc., and distributed medicine and cloth to the monks. Having done that, he sat down to one side and avoided the six vices of sitting. In the same way, the non-Buddhist disciples bowed down to the Blessed One, and sat down to one side near Mr. look up at the face of the guru, as bright as the full moon, complete with major and minor auspicious signs, look up at the Brahma body that radiates a wide light, and look up at the brilliant aura of the Buddha, whose rays are emitted as if each pair of rings, one by one. Then like a young lion roaring like thunder in the Red valley, like storm clouds in the rainy season, like the Ganges of heaven (Galaxy) rushing down, and like weaving a string of jewels, yet, With a perfect and wonderful eight-part Brahma sound that delights the ears, he preached to them, a dharma talk sweet and luminous with various beauties. They listened to the Teacher preach the Dharma, and their hearts were purified, they immediately stood up to pay homage to the Teacher, broke the dharma refuge from outsiders, and then took refuge in the Buddha. From then on, they always went to the monastery with Mr. Altar of Solitude, holding incense, wreaths, etc., listening to the Dharma, giving alms, maintain the precepts and take the Eight-door Precepts. Then the Blessed One went from Sāvatthi again to Vāāra. During the time when the Tathagata was away, they broke the Buddha's refuge. Then they took refuge in the outside world, returning to their original state. After seven or eight months, the Blessed One returned to Ky Vien. Mr. Lonely Level brought five hundred fellow initiates to see the Master, made offerings to him with incense, etc., bowed down, and then sat down to one side. Mr. Loneliness reported to the World-Honored One that after he left, they broke the practice of taking refuge, re-accepted the non-Buddhist refuge, and returned to their status quo. Opening the mouth of his lotus, like opening a treasure box, full of different fragrances, fragrant with the fragrance of gods, by the power of speaking the truth, spanning countless eons without interruption, the Blessed One uttered a sound. sweetly and asked: - Lay men, is it true that you have broken the Three Refuges, and take refuge in pagans? And when they could not conceal it, they confessed: - Indeed, World-Honored One. The Master said: - Lay people, there is no place from the bottom of hell, from the top to the devas, there is no place in the immeasurable worlds that span wide and wide, there is no one equal to it. do not speak higher than the Buddha about virtues such as keeping the precepts, etc.. Then he presented them with the merits of the Three Jewels, as mentioned in the scriptures: - Monks, among living beings there is no foot, two-legged, or four-legged, the Tathagata is called supreme. If there are any possessions in this life or the next… And indeed, supreme among believers… Then he continued: – Not a single layman, male or female, has taken refuge in the Three Jewels, the thrones full of such supreme merit, must be reborn in hells etc... but they are freed from rebirth in the lower realms, they were born in the world of gods and attained great Zen attainment. Therefore, when you break refuge like that, and go for refuge in the non-Buddhist religion, you have done something wrong. And here, to make it clear that no one who has taken refuge in the Three Jewels with ultimate liberation, should be reborn in the lower realms, these passages must be said: Those who take refuge in the Buddha Will not go to the lower realms. Renouncing the human body Will fill the heavenly world. Those who take refuge in the Dharma Will not go to the lower realms, Renouncing the human body Will fill the heavenly world. Those who take refuge in the Sangha Will not go to the lower realms, Abandoning the human body, Will fill the heavens. Humans panic and panic, Seeking many refuges, Or forests, mountains, Or gardens, temples, That refuge is not good, Not taking the ultimate refuge, Taking refuge in those places Not escaping all suffering. Whoever takes refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha, Who uses the right view to see the Four Truths, Seeing Suffering and the Practice of Suffering, Seeing the overcoming of suffering, Seeing the Noble Eightfold Path Leads to the end of suffering. Truly safe refuge, True refuge supreme, Having such refuge New free from all suffering. Not only did the Master preach the Dharma to them like that, he also continued: - Lay men, the practice of reciting the Buddha's name, the practice of reciting the Dharma, and the practice of reciting the Sangha bring forth stream-entry, stream-entry, and one-return. The Way, One Returns, No Returns, No Returns, Arahantship, Arahantship. And after he preached to them in many ways, he said: – With such breaking of refuge, you have done a wrong thing. And here, the bringing of the stream-entry, the fruit, etc.. for those who practice reciting the Buddha's name, etc., need to be clearly stated with the following passages of sutras: - Monks, there is a dharma, if cultivated, and brought to perfection, leading to complete seclusion, dispassion, cessation, tranquillity, superior knowledge, Enlightenment, Nirvana. What is a law? It is reciting the Buddha's name, etc.. Thus, the World-Honored One, with different means, preached to the male lay followers: - Also, male lay followers, in the past, those who adhered to wrong doctrines, firmly grasped. crazy arguments, thinking that what is not a refuge, but considers a true refuge, such people will be eaten by the yaksha demon in the desert, the abode of non-humans, and fall into great tribulation. And those who cling to the truth without prejudice, to the supreme dharma, to the dharma without perversion, in that desert, they attain peace and security. When he said this, he was silent. Then the householder Ananda got up from his seat, bowed down to the Blessed One, praised him with his hands resting on his head, and said thus: - Venerable sir, it is now clear to us that in this present age, the that male layman, after breaking the ultimate refuge, fell into the jungle of heresy. But in the past, the great tribulation of those who cling to wrong doctrine in the desert, the refuge of non-humans, and the safety of those who adhere to the law of no-nonsense, have been obscured for us, only clear to Him. It would be nice if the Blessed One, as if causing the full moon to rise, would clarify this fact for us. Then the Blessed One said: - Householder, it is for the sake of eliminating doubts in the world, through the complete practice of the ten perfections over countless eons that I have attained Omniscience. Listen carefully, as if you were pouring the marrow of a lion into a golden tube! After stimulating the attention of the rich, His Holiness told the story that was covered by the rebirth, like the full moon being released, after breaking the snow cloud. * Once upon a time, in the country of Kàsi, In the city of Benares, there was a king named Brahmadatta. At that time, the Bodhisattva was born into a family of merchants who owned a caravan, and continued to grow up, traveling here and there trading with five hundred carts, sometimes from east to west, sometimes from east to west. west to east. In the city of Benares, there was another caravan owner who was young and stupid, not good at improvising. At that time, after filling five hundred carts with goods of great value, the Bodhisatta was ready to go. The young and foolish caravan owner was also loaded with similar goods on five hundred other carriages, ready to go. The bodhisattva thought, "If this foolish and young caravan owner were to go with me, with a thousand chariots, going on the same road at once, the road would be unbearable; it would be difficult to find firewood, water for the caravan, and grass for the oxen. Either it, or I have to go first.” He sent a message to invite that person to come, explain the matter and say: – The two of us can't go together at the same time. So will you go first or go after? He thinks, "If I go ahead, there will be many benefits. I will walk the unbroken way, the oxen will eat the grass untouched; and my family members will pick the tops of the curry leaves that have not been touched, and the water will be still; and finally set the selling price according to preferences, we will sell the goods”. Thinking so, that person said: – Hey, I will go first. The Bodhisatta, on the other hand, finds it beneficial to follow behind, because he reasoned thus: "Those who go before will level the road that has not yet been leveled. I will follow the path they have taken. My oxen will eat fresh and sweet grass; My men will find fresh curry leaves growing where the leaves have been picked. Where there is no water, they have to dig to get water, we will drink water from wells dug by others. The pricing is like killing people's lives, we will sell the goods at the normal price later." When he saw such benefits, the Bodhisatta said: - Hey, you go ahead. - Good luck, buddy. The young and foolish caravan owner said so, and then drove the chariots, departed, passed through the villages, and began to reach the border of the desert. In those days, there were five kinds of deserts: deserts of robbers, deserts of wild beasts, deserts without water, deserts of inhumanity, and deserts without food. First of all, the road where thieves take refuge, that place is called the desert of thieves; second, the road where lions, etc. take shelter, is called the wild beast desert; third, a place where there is no water to bathe or drink, is called a desert without water; fourth, which path has non-humans (demons) sheltered, called the inhuman desert; fifth, the road that does not find edible root species etc. is called a desert without food. Of these five types of deserts, there are two dangerous types of deserts: waterless deserts and inhuman deserts. So the young and foolish caravan owner loaded his cart with very large boats, filled it with water, and began to move into this sixty-mile-long desert. When they were halfway there, the yaksha demon residing in the desert thought, "I'll make these people throw away the water they've been holding, weaken them, and then I'll eat them all." Then it transformed into a beautiful chariot with white bulls. Guarded with twelve non-humans, holding bows, arrows, carrying and weapons, it adorned with a wreath of blue lotuses and white water lilies on its head, with wet hair and wet clothes, sat on that chariot like a lord, it stepped on the road with its muddy wheels. And the entourage walked ahead and behind, with wet hair, wet clothes, adorned with garlands of blue lotuses and water lilies, with bunches of white lotuses, holding red lotuses in their hands, chewing lotus stalks, lotus roots, dripping water. and mud. Now, when the wind was blowing in front of them, the caravan owners, as usual, sat in their chariots ahead, surrounded by servants to keep out the dust. When the wind blows behind, they ride behind. Now the wind was blowing ahead, so the young caravan owner rode ahead. The yaksha demon saw that person approaching, immediately parked the car on one side of the road, greeted him cordially and asked where he was going. The owner of the caravan also parked his car on one side of the road and said to the yaksha: - Sir, we are coming from Banala. You are adorned with blue lotuses and water lilies, holding red and white lotus flowers, was chewing lotus stalks and lotus roots, covered in mud while walking, dripping water. Is it raining on your way, are there lakes and ponds covered with blue lotus flowers? etc. Demon Yaksha, hearing the question, immediately said loudly: - Hey friend, what do you say? On the other side, the dark lines of the green forest were clearly visible. From then on, it was all forest with nothing but water. It always rains, where the lakes are flooded; There are ponds full of lotus flowers everywhere. After saying so and the convoy had passed, he asked: – Where are these carriages going? And they answered: – Go to this place, there. – What goods are in each of these carriages? - Various types of goods. Then when the last carriage passed, carrying a heavy load, it asked: – What is in this carriage? - Carry water in it. – From the place of departure to this place, you have brought water as well. But from here on out, there's no need to bring water anymore. From the front there is a lot of water. Let's break the water ledges, let's go at ease. And it added: – Go. We're on our way before we're late! Then it went for a while, came to a hidden place, and immediately returned to the city of Yaksha. That foolish traveller, due to his ignorance, listened to the yaksha demon, broke the javes, didn't save even a handful of water, just dumped it all and ordered the carts to go. The more you go forward, not a single drop of water. They got tired without drinking water. They kept going until the sun went down. Then they untied the cart, arranged it in a circle, and tied the oxen to the wheel. But they also have no drinking water. And they had no porridge, no rice, so they were weak, lay down everywhere and slept. When night fell, the yaksha demon came from the city of yaksha, destroyed all the lives of cows and people, and ate their flesh, just leave the bones and go away. Thus, just because of a young and stupid caravan owner, all were caught in great tribulation, bones of people and things were scattered everywhere, only five hundred carriages stood still with full goods. The Bodhisatta, waiting for the day when the young and foolish caravan owner passed away, about a month and a half passed, and with five hundred chariots departing from the city, gradually arrived at the border of the desert. He filled the cisterns with water and filled them with water, took more water to reserve, then beat the drum for a gathering of people and said as follows: - If you don't ask me, a cup of water will not be used. There are many poisonous plants in the desert, and not one of you is allowed to eat leaves, flowers, or fruits that have not been eaten before, without asking me. After instructing them thus, the Bodhisatta began to enter the desert with five hundred chariots. When he came to the middle of the desert, that yaksha demon appeared on the path of the Bodhisattva gate, as the previous method. When the Bodhisattva saw it, he immediately recognized the day and thought, "This place has no water and is called a desert without water. This person has red eyes, looks fearless, and has no shadow. Undoubtedly, the young and foolish caravan owner who went ahead was instigated by it, poured out all the water, became exhausted, and was eaten by it and his entire retinue. But it doesn't know that I have wisdom and skillful use of means." So the Bodhisatta said loudly to the demon: - You go, we are merchants. Not seeing any other water, we did not dump the water that was stored. Wherever we see water, we can safely pour water away, lightening the carriages. The yaksha ghost walked away for a while, came to a hidden place, and immediately returned to the city of yaksha. When the yaksha had gone, the group of people asked the bodhisattva: - Sir, these people just show that over there is a green forest. Beyond that forest, it's always raining. They wear garlands of blue lotuses and water lilies on their heads; they hold bouquets of red and white lotuses; they pick lotus roots and stems; wet shirt, wet head; they walk with falling water drops. So let's park the water, make the carriages light, we go faster. The Bodhisattva heard them say this, immediately stopped the carriages, gathered all the people and asked: - Among the uncles, has anyone heard before that there are ponds or lakes in this desert? "Sir, no one is listening. That's why this place is called a desert without water. – Now some people say that beyond the green forest over there, it rains. How far can the wind and rain blow? - Sir, about a mile (do-week). – Can the wind and rain blow to touch the body of any one of you? - Sir, no. - How far away, Can the top of the cloud be seen? "About a mile, sir. "Have any of you seen a cloud head?" - Sir, there is no one. – How far away can the flash of light be seen? - About four or five miles, sir. "Have any of you seen a flash of light?" - Sir, no one! - How far away can thunder be heard? - About two or three miles, sir. "Can any of you hear the thunder?" - Sir, there is no one. – They are not human. They are yaksha demons. The yaksha came and thought, "We instigate the caravan to pour water, and when the caravan is weak, we will eat them! Because the foolish and young caravan owner who went ahead had no skill in means, they were sure to be driven away by them, and when they were tired, they were eaten by the yaksha demon. The remaining five hundred carriages were left full of goods as before. Today, we will see them. Do not throw away, even a handful of water must be preserved. Go ahead, the sooner the better. Urging his party to go forward, the Bodhisatta continued on until he saw five hundred carts full of goods, the bones of oxen and the previous unfortunate caravan scattered everywhere. He untied the carts, set the carts in a circle, assembled in tents, fed the caravan and oxen early in the evening, and arranged the oxen to rest among them. Then he recruited a number of strong leaders, who stood guard with swords in hand, for three hours at night until dawn. Early in the morning of the next day, he finished the necessary work, fed the oxen, threw away the weak carriages, took the strong carts, threw away the goods of little value, loaded them into the cargo. valuable goods, go to a predetermined destination, and sell the goods for a price equal to two or three of the cost price. After that, he and his entourage returned to his city. * The story ends, the Master said: - This layman, so in the past, those who grasped the wrong doctrine, had to face great tribulation. And those who accepted the absurd truth escaped the hands of the non-humans, and arrived safely where they wanted. And after combining the two stories together, for the purpose of introducing this teaching of the truth of no-nonsense, the Fully Enlightened One versed in this verse: There are those who speak the Truth of no-nonsense, But other classes of people Declare it. about heresy. The wise know this, Hold fast to the supreme dhamma. Thus the World-Honored One taught about this true dharma without prejudice, and then he added: - This right path brings not only the three wholesome attainments, the six heavenly realms in the sensual world, the attainment of the Brahma world, but finally bring Arahant fruit. And the path called wrong doctrine leads to rebirth in the four lower realms and in the five lower families. Then he further explained about the Four Truths with sixteen characteristics. At the end of that lecture, all five hundred male lay followers attained stream-entry. After preaching the Dharma, the Master outlined the lessons and told the two stories and then, combining them, He identified the Forerunner as follows: - In those days, the young and foolish caravan owner was De-- Devadatta, his retinue is Devadatta's retinue, the wise caravan owner's entourage is the Buddha's entourage, and the sage caravan owner sage Mind is I. -ooOoo- 2. THE STORY OF THE DESTINCE BEACH (Vannupatha's predecessor) No matter how tired they are, they dig..., this Dharma talk was said by the Blessed One when he was in Sa-vat. For whom did He speak? Because a bhikkhu has renounced diligence. When the Blessed One was staying at Sāvatthi, There was a good householder who lived in Sāvat and went to Ky Vien, listened to the Dharma talk by the Master, had pure faith in his heart, and saw danger in sensual pleasures, so he applied for renunciation. Having lived for five years, waiting for the full ordination, he memorized two summaries, practiced the method of Vipassana, received from the Master a meditation subject he liked, and then went into a forest. Having passed a rainy season retreat, after three months he could not give rise to a single ray of light or a single visualization. Then he thought: "The Teacher teaches there are four classes of people. Am I the lowest of them all? We think that there can be no Path and Fruit for ourselves, so why do we live in the forest? Go to the Master, live to contemplate the Buddha's body with its supreme color, and to listen to the sweet teaching of the Dharma. Thinking so, he returned to Ky Vien. The close friends said to him: - Hey sage, you have received from the Master a subject of Vipassana meditation, have gone with the determination to practice the Dharma as a recluse. Now you are back, enjoying life with the congregation. Or have you achieved the ultimate goal of your monastic duty, and have ceased to be reborn? - Dear friends, I cannot realize both the Path and the Fruit, thinking that I am incapable, so I give up my efforts and return here. "Friend, you have done a wrong thing, when you have ordained in the Dharma of the Master with perseverance, you give up diligence. Go to see the Tathagata. We will make it clear to Him. They brought him close to the Master. When he saw him, he immediately said: - Monks, you brought this Male-stilts here against his will. What did this person do? "World-Honored One, this bhikkhu, after leaving home in this way in the true Dharma of liberation, After practicing the Dharma as a recluse, he gave up his diligence and returned here. The World-Honored One said to that bhikkhu: - Monk, is it true that you have given up effort? "Indeed, venerable sir. "Bhikkhu, why, after leaving home in the Dhamma like this, do you not know how to live with little desire, contentment, detachment or diligence, but you are one who renounces diligence?" Due to his diligence alone, in the sandy desert, the caravan and herds of five hundred chariots, having been given water to drink, lived in peace. Now why do you give up diligence? With such words, the Male-stilts feel encouraged to strive. Hearing this, the Male-stilts asked the World-Honored One: - Venerable Sir, we have clearly given up this present effort of this Male-stilts. But in the past, due to the diligence of this man alone, in the sandy desert, oxen and caravans drank water and lived in peace. That story is still hidden from us, only clear to the Blessed One, the Omniscient One. Tell us this story. - So, bhikkhus, listen. After attracting the attention of the bhikkhus, the Blessed One clearly stated what had happened in the past. * Once upon a time, while King Brahmadatta was reigning in Ba-la-complaint in the country of Kàsi, the Bodhisatta was born into a family of merchant caravan owners, grew up and often went to trade with five hundred carriages. Once the Bodhisatta was walking into a sandy desert, sixty miles long, with five hundred chariots. In that desert, the sand is very fine, when it is scooped in the fist, it will all flow down. When the sun rose, the sand became hot like embers, it was impossible to go up. Therefore, those who pass through that desert, carrying firewood, water, oil, rice... on chariots, go only at night; when the sun rises, they arranged the carriages in a circle, made a canopy over their heads, and after eating very early, they often sat in the shade all day. When the sun went down, they ate early afternoon, the sand had cooled, they stopped the carriages and left. Going through this desert is like going to the sea. The guide, known as the "chief geographer," guided the caravan through by understanding the stars. The owner of this caravan at that time traveled through the desert with such a vehicle. After traveling fifty miles, he thought: "Today, one more night, I will come out of this desert." After dinner, he ordered to throw away the firewood and water, brake the carts, and leave. The chief traveler spread out the cloth in the chariot, to sit and look at the stars, and from there tell the way to go, and then lay down. He had not slept for a long time, so he was tired, fast asleep, not knowing that the cows went around and returned to the old way. The cows walked all night like that. At dawn, the leader woke up, looked at the stars and said: – Turn the chariots back quickly! But when the carriages returned, and lined up, it was morning. The members of the delegation said: – Yesterday, we sent the wagons camping here. Firewood and water we have thrown away. Now we are in danger. They untied the carts, lined up in a circle, put a veil over their heads, each lying under his chariot, despairing. The bodhisattva thought, "If I give up diligence, all will be in danger." In the morning, when it was cool, he walked back and forth, saw a patch of dabbha grass, thought to himself: "Under this grass, there must be spring water, new grass can grow", so he took a hoe and dig there. They dig up to sixty elbows; come here, pickaxe touches the rock below. At that time, all were disappointed and did not try anymore. The Bodhisatta thought that there would be water under the rock. He went down and stood on the rock. Bending down, He listens. Hearing the sound of water flowing under the rock, he climbed back up and said to his attendant: - My friend, if you give up your efforts, we will all be in danger. You must not give up diligence. Take the big hammer, go down and hit the rock! Obeying the master, while everyone stood bored, this man did not give up his diligence, climbed down and smashed the stone. The rock broke in the middle, fell, and the stream shot up, as high as the trunk of a palm tree. Everyone drank water and bathed, then cut off excess wheels and axles, cooked porridge and rice. When they finished eating, they fed the cows. When the sun went down, they tied a flag up near the water, and then went to the designated place. There, they sold goods for two or four times the profit, and then returned home. They live to the end of their lifespan, and when their fate comes along, follow their karma. And Bodhisattvas, who give alms and perform meritorious deeds all their life, also follow their own karma. * When finished speaking this Dharma talk, the Perfectly Enlightened One read the verse: Not tired, they dug, They dug a sandy path Until there was a stream of water There, they got water! In the same way, the hermit With the strength of diligence, Without giving in to fatigue, Finding peace of mind. Then He preached the Four Truths. At the end of the lecture, the Male-stilts had given up that effort to realize the supreme fruit, the fruit of Arahantship. After the Teacher had finished telling the two stories and combined them, he concluded by identifying the Forerunners as follows: - At that time, the attendant did not give up his diligence, broke the stone and brought water. for the group ie the Male-stilts have given up this effort. The entourage of the caravan master is the entourage of the Buddha, and the caravan owner is I. -ooOoo- 3. STORY OF THE TRAFFIC (Serivanija) If here he rots… The Blessed One preached this Dharma talk while in Sa-Vita, also related to a Male-stilts giving up effort. When he was brought to the Master by the Male-stilts, in the same case as the previous story, the Master said: - Monks, you have left home in the Dhamma to bring about the same Path and Fruit. If you give up diligence, you will suffer for a long time, like the merchant Seriva who lost a golden bowl worth a hundred thousand gold coins. The bhikkhus asked the Blessed One to analyze this matter. The World-Honored One clarified the meaning through the following past story: * In the past, five kalpas ago, the Bodhisatta was in the country of Seri, working as a merchant and was called Serivan. Serivan, with another greedy bowler, crossed the Talavaha river into Andhapura, divided the streets of the city, selling his wares on the divided road. The other person takes his own path. In that city, there was a family of millionaires who had fallen. All sons, brothers, sisters and property were lost. The survivors are a daughter and a grandmother, both of whom live as hired labor for others. But in the house there is a golden bowl, once used by the great millionaire to eat rice. That bowl had been thrown in the middle of other dishes that had not been used for a long time, and it was covered with dirt. They did not know that the bowl was made of gold. At that time, that greedy merchant, walking and shouting: - Get the water pot, get the water pot. And to the door of the house. The daughter saw him and said to her grandmother: - Ma'am, get me a piece of jewelry. - Hey, dear, we are very poor, what can we exchange for water? – Having a bowl does not help us. Let's exchange this for tea. She called for the merchant, took a chair, invited him to sit, handed the bowl to him and said: - Hey, sir, take this and give me something in exchange. The merchant holding the bowl thought, "This bowl can be made of gold", turning the bowl in his hand, scraping a line with a needle on the back of the bowl, knowing that the bowl is gold, he thinks: "No need for these people. anything, I will take the bowl", and said: - How much does this thing cost? Its price is not worth half a penny. The man threw the bowl on the ground, got up from his seat, and left. Then there was an agreement between the two merchants that when one had entered the road and left, the other could enter it. So the Bodhisattva entered that path, for sale: – Who takes the water pot? And go to the door of that house. The daughter spoke to her grandmother as before. Grandma said to her: - Hey dear, the merchant who came first threw the bowl on the ground and left, now what can we give to get it? "Ma'am, that merchant is rude. And this person has a cute face, soft-spoken. Chances are this person took it. - Then call them back. The girl called the man back. When he entered the house and sat down, they showed the bowl. This person knew that the bowl was made of gold and said, "Mother, this bowl is worth a hundred thousand gold coins. I don't have in my hands a commodity as valuable as this bowl. "Sir, the merchant who came forward said that this was not worth half a penny, threw the bowl on the ground and left. Now, thanks to your merit, this bowl has become gold. So we give you this bowl. Give us a little something, take the bowl and go. At that time the Bodhisatta had eight hundred gold coins in his hand and goods worth five hundred gold coins, so he gave it all and said: - Let me keep the balance, the basket and the eight gold coins. After asking for it, he took the bowl and left. He quickly went to the riverbank, gave the boatman eight coins, and climbed into the boat. At that time, the greedy merchant returned and said: - Bring the bowl here, I will give you something. But the old woman scolded him: - You think our gold bowl worth a hundred thousand dong is not worth half a penny! But a true merchant, like your teacher, gave us a thousand gold coins, took the bowl and left. Hearing this, he lamented: - I have lost the golden bowl worth one hundred thousand gold coins. It really is the bandit who harmed me. That greedy merchant gave rise to worries and sorrows, could not concentrate his mind, became mad, and scattered gold coins and goods by his own hand in front of that house, throwing away his clothes, robes, and hands. hold the balance like a stick and follow the bodhisattva's path to the riverbank. Seeing that the Bodhisatta had crossed the river, he called out: - Boatman, turn around. But the Bodhisatta stopped and said: - Don't turn around. Seeing the bodhisattva gradually go away, his sorrow and anxiety arose, his heart burned, hot blood gushed out of his mouth, and his heart cracked like mud at the bottom of a pool of water. Due to hatred against the Bodhisattva, that person died on the spot. This was the first time Devadatta had a hatred against the Bodhisattva. As for the bodhisattva, throughout his life he does meritorious deeds such as giving alms... and then follows his karma. * After finishing this Dharma talk, the Perfectly Enlightened One read the verse: If here you are lost, Not aiming for the wonderful Dharma, You will suffer for a long time Like a merchant in Seri. Thus, after the Master preached this Dharma talk leading to the summit of Arahantship, he preached the Four Truths. At the end of that lecture, the Male-stilts gave up the effort to attain the supreme fruit of Arahantship. After telling the two stories and combining them, the Master identified the Forerunner: - At that time, the foolish merchant was Devadatta, and the wise merchant was I. -ooOoo- 4. STORY OF MINIMUM MILLIONAIRE (Cullakaset's predecessor) The wise with little capital... This Dharma talk was taught by the Blessed One while he was in the Jivaka Mango Forest, near Rajagaha, about the Elder Cullapanthaka. Here, the life of Cullapanthaka needs to be talked about. In Rajagaha, the daughter of a rich millionaire conspired with her slave. Fearing that this act would be known to others, the girl said to the slave: We can't live here. If our parents found out about this sin, they would tear us apart. We should go live somewhere else. With personal belongings in hand, the two hid out the door that was rarely opened, agreeing to find a place where no one knew them and would live there. After living together for a while, the girl conceived. When the time came to give birth, the wife said to her husband: - Now, I am close to giving birth, and there are no relatives here. Until I give birth, we will both be miserable. So let's go home. The husband kept making appointments day in and day out, and let the days pass. The wife thought: “This fool, his sense of guilt is too great, so he does not dare to go. Parents are his best friends. My husband goes or stays, I have to go too." Waiting for the husband to leave the house, the wife arranges the furniture in the house, and let the people living next door know that she was returning to her parents' house, and then she set off. When the husband returned, did not see her, asked the neighbor, knowing that she had returned home, he hurriedly followed and caught her in the middle of the road. There, she gave birth. The husband asked: - Hey dear, what's the matter? - Hey man, I gave birth to a son. – So what are we going to do? Both agree that the purpose of going home is to give birth, but in the middle of the way, that matter has been resolved, now there is nothing left to do. They immediately returned to their old inn. Because the child was born in the middle of the road, he was named Panthaka (Traveler). Before long, the wife was pregnant again. Everything happened as before. Since this second child was also born in the middle of the road, they named the first one Mahapanthaka (Great Traveler) and the second one Cullapanthaka (Little Traveler). Then they brought both children back to their home. While they were living in that place, the child Panthaka heard other children call him, grandfather, grandmother, he asked his mother: - Mother, other children call you, grandfather, grandmother . So we don't have relatives? - We also have. The mother replied. But my relatives are not here. My grandfather is a millionaire in Wang Xia. There, I have many relatives. "Mother, why don't we go there?" She told her children why she did not go to her house, and when the children asked again, she said to her husband: – These children make me very tired. Would our parents see us and eat us? Go home and let the kids know their grandpa's house. "I can't stand face to face with your parents, but I'll take them there." She said, "That's fine, let the children see their grandfather's house. The couple brought their two children to Vuong Xa, where they temporarily stayed at an inn near the gate of Vuong Xa. Then the wife took the two children and sent messengers to tell her parents that they had arrived. When she heard this news, her parents said: – Living in the world without a son or daughter is an impossibility. But they have sinned too great for us. We cannot face each other. This is the money for them. Let's take that money and live comfortably somewhere. But have to leave the two children here. The millionaire's daughter took the money her parents gave her, and delivered the two children to the messenger. The two children grew up in their grandfather's family. Cullapanthaka was young, so Mahapanthaka often went with his grandfather to listen to the Master preach. Often listening to sermons, and seeing the Teacher, Mahāpanthaka's mind is inclined towards renunciation. He said to his grandfather: – If you agree, I will leave home. - Hey baby, what are you saying? Oh ! I would be more than happy to see you ordained, than to see the whole world ordained! Hey dear, if possible, go forth. Grandpa accepted and took him to meet the Master. The Master asked: - Hey, millionaire, which child are you carrying? - White World Honored One! This child is my grandson, he wants to go forth with the Blessed One. The Master told a bhikshu to give the child monastic life. The Elder, read the subject of Vipassana meditation in five parts, from the skin onward ... and made a ordination for the child. The child learned many teachings of the Buddha, and when he came of age, he was ordained. Thanks to diligent diligence, doing all the duties of practice, Mahapanthaka attained Arahantship. While enjoying the peace of Meditation and the bliss of the Noble Path, the person I think I should give you, Culla-panthaka, also enjoys the same happiness. Then the brother went to call his millionaire grandfather and said: – If Grandpa approves, I will ordained Cullpanthaka. - Venerable sir, do the ordination ceremony for him. The Elder performed the ordination ceremony for Cullapanthaka and gave him the Ten Precepts. But Sa-di Cullapanthaka, after ordained, proved very dark. The younger brother in four months could not memorize this verse: Like a fragrant lotus, At dawn in the morning, Flowers are in full bloom With a fragrant aroma. Look at the shining Buddha With his radiance shining, Like the bright sun In the clear sky. We are told that, in the time of Buddha Kassapa, Cullapanthaka, who was ordained, had wisdom, laughed at a dark monk who was memorizing a passage of sutras. That bhikkhu was so ashamed of being despised that he could not remember and recite that passage. As a result of that karma, Cullapanthaka became dark, the sentences he has just learned make him forget the sentences he has learned before; and four months had passed, while he was trying to learn a verse, Mahapanthaka said to him: - Panthaka, I am not capable in this Dhamma. Four months have passed, I cannot memorize a verse, how can I achieve the ultimate career of a monk? Let's go out of the monastery. So the brother chased the younger brother. But Cullapanthaka was especially attached to the Buddha's teachings, so he did not want to become a lay person. In those days, Mahapanthaka was serving as a meal distributor. One day Jivaka Komārabhacca, carrying many perfumes and garlands of flowers, went to his mango grove to make offerings to the Blessed One. After hearing the Dharma, Jivaha got up from his seat, bowed down to the Ten-Power (Dasabala), then approached Mahapanthaka and asked: - Venerable Sir, How many bhikkhus are near the Teacher? - About five hundred. "Then tomorrow, venerable sir, please invite five hundred bhikkhus, with the Buddha as the leader, to have a meal at my house. “Lady, Cullapanthaka is a dull person, unable to grow in the Dhamma. I accept the invitation all but it. Hearing this, Cullapanthaka thought: "The Elder accepts the invitation of all the bhikkhus and excludes me. Without a doubt, his feelings for me were broken. Now that we are still in this Dharma, what are we doing? So we will be lay people, live doing meritorious deeds such as giving, ... At dawn the next day Cullapanthaka left with the thought: "I return to the household life". The Master, early in the morning, when he looked around the world, saw this fact, and departed earlier than Cullapanthaka. He paced back and forth in front of the gate, on the path of Cullapanthaka, and stopped. Cullapanthaka, coming out of the house, seeing the Teacher, approached him and paid homage. Seeing Cullapanthaka, the Blessed One asked: - Hey, Cullapanthaka, where are you going at this hour? "World-Honored One, my brother chased me, so I wandered around. - Hey, Cullapanthaka, you ordained with Me. When your brother chased you, why didn't you come to Me? What do you live at home for? Come and live near Me. Then the Blessed One took Cullapanthaka away and told him to sit in front of the Perfume Room. He gave Cullpanthaka a clean cloth that he had created with magical powers, then said: - Hey, Cullapanthaka, face east, wipe with this cloth back and forth and say: Dust-cleaning objects, dust-cleaning objects. At the appointed time, the World-Honored One, with the monks surrounding him, went to Javaka's house and sat down on the seat prepared. As for Cullapanthaka, with his face towards the sun, he sat holding a cloth to wipe it and said: Dusting object, dusting object, until the cloth becomes dirty. Then Cullapanthaka thought: “Just now, this cloth was very clean. But behold, for my own sake, it has abandoned its status quo, and has become dirty. Indeed, formations are impermanent.” As soon as Cullapanthaka understands cessation, insight is increased. The Master knew that Cullapanthaka's contemplation had reached perfection, so he said to Cullapanthaka: - Don't notice that this cloth has been soiled with dust. But in you there is the dust of greed… get rid of them. Then the Blessed One released the light, manifested a name-and-form created by wisdom, sat in front of him, and read these verses: Greed is called dust, Not this dust; Greed is really synonymous with the word dust often used; Abandon this dust, bhikkhus, Live in the Dhamma of the one who is free from dirt. The new yard is called dust, Not this dust, The new yard is really synonymous with the word dust often used. Abandon this dust, bhikkhus, Live in the Dhamma of the one who is free from dirt. Si is called dust, Not this dust; The new Si is really synonymous with the commonly used word dust. Abandon this dust, bhikkhus, Live in the Dharma of the one who is free from dirt. At the end of the verse, Cullapanthaka attained Arahantship with the Four Unobstructed solutions, he understood all the Tripitaka. It is said that, in the past, he was king, and while walking around the city, sweat ran down his forehead, he wiped his forehead with a clean cloth. The cloth becomes dirty. He thinks: "Because of this body of mine, the cloth has left its pure state and has become dirty. Indeed, formations are impermanent.” He grasps the sign of impermanence. Thus it is through the elimination of this dirt that creates the cause and conditions for his liberation. Meanwhile, Jivaka Komarabhacca offered alms water to the Enlightened One. The Teacher covered the bowl with his hand and said: - Hey, Jivaka, are there any Male-stilts in the monastery? Mahapanthaka said: - World-Honored One, there are no more monks in the monastery. But the Master said: - Hey Javaka, there are also Male-stilts. Javaka immediately sent a person to see if there were monks in the monastery or not. Meanwhile, Cullapathaka knew his brother said there were no monks in the monastery and wanted to show his brother that there were still many monks in the monastery, so he filled the whole mango forest with monks. . Some Male-stilts are doing medicine, some are dyeing, some are studying the scriptures. Cullapanthaka created a thousand Male-stilts, no one like anyone else. The other man saw many Male-stilts in the monastery, returned to tell Javaka: - Sir, the whole mango forest is full of Male-stilts! There is an elder there!. Elder Pantha-ca Transforms himself into a thousand times, Sitting in a beautiful mango forest, Waiting for the time to be called. The Master said to him: - Go to the monastery, tell the Blessed One to call Cullapanthaka. He went and when he said this, a thousand mouths said: - I am Cullapanthaka! I'm Cullapanthaka! He came back and said: - World-Honored One, they all said: "I am Cullapanthaka". – Then go and if anyone says first: I am Pathaka, hold his hand, all the rest will disappear. He did exactly that. At that moment, a thousand bhikkhus disappeared. The elder went with him to the Teacher. After eating the meal, the Master said to Jivaka: - O Javaka, take the bowl of Cullapanthaka. This person will say thank you. Jivaka did as the Master said. The elder roared the lion's roar, enliven all the Tantras in his words of thanks. Then the Blessed One arose from his seat, surrounded by a group of bhikkhus, and went back to the monastery. After the bhikkhus finished their work, the Blessed One got up from his seat, stood in front of the incense room, preached the advice of the Devas to the bhikkhus, gave them the subject of meditation, and dispersed the bhikkhus. - Stilts, then go into the Huong room, smell the fragrance, and lie down on the side of the face like a lion. In the afternoon, the bhikkhus, wearing yellow robes from many places, gathered in the Dharma hall, sat down as if spreading a golden curtain around the Teacher, and began to praise his merits: - The sage, Mahapanthaka, not knowing Cullapanthaka's ability, chased Cullapanthaka out of the monastery, claiming that he was stupid and ignorant. He studied for four months without memorizing a verse. But the Perfectly Enlightened One, with the supreme virtue of the Dharma King, in just one meal, brought Cullapanthaka the fruit of Arahantship with the Unobstructed solutions. With these solutions, Cullapanthaka grasped the entire Canon. Oh, how great is Buddha's power! The Blessed One, knowing the progress of the conversation in the Dharma Hall, thinking that now it was time to go to that place, rose from the Buddha's bed, put on two bright red robes, fastened his body belt like lightning, and put it on. y again. The Good One is like a crimson blanket, coming out of the Perfume Room, going to the Dharma Hall with the infinite majesty of a Buddha, moving with the majestic and beautiful posture of an elephant and a lion in his prime. Step onto the magnificently presented Buddha seat in the middle of the solemn Dharma hall. He sat on the Buddha's seat, releasing rays of light. Buddha has six colors like the new sun rising from the top of Mount Yugandahara, he shines to the bottom of the sea. As soon as the Perfectly Enlightened One came, the bhikkhu-stilts ended the conversation and kept silent. The Master, with a mind of compassion and gentleness, looked at the assembly and thought: "This assembly is so resplendent, there is not a single hand or foot movement, not a single cough, not a throaty sound. All out of respect for Me, if I remained silent for the rest of my life, the masses would not dare to speak before I spoke. I know I need to speak first. I'll tell you first." With the sweet and sweet Pham sound, the Blessed One said to the Male-stilts: - Monks, what topic are you sitting here talking about and what story has not been finished yet? “World-Honored One, we sit here and do not talk nonsense. We sat and praised your merits as follows: O sages, Mahapanthaka, unaware of Cullapanthaka's ability, drove Cullapanthaka out of the monastery... Oh, how great is Buddha's power! The Blessed One, hearing the monks say this, said: "Bhikkhus, Cullapanthaka has now, through me, attained greatness in the Dhamma. And in the past, also because of Me, he gained great wealth in possessions. The Bhikkhu-stilts asked the Blessed One to explain this meaning and the Blessed One immediately explained the cover-up of rebirth through the following story. * Once upon a time, in the country of Kàsi, in the city of Ba-la-complaint, when King Brahamadatta was reigning, the Bodhisatta was born into a millionaire family and was called Little Millionaire. He has intelligence, knows all kinds of signs. One day, while going to the king, in the middle of the road saw a dead mouse, at that moment he calculated the stars and said: - A good man with eyes, just pick up this mouse can build. property and raise a wife. At that time there was a good man who was in need, and when he heard the millionaire say this, he thought, "This man knows what he has to say." So he picked up the mouse and sold it for a penny at a cat shop. With that coin he bought molasses and drank water with a pitcher. Meeting the garland-makers returning from the forest, he gave each of them some sugar, honey and water to drink with a little dipper. Each person made a wreath, giving him a handful of flowers. Tomorrow, with the money from the sale of flowers, he will take sugar, honey, a pot of water and go to the flower garden. On that day, the people made a wreath for him with the leftover flower branches and left. Soon with this vehicle, he obtained eight gold coins. Then on a rainy day, in the king's garden there were many dry branches and leaves that were blown off by the wind, the gardener did not know how to sweep them clean. He went to the gardener and said to the gardener: – I will sweep away on the condition that this wood and leaf belong to me. The gardener approves. This disciple of the Little Millionaire went to the children's playground, gave them honey, and asked them to clear firewood and leaves in a pile in front of the flower garden for a short time. At that time, the potter for the king was looking for firewood to burn the king's bowls, when he saw the pile of wood at the door of the flower garden, he immediately bought it and brought it with his own hands. On that day, the disciple of the Little Millionaire selling firewood got sixteen coins, a pot and five bowls. Having obtained twenty-four coins, he came up with a plan, to set up a pot of water not far from the city gate and to give water to five hundred lawn mowers to drink. They said: – You help us a lot. What do you want us to do for you? He replied: - When I have a job, I will tell you. While going back and forth, he befriended a merchant on land and a merchant on the sea. The merchant on the ground informed him that to-morrow a horse-trader would come to this city with five hundred horses. Hearing this, he said to the lawn mowers: - Give each of you a bunch of grass today, and don't sell your grass until I've sold mine. They agreed and brought five hundred bundles of grass to his house. The horse merchant could not find grass in the whole city, so he gave him a thousand coins and took his grass. After a few days, the merchant on the sign informed him that a large ship would arrive. He thought of another plan. For eight bucks he rented a fully equipped carriage, rented by the hour, and arrived at the harbor with great majesty. After giving the ring as security for the ship, he asked to set up a tent not far away, sat in the tent, and instructed the servants as follows: - When there are merchants from outside, let me know through three introducers. When they heard that a ship was coming, about a hundred merchants from Benares came to buy goods. They were told that the goods could not be obtained because they had to be left to the merchant who had a guarantee there. When they heard this, they went to meet him. The servants, as instructed, informed them of their arrival through three introducers. The one hundred merchants each gave him a thousand dong as a partner on the ship and another thousand dong to pay for their share of the goods. Thus the disciple of the Little Millionaire obtained two hundred thousand coins and went to Benares. To show his gratitude to the Little Millionaire, he brought a hundred thousand coins and went to visit the Little Millionaire. The Little Millionaire asked him what he did to get this money, he told the whole story, from when according to the Little Millionaire spent four months beginning with him picking up the dead mouse. The Little Millionaire heard him say this, thinking that he could not let such a young man fall into the hands of another, so he married his newly grown daughter to him, and made him the owner of the entire property. When the millionaire died, he became the millionaire of that city. And at the end of his life, the Bodhisatta followed his karma. * After speaking this Dharma talk, the Fully Enlightened One reads the verse: One who is wise with little capital, One who has eyes, few rows, Builds himself such a great wealth, As with his breath Blows a small fire of fire. . The World-Honored One said: - It is by virtue of me, bhikkhus, that Cullapanthaka today attained the supreme dhamma in all dhammas, just as in the past he attained the supreme wealth in possessions. After speaking this Dharma talk, the Master combined the two stories together, and concluded by identifying the Predecessor as follows: - In those days, the disciple of the Little Millionaire was Cullapanthaka, and Cullakasetthi, the Little Millionaire. rich, that's me. -ooOoo- 5. ​​RICE FIGHT. (Tandulanàli predecessor) How much is the price of rice?… This story was told by the Blessed One, while staying at Ky Vien, about the Elder Laludayi. At that time, Venerable Dabba, a son of the Malla tribe, served as a food distributor for the Sangha. At that time, in the morning, while distributing rice cards, Elder Udayi sometimes got good rice, sometimes bad rice. On the day of getting bad rice, Udayi used to make a fuss in the card room and say: – Why only Dabba knows how to give cards, but we don't know? One day, when Udayi was busy in the card room, people gave the card book to Udayi and said: – Today, Sage, please hand out cards. From that day on, Udayi gave cards to the monks. But while handing out the cards, Udayi did not know which rice was good rice and which rice was bad, nor did Udayi know how the number of low lats was given good rice, and the number of those who had lent bad rice. When making the order book to divide the portion, Udayi did not think about the order of descent. Therefore, when the Venerables took their positions, Udayi put a mark on the floor or on the wall to indicate that this row stood here and that row stood there. On the next day, in the card distribution room there were fewer bhikkhus in this row, and more bhikkhus in the other line. The row with fewer bhikkhus, the marks are too low, the row with more bhikkhus, the marks are too high. But Udayi, unaware of the queue, distributed the cards according to his marks. Therefore, the Male-stilts said to Udayi: - The marks are either too low, or is too high. Good rice is for those who have this kind of rice, and bad rice is for those who have such bad taste. But Udayi pushed them aside and said: - If this sign is like that, why don't the sages stand like that? Why do I trust the Sages? I trust my marks more. The young monks and novices pulled Udngayi out of the distribution room and said: - Hey, sage Udámi, when the sage distributes cards, the Male-stilts receive the missing portion they receive. The sage is not worthy to distribute. Let's go out. Meanwhile, at the card distribution room, there was a loud noise. Hearing that, the Master called and asked the elder Ànanda: - Hey Ànanda, it's not now, with his stupidity, that Udayi causes other people to suffer damage when they receive their share. In the past, Udayi did the same. Elder Ànanda asked the Blessed One to clarify this matter. The World-Honored One clearly presented the matter of being covered by rebirth through the story of the past. * Once upon a time, in the country of Kàsi, in the city of Ba-la-complaint, King Brahmadatta was reigning. At that time, our bodhisattva acted as an assessor for the king. He valued elephants, horses, etc.. treasures, gold, etc., and he often paid the owners of goods at the exact price he prescribed. But the king was a greedy man, and his greedy nature made him think: “This person who evaluates with such an assessment will soon make my property in the house exhausted. I must find another assessor.” Opening the window, looking down at the courtyard, the king saw a greedy and stupid countryman walking across the courtyard, thinking that he could be his judge, so he called him up, and asked if he could be a judge. Can you rate the king? That person replied: - Dear King, I can do it. The king immediately placed the fool in the position of evaluator, for the purpose of protecting his property. From that time on, that fool evaluates elephants, horses, etc., regardless of the value, saying the price depends on his preferences. And because he holds that position, whatever he says, the price is right, it can't be otherwise. At that time, from the northern country, a horse merchant came with five hundred horses. The king called the man up and told him to evaluate the horse. He valued five hundred horses by the price of rice, told the horse dealer to pay a pound of rice, and told to lead the horses to the stables. The horse dealer went to the old assessor, narrated the incident, and asked what to do. The Bodhisattva said: -Give him a bribe and ask him: Knowing that the price of our horses is worth a pound of rice, you can tell us, according to him, what is the price of a quart of rice? how much, Can you declare that price in front of the king? If he says yes, bring him right in front of the king and I will be there too. The merchant obeyed the Bodhisatta, gave him an estimate of the bribe, and questioned him. When the man accepted a bribe and said he could value the rice, the horse merchant brought him right before the king. The Bodhisattva and many other great gods also came. The horse merchant, after paying homage to the king, immediately said: -Dear Great King, I have known that the price of five hundred horses is equal to the price of one measure of rice. – But how much is the price of a match of rice? – King, ask this reviewer. Not knowing what happened, the king said: - Hey, judge, tell us the price of five hundred horses. - Great King, is the price of a rice match. - Be like that, sir. These five hundred horses are worth a pound of rice. So how much is a pound of rice worth? The fool replied: – One measure of rice is worth all the city of Benares with many suburbs! Thus we are told that, to please the king, he was worth the horses by a measure of rice; but after taking bribes from the merchant, he valued one measure of rice equal to the whole city of Ba-la-complaint. At that time, the whole city surrounding Benares was twelve miles long, and the inner city and suburbs of Benares were three hundred miles wide! However, that fool is worth only one measure of rice in the inner and outer suburbs of this vast Ba-la-complaint! Hearing that person say that, the great gods clapped their hands and laughed and said: - In the past, we used to think that the earth and the country were priceless. But now we know that this great city of Benares with its king was worth only one measure of rice. Oh, keû fully appreciate wisdom! How can it hold its position for so long! But really this evaluator fits our king wonderfully! The great men clapped their hands, laughed and sarcastically. Then the Bodhisatta read the verse: How much is the price of rice? - Equal to the inner and outer suburbs, City of Ba-la-complaint All five hundred horses Also only equal to the price of One measure of rice only. At that time, the king was ashamed to send the fool away and put the Bodhisattva in the same position of evaluation. Then at the end of his life, the Bodhisatta followed his karma. * After presenting this Dharma talk, the Master combined the two stories together, and concluded with the identification of the Forerunners as follows: - At that time, the foolish country judge was Udayi, and the evaluator. there is wisdom that I am. -ooOoo- 6. THE STORY OF THE FRENCH (Devadhamma's predecessor) Full and precious... When in Ky Vien, the World-Honored One told this story about a Male-stilts who had many objects. At Savatthi, There was a rich bourgeois who, after his wife's death, left home. Before he left home, he made a room to live in, a room to keep a fire, and a storage room, filled the storeroom with butter, milk, rice, etc., and then left home. After ordination, he called his servants, told him to cook food according to his taste and use them. He has a lot of things, at night has underwear, has his own robe; During the day he wears his own underwear, has his own robe, and lives in isolation behind the borders of the monastery. One day, while he was taking his robes and bathing suits and spreading them in the room to dry, a large number of bhikkhus from the provinces, going from one residence to another, came to that room, saw shirts etc.. immediately asked to whom they belonged. He replied: - Mine, sages. - Dear sage, this robe, this bra, this mattress, is it all yours? - Yes, mine. They say: - Friend, the Blessed One only allows three robes. The sage who left home in the Buddha's Dhamma had so little desire, yet he filled up such a treasure. We will bring the Sage to the Master. Then these bhikkhus took him to the Teacher. Seeing this, the Master said: - Monks, did you bring here a Male-stilts against his will? "World-Honored One, this bhikkhu has many things, and even a storehouse of supplies. - Monk, do you have many things? “Indeed, Venerable Sir. - Monk, why do you have so many things? Are we praising the virtues of little sex, knowing enough… far away, diligently? Hearing the Teacher say that, he was angry and said: - Now I will take off my clothes and go like this. He threw off his outer robe, wore only an inner robe, and stood in the midst of the assembly. The Teacher, wanting to encourage him, said: - Monk, in the past, he is the demon of the Yaksha country looking for the treasures, living for twelve years looking for the treasures. Why have you now ordained in this revered Buddha's teaching, threw your robes among the four assemblies, renounced the three precious gems, and stood like that? When he heard the Master's words, the three noble qualities arose, he put on his robe, bowed down to the Teacher, and sat down to one side. The bhikkhus asked the Blessed One to explain this meaning clearly. The World-Honored One presented the meaning of the matter of being reborn covered by the following story: * At that time, when King Brahmadatta was reigning in the country of Kàsi in Benares, the Bodhisattva was reborn as the son of the king's queen. , and on the day of naming, was named prince Mahimsàsa (the Bull King). When the Bodhisatta began to walk and run, a second son was born and was named Candakumara (Moon). When this child began to walk and run, the Bodhisatta's mother passed away. The king put another person as his queen, very popular with the king. This queen, in that love, gave birth to a son named Prince Suriya (Sun). When the king saw his son, his heart was filled with joy, and he promised the queen a request in her son's name. The queen kept her promise, hoping to fulfill her wish in the future. When her child grew up, she told the king: - When giving birth to my child, the Great King promised a request. So let me be king. The king refused, and said: – I have two sons, bright as fire. I cannot give the kingdom to the queen. But then, seeing that the queen kept asking, the king was afraid that she had a malicious plot against his children, so he called them back and said: - Hey, dear children, when I gave birth to Prince Suriya, I had a gift. pretension. Now mom has a request for the kingdom, I don't want to give it. But women are often evil, can plot evil against their children. So go into the forest, and when I die, come back and rule this city as our inheritance. Saying this, with tears and lamentations, the king kissed the two children on the head and took them away. After paying homage to their father, the two princes left the castle. Prince Suriya was playing in the yard, saw this, learned of the incident, and decided to go with the two brothers, and go with them. They went to Snow Mountain. The Bodhisattva walked down the road, sat on a tree stump and told Prince Suriya: - Hey, dear Suriya, go to this lake. After bathing and drinking, bring us water to drink from the lotus leaves. That lake was given to a Yaksha water demon by the celestial king Vishamon (Vessavana) with the instructions: Except for those who know the divine law, and all those who enter this lake, you have the right to force them to eat meat. . Those who do not enter the water, people have no rights. From then on, the yaksha demon asked the divine law who went to that lake, ai don't know then it eats meat. Prince Suriya went to that lake, without observing anything, just stepped into the lake. The yaksha ghost caught it and asked: - Do you know the law of heaven? The prince replied: - I know. It is the sun, the moon. Demon Yaksha said: - You do not know the law of heaven. Then took him into the water, and locked him in his aquarium. The Bodhisattva saw that his brother had been gone for too long, so he sent Prince Canda away. The yaksha also arrested him, asking about the four directions of the heavenly dharma. The yaksha said that he did not know the divine law, arrested him and also imprisoned him there. The Bodhisatta saw Canda go for too long, thinking that there must be some obstacle for each person, he went to that place himself. Seeing the footprints of the two people going down, thinking that the lake might be a refuge for the yaksha demon, the Bodhisatta drew his sword, took his bow, and stood ready. The water demon Yaksha knows that the Bodhisatta refuses to enter the water, manifesting as a man going to work in the forest, said to the Bodhisattva: - Hey friend, you are tired of traveling, why don't you go to this lake to bathe, drink water, eat lotus root, decorate with lotus flowers, then go somewhere you like prefer. The Bodhisatta saw this, knew it was a yaksha ghost, and asked him: - Did you arrest my brothers? - Yes, we caught. - Why? Because whoever enters this lake belongs to me. – Do they all belong to people? - Except for those who know the divine law, the rest belongs to me. – Do you want to know the divine law? Yes, I want to know. "If that's the case, I'll tell you about the divine law." - Then speak, I will listen to the divine law. The Bodhisatta said: - I can speak of the heavenly dharma, but my hands and feet are covered with dust. The yaksha demon bathed the Bodhisatta, fed him, gave him water, adorned with flowers, smeared it with perfume, and spread a bed in the middle of a lavishly decorated pavilion. The bodhisattva sat on the bench, made the yaksha ghost sit at his feet, and said: - Listen carefully to the heavenly dharma. He uttered this verse: Fully qualified and precious, Dedicated to the white Dharma, Tranquility of the righteous, In life calling the divine. Yaksha heard this Dharma talk, and his mind was born with pure faith, and said to the Bodhisattva: - Wise man, I feel pure faith in you and would like to give you a brother. So who do I bring? - Bring the youngest. - Venerable sage, although you know the divine law completely, you do not act according to the divine law. - What's up? – Why did you choose the younger brother and leave the brother? He does not respect its older age. - Hey, Yaksha, I not only know the divine law, but also behave in accordance with the divine law. It was because of that little brother that we went into this forest. It was for the happiness of the younger brother that his mother asked the king to save the country. And our father refused, did not accept the request, willing to let us live in the forest for the purpose of protecting us. That child did not think of returning, followed us. If anyone heard that in the forest, a yakkha had already eaten it, no one would believe it. It was out of fear of being rebuked that I asked you to bring it to me. - Good, good, sage. Not only did he know the divine dharma, but he also practiced the divine dharma. The yaksha demon expressed his agreement, and returned both brothers. Then the Bodhisattva said to it: - My friend, as a result of your previous evil deeds, you are now born as a yakkha, eating the flesh and blood of others. Now you do evil again. This evil work cannot make you escape from hell, etc.. Therefore, from now on, give up evil, do good... And the Bodhisattva subdues the yaksha demon. When subduing the demon Daïkà, The bodhisattva lived there with the protection of the yaksha demon. One day, looking up at the stars, knowing that his father had passed away, the Bodhisatta brought the yaksha demon back to Benares, took back the kingdom, made Prince Canda the viceroy, and set him up. Suriya as commander-in-chief of the army. As for the yaksha demon, the Bodhisatta made his abode in a good place, giving him the best wreath, the best flowers, the best food. Only Bodhisattvas reign according to the Dharma, and when they die, they follow their own karma. * After narrating the Dharma talk, the Master immediately preached the Truth. At the end of the lecture, that Male-stilts witnessed the fruit of the Stream. The Perfectly Enlightened One finished telling the two stories, combined them together, and concluded with the identification of the Forefathers as follows: At that time, the Yaksha Demon was a monk with many things, and Prince Suriya was Ànanda. , the prince of Canda is Sàriputta (Sariputra), and Prince Mahimsàsa is I. -ooOoo- 7. THE STORY OF HER LOOKING FOR WOOD (Katthahàri's predecessor) Dear Great Kings... This story was told by the Teacher while in the United States about her Vasabhakhattiyà. The story is to be found in Chapter twelfth, Precursor Bhaddasala (No. 465). Legend has it that she was the daughter of a Sakyamuni named Mahànàma with a maidservant named Nàgamundà, and later became the queen of the king of Kosala. She bore a son to the king. Later, when the king learned of her maidservant's lineage, he deposed her from her position, and also deposed her son, Vidudabha. Both live only in the inner palace. The Blessed One, knowing this, in the morning, surrounded by five hundred bhikkhus, went to the king's residence, sat on the seat prepared, and said: - Great King, where is Vāsabhakhattiya? The king told the story. - Your Excellency, Whose daughter is Vsabhakhattiya? - The Blessed One, by Mahanama. - When she came, whose wife was she? - The Blessed One, mine. - Dear King, she is the king's daughter. She came to be the king's wife. She bore a son to the king. That son, for what reason does not own the kingdom owned by the father? Once upon a time, a king had a son from a girl who gathered firewood, and a chance meeting gave the son the kingdom. The king asked the Blessed One to clarify the meaning of the story. The Blessed One then told the story of the past. * Once upon a time, in Ba-la-complaint, King Brahmadatta went to the royal palace with the great majesty of the king. While going back and forth in search of fruit and flowers, the king met a young woman gathering firewood, gathering and singing. The king fell in love with her and lived with her. The bodhisattva was conceived in her womb. She felt her belly heavy as if carrying the lightning blade (hammer blade) of Shakyamuni. Knowing that she was pregnant, she told the king about it. The king gave her a ring and said: – If you give birth to a girl, keep this ring to get money to raise it. If you give birth to a son, bring him to me with this ring. After saying that, the king left. When the fetus was in time, she gave birth to a Bodhisattva. When the Bodhisatta reached the age to walk and run, while playing in the playground, a voice shouted: - I was beaten by a child without a father. Hearing that, the Bodhisatta went to his mother and asked: - Who is your father? - Hey, dear son, you are the son of King Ba-la-complaint. "Mother, do you have any proof?" - My dear son, the king gave this ring and said: "If you give birth to a girl, keep this ring to nurture her. If you have a son, bring him to me with this ring." Having said that, the king left. "Mother, that's the way it is, Why don't you take me to see your father? She knew my intentions, so she brought me to the palace door and consulted the king. When called in, she bowed to the king and said: - Dear Great King, this is the son of Great King. The king knew that, but felt ashamed in front of the crowd, so he said: – It is not my son. - My Lord, this is his ring. Surely you recognize this ring? - This is not my ring! - Dear Great King, I have nothing else to guarantee the truth. If this child were your son, he would stand in the air. Otherwise, it will fall to the ground and die! Then she took the Bodhisatta's leg and threw it into the air. The Bodhisatta sat cross-legged in space and, with a sweet voice, proclaimed the Dharma to his father, reading this verse: Dear Great King. I am your son, Dear master, Raise your big one! King nurtures others, Why not raise your child? Hearing the bodhisattva sitting in space preaching the Dharma like this, the king said: - Come, dear son, I will take care of you! I will raise you! And the king raised his hands. A thousand hands went up to meet the bodhisattva, but the bodhisattva did not descend on any other hand, pointed down to the king's hand, and sat on the king's calf. The king appointed his son as viceroy, and his mother as his queen. After the king's death, the Bodhisatta became king named Katthavahanaraja (king of the wood-gatherers), ruled the country with the Dharma, and when he died he followed his karma. * After telling this Dharma talk to the king of Kosala, presenting the two stories and combining them, the Master concluded with the identification of the Forerunners as follows: - At that time, the mother was Mahāmaya, the father was Pure Brahma King, and King Katthavana is Me. -ooOoo- 8. STORY OF THE KING GÁMANI (Gàmani predecessor) Not in a hurry to pass…, The story told by the Master while in Ky Vien, about a Male-stilt who gave up his efforts. In this Forerunner, the story of the present and the past will be presented in Chapter eleven, which deals with the Samvara Forerunner. That story and this story are the same, but the verses are different. * Prince Gamani dwelt in the teachings of the Bodhisattva, the youngest of a hundred brothers, surrounded by a hundred brothers, sitting under a white umbrella, on a seat of splendor and splendor, looking at the glory of God. ourselves, and thinking, "All this glory I have due to our Guru", then feeling contented, uttered these inspirational words: No haste to pass, Desired Accomplishment Wait, Ga-mani know that I am submissive. Seven or eight days after he ascended the throne, all the brothers went to their own places. King Gamani because he followed the Dharma, and when he died, he followed his karma. Bodhisattvas do meritorious deeds, and at the end of their lives also follow their karma. * After presenting this Dharma talk, the Master preaches the Truths. At the end of that lecture, the Male-stilts gave up the effort to become Arahant. The Master, tells the two stories and combines them, and concludes with identification of the Predecessor. -ooOoo- 9. THE STORY OF KING MAKHàDEVA (Predecessor of Makhàdeva) My gray hair…, This story was told by the Master while in Ky Vien, about the great ordination event that was told in the Nidana-kahthà. At that time, the monks were sitting praising the departure of the Great Enlightened One, then the Blessed One went to the Dharma hall, sat on the Buddha's seat, asked the monks: - Monks, you are now sitting and talking What? "World-Honored One, there is nothing else. We sit and praise the Blessed One's departure! - Monks, it is not now that the Tathagata has gone, before, I have also gone. The bhikkhus asked the Blessed One to explain the story. The Blessed One presents the following past story. * At that time, in the country of Vidaha, there was a king named Makha-deva of Mithilà, practicing the Dharma of a Dharma King. For eighty-four thousand years, he enjoyed himself in the position of Great King. After a long time, the king lived like that. One day, he called the barber and said: - Hey, when you see gray hair on my head, let me know. The barber, after a long time, saw a gray hair among the king's jet-black hair, and immediately informed the king. The king said: - Pull that gray hair and put it in my hand. Hearing this, the barber took the golden tweezers and pulled out the silver hair and placed it on the king's hand. At that time, the king had eighty-four thousand years left to live. However, When he saw the gray hair, he felt a strong emotion, as if death had come to stand nearby, as if he was locked in a burning leaf house. The king thought, "Silly Makhàdeva, gray hair has grown, but you have not been able to get rid of these afflictions." And when he thought of the appearance of the silver hair, the king felt a burning feeling inside, from his body sweat came out, his clothes seemed to suppress him and became unbearable. The king thought, "Today, I have to leave home." After giving the barber a village income worth one hundred thousand dong, the king called his first son and said: -My dear son, on my head, gray hair has appeared. You are old now. The desires related to people, I have fully enjoyed. Now I want to seek sensual pleasures in the heavenly world. Now is the time for us to leave. Rule over this kingdom. After leaving home, I will stay in the Mango Forest of Makhādeva and live according to the Dharma of the recluse. When the ministers heard that the king wanted to leave home, they immediately asked the king why he wanted to leave home. The king held a silver hair in his hand and said a verse to the great minister: My gray hairs, Appear, steal my green age, The Angels have come, It is time for me to leave home. Having said this, on that very day, the king renounced the kingdom and became a hermit in the Makhādeva Mango Forest. After eighty-four thousand years of practicing four Brahma residences, staying in meditation without interruption, he passed away, and was reborn in the Brahma world; From there he was born again in Mithilà and became a king named Nimi. After gathering his separated family, he left home in that Mango Forest, practiced the Four Brahmas, and was reborn in the Brahma world. * The Teacher said that the Tathagata is not only now leaving with that ordination, but in the past he has also gone like that. After presenting this Dharma talk, He preached on the Four Truths. Some of the evidence is the result of Saving. Some evidence is the fruit of Nhat Lai. Some witness to the fruit of Non-return. After telling these two stories and combining them together, the Master identified the Forefather as follows: - At that time, the barber was Ànanda, the son was Rahula (Rāhula), and the king was Makhadeva is I. -ooOoo- 10. THE STORY OF THE Elder SUKHAVIHàRI (Predecessor Sukhavihàri) The Unprotected…, This story, while in the Anupiya mango grove, the Master told about the Elder Bhaddiya Sukhavihàri. Elder Bhaddiya Sukhavihàri was ordained together with six members of the royal family, and Upali was the seventh. Elder Bhaddiya, Elder Kimbila, Elder Bhagu and Elder Upāli attained Arahantship, Elder Ànanda attained Stream-streaming, Elder Anuruddha attained celestial eye, Elder Devadatta attained the fruit of stream-entry. meditation. The story of these six royals leading up to the incident at Anupiya, will be presented in the Khandahàla Predecessor (No. 534). During his reign as king, Venerable Bhaddiya defended himself as a deity who arranges protection, now thinking of the state of fear in which he lived, though protected with many protections, still lay down Back on the big screen located on the upper floor. He compares that fear with the state of fearlessness, because now he has attained Arahantship, when he wanders here and there in the forests, etc... When he thinks so, he speaks up. Inspirational words: – Oh happy! Oh how happy! The bhikkhus, thinking that the venerable Bhaddiya spoke of his right wisdom, presented it to the Blessed One. The Blessed One said: - Monks, Bhaddiya not only now lives happily, but in the past he has also lived happily! The bhikkhus sometimes asked the Blessed One to clarify this meaning. The Blessed One clarified the meaning through the story of the past. * Once upon a time, in Ba-la-complaint, while King Brahmadatta was ruling the kingdom, the Bodhisatta was born as a wealthy Brahmin in the North. Seeing the danger in sensual pleasures, the benefit in renunciation, he renounced sensual pleasures, entered Tuyet Mountain, became a hermit, and attained eight attainments. His entourage numbered five hundred ascetics. When the rainy season came, he left Snow Mountain with the ascetic group around him and walked through the village, through the town, to Benares, where he took refuge in the king's garden, taking refuge in the king. There, after living for four months during the rainy season, he went to say goodbye to the king. The king said: - Venerable, Venerable is old, what does the Venerable live in Snow Mountain do? Let the disciples go to Snow Mountain, while the venerable one stays here. The Bodhisatta entrusted five hundred ascetics to his chief disciple and said: - You go, live in Snow Mountain with these people. And we will live here. That chief disciple, formerly a king, left the great kingdom after his death, left home, took up the subject of meditation, and attained eight attainments. He lives in the Snow Mountain with the ascetics. One day, wanting to see the guru, he called the other ascetics and said: - Live comfortably here, I go to pay homage to the guru and then come back. He went to the guru, bowed to him, greeted him very sincerely, then spread the rug, and lay down beside the guru. At that time, the king went to the garden to see the ascetic, bowed to him, and sat down to one side. The ascetic disciple saw the king coming, but did not get up, still lying down and said inspired words: – Oh happy! Oh how happy! The king was not pleased with the ascetic when he saw the king but did not get up, so he spoke to the bodhisattva. - Dear Venerable, This ascetic probably had too much to eat, so he lay happy, speaking inspirational words. - Great King, this ascetic was also a king like you. He thought: "Formerly a layman, full of kingly authority, protected by many armed men, but not as happy as this. Now, because I am happy to be ordained, I am happy to meditate, so I speak such inspirational words." To give a Dharma talk to the king, the Bodhisatta recited this verse: One who is not protected, One who does not protect others, Great King, that person. Really at peace. For waiting for nothing, For desires. After listening to the Dharma talk, the king felt comfortable, bowed down, and went back to the palace. The disciple bowed down to his guru, then went to Snow Mountain. The bodhisattva continued to live there, meditating without interruption, and at the end of his life, was reborn in the Brahma world. * Master Teacher, recount two stories, combine them and identify the Forerunner: – At that time, the disciple was Venerable Bhaddiya, and the guru was I. END=NAM MO SHAKYAMUNI BUDDHA.( 3 TIMES ).WORLD VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST ORDER=BUDDHIST DHARMA WHEEL GOLDEN ZEN BUDDHIST MONASTERY=VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST NUN=THE WOMEN OF THE SAKYA CLAN CHAN TANH.AUSTRALIA,SYDNEY.17/3/2023.VIETNAMESE TRANSLATE ENGLISH BY=VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST NUN=THE WOMEN OF THE SAKYA CLAN CHAN TANH.