Lake Nalakapana stories (Money Than Nalakapana)

Saw footprints going down ...,

While traveling in Kosala, go to Nalakapana village, living in Ketaka Forest, near Lake Nalakapana, the Master told this story about reeds. At that time the monks, after bathing in the lake Nalakapana, told the novice to collect reeds to make the needle, they find that the reeds are completely empty, went to ask Bhagavan:

-  Buddha, to get us to do needle reeds. But from the root to the tip, the reeds that are completely empty. Why so?

The Master said:

-  Hey monks, this is due to my old age so voluntarily. Having said so, the Master tells the story past.

-ooOoo-

Long ago, according to legend, here with the lake in the jungle. In that lake, there is a La-monitoring demon who eat meat into the water. At that time, the Bodhisattva was born as the monkey god, great as a red deer, surrounded with eighty thousand monkeys, Bodhisattva protect monkeys live in the forest. Bodhisattva usually recommend monkeys:

- Hey you yourself, in this forest there are poisonous plants and dead lakes, in that the non-living species. When you eat the fruit before eating and not drinking before drinking yet, ask me already.

Forums monkey obedience. One day before going to a place never visited, after several days, we find drinking water, and find a lake. But they do not drink water, just waiting Bodhisattva. He came and said:

- The human body, why do not you drink?

- We wait for him to.

- Well, the human body!

Bodhisattva walked around the lake saw footprints going down, not go up, and thought: "There is no doubt anymore, this lake refuge inhuman". Bodhisattva told the monkeys:

- This, dear child, you do good work, for not drinking. This inhuman Lake refuge.

La-demon underwater know they do not drink water, immediately out spooky shapes with blue belly, a white face yellow, red hands and feet, turn the water comes up and says:

- Why are you sitting here, come down to drink water! Bodhisattva asked:

- Are you the La-killing in the water?

- Right.

- Did you catch those who drink the water down there?

- Right. We catch small birds from the water upwards, at this point we do not forgive someone! I will eat you all.

- We will not let you eat us.

- But let's go drinking.

- Yes, we will drink. But we will not fall into your power.

- How are you drinking?

- What, you think we're going to go down, then drinking game? Do not go into the water, eighty thousand of us every day get a mop branches, such as drinking water through a green lotus stems, we will drink water of your pool. Thus, you will not be able to eat us!

Knowing this sense, the Master read the verses:

Saw footprints going down,

Do not see footprints up,

Drinking water with reeds,

Thou shall not kill me be!

Said this is done, the Bodhisattva to bring an reeds, relive happy Balaam honey, play word mantra, mouth blown reeds. Reeds become completely empty, not a song in the remaining eye. With this method, the Bodhisattva to bring another mop tube, then another wipe and blow pipe. But if it did, the Bodhisattva can not be blown off. Therefore, the bodhisattva does not do so again. Then the Bodhisattva went around the lake and ordered:

- All reeds are empty before!

Due to its broad interests of the Bodhisattva, his orders are fulfilled. From then onwards, all reeds around the lake becomes empty.

In this life, there are four miracles exist throughout life. how is four?

1. General rabbit in the moon, will exist during this life (Money Than 316)

2. The disc that fire was extinguished, as told in the precursor Vattaka (No. 35), the location will not fire him during this life touches.

3. At the home of ceramist Ghatikara was never rains down during this life (Beijing Central No. 81)

4. The reed grows around the lake will be completely empty during this lifetime. These are the four psychic will exist during this lifetime.

Bodhisattva ordered so, and then get an outside-down reeds. Eighty thousand monkeys that, each child took a reeds, sit down around the lake. And while Bodhisattva wipe suction tube into the water, they all sat on the shore drinking water. We drink the same water, and La-demon underwater not catch one should not rejoice, left on its abode. And Bodhisattva with surrounding entourage, returned to live in the forest.

-ooOoo-

The Master said:

-  This, monks, the reed is completely empty the past because of my vow.

After this dialogue sermon finished, he combined the two stories, and concludes with the identification of precursor:

-  La-demon that time water monitoring is Devadatta, eighty-monkey is the congregation of the Buddha, the Monkey God also means that strategic use Me. END=NAM MO CAKYA MOUNI BUDDHA.( 3 TIMES ).VIETNAMESE TRANSLATE ENGLISH BY=THICH CHAN TANH.THE MIND OF ENLIGHTENMENT.VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST NUN=GOLDEN LOTUS MONASTERY=AUSTRALIA,SYDNEY.14/3/2017.