Ven. Kiribathgoda Gnanananda Thera (trans.), Maṭṭhakuṇḍalī (Khuddaka Nikāya, Petavatthu, The Ubbari Chapter 17. Mattakundali; Dhr. Seven, Seth Auberon (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly
A Brahmin was crying over his dead son’s grave when he saw a grieving
deva (lit., "shining one") who was disguised as a young man.
Brahmin: "My dear child, you are very handsome, wearing polished earrings, garlands, and sandalwood cream. You are weeping, holding your head in your hands in the middle of this forest. Why are you crying so sadly?"
Deva: "I have received a bright golden chariot, but it does not have wheels. That is why I am so sad. I am about to commit suicide."
Brahmin: "Oh dear boy, tell me, what kind of wheels do you need? Should they be made of gold, jewels, rubies, or silver? I will give you a pair of wheels made from anything."
Deva: "We can see the sun and moon right here. It would be great if my chariot could have them as wheels."
Brahmin: "Oh, dear boy, you are indeed foolish. You seek something that cannot be obtained. I am sure that you will die from sadness because it is impossible to get the sun and moon as your wheels."
Deva: "But wait a minute. We can see the sun and moon moving [rolling] in the sky. We can see their color and tracks. But when someone dies, one can never see him again. So who is more foolish, you or me? You are crying over your dead son, who cannot even be seen, and I am crying over something that can at least be seen."
Brahmin: "Oh, dear boy, what you just said is very true! Of the two of us, I am the greater fool. I am crying to get my dead son back, like a childish boy crying to obtain the moon.
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| I want to commit suicide and be dead like my dead child! (Before Dying 2014/gifphy.com) |
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"My heart was burning with sadness over the death of my son, like when fat is poured onto a fire. But now, all my sorrow has been extinguished as if I had been sprayed with water. I was struck with an arrow of grief, but you have removed it from me, my dear boy. Having heard your advice, I have become tranquil and cool, with the arrow of sorrow removed. I no longer grieve or weep."
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| Devas sporting about in a heaven (Wat Bonniwet) |
"Are you a
deva, a divine musician [or divine messenger,
gandhabba], the divine king Sakka, or some
deva’s son (
devaputta)? Who are you?"
Deva: "Your son has been cremated in this cemetery. You are weeping over his remains. I am that son of yours! Having done a meritorious deed, I was reborn in the
Heaven of the Thirty-Three [
Tavatimsa, where Sakka, king of the
devas is our divine king] as a
deva."
Brahmin: "We have never known you to give a small or large gift in charity. We have never known you to observe the Five Precepts or Eight Precepts. What kind of meritorious action did you do to go to [this lowly] heaven?"
Deva: "Do you remember when I was very sick and lying sadly on a bed outside our house? One day, all of a sudden, I saw the Supreme Buddha who had great wisdom and a pure mind, who had realized everything about this world.
"I was very happy and had confidence [faith] when I saw him. I quickly honored him. That was the only meritorious action (
kusala karma) I did that as a result I was reborn in this heavenly place."
Brahmin: "It is wonderful! Just mere honoring has resulted in a great happiness. Without delay, on this very day, I happily place confidence [faith, belief] in the Buddha. I go for guidance to the Buddha."
Deva: "That is exactly what you should do! From this very day, go for guidance to the Supreme Buddha, the Supreme Dharma [Teaching], and the Supreme
Sangha [community of
noble practitioners] with a confident mind. Follow the Five Precepts honestly without breaking any of them.
"Stop killing any living beings, never steal, never drink alcohol, never lie, never commit sexual misconduct but be content with your own spouse."
Brahmin: "Oh
Deva, you really wish for my wellbeing. You have been very helpful to me. From today onward, you are my teacher. I will do all the things you advised me to do. With a confident mind I go for guidance to the Supreme Buddha, the excellent Dharma, and the [noble =
aryan = enlightened] disciples of the Great Teacher — the
Noble Sangha. I will stop killing living beings, never steal anything, never drink alcohol, never lie, and never commit sexual misconduct but be content with my own spouse."
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