Khadirangara Jataka The Buddha, while at Jetavana, told this story about Anathapindika, the great lay supporter of the Triple Gem. Anathapindika, who had spent 54 crores of his great fortune on acquiring the Jetavana monastery for the Buddha's use valued nothing else above the Triple Gem, and he used to go every day to Jetavana while the Buddha was in residence to attend the great Services, at daybreak, after breakfast, and in the evening. There were intermediate services, too. He never went empty-handed. In the early morning he would bring rice-gruel; after breakfast it would be a quantity of ghee, butter, honey, molasses and so on; and in the evening he brought perfumes, garlands and cloths as gifts. His expenses were great.
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There were other expenses for traders took loans on their bonds; but he never called the money in although this amounted to 18 crores. Besides this he had lost some family treasure buried by a river bank which was swept away by a storm. In spite of such setbacks he had rice ready to feed 500 of the monks everyday every day. He was like father and mother to them. The Buddha and 80 senior disciples had also been invited to be served food in his house. The number of other monks passing in and out was beyond count. His house was not an ordinary one. It had seven stories and thus seven doorways. However, over the fourth doorway a spirit, of another faith, dwelled there with her children. When the Buddha came she could not remain where she lived with her children. They had to come down to the ground-floor.
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They had to do the same thing when the 80 senior disciples came, or when other monks were in and out. She thought: "So long as the ascetic Gotama and his disciples keep coming into the house I can have no peace here. I must do something to keep them away." Then one day when the business manager had gone to sleep she appeared before him. "Who is that?" he asked. "It is I, the spirit that lives over the fourth gateway." "Why do you come here?" "You don't see what your master is doing. Heedless of his own future he is using whatever he still has to serve the ascetic Gotama who has no occupation or business. Advise the merchant to pay more heed to his business, and to arrange that the ascetic Gotama and his disciples do not come here anymore."
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The manager said: "Foolish spirit! The merchant spends his money on the Faith of the Buddha which leads to Release. Even I, if he seized me by the hair and sell me as a slave I will say nothing. Go! Go away!" Another day she went to the merchant's son and said the same things. She was similarly dismissed. But she dared not approach merchant himself on this matter. However, with such out-pouring of generosity and diminishing income the merchant's estate grew less and less; and by degrees he sank into a state of poverty with table, clothes, living style and food that were no longer the same as in former times. And yet in spite of these lesser circumstances he continued to take care of the Brethren though he was no longer able to feast them.
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One day, after he had greeted the Buddha respectfully and taken his seat, the Buddha said: "Householder, are gifts being given at your house?" "Yes, sir, but only sour-gruel left over from the day before." "Do not be distressed householder that you can offer only what is not palatable. If the heart is good, the food offered to Buddhas, Private Buddhas, and their disciples are all good. Why? Because of the greatness of the Fruit. He who can make his heart acceptable cannot give an unacceptable gift. When the heart is filled with faith, no gift is small." The Buddha added: "Householder, you are giving this unpalatable gift to those who have entered the Noble Eightfold Path. Even I, in Velama's time, stirred up India by giving seven precious things, and my generosity was like five rivers pouring into one mighty stream, and yet I did not find one who took the Three Refuges or kept the Five Commandments. Rare are those who are worthy of offerings.
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Therefore do not let your heart be troubled at the thought your gift is unpalatable." Then he discoursed to him on the Velamaka Sutta. Now it seemed that the spirit that dared not speak to the merchant earlier decided now to speak to him in his changed circumstances. Late one night after he fell asleep she showed herself to him while standing in mid-air. "Who's that?" asked the merchant after he became aware of her. "I am the spirit that lives over your fourth doorway, great merchant." "Why have you come?" "To give you counsel." "Proceed then." "Great merchant, you do not give a thought to your own future nor that of your children; your continued spending and by not attending to your business, you have been brought to the brink of poverty by the ascetic Gotama!"
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"The ascetics are going in and out of your house this very day. You cannot get back anything from them. That is for sure. So from now don't go to the ascetic Gotama; don't let his disciples set foot in your house. Do not turn to look at the ascetic Gotama. Attend to your trade and business activities and restore your family fortunes." Then he said to her: "Is this the counsel you wanted to give me?" "Yes, it was." Anathapindika, the great lay disciple, said to her: "The Lord of Wisdom has made me proof against all fairies such as you. My faith is strong like Mount Sineru. My substance will be expended on the Faith that leads to Release. You wicked and impudent witch; your words are wicked; it is a blow aimed at the Faith of the Buddhas. I cannot live under the same roof with you; go away from my house at once and seek shelter elsewhere."
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She was completely silenced by the words of this man of strong faith and conviction, a peer among lay disciples. She went back to her dwelling, took her children, and left. She thought that if she could not find a dwelling elsewhere she would come back, appease the merchant and asked to be allowed to stay. With this in mind she went to the tutelary deity of the city. Saluting him she stood before him. So he asked her what brought her there. She said: "My lord, in my speech I have been imprudent to Anathapindika, and in his anger he had me thrown out of my home in his house. Take me to him and make it up between him and me, so that he may let me live there again." "What then was it that you said to the merchant?" "I told him for the sake of the future not to support the Buddha and his Order; not to let the ascetic Gotama step into his house again. This was what I said, my lord." "Wicked words indeed; a blow aimed at the Faith. I cannot take you with me to the merchant."
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Unable to get his support she went to plead with the Four Great Deva Kings of the world. They refused to help her; so she went to Sakka, king of Devas and pleaded earnestly with him: She said: "Deva, I cannot find shelter and now wander homeless, leading my children. Grant me, your majesty, some place to stay." Sakka, the Deva said to her: "You have been wicked aiming that blow at the Conqueror and his Faith. I cannot speak to the merchant on your behalf, but there is one way by which he may pardon you." "Pray tell it to me Deva lord." "Men have 18 crores of the merchant's money in bonds. Disguise yourself as his agent. Don't tell anyone but go to their houses and bring some goblins. Stand in the middle of their houses with the bond in one hand and a receipt in the other, and with your spirit power frighten them, and say: `This is evidence of your debt. Our merchant did not act while he was rich; but now he is poor so you must pay up the money you owed him.'
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By your spirit power get all those 18 crores of gold returned and fill the merchant's empty treasury. He also has another treasure buried in the banks of the Aciravati river which was swept away. Get that back by your spirit power and restore them to his treasury. There is another 18 crores of treasure lying in various places unknown to anyone. Add that also to his treasury. When you have recovered the 54 crores then ask the merchant to forgive you." "Very good, Deva lord," she said and faithfully went to carry out the instructions. When she had recovered the money, in the dead of night she appeared again to the merchant and standing in mid-air as before. The merchant, on becoming aware of her asked: "Who's there?"
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"It is I, great merchant, the blind and foolish spirit over your fourth doorway. Infatuated by my foolish view I did not know the virtues of the Buddha, and have said those regrettable words a few days ago. Pardon me for my fault. Through the virtues of Sakka, king of Devas, I have made atonement and obtained the return of 18 crores that were owing to you, recovered another 18 crores washed down to the sea, and added 18 crores of treasure lying unknown to anyone; these 54 crores have I poured into your empty treasuries. The sum you have used to donate the Jetavana monastery is now made up. Having nowhere else to dwell I am in misery. Carry not in your mind what I had done in ignorant foolishness; pardon me." Anathapindika thought to himself: "She is a spirit, and she says she has repented and atoned as well as confesses her fault. The Buddha shall consider this matter and make known his virtues. I shall take her before the Buddha."
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So he said to her: "My good fairy, if you want me to pardon you then ask it in the presence of the Buddha." "Very good," she said, "take me along with you when you go to the Master." So early the next morning he took her with him to Jetavana and told the Buddha all that she had done. On hearing this the Buddha said: "You see, householder, how the defiled person regards defilements as excellent before its fruit ripens. Likewise the good person looks on his goodness as defilements before it ripens to its fruit; but when it ripens, then he sees it as goodness." Then He spoke these two stanzas from the Dhammapada:The sinner thinks his evil deed is good, So long as it has not ripened to fruit. But when his evil at last to ripeness grows, The sinner knows "`twas evil that I produced."
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The good man thinks his goodness is but evil, So long as it has not ripened to fruit. But when his goodness to ripeness grows, The good man knows "'twas good that I produced." When the stanzas ended the fairy was established in the First Path and its Fruit. She fell on her knees to the Buddha and cried out: "Stained with passion, depraved by defilements, misled by illusions, and blinded by ignorance I spoke wickedly because I did not know your virtues of Buddha. Pardon me." Then she received pardon from the Buddha and also from Anathapindika. At this time Anathapindika spoke in praise of the Buddha in the Master's presence. He said: "Though this fairy tried her best to stop me from giving support to the Buddha she failed; though she tried to stop me giving gifts, yet I still gave them. Was not this goodness on my part?"
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The Buddha said: "You, householder, are strong in faith and an elected disciple; your faith is certain and your view is purified. It is no marvel that you were not stopped by this impotent fairy. The marvel was being wise and good in times past, when the Buddha had not appeared, and when knowledge had not ripened to full fruit, and from the heart of a lotus flower having given gifts, although Mara, lord of the Realm of Lusts, appeared in mid-air and shouted: "If you give gifts you shall be roasted in this hell,' and at the same time showing a pit 80 cubits deep filled with red-hot embers." At the request of Anathapindika the Buddha then told them this story of the past.
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Story of the past Once in ages past when Brahmadatta ruled as king in Benares, the Bodhisatta was born in the family of the Lord High Treasurer of Benares where he was brought up amidst wealth and luxury like a prince. When he was about sixteen he was not only perfect in his accomplishments but was discreet as well. Thus when his father died he was able to fill the hereditary office of Lord High Treasurer. Then he built six buildings, one at each of four gates, one in the centre of the city and one at the gate of his own mansion to distribute alms. He was bountiful, kept the Precepts, and performed fast-day duties. One day at breakfast time when exquisite dainty fare was brought in for the Bodhisatta, a Pacceka (reserved) Buddha after rising from a meditation ecstacy that lasted seven days saw that it was time to go for his alms round and decided to visit the Treasurer of Benares that morning.
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He cleaned his teeth with a tooth stick made from a betel palm vine; washed his mouth with water from Lake Anotatta; put on his under-cloth standing on the tableland of Manosila; fastened on his girdle and donned his outer cloth. Then with a bowl which he brought into existence for the purpose at hand, he flew through the air and arrived at the gate of the Bodhisatta's mansion at the moment that his breakfast was brought in. As soon as the Bodhisatta became aware of his presence he rose from his seat and indicated to his servants that he needed a service to be done. "What is it I am to do, my lord?" "Bring me his Reverence's bowl," said the Bodhisatta. At that instant Mara, the Wicked One, appeared in a state of great excitement.
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He thought: "Seven days have passed since the Pacceka Buddha had food given to him; without getting any today he will die. I will destroy him and also stop the Bodhisatta from giving." At that instant he wrought within the mansion an illusion of a pit of red-hot embers, 80 cubits feet deep, filled with Acacia-charcoal, ablaze and aflame like the great Avici Hell. Then he stood in mid-air. The man who was fetching the alms-bowl became aware of this terrible vision and went back. "What has caused you to come back in this state, my man?" the Bodhisatta asked him. "My lord, there is a great pit of red-hot embers ablaze and aflame in the middle of the house." As man after man was sent and got to the spot they saw the vision and panicked, running away as fast as they could.
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The Bodhisatta thought to himself: " Mara, the Lord of Lusts, is exerting himself today to stop me from alms-giving. I have yet to learn that I am to be shaken by a hundred or even a thousand Maras. We will see this day whose strength is stronger, whose might is mightier, mine or Mara's." Taking in his own hand the food bowl that was ready he went to the spot and stood on the edge of the fiery pit. He looked up and saw Mara. "Who are you?" "I am Mara," came the answer "Did you call into being this pit of red-hot embers?" "Yes, I did." "Why?" "To stop you from alms-giving and to destroy the life of the Pacceka Buddha." "I will not permit you either to stop me or to destroy the life of the Pacceka Buddha. I am going to see today whether your strength or mine is greater." And still standing on the edge of that fiery pit, he cried out: "Venerable Pacceka Buddha, even though I will fall into this pit of red-hot embers, I will not turn back. Only accept the food that I bring.”
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And from it there came an amount of its pollen that sprinkled his body from head to foot with dust of gold! Standing right in the heart of the lotus, he then poured the dainty food into the bowl of the Pacceka Buddha. And the Private Buddha took the food there and then and afterwards flung his bowl high into the sky, and right in the sight of all the people he rose bodily into the air, and flew straight to the Himalayas leaving a cloud of fantastic shape to mark his trail. Mara, defeated by the virtuous Bodhisatta, receded dejectedly to his own abode. But the Bodhisatta, still standing on the lotus, preached the truth to the people, extolling the merits of alms-giving and keeping the commandments. After this surrounded and escorted by the multitude he went into his own mansion. And he kept his goodness all life long, doing charity and other good works.
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End of story of the past He ended the lesson by showing the connection and identifying the Birth, and said: "The Private Buddha of those days passed away never to be born again. I was myself the Lord High Treasurer who defeated Mara and stood in the heart of the lotus to place alms in the bowl of the Private Buddha."
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