Rich Men with Inexhaustible Resources – 2275 

 

On the day of libation, he donated a set of three robes to each of the monastics. 
The junior-most monastic received, on that occasion, robe-material worth 
100,000. 

His Last Existence as Jotika the Householder 

When Aparājita passed away after a lifetime of meritorious deeds, he was 
reborn as a Deva. And for 91 aeons he was never reborn in the four lower 
worlds. During the time of Buddha Gotama, he was reborn in the family of a 
rich householder. After nine and a half months of conception in his mother’s 
womb, on the day he was born, all weaponry in Rājagaha blazed like flames, and 
all jewellery worn on the person of the citizens gleamed like the glow of the sun, 
so that the whole city was glowing. 

The householder, who was the father of the boy, went to see the king. King 
Bimbisāra asked him: “Householder, today all weaponry are blazing and the 
whole city is glowing. Do you know what has caused this?” 

“Yes, I do, Great King,” replied the householder. 

“What is it?” 

“A new royal servant of your majesty was born in my house. It is due to the 
great past merit of my infant son that this strange phenomenon has happened.” 

“How is it, householder? Is your son going to become a robber?” 

“No, Great King, he will not become a robber. He is endowed with vast past 
merit.” 

“In that case, bring him up with care. Let him have 1,000 pieces of money for his 
nursing.” 

From then onwards, the king gave 1,000 pieces of money every day towards the 
boy’s upkeep. On the day of the boy’s naming, he was given the name Jotika, 
“Luminous,” signifying the glow that marked his birth. 

Sakka’s Creation of Jotika’s House 

When Jotika came of age, his parents cleared a site for building a house for him. 
At that moment, Sakka’s crystal seat warmed up by way of signalling some event 
called for his attention. He reviewed the world and saw that people were 
marking out a site for building a house for Jotika. Sakka thought to himself: 
“This man Jotika is no ordinary man who has to live in a house built by human