THE GREAT CHRONICLE OF BUDDHAS
1450
hand holding the spoon, filling the alms-bowl full. As the result of that good deed, in her
present existence, her left palm bore the mark of a lotus flower (
adupa
) while her right
palm bore the mark of a full moon (
canda
). Further, she had, during the time of some past
Buddha, offered filtered water with her hand holding the water-strainer and going about
from one
bhikkhu
to another. As the result of that good deed, her right sole bore the mark
of a full moon while her left sole bore the mark of a lotus flower. On account of these
distinctive marks on her palms and soles, she was named ‘Canda padumÈ’ by her parents
and kinsmen.
3. The Miraculous Power of DhanaÒcaya, Son of MeÓÉaka
DhanaÒcaya the householder, after washing his hair, sat at his door with one thousand
ticals of silver by his side, after making a public proclamation to the effect that anyone
wishing to have money, could ask from him. He filled the vessel of every caller with
money. After having done so, his money of one thousand ticals remained the same amount.
4. The Miraculous Power of Samana DevÊ, The Daughter-in-law of MeÓÉaka
Samana DevÊ adorned herself and sat in the open with a basket of seed grain, after making
an announcement that anyone wishing to have seed-grain could ask from her. She
distributed the seed-grain to every caller, filling their vessel. After having done so, her
basket of seed-grain remained the same amount.
5. The Miraculous Power of PuÓÓa, The Trusted Servant of MeÓÉaka
PuÓÓa, after dressing decently as benefiting his status, yoked a team of oxen, on whose
side he made his five-finger imprint of scented unguent and whose horns he decorated with
gold, harnessing them to golden chains, and mounting a plough, he started ploughing
MeÓÉaka’s field before the spectators. His plough made not just a furrow underneath his
plough but made three extra furrows on either side, so that in one operation he
accomplished seven times his effort.
Thus the whole populace of the Southern Island Continent obtained all their needs, such
as rice, seed-grain, money, etc., from MeÓÉaka’s house. This is a brief description of the
five personages with great past merit.
Within the area of RÈjagaha, King BimbisÈra’s domain, besides MeÓÉaka, there were four
other householders, namely, Jotika, JaÔila, PuÓÓa and KÈka Vailya. King BimbisÈra had
within his domain these five householders with inexhaustible resources. (Of these five, the
story of PuÓÓa the householders will be included in the story of UttarÈ. The other four will
be briefly describes near the end of this book.)
When MeÓÉaka heard the arrival of the Buddha, he said to his grand daughter (daughter
of DhanaÒcaya): ‚Grand daughter, what I am going to say is for the auspicious earning of
merit for you and as well as for me. Go and welcome the Buddha, who is on His way, ride
with your five hundred female attendants in each of your coaches together with five
hundred maid servants.‛
VisÈkhÈ is established in Stream-Entry Knowledge at The Age of Seven
VisÈkhÈ gladly obeyed her grandfather and left home in five hundred coaches. Her
grandfather might have thought of her riding the coach to the presence of the Buddha, such
being his sense of self-importance, but VisÈkhÈ was a person of innate wisdom and
considered it improper to go to the Buddha’s presence riding in a coach. As such, she
dismounted at a reasonable distance from the Buddha, went on foot to Him, made
obeisance to Him and sat in a suitable place.
The Buddha preached her a discourse which suit her mental frame of (the seven year
old). At the end of the discourse, VisÈkhÈ and her five hundred attendants attained Stream-
Enlightenment Knowledge and first Fruition.
MeÓÉaka also visited the Buddha, made obeisance to Him and sat in a suitable place. The
Buddha preached a discourse to suit the mental frame of MeÓÉaka, at the end of which, he
was established in the Fruition of Stream-Entry Knowledge. He invited the Buddha to an