Chapter 35
tÈdisÈ samaÓÈ mama.
(Madam) In this world people they became puffed up with pride when they
become famous and have many followers owing to their possession of effort
now and good deeds in the past. They become depressed when they cease to
become famous and have fewer followers owing to their lack of effort now
and their evil deeds in the past. But, my Teacher, the Exalted One, and His
monk-disciples are not affected by having fame or having no fame and by
having only a few followers, but remain calm and tranquil. They possess
such impressive attributes.
(6) PasaÑsÈy unnato loko
nindÈyÈ'pi ca onato.
SamÈ nindÈpasaÑsÈsu
tÈdisÈ samaÓ mama.
(Madam) In this world people become puffed up with pride when they are
praised owing to their effort now and good deeds in the past. They are
depressed when they are dispraised owing to their lack of effort now and
their evil deeds in the past. But my Teacher, the Exalted One, and His monk-
disciples are not affected by praise or by dispraise, but remain calm and
tranquil. They possess such impressive attributes.
(7) Sukhena unnato loko
dukkhenÈ'pi ca onato.
AkampÈ sukhadukkhesu
tÈdisÈ samaÓÈ mama.
(Madam) In this world, people become puffed up with pride when they are
affluent owing to their effort now and good deeds in the past. They become
depressed when they are poor owing to their lack of effort now and their evil
deeds in the past. But my Teacher, the Exalted One, and His monk-disciples,
are not affected by affluence, but remain calm and tranquil. They possess
such impressive attributes.
Thus, C|lasubhaddÈ, the wise daughter-in-law, pleased her mother-in-law, by extolling
the Exalted One and His disciples. The merchant's wife asked her whether she would be
able to show them her teacher, the Exalted One and His disciples, and Culasubhadda said
she could do so. Then her mother-in-law told her to make an arrangement so that they
could see her teacher and all.
Having promised thus, C|lasubhaddÈ prepared great offering for the Buddha and the
Sangha on the top of the mansion and facing towards the Jetavana monastery, she paid
respect to the Buddha and contemplated His attributes. Then honouring the Buddha with
sweet smelling flowers, and perfumes, she resolved thus:
‚Glorious Buddha, I invite the Sangha headed by the Exalted One to my good
deeds at my house. May the Exalted One, the Teacher of devas and humans, know
my invitation quite well through these Jasmine flowers which I am now sending.‛
After extending her invitation, she threw up eight handfuls of Jasmine flowers into the
air. Like small butterflies, the flowers travelled by air and became a flower-canopy above
the Buddha, while He was preaching amidst four classes of people in the Jetavana
monastery.
At that moment the merchant AnÈthapiÓÉika who had heard the Dhamma invited the
Buddha to his house the next day to his good deeds. The Buddha replied that He had
already accepted the invitation to the meal offering by another donor. The merchant said:
‚There is no one who has come and invited the Exalted Buddha before me. Whose meal-
offering have you accepted?‛ The. Buddha replied that He had been already invited by