Ratthapala:The Faith Etadagga/Litta Jataka

[yawares]

Dear Members,



The Buddha praised Ratthapala Thera to be foremost(etadagga) for going forth out of faith. (saddhapabbajitana.m)....I so love this story...the bhikkhu with incredible faith !
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Ratthapala:Saddhapabbajitanam
[From Buddhist Dictionary of the Pali..Presented by Dr.Han Tun @ SariputtaDhamma/JTN/Mult]

Chief of those who had left the world through faith (saddhapabbajitanam). He
was born at Thullakotthita in the Kuru country as the son of a very wealthy
councillor and was called by his family name of Ratthapala. He lived in great
luxury, and, in due course, married a suitable wife. When the Buddha visited
Thullakotthita, Ratthapala went to hear him preach and decided to leave the
world. His parents would not, however, give their consent till he threatened to
starve himself to death. Realizing then that he was in earnest, they agreed to
let him go on condition that he would visit them after his ordination.
Ratthapala accompanied the Buddha to Savatthi, and there, dwelling alone, he
attained arahantship within a short time.

Then, with the Buddha's permission, he returned to Thullakotthita and dwelt in
the deer park of the Kuru king. The day after his arrival, while begging for
alms, he came to his father's house. His father was in the entrance hall having
his hair combed, but, failing to recognize his son, he started to abuse him,
taking him for an ordinary monk, one of those who had robbed him of his son.

Just at that moment the slave girl of the house was about to throw away some
stale rice, which Ratthapala begged of her. The girl recognized his voice, gave
him the rice and told his parents who he was. When his father came to look for
his son, he found him eating stale rice as though it were ambrosia. (This eating
of stale rice made of him an aggariyavamsika.

Having already finished eating, when invited to enter the house, he would not do so,
but on the next day he went again, and his father tried to tempt him by making a
display of the immense wealth which would be his should he return to the lay life,
while his former wives, beautifully clothed, asked him about the nymphs, for whose
sake he led the homeless life. "For the sake of no nymphs, Sisters," he said, and they
fell fainting under the shock of being addressed as "Sisters." Growing impatient at
the conduct of his family, he asked for his meal, ate it, preached to them on
the impermanence of all things, the futility of wealth, the snare of beauty,
etc., and returned to Migacira.

Note : The reader may perhaps be interested to read
MN 82 Ratthapala Sutta: About Ratthapala
translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhuhttp://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.082.than.html

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Love Buddha's dhamma,
yawares/sirikanya

[yawares]

Dear Members,

This Uposatha Day....I've a very nice jataka to share with you all.

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Litta Jataka:The Poisonous Dice
[From The Dhamma Encyclopedia]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-vNw7-rpxI

Once on a time when Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares, the Bodhisatta was born into a well to do family, and when he grew up, he became a dice player. With him used to play a sharper, who kept on playing while he was winning, but when luck turned, broke up the game by putting one of the dice in his mouth and pretending it was lost, after which he would take himself off "Very good," said the Bodhisatta when he realized what was being done; "We'll look into this." So he took some dice, anointed them at home with poison, dried them carefully, and then carried them with him to the sharper, whom he challenged to a game. The other was willing, the dice board was got ready, and play began. No sooner did the sharper begin to lose than he popped one of the dice into his mouth. Observing him in the act, the Bodhisatta remarked, "Swallow away; you will not fail to find out what it really is in a little time." And he uttered this stanza of rebuke.

He bolts the die quite boldly knowing not

What burning poison thereon lurks unseen.

Aye, bolt it sharper! Soon you'll burn within.

But while the Bodhisatta was talking away, the poison began to work on the sharper; he grew faint, rolled his eyes, and bending double with pain fell to the ground. "Now," said the Bodhisatta, "I must save the rascal's life." So he mixed some simples and administered an emetic until vomiting ensued. Then he administered a draught of ghee with honey and sugar and other ingredients, and by this means made the fellow all right again. Then he exhorted him not to do such a thing again. After a life spent in charity and other good works, the Bodhisatta passed away to fare thereafter according to his desserts.

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Love Buddha's dhamma
yawares/tidathep