4. Kāḷavaḷiya, a Rich Man

During the time of Buddha Gotama, there lived in Rājagaha a poor man by the name of Kāḷavaḷiya. One day, his wife cooked a meal of sour gruel mixed with some edible leaves, for rice was not within their means. On that day, Ven. Mahā Kassapa, rising from dwelling in the attainment of cessation, reviewed the world, contemplating to whom he should bring his blessing. He saw Kāḷavaḷiya in his supernormal vision and went to his door for alms food.

Kāḷavaḷiya’s wife took the alms bowl of Ven. Mahā Kassapa and emptied her cooking pot into it. She offered her poor meal of sour gruel mixed with edible leaves to Ven. Mahā Kassapa, without keeping back anything for themselves, an offering that was, therefore, complete (nirāvasesa-dāna). Ven. Mahā Kassapa went back to the monastery and offered the gruel to the Buddha. The Buddha accepted just a portion of it, with which to satisfy himself, and gave the remainder to the 500 monastics who had enough to eat from that meal. Kāḷavaḷiya happened to be at the Buddha’s monastery to beg for gruel.

Ven. Mahā Kassapa asked the Buddha about the benefit that would result to Kāḷavaḷiya on account of the brave deed of sacrificing his food completely. And the Buddha said: “Seven days hence Kāḷavaḷiya will get the white umbrella of the treasurer’s office, he will be made a royal treasurer by the king.” Kāḷavaḷiya heard these words of the Buddha and hastened home to tell his wife about it.

At that time, King Bimbisāra was on his inspection round and he saw a criminal tied on a stake outside the city. The man impudently said to the king in a loud voice: “Great King, I would request that a meal, which was prepared for your majesty, be sent to me.” The king replied: “Ah, yes, I will.” When dinner was being brought to the king, he remembered his promise to the criminal on the stake and ordered the officials concerned to find someone who would send his dinner to the criminal outside the city.

The outside of the city of Rājagaha was infested with demons so that very few people dared to go out of the city by night. The officials went around the city announcing that 1,000 pieces of money would be awarded on the spot to anyone who would take the king’s meal to the criminal on the stake outside the city. No one came out at the first round of announcements with the beating of the gong; and the second round also was fruitless. But at the third round, Kāḷavaḷiya’s wife accepted the offer of 1,000 pieces of money.

She was brought before the king as the person undertaking the king’s mission. She disguised herself as a man and wielded five kinds of weapons. As she fearlessly went out of the city carrying the king’s meal, she was accosted by Dīghatāla, the guardian spirit of a palm tree who said: “Stop there, stop! You are now my food.” But Kāḷavaḷiya’s wife was not afraid and said: “I am not your food. I am the king’s messenger.”

“Where are you going?”

“I am going to the criminal on the stake.” [1498]

“Could you convey a message for me?”

“Yes, I could.”

“If so, cry aloud all along your way this message: ‘Kāḷī, daughter of Sumana, the chief of celestial Devas, wife of Dīghatāla, has given birth to a son!’ There are seven pots full of gold at the root of this palmyra tree. Take them as your fee.”

The brave woman went her way crying aloud the message: “Kāḷī, daughter of Sumana, the chief of celestial Devas, wife of Dīghatāla, has given birth to a son!” Sumana, the chief of celestial Devas heard her cry while presiding over a meeting of celestial Devas and said to his assistants: “There is a human being bringing happy tidings. Bring her here.” And so she was brought before Sumana who thanked her and said: “There are pots full of gold underneath the shade at noon of the big tree. I give them all to you.”

She went to the criminal on the stake, who had to be fed with her hand. After taking his meal, when his mouth was wiped clean by the woman, he felt the feminine touch and bit her knotted hair so as not to let her go. The woman being courageous, had presence of mind, she cut the hair-knot with her sword and freed herself.

She reported to the king that she had fulfilled her task. “What proof can you show that you have actually fed that man?” asked the king. “My hair-knot in the mouth of that villain should be sufficient proof. But I have further proof too,” replied Kāḷavaḷiya’s wife and related her meeting with Dīghatāla and Sumana. The king ordered the pots of gold described by her to be dug up. All were found. The Kāḷavaḷiya couple became very rich all at once. “Is there anyone as wealthy as Kāḷavaḷiya?” inquired the king. The ministers said: “There is none, Great King.” So the king appointed him as Treasurer of Sāvatthī and gave him the paraphernalia, seal and title of office.

Here Ends the Great Chronicles of the Buddhas

Dated: the 13^th waxing day of the 1^st Wazo (Āsāḷha), 1331 Mahā Era (1969 CE).
Completed at 11:00 am
U Vicittasārābhivamsa
Dhammanāda Monastery, Mingun Hill [1499]

Epilogue

Nine Pāḷi verses and their translation:

1-2. On Saturday, the thirteenth waxing day of July (Āsāḷha), 1331 Myanmar Era (1969 CE), the 2,513^th year of the Dispensation, the month when the Alexandrian laurel blooms forth in the forest and the traditional festival of admitting new entrants into the Saṅgha is being held throughout the land, at 11 a.m.

3. This work entitled “The Great Chronicles of the Buddhas,” the tome that came into being under the sponsorship of the State Dispensation Council as a sequel to the Sixth Buddhist Council, portraying the life story of the Buddhas and especially that of Buddha Gotama from the fulfilling of the perfections to the day-to-day events relating to him, was completed for the edification of the followers of the Buddha who uphold righteousness, a most auspicious achievement indeed.

4. The Buddha, the Conqueror of the five kinds of death (māra), endowed with great diligence, who occupied himself by day and by night with the five functions of the Buddha, lived for 45 Rains Retreats (Vassa) after Awakening, during which he ferried the multitudes of Devas and humans across to the yonder shores of Nibbāna by means of the ship of the eightfold noble path.

5. To the Buddha, the Conqueror of the five kinds of death, I, acclaimed as a great, distinguished venerable who has memorized the Three Piṭakas, who, thanks to past merit, has been fortunate enough to live a life devoted to Buddhist studies since his novicehood, pay homage humbling myself in body, speech and mind, with this tome entitled: “The Great Chronicles of the Buddhas,” arranged in 45 chapters in respectful memory of the 45 years of the Buddha’s noble mission, an exegetical work embodying erudite judgements on readings in the text and the commentaries.

6. As the result of this work of great merit made by me with diligence, knowledge and conviction, may all sentient beings benefit from it: May they clearly understand through learning, reflecting and cultivating the Dhamma, the good doctrine expounded by the supreme lord of righteousness for the welfare of the multitudes, for their happiness pertaining to the human world and the Deva realm, and the peace of Nibbāna.

7. May the multitudes, by following the middle way of eight constituents which is purified by shunning the two extremes of self-indulgence and self-mortification, which brings happiness by clearing away the hindrances to path-knowledge and its fruition, realize with facility through the ten stages of insight, the supreme peace of Nibbāna that liberates one from craving for all forms of existence, that is free from all sorrow caused by the five kinds of loss and grief that gnaws at the hearts of worldlings.

8. May the Buddha’s teaching that consists of learning, training and penetration, last for 5,000 years, shining forth like the sun, overriding the corroding influence of sophists or captious contenders. May all beings in the human world, the Deva realm and the Brahma world have firm conviction in, and deep respect for the Dhamma expounded by the Buddha. May the rain god, the benefactor of the human world, bless the earth with his bounteous showers at the proper time, at night, for fields of poor fertility once in five days, for fields of medium fertility once in ten days, and for fields of good fertility once in fifteen days.

9. May the rulers of the country give protection to the people like the good kings of yore. May they work for the welfare of the people just as they would for their own children, on the example of those benevolent rulers who extended their loving care to their subjects by upholding the ten principles of rulership. [1500]

Ven. Buddhaghosa, the famous commentator, in his Epilogue to the commentary of the Abundance of Meaning (Aṭṭha-sālinī, DsA), an exegesis on the Abhidhamma, and the commentary on the last five books of the Abhidhamma (Pañca-pakaraṇa) made his wish in four verses beginning with: Yaṁ pattaṁ kusalaṁ tassa, “for he who has done wholesome deeds,” We have adopted them here, respectfully endorsing his sentiments therein, in verses 6-9 above.

In doing so, we are also endorsing the view of the sub-commentator, Ven. Saṅgharakkhita Mahāsāmi, author of the Charming Essence of Meaning (Sārattha-vilāsinī), ^{A sub-commentary on Moggallāna’s grammar.} wherein it has been said: “For one who does not work for the benefit of others, no real benefit accrues to him. This is a statement fit to be proclaimed with one’s right arm raised.”

Such being the words of the wise, may all right-minded persons make a point of directing their efforts towards the good of others and thereby do good to themselves as well.

This is the completion of “The Great Chronicles of the Buddhas.”

May I be endowed with the three knowledges (vijjā). [1501]