Once upon a time
when Buddha was residing in the Jetavana monastery, Anathapindika paid a visit
to Him. Anathapindika was a chief lay disciple of Buddha, and he used to seek
guidance from Buddha on important personal matters. What brought him today to
Buddha was his promise to his best friend Kalaka.
Anathapindika
and Kalaka had studied together at gurukul. When they completed their education
and time came to part, they decided to turn their bond of friendship into a
bond of family. They promised, “When we would get married, the daughter will
become daughter in law.”
Over time,
Anathapindika became the wealthiest merchant of Savatthi; Kalaka made fortune
in Saketa. Anathapindika had three daughters and one son from his marriage;
Kalaka had one son. Both were living a happy married life. Where they differ
was their faith. Anathapindika became a follower of Buddha whereas Kalaka
remained a follower of Niganthas.
One day Kalaka
visited Savatthi in connection with some business issues. Excited at his visit,
Anathapindika asked his second daughter Cula Subhadda to take care of Kalaka.
Cula obeyed her father and extended great hospitality. Kalaka was thoroughly
impressed with the good manners of Cula. While returning to Saketa, Kalaka
recalled the agreement he had made with Anathapindika at the time of parting
from Gurukul. He thought that time had come to honor the promise. Thanking
Anathapindika for making his stay at Savatthi comfortable, Kalaka told his
decision to make Cula Subhadda as his daughter in law. The decision of Kalaka
had unsettled Anathapindika as their faiths were different. As Cula Subhadda
was also a sotapanna, Anathapindika found it difficult to send his daughter to
a house where people worship naked Jain ascetic with wrong views.
Caught between
friendship and faith, Anathapindika had come today to Jetavana. He sat quietly
waiting for the indication of Master. As Buddha could view the sentient world
with His Buddha-Eye, He understood the quandary of Anathapindika. Buddha was
also aware that Kalaka could learn the Dhamma. Hence, He asked Anathapindika to
go ahead with the marriage of Cula Subhadda with Kalaka’s son. Following the
blessings of Buddha, the wife of Anathapindika also agreed for the marriage.
The marriage of
Cula Subhadda was celebrated on a grand scale. After the ceremony,
Anathapindika admonished his daughter on ten-duties of a faithful daughter in
law, "My dear daughter, if you stay at home-in-law, a fire in the house
should not be carried out and so on." He sent his daughter bearing lavish
gifts, and eight followers as a counselor. He told them, "If there are
errors on part of my daughter, you must notify her mistake."
When Cula
Subhada arrived in Saketa, a grand celebration was organized. She was greeted
warmly by the family members. In her honor alms were offered to the naked
ascetic. Kalaka requested Cula Subhada, "Kindly pay respect to the hermits
of us." However, Cula’s modesty was preventing her to go to the naked
ascetic. She requested to be excused. Taking it as disrespect to his sages,
Kalaka ordered in anger, "Throw her out of this house!" However, the
accompanying advisers of Cula Subhada immediately intervened and pacified
Kalaka explaining the problem. Kalaka’s wife then called Culla Subhadda and
asked, "How can the behavior of Bhikkhumu, who you adore so high? What
they see and how they exercise them? Please answer my question." In
answering the question of mother-in-law, Culla Subhadda explained about the
glory and greatness of the Buddha and his teachings as follows:
"Quiet greeting them,
calm their
minds,
quiet steps
they walk,
calm their
establishment
they looked
down;
little they
say.
That's my
monks.
Their deeds are clean,
Greeting they
are clean,
their minds
clean,
That's my
monks.
Not stained pearly,
Pure inside and
outside
is full of good
qualities,
That's my
monks.
A happy world with advantages and
sorrow for the
loss.
But they were
not affected by
both;
advantages and disadvantages.
That's my
monks.
The world-famous glad and
sad because it
is not well known.
But they were
not affected by
both; famous or
not famous.
That's my
monks.
World excited because of praise and
sad because of
reproach.
But they did
not react
to both; praise
and reproach.
That's my
monks.
A happy world for pleasure and
sorrow for the
suffering.
But they did
not turn
to the
pleasures and pains.
That's my monks
".
Listening to
these words of Cula Subhadda, her mother-in-law asked, "Is it possible for
us to meet with the monks of you?"
"Of course it is," said Cula
Subhadda.
"In that case, please invite them
tomorrow for a meal so that we can meet them," said mother-in-law.
"Sure my mother," replied Cula
Subhadda.
Cula Subhadda
then went to her room and made an earnest wish. Overlooking the Jetavana
monastery, she scattered eight handfuls of jasmine flowers from her balcony
into the air, saying respectfully, "Your honor I invite Bhikkhu Sangha led
by the Buddha tomorrow morning. Hopefully, the Master knows my petition through
these flowers." The flowers flew to Savatthi on their own and arranged
themselves in a canopy over Buddha’s head as he preached to the fourfold
assembly.
Meanwhile, back
in Savatthi, after listening to the Dhamma, Anathapindika also invited the
Buddha to be his guest on the following day. The Buddha replied, "Brother,
I have received an invitation for tomorrow."
"But your honor," replied
Anathapindika, "No one has come here before me."
The Master said: "I have received an
invitation from your daughter Cula Subhadda."
"But, sir, is not Culla Subhadda in Saket
far from Savatthi?"
To
this, Buddha uttered the following verse:
"Even from a distance,
the better will
be seen shining
like the peaks
of Himalayas.
But although
close,
bad people will
not be visible,
Like a dart is
released at night. "
When Sakka, king
of the gods realized that the Master has accepted the invitation of Cula
Subhadda, he requested Vessavana (Vissakamma) to provide five hundred gabled
chambers for Buddha and his Brethren to travel by air to Saketa. The next
morning, Buddha chose five hundred Arhats and traveled by air in the gabled
chambers to Saketa.
When Buddha
approached with all his pomp and grandeur, Kalaka and his family members were
mesmerized. Cula Subhada took Buddha inside the house and offered meals to all
the Brethren. After the meal, Buddha taught the Dhamma and Kalaka became a
sotapanna. He donated his park Kalakarama to Buddha and built a vihara
thereafter removing, by force, the Niganthas, who were in possession. Later, eighty-four
thousand living beings also achieved an understanding of Dhamma. As a mark of
favor towards Subhadda, the Buddha requested Anuruddha to stay behind at
Saketa. The Buddha then returned to Savatthi.
