THE HIGHER AND LOWER GODS BESEECHIN THE FUTURE BUDDHA TO LEAVE TUSITA HEAVEN TO BE REBORN AS A MAN
The Future Buddha fulfilled the Ten Perfection in his many existences over a period of four Incalculables (asankhayeyas) and one hundred thousand world. In one life before the life when he became the Buddha.he was born as one of the chief gods and know as "Setaketu" in the celestial city of the Tusita gods. When the span of his life there as a god was fast approaching its end, the higher and lower gods of all ten thousand worlds came into one place in Tusita heaven and approached the Future Buddha you fulfilled the ten Perfections; but it was to become a fully enlightened Buddha in order to save the world, that you fulfilled them. Sir, the time and fit seasons for your Buddha has now arrived. Be so good as to depart from the world of gods and take conception in the womb of a human mother in the world of men. The Great Being assented to their wish.
It is the 12th Myanmar month, falling March. In ancient days it was a time for what was known as festivals of sand pagodas, in which people built sand pagodas on the sandbanks and hold festivities on the occasion. Now the practice is on the wane, except in some cities and towns in upper part of the country, but the time is still held sacred for holding of Buddha Pujayanti ceremonies, that is occasions for rededication of the pagodas.
SUMEDHA AND SUMITARECEIVING A PROPHETIC DECLARATION
Hermit Sumedha, the Future Buddha, had attained thesix High Power. While traveling by air he saw the townsfolk of Ramma clearing the pathway and came down to the ground, and asked to be permitted to clear a portion of the track on which the Buddha Dipankara was to travel. He was given a portion of it, and before he had cleared it, the Buddha Dipankara came along that way with a retinue of arahants. Sumedha spread himself out upon the mud with his face downwards, his body serving as a bridge so that the Buddha and the disciples following Him could tread on him. At that moment a lady by the name of "Sumitta" arrived with eight branches of lotus flowers. She handed over to the hermit five of those bunches to be offered to the Buddha. The Buddha, with mind's eye of Buddha, saw that was in store for the these two persons in future, and made this prophetic declaration. "This hermit will become Gotama Buddha, and this lady will become his help-mate to help him fulfill the Perfections (Paramitas).
* Do not speak words in changing moods. * Say truly in straight and consistent way. * Kings, monks or the virtuous speak truly and consistently. * This is the old traditional way of noble practice followed by ancient sages.
1. SUMEDHA, A YOUNG MILLIONAIRE GIVEN AWAY HIS PROPERTY IN CHARITY.
The Future, Buddha was once born as the son of a rich man and was known as Sumedha in the very existence in which he was to make a solemn wish that he should become the Enlightened Buddha. His parents died while he was still young, leaving him many treasure vaults of gold and silver. When he was sixteen years of age and had finished his education, the Lord of the Treasury made over to him all the property left by his parents.
Sumedha the young millionaire thought to himself thus: My parents and grandparents knew only how to amass wealth but did not know to talke it away beyond death. I shall now give away my property in alms so that the merit of the deeds may follow me after death. He made a public announcement; Whoever cares to take away my property may open my treasuries and help himself to his heart's content. He than left for the Himalaya forests and became a hermit.
*One who is lazy gains no knowledge. *One who has no knowledge gains no wealth *One who has no wealth has no good companion. *One who has no good companion has no solace. *One who has no solace cannot gain merit. *How can one find the way to Nirvana without good deeds? အားလံုးကိုခ်စ္ခင္ေလးစားလွ်က္... ပန္းကဗ်ာ