Moggallana Bhante:
Dear Deva, your chariot pulled by a thousand horses is very beautiful and colorful. You are heading to the park sitting on that chariot like the god Sakka, the first giver and the lord of beings. This chariot is made of gold. The bottom edges of the frame are very beautiful. The pillars inside the chariot are well crafted as if they were made by talented artists. The chariot shines like the full moon. This vehicle is covered with golden nets and decorated with various types of jewels. We hear sweet music and see goddesses holding beautiful fly-whisks.
The hub is beautiful as though magically created. Thousands of spokes on the wheel are decorated with gems. The vehicle shines as bright as lightning. This chariot is covered with countless ornaments and has rims with thousands of stripes. Golden nets release the sweet sound of beautiful music. The top is decorated with gems and is as beautiful as the moon. Gleaming, shining, and always pure, it is made even more beautiful with golden carvings. It shines like streaks of beryl gemstones.
These horses are also decorated with jewels like the beautiful moon. They are well built, strong, fast, powerful, and gigantic. They travel to wherever your mind wishes. These four-legged, soft, obedient, pleasing, and pure bred horses move in perfect harmony. As they travel in the sky shaking their ornaments, bells ring and the well-made decorations shine more brilliantly. The voices of these horses are as sweet as music. When the sound of the chariot, the sound of the decorations, the sound of the feet of the horses, the sound of the voices of the horses, and the music of divine musicians are mixed together, it is like an orchestra.
The goddesses in this chariot have extremely beautiful half-closed eyes, like the tender eyes of a deer. They have long eyelashes, smiling faces, and pleasant speech. Their bodies are covered with nets of gems. They are entertained by great heavenly musicians.
These goddesses are decorated with attractive red and gold clothes. They have large, shining, crimson colored eyes. They are worshiping you. These goddesses who have thin waists, thighs, breasts, round fingers, lovely faces, and are decorated with golden ornaments – they are extremely attractive. They are worshiping you.
These goddesses have beautiful braids which are distributed equally and decorated with golden threads. These goddesses are decorated with lotus flowers and are using divine sandalwood cream. They entertain you as you wish. They are worshiping you. Their neck, hands, and legs are decorated with beautiful ornaments. They shine as brilliantly as the sun that shines in all ten directions. The flowers in their hands and their jewelry shake along with the breeze playing sweet music.
Dear Deva, the sounds of chariots, elephants, and birds are heard in your park. Devas who are entertained by these, with lotus-like hands clap and produce the sound of guitars.
When pleasing music is played, very talented goddesses dance, twisting their bodies here and there, on large lotus flowers. When these songs, music, and dances are mixed together, the goddesses dance continuously, shining brightly.
You, fortunate deva, enjoy this sweet music of guitars. You are respected by others like the god Sakka.
What kind of meritorious action did you do when you were in the human world? What kind of precepts did you follow? And what kind of restrained life did you lead? Surely this cannot be the result of a small merit, a small virtue. You are extremely powerful and surpass other gods with your radiance.
Is all this the fruit of your generosity, your virtuous behavior, or because you worshiped monks in the past? Please answer my questions, so that I may know.
That deva, delighted at being questioned by Arahant Moggallana, gladly explained what he had done that resulted in such great happiness.
Deva:
One day, I saw the Great Being who had restrained his senses and freed himself from defilements. He is like the greatest god among all gods, with meritorious marks on his body as if made of gold. He is like a great elephant who crossed over samsara, who opened the doors of deathlessness: Kassapa Supreme Buddha. As soon as I saw the Great Buddha, I made my mind confident in him. Kassapa Supreme Buddha was a great person who bore the flag of Dhamma and was not attached to anything.
Spreading flowers around my house, I welcomed the Supreme Buddha and offered sweet food, drinks and robes. Yes, I treated the Great Buddha very well with food, drinks, sweets, and robes. Now I travel from heaven to heaven. My home, where my heart delights, is the Sudassana Heavenly Realm.
In that way, I made my mind confident before giving, while giving, and after giving. That is how I practiced meritorious deeds. When I departed from the human world, I was reborn in this heaven, and now I am very happy here like the god Sakka.
Great sage, if someone wishes to enjoy long life, great beauty, happiness and power, they should offer well-arranged food and drinks to the Supreme Buddha who is freed from desires.
Neither in this world nor another world, is there a being greater or equal to the Supreme Buddha. The Supreme Buddha is the worthiest recipient of offerings among all worthy beings. Those who want merit can receive great merit through such offerings.
