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One day, when it was a little bit more relaxing, and not too much work, I, Ananda, “I” means Ananda, would like to know this background of the Celestial Jewels. So I came in front of the Buddha, prostrated to him and said, “Obeisance to the World Honored One. Please tell us what kind of good deed that Celestial Jewels Bhiksu sowed in the former life so that now, when he was first born, he already had a lot of jewels raining down from the sky for him. And then whatever he likes to eat, it will appear in front of him.” “So please, could you explain to us?” So the Buddha told Ananda, “Ananda, in the former period of life, of time, long, long, long time ago, there was a Buddha who came to this world named Tinbatti.” Similar Buddha. Wow, that Buddha is famous. “He came to rescue many souls. You cannot count how many. One day, many monks, the whole sangha, came out into the village and city for alms, to beg for alms. A lot, a lot of people, they were vying with each other, means, they are trying to be first to offer, to compete with each other to make offering to the monks. At that time, there was a very poor person. He saw them doing that. He was very, very happy. Glad that they did this. Supporting mentally with his pure heart and generous spirit, even though he was very poor. He would also like to earn some merit by offering to the Buddha and the sangha. But he didn’t have any, what? (Possessions.) Ah? (Any possessions.) Yes, he had no money, nothing. He had nothing. But he was so pleased, or happy in his heart. He didn’t know what to do. So then reluctantly, he took out a piece of stone. It looked like a jewel, kind of, round and beautiful. A handful of those. You know, those pebbles sometimes, they look beautiful? (Yes.) Round and shiny. (Yes.) So he took a handful of those. And then he spread them on the road where the sangha was walking. And then he left, but with all his sincere heart and respectful heart. And then at that time, he said again, like everybody else before, ‘Please give me the blessing so that life after life, I will have a long life and be born in noble and rich families. And then also have a liberating way of practice, just like all of you reverends.’” It’s always rich and famous first and then liberating after. That’s what he will get, I think. “Ananda, you should know, the poor person who made offering with the pebbles at that time, with all his heart, had faith in the Three Jewels,” means the Buddha, the Sangha, and the Dharma, “had the utmost faith in the Three Jewels.” “Because of that, it’s 91 eons passed, he has always derived a lot, a lot of rewards. Always, wherever he’s born, always has peace and richness. And everything he needs, he always has. And even nowadays, he has good affinity, enough to meet me, and attain Arhat, the liberation.” So at that time, all the people in the assembly, hearing the Buddha thus, they all aspired to make more offering, and really appreciate the merit that any offering brings to them. And then because of that, many people attained different levels of consciousness at that time.
