Saluting Venerables Yields Four Benefits
The Story of Ayuvaddhanakumara
Chapter 8: The Thousands • Verse 10
The Story of Ayuvaddhanakumara
Chapter 8: The Thousands • Verse 10
To one ever eager to revere and serve the elders, these four blessing accrue: long life and beauty, happiness and power.
While residing at a village monastery near Dighalanghika, the Buddha spoke this verse with reference to Ayuvaddhanakumara.
Two hermits once lived together, practising austerities for forty-eight years. Later one of them gave up the hermit life and married.
After a son was born, the family visited the old hermit and paid homage to him. The hermit said to the parents, 'May you live long,' but said nothing to the child. Puzzled, the parents asked why, and he told them the child had only seven more days to live. He did not know how to prevent it, but thought the Buddha might.
So the parents took the child to the Buddha. When they paid homage, the Buddha too wished long life to the parents but not to the child, and he also foretold the child's approaching death.
To prevent it, the Buddha told the parents to build a pavilion at the entrance to their house and lay the child on a couch inside it. Monks were sent to recite the protective chants (parittas) there for seven days.
On the seventh day the Buddha himself came to the pavilion, and devas from all over the universe gathered there too. The evil spirit Avaruddhaka was waiting at the entrance for a chance to take the child, but as ever more powerful devas arrived he had to give way, until he was standing two leagues from the child.
The recitation of protective chants went on all that night, keeping the child safe.
The next day, the child was lifted from the couch and made to pay homage to the Buddha, and this time the Buddha wished him long life. Asked how long the child would live, the Buddha said a hundred and twenty years, and so the child was named Ayuvaddhana, 'increasing life'.
When he grew up, Ayuvaddhana travelled the country with five hundred fellow devotees. One day they came to the Jetavana Monastery, and the monks, recognizing him, asked the Buddha whether there was any way for beings to gain long life.
The Buddha answered that by respecting and honouring elders and those who are wise and virtuous, one gains not only long life, but also beauty, happiness, and strength.
The Story of Ayuvaddhanakumara
Chapter 8: The Thousands • Verse 10
To one ever eager to revere and serve the elders, these four blessing accrue: long life and beauty, happiness and power.
While residing at a village monastery near Dighalanghika, the Buddha spoke this verse with reference to Ayuvaddhanakumara.
Two hermits once lived together, practising austerities for forty-eight years. Later one of them gave up the hermit life and married.
After a son was born, the family visited the old hermit and paid homage to him. The hermit said to the parents, 'May you live long,' but said nothing to the child. Puzzled, the parents asked why, and he told them the child had only seven more days to live. He did not know how to prevent it, but thought the Buddha might.
So the parents took the child to the Buddha. When they paid homage, the Buddha too wished long life to the parents but not to the child, and he also foretold the child's approaching death.
To prevent it, the Buddha told the parents to build a pavilion at the entrance to their house and lay the child on a couch inside it. Monks were sent to recite the protective chants (parittas) there for seven days.
On the seventh day the Buddha himself came to the pavilion, and devas from all over the universe gathered there too. The evil spirit Avaruddhaka was waiting at the entrance for a chance to take the child, but as ever more powerful devas arrived he had to give way, until he was standing two leagues from the child.
The recitation of protective chants went on all that night, keeping the child safe.
The next day, the child was lifted from the couch and made to pay homage to the Buddha, and this time the Buddha wished him long life. Asked how long the child would live, the Buddha said a hundred and twenty years, and so the child was named Ayuvaddhana, 'increasing life'.
When he grew up, Ayuvaddhana travelled the country with five hundred fellow devotees. One day they came to the Jetavana Monastery, and the monks, recognizing him, asked the Buddha whether there was any way for beings to gain long life.
The Buddha answered that by respecting and honouring elders and those who are wise and virtuous, one gains not only long life, but also beauty, happiness, and strength.