The Tham Vessantara-jAtaka - Khamkoo

would not be out of place to be mentioned here. The legend goes: A holy Arahat,
Maleyya Deva Thera who possesses supernatural powers, paid a visit to the TāvatiMsa 20
heaven to worship the sacred Culāmanī Cetiya. 21 There he met Amarindra Devarāja 22
and the Bodhisatta Metteyya 23 who happened to talk to him. The Bodhisatta spoke as
follows of his future to be reborn in the human world: The men in general who
anxiously long for the happy event of my descent to incarnate myself in their midst and
become a perfect Buddha, must not be so ill-advised as to disregard the five
abstentions. 24 On the contrary let them be steady in observing the courses of meritorious
deeds, 25 in the practice of charity and in the keeping of the festive days (of fasting and
abstinence from worldly pleasures,) and be careful so as not to fall into the five capital
crimes. 26 Let them endeavour to listen to the exposition of the Mahā Vessantara-jātaka
in one thousand gāthās and commentary in a single day, complete in its thirteen KanDas
(parts). Let them prepare offerings of conical umbrellas, flags and pennants, lamps,
tapers, incense sticks, and terrestrial as well as aquatic flowers of diversified hues, that
is to say, nymphaea flowers of the five varieties, equal in number to the stanzas of that
20
Situated on the summit mount Meru. This Arahat is said to have visited the infernal regions and other
places.
21
A Cetiya is a place in which a tooth relic of the Buddha is enshrined. It is known as the Cūlāmanī
Cetiya. This tooth was stolen at the distribution of the Buddha’s relics by a Brāhmin, Dorana who
concealed it in his topknot so that it became a gem (mani). Indra, the king of gods snatched the precious
tooth relic from the Brāhmin and enshrined it in the Cetiya. It is situated in the TāvatiMsa heaven. It is
said that this same Cetiya contains the Buddha’s hair.
22
Indra is the king of gods who rules over the five-deva heavens (Kāmadevaloka). He is said to inhabit
the TāvatiMsā heaven.
23
It is the name of the coming Buddha who will become known after his rebirth on earth.
24
Refraining from killing any living being, stealing things, which are not given, sexual misconduct,
telling lie and taking any intoxicant drinks.
25
Kusalakammapatha: the virtous act of refraining from the above five crimes and from other five faults
of minor importance.
26
Anantariyakamma: crime of killing parents, Arahats, causing the Buddha’s bloodshed, creating
disunion among the Sangha, the community of monks.
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