Verse 303

Dhammapada Verse 303

The Story of Citta, the Householder

Citta, after hearing the Dhamma expounded by the Venerable Sariputta, attained Anagami Magga and Phala. One day, Citta loaded five hundred carts with food and other offerings for the Buddha and his disciples, and left for Savatthi, accompanied by three thousand followers. They travelled at the rate of one yojana a day and reached Savatthi at the end of a month. Then Citta went ahead with five hundred of his companions to the Jetavana monastery. While he was paying obeisance to the Buddha, masses of flowers dropped miraculously from above like showers of rain. Citta stayed at the monastery for one whole month, offering alms-food to the Buddha and the bhikkhus and also feeding his own party of three thousand. All this time, the devas were replenishing his stock of food and other offerings.

On the eve of his return journey, Citta put all the things he had brought with him in the rooms of the monastery as offerings to the Buddha. The devas then filled up the empty carts with various items of priceless things. The Venerable Ananda, seeing how Citta's riches were being replenished, asked the Buddha, "Venerable Sir! is it only when Citta approached you that he is blessed with all these riches? Is he similarly blessed when he goes somewhere else?" To him the Buddha replied, "Ananda, this disciple is fully endowed with faith and generosity; he is also virtuous and his reputation spreads far and wide. Such a one is sure to be revered and showered with riches wherever he goes."

Then the Buddha spoke in verse as follows:

Saddho silena sampanno
yaso bhogasamappito
yam yam padesam bhajati
tattha tattheva pujito.

Verse 303: He who is full of faith and virtue, who also possesses fame and fortune, is held in reverence wherever he goes.