Vv 41Elephant Mansion

– STORIES OF HEAVENLY MANSIONS

– A. HEAVENLY MANSIONS OF FEMALE DEVAS

– THE MAÑJEṬṬHAKA CHAPTER

4.3

BJT 706"Adorned, you have mounted a great, noble elephant, well prepared, heaped with maṇi gems and gold, embellished with a net of gold, and have come here through the sky, traveling through the air.

BJT 707Lotus ponds with clear water, beautifully blossoming with flowers, have been conjured forth upon the two tusks of the elephant; groups of musical instruments are arrayed upon the lotuses, and these enchanting women dance.

BJT 708O lady of great power, you have attained the supernormal powers of the devas. What meritorious deed did you perform as a human being? On account of what do you possess such radiant power, and your complexion illuminates all directions?"

BJT 709"In Bārāṇasī, I approached and offered two lengths of cloth to the Buddha. Having paid homage at his two feet, I sat down upon the ground. Gladdened, I held my hands together in reverential salutation.

BJT 710And the Buddha, whose complexion was like gold, taught me about the Origin of Suffering, about Suffering, about impermanence, about non-fabrication, and about the Cessation of Suffering, which is of an enduring nature. He taught the Path, through which I came to understanding.

BJT 711Being a woman of short lifespan, I passed away. Having died from there, I was reborn in the renowned assembly of the Thirty-Three, the Tāvatiṃsa realm. I became yet another chief queen of Sakka, by the name of Yasuttarā, renowned in all directions."

The Heavenly Mansion of the Great Elephant.