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On the completion of his carikā mission for nine months, the Buddha came back to Srāvasti. By that time, the shelter was ready for the use of the Buddha and his
ks. But the Buddha was proceeding towards Jeta vana. When Visakhā heard this, she came to him and requested him to stay at the new shelter for four months of the rainy season. The Buddha agreed.
One day, a friend of Visákhā came to her. She brought with her a carpet which was worth a lakh. She said to Visakha;
"I want to spread my carpet somewhere in your new guesthouse. Where shall I do so"?
Visakha - "If I say that no portion of the floor is uncovered, you will not believe me. You will feel that I do not intend to take your carpet. So it is better that you look up yourself. See if you can spread it somewhere".
The lady moved all over the building but in vain. She did not find any portion of the floor which was uncovered. Wherever she set her foot, she came across a costlier stuff than her own already spread. She became depressed and began to weep. Sthavira Ananda observed this and enquired the cause of her grief. When she explained, Ananda tried to console her. He said,
"You may spread your carpet between the staircase and the bathroom. It will be useful for us to wipe our legs. The monks would wash their legs and dry them with your carpet."
(It is necessary to add that) this portion of the floor escaped the attention of Visakha and remained uncovered.
Visākhā served the Buddha and his monks for four months with food and shelter. On the last day of their stay, she distributed clothes among them. The cheapest cloth given to a new initiate cost a thousand. Besides, she filled their begging bowl with ghee, jaggery, etc. The entire cost of enertaining the monks before their departure was nine crores. In this manner, Visákhā spent a total amount of Rs. 27 crores - nine crores on land, nine crores on building and nine crores on gifts. For Visakhā who was
| SR No. | 022804 |
| Book Title | Agama And Tripitaka Comparative Study |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | Nagaraj Muni |
| Publisher | Today and Tomorrows Printers and Publishers |
| Publication Year | 1986 |
| Total Pages | 804 |
| Language | English |
| Classification | Book_English |
| File Size | 19 MB |