At that time, one of the four Bhikshu said: If things continue like this, we won’t be able to focus on cultivation, well, let me support everyone of you! I will go to work and earn money so that I can make offerings to you." Therefore he went to work and made money, in order to support the other three Bhikshus' cultivation.

He was very diligently and earnestly in making offerings. Sometimes, his working place was near the palace of king, and when he saw how grand scene the king’s parade was, he thought to himself, "It is not bad to be a king in my next life!" Because of this false thinking, he became a king in his next life by the name of king wonderful adornment. He was very kind to his people, but he forgot his past vow which was to protect the Triple Jewel and cultivate according to Buddhadharma. Moreover, his belief fell into other path, and thus created a lot of karmic offenses.

 

Let’s talk about the other three Bhikshu who cultivated vigorously. Since they had someone supporting them, they were able focus on cultivation, later on, they all attained sagehood. After they became sages, they made a contemplation and found out that the other Bhikshu who had supported them by sacrificing his own cultivation, now was the king wonderful adornment, who already forgot his past vows, and believed in an externalist path and created a lot of karma. Out of compassion, these three Bhikshu came up with an expedient method. How? They manifested as his family member, one as his wife, the other two as his sons.

 

At that time, Buddha Cloud Thunder Sound Constellation King Flower Wisdom was lecturing the Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra. Since the two princes were studying Buddhadharma and cultivating Bodhisattva path, they requested the queen to attend the Buddha's sutra lecture with them. The queen said, "Well, it is good to do so, but it is better if we could change your father’s mind, and ask him to go with us!" The two princes replied: "How misfortunate we are! As Dharma princes, yet we have been born into this family of deviant views! The queen said, “We should not forget it is because your father’s support in the past life that we had today's achievement. I think you should go find your father and see what you can do to change his mind. Manifest your spiritual powers, maybe by this way, you can change his deviant views."

 

These two princes followed their mother's instructions, and manifested all kinds of spiritual powers before their father. In space they walked, stood, sat, and reclined, and then manifested as being small, and from being small, they again manifested as being large, or manifested in huge bodies filling up all of space, or they entered into earth as if it were water, and walked on the water as if it were land. Seeing his sons’ great spiritual powers, the father rejoiced and was greatly surprised, he asked them," Who is your Master?" Since he got interested and wanted to learn from their Master, he said to his two sons," Could you introduce me to your Master. Let us go meet your Master together!"

 

The two princes replied, “Buddha Cloud Thunder Sound Constellation King Flower Wisdom is our master, he is proclaiming the Wonderful Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra beneath a Bodhi tree, should we go to the lecture together? Mom can come with us too." The king said, "Good, good, let's go there together."  The king wonderful

adornment joyfully and respectfully listened to the sutra lecture, at that time, the Buddha bestowed a prediction on him," You shall leave household life within my Dharma, you shall become a Buddha by the name of Sala Tree King." Upon hearing the prediction from the Buddha, the king brought the resolve to leave household life, he conferred his country upon his younger brother, left the household life and went on to cultivate.

 

See, how come such good things happened to the king wonderful adornment? Although being a king with faith in externalist path, still he had the affinities to encounter the Buddhadharma, and right after he started to learn, the Buddha bestowed him a prediction. See, why are there so many good things happened to him? It is because he had planted good roots in his past life, he supported the Triple Jewel by sacrificing his own cultivation and working hard, by doing so and because of his sincerity, he was able to encounter good knowing advisors, who could do the Buddha's work, guide his cultivation, benefit him, and inspire him to study Buddhadharma with a joyful mind. Being guided by good knowing advisors is not without a reason, therefore when the cause and conditions for us to leave household life are not ready, we as layperson can try our best to offer to the Triple Jewel, help others and do good deeds, then later on, we are able to gain the guidance from good knowing advisors, since all these efforts count.

Apply your efforts diligently without being noticed, thus merit and virtue being created will be stored in our inherent nature, which cannot be taken away from us. We don't have to advertise ourselves, what we need is to try our best to do wholesome deeds, help others and support the Triple Jewel. The above story is mentioned in the chapter of past deeds of king wonderful adornment. Later, auspicious things will always be with us, which makes us feel inconceivable, but in order to have such a bright future, we have to work hard now.

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