Tripiṭaka 5. Uposathavagga
5. Sabbath
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Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā bhaggesu viharati susumāragire bhesakaḷāvane migadāye.
At one time the Buddha was staying in the land of the Bhaggas at Crocodile’s Bellow, in the deer park at Bhesakaḷā’s Wood.
Atha kho nakulamātā gahapatānī yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā …pe…. Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho nakulamātaraṁ gahapatāniṁ bhagavā etadavoca:
Then the housewife Nakula’s mother went up to the Buddha, bowed, and sat down to one side. The Buddha said to her:
“Aṭṭhahi kho, nakulamāte, dhammehi samannāgato mātugāmo kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā manāpakāyikānaṁ devānaṁ sahabyataṁ upapajjati.
“Nakula’s mother, when they have eight qualities ladies—when their body breaks up, after death—are reborn in company with the Gods of the Agreeable Host.
Idha, nakulamāte, mātugāmo yassa mātāpitaro bhattuno denti atthakāmā hitesino anukampakā anukampaṁ upādāya tassa hoti pubbuṭṭhāyinī pacchānipātinī kiṅkārapaṭissāvinī manāpacārinī piyavādinī.
Take the case of a lady whose mother and father give her to a husband wanting what’s best for her, out of kindness and sympathy. She would get up before him and go to bed after him, and be obliging, behaving nicely and speaking politely.
Ye te bhattu garuno honti—
She honors, respects, esteems, and venerates those her husband respects, such as
te sakkaroti garuṁ karoti māneti pūjeti, abbhāgate ca āsanodakena paṭipūjeti.
And when they arrive she serves them with a seat and water.
Ye te bhattu abbhantarā kammantā—uṇṇāti vā kappāsāti vā—tattha dakkhā hoti analasā tatrupāyāya vīmaṁsāya samannāgatā alaṁ kātuṁ alaṁ saṁvidhātuṁ.
She’s deft and tireless in her husband’s household duties, such as knitting and sewing. She understands how to go about things in order to complete and organize the work.
Yo so bhattu abbhantaro antojano—dāsāti vā pessāti vā kammakarāti vā—
She knows what work her husband’s domestic bondservants, servants, and workers have completed, and what they’ve left incomplete.
tesaṁ katañca katato jānāti akatañca akatato jānāti, gilānakānañca balābalaṁ jānāti khādanīyaṁ bhojanīyañcassa paccaṁsena saṁvibhajati.
She knows who is sick, and who is fit or unwell. She distributes to each a fair portion of fresh and cooked foods.
Yaṁ bhattā āharati dhanaṁ vā dhaññaṁ vā rajataṁ vā jātarūpaṁ vā taṁ ārakkhena guttiyā sampādeti, tattha ca hoti adhuttī athenī asoṇḍī avināsikā.
She ensures that any income her husband earns is guarded and protected, whether money, grain, silver, or gold. She doesn’t overspend, steal, waste, or lose it.
Upāsikā kho pana hoti buddhaṁ saraṇaṁ gatā dhammaṁ saraṇaṁ gatā saṅghaṁ saraṇaṁ gatā.
She’s a lay follower who has gone for refuge to the Buddha, his teaching, and the Saṅgha.
pāṇātipātā paṭiviratā …pe… surāmerayamajjapamādaṭṭhānā paṭiviratā …pe….
She doesn’t kill living creatures, steal, commit sexual misconduct, lie, or consume beer, wine, and liquor intoxicants.
Cāgavatī kho pana hoti vigatamalamaccherena cetasā agāraṁ ajjhāvasati muttacāgā payatapāṇinī vossaggaratā yācayogā dānasaṁvibhāgaratā.
She’s generous. She lives at home rid of the stain of stinginess, freely generous, open-handed, loving to let go, committed to charity, loving to give and to share.
Imehi kho, nakulamāte, aṭṭhahi dhammehi samannāgato mātugāmo kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā manāpakāyikānaṁ devānaṁ sahabyataṁ upapajjatīti.
When they possess these eight qualities ladies—when their body breaks up, after death—are reborn in company with the Gods of the Agreeable Host.
Aṭṭhamaṁ.