The Great Disciple Visaka

01

Dear disciples, dear children,

You all know about the female disciple Viskh. She was one
of the greatest female disciples of the Supreme Buddha. She held
the highest place among those female disciples who made great
offerings. The banker Anthapindika held the highest place among
male disciples.

The great disciple Viskh became a Stream-enterer at the
age of seven. At that time she lived in the city of Bhaddiya which
was in the kingdom of Anga. She came to the province of Svatti to
marry Punnavardhana, the son of the treasurer Migra.

Previously, the family of the treasurer Migra were disciples
of Nigantha Nthaputta. But because Viskh was able to conduct
herself in an intelligent, brave, and dignified manner, that whole
family went for refuge to the Triple Gem. They all became the
Supreme Buddhas disciples.

The Great Disciple Visaka

02

As well, Viskh served the venerable monks in the same
way a mother protects her children. You may know that Viskh
possessed five features of beauty. That is, she had extremely
gorgeous locks of hair. That is called the beauty of hair. All the
limbs of her body were nicely built. This is called the beauty of
flesh. She had two rows of the whitest, most beautiful teeth. This
is called the beauty of bone. She had skin with a shining, golden
complexion. This is called the beauty of skin. Even when she was
a mother of twenty children she possessed an extremely attractive
figure. No one could tell her age. Even among her daughters
and granddaughters, she appeared to be more like one of her
daughters. This is called the beauty of youth. As well, she had a set
of jewellery called the Great Creaper Jewels. In all of India there
were only three sets of such valuable jewellery. One was owned
by the female disciple Viskh. Another was owned by Bandhula
Mallik. And the third was owned by the daughter of the treasurer
of Benares.

The Great Disciple Visaka

03

One day Viskh went to a festival wearing this jewellery.
When wearing that jewellery, worth seven million, she was
completely radiant. Rays of light would shine from her body.
So that day, on her way to the festival, she heard that there was
a monk who was sick. Straight away she left to go to Jetavana
monastery. But she didnt like to go to the monastery wearing
the Great Creaper Jewellery. So she took it off and gave it to her
servant.

After that she went to see the sick monk and found out about
his needs. Because she had many things to do, she turned back
to go home. On the way, she remembered the Great Creaper
Jewellery. So she sent back the servant to get it. Meanwhile, the
venerable nanda had seen the jewellery and put it aside for safe
keeping.

The Great Disciple Visaka

04

When she came to know about this, Viskh thought, Now,
this jewellery has been taken and set aside by the hands of a noble
monk. For that reason it is not good for me to use such a thing. So
I will sell it. Having sold it I will use the money to do something
special that is suitable for the Sangha. When she got the jewellery
back she took it to the market with great happiness.

There was no one there at the market with two hundred
seventy million to buy it. So in the end she bought it herself with
her own two hundred seventy million and hauled all this money to
the monastery in a cart.

She worshiped the Supreme Buddha and said, Bhante, the
Great Creaper Jewellery was touched by the hands of venerable
nanda as he set it aside for safe keeping. Since then I cant even
think of using it out of respect for the venerable Sangha. How
could someone like me with this much love and respect for the
Sangha use something that has been touched by the noble monks.
So, Bhante, I brought it to the market to sell. But because there
was no one able to buy it, I bought it myself. I have come here
bringing the money in these carts. Bhante, what should I do with
it?

The Great Disciple Visaka

05

In that case, dear Viskh, have a monastery built for the
Sangha to live in at the eastern gate. So with great happiness she
spent nine hundred million to purchase the land. She spent nine
hundred million to build a monastery with a thousand rooms: five
hundred rooms on the ground floor and five hundred rooms on
the second floor. She spent nine hundred million on a ceremony
where she offered the monastery to the Sangha with the Buddha at
its head by pouring the blessing water of donation.

On the day of offering she was filled with incredible
happiness. For four months she offered alms food to the Sangha
headed the Buddha. On the last day she offered sets of three
robes to tens of thousands of monks. In this way she spent two
hundred and seventy million to offer the Great Eastern Monastery
(Pubbrma) to the Supreme Buddha and his community of
monks. That day she was overjoyed. Along with her friends and
children, she walked around and around the Eastern Monastery
singing sweetly.

The Great Disciple Visaka

06

It glows a shining white, this heavenly mansion. I built and gave

this dwelling.
My mind radiates happiness. My dream has come true. I have
found a river of merit.
Beds, chairs, cushions and mats, arranged around the mansion
I gave all these furnishings.
My mind radiates happiness. My dream has come true. I have
found a river of merit.
Delicious curries and food, continuously in the alms hall
I gave this great dna to the Sangha.
My mind radiates happiness. My dream has come true. I have
found a river of merit.
Triple robes made of soft cloth from Ksi
I gave thousands of robes.
My mind radiates happiness. My dream has come true. I have
found a river of merit.
Medicines made of ghee, butter, honey, oil
I gave medicine to the Sangha.
My mind radiates happiness. My dream has come true. I have
found a river of merit.

The bhikkhus informed the Supreme Buddha about the very
sweet song she sang while going all around the Eastern Monastery.

The Great Disciple Visaka

07

Bhante, Blessed One, the great disciple Viskh does her
work quietly. She doesnt usually speak making a lot of noise. She
has been a great example for everyone. But, Bhante, today she
appears different. Without any hesitation she sings loudly walking
all around the monastery. Does she have some health problem
because she has been working tirelessly over four months offering
alms food? Or has she gone crazy from lack of sleep?

Dear monks, Viskh is singing because of fulfilling a wish
made long ago in sansra. That is why she is singing a song of joy.
Then the Supreme Buddha spoke this sweet sounding verse:

Yathpi puppharsimhKayir mlgune bahu

Evam jtena maccenaKattabban kusalan bahun

Just as someone would make various garlands from fragrant
flowers, so too should one born in the world make a garland of merit.

Always increase wholesome qualities that give comfort and ease.
Definitely without interruption make merit, as if weaving a garland
of flowers.

The Great Disciple Visaka

08

Dear disciples, dear children, a person who makes flower
garlands is always thinking about collecting beautiful flowers.
Wherever they go they are always searching for places with
beautiful flowers. They go to each place and pick those flowers.
They take very good care of them. They string them beautifully
into flower garlands.

The Supreme Buddha taught that we should act in the same
way. It is not wise to wait for merit to come to us. The person
who wants merit should go looking for it. On the day Viskh
offered the Eastern Monastery, one of her friends wanted to offer
a valuable cloth worth one hundred thousand to the Sangha. She
walked all around the Eastern Monastery searching for a suitable
place to spread it but she was unable to find one. A great sadness
overcame her. Finally she sat to one side crying. The venerable
nanda heard her crying and went to her.

Daughter, why are you crying?

Bhante, I had a great desire to join with this meritorious
activity. Thats why I brought this valuable cloth worth one
hundred thousand. I kept searching and searching for a place to
spread it but I couldnt find one.

The Great Disciple Visaka

09

The Venerable nanda thought for a moment. Then he
remembered a suitable place for it to go.

Daughter, dont worry. I will tell you a place. Do you see
the bottom of that staircase over there? That is where the Sangha
wash their feet. You can spread it there so that when they are done
washing they can use it to wipe their feet. That way you will collect
great merit.

So she offered that valuable cloth worth one hundred
thousand for the community of monks to wipe their feet.

In this way, no matter what anyone says, the person who
collects merit will not give up their meritorious activities. They
will just keep doing them. In the same way a talented florist will
pick many flowers to make beautiful flower garlands, you should
also work energetically always collecting merit.
THE END