Happiness Follows The Doer Of Good<br />1 (2) The Story of Maññakuõdali (Verse 2)<br />While residing at the Jētavana Monastery in Sàvatthi, the Buddha<br />spoke this verse, with reference to Maññakuõdali, a young<br />Bràhmin.<br />Maññakuõdali was a young Bràhmin, whose father, Adinnapubbaka, was very miserly and never gave anything in charity.<br />Even the gold ornaments for his only son were made by himself to save payment for workmanship. When his son fell ill, no<br />physician was consulted, until it was too late. When he realized<br />that his son was dying, he had the youth carried outside on to<br />the verandah, so that people coming to his house would not see<br />his possessions.<br />On that morning, the Buddha arising early from his deep meditation of compassion saw, in his Net of Knowledge, Maññakuõ-<br />dali lying on the verandah. So when entering Sàvatthi for almsfood with his disciples, the Buddha stood near the door of the<br />Bràhmin Adinnapubbaka. The Buddha sent forth a ray of light<br />to attract the attention of the youth, who was facing the interior<br />of the house. The youth saw the Buddha; and as he was very<br />weak he could only profess his faith mentally. But that was<br />enough. When he passed away with his heart in devotion to the<br />Buddha he was reborn in the Tàvatiüsa celestial world.<br />From his celestial abode the young Maññakuõdali, seeing his father mourning over him at the cemetery, appeared to the old<br />man in the likeness of his old self. He told his father about his<br />rebirth in the Tàvatiüsa world and also urged him to approach<br />and invite the Buddha to a meal. At the house of Adinnapubbaka the question of whether one could or could not be reborn in a celestial world simply by mentally professing profound<br />faith in the Buddha, without giving in charity or observing the<br />moral precepts, was brought up. So the Buddha invited<br />Maññakuõdali to appear in person; Maññakuõdali then appeared<br />in his celestial ornaments and told them about his rebirth in the<br />Tàvatiüsa realm. Only then, the listeners became convinced<br />that the son of the Bràhmin Adinnapubbaka, by simply devoting his mind to the Buddha, had attained much glory.<br />Explanatory Translation (Verse 2)<br />dhammà manōpubbaïgamà manō seññhà manōmayà<br />cē pasannēna manasà bhàsati và karōti và tatō<br />sukhaü naü anvēti anapàyini chàyà iva<br />dhammà: experience; manōpubbaïgamà: thought precedes; manōseññhà: thought is predominant; manōmayà:<br />mind-made are they; cē: therefore, if; pasannēna: (with)<br />pure; manasà: thought; bhàsati: (one) speaks; karōti và: or<br />acts; tatō: due to it; sukhaü: happiness; naü: that person;<br />anvēti: follows; anapàyini: not deserting; chàyà iva: as the<br />shadow.<br />All that man experiences springs out of his thoughts. If his<br />thoughts are good, the words and deeds will also be good. The<br />result of good thoughts, words and deeds will be happiness.<br />This happiness never leaves the person whose thoughts are<br />good. Happiness will always follow him like his shadow that<br />never leaves him.<br />मन ही सर्वेसर्वा है<br />मट्ठकुण्डली की कथा<br />Source-{ Dhammapad Gatha Ka
