The Life of Lord Buddha

Pranams at the lotus feet of Lord Buddha!

Chapter – 21

There was a  pious woman Uttara who was a staunch devotee of Lord Buddha, she had a conversation with her husband, he said “ Uttara, why did you ask for a large sum of money from your father.  I am your wedded husband; you could have asked me for that.  There was no need to bother your father.”  Uttara said “ Dear husband, since after the marriage I had little opportunity to perform religious and spiritual tasks, my father is a staunch devotee of Lord Buddha, I asked money to offer a meal for Buddha and his disciples for fifteen days.  It is not that I was intentionally refusing to take money from you.  My father shares the belief of Lord Buddha with me.” her husband replied, “ In that case, let it be as you wish.”  Uttara continued “ I wish to cook meals for Lord Buddha and his disciples for fifteen days all by myself.  I want to invite them to our house and serve meals.  I am afraid during that time I won’t be able to perform wifely tasks for you. Please excuse me for that.” Her husband said, “ In that case, let it be as you wish”.  Uttara resumed “ I have heard about a courtesan girl  Sirima who is charming and expensive, living in Rajgir, a few men got an opportunity to enjoy her beauty.  In these fifteen days, I am thinking of hiring Sirima to perform all the wifely duties to you.” Husband replied “ In that case, let it be as you wish.”  As per the conversion of the couple, the courtesan girl Sirima was brought to their house for living.

Uttara and her maidservant engaged in the preparation for inviting Lord Buddha and his disciples, they spend hours and hours in the kitchen preparing a sumptuous meal for Lord Buddha and his disciples. One day her husband arrived in the kitchen with the courtesan girl Sirima and asked: “ Uththara are you exhausted?” The husband thought, look at her, she is not letting others do the work, though she has enough employees in the kitchen, her face is murky and clothes are dirty, in fact, she should relax, instead, she is finding a way to get herself worn out of the kitchen tasks.  Uttara thought how heedless and pleasure-seeking is my husband, he is immensely wealthy so he is not thinking of earning piousness, and he is really foolish.  Sirima thought, Uththara is looking at me with a contemptuous smile as if she is scolding me, it is sickening to stick on here.  Sirima approached Uththara vehemently, seized the ladle from her hand and took a ladle full of boiling soup to pour on her face.  Uttara said “ Sirima I am grateful to you for taking up my place and serving my husband for these fifteen days.  It provided me a chance to earn some merit by serving Buddha and his disciples for fifteen days.  I will not get angry with you for the way you treat me.”  Sirima poured the boiling soup on Uththara’s face, but it did no harm on her face.  Soon all the employees of the Bungalow rushed into the kitchen saying “ How dare this prostitute attack our employer? Let us teach her a lesson so that she won’t forget. Come on.”  Soon Uththara came in the middle and said “ Do not hurt her, Sirima is like a friend to me, I owe her debt of gratitude, I am not angry on her,”  Sirima felt ashamed of her actions and fallen at the feet of Uththara.  Sirima said “ I am a courtesan girl employed by you, I have made a mistake, I have started assuming your husband like mine, that’s why I attacked you.  You are a noble person.  You have not shown any anger against my wickedness; your heart is filled with compassion and love. Kindly forgive me Uththara.”  Uttara said “ If you want to ask forgiveness, please do that to Lord Buddha. Tomorrow I will be completing fifteen days of offerings to Lord Buddha and his disciples.  Please come and attend the offering ceremony and listen to the speech about Dharma.”

The next day morning Lord Buddha arrived with his disciples.  He gave a lecture about anger “A person should overcome his hatred with kindness,  evil with goodness, stinginess with generosity, deceit with integrity,  and carelessness of speech with the words of wisdom.  People who are absorbed in worldly matters and pleasures, wrapped in sensual pleasures, intoxicated by immense wealth, luxuries, status, power and fame, cannot realize the beauty of nobility and truthfulness.”  Uttara and Sirima attained wisdom and earned abundance piousness with the grace of the Lord Buddha.  Later Sirima became the staunch devotee of Lord Buddha.