Happiness follows the doer of good

While residing at the Jetavana Monastery in Savatthi, the Buddha spoke this verse, with reference to Mattakundali, a young Brahmin.

Mattakundali was a young Brahmin, whose father, Adinnapubbaka was very misery and never gave anything in charity. Even the gold ornaments for his only son were made by himself to save payment for the workmanship.

When his son fell ill one day, no physician was consulted, until it was too late. When he realized that his son was dying, he had the youth carried outside on the veranda, so that people coming into his house would not see his possessions.

On that morning, the Buddha arising from his deep meditation of compassion, saw in his Net of knowledge, Mattakundali lying on the veranda. So when entering Savatthi for alms-food with his disciples, the Buddha stood near the door of the Brahmin Adinnapubbaka.

The Buddha send forth a ray of light to attact attention of the youth, who was facing the interior of the house. The young man saw the Buddha and he was very weak where he could only Profess His Faith Mentally, but that was not enough.

When he passed away, his Heart in Devotion To the Buddha, he was reborn in the Tavatimsa celestial heavenly world.

From his celestial abode, the young Mattakundali upon seeing his father mourning over his death at the cemetery, appeared to the old man in the likeness of his old self. He told his father about his rebirth in Tavatimsa heavenly world and also urged him to approach 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 faith in the Buddha, without giving in charity or observing the moral precepts, was brought up.

So the Buddha invited Mattakundali to appear in person; Mattakundali then appeared in his celestial ornaments and told them about his rebirth in the Tavatimsa realm. Only then, the listeners became convinced that the son of Brahmin Adinnapubbaka, by Simply Devoting His Mind To the Buddha had attained much glory.