A Presentation of a Verse from The Dhammapada and the accompanying story. The texts are in English. For the Video (with Audio narration and explanation in Hokikien), please check out the following Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yb3WE36SSpY

1. 1
Jetavana Monastery in Sàvatthi where the
Buddha spoke the Verse 16 of Dhammapada

2. 2
The doer of good
rejoices here and
hereafter;
he rejoices in both the
worlds. He rejoices
and exults,
recollecting his own pure
deeds.
Dhammapada Verse 16
While residing at Jetavana
Monastery in Sàvatthi,
the Buddha spoke
this verse, with reference
to Dhammika,
a lay disciple.

3. 3
Once there lived in Sàvatthi, a
lay disciple by the name
of Dhammika, who was
virtuous and
very fond of giving
charity. He generously offered
food and other requisites to
the monks regularly and also
on special occasions.
He was, in fact,
the leader of five hundred
virtuous lay disciples of the
Buddha who lived in Sàvatthi.

4. 4
Dhammika had seven sons
and seven daughters and all of
them, like their father, were
virtuous and devoted to charity.
When Dhammika was very
ill and was on his death-bed he
made a request to the Sangha
to come to his bedside and
recite the sacred texts.
While the monks were reciting
the Mahāsatipaṭṭhānasutta,
six decorated
chariots from six celestial
worlds arrived to invite him
to their respective worlds.

5. 5
Dhammika told them to wait for a
while for fear of interrupting the
recitation of the Sutta. The
monks, thinking that they were
being asked to stop, stopped
and left the place.
A little while later, Dhammika told
his children about
the six decorated chariots waiting
for him. Then and there he
decided to choose the chariot from
the Tusita world and asked
one of his children to throw a
garland on to it. Accordingly one of
the children of the layman threw the
wreath of flowers, and it
clung to the pole of the chariot and
hung suspended in the air.

6. 6
The populace saw the wreath of
flowers suspended in the air,
but did not see the chariot. Said
Dhammika, “Do you see this
wreath of flowers?” “Yes, we see
it.” “This wreath hangs sus-
pended from the chariot which
came from the World of the
Tusita gods. I am going to the
World of the Tusita gods; do not
be disturbed. If you desire to be
reborn with me, do works of
merit even as I have done.” Then
he passed away and was
reborn in the Tusita world. Thus,
the virtuous man rejoices in
this world as well as in the next.

7. 7
When those monks reached the Monastery, the Buddha asked them, “Monks,
did the lay disciple hear the Dhamma?”
“Yes, Venerable. But in the midst of the recitation he cried out,
‘Wait! Wait!’ and stopped us. Then his sons and daughters
began to weep, whereupon we departed.”
“Monks, he was not talking to you. From the Six
Worlds of the Gods six deities approached in six magnificently
adorned chariots, and they summoned that lay disciple to go
with them; but the lay disciple, unwilling that the Dhamma
should be interrupted, spoke to them.”
“Is that true, Venerable?”
“That is true, monks.”
“Venerable, where was he reborn just now?
“In the World of the Tusita gods, monks.”
“Venerable, but recently he lived here among his kinsfolk
rejoicing, and just now he went again to a place of rejoicing
and was there reborn.”
“Yes, monks. They that are heedful,
be they laymen or monks,
rejoice in both places equally.”

8. 8
“Cultivating wholesome thoughts,
wholesome speech and action,
may we attain Happiness, Bliss
and Liberation.”
The doer of good
rejoices here and
hereafter; he
rejoices in both
the worlds. He
rejoices and
exults
recollecting his
own pure deeds.
Dhammapada Verse 16

9. 9
Dhammika was in great joy in his death bed because he
had accumulated a great amount of good deeds
during his lifetime.
An individual who can look upon a lifetime
of virtuous conduct and,
in consequence, can look forward
to a birth after death in a pleasant
state can be described as a Katapunno.
DANA * SILA * BHAVANA
TUSITA
HEAVEN

10. 10
The contents of the Dhamma Verse were taken from “Treasury of Truth”
by Ven. W Sarada Maha Thero
With Metta,
Bro. Oh Teik Bin
The End
The Ten Meritorious Deeds are:
1 charity (dāna), 2 morality (Sīla), 3 mental culture (bhāvanā),
4 reverence or respect (apacāyana),
5 service in helping others (veyyāvacca), 6 sharing merits
with others (pattidāna), 7 rejoicing in others’ merits
(pattāanumodana), 8 preaching and teaching the Dhamma
(Dhammassavana), 9 listening to the Dhamma (Dhammasavana)
10 Straightening one’s views (Ditthijjukamma)