Venerable Sariputta was born in a Brhaman family, yet he ordained under the Buddha. After decades of Buddhist practice and before entering supreme
Nirvana, he went back home and taught the Dharma to his mother in order to
repay her gratitude of giving him a life and bringing him up.
When getting home, he got sick. He told other fellow monks to stop hismother from visiting him. His mom was extremely worried and keeping
herself on tenterhooks. That night at the first, the second and the third watch
she saw many celestial beings with bright halo came to visit him.
Surprisingly, she asked Sariputta about it. He smiled and moderately told her:
-Mom, they are the Four Heavenly Kings
Wide-eyed, she asked: Were you even greater than the Four Heavenly Kings?
- Mom, you had not known yet, the Four Heavenly Kings are also Dharma protectors and they also had protected the four corners as the four escorts of
the Buddha on the day he was born.
-So, who were the heavenly celestials that came on the second watch whose
halo was even brighter than those of the Four Heavenly Kings?
- That was Shakra and the celestials of the 33rd Heavens, the Trayastrimsa,
Mom.
-Were you even greater than Shakra?
-Mom, you had not known yet. Although Shakra was the King of the 33rd
Trayastrimsa Heaven, to the Buddha, he was still just as a Sramana who followed a Bhikshu. When the Buddha returned the world from Trayatrimsa
Heaven, the Shakra took the robes and bowl of the Buddha, followed behind
the Buddha and saw him off respectfully.
-Who were the celestials who visited you last night with the halo brightening up the whole house?
-Mom, you had not known yet. They are Brahma and celestials in that heaven, the teacher of all Brahmans, was also your heavenly teacher.
The mother surprisingly said:
-Oh god! Were you even greater than my heavenly and everlasting admired
god?
-Mom, you had not known yet. On the date the Buddha was born, the Brahma welcomed him in a dazzlingly bright net. And on the date the Buddha attained enlightenment, the Brahma also invited Him to turn the wheels of Dharma and postponed His Nirvana.
The mother was amazed with her son’s virtue and she believed the Buddha’s
virtue was even greater than her son’s. From which, the unmovable faith to Buddha, Dharma and Sangha generated in her mind. Waiting for that moment, Sariputta gave her a short Dharma talk, she immediately attained the pure Dharma eye, and became a Stream Enterer [the first stage of
enlightenment].
Venerable Sariputta, Venerable Moggallana and other Venerables in the history of Buddhism have helped their parents and kin to take refuge in Triple Gems as a way to repay their kindness and gratitude.
