5.
The Discourse on the Pāricchattaka Coral Tree
69.
"At the time, monks, when the coral tree Pāricchattaka of the gods of the Thirty-three has withered leaves, the gods of the Thirty-three are delighted at that time -
'The coral tree Pāricchattaka now has withered leaves; before long from now it will have fallen leaves.'
"At the time, monks, when the coral tree Pāricchattaka of the gods of the Thirty-three has fallen leaves, the gods of the Thirty-three are delighted at that time - 'The coral tree Pāricchattaka now has fallen leaves; before long from now it will have buds.'
"At the time, monks, when the coral tree Pāricchattaka of the gods of the Thirty-three has buds, the gods of the Thirty-three are delighted at that time - 'The coral tree Pāricchattaka now has buds; before long from now it will have fresh buds.'
"At the time, monks, when the coral tree Pāricchattaka of the gods of the Thirty-three has fresh buds, the gods of the Thirty-three are delighted at that time - 'The coral tree Pāricchattaka now has fresh buds; before long from now it will have flower-buds.'
"At the time, monks, when the coral tree Pāricchattaka of the gods of the Thirty-three has flower-buds, the gods of the Thirty-three are delighted at that time - 'The coral tree Pāricchattaka now has flower-buds; before long from now it will have unopened flowers.'
"At the time, monks, when the coral tree Pāricchattaka of the gods of the Thirty-three has unopened flowers, the gods of the Thirty-three are delighted at that time - 'The coral tree Pāricchattaka now has unopened flowers; before long from now it will be in full bloom.'
"At the time, monks, when the coral tree Pāricchattaka of the gods of the Thirty-three is in full bloom, the gods of the Thirty-three, delighted, at the root of the coral tree Pāricchattaka, for four divine months, endowed and furnished with the five kinds of sensual pleasure, indulge themselves.
"When, monks, the coral tree Pāricchattaka is in full bloom, for fifty yojanas all around it is pervaded with radiance, and downwind for a hundred yojanas the fragrance goes. This is the power of the coral tree Pāricchattaka.
"So too, monks, at the time when a noble disciple intends to go forth from home into homelessness, at that time, monks, the noble disciple has withered leaves, like the coral tree Pāricchattaka of the gods of the Thirty-three.
"At the time, monks, when a noble disciple, having shaved off his hair and beard, having put on ochre robes, has gone forth from home into homelessness, at that time, monks, the noble disciple has fallen leaves, like the coral tree Pāricchattaka of the gods of the Thirty-three.
"At the time, monks, when a noble disciple, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, etc. enters and dwells in the first meditative absorption, at that time, monks, the noble disciple has buds, like the coral tree Pāricchattaka of the gods of the Thirty-three.
"At the time, monks, when a noble disciple, with the subsiding of applied and sustained thought, etc. enters and dwells in the second meditative absorption, at that time, monks, the noble disciple has fresh buds, like the coral tree Pāricchattaka of the gods of the Thirty-three.
"At the time, monks, when a noble disciple, with the fading away of rapture, etc. enters and dwells in the third meditative absorption, at that time, monks, the noble disciple has flower-buds, like the coral tree Pāricchattaka of the gods of the Thirty-three.
"At the time, monks, when a noble disciple, with the abandoning of pleasure and with the abandoning of pain, etc. enters and dwells in the fourth meditative absorption, at that time, monks, the noble disciple has unopened flowers, like the coral tree Pāricchattaka of the gods of the Thirty-three.
"At the time, monks, when a noble disciple, with the elimination of the mental corruptions, etc. having realised, having attained, dwells, at that time, monks, the noble disciple is in full bloom, like the coral tree Pāricchattaka of the gods of the Thirty-three.
"At that time, monks, the terrestrial gods proclaim - 'This venerable one of such and such a name, the co-resident pupil of the venerable one of such and such a name, having gone forth from home into homelessness from such and such a village or town, with the elimination of the mental corruptions, in this very life, having realised by direct knowledge himself, having attained, dwells in the liberation of mind and liberation by wisdom that are without mental corruptions.' Having heard the sound of the terrestrial gods, the gods ruled by the four great kings... etc. the Thirty-three gods... the Yāma gods... the Tusita gods... the Nimmānaratī gods... the gods who control what is created by others... the gods of Brahmā's company proclaim - 'This venerable one of such and such a name, the co-resident pupil of the venerable one of such and such a name, having gone forth from home into homelessness from such and such a village or town, with the elimination of the mental corruptions, in this very life, having realised by direct knowledge himself, having attained, dwells in the liberation of mind and liberation by wisdom that are without mental corruptions.' Thus in that moment, in that instant, the sound rises up as far as the Brahmā world. This is the power of a monk who has eliminated the mental corruptions." The fifth.