Thus have I heard. At one time the Buddha was wandering through the border area of Magadha and in due course arrived at the City of Vaiśālī. With a great number of monks, altogether five hundred persons, he put up at Āmrapālī’s Park north of Vaiśālī.

Having heard that the Exalted One had come and was staying at her park together with five hundred monks, a woman, Āmrapālī by name, had a carriage made ready which was decorated with precious wings, and mounted it. She drove from Vaiśālī City to the access to a hidden track and then made her way to the Exalted One’s whereabouts. She alighted from the carriage and went on foot to where the Exalted One was.

When he saw a woman at a distance come, he said to the monks, “Everybody should absolutely be on his guard lest wrong thoughts arise in him.”

On her arrival at the place where the Exalted One was, the woman bowed down her head at the Buddha’s feet and sat down to one side. Now the Exalted One expounded to her the most excellent Teaching. Thereafter the woman said to the Buddha, “May the Exalted One, together with the order of monks, kindly accept my invitation to tomorrow’s meal.

The Exalted One consented by silence, and the woman, understanding that by his silence he had accepted her invitation, rose from her seat, bowed her head at his feet and left.

By that time all male and female inhabitants of Vaiśālī, great and small, had heard that the Exalted One was staying at Āmrapālī’s Park with a great number of monks, altogether five hundred persons. In the city there were five hundred youths; they mounted various kinds of carriages decorated with precious wings. Some of them mounted white carriages drawn by white horses; their clothes, parasols, banners and streamers, retinue—all were in white. Others mounted red … blue … yellow carriages drawn by yellow horses; their clothes, parasols, banners and streamers, retinue—all were in yellow. They looked majestic and extraordinarily smart, behaving like kings.

They left Vaiśālī City and drove towards the place where the Exalted One was. While they had not yet reached the main road, they met that woman, moving with speed and whipping her draught-animals galloping towards the centre of the city.

“You are a woman that should be ashamed of herself,” the youths shouted and wanted to know why she was whipping her draught-animals, steering her carriage with great speed towards the centre of the city.

“My dear friends,” the woman informed them after bringing her carriage to a halt, “I would have you know that I have invited the Buddha and his order of monks to tomorrow’s meal. It is for just this reason that I am driving my carriage at speed.”

To this the youths replied, “We would also like to treat the Buddha and his order of monks to a meal. Now we offer you one thousand ounces of pure gold for giving us the exclusive right to treat them to a meal tomorrow.”

“Stop talking, sons of a great clan,” the woman said, “I do not comply.”

The youths went on offering her two, three, four, five—up to one hundred thousand ounces of gold, asking her whether she would agree or not to give them the right to treat the Buddha and his order of monks to the next day’s meal. The woman, however, insisted, “I do not comply because the Exalted One has repeatedly spoken of two kinds of longing which man cannot give up. Which are the two? The longing for benefit and the longing for long life. Who could guarantee my still being alive tomorrow? So I have invited the Tathāgata first, and now I have got to make all the preparations.”

All the youths shook their fists, saying, “Very much so is our standing of men, and we are not like a woman.” Having had their say, all of them turned round and drove away.

The youths proceeded to where the Exalted One was. They bowed down their heads … stood to one side. When the Exalted One had seen the youths come, he said to the monks, “O monks, look at the majestic appearance of and the gorgeous dress of these youths; they look exactly like Śakra being on tour.”

Then the Exalted One said to the youths, “There are two kinds of essential dispositions which are virtually non-existent in the world. Which are the two? (1) The habit of a person never to neglect rendering others a small service, (2) let alone a great one. These are the two kinds of essential dispositions, young men, which are practically non-existent. You should know, repeatedly bring back into your minds, recognise and finally overcome being careless about rendering others a small service, let alone a great one.”

After this exhortation the Exalted One uttered the following verses:

“He who knows how to render others a service
And realises that this should be done repeatedly,
Being always mindful and communicating this
Knowledge to people, will be endowed with
Insight-knowledge, himself being revered and followed,
Whose name will be known to gods and men.

“Thus, young men,"the Buddha went on, “ one should know and train.”

Then the Exalted One expounded to all the youths the subtle Teaching. After listening, they rose from their seats, bowed down … and left.

Meanwhile during the night, the woman had many sorts of choice food an delicacies prepared and all the seats arranged. Very early in the morning almost at dawn, Āmrapālī thought to herself, “Now it is going on for the proper time; if only the Exalted One would care to call in at my humble home.”

In time, the Exalted One put on his outer robes and took up his alms-bowl. Leading the monks accompanying him in order of seniority, he entered the city of Vaiśālī and went to the woman’s house. Having seen that the Exalted One had taken his seat, the woman served the meal to the Buddha and then to his order of monks with her own hand. When the Buddha and the order of monks had eaten and fresh water had been passed around, a small seat, inlaid with gold, was brought and placed in front of the Buddha.

Then the woman said to the Exalted One, “Herewith I should like to offer this park of Āmrapālī to the Tathāgata and his order of monks. May, as in the past and at present, also in future many members of the order be lodged in it. May the Exalted One kindly accept this park.”

At the instance of that woman the Exalted One accepted it and then uttered these verses of laudatory blessing:

“The effect of this donation of a park is
That prerequisites for the refreshing coolness of nirvāṇa
Are given; the park is like a bridge helping people
To cross over to ultimate freedom. If they appreciate
This bridge as a short cut, making use of the analogy
Between the malign influences and a privy, then
Take a rest from them and finally, day and night,
Realise ultimate peace—such happiness is
Beyond imagination. He who lives in accordance with
The teachings and rules of moral training will
After death certainly be born in a heavenly world.

When the Exalted One had uttered these words, he rose and left. After listening to the Buddha’s words, the woman was pleased with herself and respectfully applied herself to practice.