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Story of Mallika
Mallika, at the age of sixteen, went to the flower garden with her friends, bringing along three portions of rice. On her way out of the city, she encountered the Buddha going on alms round. Filled with a deeply sincere and natural reverence upon seeing His extraordinarily noble, serene, and transcendent bearing—a presence that inspired absolute devotion—she was moved to offer all her food.
(One should remember that during the time of the Buddha, many people attained enlightenment more readily than now due to the profound reverence arising from directly encountering the Buddha. At the very moment when one’s reverence for the Buddha became absolute, there was sufficient merit for the attainment of Stream-entry.)
The Buddha smiled. The Venerable Ananda, knowing that the Buddha never smiled without reason, asked Him why. The Buddha replied that this young woman would reap the fruit of her offering that very day: she would become the queen of Kosala.
This prediction seemed almost impossible, as Indian society at that time was strictly divided by caste. Meanwhile, King Pasenadi was retreating in sorrow after being defeated by Ajatasattu. As he passed by the garden, he heard Mallika’s clear and graceful singing, expressing her joy after encountering a noble ascetic. Drawn by her voice, the king entered the garden, met her, and felt a deep sense of peace in her presence. Mallika showed no fear; instead, she comforted him. The king then brought her to her parents’ home and, on that very day, sent a grand royal procession to escort her to the palace and crowned her as his chief queen.
From then on, Queen Mallika was greatly favored by the king and became a symbol throughout the kingdom. The story of how she offered alms to the Buddha and received such great blessings spread widely, inspiring the people to practice generosity and kindness. Whenever she appeared in public, people would joyfully proclaim her merit.
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After becoming queen, Mallika visited the Buddha to ask about the differences in human conditions: why some people are beautiful, wealthy, and powerful; some are beautiful but poor; some are unattractive yet wealthy; and others are unattractive, poor, and of low status. The Buddha explained that all these differences arise from past karma: beauty comes from patience and gentleness, wealth from generosity, and power from the absence of envy and the ability to rejoice in others’ success. Most people possess a mixture of these qualities, which results in the diverse destinies seen in the world.
Yes. It's not unusual for young girls, teenagers, #Sweet16 & up, to marry men old enough to be our fathers.😒🤔 maybe it's a #fetish? We have a thing for #theElders, people older than us because our society of #hierarchy. seniors are superior than people younger than us & young are #inferior to older.
