The Resilient Journey of Dabbamallaputta and Rathapala : หน้า 26/105

Dabbamallaputta escaped death twice. First when his mother suddenly passed away; under normal circumstances this would have meant death for the unborn child. However, he did not die. Second, when he escaped his mother’s womb as her body lay on top of the funeral pyre, and came to rest on a tuft of Elephant grass. That is where his name originated. Mallaputta meaning the child of the Malla family, and Dabba meaning wild grass. Later on the young Dabbamallaputta ordained as a novice. While a novice, Dabbamallaputta earned the respect and admiration from the monks at Wat Jetavana. The temple community saw Dabbamallaputta as a person of great knowledge and talent, such individuals being hard to find in this world. The Story of Rathapala Like many other holy men before ordaining, Rathapala desired worldly possessions. Nevertheless, the mercy, wisdom, and purity of the Buddha’s teachings, managed to guide Rathapala along towards the path of ordination. Rathapala was the son of a wealthy family in Kururath Province, India. Before he was ordained, he lived a sheltered and comfortable life, more so than many of his fellow men. However, Rathapala chose to be ordained. Many in his province and village criticized and gossiped about the news of his decision to be ordained. Even the Raja who ruled over Kururath, felt that Rathapala’s decision to be ordained was indeed strange. When