In the Suppavāsā Sutta, the Koliyan woman Suppavāsā was pregnant for seven years. She endured seven days of labour without delivering her child due to the karmic forces affecting both her and her child. Despite her suffering, she maintained three wholesome thoughts in her mind. What were these thoughts? Were these wholesome thoughts sufficient for her to realise her wishes?
Eventually, she could deliver only through the blessings of the Supreme Buddha. Why was Buddha able to intervene in the karmic forces of others? Could any other monks or nuns also do so?
In gratitude, Suppavāsā invited the Buddha and the Sangha to a meal for the next seven days. To facilitate this, the Buddha instructed Venerable Mahā Moggallāna to ask his lay follower to postpone his offering of Dana until after Suppavāsā had completed hers. The lay follower agreed to postpone his offering on the condition that Venerable Mahā Moggallāna could guarantee his wealth, life, and faith after seven days. In response, how did Venerable Mahā Moggallāna address this request?
Finally, Buddha reminded us that our deep cravings cause suffering. These cravings blind us and lead to actions that ultimately result in pain.
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