Udakapūjaka Therāpadāna

 

A Drop of Faith

Genre: Inspirational Folk / Buddhist Life Song

Intro

A drop of water, so simple and small,
Can carry a faith that is greater than all.
Two hands raised high beneath the sky,
A heart of devotion, pure and bright.

Verse 1

When Buddha Padumuttara stood in the air,
His golden radiance shone everywhere.
Like the sun, like a flame of light,
He filled the world with wisdom bright.

With both my hands, I gathered the stream,
And offered the water with a joyful dream.
No gold, no treasure, no riches to show,
Just faith from the heart, with love to bestow.

Pre-Chorus

It is not the price of what we give,
But the purity with which we live.
A simple gift, a heart sincere,
Can bring the light of wisdom near.

Chorus

A drop of faith, a gift of love,
A prayer that rises to the sky above.
Not wealth or power, not fame or pride,
But a peaceful heart that shines inside.
Beyond defeat, beyond the win,
Let wisdom free the heart within.
Give with joy, let kindness grow,
And walk the path where freedoms flow.

Verse 2

Through changing lives, through time and space,
Good deeds became a path of grace.
From heavenly realms to human birth,
The seeds of goodness crossed the earth.

At last I found the path to peace,
Where endless sorrow finds release.
The work was done, the truth was clear,
No more was there a cause for fear.

Bridge

Give without greed, love without pride,
Let wisdom be your faithful guide.
The world may change, the days may fall,
But kindness leaves its mark on all.

Final Chorus

A drop of faith, a gift so small,
Can teach us something deep and true.
The greatest offering of them all
Is a heart that's pure in all we do.
Beyond defeat, beyond the win,
Let compassion rise within.
Give with joy, let wisdom grow,
And find the peace that sets us free.

Outro

A drop of water, a heart sincere,
A timeless lesson we hold dear.
The greatest gift is not what we own,
But the goodness our hearts have shown.

The Venerable Udakapūjaka Thera: The Power of Faith and Joy in Offering Water

The Udakapūjaka Therāpadāna, found in the Khuddaka Nikāya, Apadāna, Volume 32 of the Tipiṭaka, tells the story of a former life in which the Venerable Udakapūjaka offered water to the Buddha Padumuttara with deep faith and joy.

The Story of the Offering

According to the scripture, the Venerable Udakapūjaka once saw the Buddha Padumuttara, whose complexion shone like gold and whose radiance was as brilliant as a blazing fire or the sun. The Buddha was standing in the air, worthy of the highest offerings.

Filled with reverence, the devotee gathered water with both hands and cast it upward as an offering. The Buddha, out of compassion, accepted the offering and understood the sincere intention behind it.

The Buddha declared that through this offering and the joy that arose from it, the devotee would not fall into a woeful realm for one hundred thousand aeons.

The Venerable Udakapūjaka later recalled that, as a result of this meritorious deed, he transcended defeat and victory and attained an unshakable state. He also recounted the future appearance of three Universal Monarchs named Sahassarāja in the aeon 6,500 aeons from the present one.

Ultimately, he declared that he had realized the four analytical knowledges, the eight liberations, and the six higher knowledges, and had completed the task of the Buddha's teaching.

84000.org+1

The Commentary and the Venerable's Spiritual Biography

The commentary explains that the Venerable Udakapūjaka had accumulated meritorious deeds under previous Buddhas. During the time of Buddha Padumuttara, he was born into a respectable family. As he grew older and understood the difference between wholesome and unwholesome actions, he became deeply inspired by the Buddha's six-colored radiance and offered water with both hands.

Through his faith and joy, he was reborn in heavenly realms, including the Tusita realm, and later enjoyed happiness in the human world. In the time of Buddha Gotama, he was born into a good family, entered the monastic life, and attained arahantship not long after ordination.

84000.org+1

Buddhist Teachings

1. Intention is the heart of giving. The value of an offering is not measured only by its material worth, but also by the wholesome intention behind it.

2. Joy arises from wholesome actions. A sincere act of generosity brings inner happiness and clarity of mind.

3. Kamma bears fruit according to causes and conditions. Wholesome deeds become supporting conditions for future happiness and spiritual development.

4. Freedom from victory and defeat. The phrase points to transcending attachment to worldly comparisons and the changing conditions of life.

5. Liberation is the ultimate goal. Merit should support the cultivation of morality, concentration, and wisdom, leading ultimately to freedom from suffering.

A Lesson for Modern Society

The story reminds us that goodness does not require wealth or grand ceremonies. Even a simple offering of water can express profound faith when it comes from a sincere heart.

In daily life, we can practice generosity by helping those in need, caring for older people, protecting the environment, and performing our responsibilities honestly. The deeper purpose of giving is to cultivate compassion, mindfulness, and wisdom.

Conclusion: The story of the Venerable Udakapūjaka teaches that sincere faith and joy can transform a simple act into a meaningful wholesome deed. The true value of giving lies not merely in the object offered, but in the purity of the mind and the spiritual path that follows.

  [คำแนะนำเพิ่มเติมเกี่ยวกับการใช้งาน: ตามข้อจำกัดของระบบ AI ในปัจจุบัน การสร้างภาพที่มีตัวอักษรภาษาไทยอาจจะยังมีความคลาดเคลื่อนของตัวสะกดหรือรูปสระอยู่บ้าง หวังเป็นพื้นฐานของการศึกษาและจะพัฒนาให้สมบูรณ์ต่อไป]