As told by LP Jaran - Wat Amphawan.

When I was young grandmother talked to me about Vessantara Jataka. I told her that
the Vessantara Story was a lie. I did not accept and I did not believe in it.

Grandmother told me the following story.
When grandmother was a young girl she used to cook a meal and presented to
Luang Poh Chang. Luang Poh Chang had been to Himavana forest. He attained a
state of serene contemplation. He was the abbot of Wat Tuekraja, Muang District, Singhburi Province. Grandmother presented him a meal every day. He consumed one
meal a day, resided in the graveyard.

One day grandmother met a foreigner from somewhere. So, she asked Luang Poh. He told her that the man had flown from Himavana forest and fallen down, broken his leg, unable to continue. So, Luang Poh healed him. He still stayed with Luang Poh for the time being. Grandmother listened to Luang Poh. At that time, she was a young girl, presented the meal on behalf of great grandmother. Finally, when the stranger got well, he told Luang Poh that he was a yogi. He had flown from Himavana forest together with another friend. The other yogi attained a state of serene contemplation. But this yogi obtained the magic mercury from him to hold in the mouth, so he could also fly. It happened that they had had an argument. This yogi dropped the magic mercury from his mouth and fell to the ground, broken his leg. It did not matter if you believe this or not.

The yogi begged Luang Poh Chang to send him back to Himavana forest, telling him that Himavana forest is an enjoyable place. There were girls on the makkaliphala trees in front of the entrance to the path leading to the residence of Vessantara the sage. The yogi clearly told that Himavana forest was 16 yojana (Thai measurement of length, equals to 256 kilometres or 159.04 miles) further from the Himalayas. Luang Poh Chang said he did not want to see. But the yogi pleaded, until Luang Poh thought he might as well helped him. The yogi forewarned Luang Poh not to accept the food offerred there. Otherwise Luang Poh would not be able to return because he attained only a state of serene contemplation.

Having heard this forewarning, Luang Poh Chang said he would not go. The yogi brought up the issue of makkaliphala to persuade Luang Poh again because he missed his home in Himavana forest. So, he gave the formula to make magic mercury to Luang Poh, asking Luang Poh to make magic mercury for him to hold in his mouth in order that he could fly. Luang Poh agreed to that. Luang Poh made the magic mercury for the yogi to put in his mouth and took him back to Himavana forest. When he returned he told grandmother that he had seen makkaliphala. When grandmother told me this story I was still a child. Later, grandmother passed away at the age of 99. This story is still in the back of my mind.

I saw the mural painting that Hame Vejakara (Thai famous painter) had drawn at the wall of Wat Phra Prangmuni1 . Makkaliphala tree looked like the real one. The leaves looked like mango leaves. There were 5 fruits in a bunch. But I could not believe that a tree could bear fruit that looked like a girl and the fruit could also have sexual intercourse like a real person. So, I did not believe at all.

Later, in 1972 when I have already been positioned to Wat Ambavana, Her Highness Princess Poonpitsamai and H.E. Sanya Dhammasakti – The President of Buddhism Society of Thailand under Royal Patronage at that time invited me to join the World Buddhist Association Conference in Sri Lanka. The Conference was held during Visakhapuja season.
I noted where I would like to go during my trip to Sri Lanka. I had an impression and would like to see Sigiriya Hill where the savage Tamil imprisoned the king and slaughtered all monks and novices in the whole of Sri Lanka except those who fled into the forest. The king liberated his country. He then sent a letter to the King of Ayudhya asking for Phra Upali Thera to be the Supreme Patriarch of Sri Lanka. From then on there have been 15 successive Supreme Patriarchs until now. Buddhism in Sri Lanka is now called Siamvongsa.

I sat down to meditate. But an unusual thing occurred to me. I felt very much like urinating. What should I do? There was no restroom. Madame Nuang pointed to the way downhill saying that it was uninhibited thicket. So I walked down. Somehow I went into a cave and met a Singhalese monk with untidy beard,
wearing black robe, sitting meditated in the cave. I had to meet makkaliphala next.
I raised my palms together, paying obeisance. He talked to me in Singhalese. I was clever at guessing, which usually was right. He pointed to the cave wall. So, I turned around to see a beautiful girl. After seeing her, there was a beautiful scent like expensive perfume. It was very nice smell. I thought that the monk was terrible. He should not have kept a girl who wore nothing with him. I turned left and right but did not say anything. He uttered in Singhalese language telling me to scrutinize with insight. I applied my own motto, ‘eyes looking, ears listening, mouth shutting’. I almost opened my mouth to criticize him.

Makkaliphala was as large as a girl of sixteen. I scrutinized it with insight, crawling near to have a look. It looked very pretty. The eyebrows almost connected. The neck had ring lines. I looked at it and thought further. Fingers were equally long but not equally slender like our fingers. Thumb was a clear evidence. They were long with long finger nails. The neck had three ring lines. It’s collar bones did not show. All together it looked very pretty. It did not wear any clothing. The eyes were large. Pupil part was golden and the white part was bluish. Complexion was like marian plum (Bouea burmanica Anacardiaceae). The hair was golden like westerners. When I looked again I saw the stem like that of a mangosteen on top. The hair was long. I then realized that I had known about makkaliphala before. The story was still in the back of my mind. But I never believed it. I wanted to touch it but felt it was not proper in front of the monk. Had the monk not been there, I would have squeezed to see if it had bones. It was like a balloon with no bones. Later I squeezed another one when it came to this temple, not that one.

Hands and feet were beautiful. No sinew was shown. They were equally smooth. Knuckles were equally slender. It looked really pretty. It was a flower. I did not lift it up to gauge the weight. It had body organs like ordinary human being. The breast was a little bit different. Height and features are like a sixteen year old girl. Then I turned around to pay him obeisance. The monk looked as if he was older than me. He told me that he got it from Himavana forest. I guessed that he attained a state of serene contemplation. He began to tell the story which was exactly the same as what Luang Poh Chang had told my grandmother.