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MAHĀMAUDGALYĀYANA VISITS ANOTHER PLANET A Selection from the  Scripture Which Is a  Repository of Great Jewels translated by Ron Epstein Religion East and West , Issue 5, October, 2005   Translator’s Introduction The following story is about the Venerable Mahā-maudgalyāyana, an enlightened disciple of the historical Buddha Śākyamuni. Mahā-maudgalyāyana travels to a distant solar system, to a planet which is inhabited by giant people, and on which there is also a Buddha with disciples practicing under his guidance. The story, which brings to mind Swift’s Gulliver in the land of the giants, is remarkable in many respects. The Buddha and Mahā-maudgalyāyana both probably lived during the fifth and sixth centuries BCE. In the European West, until the time of Galileo (1564-1642), most educated people thought the whole cosmos rotated around the earth and consisted of the sun and seven planets. They did not realize that the stars were other suns. This story here related shows that 2,500 year

First I would like to thank Atam Buddhist Monastery for providing us the place for the retreat. Second I would like to thank Ajahn Tom for his guidance. Third I would like to thank the Thai restaurant, Mrs. Pranee and her husband for providing us with good meals. I just want to share with all of you what I was experienced from spending the past three days at the temple torturing myself in sitting, walking and chanting with a total of about 14 to 16 hours per day. Friday and Saturday morning were my best periods of the practice because I stuck with my Maha Satipatthana guide step by step and Ajahn Tom's instruction. After lunch on Saturday afternoon, my mind was shattered in pieces. I lost track with my guide. I felt my stomach was too heavy for me to concentrate. I read Maha Satipatthana in Khmer version, an original copy from Preah Traibeydoh, but it was hard for me to understand the old Khmer writings like the words "Kay knong Kay" or the English words &quo