The Buddha’s Journey to Vesāli. The city of Vesāli was hit by famine due to drought and bad harvests. The poor died first and their bodies were casted away. Due to the stench of their corpses, evil spirits entered the city and thus many more people died. The Buddha was invited and pondered about the situation, then he came to the following understanding: “If the Ratana Sutta will be recited in Vesāli, the protection it affords will pervade hundreds of millions of solar systems. At the conclusion of the Sutta, eighty-four thousand living beings will comprehend the supra-mundane Dhamma and the calamities will subside.” Thus, he consented to the request of the invitation to Vesāli.
Colophon:
Folio 20 on the recto side: In Culasakkarat (CS) 1212, a kot set year, on the eleventh day of the waxing moon of the tenth [lunar] month, the third day of the week (Tuesday), a huang mot day, in the morning between 7:30–9:00, the writing of this manuscript was finished. Phaya Luang Tianthaen and his wife together with their children, friends, relatives, male-female slaves had jointly the ardent religious faith to sponsor the making of these manuscript entitled Lam Sammutthakhatha, Lam Lattanasut and Lam Pae Sanabenson to support the Teachings of Gotama Buddha to last until the end of 5 thousand years. May all our wishes and desires be fulfilled. Nibbāna paccayo hotu no dhuvaṃ dhuvaṃ. (May this be a condition for us to reach Nirvana, certainly).