Adapted version. Sutra of Wise and Foolish. Translated by Stanley Frye
The Enlightened One was residing at Jetavana Monastery in Anathapindika’s Park. One time, when the Buddha and Ananda were going for alms-round, a group of playful young children played alongside. They were building castles using mud and sand.
One of the children, seeing the Buddha approached, decided to make an offering. Thinking that he would accumulate merit, he grabbed a handful of earth and tried to offer it to the Buddha.
Because he was short, he asked a friend to lift him on his shoulders. The friend complied and this boy was able to reach the Buddha’s bowl and pour the mud into the alms bowl.
Then, the Buddha asked Ananda, “Take this earth and scatter it in the monastery. A hundred years later after I pass into Parinirvana, this little boy, by virtue of his faith and joy in offering, will become King Asoka.
“He will rule all of India and will have eighty four thousand Stupas built containing my relic across India. He will spread the treasure that is the Buddhadharma across India.”
Ananda rejoiced and asked the Buddha how this could happen. The Buddha replied, “once, in ages long past, I was a king called Clear-Seer. During that time, Buddha Bursa had come to this world.
“When all my ministers provided for the Buddha’s needs, all the eighty four thousand princes in my kingdom did not honor this Buddha through such acts.
“So that they may honor Buddha Bursa and accumulate merit, I ordered the kingdom’s best painters to paint a perfect image of the Buddha. Upon seeing his qualities and physical signs, the painters could not paint him.
“So, Buddha Bursa prepared his own colors and painted himself. This perfect image was then reproduced by the artists and distributed 84,000 pieces of it to the 84,000 princes. With my announcement, all had faith and offered and honored this Buddha through this image.
Due to this, wherever I was reborn, I was born with the merit of Indra, ruler of the gods. Now that I have attained Buddhahood, during my passing, 84,000 of my relics will be placed in 84,000 Stupas.
This little boy, future King Asoka, will have the merit to build that 84,000 Stupas.