The Gospel of Buddha, Compiled from Ancient Records
by Paul Carus · English · Gutenberg #35895 · 580,770 chars · public domain (US)
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Title: The Gospel of Buddha, Compiled from Ancient Records
Author: Paul Carus
Illustrator: O. Kopetzky
Release date: April 17, 2011 [eBook #35895]
Most recently updated: October 27, 2021
Language: English
Other information and formats: www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/35895
Credits: Andrea Ball & Marc D’Hooghe
*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE GOSPEL OF BUDDHA, COMPILED FROM ANCIENT RECORDS ***
THE GOSPEL OF BUDDHA
COMPILED FROM ANCIENT RECORDS
BY
PAUL CARUS
ILLUSTRATED
BY
O. KOPETZKY
CHICAGO and LONDON
THE OPEN COURT PUBLISHING COMPANY
1915
PREFACE.
This booklet needs no preface for those who are familiar with the sacred
books of Buddhism, which have been made accessible to the Western world
by the indefatigable zeal and industry of scholars like Beal, Bigandet,
Bühler, Burnouf, Childers, Alexander Csoma, Rhys Davids, Dutoit, Eitel,
Fausböll, Foucaux, Francke, Edmund Hardy, Spence Hardy, Hodgson, Charles
R. Lanman, F. Max Müller, Karl Eugen Neumann, Oldenberg, Pischel,
Schiefner, Senart, Seidenstücker, Bhikkhu Nyānatiloka, D.M. Strong,
Henry Clarke Warren, Wassiljew, Weber, Windisch, Winternitz &c. To those
not familiar with the subject it may be stated that the bulk of its
contents is derived from the old Buddhist canon. Many passages, and
indeed the most important ones, are literally copied in translations
from the original texts. Some are rendered rather freely in order to
make them intelligible to the present generation; others have been
rearranged; and still others are abbreviated. Besides the three
introductory and the three concluding chapters there are only a few
purely original additions, which, however, are neither mere literary
embellishments nor deviations from Buddhist doctrines. Wherever the
compiler has admitted modernization he has done so with due
consideration and always in the spirit of a legitimate development.
Additions and modifications contain nothing but ideas for which
prototypes can be found somewhere among the traditions of Buddhism, and
have been introduced as elucidations of its main principles.
The best evidence that this book characterizes the spirit of Buddhism
correctly can be found in the welcome it has received throughout the
entire Buddhist world. It has even been officially introduced in
Buddhist schools and temples of Japan and Ceylon. Soon after the
appearance of the first edition of 1894 the Right Rev. Shaku Soyen, a
prominent Buddhist abbot of Kamakura, Japan, had a Japanese translation
made by Teitaro Suzuki, and soon afterwards a Chinese version was made
by Mr. Ohara of Otzu, the talented editor of a Buddhist periodical, who
in the meantime has unfortunately met with a premature death. In 1895
the Open Court Publishing Company brought out a German edition by E.F.L.
Gauss, and Dr. L. de Milloué, the curator of the Musée Guimet, of Paris,
followed with a French translation. Dr. Federigo Rodriguez has
translated the book into Spanish and Felix Orth into Dutch. The
privilege of translating the book into Russian, Czechic, Italian, also
into Siamese and other Oriental tongues has been granted, but of these
latter the publishers have received only a version in the Urdu language,
a dialect of eastern India.
Inasmuch as twelve editions of the Gospel of Buddha have been exhausted
and the plates are worn out, the publishers have decided to bring out an
_édition de luxe_ and have engaged Miss Olga Kopetzky, of Munich, to
supply illustrations. The artist has undertaken the task methodically
and with great zeal. She has studied in the Ajanta caves the Buddhist
paintings and sculptures and other monuments of Gandhāra. Thus the
drawings faithfully reflect the spirit of the classical period of
Buddhist art.
For those who want to trace the Buddhism of this book to its
fountainhead, a table of reference has been added, which indicates as
briefly as possible the main sources of the various chapters and points
out the parallelisms with Western thought, especially in the Christian
Gospels.
* * * * *
Buddhism, like Christianity, is split up into innumerable sects, and
these sects not infrequently cling to their sectarian tenets as being
the main and most indispensable features of their religion. The present
book follows none of the sectarian doctrines, but takes an ideal
position upon which all true Buddhists may stand as upon common ground.
Thus the arrangement into a harmonious and systematic form is the main
original feature of this Gospel of Buddha. Considering the bulk of the
various details of the Buddhist canon, however, it must be regarded as a
mere compilation, and the aim of the compiler has been to treat his
material in about the same way as he thinks that the author of the
Fourth Gospel of the New Testament utilized the accounts of the life of
Jesus of Nazareth. He has ventured to present the data of the Buddha's
life in the light of their religio-philosophical importance; he has cut
out most of their apocryphal adornments, especially those in which the
Northern traditions abound, yet he did not deem it wise to shrink from
preserving the marvellous that appears in the old records, whenever its
moral seemed to justify its mention; he only pruned away the exuberance
of wonder which delights in relating the most incredible things,
apparently put on to impress while in fact they can only tire. Miracles
have ceased to be a religious test; yet the belief in the miraculous
powers of the Master still bears witness to the holy awe of the first
disciples and reflects their religious enthusiasm.
Lest the fundamental idea of the Buddha's doctrines be misunderstood,
the reader is warned to take the term "self" in the sense in which the
Buddha uses it. The "self" of man translates the word _ātman_ which can
be and has been understood, even in the Buddhist canon, in a sense to
which the Buddha would never have made any objection. The Buddha denies
the existence of a "self" as it was commonly understood in his time; he
does not deny man's mentality, his spiritual constitution, the
importance of his personality, in a word, his soul. But he does deny the
mysterious ego-entity, the _ātman_, in the sense of a kind of soul-monad
which by some schools was supposed to reside behind or within man's
bodily and psychical activity as a distinct being, a kind of
thing-in-itself, and a metaphysical agent assumed to be the soul.
Buddhism is monistic. It claims that man's soul does not consist of two
things, of an _ātman_ (self) and of a _manas_ (mind or thoughts), but
that there is one reality, our thoughts, our mind or _manas_, and this
_manas_ constitutes the soul. Man's thoughts, if anything, are his self,
and there is no _ātman_, no additional and separate "self" besides.
Accordingly, the translation of _ātman_ by "soul", which would imply
that the Buddha denied the existence of the soul, is extremely
misleading.
Representative Buddhists, of different schools and of various countries,
acknowledge the correctness of the view here taken, and we emphasize
especially the assent of Southern Buddhists because they have preserved
the tradition most faithfully and are very punctilious in the statement
of doctrinal points.
"_The Buddhist_, the Organ of the Southern Church of Buddhism," writes
in a review of _The Gospel of Buddha_:
"The eminent feature of the work is its grasp of the difficult subject
and the clear enunciation of the doctrine of the most puzzling problem
of _ātman_, as taught in Buddhism. So far as we have examined the
question of _ātman_ ourselves from the works of the Southern canon, the
view taken by Dr. Paul Cams is accurate, and we venture to think that it
is not opposed to the doctrine of Northern Buddhism."
This _ātman_-superstition, so common not only in India, but all over the
world, corresponds to man's habitual egotism in practical life. Both are
illusions growing out of the same root, which is the vanity of
worldliness, inducing man to believe that the purpose of his life lies
in his self. The Buddha proposes to cut off entirely all thought of
self, so that it will no longer bear fruit. Thus Nirvāna is an ideal
state, in which man's soul, after being cleansed from all selfishness,
hatred and lust, has become a habitation of the truth, teaching him to
distrust the allurements of pleasure and to confine all his energies to
attending to the duties of life.
The Buddha's doctrine is not negativism. An investigation of the nature
of man's soul shows that, while there is no _ātman_ or ego-entity, the
very being of man consists in his karma, his deeds, and his karma
remains untouched by death and continues to live. Thus, by denying the
existence of that which appears to be our soul and for the destruction
of which in death we tremble, the Buddha actually opens (as he expresses
it himself) the door of immortality to mankind; and here lies the
corner-stone of his ethics and also of the comfort as well as the
enthusiasm which his religion imparts. Any one who does not see the
positive aspect of Buddhism, will be unable to understand how it could
exercise such a powerful influence upon millions and millions of people.
The present volume is not designed to contribute to the solution of
historical problems. The compiler has studied his subject as well as he
could under the circumstances, but he does not intend here to offer a
scientific production. Nor is this book an attempt at popularizing the
Buddhist religious writings, nor at presenting them in a poetic shape.
If this _Gospel of Buddha_ helps people to comprehend Buddhism better,
and if in its simple style it impresses the reader with the poetic
grandeur of the Buddha's personality, these effects must be counted as
incidental; its main purpose lies deeper still. The present book has
been written to set the reader thinking on the religious problems of
to-day. It sketches the picture of a religious leader of the remote past
with the view of making it bear upon the living present and become a
factor in the formation of the future.
* * * * *
It is a remarkable fact that the two greatest religions of the world,
Christianity and Buddhism, present so many striking coincidences in the
philosophical basis as well as in the ethical applications of their
faith, while their modes of systematizing them in dogmas are radically
different; and it is difficult to understand why these agreements should
have caused animosity, instead of creating sentiments of friendship and
good-will. Why should not Christians say with Prof. F. Max Müller: "If I
do find in certain Buddhist works doctrines identically the same as in
Christianity, so far from being frightened, I feel delighted, for surely
truth is not the less true because it is believed by the majority of the
human race."
The main trouble arises from a wrong conception of Christianity. There
are many Christians who assume that Christianity alone is in the
possession of truth and that man could not, in the natural way of his
moral evolution, have obtained that nobler conception of life which
enjoins the practice of a universal good-will towards both friends and
enemies. This narrow view of Christianity is refuted by the mere
existence of Buddhism.
Must we add that the lamentable exclusiveness that prevails in many
Christian churches, is not based upon Scriptural teachings, but upon a
wrong metaphysics?
All the essential moral truths of Christianity, especially the principle
of a universal love, of the eradication of hatred, are in our opinion
deeply rooted in the nature of things, and do not, as is often assumed,
stand in contradiction to the cosmic order of the world. Further, some
doctrines of the constitution of existence have been formulated by the
church in certain symbols, and since these symbols contain
contradictions and come in conflict with science, the educated classes
are estranged from religion. Now, Buddhism is a religion which knows of
no supernatural revelation, and proclaims doctrines that require no
other argument than the "come and see." The Buddha bases his religion
solely upon man's knowledge of the nature of things, upon provable
truth. Thus, we trust that a comparison of Christianity with Buddhism
will be a great help to distinguish in both religions the essential from
the accidental, the eternal from the transient, the truth from the
allegory in which it has found its symbolic expression. We are anxious
to press the necessity of discriminating between the symbol and its
meaning, between dogma and religion, between metaphysical theories and
statements of fact, between man-made formulas and eternal truth. And
this is the spirit in which we offer this book to the public, cherishing
the hope that it will help to develop in Christianity not less than in
Buddhism the cosmic religion of truth.
The strength as well as the weakness of original Buddhism lies in its
philosophical character, which enabled a thinker, but not the masses, to
understand the dispensation of the moral law that pervades the world. As
such, the original Buddhism has been called by Buddhists the little
vessel of salvation, or Hīnayāna; for it is comparable to a small boat
on which a man may cross the stream of worldliness, so as to reach the
shore of Nirvāna. Following the spirit of a missionary propaganda, so
natural to religious men who are earnest in their convictions, later
Buddhists popularized the Buddha's doctrines and made them accessible to
the multitudes. It is true that they admitted many mythical and even
fantastic notions, but they succeeded nevertheless in bringing its moral
truths home to the people who could but incompletely grasp the
philosophical meaning of the Buddha's religion. They constructed, as
they called it, a large vessel of salvation, the Mahāyāna, in which the
multitudes would find room and could be safely carried over. Although
the Mahāyāna unquestionably has its shortcomings, it must not be
condemned offhand, for it serves its purpose. Without regarding it as
the final stage of the religious development of the nations among which
it prevails, we must concede that it resulted from an adaptation to
their condition and has accomplished much to educate them. The Mahāyāna
is a step forward in so far as it changes a philosophy into a religion,
and attempts to preach doctrines that were negatively expressed, in
positive propositions.
Far from rejecting the religious zeal which gave rise to the Māhāyana in
Buddhism, we can still less join those who denounce Christianity on
account of its dogmatology and mythological ingredients. Christianity
has certainly had and still has a great mission in the evolution of
mankind. It has succeeded in imbuing with the religion of charity and
mercy the most powerful nations of the world, to whose spiritual needs
it is especially adapted. It extends the blessings of universal
good-will with the least possible amount of antagonism to the natural
selfishness that is so strongly developed in the Western races.
Christianity is the religion of love made easy. This is its advantage,
which, however, is not without its drawbacks. Christianity teaches
charity without dispelling the ego-illusion; and in this sense it
surpasses even the Māhāyana: it is still more adapted to the needs of
multitudes than a large vessel fitted to carry over those who embark on
it: it is comparable to a grand bridge, a Mahāsetu, on which a child who
has no comprehension as yet of the nature of self can cross the stream
of self-hood and worldly vanity.
A comparison of the many striking agreements between Christianity and
Buddhism may prove fatal to sectarian conceptions of either religion,
but will in the end help to mature our insight into the true
significance of both. It will bring out a nobler faith which aspires to
be the cosmic religion of universal truth.
Let us hope that this Gospel of Buddha will serve both Buddhists and
Christians as a help to penetrate further into the spirit of their
faith, so as to see its full height, length and breadth.
Above any Hīnayāna, Mahāyāna, and Mahāsetu is the Religion of Truth.
Paul Carus.
PRONUNCIATION.
Pronounce:
a as the Italian and German short _a_.
ā as _a_ in f_a_ther,
e as _e_ in _e_ight.
i as _i_ in h_i_t.
ī as _i_ in m_a_chine.
o as _o_ in h_o_me.
u as _oo_ in g_oo_d.
u as ū in r_u_mor.
ai as in _eye_.
au as _ow_ in h_ow_.
ñ as _ny_.
jñ as _dny_.
ññ as _n-ny_.
ch as _ch_ in _ch_ur_ch_.
cch as _ch-ch_ in ri_ch_ _ch_ance.
Note that _o_ and _e_ are always long.
s, j, y, and other letters, as usual in English words.
Double consonants are pronounced as two distinct sounds, e.g.,
_ka'm-ma_, not _kă'ma_.
The h after _p, b, k, g, t, d_ is audible as in du_b h_im, be_g h_er,
bric_k h_ouse, an_t h_ill. Pronounce Tat-hāgata, not Ta-thāgata.
To the average European it is difficult to catch, let alone to imitate,
the difference of sound between dotted and non-dotted letters. All those
who are desirous for information on this point must consult Sanskrit and
Pāli grammars.
Lest the reader be unnecessarily bewildered with foreign-looking dots
and signs, which after all are no help to him, all dotted ṭ, ḍ, ṃ, ṇ,
and italicized _t, d, m, n_ have been replaced in the text of the book
by t, d, m, n, ñ, ññ, dotted ṛ and italicized _s_ have been transcribed
by ny, nny, ri, and sh, while the Glossary preserves the more exact
transcription.
We did not follow the spelling of the _Sacred Books of the East_, where
it must be misleading to the uninitiated, especially when they write
italicized _K_ to denote spelling of the English sound ch, and
italicized _g_ to denote j. Thus we write "rājā," not "rāgā," and
"Chunda," not "_K_unda."
TABLE OF CONTENTS.
INTRODUCTION.
I. Rejoice
II. Samsāra and Nirvāna
III. Truth the Saviour
PRINCE SIDDHATTHA BECOMES BUDDHA.
IV. The Bodhisatta's Birth
V. The Ties of Life
VI. The Three Woes
VII. The Bodhisatta's Renunciation
VIII. King Bimbisāra
IX. The Bodhisatta's Search
X. Uruvelā, the Place of Mortification
XI. Māra, the Evil One
XII. Enlightenment
XIII. The First Converts
XIV. Brahmā's Request
THE FOUNDATION OF THE KINGDOM OF RIGHTEOUSNESS.
XV. Upaka
XVI. The Sermon at Benares
XVII. The Sangha
XVIII. Yasa, the Youth of Benares
XIX. Kassapa
XX. The Sermon at Rājagaha
XXI. The King's Gift
XXII. Sāriputta and Moggallāna
XXIII. Anāthapindika
XXIV. The Sermon on Charity
XXV. Jetavana
XXVI. The Three Characteristics and the Uncreate
XXVII. The Buddha's Father
XXVIII. Yasodharā
XXIX. Rāhula
CONSOLIDATION OF THE BUDDHA'S RELIGION.
XXX. Jīvaka, the Physician
XXXI. The Buddha's Parents Attain Nirvāna
XXXII. Women Admitted to the Sangha
XXXIII. The Bhikkhus' Conduct Toward Women
XXXIV. Visākhā
XXXV. The Uposatha and Pātimokkha
XXXVI. The Schism
XXXVII. The Re-establishment of Concord
XXXVIII. The Bhikkhus Rebuked
XXXIX. Devadatta
XL. Name and Form
XLI. The Goal
XLII. Miracles Forbidden
XLIII. The Vanity of Worldliness
XLIV. Secrecy and Publicity
XLV. The Annihilation of Suffering
XLVI. Avoiding the Ten Evils
XLVII. The Preacher's Mission
THE TEACHER.
XLVIII. The Dhammapada
XLIX. The Two Brahmans
L. Guard the Six Quarters
LI. Simha's Question Concerning Annihilation
LII. All Existence is Spiritual
LIII. Identity and Non-Identity
LIV. The Buddha Omnipresent
LV. One Essence, One Law, One Aim
LVI. The Lesson Given to Rāhula
LVII. The Sermon on Abuse
LVIII. The Buddha Replies to the Deva
LIX. Words of Instruction
LX. Amitābha
LXI. The Teacher Unknown
PARABLES AND STORIES.
LXII. Parables
LXIII. The Widow's Two Mites and the Parable of the Three Merchants
LXIV. The Man Born Blind
LXV. The Lost Son
LXVI. The Giddy Fish
LXVII. The Cruel Crane Outwitted
LXVIII. Four Kinds of Merit
LXIX. The Light of the World
LXX. Luxurious Living
LXXI. The Communication of Bliss
LXXII. The Listless Fool
LXXIII. Rescue in the Desert
LXXIV. The Sower
LXXV. The Outcast
LXXVI. The Woman at the Well
LXXVII. The Peacemaker
LXXVIII. The Hungry Dog
LXXIX. The Despot
LXXX. Vāsavadattā
LXXXI. The Marriage-Feast in Jambūnada
LXXXII. A Party in Search of a Thief
LXXXIII. In the Realm of Yamarāja
LXXXIV. The Mustard Seed
LXXXV. Following the Master Over the Stream
LXXXVI. The Sick Bhikkhu
LXXXVII. The Patient Elephant
THE LAST DAYS.
LXXXVIII. The Conditions of Welfare
LXXXIX. Sāriputta's Faith
XC. Pātaliputta
XCI. The Mirror of Truth
XCII. Ambapālī
XCIII. The Buddha's Farewell Address
XCIV. The Buddha Announces His Death
XCV. Chunda, the Smith
XCVI. Metteyya
XCVII. The Buddha's Final Entering Into Nirvāna
CONCLUSION.
XCVIII. The Three Personalities of the Buddha
XCIX. The Purpose of Being
C. The Praise of All the Buddhas
Table of Reference
Abbreviations in the Table of Reference
Glossary of Names and Terms
Index
Remarks on the illustrations of the Gospel of Buddha
[Illustration]
INTRODUCTION.
I.
REJOICE!
Rejoice at the glad tidings! The Buddha, our Lord, has found the
root of all evil; he has shown us the way of salvation. 1
The Buddha dispels the illusions of our mind and redeems us from
the terror of death. 2
The Buddha, our Lord, brings comfort to the weary and
sorrow-laden; he restores peace to those who are broken down
under the burden of life. He gives courage to the weak when they
would fain give up self-reliance and hope. 3
Ye that suffer from the tribulations of life, ye that have to
struggle and endure, ye that yearn for a life of truth, rejoice
at the glad tidings! 4
There is balm for the wounded, and there is bread for the hungry.
There is water for the thirsty, and there is hope for the
despairing. There is light for those in darkness, and there is
inexhaustible blessing for the upright. 5
Heal your wounds, ye wounded, and eat your fill, ye hungry. Rest,
ye weary, and ye who are thirsty quench your thirst. Look up to
the light, ye that sit in darkness; be full of good cheer, ye
that are forlorn. 6
Trust in truth, ye that love the truth, for the kingdom of
righteousness is founded upon earth. The darkness of error is
dispelled by the light of truth. We can see our way and take firm
and certain steps. 7
The Buddha, our Lord, has revealed the truth. 8
The truth cures our diseases and redeems us from perdition; the
truth strengthens us in life and in death; the truth alone can
conquer the evils of error. 9
Rejoice at the glad tidings! 10
II.
SAMSĀRA AND NIRVĀNA.
Look about and contemplate life! 1
Everything is transient and nothing endures. There is birth and
death, growth and decay; there is combination and separation. 2
The glory of the world is like a flower: it stands in full bloom
in the morning and fades in the heat of the day. 3
Wherever you look, there is a rushing and a struggling, and an
eager pursuit of pleasure. There is a panic flight from pain and
death, and hot are the flames of burning desires. The world is
vanity fair, full of changes and transformations. All is Samsāra. 4
Is there nothing permanent in the world? Is there in the
universal turmoil no resting-place where our troubled heart can
find peace? Is there nothing everlasting? 5
Oh, that we could have cessation of anxiety, that our burning
desires would be extinguished! When shall the mind become
tranquil and composed? 6
The Buddha, our Lord, was grieved at the ills of life. He saw the
vanity of worldly happiness and sought salvation in the one thing
that will not fade or perish, but will abide for ever and ever. 7
Ye who long for life, know that immortality is hidden in
transiency. Ye who wish for happiness without the sting of
regret, lead a life of righteousness. Ye who yearn for riches,
receive treasures that are eternal. Truth is wealth, and a life
of truth is happiness. 8
All compounds will be dissolved again, but the verities which
determine all combinations and separations as laws of nature
endure for ever and aye. Bodies fall to dust, but the truths of
the mind will not be destroyed. 9
Truth knows neither birth nor death; it has no beginning and no
end. Welcome the truth. The truth is the immortal part of mind. 10
Establish the truth in your mind, for the truth is the image of
the eternal; it portrays the immutable; it reveals the
everlasting; the truth gives unto mortals the boon of
immortality. 11
The Buddha has proclaimed the truth; let the truth of the Buddha
dwell in your hearts. Extinguish in yourselves every desire that
antagonizes the Buddha, and in the perfection of your spiritual
growth you will become like unto him. 12
That of your heart which cannot or will not develop into Buddha
must perish, for it is mere illusion and unreal; it is the source
of your error; it is the cause of your misery. 13
You attain to immortality by filling your minds with truth.
Therefore, become like unto vessels fit to receive the Master's
words. Cleanse yourselves of evil and sanctify your lives. There
is no other way of reaching truth. 14
Learn to distinguish between Self and Truth. Self is the cause of
selfishness and the source of evil; truth cleaves to no self; it
is universal and leads to justice and righteousness. 15
Self, that which seems to those who love their self as their
being, is not the eternal, the everlasting, the imperishable.
Seek not self, but seek the truth. 16
If we liberate our souls from our petty selves, wish no ill to
others, and become clear as a crystal diamond reflecting the
light of truth, what a radiant picture will appear in us
mirroring things as they are, without the admixture of burning
desires, without the distortion of erroneous illusion, without
the agitation of clinging and unrest. 17
Yet ye love self and will not abandon self-love. So be it, but
then, verily, ye should learn to distinguish between the false
self and the true self. The ego with all its egotism is the false
self. It is an unreal illusion and a perishable combination. He
only who identifies his self with the truth will attain Nirvāna;
and he who has entered Nirvāna has attained Buddhahood; he has
acquired the highest good; he has become eternal and immortal. 18
All compound things shall be dissolved again, worlds will break
to pieces and our individualities will be scattered; but the
words of the Buddha will remain for ever. 19
The extinction of self is salvation; the annihilation of self is
the condition of enlightenment; the blotting out of self is
Nirvāna. Happy is he who has ceased to live for pleasure and
rests in the truth. Verily his composure and tranquillity of mind
are the highest bliss. 20
Let us take our refuge in the Buddha, for he has found the
everlasting in the transient. Let us take our refuge in that
which is the immutable in the changes of existence. Let us take
our refuge in the truth that is established through the
enlightenment of the Buddha. Let us take our refuge in the
community of those who seek the truth and endeavor to live in the
truth. 21
III.
TRUTH THE SAVIOUR.
The things of the world and its inhabitants are subject to
change. They are combinations of elements that existed before,
and all living creatures are what their past actions made them;
for the law of cause and effect is uniform and without exception. 1
But in the changing things there is a constancy of law, and when
the law is seen there is truth. The truth lies hidden in Samsāra
as the permanent in its changes. 2
Truth desires to appear; truth longs to become conscious; truth
strives to know itself. 3
There is truth in the stone, for the stone is here; and no power
in the world, no god, no man, no demon, can destroy its
existence. But the stone has no consciousness. 4
There is truth in the plant and its life can expand; the plant
grows and blossoms and bears fruit. Its beauty is marvellous, but
it has no consciousness. 5
There is truth in the animal; it moves about and perceives its
surroundings; it distinguishes and learns to choose. There is
consciousness, but it is not yet the consciousness of Truth. It
is a consciousness of self only. 6
The consciousness of self dims the eyes of the mind and hides the
truth. It is the origin of error, it is the source of illusion,
it is the germ of evil. 7
Self begets selfishness. There is no evil but what flows from
self. There is no wrong but what is done by the assertion of
self. 8
Self is the beginning of all hatred, of iniquity and slander, of
impudence and indecency, of theft and robbery, of oppression and
bloodshed. Self is Māra, the tempter, the evil-doer, the creator
of mischief. 9
Self entices with pleasures. Self promises a fairy's paradise.
Self is the veil of Māyā, the enchanter. But the pleasures of
self are unreal, its paradisian labyrinth is the road to misery,
and its fading beauty kindles the flames of desires that never
can be satisfied. 10
Who shall deliver us from the power of self? Who shall save us
from misery? Who shall restore us to a life of blessedness? 11
There is misery in the world of Samsāra; there is much misery and
pain. But greater than all the misery is the bliss of truth.
Truth gives peace to the yearning mind; it conquers error; it
quenches the flames of desires; it leads to Nirvāna. 12
Blessed is he who has found the peace of Nirvāna. He is at rest
in the struggles and tribulations of life; he is above all
changes; he is above birth and death; he remains unaffected by
the evils of life. 13
Blessed is he who has found enlightenment. He conquers, although
he may be wounded; he is glorious and happy, although he may
suffer; he is strong, although he may break down under the burden
of his work; he is immortal, although he may die. The essence of
his being is purity and goodness. 14
Blessed is he who has attained the sacred state of Buddhahood,
for he is fit to work out the salvation of his fellow-beings. The
truth has taken its abode in him. Perfect wisdom illumines his
understanding, and righteousness ensouls the purpose of all his
actions. 15
The truth is a living power for good, indestructible and
invincible! Work the truth out in your mind, and spread it among
mankind, for truth alone is the saviour from evil and misery. The
Buddha has found the truth and the truth has been proclaimed by
the Buddha! Blessed be the Buddha! 16
PRINCE SIDDHATTHA BECOMES BUDDHA
IV. THE BODHISATTA'S BIRTH
There was in Kapliavatthu a Sakya king, strong of purpose and
reverenced by all men, a descendant of the Okkākas, who call
themselves Gotama, and his name was Suddhodana or Pure-Rice. 1
His wife Māyā-devī was beautiful as the water-lily and pure in
mind as the lotus. As the Queen of Heaven, she lived on earth,
untainted by desire, and immaculate. 2
The king, her husband, honored her in her holiness, and the
spirit of truth, glorious and strong in his wisdom like unto a
white elephant, descended upon her. 3
When she knew that the hour of motherhood was near, she asked the
king to send her home to her parents; and Suddhodana, anxious
about his wife and the child she would bear him, willingly
granted her request. 4
At Lumbinī there is a beautiful grove, and when Māyā-devī passed
through it the trees were one mass of fragrant flowers and many
birds were warbling in their branches. The Queen, wishing to
stroll through the shady walks, left her golden palanquin, and,
when she reached the giant Sāla tree in the midst of the grove,
felt that her hour had come. She took hold of a branch. Her
attendants hung a curtain about her and retired. When the pain of
travail came upon her, four pure-minded angels of the great
Brahmā held out a golden net to receive the babe, who came forth
from her right side like the rising sun, bright and perfect. 5
The Brahmā-angels took the child and placing him before the
mother said: "Rejoice, O queen, a mighty son has been born unto
thee." 6
At her couch stood an aged woman imploring the heavens to bless
the child. 7
All the worlds were flooded with light. The blind received their
sight by longing to see the coming glory of the Lord; the deaf
and dumb spoke with one another of the good omens indicating the
birth of the Buddha to be. The crooked became straight; the lame
walked. All prisoners were freed from their chains and the fires
of all the hells were extinguished. 8
No clouds gathered in the skies and the polluted streams became
clear, whilst celestial music rang through the air and the angels
rejoiced with gladness. With no selfish or partial joy but for
the sake of the law they rejoiced, for creation engulfed in the
ocean of pain was now to obtain release. 9
The cries of beasts were hushed; all malevolent beings received a
loving heart, and peace reigned on earth. Māra, the evil one,
alone was grieved and rejoiced not. 10
The Nāga kings, earnestly desiring to show their reverence for
the most excellent law, as they had paid honor to former Buddhas,
now went to greet the Bodhisatta. They scattered before him
mandāra flowers, rejoicing with heartfelt joy to pay their
religious homage. 11
The royal father, pondering the meaning of these signs, was now
full of joy and now sore distressed. 12
The queen mother, beholding her child and the commotion which his
birth created, felt in her timorous heart the pangs of doubt. 13
Now the re was at that time in a grove near Lumbinī Asita, a
rishi, leading the life of a hermit. He was a Brahman of
dignified mien, famed not only for wisdom and scholarship, but
also for his skill in the interpretation of signs. And the king
invited him to see the royal babe. 14
The seer, beholding the prince, wept and sighed deeply. And when
the king saw the tears of Asita he became alarmed and asked: "Why
has the sight of my son caused thee grief and pain?" 15
But Asita's heart rejoiced, and, knowing the king's mind to be
perplexed, he addressed him, saying: 16
"The king, like the moon when full, should feel great joy, for he
has begotten a wondrously noble son. 17
"I do not worship Brahmā, but I worship this child; and the gods
in the temples will descend from their places of honor to adore
him. 18
"Banish all anxiety and doubt. The spiritual omens manifested
indicate that the child now born will bring deliverance to the
whole world. 19
"Recollecting that I myself am old, on that account I could not
hold my tears; for now my end is coming on and I shall not see
the glory of this babe. For this son of thine will rule the
world. 20
"The wheel of empire will come to him. He will either be a king
of kings to govern all the lands of the earth, or verily will
become a Buddha. He is born for the sake of everything that
lives. 21
"His pure teaching will be like the shore that receives the
shipwrecked. His power of meditation will be like a cool lake;
and all creatures parched with the drought of lust may freely
drink thereof. 22
"On the fire of covetousness he will cause the cloud of his mercy
to rise, so that the rain of the law may extinguish it. The heavy
gates of despondency will he open, and give deliverance to all
creatures ensnared in the selfentwined meshes of folly and
ignorance. 23
"The king of the law has come forth to rescue from bondage all
the poor, the miserable, the helpless." 24
When the royal parents heard Asita's words they rejoiced in their
hearts and named their new-born infant Siddhattha, that is, "he
who has accomplished his purpose." 25
And the queen said to her sister, Pajāpatī: "A mother who has
borne a future Buddha will never give birth to another child. I
shall soon leave this world, my husband, the king, and
Siddhattha, my child. When I am gone, be thou a mother to him." 26
And Pajāpatī wept and promised. 27
When the queen had departed from the living, Pajāpatī took the
boy Siddhattha and reared him. And as the light of the moon
increases little by little, so the royal child grew from day to
day in mind and in body; and truthfulness and love resided in his
heart. 28
When a year had passed Suddhodana the king made Pajāpatī his
queen and there was never a better stepmother than she. 29
V.
THE TIES OF LIFE.
When Siddhattha had grown to youth, his father desired to see him
married, and he sent to all his kinsfolk, commanding them to
bring their princesses that the prince might select one of them
as his wife. 1
But the kinsfolk replied and said: "The prince is young and
delicate; nor has he learned any of the sciences. He would not be
able to maintain our daughter, and should there be war he would
be unable to cope with the enemy." 2
The prince was not boisterous, but pensive in his nature. He
loved to stay under the great jambu-tree in the garden of his
father, and, observing the ways of the world, gave himself up to
meditation. 3
And the prince said to his father: "Invite our kinsfolk that they
may see me and put my strength to the test." And his father did
as his son bade him. 4
When the kinsfolk came, and the people of the city Kapilavatthu
had assembled to test the prowess and scholarship of the prince,
he proved himself manly in all the exercises both of the body and
of the mind, and there was no rival among the youths and men of
India who could surpass him in any test, bodily or mental. 5
He replied to all the questions of the sages; but when he
questioned them, even the wisest among them were silenced. 6
Then Siddhattha chose himself a wife. He selected Yasodharā, his
cousin, the gentle daughter of the king of Koli. And Yasodharā
was betrothed to the prince. 7
In their wedlock was born a son whom they named Rāhula which
means "fetter" or "tie", and King Suddhodana, glad that an heir
was born to his son, said: 8
"The prince having begotten a son, will love him as I love the
prince. This will be a strong tie to bind Siddhattha's heart to
the interests of the world, and the kingdom of the Sakyas will
remain under the sceptre of my descendants." 9
With no selfish aim, but regarding his child and the people at
large, Siddhattha, the prince, attended to his religious duties,
bathing his body in the holy Ganges and cleansing his heart in
the waters of the law. Even as men desire to give happiness to
their children, so did he long to give peace to the world. 10
VI.
THE THREE WOES.
The palace which the king had given to the prince was resplendent
with all the luxuries of India; for the king was anxious to see
his son happy. 1
All sorrowful sights, all misery, and all knowledge of misery
were kept away from Siddhattha, for the king desired that no
troubles should come nigh him; he should not know that there was
evil in the world. 2
But as the chained elephant longs for the wilds of the jungles,
so the prince was eager to see the world, and he asked his
father, the king, for permission to do so. 3
And Suddhodana ordered a jewel-fronted chariot with four stately
horses to be held ready, and commanded the roads to be adorned
where his son would pass. 4
The houses of the city were decorated with curtains and banners,
and spectators arranged themselves on either side, eagerly
gazing at the heir to the throne. Thus Siddhattha rode with
Channa, his charioteer, through the streets of the city, and into
a country watered by rivulets and covered with pleasant trees. 5
There by the wayside they met an old man with bent frame,
wrinkled face and sorrowful brow, and the prince asked the
charioteer: "Who is this? His head is white, his eyes are
bleared, and his body is withered. He can barely support himself
on his staff." 6
The charioteer, much embarrassed, hardly dared speak the truth.
He said: "These are the symptoms of old age. This same man was
once a suckling child, and as a youth full of sportive life; but
now, as years have passed away, his beauty is gone and the
strength of his life is wasted." 7
Siddhattha was greatly affected by the words of the charioteer,
and he sighed because of the pain of old age. "What joy or
pleasure can men take," he thought to himself, "when they know
they must soon wither and pine away!" 8
And lo! while they were passing on, a sick man appeared on the
way-side, gasping for breath, his body disfigured, convulsed and
groaning with pain. 9
The prince asked his charioteer: "What kind of man is this?" And
the charioteer replied and said: "This man is sick. The four
elements of his body are confused and out of order. We are all
subject to such conditions: the poor and the rich, the ignorant
and the wise, all creatures that have bodies, are liable to the
same calamity." 10
And Siddhattha was still more moved. All pleasures appeared stale
to him, and he loathed the joys of life. 11
The charioteer sped the horses on to escape the dreary sight,
when suddenly they were stopped in their fiery course. 12
Four persons passed by, carrying a corpse; and the prince,
shuddering at the sight of a lifeless body, asked the charioteer:
"What is this they carry? There are streamers and flower
garlands; but the men that follow are overwhelmed with grief!" 13
The charioteer replied: "This is a dead man: his body is stark;
his life is gone; his thoughts are still; his family and the
friends who loved him now carry the corpse to the grave." 14
And the prince was full of awe and terror: "Is this the only dead
man," he asked, "or does the world contain other instances?" 15
With a heavy heart the charioteer replied: "All over the world it
is the same. He who begins life must end it. There is no escape
from death." 16
With bated breath and stammering accents the prince exclaimed: "O
worldly men! How fatal is your delusion! Inevitably your body
will crumble to dust, yet carelessly, unheedingly, ye live on." 17
The charioteer observing the deep impression these sad sights had
made on the prince, turned his horses and drove back to the city. 18
When they passed by the palaces of the nobility, Kisā Gotamī, a
young princess and niece of the king, saw Siddhattha in his
manliness and beauty, and, observing the thoughtfulness of his
countenance, said: "Happy the father that begot thee, happy the
mother that nursed thee, happy the wife that calls husband this
lord so glorious." 19
The prince hearing this greeting, said: "Happy are they that have
found deliverance. Longing for peace of mind, I shall seek the
bliss of Nirvāna." 20
Then asked Kisā Gotamī: "How is Nirvāna attained?" The prince
paused, and to him whose mind was estranged from wrong the answer
came: "When the fire of lust is gone out, then Nirvāna is gained;
when the fires of hatred and delusion are gone out, then Nirvāna
is gained; when the troubles of mind, arising from blind
credulity, and all other evils have ceased, then Nirvāna is
gained!" Siddhattha handed her his precious pearl necklace as
a reward for the instruction she had given him, and having
returned home looked with disdain upon the treasures of his
palace. 21
His wife welcomed him and entreated him to tell her the cause of
his grief. He said: "I see everywhere the impression of change;
therefore, my heart is heavy. Men grow old, sicken, and die. That
is enough to take away the zest of life." 22
The king, his father, hearing that the prince had become
estranged from pleasure, was greatly overcome with sorrow and
like a sword it pierced his heart. 23
VII.
THE BODHISATTA'S RENUNCIATION.
It was night. The prince found no rest on his soft pillow; he
arose and went out into the garden. "Alas!" he cried, "all the
world is full of darkness and ignorance; there is no one who
knows how to cure the ills of existence." And he groaned with
pain. 1
Siddhattha sat down beneath the great jambu-tree and gave himself
to thought, pondering on life and death and the evils of decay.
Concentrating his mind he became free from confusion. All low
desires vanished from his heart and perfect tranquillity came
over him. 2
In this state of ecstasy he saw with his mental eye all the
misery and sorrow of the world; he saw the pains of pleasure and
the inevitable certainty of death that hovers over every being;
yet men are not awakened to the truth. And a deep compassion
seized his heart. 3
While the prince was pondering on the problem of evil, he beheld
with his mind's eye under the jambu-tree a lofty figure endowed
with majesty, calm and dignified. "Whence comest thou, and who
mayst thou be?" asked the prince. 4
In reply the vision said: "I am a samana. Troubled at the thought
of old age, disease, and death I have left my home to seek the
path of salvation. All things hasten to decay; only the truth
abideth forever. Everything changes, and there is no permanency;
yet the words of the Buddhas are immutable. I long for the
happiness that does not decay; the treasure that will never
perish; the life that knows of no beginning and no end.
Therefore, I have destroyed all worldly thought. I have retired
into an unfrequented dell to live in solitude; and, begging for
food, I devote myself to the one thing needful." 5
Siddhattha asked: "Can peace be gained in this world of unrest? I
am struck with the emptiness of pleasure and have become
disgusted with lust. All oppresses me, and existence itself seems
intolerable." 6
The samana replied: "Where heat is, there is also a possibility
of cold; creatures subject to pain possess the faculty of
pleasure; the origin of evil indicates that good can be
developed. For these things are correlatives. Thus where there is
much suffering, there will be much bliss, if thou but open thine
eyes to behold it. Just as a man who has fallen into a heap of
filth ought to seek the great pond of water covered with lotuses,
which is near by: even so seek thou for the great deathless lake
of Nirvāna to wash off the defilement of wrong. If the lake is
not sought, it is not the fault of the lake. Even so when there
is a blessed road leading the man held fast by wrong to the
salvation of Nirvāna, if the road is not walked upon, it is not
the fault of the road, but of the person. And when a man who is
oppressed with sickness, there being a physician who can heal
him, does not avail himself of the physician's help, that is not
the fault of the physician. Even so when a man oppressed by the
malady of wrong-doing does not seek the spiritual guide of
enlightenment, that is no fault of the evil-destroying guide." 7
The prince listened to the noble words of his visitor and said:
"Thou bringest good tidings, for now I know that my purpose will
be accomplished. My father advises me to enjoy life and to
undertake worldly duties, such as will bring honor to me and to
our house. He tells me that I am too young still, that my pulse
beats too full to lead a religious life." 8
The venerable figure shook his head and replied: "Thou shouldst
know that for seeking a religious life no time can be
inopportune." 9
A thrill of joy passed through Siddhattha's heart. "Now is the
time to seek religion," he said; "now is the time to sever all
ties that would prevent me from attaining perfect enlightenment;
now is the time to wander into homelessness and, leading a
mendicant's life, to find the path of deliverance." 10
The celestial messenger heard the resolution of Siddhattha with
approval. 11
"Now, indeed," he added, "is the time to seek religion. Go,
Siddhattha, and accomplish thy purpose. For thou art Bodhisatta,
the Buddha-elect; thou art destined to enlighten the world. 12
"Thou art the Tathāgata, the great master, for thou wilt fulfil
all righteousness and be Dharmarāja, the king of truth. Thou art
Bhagavat, the Blessed One, for thou art called upon to become the
saviour and redeemer of the world. 13
"Fulfil thou the perfection of truth. Though the thunderbolt
descend upon thy head, yield thou never to the allurements that
beguile men from the path of truth. As the sun at all seasons
pursues his own course, nor ever goes on another, even so if thou
forsake not the straight path of righteousness, thou shalt become
a Buddha. 14
"Persevere in thy quest and thou shalt find what thou seekest.
Pursue thy aim unswervingly and thou shalt gain the prize.
Struggle earnestly and thou shalt conquer. The benediction of all
deities, of all saints, of all that seek light is upon thee, and
heavenly wisdom guides thy steps. Thou shalt be the Buddha, our
Master, and our Lord; thou shalt enlighten the world and save
mankind from perdition." 15
Having thus spoken, the vision vanished, and Siddhattha's heart
was filled with peace. He said to himself: 16
"I have awakened to the truth and I am resolved to accomplish my
purpose. I will sever all the ties that bind me to the world, and
I will go out from my home to seek the way of salvation. 17
"The Buddhas are beings whose words cannot fail: there is no
departure from truth in their speech. 18
"For as the fall of a stone thrown into the air, as the death of
a mortal, as the sunrise at dawn, as the lion's roar when he
leaves his lair, as the delivery of a woman with child, as all
these things are sure and certain--even so the word of the
Buddhas is sure and cannot fail. 19
"Verily I shall become a Buddha." 20
The prince returned to the bedroom of his wife to take a last
farewell glance at those whom he dearly loved above all the
treasures of the earth. He longed to take the infant once more
into his arms and kiss him with a parting kiss. But the child lay
in the arms of his mother, and the prince could not lift him
without awakening both. 21
There Siddhattha stood gazing at his beautiful wife and his
beloved son, and his heart grieved. The pain of parting overcame
him powerfully. Although his mind was determined, so that
nothing, be it good or evil, could shake his resolution, the
tears flowed freely from his eyes, and it was beyond his power to
check their stream. But the prince tore himself away with a
manly heart, suppressing his feelings but not extinguishing his
memory. 22
The Bodhisatta mounted his noble steed Kanthaka, and when he left
the palace, Māra stood in the gate and stopped him: "Depart not,
O my Lord," exclaimed Māra. "In seven days from now the wheel of
empire will appear, and will make thee sovereign over the four
continents and the two thousand adjacent islands. Therefore,
stay, my Lord." 23
The Bodhisatta replied: "Well do I know that the wheel of empire
will appear to me; but it is not sovereignty that I desire. I
will become a Buddha and make all the world shout for joy." 24
Thus Siddhattha, the prince, renounced power and worldly
pleasures, gave up his kingdom, severed all ties, and went into
homelessness. He rode out into the silent night, accompanied only
by his faithful charioteer Channa. 25
Darkness lay upon the earth, but the stars shone brightly in the
heavens. 26
VIII.
KING BIMBISĀRA.
Siddhattha had cut his waving hair and had exchanged his royal
robe for a mean dress of the color of the ground. Having sent
home Channa, the charioteer, together with the noble steed
Kanthaka, to king Suddhodana to bear him the message that the
prince had left the world, the Bodhisatta walked along on the
highroad with a beggar's bowl in his hand. 1
Yet the majesty of his mind was ill-concealed under the poverty
of his appearance. His erect gait betrayed his royal birth and
his eyes beamed with a fervid zeal for truth. The beauty of his
youth was transfigured by holiness and surrounded his head like a
halo. 2
All the people who saw this unusual sight gazed at him in wonder.
Those who were in haste arrested their steps and looked back; and
there was no one who did not pay him homage. 3
Having entered the city of Rājagaha, the prince went from house
to house silently waiting till the people offered him food.
Wherever the Blessed One came, the people gave him what they had;
they bowed before him in humility and were filled with gratitude
because he condescended to approach their homes. 4
Old and young people were moved and said: "This is a noble muni!
His approach is bliss. What a great joy for us!" 5
And king Bimbisāra, noticing the commotion in the city, inquired
the cause of it, and when he learned the news sent one of his
attendants to observe the stranger. 6
Having heard that the muni must be a Sakya and of noble family,
and that he had retired to the bank of a flowing river in the
woods to eat the food in his bowl, the king was moved in his
heart; he donned his royal robe, placed his golden crown upon his
head and went out in the company of aged and wise counselors to
meet his mysterious guest. 7
The king found the muni of the Sakya race seated under a tree.
Contemplating the composure of his face and the gentleness of his
deportment, Bimbisāra greeted him reverently and said: 8
"O samana, thy hands are fit to grasp the reins of an empire and
should not hold a beggar's bowl. I am sorry to see thee wasting
thy youth. Believing that thou art of royal descent, I invite
thee to join me in the government of my country and share my
royal power. Desire for power is becoming to the noble-minded,
and wealth should not be despised. To grow rich and lose
religion is not true gain. But he who possesses all three, power,
wealth, and religion, enjoying them in discretion and with
wisdom, him I call a great master." 9
The great Sakyamuni lifted his eyes and replied: 10
"Thou art known, O king, to be liberal and religious, and thy
words are prudent. A kind man who makes good use of wealth is
rightly said to possess a great treasure; but the miser who
hoards up his riches will have no profit. 11
"Charity is rich in returns; charity is the greatest wealth, for
though it scatters, it brings no repentance. 12
"I have severed all ties because I seek deliverance. How is it
possible for me to return to the world? He who seeks religious
truth, which is the highest treasure of all, must leave behind
all that can concern him or draw away his attention, and must be
bent upon that one goal alone. He must free his soul from
covetousness and lust, and also from the desire for power. 13
"Indulge in lust but a little, and lust like a child will grow.
Wield worldly power and you will be burdened with cares. 14
"Better than sovereignty over the earth, better than living in
heaven, better than lordship over all the worlds, is the fruit of
holiness. 15
"The Bodhisatta has recognized the illusory nature of wealth and
will not take poison as food. 16
"Will a fish that has been baited still covet the hook, or an
escaped bird love the net? 17
"Would a rabbit rescued from the serpent's mouth go back to be
devoured? Would a man who has burnt his hand with a torch take up
the torch after he had dropped it to the earth? Would a blind man
who has recovered his sight desire to spoil his eyes again? 18
"The sick man suffering from fever seeks for a cooling medicine.
Shall we advise him to drink that which will increase the fever?
Shall we quench a fire by heaping fuel upon it? 19
"I pray thee, pity me not. Rather pity those who are burdened
with the cares of royalty and the worry of great riches. They
enjoy them in fear and trembling, for they are constantly
threatened with a loss of those boons on whose possession their
hearts are set, and when they die they cannot take along either
their gold or the kingly diadem. 20
"My heart hankers after no vulgar profit, so I have put away my
royal inheritance and prefer to be free from the burdens of life. 21
"Therefore, try not to entangle me in new relationships and
duties, nor hinder me from completing the work I have begun. 22
"I regret to leave thee. But I will go to the sages who can teach
me religion and so find the path on which we can escape evil. 23
"May thy country enjoy peace and prosperity, and may wisdom be
shed upon thy rule like the brightness of the noon-day sun. May
thy royal power be strong and may righteousness be the sceptre in
thine hand." 24
The king, clasping his hands with reverence, bowed down before
Sakyamuni and said: "Mayest thou obtain that which thou seekest,
and when thou hast obtained it, come back, I pray thee, and
receive me as thy disciple." 25
The Bodhisatta parted from the king in friendship and goodwill,
and purposed in his heart to grant his request. 26
IX.
THE BODHISATTA'S SEARCH.
Alāra and Uddaka were renowned as teachers among the Brahmans,
and there was no one in those days who surpassed them in learning
and philosophical knowledge. 1
The Bodhisatta went to them and sat at their feet. He listened to
their doctrines of the ātman or self, which is the ego of the
mind and the doer of all doings. He learned their views of the
transmigration of souls and of the law of karma; how the souls of
bad men had to suffer by being reborn in men of low caste, in
animals, or in hell, while those who purified themselves by
libations, by sacrifices, and by self-mortification would become
kings, or Brahmans, or devas, so as to rise higher and higher in
the grades of existence. He studied their incantations and
offerings and the methods by which they attained deliverance of
the ego from material existence in states of ecstasy. 2
Alāra said: "What is that self which perceives the actions of the
five roots of mind, touch, smell, taste, sight, and hearing? What
is that which is active in the two ways of motion, in the hands
and in the feet? The problem of the soul appears in the
expressions '_I_ say,' '_I_ know and perceive,' '_I_ come,' and
'_I_ go' or '_I_ will stay here.' Thy soul is not thy body; it is
not thy eye, not thy ear, not thy nose, not thy tongue, nor is it
thy mind. The _I_ is the one who feels the touch in thy body. The
_I_ is the smeller in the nose, the taster in the tongue, the
seer in the eye, the hearer in the ear, and the thinker in the
mind. The _I_ moves thy hands and thy feet. The _I_ is thy soul.
Doubt in the existence of the soul is irreligious, and without
discerning this truth there is no way of salvation. Deep
speculation will easily involve the mind; it leads to confusion
and unbelief; but a purification of the soul leads to the way of
escape. True deliverance is reached by removing from the crowd
and leading a hermit's life, depending entirely on alms for food.
Putting away all desire and clearly recognizing the non-existence
of matter, we reach a state of perfect emptiness. Here we find
the condition of immaterial fife. As the muñja grass when freed
from its horny case, as a sword when drawn from its scabbard, or
as the wild bird escaped from its prison, so the ego, liberating
itself from all limitations, finds perfect release. This is true
deliverance, but those only who will have deep faith will learn." 3
The Bodhisatta found no satisfaction in these teachings. He
replied: "People are in bondage, because they have not yet
removed the idea of the ego. 4
"The thing and its quality are different in our thought, but not
in reality. Heat is different from fire in our thought, but you
cannot remove heat from fire in reality. You say that you can
remove the qualities and leave the thing, but if you think your
theory to the end, you will find that this is not so. 5
"Is not man an organism of many aggregates? Are we not composed
of various attributes? Man consists of the material form, of
sensation, of thought, of dispositions, and, lastly, of
understanding. That which men call the ego when they say '_I_ am'
is not an entity behind the attributes; it originates by their
co-operation. There is mind; there is sensation and thought, and
there is truth; and truth is mind when it walks in the path of
righteousness. But there is no separate ego-soul outside or
behind the thought of man. He who believes that the ego is a
distinct being has no correct conception of things. The very
search for the ātman is wrong; it is a wrong start and it will
lead you in a false direction. 6
"How much confusion of thought comes from our interest in self,
and from our vanity when thinking '_I_ am so great,' or '_I_ have
done this wonderful deed?' The thought of thine ego stands
between thy rational nature and truth; banish it, and then wilt
thou see things as they are. He who thinks correctly will rid
himself of ignorance and acquire wisdom. The ideas '_I_ am' and
'_I_ shall be' or '_I_ shall not be' do not occur to a clear
thinker. 7
"Moreover, if our ego remains, how can we attain true
deliverance? If the ego is to be reborn in any of the three
worlds, be it in hell, upon earth, or be it even in heaven, we
shall meet again and again the same inevitable doom of sorrow. We
shall remain chained to the wheel of individuality and shall be
implicated in egotism and wrong. 8
"All combination is subject to separation, and we cannot escape
birth, disease, old age, and death. Is this a final escape?" 9
Said Uddaka: "Consider the unity of things. Things are not their
parts, yet they exist. The members and organs of thy body are not
thine ego, but thine ego possesses all these parts. What, for
instance, is the Ganges? Is the sand the Ganges? Is the water the
Ganges? Is the hither bank the Ganges? Is the farther bank the
Ganges? The Ganges is a mighty river and it possesses all these
several qualities. Exactly so is our ego". 10
But the Bodhisatta replied: "Not so, sir! If we except the water,
the sand, the hither bank and the farther bank, where can we find
any Ganges? In the same way I observe the activities of man in
their harmonious union, but there is no ground for an ego outside
its parts." 11
The Brahman sage, however, insisted on the existence of the ego,
saying: "The ego is the doer of our deeds. How can there be karma
without a self as its performer? Do we not see around us the
effects of karma? What makes men different in character, station,
possessions, and fate? It is their karma, and karma includes
merit and demerit. The transmigration of the soul is subject to
its karma. We inherit from former existences the evil effects of
our evil deeds and the good effects of our good deeds. If that
were not so, how could we be different?" 12
The Tathāgata meditated deeply on the problems of transmigration
and karma, and found the truth that lies in them. 13
"The doctrine of karma," he said, "is undeniable, but thy theory
of the ego has no foundation. 14
"Like everything else in nature, the life of man is subject to
the law of cause and effect. The present reaps what the past has
sown, and the future is the product of the present. But there is
no evidence of the existence of an immutable ego-being, of a self
which remains the same and migrates from body to body. There is
rebirth but no transmigration. 15
"Is not this individuality of mine a combination, material as
well as mental? Is it not made up of qualities that sprang into
being by a gradual evolution? The five roots of sense-perception
in this organism have come from ancestors who performed these
functions. The ideas which I think, came to me partly from others
who thought them, and partly they rise from combinations of the
ideas in my own mind. Those who have used the same sense-organs,
and have thought the same ideas before I was composed into this
individuality of mine are my previous existences; they are my
ancestors as much as the _I_ of yesterday is the father of the
_I_ of to-day, and the karma of my past deeds conditions the fate
of my present existence. 16
"Supposing there were an ātman that performs the actions of the
senses, then if the door of sight were torn down and the eye
plucked out, that ātman would be able to peep through the larger
aperture and see the forms of its surroundings better and more
clearly than before. It would be able to hear sounds better if
the ears were torn away; smell better if the nose were cut off;
taste better if the tongue were pulled out; and feel better if
the body were destroyed. 17
"I observe the preservation and transmission of character; I
perceive the truth of karma, but see no ātman whom your doctrine
makes the doer of your deeds. There is rebirth without the
transmigration of a self. For this ātman, this self, this ego in
the '_I_ say' and in the '_I_ will' is an illusion. If this self
were a reality, how could there be an escape from selfhood? The
terror of hell would be infinite, and no release could be
granted. The evils of existence would not be due to our ignorance
and wrong-doing, but would constitute the very nature of our
being." 18
And the Bodhisatta went to the priests officiating in the
temples. But the gentle mind of the Sakyamuni was offended at the
unnecessary cruelty performed on the altars of the gods. He said: 19
"Ignorance only can make these men prepare festivals and hold
vast meetings for sacrifices. Far better to revere the truth than
try to appease the gods by shedding blood. 20
"What love can a man possess who believes that the destruction of
life will atone for evil deeds? Can a new wrong expiate old
wrongs? And can the slaughter of an innocent victim blot out the
evil deeds of mankind? This is practising religion by the neglect
of moral conduct. 21
"Purify your hearts and cease to kill; that is true religion. 22
"Rituals have no efficacy; prayers are vain repetitions; and
incantations have no saving power. But to abandon covetousness
and lust, to become free from evil passions, and to give up all
hatred and ill-will, that is the right sacrifice and the true
worship." 23
X.
URUVELĀ, THE PLACE OF MORTIFICATION.
The Bodhisatta went in search of a better system and came to a
settlement of five bhikkhus in the jungle of Uruvelā; and when
the Blessed One saw the life of those five men, virtuously
keeping in check their senses, subduing their passions, and
practising austere self-discipline, he admired their earnestness
and joined their company. 1
With holy zeal and a strong heart, the Sakyamuni gave himself up
to meditative thought and rigorous mortification of the body.
Whereas the five bhikkhus were severe, the Sakyamuni was severer
still, and they revered him, their junior, as their master. 2
So the Bodhisatta continued for six years patiently torturing
himself and suppressing the wants of nature. He trained his body
and exercised his mind in the modes of the most rigorous ascetic
life. At last, he ate each day one hemp-grain only, seeking to
cross the ocean of birth and death and to arrive at the shore of
deliverance. 3
And when the Bodhisatta was ahungered, lo! Māra, the Evil One,
approached him and said: "Thou art emaciated from fasts, and
death is near. What good is thy exertion? Deign to live, and thou
wilt be able to do good works." But the Sakyamuni made reply: "O
thou friend of the indolent, thou wicked one; for what purpose
hast thou come? Let the flesh waste away, if but the mind becomes
more tranquil and attention more steadfast. What is life in this
world? Death in battle is better to me than that I should live
defeated." 4
And Māra withdrew, saying: "For seven years I have followed the
Blessed One step by step, but I have found no fault in the
Tathāgata". 5
The Bodhisatta was shrunken and attenuated, and his body was like
a withered branch; but the fame of his holiness spread in the
surrounding countries, and people came from great distances to
see him and receive his blessing. 6
However, the Holy One was not satisfied. Seeking true wisdom he
did not find it, and he came to the conclusion that mortification
would not extinguish desire nor afford enlightenment in ecstatic
contemplation. 7
Seated beneath a jambu-tree, he considered the state of his mind
and the fruits of his mortification. His body had become weaker,
nor had his fasts advanced him in his search for salvation, and
therefore when he saw that it was not the right path, he proposed
to abandon it. 8
He went to bathe in the Nerañjara river, but when he strove to
leave the water he could not rise on account of his weakness.
Then espying the branch of a tree and taking hold of it, he
raised himself and left the stream. But while returning to his
abode, he staggered and fell to the ground, and the five bhikkhus
thought he was dead. 9
There was a chief herdsman living near the grove whose eldest
daughter was called Nandā; and Nandā happened to pass by the spot
where the Blessed One had swooned, and bowing down before him she
offered him rice-milk and he accepted the gift. When he had
partaken of the rice-milk all his limbs were refreshed, his mind
became clear again, and he was strong to receive the highest
enlightenment. 10
After this occurrence, the Bodhisatta again took some food. His
disciples, having witnessed the scene of Nandā and observing the
change in his mode of living, were filled with suspicion. They
were convinced that Siddhattha's religious zeal was flagging and
that he whom they had hitherto revered as their Master had become
oblivious of his high purpose. 11
When the Bodhisatta saw the bhikkhus turning away from him, he
felt sorry for their lack of confidence, and was aware of the
loneliness in which he lived. 12 Suppressing his grief he
wandered on alone, and his disciples said, "Siddhattha leaves us
to seek a more pleasant abode." 13
XI
MĀRA THE EVIL ONE.
The Holy One directed his steps to that blessed Bodhi-tree
beneath whose shade he was to accomplish his search. 1
As he walked, the earth shook and a brilliant light transfigured
the world. 2
When he sat down the heavens resounded with joy and all living
beings were filled with good cheer. 3
Māra alone, lord of the five desires, bringer of death and enemy
of truth, was grieved and rejoiced not. With his three daughters,
Tanhā, Ragā and Arati, the tempters, and with his host of evil
demons, he went to the place where the great samana sat. But
Sakyamuni heeded him not. 4
Māra uttered fear-inspiring threats and raised a whirlwind so
that the skies were darkened and the ocean roared and trembled.
But the Blessed One under the Bodhi-tree remained calm and feared
not. The Enlightened One knew that no harm could befall him. 5
The three daughters of Māra tempted the Bodhisatta, but he paid
no attention to them, and when Māra saw that he could kindle no
desire in the heart of the victorious samana, he ordered all the
evil spirits at his command to attack him and overawe the great
muni. 6
But the Blessed One watched them as one would watch the harmless
games of children. All the fierce hatred of the evil spirits was
of no avail. The flames of hell became wholesome breezes of
perfume, and the angry thunderbolts were changed into
lotus-blossoms. 7
When Māra saw this, he fled away with his army from the
Bodhi-tree, whilst from above a rain of heavenly flowers fell,
and voices of good spirits were heard: 8
"Behold the great muni! his heart unmoved by hatred. The wicked
Māra's host 'gainst him did not prevail. Pure is he and wise,
loving and full of mercy. 9
"As the rays of the sun drown the darkness of the world, so he
who perseveres in his search will find the truth and the truth
will enlighten him." 10
XII.
ENLIGHTENMENT.
The Bodhisatta, having put Māra to flight, gave himself up to
meditation. All the miseries of the world, the evils produced by
evil deeds and the sufferings arising therefrom, passed before
his mental eye, and he thought: 1
"Surely if living creatures saw the results of all their evil
deeds, they would turn away from them in disgust. But selfhood
blinds them, and they cling to their obnoxious desires. 2
"They crave pleasure for themselves and they cause pain to
others; when death destroys their individuality, they find no
peace; their thirst for existence abides and their selfhood
reappears in new births. 3
"Thus they continue to move in the coil and can find no escape
from the hell of their own making. And how empty are their
pleasures, how vain are their endeavors! Hollow like the
plantain-tree and without contents like the bubble. 4
"The world is full of evil and sorrow, because it is full of
lust. Men go astray because they think that delusion is better
than truth. Rather than truth they follow error, which is
pleasant to look at in the beginning but in the end causes
anxiety, tribulation, and misery." 5
And the Bodhisatta began to expound the Dharma. The Dharma is the
truth. The Dharma is the sacred law. The Dharma is religion. The
Dharma alone can deliver us from error, from wrong and from
sorrow. 6
Pondering on the origin of birth and death, the Enlightened One
recognized that ignorance was the root of all evil; and these are
the links in the development of life, called the twelve nidānas: 7
In the beginning there is existence blind and without knowledge;
and in this sea of ignorance there are stirrings formative and
organizing. From stirrings, formative and organizing, rises
awareness or feelings. Feelings beget organisms that live as
individual beings. These organisms develop the six fields, that
is, the five senses and the mind. The six fields come in contact
with things. Contact begets sensation. Sensation creates the
thirst of individualized being. The thirst of being creates a
cleaving to things. The cleaving produces the growth and
continuation of selfhood. Selfhood continues in renewed births.
The renewed births of selfhood are the cause of suffering, old
age, sickness, and death. They produce lamentation, anxiety, and
despair. 8
The cause of all sorrow lies at the very beginning; it is hidden
in the ignorance from which life grows. Remove ignorance and you
will destroy the wrong appetences that rise from ignorance;
destroy these appetences and you will wipe out the wrong
perception that rises from them. Destroy wrong perception and
there is an end of errors in individualized beings. Destroy the
errors in individualized beings and the illusions of the six
fields will disappear. Destroy illusions and the contact with
things will cease to beget misconception. Destroy misconception
and you do away with thirst. Destroy thirst and you will be free
of ail morbid cleaving. Remove the cleaving and you destroy the
selfishness of selfhood. If the selfishness of selfhood is
destroyed you will be above birth, old age, disease, and death,
and you will escape all suffering. 9
The Enlightened One saw the four noble truths which point out the
path that leads to Nirvāna or the extinction of self: 10
The first noble truth is the existence of sorrow. 11
The second noble truth is the cause of suffering. 12
The third noble truth is the cessation of sorrow. 13
The fourth noble truth is the eightfold path that leads to the
cessation of sorrow. 14
This is the Dharma. This is the truth. This is religion. And the
Enlightened One uttered this stanza: 15
"Through many births I sought in vain
The Builder of this House of Pain.
Now, Builder, thee I plainly see!
This is the last abode for me.
Thy gable's yoke and rafters broke,
My heart has peace. All lust will cease." 16
There is self and there is truth. Where self is, truth is not.
Where truth is, self is not. Self is the fleeting error of
samsāra; it is individual separateness and that egotism which
begets envy and hatred. Self is the yearning for pleasure and the
lust after vanity. Truth is the correct comprehension of things;
it is the permanent and everlasting, the real in all existence,
the bliss of righteousness. 17 The existence of self is an
illusion, and there is no wrong in this world, no vice, no evil,
except what flows from the assertion of self. 18
The attainment of truth is possible only when self is recognized
as an illusion. Righteousness can be practised only when we have
freed our mind from passions of egotism. Perfect peace can dwell
only where all vanity has disappeared. 19
Blessed is he who has understood the Dharma. Blessed is he who
does no harm to his fellow-beings. Blessed is he who overcomes
wrong and is free from passion. To the highest bliss has he
attained who has conquered all selfishness and vanity. He has
become the Buddha, the Perfect One, the Blessed One, the Holy
One. 20
XIII.
THE FIRST CONVERTS.
The Blessed One tarried in solitude seven times seven
days, enjoying the bliss of emancipation. 1
At that time Tapussa and Bhallika, two merchants, came
traveling on the road near by, and when they saw the
great samana, majestic and full of peace, they approached
him respectfully and offered him rice cakes and honey. 2
This was the first food that the Enlightened One ate after
he attained Buddhahood. 3
And the Buddha addressed them and pointed out to them
the way of salvation. The two merchants, conceiving in
their minds the holiness of the conqueror of Māra, bowed
down in reverence and said: "We take our refuge, Lord,
in the Blessed One and in the Dharma." 4
Tapussa and Bhallika were the first that became followers
of the Buddha and they were lay disciples. 5
XIV.
BRAHMĀS REQUEST.
The Blessed One having attained Buddhahood while resting under
the shepherd's Nigrodha tree on the banks of the river Nerañjarā,
pronounced this solemn utterance: 1
"How blest in happy solitude
Is he who hears of truth the call!
How blest to be both kind and good,
To practice self-restraint to all!
How blest from passion to be free,
All sensuous joys to let pass by!
Yet highest bliss enjoyeth he
Who quits the pride of 'I am I.' 2
"I have recognized the deepest truth, which is sublime and
peace-giving, but difficult to understand; for most men move in a
sphere of worldly interests and find their delight in worldly
desires. 3
"The worldling will not understand the doctrine, for to him there
is happiness in selfhood only, and the bliss that lies in a
complete surrender to truth is unintelligible to him. 4
"He will call resignation what to the enlightened mind is the
purest joy. He will see annihilation where the perfected one
finds immortality. He will regard as death what the conqueror of
self knows to be life everlasting. 5
"The truth remains hidden from him who is in the bondage of hate
and desire. Nirvāna remains incomprehensible and mysterious to
the vulgar whose minds are beclouded with worldly interests.
Should I preach the doctrine and mankind not comprehend it, it
would bring me only fatigue and trouble." 6
Māra, the Evil One, on hearing the words of the Blessed Buddha,
approached and said: "Be greeted, thou Holy One. Thou hast
attained the highest bliss and it is time for thee to enter into
the final Nirvāna." 7
Then Brahmā Sahampati descended from the heavens and, having
worshipped the Blessed One, said: 8
"Alas! the world must perish, should the Holy One, the Tathāgata,
decide not to teach the Dharma. 9
"Be merciful to those that struggle; have compassion upon the
sufferers; pity the creatures who are hopelessly entangled in the
snares of sorrow. 10
"There are some beings that are almost free from the dust of
worldliness. If they hear not the doctrine preached, they will be
lost. But if they hear it, they will believe and be saved." 11
The Blessed One, full of compassion, looked with the eye of a
Buddha upon all sentient creatures, and he saw among them beings
whose minds were but scarcely covered by the dust of worldliness,
who were of good disposition and easy to instruct. He saw some
who were conscious of the dangers of lust and wrong doing. 12
And the Blessed One said to Brahmā Sahampati: "Wide open be the
door of immortality to all who have ears to hear. May they
receive the Dharma with faith." 13
And the Blessed One turned to Māra, saying: "I shall not pass
into the final Nirvāna, O Evil One, until there be not only
brethren and sisters of an Order, but also lay-disciples of both
sexes, who shall have become true hearers, wise, well trained,
ready and learned, versed in the scriptures, fulfilling all the
greater and lesser duties, correct in life, walking according to
the precepts--until they, having thus themselves learned the
doctrine, shall be able to give information to others concerning
it, preach it, make it known, establish it, open it, minutely
explain it, and make it clear--until they, when others start
vain doctrines, shall be able to vanquish and refute them, and so
to spread the wonderworking truth abroad. I shall not die until
the pure religion of truth shall have become successful,
prosperous, widespread, and popular in all its full
extent--until, in a word, it shall have been well proclaimed
among men!" 14
Then Brahmā Sahampati understood that the Blessed One had granted
his request and would preach the doctrine. 15
THE FOUNDATION OF THE KINGDOM OF RIGHTEOUSNESS.
XV.
UPAKA.
Now the Blessed One thought: "To whom shall I preach the doctrine
first? My old teachers are dead. They would have received the
good news with joy. But my five disciples are still alive. I
shall go to them, and to them shall I first proclaim the gospel
of deliverance." 1
At that time the five bhikkhus dwelt in the Deer Park at Benares,
and the Blessed One rose and journeyed to their abode, not
thinking of their unkindness in having left him at a time when he
was most in need of their sympathy and help, but mindful only of
the services which they had ministered unto him, and pitying them
for the austerities which they practised in vain. 2
Upaka, a young Brahman and a Jain, a former acquaintance of
Siddhattha, saw the Blessed One while he journeyed to Benares,
and, amazed at the majesty and sublime joyfulness of his
appearance, said: "Thy countenance, friend, is serene; thine eyes
are bright and indicate purity and blessedness." 3
The holy Buddha replied: "I have obtained deliverance by the
extinction of self. My body is chastened, my mind is free from
desire, and the deepest truth has taken abode in my heart. I have
obtained Nirvana, and this is the reason that my countenance is
serene and my eyes are bright. I now desire to found the kingdom
of truth upon earth, to give light to those who are enshrouded in
darkness and to open the gate of deathlessness." 4
Upaka replied: "Thou professest then, friend, to be Jina, the
conqueror of the world, the absolute one and the holy one." 5
The Blessed One said: "Jinas are all those who have conquered
self and the passions of self, those alone are victors who
control their minds and abstain from evil. Therefore, Upaka, I am
the Jina." 6
Upaka shook his head. "Venerable Gotama," he said, "thy way lies
yonder," and taking another road, he went away. 7
XVI.
THE SERMON AT BENARES.
On seeing their old teacher approach, the five bhikkhus agreed
among themselves not to salute him, nor to address him as a
master, but by his name only. "For," so they said, "he has broken
his vow and has abandoned holiness. He is no bhikkhu but Gotama,
and Gotama has become a man who lives in abundance and indulges
in the pleasures of worldliness." 1
But when the Blessed One approached in a dignified manner, they
involuntarily rose from their seats and greeted him in spite of
their resolution. Still they called him by his name and addressed
him as "friend Gotama." 2
When they had thus received the Blessed One, he said: "Do not
call the Tathāgata by his name nor address him as 'friend,' for
he is the Buddha, the Holy One. The Buddha looks with a kind
heart equally on all living beings, and they therefore call him
'Father.' To disrespect a father is wrong; to despise him, is
wicked. 3
"The Tathāgata," the Buddha continued, "does not seek salvation
in austerities, but neither does he for that reason indulge in
worldly pleasures, nor live in abundance. The Tathāgata has found
the middle path. 4
"There are two extremes, O bhikkhus, which the man who has given
up the world ought not to follow--the habitual practice, on the
one hand, of self-indulgence which is unworthy, vain and fit only
for the worldly-minded--and the habitual practice, on the other
hand, of self-mortification, which is painful, useless and
unprofitable. 5
"Neither abstinence from fish or flesh, nor going naked, nor
shaving the head, nor wearing matted hair, nor dressing in a
rough garment, nor covering oneself with dirt, nor sacrificing to
Agni, will cleanse a man who is not free from delusions. 6
"Reading the Vedas, making offerings to priests, or sacrifices to
the gods, self-mortification by heat or cold, and many such
penances performed for the sake of immortality, these do not
cleanse the man who is not free from delusions. 7
"Anger, drunkenness, obstinacy, bigotry, deception, envy,
self-praise, disparaging others, superciliousness and evil
intentions constitute uncleanness; not verily the eating of
flesh. 8
"A middle path, O bhikkhus, avoiding the two extremes, has been
discovered by the Tathāgata--a path which opens the eyes, and
bestows understanding, which leads to peace of mind, to the
higher wisdom, to full enlightenment, to Nirvāna! 9
"What is that middle path, O bhikkhus, avoiding these two
extremes, discovered by the Tathāgata--that path which opens the
eyes, and bestows understanding, which leads to peace of mind, to
the higher wisdom, to full enlightenment, to Nirvāna? 10
"Let me teach you, O bhikkhus, the middle path, which keeps aloof
from both extremes. By suffering, the emaciated devotee produces
confusion and sickly thoughts in his mind. Mortification is not
conducive even to worldly knowledge; how much less to a triumph
over the senses! 11
"He who fills his lamp with water will not dispel the darkness,
and he who tries to light a fire with rotten wood will fail. And
how can any one be free from self by leading a wretched life, if
he does not succeed in quenching the fires of lust, if he still
hankers after either worldly or heavenly pleasures. But he in
whom self has become extinct is free from lust; he will desire
neither worldly nor heavenly pleasures, and the satisfaction of
his natural wants will not defile him. However, let him be
moderate, let him eat and drink according to the needs of the
body. 12
"Sensuality is enervating; the self-indulgent man is a slave to
his passions, and pleasure-seeking is degrading and vulgar. 13
"But to satisfy the necessities of life is not evil. To keep the
body in good health is a duty, for otherwise we shall not be able
to trim the lamp of wisdom, and keep our mind strong and clear.
Water surrounds the lotus-flower, but does not wet its petals. 14
"This is the middle path, O bhikkhus, that keeps aloof from both
extremes." 15
And the Blessed One spoke kindly to his disciples, pitying them
for their errors, and pointing out the uselessness of their
endeavors, and the ice of ill-will that chilled their hearts
melted away under the gentle warmth of the Master's persuasion. 16
Now the Blessed One set the wheel of the most excellent law
rolling, and he began to preach to the five bhikkhus, opening to
them the gate of immortality, and showing them the bliss of
Nirvāna. 17
The Buddha said: 18
"The spokes of the wheel are the rules of pure conduct: justice
is the uniformity of their length; wisdom is the tire; modesty
and thoughtfulness are the hub in which the immovable axle of
truth is fixed. 19
"He who recognizes the existence of suffering, its cause, its
remedy, and its cessation has fathomed the four noble truths. He
will walk in the right path. 20
"Right views will be the torch to light his way. Right
aspirations will be his guide. Right speech will be his
dwelling-place on the road. His gait will be straight, for it is
right behavior. His refreshments will be the right way of earning
his livelihood. Right efforts will be his steps: right thoughts
his breath; and right contemplation will give him the peace that
follows in his footprints. 21
"Now, this, O bhikkhus, is the noble truth concerning suffering: 22
"Birth is attended with pain, decay is painful, disease is
painful, death is painful. Union with the unpleasant is painful,
painful is separation from the pleasant; and any craving that is
unsatisfied, that too is painful. In brief, bodily conditions
which spring from attachment are painful. 23
"This, then, O bhikkhus, is the noble truth concerning suffering. 24
"Now this, O bhikkhus, is the noble truth concerning the origin
of suffering: 25
"Verily, it is that craving which causes the renewal of
existence, accompanied by sensual delight, seeking satisfaction
now here, now there, the craving for the gratification of the
passions, the craving for a future life, and the craving for
happiness in this life. 26
"This, then, O bhikkhus, is the noble truth concerning the origin
of suffering. 27
"Now this, O bhikkhus, is the noble truth concerning the
destruction of suffering: 28
"Verily, it is the destruction, in which no passion remains, of
this very thirst; it is the laying aside of, the being free from,
the dwelling no longer upon this thirst. 29
"This, then, O bhikkhus, is the noble truth concerning the
destruction of suffering. 30
"Now this, O bhikkhus, is the noble truth concerning the way
which leads to the destruction of sorrow. Verily! it is this
noble eightfold path; that is to say: 31
"Right views; right aspirations; right speech; right behavior;
right livelihood; right effort; right thoughts; and right
contemplation. 32
"This, then, O bhikkhus, is the noble truth concerning the
destruction of sorrow. 33
"By the practice of lovingkindness I have attained liberation of
heart, and thus I am assured that I shall never return in renewed
births. I have even now attained Nirvāna. 34
And when the Blessed One had thus set the royal chariot-wheel of
truth rolling onward, a rapture thrilled through all the
universes. 35
The devas left their heavenly abodes to listen to the sweetness
of the truth; the saints that had parted from life crowded around
the great teacher to receive the glad tidings; even the animals
of the earth felt the bliss that rested upon the words of the
Tathāgata: and all the creatures of the host of sentient beings,
gods, men, and beasts, hearing the message of deliverance,
received and understood it in their own language. 36
And when the doctrine was propounded, the venerable Kondañña, the
oldest one among the five bhikkhus, discerned the truth with his
mental eye, and he said: "Truly, O Buddha, our Lord, thou hast
found the truth!" Then the other bhikkhus too, joined him and
exclaimed: "Truly, thou art the Buddha, thou hast found the
truth." 37
And the devas and saints and all the good spirits of the departed
generations that had listened to the sermon of the Tathāgata,
joyfully received the doctrine and shouted: "Truly, the Blessed
One has founded the kingdom of righteousness. The Blessed One has
moved the earth; he has set the wheel of Truth rolling, which by
no one in the universe, be he god or man, can ever be turned
back. The kingdom of Truth will be preached upon earth; it will
spread; and righteousness, good-will, and peace will reign among
mankind." 38
XVII.
THE SANGHA.
Having pointed out to the five bhikkhus the truth, the Buddha
said: 1
"A man that stands alone, having decided to obey the truth, may
be weak and slip back into his old ways. Therefore, stand ye
together, assist one another, and strengthen one another's
efforts. 2
"Be like unto brothers; one in love, one in holiness, and one in
your zeal for the truth. 3
"Spread the truth and preach the doctrine in all quarters of the
world, so that in the end all living creatures will be citizens
of the kingdom of righteousness. 4
"This is the holy brotherhood; this is the church, the
congregation of the saints of the Buddha; this is the Sangha that
establishes a communion among all those who have taken their
refuge in the Buddha." 5
And Kondañña was the first disciple of the Buddha who had
thoroughly grasped the doctrine of the Holy One, and the
Tathāgata looking into his heart said: "Truly, Kondañña has
understood the truth." Hence the venerable Kondañña received the
name "Aññata-Kondañña," that is, "Kondañña who has understood the
doctrine." 6
Then the venerable Kondañña spoke to the Buddha and said: "Lord,
let us receive the ordination from the Blessed One." 7
And the Buddha said: "Come, O bhikkhus! Well taught is the
doctrine. Lead a holy life for the extinction of suffering." 8
Then Kondañña and the other bhikkhus uttered three times these
solemn vows: 9
"To the Buddha will I look in faith: He, the Perfect One, is holy
and supreme. The Buddha conveys to us instruction, wisdom, and
salvation; he is the Blessed One, who knows the law of being; he
is the Lord of the world, who yoketh men like oxen, the Teacher
of gods and men, the Exalted Buddha. Therefore, to the Buddha
will I look in faith. 10
"To the doctrine will I look in faith: well-preached is the
doctrine by the Exalted One. The doctrine has been revealed so as
to become visible; the doctrine is above time and space. The
doctrine is not based upon hearsay, it means 'Come and see'; the
doctrine leads to welfare; the doctrine is recognized by the wise
in their own hearts. Therefore to the doctrine will I look in
faith. 11
"To the community will I look in faith; the community of the
Buddha's disciples instructs us how to lead a life of
righteousness; the community of the Buddha's disciples teaches us
how to exercise honesty and justice; the community of the
Buddha's disciples shows us how to practise the truth. They form
a brotherhood in kindness and charity, and their saints are
worthy of reverence. The community of the Buddha's disciples is
founded as a holy brotherhood in which men bind themselves
together to teach the behests of rectitude and to do good.
Therefore, to the community will I look in faith." 12
And the gospel of the Blessed One increased from day to day, and
many people came to hear him and to accept the ordination to lead
thenceforth a holy life for the sake of the extinction of
suffering. 13
And the Blessed One seeing that it was impossible to attend to
all who wanted to hear the truth and receive the ordination, sent
out from the number of his disciples such as were to preach the
Dharma and said unto them: 14
"The Dharma and the Vinaya proclaimed by the Tathāgata shine
forth when they are displayed, and not when they are concealed.
But let not this doctrine, so full of truth and so excellent,
fall into the hands of those unworthy of it, where it would be
despised and contemned, treated shamefully, ridiculed and
censured. 15
"I now grant you, O bhikkhus, this permission. Confer henceforth
in the different countries the ordination upon those who are
eager to receive it, when you find them worthy. 16
"Go ye now, O bhikkhus, for the benefit of the many, for the
welfare of mankind, out of compassion for the world. Preach the
doctrine which is glorious in the beginning, glorious in the
middle, and glorious in the end, in the spirit as well as in the
letter. There are beings whose eyes are scarcely covered with
dust, but if the doctrine is not preached to them they cannot
attain salvation. Proclaim to them a life of holiness. They will
understand the doctrine and accept it." 17
And it became an established custom that the bhikkhus went out
preaching while the weather was good, but in the rainy season
they came together again and joined their master, to listen to
the exhortations of the Tathāgata. 18
XVIII.
YASA, THE YOUTH OF BENARES.
At that time there was in Benares a noble youth, Yasa by name,
the son of a wealthy merchant. Troubled in his mind about the
sorrows of the world, he secretly rose up in the night and stole
away to the Blessed One. 1
The Blessed One saw Yasa, the noble youth, coming from afar. And
Yasa approached and exclaimed: "Alas, what distress! What
tribulations!" 2
The Blessed One said to Yasa: "Here is no distress; here are no
tribulations. Come to me and I will teach you the truth, and the
truth will dispel your sorrows." 3
And when Yasa, the noble youth, heard that there were neither
distress, nor tribulations, nor sorrows, his heart was comforted.
He went into the place where the Blessed One was, and sat down
near him. 4
Then the Blessed One preached about charity and morality. He
explained the vanity of the thought "I am"; the dangers of
desire, and the necessity of avoiding the evils of life in order
to walk on the path of deliverance. 5
Instead of disgust with the world, Yasa felt the cooling stream
of holy wisdom, and, having obtained the pure and spotless eye of
truth, he looked at his person, richly adorned with pearls and
precious stones, and his heart was filled with shame. 6
The Tathāgata, knowing his inward thoughts, said: 7
"Though a person be ornamented with jewels, the heart may have
conquered the senses. The outward form does not constitute
religion or affect the mind. Thus the body of a samana may wear
an ascetic's garb while his mind is immersed in worldliness. 8
"A man that dwells in lonely woods and yet covets worldly
vanities, is a worldling, while the man in worldly garments may
let his heart soar high to heavenly thoughts. 9
"There is no distinction between the layman and the hermit, if
but both have banished the thought of self." 10
Seeing that Yasa was ready to enter upon the path, the Blessed
One said to him: "Follow me!" And Yasa joined the brotherhood,
and having put on a bhikkhu's robe, received the ordination. 11
While the Blessed One and Yasa were discussing the doctrine,
Yasa's father passed by in search of his son; and in passing he
asked the Blessed One: "Pray, Lord, hast thou seen Yasa, my son?" 12
And the Buddha said to Yasa's father: "Come in, sir, thou wilt
find thy son"; and Yasa's father became full of joy and he
entered. He sat down near his son, but his eyes were holden and
he knew him not; and the Lord began to preach. And Yasa's father,
understanding the doctrine of the Blessed One, said: 13
"Glorious is the truth, O Lord! The Buddha, the Holy One, our
Master, sets up what has been overturned; he reveals what has
been hidden; he points out the way to the wanderer who has gone
astray; he lights a lamp in the darkness so that all who have
eyes to see can discern the things that surround them. I take
refuge in the Buddha, our Lord: I take refuge in the doctrine
revealed by him: I take refuge in the brotherhood which he has
founded. May the Blessed One receive me from this day forth while
my life lasts as a lay disciple who has taken refuge in him." 14
Yasa's father was the first lay-member who became the first lay
disciple of the Buddha by pronouncing the threefold formula of
refuge. 15
When the wealthy merchant had taken refuge in the Buddha, his
eyes were opened and he saw his son sitting at his side in a
bhikkhu's robe. "My son, Yasa," he said, "thy mother is absorbed
in lamentation and grief. Return home and restore thy mother to
life." 16
Then Yasa looked at the Blessed One, and the Blessed One said:
"Should Yasa return to the world and enjoy the pleasures of a
worldly life as he did before?" 17
And Yasa's father replied: "If Yasa, my son, finds it a gain to
stay with thee, let him stay. He has become delivered from the
bondage of worldliness." 18
When the Blessed One had cheered their hearts with words of truth
and righteousness, Yasa's father said: "May the Blessed One, O
Lord, consent to take his meal with me together with Yasa as his
attendant?" 19
The Blessed One, having donned his robes, took his alms-bowl and
went with Yasa to the house of the rich merchant. When they had
arrived there, the mother and also the former wife of Yasa
saluted the Blessed One and sat down near him. 20
Then the Blessed One preached, and the women having understood
his doctrine, exclaimed: "Glorious is the truth, O Lord! We take
refuge in the Buddha, our Lord. We take refuge in the doctrine
revealed by him. We take refuge in the brotherhood which has been
founded by him. May the Blessed One receive us from this day
forth while our life lasts as lay disciples who have taken refuge
in him." 21
The mother and the wife of Yasa, the noble youth of Benares, were
the first women who became lay disciples and took their refuge in
the Buddha. 22
Now there were four friends of Yasa belonging to the wealthy
families of Benares. Their names were Vimala, Subāhu, Puññaji,
and Gavampati. 23
When Yasa's friends heard that Yasa had cut off his hair and put
on bhikkhu robes to give up the world and go forth into
homelessness, they thought: "Surely that cannot be a common
doctrine, that must be a noble renunciation of the world, if
Yasa, whom we know to be good and wise, has shaved his hair and
put on bhikkhu robes to give up the world and go forth into
homelessness." 24
And they went to Yasa, and Yasa addressed the Blessed One,
saying: "May the Blessed One administer exhortation and
instruction to these four friends of mine." And the Blessed One
preached to them, and Yasa's friends accepted the doctrine and
took refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. 25
XIX
KASSAPA.
At that time there lived in Uruvelā the Jatilas, Brahman hermits
with matted hair, worshipping the fire and keeping a fire-dragon;
and Kassapa was their chief. 1
Kassapa was renowned throughout all India, and his name was
honored as one of the wisest men on earth and an authority on
religion. 2
And the Blessed One went to Kassapa of Uruvelā, the Jatila, and
said: "Let me stay a night in the room where you keep your sacred
fire." 3
Kassapa, seeing the Blessed One in his majesty and beauty,
thought to himself: "This is a great muni and a noble teacher.
Should he stay over night in the room where the sacred fire is
kept, the serpent will bite him and he will die." And he said: "I
do not object to your staying over-night in the room where the
sacred fire is kept, but the serpent lives there; he will kill
you and I should be sorry to see you perish." 4
But the Buddha insisted and Kassapa admitted him to the room
where the sacred fire was kept. 5
And the Blessed One sat down with his body erect, surrounding
himself with watchfulness. 6
In the night the dragon came to the Buddha, belching forth in
rage his fiery poison, and filling the air with burning vapor,
but could do him no harm, and the fire consumed itself while the
World-honored One remained composed. And the venomous fiend
became very wroth so that he died in his anger. 7
When Kassapa saw the light shining forth from the room he said:
"Alas, what misery! Truly, the countenance of Gotama the great
Sakyamuni is beautiful, but the serpent will destroy him." 8
In the morning the Blessed One showed the dead body of the fiend
to Kassapa, saying: "His fire has been conquered by my fire." 9
And Kassapa thought to himself. "Sakyamuni is a great samana and
possesses high powers, but he is not holy like me." 10
There was in those days a festival, and Kassapa thought: "The
people will come hither from all parts of the country and will
see the great Sakyamuni. When he speaks to them, they will
believe in him and abandon me." And he grew envious. 11
When the day of the festival arrived, the Blessed One retired and
did not come to Kassapa. And Kassapa went to the Buddha on the
next morning and said: "Why did the great Sakyamuni not come?" 12
The Tathāgata replied: "Didst thou not think, O Kassapa, that it
would be better if I stayed away from the festival?" 13
And Kassapa was astonished and thought: "Great is Sakyamuni; he
can read my most secret thoughts, but he is not holy like me." 14
And the Blessed One addressed Kassapa and said: "Thou seest the
truth, but acceptest it not because of the envy that dwells in
thy heart. Is envy holiness? Envy is the last remnant of self
that has remained in thy mind. Thou art not holy, Kassapa; thou
hast not yet entered the path." 15
And Kassapa gave up his resistance. His envy disappeared, and,
bowing down before the Blessed One, he said: "Lord, our Master,
let me receive the ordination from tin. Blessed One." 16
And the Blessed One said: "Thou, Kassapa, art chief of the
Jatilas. Go, then, first and inform them of thine intention, and
let them do as thou thinkest fit." 17
Then Kassapa went to the Jatilas and said: "I am anxious to lead
a religious life under the direction of the great Sakyamuni, who
is the Enlightened One, the Buddha. Do as ye think best." 18
And the Jatilas replied: "We have conceived a profound affection
for the great Sakyamuni, and if thou wilt join his brotherhood,
we will do likewise." 19
The Jatilas of Uruvelā now flung their paraphernalia of
fire-worship into the river and went to the Blessed One. 20
Nadi Kassapa and Gayā Kassapa, brothers of the great Uruvelā
Kassapa, powerful men and chieftains among the people, were
dwelling below on the stream, and when they saw the instruments
used in fire-worship floating in the river, they said: "Something
has happened to our brother." And they came with their folk to
Uruvelā. Hearing what had happened, they, too, went to the
Buddha. 21
The Blessed One, seeing that the Jatilas of Nadi and Gayā, who
had practised severe austerities and worshipped fire, were now
come to him, preached a sermon on fire, and said: 22
"Everything, O Jatilas, is burning. The eye is burning, all the
senses are burning, thoughts are burning. They are burning with
the fire of lust. There is anger, there is ignorance, there is
hatred, and as long as the fire finds inflammable things upon
which it can feed, so long will it burn, and there will be birth
and death, decay, grief, lamentation, suffering, despair, and
sorrow. Considering this, a disciple of the Dharma will see the
four noble truths and walk in the eightfold path of holiness. He
will become wary of his eye, wary of all his senses, wary of his
thoughts. He will divest himself of passion and become free. He
will be delivered from selfishness and attain the blessed state
of Nirvāna." 23
And the Jatilas rejoiced and took refuge in the Buddha, the
Dharma, and the Sangha. 24
XX
THE SERMON AT RĀJAGAHA.
And the Blessed One having dwelt some time in Uruvelā went forth
to Rājagaha, accompanied by a great number of bhikkhus, many of
whom had been Jatilas before; and the great Kassapa, chief of the
Jatilas and formerly a fireworshipper, went with him. 1
When the Magadha king, Seniya Bimbisāra, heard of the arrival of
Gotama Sakyamuni, of whom the people said, "He is the Holy One,
the blessed Buddha, guiding men as a driver curbs bullocks, the
teacher of high and low," he went out surrounded with his
counsellors and generals and came to the grove where the Blessed
One was. 2
There they saw the Blessed One in the company of Kassapa, the
great religious teacher of the Jatilas, and they were astonished
and thought: "Has the great Sakyamuni placed himself under the
spiritual direction of Kassapa, or has Kassapa become a disciple
of Gotama?" 3
And the Tathāgata, reading the thoughts of the people, said to
Kassapa: "What knowledge hast thou gained, O Kassapa, and what
has induced thee to renounce the sacred fire and give up thine
austere penances?" 4
Kassapa said: "The profit I derived from adoring the fire was
continuance in the wheel of individuality with all its sorrows
and vanities. This service I have cast away, and instead of
continuing penances and sacrifices I have gone in quest of the
highest Nirvāna. Since I have seen the light of truth, I have
abandoned worshipping the fire." 5
The Buddha, perceiving that the whole assembly was ready as a
vessel to receive the doctrine, spoke thus to Bimbisāra the king: 6
"He who knows the nature of self and understands how the senses
act, finds no room for selfishness, and thus he will attain
peace unending. The world holds the thought of self, and from
this arises false apprehension. 7
"Some say that the self endures after death, some say it
perishes. Both are wrong and their error is most grievous. 8
"For if they say the self is perishable, the fruit they strive
for will perish too, and at some time there will be no hereafter.
Good and evil would be indifferent. This salvation from
selfishness is without merit. 9
"When some, on the other hand, say the self will not perish, then
in the midst of all life and death there is but one identity
unborn and undying. If such is their self, then it is perfect and
cannot be perfected by deeds. The lasting, imperishable self
could never be changed. The self would be lord and master, and
there would be no use in perfecting the perfect; moral aims and
salvation would be unnecessary. 10
"But now we see the marks of joy and sorrow. Where is any
constancy? If there is no permanent self that does our deeds,
then there is no self; there is no actor behind our actions, no
perceiver behind our perception, no lord behind our deeds. 11
"Now attend and listen: The senses meet the object and from their
contact sensation is born. Thence results recollection. Thus, as
the sun's power through a burning-glass causes fire to appear, so
through the cognizance born of sense and object, the mind
originates and with it the ego, the thought of self, whom some
Brahman teachers call the lord. The shoot springs from the seed;
the seed is not the shoot; both are not one and the same, but
successive phases in a continuous growth. Such is the birth of
animated life. 12
"Ye that are slaves of the self and toil in its service from morn
until night, ye that live in constant fear of birth, old age,
sickness, and death, receive the good tidings that your cruel
master exists not. 13
"Self is an error, an illusion, a dream. Open your eyes and
awaken. See things as they are and ye will be comforted. 14
"He who is awake will no longer be afraid of nightmares. He who
has recognized the nature of the rope that seemed to be a serpent
will cease to tremble. 15
"He who has found there is no self will let go all the lusts and
desires of egotism. 16
"The cleaving to things, covetousness, and sensuality inherited
from former existences, are the causes of the misery and vanity
in the world. 17
"Surrender the grasping disposition of selfishness, and you will
attain to that calm state of mind which conveys perfect peace,
goodness, and wisdom." 18
And the Buddha breathed forth this solemn utterance: 19
"Do not deceive, do not despise
Each other, anywhere.
Do not be angry, nor should ye
Secret resentment bear;
For as a mother risks her life
And watches o'er her child,
So boundless be your love to all,
So tender, kind and mild. 20
"Yea, cherish good-will right and left,
All round, early and late,
And without hindrance, without stint,
From envy free and hate,
While standing, walking, sitting down,
Whate'er you have in mind,
The rule of life that's always best
Is to be loving-kind. 21
"Gifts are great, the founding of vihāras is meritorious,
meditations and religious exercises pacify the heart,
comprehension of the truth leads to Nirvāna, but greater than
all is lovingkindness. As the light of the moon is sixteen times
stronger than the light of all the stars, so lovingkindness is
sixteen times more efficacious in liberating the heart than all
other religious accomplishments taken together. 22
"This state of heart is the best in the world. Let a man remain
steadfast in it while he is awake, whether he is standing,
walking, sitting, or lying down." 23
When the Enlightened One had finished his sermon, the Magadha
king said to the Blessed One: 24
"In former days, Lord, when I was a prince, I cherished five
wishes. I wished: O, that I might be inaugurated as a king. This
was my first wish, and it has been fulfilled. Further, I wished:
Might the Holy Buddha, the Perfect One, appear on earth while I
rule and might he come to my kingdom. This was my second wish and
it is fulfilled now. Further I wished: Might I pay my respects to
him. This was my third wish and it is fulfilled now. The fourth
wish was: Might the Blessed One preach the doctrine to me, and
this is fulfilled now. The greatest wish, however, was the fifth
wish: Might I understand the doctrine of the Blessed One. And
this wish is fulfilled too. 25
"Glorious Lord! Most glorious is the truth preached by the
Tathāgata! Our Lord, the Buddha, sets up what has been
overturned; he reveals what has been hidden; he points out the
way to the wanderer who has gone astray; he lights a lamp in the
darkness so that those who have eyes to see may see. 26
"I take my refuge in the Buddha. I take my refuge in the Dharma.
I take my refuge in the Sangha." 27
The Tathāgata, by the exercise of his virtue and by wisdom,
showed his unlimited spiritual power. He subdued and harmonized
all minds. He made them see and accept the truth, and throughout
the kingdom the seeds of virtue were sown. 28
XXI
THE KING'S GIFT.
The king, having taken his refuge in the Buddha, invited the
Tathāgata to his palace, saying: "Will the Blessed One consent to
take his meal with me to-morrow together with the fraternity of
bhikkhus?" 1
The next morning Seniya Bimbisāra, the king, announced to the
Blessed One that it was time for taking food: "Thou art my most
welcome guest, O Lord of the world, come; the meal is prepared." 2
And the Blessed One having donned his robes, took his alms-bowl
and, together with a great number of bhikkhus, entered the city
of Rājagaha. 3
Sakka, the king of the Devas, assuming the appearance of a young
Brahman, walked in front, and said: 4
"He who teaches self-control with those who have learned
self-control; the redeemer with those whom he has redeemed; the
Blessed One with those to whom he has given peace, is entering
Rājagaha! Hail to the Buddha, our Lord! Honor to his name and
blessings to all who take refuge in him." And Sakka intoned this
stanza: 5
"So blest is an age in which Buddhas arise,
So blest is the truth's proclamation.
So blest is the Sangha, concordant and wise,
So blest a devout congregation! 6
"And if by all the truth were known,
More seeds of kindness would be sown,
And richer crops of good deeds grown." 7
When the Blessed One had finished his meal, and had cleansed his
bowl and his hands, the king sat down near him and thought: 8
"Where may I find a place for the Blessed One to live in, not too
far from the town and not too near, suitable for going and
coming, easily accessible to all people who want to see him, a
place that is by day not too crowded and by night not exposed to
noise, wholesome and well fitted for a retired life? There is my
pleasure-garden, the bamboo grove Veluvana, fulfilling all these
conditions. I shall offer it to the brotherhood whose head is the
Buddha." 9
The king dedicated his garden to the brotherhood, saying: "May
the Blessed One accept my gift." 10
Then the Blessed One, having silently shown his consent and
having gladdened and edified the Magadha king by religious
discourse, rose from his seat and went away. 11
XXII.
SĀRIPUTTA AND MOGGALLĀNA.
At that time Sāriputta and Moggallāna, two Brahmans and chiefs of
the followers of Sañjaya, led a religious life. They had promised
each other: "He who first attains Nirvāna shall tell the other
one." 1
Sāriputta seeing the venerable Assaji begging for alms, modestly
keeping his eyes to the ground and dignified in deportment,[1]
exclaimed: "Truly this samana has entered the right path; I will
ask him in whose name he has retired from the world and what
doctrine he professes." Being addressed by Sāriputta, Assaji
replied: "I am a follower of the Buddha, the Blessed One, but
being a novice I can tell you the substance only of the
doctrine." 2
Said Sāriputta: "Tell me, venerable monk, it is the substance I
want." And Assaji recited the stanza: 3
"The Buddha did the cause unfold
Of all the things that spring from causes.
And further the great sage has told
How finally all passion pauses." 4
Having heard this stanza, Sāriputta obtained the pure and
spotless eye of truth and said: "Now I see clearly, whatsoever is
subject to origination is also subject to cessation. If this be
the doctrine I have reached the state to enter Nirvāna which
heretofore has remained hidden from me." 5
Sāriputta went to Moggallāna and told him, and both said: "We
will go to the Blessed One, that he, the Blessed One, may be our
teacher." 6
When the Buddha saw Sāriputta and Moggallāna coming from afar, he
said to his disciples, "These two monks are highly auspicious." 7
When the two friends had taken refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma
and the Sangha, the Holy One said to his other disciples:
"Sāriputta, like the first-born son of a world-ruling monarch, is
well able to assist the king as his chief follower to set the
wheel of the law rolling." 8
And the people were annoyed. Seeing that many distinguished young
men of the kingdom of Magadha led a religious life under the
direction of the Blessed One, they became angry and murmured:
"Gotama Sakyamuni induces fathers to leave their wives and causes
families to become extinct." 9
When they saw the bhikkhus, they reviled them, saying: "The great
Sakyamuni has come to Rājagaha subduing the minds of men. Who
will be the next to be led astray by him?" 10
The bhikkhus told it to the Blessed One, and the Blessed One
said: "This murmuring, O bhikkhus, will not last long. It will
last seven days. If they revile you, O bhikkhus, answer them with
these words: 11
"'It is by preaching the truth that Tathāgatas lead men. Who will
murmur at the wise? Who will blame the virtuous? Who will condemn
self-control, righteousness, and kindness?'" 12
And the Blessed One proclaimed this verse:
"Commit no wrong but good deeds do
And let thy heart be pure.
All Buddhas teach this doctrine true
Which will for aye endure." 13
XXIII.
ANĀTHAPINDIKA.
At this time there was Anāthapindika, a man of unmeasured wealth,
visiting Rājagaha. Being of a charitable disposition, he was
called "the supporter of orphans and the friend of the poor." 1
Hearing that the Buddha had come into the world and was stopping
in the bamboo grove near the city, he set out in the very night
to meet the Blessed One. 2
And the Blessed One saw at once the sterling quality of
Anāthapindika's heart and greeted him with words of religious
comfort. And they sat down together, and Anāthapindika listened
to the sweetness of the truth preached by the Blessed One. And
the Buddha said: 3
"The restless, busy nature of the world, this, I declare, is at
the root of pain. Attain that composure of mind which is resting
in the peace of immortality. Self is but a heap of composite
qualities, and its world is empty like a fantasy. 4
"Who is it that shapes our lives? Is it Iśvara, a personal
creator? If Iśvara be the maker, all living things should have
silently to submit to their maker's power. They would be like
vessels formed by the potter's hand; and if it were so, how would
it be possible to practise virtue? If the world had been made by
Iśvara there should be no such thing as sorrow, or calamity, or
evil; for both pure and impure deeds muse come from him. If not,
there would be another cause beside him, and he would not be
self-existent. Thus, thou seest, the thought of Iśvara is
overthrown. 5
"Again, it is said that the Absolute has created us. But that
which is absolute cannot be a cause. All things around us come
from a cause as the plant comes from the seed; but how can the
Absolute be the cause of all things alike? If it pervades them,
then, certainly, it does not make them. 6
"Again, it is said that Self is the maker. But if self is the
maker, why did it not make things pleasing? The causes of sorrow
and joy are real and objective. How can they have been made by
self? 7
"Again, if we adopt the argument that there is no maker, our fate
is such as it is, and there is no causation, what use would there
be in shaping our lives and adjusting means to an end? 8
"Therefore, we argue that all things that exist are not without
cause. However, neither Iśvara, nor the absolute, nor the self,
nor causeless chance, is the maker, but our deeds produce results
both good and evil according to the law of causation. 9
"Let us, then, abandon the heresy of worshipping Iśvara and of
praying to him; let us no longer lose ourselves in vain
speculations of profitless subtleties; let us surrender self and
all selfishness, and as all things are fixed by causation, let us
practise good so that good may result from our actions." 10
And Anāthapindika said: "I see that thou art the Buddha, the
Blessed One, the Tathāgata, and I wish to open to thee my whole
mind. Having listened to my words advise me what I shall do. 11
"My life is full of work, and having acquired great wealth, I am
surrounded with cares. Yet I enjoy my work, and apply myself to
it with all diligence. Many people are in my employ and depend
upon the success of my enterprises. 12
"Now, I have heard thy disciples praise the bliss of the hermit
and denounce the unrest of the world. 'The Holy One,' they say,
'has given up his kingdom and his inheritance, and has found the
path of righteousness, thus setting an example to all the world
how to attain Nirvāna.' 13
"My heart yearns to do what is right and to be a blessing unto my
fellows. Let me then ask thee, Must I give up my wealth, my home,
and my business enterprises, and, like thyself, go into
homelessness in order to attain the bliss of a religious life?" 14
And the Buddha replied: "The bliss of a religious life is
attainable by every one who walks in the noble eightfold path. He
that cleaves to wealth had better cast it away than allow his
heart to be poisoned by it; but he who does not cleave to wealth,
and possessing riches, uses them rightly, will be a blessing unto
his fellows. 15
"It is not life and wealth and power that enslave men, but the
cleaving to life and wealth and power. 16
"The bhikkhu who retires from the world in order to lead a life
of leisure will have no gain, for a life of indolence is an
abomination, and lack of energy is to be despised. 17
"The Dharma of the Tathāgata does not require a man to go into
homelessness or to resign the world, unless he feels called upon
to do so; but the Dharma of the Tathāgata requires every man to
free himself from the illusion of self, to cleanse his heart, to
give up his thirst for pleasure and lead a life of righteousness. 18
"And whatever men do, whether they remain in the world as
artisans, merchants, and officers of the king, or retire from the
world and devote themselves to a life of religious meditation,
let them put their whole heart into their task; let them be
diligent and energetic, and, if they are like the lotus, which,
although it grows in the water, yet remains untouched by the
water, if they struggle in life without cherishing envy or
hatred, if they live in the world not a life of self but a life
of truth, then surely joy, peace, and bliss will dwell in their
minds." 19
XXIV.
THE SERMON ON CHARITY.
Anāthapindika rejoiced at the words of the Blessed One and said:
"I dwell at Sāvatthi, the capital of Kosala, a land rich in
produce and enjoying peace. Pasenadi is the king of the country,
and his name is renowned among our own people and our neighbors.
Now I wish to found there a vihāra which shall be a place of
religious devotion for your brotherhood, and I pray you kindly to
accept it." 1
The Buddha saw into the heart of the supporter of orphans; and
knowing that unselfish charity was the moving cause of his offer,
in acceptance of the gift, the Blessed One said: 2
"The charitable man is loved by all; his friendship is prized
highly; in death his heart is at rest and full of joy, for he
suffers not from repentance; he receives the opening flower of
his reward and the fruit that ripens from it. 3
"Hard it is to understand: By giving away our food, we get more
strength, by bestowing clothing on others, we gain more beauty;
by donating abodes of purity and truth, we acquire great
treasures. 4
"There is a proper time and a proper m ode in charity just as the
vigorous warrior goes to battle, so is the man; who is able to
give. He is like an able warrior, a champion strong and wise in
action. 5
"Loving and compassionate he gives with reverence and banishes
all hatred, envy, and anger. 6
"The charitable man has found the path of salvation. He is like
the man who plants a sapling, securing thereby the shade, the
flowers, and the fruit in future years. Even so is the result of
charity, even so is the joy of him who helps those that are in
need of assistance; even so is the great Nirvāna. 7
"We reach the immortal path only by continuous acts of kindliness
and we perfect our souls by compassion and charity." 8
Anāthapindika invited Sāriputta to accompany him on his return to
Kosala and help him in selecting a pleasant site for the vihāra. 9
XXV.
JETAVANA.
Anāthapindika, the friend of the destitute and the supporter of
orphans, having returned home, saw the garden of the
heir-apparent, Jeta, with its green groves and limpid rivulets,
and thought: "This is the place which will be most suitable as a
vihāra for the brotherhood of the Blessed One." And he went to
the prince and asked leave to buy the ground. 1
The prince was not inclined to sell the garden, for he valued it
highly. He at first refused but said at last, "If thou canst
cover it with gold, then, and for no other price, shalt thou have
it." 2
Anāthapindika rejoiced and began to spread his gold; but Jeta
said: "Spare thyself the trouble, for I will not sell." But
Anāthapindika insisted. Thus they contended until they resorted
to the magistrate. 3
Meanwhile the people began to talk of the unwonted proceeding,
and the prince, hearing more of the details and knowing that
Anāthapindika was not only very wealthy but also straightforward
and sincere, inquired into his plans. On hearing the name of the
Buddha, the prince became anxious to share in the foundation and
he accepted only one-half of the gold, saying: "Yours is the
land, but mine are the trees. I will give the trees as my share
of this offering to the Buddha." 4
Then Anāthapindika took the land and Jeta the trees, and they
placed them in trust of Sāriputta for the Buddha. 5
After the foundations were laid, they began to build the hall
which rose loftily in due proportions according to the directions
which the Buddha had suggested; and it was beautifully decorated
with appropriate carvings. 6
This vihāra was called Jetavana, and the friend of the orphans
invited the Lord to come to Sāvatthi and receive the donation.
And the Blessed One left Kapilavatthu and came to Sāvatthi. 7
While the Blessed One was entering Jetavana, Anāthapindika
scattered flowers and burned incense, and as a sign of the gift
he poured water from a golden dragon decanter, saying, "This
Jetavana vihāra I give for the use of the brotherhood throughout
the world." 8
The Blessed One received the gift and replied: "May all evil
influences be overcome; may the offering promote the kingdom of
righteousness and be a permanent blessing to mankind in general,
to the land of Kosala, and especially also to the giver." 9
Then the king Pasenadi, hearing that the Lord had come, went in
his royal equipage to the Jetavana vihāra and saluted the Blessed
One with clasped hands, saying: 10
"Blessed is my unworthy and obscure kingdom that it has met with
so great a fortune. For how can calamities and dangers befall it
in the presence of the Lord of the world, the Dharmarāja, the
King of Truth. 11
"Now that I have seen thy sacred countenance, let me partake of
the refreshing waters of thy teachings. 12
"Worldly profit is fleeting and perishable, but religious profit
is eternal and inexhaustible. A worldly man, though a king, is
full of trouble, but even a common man who is holy has peace of
mind." 13
Knowing the tendency of the king's heart, weighed down by avarice
and love of pleasure, the Buddha seized the opportunity and said: 14
"Even those who, by their evil karma, have been born in low
degree, when they see a virtuous man, feel reverence for him. How
much more must an independent king, on account of merits acquired
in previous existences, when meeting a Buddha, conceive reverence
for him. 15
"And now as I briefly expound the law, let the Mahārāja listen
and weigh my words, and hold fast that which I deliver! 16
"Our good or evil deeds follow us continually like shadows. 17
"That which is most needed is a loving heart! 18
"Regard thy people as men do an only son. Do not oppress them, do
not destroy them; keep in due check every member of thy body,
forsake unrighteous doctrine and walk in the straight path. Exalt
not thyself by trampling down others, but comfort and befriend
the suffering. 19
"Neither ponder on kingly dignity, nor listen to the smooth words
of flatterers. 20
"There is no profit in vexing oneself by austerities, but
meditate on the Buddha and weigh his righteous law. 21
"We are encompassed on all sides by the rocks of birth, old age,
disease, and death, and only by considering and practising the
true law can we escape from this sorrow-piled mountain. 22
"What profit, then, in practising iniquity? 23
"All who are wise spurn the pleasures of the body. They loathe
lust and seek to promote their spiritual existence. 24
"When a tree is burning with fierce flames, how can the birds
congregate therein? Truth cannot dwell where passion lives. He
who does not know this, though he be a learned man and be praised
by others as a sage, is beclouded with ignorance. 25
"To him who has this knowledge true wisdom dawns, and he will
beware of hankering after pleasure. To acquire this state of
mind, wisdom is the one thing needful. To neglect wisdom will
lead to failure in life. 26
"The teachings of all religions should center here, for without
wisdom there is no reason. 27
"This truth is not for the hermit alone; it concerns every human
being, priest and layman alike. There is no distinction between
the monk who has taken the vows, and the man of the world living
with his family. There are hermits who fall into perdition, and
there are humble householders who mount to the rank of rishis. 28
"Hankering after pleasure is a danger common to all; it carries
away the world. He who is involved in its eddies finds no escape.
But wisdom is the handy boat, reflection is the rudder. The
slogan of religion calls you to overcome the assaults of Māra,
the enemy. 29
"Since it is impossible to escape the result of our deeds, let us
practise good works. 30
"Let us guard our thoughts that we do no evil, for as we sow so
shall we reap.; 31
"There are ways from light into darkness and from darkness into
light. There are ways, also, from the gloom into deeper darkness,
and from the dawn into brighter light. The wise man will use the
light he has to receive more fight. He will constantly advance in
the knowledge of truth. 32
"Exhibit true superiority by virtuous conduct and the exercise of
reason; meditate deeply on the vanity of earthly things, and
understand the fickleness of life. 33
"Elevate the mind, and seek sincere faith with firm purpose;
transgress not the rules of kingly conduct, and let your
happiness depend, not upon external things, but upon your own
mind. Thus you will lay up a good name for distant ages and will
secure the favor of the Tathāgata." 34
The king listened with reverence and remembered all the words of
the Buddha in his heart. 35
XXVI.
THE THREE CHARACTERISTICS AND THE UNCREATE.
When the Buddha was staying at the Veluvana, the bamboo grove at
Rājagaha, he addressed the brethren thus: 1
"Whether Buddhas arise, O priests, or whether Buddhas do not
arise, it remains a fact and the fixed and necessary constitution
of being that all conformations are transitory. This fact a
Buddha discovers and masters, and when he has discovered and
mastered it, he announces, teaches, publishes, proclaims,
discloses, minutely explains and makes it clear that all
conformations are transitory. 2
"Whether Buddhas arise, O priests, or whether Buddhas do not
arise, it remains a fact and a fixed and necessary constitution
of being, that all conformations are suffering. This fact a
Buddha discovers and masters, and when he has discovered and
mastered it, he announces, publishes, proclaims, discloses,
minutely explains and makes it clear that all conformations are
suffering. 3
"Whether Buddhas arise, O priests, or whether Buddhas do not
arise, it remains a fact and a fixed and necessary constitution
of being, that all conformations are lacking a self. This fact a
Buddha discovers and masters, and when he has discovered and
mastered it, he announces, teaches, publishes, proclaims,
discloses, minutely explains and makes it clear that all
conformations are lacking a self." 4
And on another occasion the Blessed One dwelt at Sāvatthi in the
Jetavana, the garden of Anāthapindika. 5
At that time the Blessed One edified, aroused, quickened and
gladdened the monks with a religious discourse on the subject of
Nirvāna. And these monks grasping the meaning, thinking it out,
and accepting with their hearts the whole doctrine, listened
attentively. But there was one brother who had some doubt left in
his heart. He arose and clasping his hands made the request: "May
I be permitted to ask a question?" When permission was granted he
spoke as follows: 6
"The Buddha teaches that all conformations are transient, that
all conformations are subject to sorrow, that all conformations
are lacking a self. How then can there be Nirvāna, a state of
eternal bliss?" 7
And the Blessed One, in this connection, on that occasion,
breathed forth this solemn utterance: 8
"There is, O monks, a state where there is neither earth, nor
water, nor heat, nor air; neither infinity of space nor infinity
of consciousness, nor nothingness, nor perception nor
non-perception; neither this world nor that world, neither sun
nor moon. It is the uncreate. 9
"That, O monks, I term neither coming nor going nor standing;
neither death nor birth. It is without stability, without change;
it is the eternal which never originates and never passes away.
There is the end of sorrow. 10
"It is hard to realize the essential, the truth is not easily
perceived; desire is mastered by him who knows, and to him who
sees aright all things are naught. 11
"There is, O monks, an unborn, unoriginated, uncreated, unformed.
Were there not, O monks, this unborn, unoriginated, uncreated,
unformed, there would be no escape from the world of the born,
originated, created, formed. 12
"Since, O monks, there is an unborn, unoriginated, uncreated, and
unformed, therefore is there an escape from the born, originated,
created, formed." 13
XXVII.
THE BUDDHA'S FATHER.
The Buddha's name became famous over all India and Suddhodana,
his father, sent word to him saying: "I am growing old and wish
to see my son before I die. Others have had the benefit of his
doctrine, but not his father nor his relatives." 1
And the messenger said: "O world-honored Tathāgata, thy father
looks for thy coming as the lily longs for the rising of the
sun." 2
The Blessed One consented to the request of his father and set
out on his journey to Kapilavatthu. Soon the tidings spread in
the native country of the Buddha: "Prince Siddhattha, who
wandered forth from home into homelessness to obtain
enlightenment, having attained his purpose, is coming back." 3
Suddhodana went out with his relatives and ministers to meet the
prince. When the king saw Siddhattha, his son, from afar, he was
struck with his beauty and dignity, and he rejoiced in his heart,
but his mouth found no words to utter. 4
This, indeed, was his son; these were the features of Siddhattha.
How near was the great samana to his heart, and yet what a
distance lay between them! That noble muni was no longer
Siddhattha, his son; he was the Buddha, the Blessed One, the
Holy One, Lord of truth, and teacher of mankind. 5
Suddhodana the king, considering the religious dignity of his
son, descended from his chariot and after saluting his son said:
"It is now seven years since I have seen thee. How I have longed
for this moment!" 6
Then the Sakyamuni took a seat opposite his father, and the king
gazed eagerly at his son. He longed to call him by his name, but
he dared not. "Siddhattha," he exclaimed silently in his heart,
"Siddhattha, come back to thine aged father and be his son
again!" But seeing the determination of his son, he suppressed
his sentiments, and desolation overcame him. 7
Thus the king sat face to face with his son, rejoicing in his
sadness and sad in his rejoicing. Well might he be proud of his
son, but his pride broke down at the idea that his great son
would never be his heir. 8
"I would offer thee my kingdom," said the king, "but if I did,
thou wouldst account it but as ashes." 9
And the Buddha said: "I know that the king's heart is full of
love and that for his son's sake he feels deep grief. But let the
ties of love that bind him to the son whom he lost embrace with
equal kindness all his fellow-beings, and he will receive in his
place a greater one than Siddhattha; he will receive the Buddha,
the teacher of truth, the preacher of righteousness, and the
peace of Nirvāna will enter into his heart." 10
Suddhodana trembled with joy when he heard the melodious words of
his son, the Buddha, and clasping his hands, exclaimed with tears
in his eyes: "Wonderful is this change! The overwhelming sorrow
has passed away. At first my sorrowing heart was heavy, but now I
reap the fruit of thy great renunciation. It was right that,
moved by thy mighty sympathy, thou shouldst reject the pleasures
of royal power and achieve thy noble purpose in religious
devotion. Now that thou hast found the path, thou canst preach
the law of immortality to all the world that yearns for
deliverance." 11
The king returned to the palace, while the Buddha remained in the
grove before the city. 12
XXVIII.
YASODHARĀ.
On the next morning the Buddha took his bowl and set out to beg
his food. 1
And the news spread abroad: "Prince Siddhattha is going from
house to house to receive alms in the city where he used to ride
in a chariot attended by bis retinue. His robe is like a red
clod, and he holds in his hand an earthen bowl." 2
On hearing the strange rumor, the king went forth in great haste
and when he met his son he exclaimed: "Why dost thou thus
disgrace me? Knowest thou not that I can easily supply thee and
thy bhikkhus with food?" 3
And the Buddha replied: "It is the custom of my race." 4
But the king said: "How can this be? Thou art descended from
kings, and not one of them ever begged for food." 5
"O great king," rejoined the Buddha, "thou and thy race may claim
descent from kings; my descent is from the Buddhas of old. They,
begging their food, lived on alms." 6
The king made no reply, and the Blessed One continued: "It is
customary, O king, when one has found a hidden treasure, for him
to make an offering of the most precious jewel to his father.
Suffer me, therefore, to open this treasure of mine which is the
Dharma, and accept from me this gem:" 7
And the Blessed One recited the following stanza:
"Rise from dreams and loiter not
Open to truth thy mind.
Practise righteousness and thou
Eternal bliss shalt find." 8
Then the king conducted the prince into the palace, and the
ministers and all the members of the royal family greeted him
with great reverence, but Yasodharā, the mother of Rāhula, did
not make her appearance. The king sent for Yasodharā, but she
replied: "Surely, if I am deserving of any regard, Siddhattha
will come and see me." 9
The Blessed One, having greeted all his relatives and friends,
asked: "Where is Yasodharā?" And on being informed that she had
refused to come, he rose straightway and went to her apartments. 10
"I am free," the Blessed One said to his disciples, Sāriputta and
Moggallāna, whom he had bidden to accompany him to the princess's
chamber; "the princess, however, is not as yet free. Not having
seen me for a long time, she is exceedingly sorrowful. Unless her
grief be allowed its course her heart will cleave. Should she
touch the Tathāgata, the Holy One, ye must not prevent her." 11
Yasodharā sat in her room, dressed in mean garments, and her hair
cut. When Prince Siddhattha entered, she was, from the abundance
of her affection, like an overflowing vessel, unable to contain
her love. 12
Forgetting that the man whom she loved was the Buddha, the Lord
of the world, the preacher of truth, she held him by his feet and
wept bitterly. 13
Remembering, however, that Suddhodana was present, she felt
ashamed, and rising, seated herself reverently at a little
distance. 14
The king apologized for the princess, saying: "This arises from
her deep affection, and is more than a temporary emotion. During
the seven years that she has lost her husband, when she heard
that Siddhattha had shaved his head, she did likewise; when she
heard that he had left off the use of perfumes and ornaments, she
also refused their use. Like her husband she had eaten at
appointed times from an earthen bowl only. Like him she had
renounced high beds with splendid coverings, and when other
princes asked her in marriage, she replied that she was still
his. Therefore, grant her forgiveness." 15
And the Blessed One spoke kindly to Yasodharā, telling of her
great merits inherited from former lives. She had indeed been
again and again of great assistance to him. Her purity, her
gentleness, her devotion had been invaluable to the Bodhisatta
when he aspired to attain enlightenment, the highest aim of
mankind. And so holy had she been that she desired to become the
wife of a Buddha. This, then, is her karma, and it is the result
of great merits. Her grief has been unspeakable, but the
consciousness of the glory that surrounds her spiritual
inheritance increased by her noble attitude during her life, will
be a balm that will miraculously transform all sorrows into
heavenly joy. 16
XXIX.
RĀHULA.
Many people in Kapilavatthu believed in the Tathāgata and took
refuge in his doctrine, among them Nanda, Siddhattha's
halfbrother, the son of Pajāpatī; Devadatta, his cousin and
brother-in-law; Upāli the barber; and Anuruddha the philosopher.
Some years later Ānanda, another cousin of the Blessed One, also
joined the Sangha. 1
Ānanda was a man after the heart of the Blessed One; he was his
most beloved disciple, profound in comprehension and gentle in
spirit. And Ānanda remained always near the Blessed Master of
truth, until death parted them. 2
On the seventh day after the Buddha's arrival in Kapilavatthu,
Yasodharā dressed Rāhula, now seven years old, in all the
splendor of a prince and said to him: 3
"This holy man, whose appearance is so glorious that he looks
like the great Brahmā, is thy father. He possesses four great
mines of wealth which I have not yet seen. Go to him and entreat
him to put thee in possession of them, for the son ought to
inherit the property of his father." 4
Rāhula replied: "I know of no father but the king. Who is my
father?" 5
The princess took the boy in her arms and from the window she
pointed out to him the Buddha, who happened to be near the
palace, partaking of food. 6
Rāhula then went to the Buddha, and looking up into his face said
without fear and with much affection: "My father!" 7
And standing near by him, he added: "O samana, even thy shadow is
a place of bliss!" 8
When the Tathāgata had finished his repast, he gave blessings and
went away from the palace, but Rāhula followed and asked his
father for his inheritance. 9
No one prevented the boy, nor did the Blessed One himself. 10
Then the Blessed One turned to Sāriputta, saying: "My son asks
for his inheritance. I cannot give him perishable treasures that
will bring cares and sorrows, but I can give him the inheritance
of a holy life, which is a treasure that will not perish." 11
Addressing Rāhula with earnestness, the Blessed One said: "Gold
and silver and jewels are not in my possession. But if thou art
willing to receive spiritual treasures, and art strong enough to
carry them and to keep them, I shall give thee the four truths
which will teach thee the eightfold path of righteousness. Dost
thou desire to be admitted to the brotherhood of those who devote
their life to the culture of the heart seeking for the highest
bliss attainable?" 12
And Rāhula replied with firmness: "I do. I want to join the
brotherhood of the Buddha." 13
When the king heard that Rāhula had joined the brotherhood of
bhikkhus he was grieved. He had lost Siddhattha and Nanda, his
sons, and Devadatta, his nephew. But now that his grandson had
been taken from him, he went to the Blessed One and spoke to him.
And the Blessed One promised that from that time forward he would
not ordain any minor without the consent of his parents or
guardians. 14
CONSOLIDATION OF THE BUDDHA'S RELIGION.
XXX.
JĪVAKA, THE PHYSICIAN.
Long before the Blessed One had attained enlightenment,
self-mortification had been the custom among those who earnestly
sought for salvation. Deliverance of the soul from all the
necessities of life and finally from the body itself, they
regarded as the aim of religion. Thus, they avoided everything
that might be a luxury in food, shelter, and clothing, and lived
like the beasts in the woods. Some went naked, while others wore
the rags cast away upon cemeteries or dungheaps. 1
When the Blessed One retired from the world, he recognized at
once the error of the naked ascetics, and, considering the
indecency of their habit, clad himself in cast-off rags. 2
Having attained enlightenment and rejected all unnecessary
self-mortifications, the Blessed One and his bhikkhus continued
for a long time to wear the cast-off rags of cemeteries and
dung-heaps. 3
Then it happened that the bhikkhus were visited with diseases of
all kinds, and the Blessed One permitted and explicitly ordered
the use of medicines, and among them he even enjoined, whenever
needed, the use of unguents. 4
One of the brethren suffered from a sore on his foot, and the
Blessed One enjoined the bhikkhus to wear foot-coverings. 5
Now it happened that a disease befell the body of the Blessed One
himself, and Ānanda went to Jīvaka, physician to Bimbisāra, the
king. 6
And Jīvaka, a faithful believer in the Holy One, ministered unto
the Blessed One with medicines and baths until the body of the
Blessed One was completely restored. 7
At that time, Pajjota, king of Ujjenī, was suffering from
jaundice, and Jīvaka, the physician to king Bimbisāra, was
consulted. When king Pajjota had been restored to health, he sent
to Jīvaka a suit of the most excellent cloth. And Jīvaka said to
himself: "This suit is made of the best cloth, and nobody is
worthy to receive it but the Blessed One, the perfect and holy
Buddha, or the Magadha king, Senija Bimbisāra." 8
Then Jīvaka took that suit and went to the place where the
Blessed One was; having approached him, and having respectfully
saluted the Blessed One, he sat down near him and said: "Lord, I
have a boon to ask of the Blessed One." 9
The Buddha replied: "The Tathāgatas, Jīvaka, do not grant boons
before they know what they are." 10
Jīvaka said: "Lord, it is a proper and unobjectionable request." 11
"Speak, Jīvaka," said the Blessed One. 12
"Lord of the world, the Blessed One wears only robes made of rags
taken from a dung-heap or a cemetery, and so also does the
brotherhood of bhikkhus. Now, Lord, this suit has been sent to me
by King Pajjota, which is the best and most excellent, and the
finest and the most precious, and the noblest that can be found.
Lord of the world, may the Blessed One accept from me this suit,
and may he allow the brotherhood of bhikkhus to wear lay robes." 13
The Blessed One accepted the suit, and after having delivered a
religious discourse, he addressed the bhikkhus thus: 14
"Henceforth ye shall be at liberty to wear either cast-off rags
or lay robes. Whether ye are pleased with the one or with the
other, I will approve of it." 15
When the people at Rājagaha heard, "The Blessed One has allowed
the bhikkhus to wear lay robes," those who were willing to bestow
gifts became glad. And in one day many thousands of robes were
presented at Rājagaha to the bhikkhus. 16
XXXI.
THE BUDDHA'S PARENTS ATTAIN NIRVĀNA.
When Suddhodana had grown old, he fell sick and sent for his son
to come and see him once more before he died; and the Blessed One
came and stayed at the sick-bed, and Suddhodana, having attained
perfect enlightenment, died in the arms of the Blessed One. 1
And it is said that the Blessed One, for the sake of preaching to
his mother Māyā-devī, ascended to heaven and dwelt with the
devas. Having concluded his pious mission, he returned to the
earth and went about again, converting those who listened to his
teachings. 2
XXXII.
WOMEN ADMITTED TO THE SANGHA.
Yasodharā had three times requested of the Buddha that she might
be admitted to the Sangha, but her wish had not been granted. Now
Pajāpatī, the foster-mother of the Blessed One, in the company of
Yasodharā, and many other women, went to the Tathāgata entreating
him earnestly to let them take the vows and be ordained as
disciples. 1
And the Blessed One, foreseeing the danger that lurked in
admitting women to the Sangha, protested that while the good
religion ought surely to last a thousand years it would, when
women joined it, likely decay after five hundred years; but
observing the zeal of Pajāpatī and Yasodharā for leading a
religious life he could no longer resist and assented to have
them admitted as his disciples. 2
Then the venerable Ānanda addressed the Blessed One thus: 3
"Are women competent, Venerable Lord, if they retire from
household life to the homeless state, under the doctrine and
discipline announced by the Tathāgata, to attain to the fruit of
conversion, to attain to a release from a wearisome repetition of
rebirths, to attain to saintship?" 4
And the Blessed One declared: "Women are competent, Ānanda, if
they retire from household life to the homeless state, under the
doctrine and discipline announced by the Tathāgata, to attain to
the fruit of conversion, to attain to a release from a wearisome
repetition of rebirths, to attain to saintship. 5
"Consider, Ānanda, how great a benefactress Pajāpatī has been.
She is the sister of the mother of the Blessed One, and as
foster-mother and nurse, reared the Blessed One after the death
of his mother. So, Ānanda, women may retire from household life
to the homeless state, under the doctrine and discipline
announced by the Tathāgata." 6
Pajāpatī was the first woman to become a disciple of the Buddha
and to receive the ordination as a bhikkhunī. 7
XXXIII.
THE BHIKKHUS' CONDUCT TOWARD WOMEN.
The bhikkhus came to the Blessed One and asked him: 1
"O Tathāgata, our Lord and Master, what conduct toward women dost
thou prescribe to the samanas who have left the world?" 2
And the Blessed One said: 3
"Guard against looking on a woman. 4
"If ye see a woman, let it be as though ye saw her not, and have
no conversation with her. 5
"If, after all, ye must speak with her, let it be with a pure
heart, and think to yourself, 'I as a samana will live in this
sinful world as the spotless leaf of the lotus, unsoiled by the
mud in which it grows.' 6
"If the woman be old, regard her as your mother, if young, as
your sister, if very young, as your child. 7
"The samana who looks on a woman as a woman, or touches her as a
woman, has broken his vow and is no longer a disciple of the
Tathāgata. 8
"The power of lust is great with men, and is to be feared withal;
take then the bow of earnest perseverance, and the sharp
arrow-points of wisdom. 9
"Cover your heads with the helmet of right thought, and fight
with fixed resolve against the five desires. 10
"Lust beclouds a man's heart, when it is confused with woman's
beauty, and the mind is dazed. 11
"Better far with red-hot irons bore out both your eyes, than
encourage in yourself sensual thoughts, or look upon a woman's
form with lustful desires. 12
"Better fall into the fierce tiger's mouth, or under the sharp
knife of the executioner, than dwell with a woman and excite in
yourself lustful thoughts. 13
"A woman of the world is anxious to exhibit her form and shape,
whether walking, standing, sitting, or sleeping. Even when
represented as a picture, she desires to captivate with the
charms of her beauty, and thus to rob men of their steadfast
heart. 14
"How then ought ye to guard yourselves? 15
"By regarding her tears and her smiles as enemies, her stooping
form, her hanging arms, and her disentangled hair as toils
designed to entrap man's heart. 16
"Therefore, I say, restrain the heart, give it no unbridled
license." 17
XXXIV.
VISĀKHĀ.
Visākhā, a wealthy woman in Sāvatthi who had many children and
grandchildren, had given to the order the Pubbārāma or Eastern
Garden, and was the first in Northern Kosala to become a matron
of the lay sisters. 1
When the Blessed One stayed at Sāvatthi, Visākhā went up to the
place where the Blessed One was, and tendered him an invitation
to take his meal at her house, which the Blessed One accepted. 2
And a heavy rain fell during the night and the next morning; and
the bhikkhus doffed their robes to keep them dry and let the rain
fall upon their bodies. 3
When on the next day the Blessed One had finished his meal, she
took her seat at his side and spoke thus: "Eight are the boons,
Lord, which I beg of the Blessed One." 4
Said the Blessed One: "The Tathāgatas, O Visākhā, grant no boons
until they know what they are." 5
Visākhā replied: "Befitting, Lord, and unobjectionable are the
boons I ask." 6
Having received permission to make known her requests, Visākhā
said: "I desire, Lord, through all my life long to bestow robes
for the rainy season on the Sangha, and food for incoming
bhikkhus, and food for outgoing bhikkhus, and food for the sick,
and food for those who wait upon the sick, and medicine for the
sick, and a constant supply of rice-milk for the Sangha, and
bathing robes for the bhikkhunīs, the sisters." 7
Said the Buddha: "But what circumstance is it, O Visākhā, that
thou hast in view in asking these eight boons of the Tathāgata?" 8
And Visākhā replied: 9
"I gave command, Lord, to my maid-servant, saying, 'Go, and
announce to the brotherhood that the meal is ready.' And the maid
went, but when she came to the vihāra, she observed that the
bhikkhus had doffed their robes while it was raining, and she
thought: 'These are not bhikkhus, but naked ascetics letting the
rain fall on them.' So she returned to me and reported
accordingly, and I had to send her a second time. Impure, Lord,
is nakedness, and revolting. It was this circumstance, Lord, that
I had in view in desiring to provide the Sangha my life long with
special garments for use in the rainy season. 10
"As to my second wish, Lord, an incoming bhikkhu, not being able
to take the direct roads, and not knowing the places where food
can be procured, comes on his way tired out by seeking for alms.
It was this circumstance, Lord, that I had in view in desiring
to provide the Sangha my life long with food for incoming
bhikkhus. 11
"Thirdly, Lord, an outgoing bhikkhu, while seeking about for
alms, may be left behind, or may arrive too late at the place
whither he desires to go, and will set out on the road in
weariness. 12
"Fourthly, Lord, if a sick bhikkhu does not obtain suitable food,
his sickness may increase upon him, and he may die. 13
"Fifthly, Lord, a bhikkhu who is waiting upon the sick will lose
his opportunity of going out to seek food for himself. 14
"Sixthly, Lord, if a sick bhikkhu does not obtain suitable
medicines, his sickness may increase upon him, and he may die. 15
"Seventhly, Lord, I have heard that the Blessed One has praised
rice-milk, because it gives readiness of mind, dispels hunger and
thirst; it is wholesome for the healthy as nourishment, and for
the sick as a medicine. Therefore I desire to provide the Sangha
my life long with a constant supply of rice-milk. 16
"Finally, Lord, the bhikkhunīs are in the habit of bathing in the
river Achiravatī with the courtesans, at the same landing-place,
and naked. And the courtesans, Lord, ridicule the bhikkhunīs,
saying, 'What is the good, ladies, of your maintaining chastity
when you are young? When you are old, maintain chastity then;
thus will you obtain both worldly pleasure and religious
consolation.' Impure, Lord, is nakedness for a woman, disgusting,
and revolting. 17
"These are the circumstances, Lord, that I had in view." 18
The Blessed One said: "But what was the advantage you had in view
for yourself, O Visākhā, in asking the eight boons of the
Tathāgatha?" 19
Visākhā replied: 20
"Bhikkhus who have spent the rainy seasons in various places will
come, Lord, to Sāvatthi to visit the Blessed One. And on coming
to the Blessed One they will ask, saying: 'Such and such a
bhikkhu, Lord, has died. What, now, is his destiny?' Then will
the Blessed One explain that he has attained the fruits of
conversion; that he has attained arahatship or has entered
Nirvāna, as the case may be. 21
"And I, going up to them, will ask, 'Was that brother, Sirs, one
of those who had formerly been at Sāvatthi?' If they reply to me,
'He has formerly been at Sāvatthi,' then shall I arrive at the
conclusion, 'For a certainty did that brother enjoy either the
robes for the rainy season, or the food for the incoming
bhikkhus, or the food for the outgoing bhikkhus, or the food for
the sick, or the food for those that wait upon the sick, or the
medicine for the sick, or the constant supply of rice-milk.' 22
"Then will gladness spring up within me; thus gladdened, joy will
come to me; and so rejoicing all my mind will be at peace. Being
thus at peace I shall experience a blissful feeling of content;
and in that bliss my heart will be at rest. That will be to me an
exercise of my moral sense, an exercise of my moral powers, an
exercise of the seven kinds of wisdom! This, Lord, was the
advantage I had in view for myself in asking those eight boons of
the Blessed One." 23
The Blessed One said: "It is well, it is well, Visākhā. Thou hast
done well in asking these eight boons of the Tathāgata with such
advantages in view. Charity bestowed upon those who are worthy of
it is like good seed sown on a good soil that yields an abundance
of fruits. But alms given to those who are yet under the
tyrannical yoke of the passions are like seed deposited in a bad
soil. The passions of the receiver of the alms choke, as it were,
the growth of merits." 24
And the Blessed One gave thanks to Visākhā in these verses: 25
"O noble woman of an upright life,
Disciple of the Blessed One, thou givest
Unstintedly in purity of heart. 26
"Thou spreadest joy, assuagest pain,
And verily thy gift will be a blessing
As well to many others as to thee." 27
XXXV.
THE UPOSATHA AND PĀTIMOKKHA.
When Seniya Bimbisāra, the king of Magadha, was advanced in
years, he retired from the world and led a religious life. He
observed that there were Brahmanical sects in Rājagaha keeping
sacred certain days, and the people went to their meeting-houses
and listened to their sermons. 1
Concerning the need of keeping regular days for retirement from
worldly labors and religious instruction, the king went to the
Blessed One and said: "The Parivrājaka, who belong to the
Titthiya school, prosper and gain adherents because they keep the
eighth day and also the fourteenth or fifteenth day of each
half-month. Would it not be advisable for the reverend brethren
of the Sangha also to assemble on days duly appointed for that
purpose?" 2
And the Blessed One commanded the bhikkhus to assemble on the
eighth day and also on the fourteenth or fifteenth day of each
half-month, and to devote these days to religious exercises. 3
A bhikkhu duly appointed should address the congregation and
expound the Dharma. He should exhort the people to walk in the
eightfold path of righteousness; he should comfort them in the
vicissitudes of life and gladden them with the bliss of the fruit
of good deeds. Thus the brethren should keep the Uposatha. 4
Now the bhikkhus, in obedience to the rule laid down by the
Blessed One, assembled in the vihāra on the day appointed, and
the people went to hear the Dharma, but they were greatly
disappointed, for the bhikkhus remained silent and delivered no
discourse. 5
When the Blessed One heard of it, he ordered the bhikkhus to
recite the Pātimokkha, which is a ceremony of disburdening the
conscience; and he commanded them to make confession of their
trespasses so as to receive the absolution of the order. 6
A fault, if there be one, should be confessed by the bhikkhu who
remembers it and desires to be cleansed. For a fault, when
confessed, shall be light on him. 7
And the Blessed One said: "The Pātimokkha must be recited in this
way: 8
"Let a competent and venerable bhikkhu make the following
proclamation to the Sangha: 'May the Sangha hear me! To-day is
Uposatha, the eighth, or the fourteenth or fifteenth day of the
half-month. If the Sangha is ready, let the Sangha hold the
Uposatha service and recite the Pātimokkha. I will recite the
Pātimokkha.' 9
"And the bhikkhus shall reply: 'We hear it well and we
concentrate well our minds on it, all of us.' 10
"Then the officiating bhikkhu shall continue: 'Let him who has
committed an offence, confess it; if there be no offence, let all
remain silent; from your being silent I shall understand that the
reverend brethren are free from offences. 11
'As a single person who has been asked a question answers it, so
also, if before an assembly like this a question is solemnly
proclaimed three times, an answer is expected: if a bhikkhu,
after a threefold proclamation, does not confess an existing
offence which he remembers, he commits an intentional falsehood. 12
'Now, reverend brethren, an intentional falsehood has been
declared an impediment by the Blessed One. Therefore, if an
offence has been committed by a bhikkhu who remembers it and
desires to become pure, the offence should be confessed by the
bhikkhu, and when it has been confessed, it is treated duly.'" 13
XXXVI.
THE SCHISM.
While the Blessed One dwelt at Kosambī, a certain bhikkhu was
accused of having committed an offence, and, as he refused to
acknowledge it, the brotherhood pronounced against him the
sentence of expulsion. 1
Now, that bhikkhu was erudite. He knew the Dharma, had studied
the rules of the order, and was wise, learned, intelligent,
modest, conscientious, and ready to submit himself to discipline.
And he went to his companions and friends among the bhikkhus,
saying: "This is no offence, friends; this is no reason for a
sentence of expulsion. I am not guilty. The verdict is
unconstitutional and invalid. Therefore I consider myself still
as a member of the order. May the venerable brethren assist me in
maintaining my right." 2
Those who sided with the expelled brother went to the bhikkhus
who had pronounced the sentence, saying: "This is no offence";
while the bhikkhus who had pronounced the sentence replied: "This
is an offence." 3
Thus altercations and quarrels arose, and the Sangha was divided
into two parties, reviling and slandering each other. 4
And all these happenings were reported to the Blessed One. 5
Then the Blessed One went to the place where the bhikkhus were
who had pronounced the sentence of expulsion, and said to them:
"Do not think, O bhikkhus, that you are to pronounce expulsion
against a bhikkhu, whatever be the facts of the case, simply by
saying: 'It occurs to us that it is so, and therefore we are
pleased to proceed thus against our brother.' Let those bhikkhus
who frivolously pronounce a sentence against a brother who knows
the Dharma and the rules of the order, who is learned, wise,
intelligent, modest, conscientious, and ready to submit himself
to discipline, stand in awe of causing divisions. They must not
pronounce a sentence of expulsion against a brother merely
because he refuses to see his offence." 6
Then the Blessed One rose and went to the brethren who sided with
the expelled brother and said to them: "Do not think, O bhikkhus,
that if you have given offence you need not atone for it,
thinking: 'We are without offence.' When a bhikkhu has committed
an offence, which he considers no offence while the brotherhood
consider him guilty, he should think: 'These brethren know the
Dharma and the rules of the order; they are learned, wise,
intelligent, modest, conscientious, and ready to submit
themselves to discipline; it is impossible that they should on my
account act with selfishness or in malice or in delusion or in
fear.' Let him stand in awe of causing divisions, and rather
acknowledge his offence on the authority of his brethren." 7
Both parties continued to keep Uposatha and perform official acts
independently of one another; and when their doings were related
to the Blessed One, he ruled that the keeping of Uposatha and the
performance of official acts were lawful, unobjectionable, and
valid for both parties. For he said: "The bhikkhus who side with
the expelled brother form a different communion from those who
pronounced the sentence. There are venerable brethren in both
parties. As they do not agree, let them keep Uposatha and perform
official acts separately." 8
And the Blessed One reprimanded the quarrelsome bhikkhus saying
to them: 9
"Loud is the voice which worldlings make; but how can they be
blamed when divisions arise also in the Sangha? Hatred is not
appeased in those who think: 'He has reviled me, he has wronged
me, he has injured me.' 10
"For not by hatred is hatred appeased. Hatred is appeased by
not-hatred. This is an eternal law. 11
"There are some who do not know the need of self-restraint; if
they are quarrelsome we may excuse their behavior. But those who
know better, should learn to live in concord. 12
"If a man finds a wise friend who lives righteously and is
constant in his character, he may live with him, overcoming all
dangers, happy and mindful. 13
"But if he finds not a friend who lives righteously and is
constant in his character, let him rather walk alone, like a king
who leaves his empire and the cares of government behind him to
lead a life of retirement like a lonely elephant in the forest. 14
"With fools there is no companionship. Rather than to live with
men who are selfish, vain, quarrelsome, and obstinate let a man
walk alone." 15
And the Blessed One thought to himself: "It is no easy task to
instruct these headstrong and infatuate fools." And he rose from
his seat and went away. 16
XXXVII.
THE RE-ESTABLISHMENT OF CONCORD.
Whilst the dispute between the parties was not yet settled, the
Blessed One left Kosambī, and wandering from place to place he
came at last to Sāvatthi. 1
And in the absence of the Blessed One the quarrels grew worse, so
that the Jay devotees of Kosambī became annoyed and they said:
"These quarrelsome monks are a great nuisance and will bring upon
us misfortunes. Worried by their altercations the Blessed One is
gone, and has selected another abode for his residence. Let us,
therefore, neither salute the bhikkhus nor support them. They are
not worthy of wearing yellow robes, and must either propitiate
the Blessed One, or return to the world." 2
And the bhikkhus of Kosambī, when no longer honored and no longer
supported by the lay devotees, began to repent and said: "Let us
go to the Blessed One and let him settle the question of our
disagreement." 3
And both parties went to Savatthi to the Blessed One. And the
venerable Sāriputta, having heard of their arrival, addressed the
Blessed One and said: "These contentious, disputatious, and
quarrelsome bhikkhus of Kosambī, the authors of dissensions, have
come to Sāvatthi. How am I to behave, O Lord, toward those
bhikkhus." 4
"Do not reprove them, Sāriputta," said the Blessed One, "for
harsh words do not serve as a remedy and are pleasant to no one.
Assign separate dwelling-places to each party and treat them with
impartial justice. Listen with patience to both parties. He alone
who weighs both sides is called a muni. When both parties have
presented their case, let the Sangha come to an agreement and
declare the re-establishment of concord." 5
And Pājapatī, the matron, asked the Blessed One for advice, and
the Blessed One said: "Let both parties enjoy the gifts of lay
members, be they robes or food, as they may need, and let no one
receive any noticeable preference over any other." 6
And the venerable Upāli, having approached the Blessed One, asked
concerning the re-establishment of peace in the Sangha: "Would it
be right, O Lord," said he, "that the Sangha, to avoid further
disputations, should declare the restoration of concord without
inquiring into the matter of the quarrel?" 7
And the Blessed One said: 8
"If the Sangha declares the re-establishment of concord without
having inquired into the matter, the declaration is neither right
nor lawful. 9
"There are two ways of re-establishing concord; one is in the
letter, and the other one is in the spirit and in the letter. 10
"If the Sangha declares the re-establishment of concord without
having inquired into the matter, the peace is concluded in the
letter only. But if the Sangha, having inquired into the matter
and having gone to the bottom of it, decides to declare the
re-establishment of concord, the peace is concluded in the spirit
and also in the letter. 11
"The concord re-established in the spirit and in the letter is
alone right and lawful." 12
And the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus and told them the
story of Prince Dīghāvu, the Long-lived. He said: 13
"In former times, there lived at Benares a powerful king whose
name was Brahmadatta of Kāsi; and he went to war against Dīghīti,
the Long-suffering, a king of Kosala, for he thought, 'The
kingdom of Kosala is small and Dīghīti will not be able to resist
my armies.' 14
"And Dīghīti, seeing that resistance was impossible against the
great host of the king of Kāsi, fled, leaving his little kingdom
in the hands of Brahmadatta; and having wandered from place to
place, he came at last to Benares, and lived there with his
consort in a potter's dwelling outside the town. 15
"And the queen bore him a son and they called him Dīghāvu. 16
"When Dīghāvu had grown up, the king thought to himself: 'King
Brahmadatta has done us great harm, and he is fearing our
revenge; he will seek to kill us. Should he find us he will slay
all three of us.' And he sent his son away, and Dīghāvu having
received a good education from his father, applied himself
diligently to learn all arts, becoming very skilful and wise. 17
"At that time the barber of king Dīghīti dwelt at Benares, and he
saw the king, his former master, and, being of an avaricious
nature, betrayed him to King Brahmadatta. 18
"When Brahmadatta, the king of Kāsi, heard that the fugitive king
of Kosala and his queen, unknown and in disguise, were living a
quiet life in a potter's dwelling, he ordered them to be bound
and executed; and the sheriff to whom the order was given seized
king Dīghīti and led him to the place of execution. 19
"While the captive king was being led through the streets of
Benares he saw his son who had returned to visit his parents,
and, careful not to betray the presence of his son, yet anxious
to communicate to him his last advice, he cried: 'O Dīghāvu, my
son! Be not far-sighted, be not near-sighted, for not by hatred
is hatred appeased; hatred is appeased by not-hatred only.' 20
"The king and queen of Kosala were executed, but Dīghāvu their
son bought strong wine and made the guards drunk. When the night
arrived he laid the bodies of his parents upon a funeral pyre and
burned them with all honors and religious rites. 21
"When king Brahmadatta heard of it, he became afraid, for he
thought, 'Dīghāvu, the son of king Dīghīti, is a wise youth and
he will take revenge for the death of his parents. If he espies a
favorable opportunity, he will assassinate me.' 22
"Young Dīghāvu went to the forest and wept to his heart's
content. Then he wiped his tears and returned to Benares. Hearing
that assistants were wanted in the royal elephants' stable, he
offered his services and was engaged by the master of the
elephants. 23
"And it happened that the king heard a sweet voice ringing
through the night and singing to the lute a beautiful song that
gladdened his heart. And having inquired among his attendants who
the singer might be, was told that the master of the elephants
had in his service a young man of great accomplishments, and
beloved by all his comrades. They said, 'He is wont to sing to
the lute, and he must have been the singer that gladdened the
heart of the king.' 24
"And the king summoned the young man before him and, being much
pleased with Dīghāvu, gave him employment in the royal castle.
Observing how wisely the youth acted, how modest he was and yet
punctilious in the performance of his work, the king very soon
gave him a position of trust. 25
"Now it came to pass that the king went hunting and became
separated from his retinue, young Dīghāvu alone remaining with
him. And the king worn out from the hunt laid his head in the lap
of young Dīghāvu and slept. 26
"And Dīghāvu thought: 'People will forgive great wrongs which
they have suffered, but they will never be at ease about the
wrongs which they themselves have done. They will persecute their
victims to the bitter end. This king Brahmadatta has done us
great injury, he robbed us of our kingdom and slew my father and
my mother. He is now in my power.' Thinking thus he unsheathed
his sword. 27
"Then Dīghāvu thought of the last words of his father. 'Be not
far-sighted, be not near-sighted. For not by hatred is hatred
appeased. Hatred is appeased by not-hatred alone.' Thinking thus,
he put his sword back into the sheath. 28
"The king became restless in his sleep and he awoke, and when the
youth asked, 'Why art thou frightened, O king?' he replied: 'My
sleep is always restless because I often dream that young Dīghāvu
is coming upon me with his sword. While I lay here with my head
in thy lap I dreamed the dreadful dream again; and I awoke full
of terror and alarm.' 29
"Then the youth, laying his left hand upon the defenceless king's
head and with his right hand drawing his sword, said: 'I am
Dīghāvu, the son of king Dīghīti, whom thou hast robbed of his
kingdom and slain together with his queen, my mother. I know that
men overcome the hatred entertained for wrongs which they have
suffered much more easily than for the wrongs which they have
done, and so I cannot expect that thou wilt take pity on me; but
now a chance for revenge has come to me.' 30
"The king seeing that he was at the mercy of young Dīghāvu raised
his hands and said: 'Grant me my life, my dear Dīghāvu, grant me
my life. I shall be forever grateful to thee.' 31
"And Dīghāvu said without bitterness or ill-will: 'How can I
grant thee thy life, O king, since my life is endangered by thee.
I do not mean to take thy life. It is thou, O king, who must
grant me my life.' 32
"And the king said: 'Well, my dear Dīghāvu, then grant me my
life, and I will grant thee thine.' 33
"Thus, king Brahmadatta of Kāsi and young Dīghāvu granted each
other's life and took each other's hand and swore an oath not to
do any harm to each other. 34
"And king Brahmadatta of Kāsi said to young Dīghāvu: 'Why did
thy father say to thee in the hour of his death: "Be not
far-sighted, be not near-sighted, for hatred is not appeased by
hatred. Hatred is appeased by not-hatred alone,"--what did thy
father mean by that?' 35
"The youth replied: 'When my father, O king, in the hour of his
death said: "Be not far-sighted," he meant, Let not thy hatred go
far. And when my father said, "Be not near-sighted," he meant, Be
not hasty to fall out with thy friends. And when he said, "For
not by hatred is hatred appeased; hatred is appeased by
not-hatred," he meant this: Thou hast killed my father and
mother, O king, and if I should deprive thee of thy life, then
thy partisans in turn would take away my life; my partisans again
would deprive thine of their lives. Thus by hatred, hatred would
not be appeased. But now, O king, thou hast granted me my life,
and I have granted thee thine; thus by not-hatred hatred has been
appeased.' 36
"Then king Brahmadatta of Kāsi thought: 'How wise is young
Dīghāvu that he understands in its full extent the meaning of
what his father spoke concisely.' And the king gave him back his
father's kingdom and gave him his daughter in marriage." 37
Having finished the story, the B
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