passed the night in the king’s garden, and on the following day, having
put on beautiful garments, entered the city on his round for alms. At
that moment that king, that betrayer of friends, seated on the back of
his gloriously adorned state elephant, accompanied by a large retinue,
was making a rightwise circuit of the city. Seeing the Future Buddha
even from afar, he thought: “Here’s that false ascetic, come to live
with me and eat his fill! That he may not make known in the midst of
this company the service he has rendered me, I’ll straightway have his
head cut off!”
He looked at his men. Said they: “What shall we do, your majesty?” Said
the king: “Here’s a false ascetic, come to ask me for something or
other, I suppose. Without so much as giving that false ascetic, that
bird of evil omen, a chance to look at me, take that fellow, bind his
arms behind his back, conduct him out of the city, beating him at every
cross-roads, cut off his head in the place of execution, and impale
his body on a stake!” “Very well,” said the king’s men in assent. They
bound the Great Being, guiltless as he was, and started to conduct him
to the place of execution, beating him at every cross-roads. The Future
Buddha, wherever they beat him, uttered no lament, “Women! men!” but
unperturbed, uttered the following stanza:
True is this saying of some men of the world:
“Driftwood is worth more than some men!”
[_Native gloss_: A stick of wood washed up on dry land is of some
use: it will cook food; it will warm those who are shivering with the
cold; it will remove dangerous objects. But an ingrate is worse than
useless.]
Thus, wherever they beat him, did he utter this stanza. Hearing this,
wise men who stood by said: “But, monk, what is the trouble between you
and our king? have you done him some good turn?” Then the Future Buddha
told them the whole story, saying: “I alone, by pulling this man out
of a mighty flood, have brought suffering upon myself. I speak as I do
because I keep thinking: ‘Alas! I have not heeded the words of wise men
of old!’”
Hearing this, Warriors and Brahmans and others, residents of the city,
became enraged. Said they: “This king here, this betrayer of friends,
has not the slightest conception of the virtues of this embodiment of
the virtues, this man who has granted him the boon of his own life!
What have we to gain through him! Capture him!” And rising in all
quarters, they slew him, even as he sat on the back of the elephant,
by hitting him with arrows and spears and rocks and clubs. And laying
hold of his feet, they dragged him and threw him back of the moat.
And conferring the ceremonial sprinkling on the Future Buddha, they
established him in the kingdom. The Future Buddha ruled righteously.
Again one day, desiring to test the snake, the rat, and the parrot,
he went with a large retinue to the place of abode of the snake and
called him out, saying: “Longfellow!” The snake came, bowed to him,
and said: “Here’s your money, master; take it.” The king entrusted to
his ministers wealth amounting to forty crores of gold. Then he went
to the rat and called him out, saying: “Rat!” The rat also came, and
with a bow handed over to him wealth amounting to thirty crores. The
king entrusted that also to his ministers. Then he went to the place of
abode of the parrot and called him out, saying: “Parrot!” The parrot
also came, and reverencing his feet, said: “Master, shall I fetch
rice?” Said the king: “When there is need of rice, you may fetch it;
come, let’s go.”
With the seventy crores of gold, causing those three animals also
to be carried along, he went to the city. And ascending to the grand
floor of his magnificent palace, he caused that wealth to be stored and
guarded. For the snake to live in, he caused a golden tube to be made;
for the rat, a crystal cave; for the parrot, a golden cage. For the
snake and the parrot to eat, he caused every day sweet parched grain to
be given in a vessel of gold purified with fire; for the rat, grains
of perfumed rice; he gave alms and performed the other works of merit.
Thus those four persons, one and all, dwelt together in unity and
concord all their days, and when their days were come to an end, passed
away according to their deeds.
Said the Teacher: “Monks, not only in his present state of existence
has Devadatta gone about for the purpose of killing me; in a previous
state of existence also he went about for the purpose of killing me
in the very same way.”
_3. Elephant and Ungrateful Forester._
_The whole earth will not satisfy an ungrateful man._
Jātaka 72: i. 319-322.
_To an ungrateful man._ This parable was related by the Teacher while
he was in residence at Bamboo Grove with reference to Devadatta.
The monks, seated in the Hall of Truth, were saying: “Brethren,
Devadatta the ungrateful knows not the virtues of the Teacher.”
The Teacher drew near and asked: “Monks, what is the subject that
engages your attention now, as you sit here all gathered together?”
“Such-and-such,” was the reply. “Monks,” said the Teacher, “not
only in his present state of existence has Devadatta proved to be
ungrateful; in a previous state of existence also he was ungrateful
just the same. At no time soever has he known my virtues.” Then, in
response to a request of the monks, he related the following Story of
the Past:
In times past, when Brahmadatta ruled at Benāres, the Future Buddha
was reborn in the region of Himavat as an elephant. When he was born,
he was pure white, like a mass of silver; moreover his eyes were like
globules of jewels, and from them shone forth the Five Brightnesses;
his mouth was like a crimson blanket; his trunk was like a rope of
silver, ornamented with spots of ruddy gold; his four feet were as if
rubbed with lac. Thus his person, adorned with the Ten Perfections,
attained the pinnacle of beauty.
Now when he reached the age of reason, elephants from all over Himavat
assembled and formed his retinue. Thus did he make his home in the
region of Himavat, with a retinue of eighty thousand elephants. After a
time, perceiving that there was contamination in the herd, he isolated
himself from the herd and made his home quite alone in the forest.
Moreover, by reason of his goodness, he became known as Good King
Elephant.
Now a certain resident of Benāres, a forester, entered the forest,
seeking wares whereby to make his living. Unable to distinguish the
directions, he lost his way, and terrified with the fear of death, went
about with outstretched arms lamenting. The Future Buddha, hearing
those profound lamentations of his, thought: “I will free this man from
his suffering.” And impelled by compassion, he went to him.
The instant that man saw the Future Buddha, he fled in fright. The
Future Buddha, seeing him in flight, halted right where he was. The
man, seeing that the Future Buddha had halted, himself halted. The
Future Buddha came back. The man fled a second time, but halting when
the Future Buddha halted, thought: “This elephant halts when I flee,
and approaches when I halt. He has no desire to do me harm, but without
a doubt desires only to free me from this suffering.” And summoning up
his courage, he halted.
The Future Buddha approached him and asked: “Why, Master man, do you
go about lamenting?” “Master, because I couldn’t distinguish the
directions, lost my way, and was afraid of death.” Then the Future
Buddha conducted him to his own place of abode, and for a few days
gladdened him with fruits and other edibles. Then said the Future
Buddha: “Master man, don’t be afraid: I’ll conduct you to the path of
man.” And seating him on his back, he proceeded to the path of men.
But that man, that betrayer of friends, even as he sat on the back of
the Future Buddha, thought: “If anybody asks me, I must be able to tell
him where this elephant lives.” So as he went along, he noted carefully
the landmarks of tree and mountain. Now the Future Buddha, having
conducted that man out of the forest, set him down on the highway
leading to Benāres, and said to him: “Master man, go by this road; but
as for my place of abode, whether you are asked or not, say nothing to
anybody about it.” So saying, he took leave of him and went back to his
own place of abode.
Now that man went to Benāres, and in the course of his walks came to
the street of the ivory-carvers. And seeing the ivory-carvers making
various kinds of ivory products, he asked: “But, sirs, how much would
you make if you could get the tusk of a real live elephant?” “What are
you saying, sir! The tusk of a live elephant is far more valuable than
the tusk of a dead elephant.” “Very well! I’ll fetch you the tusk of a
live elephant.” Accordingly, obtaining provisions for the journey and
taking a sharp saw, he went to the place of abode of the Future Buddha.
When the Future Buddha saw him, he asked: “For what purpose have you
come?” “I, sir, am a poor man, a pauper, unable to make a living. I
came with this thought in my mind: ‘I will ask you for a fragment of
one of your tusks; if you will give it to me, I will take it and go and
sell it and with the money it brings make a living.’” “Let be, sir!
I’ll give you tusks, if you have a sharp saw to cut them off with.” “I
brought a saw with me, sir.” “Very well, sever the tusks with your saw
and take them and go your way.” So saying, the Future Buddha bowed his
knees together and sat down like a cow. The man actually cut off his
two principal tusks!
[Illustration: _The man actually cut off his two principal tusks!_]
The Future Buddha, taking those tusks in his trunk, said: “Master
man, not with the thought, ‘These tusks are not dear to me, not
pleasing to me,’ do I give you these tusks. But dearer to me than
these a thousand times,--a hundred thousand times,--are the Tusks of
Omniscience, which avail to the comprehension of all things. May this
gift of tusks which I here bestow enable me to attain Omniscience!” So
saying, as it were sowing the Seed of Omniscience, he gave him the pair
of tusks.
The man took them and went and sold them. When the money they brought
was gone, he went to the Future Buddha again and said: “Master, the
money I got by selling you tusks turned out to be no more than enough
to pay off my debts. Give me the rest of your tusks!” “Very well,” said
the Future Buddha, consenting. And ordering all things precisely as
before, he gave him the rest of his tusks.
Those also did that man sell, and then came back again. “Master,” said
he. “I cannot make a living. Give me the stumps of your tusks!” “Very
well,” said the Future Buddha, and sat down precisely as before. That
wicked man trod on the Great Being’s trunk,--that trunk which was like
unto a rope of silver; climbed up on the Great Being’s temples,--those
temples which were like unto the snow-clad peaks of Kelāsa, with his
heel kicking the tips of the tusks and loosening the flesh; and having
mounted the temples, with a sharp saw severed the stumps of the tusks,
and went his way.
But even as that wicked man receded from the vision of the Future
Buddha, the solid earth, which extends for a distance of two hundred
thousand leagues and four Inconceivables more, which is able to
endure such mighty burdens as Sineru and Yugandhara, and all manner
of foul-smelling and repulsive objects,--even the solid earth, as if
unable to endure the wickedness he had piled upon it, burst asunder
and yawned. Instantly from the Great Waveless Hell flames of fire shot
forth, enveloped that man, that betrayer of friends, wrapping him, as
it were, in a blanket proper for death and laid hold of him.
When that wicked man thus entered the earth, the tree-spirit resident
in that forest-grove thought: “An ungrateful man, a man who will betray
his friends, cannot be satisfied, even if he be given the kingdom of a
Universal Monarch.” And making the forest ring, proclaiming the Truth,
the tree-spirit uttered the following stanza:
To an ungrateful man
Ever looking for an opening
You may give the whole earth
And yet not satisfy him.
Thus did that tree-spirit, making the forest ring, proclaim the Truth.
The Future Buddha, having remained on earth during the term of life
allotted to him, passed away according to his deeds.
Said the Teacher: “Monks, not only in his present state of existence
has Devadatta proved ungrateful; in a previous state of existence
also he was ungrateful just the same.” Having completed the parable,
he identified the personages in the Birth-story as follows: “At that
time the man who betrayed his friend was Devadatta, the tree-spirit
was one of my disciples, but Good King Elephant was I myself.”
_4. Quail, Crow, Fly, Frog, and Elephants._
_The biter bit._
Jātaka 357: iii. 174-177.
Hearing that the monks of Kosambi were quarreling, the Exalted One
went to them and said: “Enough, monks! No quarreling! No brawling! No
contending! No wrangling!” Then he said: “Monks, quarrels, brawls,
contentions, wrangles,--all these are unprofitable. For because of a
quarrel even a tiny quail brought about the destruction of a noble
elephant.”
In times past, when Brahmadatta ruled at Benāres, the Future Buddha was
reborn as an elephant. He grew up to be a fine big animal, acquired
a retinue of eighty thousand elephants, and becoming the leader of a
herd, made his home in the Himālaya region. At that time a tiny female
quail laid her eggs in the elephants’ stamping-ground. When the eggs
were hatched, the fledglings broke the shells and came out. Before
their wings had grown and while they were yet unable to fly, the Great
Being came to that spot with his retinue of eighty thousand elephants
in search of food.
When the tiny quail saw him, she thought: “This elephant-king will
crush my fledglings and kill them. Well, I will ask of him righteous
protection for the defense of my little ones.” So folding her wings
and standing before him, she uttered the first stanza:
I salute you, elephant of sixty years,
Forest-ranger, glorious leader of a herd;
With my wings I do you homage.
I am weak: do not kill my little ones.
Said the Great Being: “Do not worry, tiny quail; I will protect your
little ones.” And he stood over the fledglings, and the eighty thousand
elephants passed by. Then he addressed the tiny quail: “Behind us comes
a single solitary elephant; he will not obey our command. If you ask
him also when he comes, you may obtain safety for your little ones.” So
saying, he went his way.
The tiny quail went forth to meet the solitary elephant, did homage to
him with her wings, and uttered the second stanza:
I salute you, solitary elephant,
Forest-ranger, pasturing on mountain and on hill;
With my wings I do you homage.
I am weak: do not kill my little ones.
The solitary elephant, hearing her words, uttered the third stanza:
I will kill your little ones, tiny quail.
What can you do to me? You are a weakling.
Even a hundred thousand like you
Could I crush with my left foot.
So saying, he pulverized her little ones with his foot, and went his
way trumpeting. The tiny quail perched on the branch of a tree and
thought: “Just now you go your way trumpeting. In only a few days you
will see what I can do! You do not understand that the mind is stronger
than the body. Ah, but I will make you understand!” And threatening
him, she uttered the fourth stanza:
For not alway does strength avail;
For strength is the destruction of a fool.
Elephant-king, I will do you harm,
You who killed my little ones since I was weak.
Thus spoke the tiny quail. For a few days she ministered to a crow.
The crow was pleased and said: “What can I do for you?” Said the tiny
quail: “Master, there is only one thing I want done. I expect you to
peck out the eyes of that solitary elephant.” “Very well,” assented
the crow. The tiny quail then ministered to a green fly. The fly also
said, “What can I do for you?” Said the tiny quail: “When this crow
has put out the eyes of the solitary elephant, I wish you would drop a
nit on them.” “Very well,” assented the fly also. The tiny quail then
ministered to a frog. Said the frog: “What can I do?” Said the tiny
quail: “When this solitary elephant has gone blind and seeks water to
drink, then please squat on the mountain-top and croak; and when he
has climbed to the top of the mountain, then please hop down and croak
at the bottom. This is all I expect of you.” The frog also, hearing her
words, assented, saying, “Very well.”
Now one day the crow pecked out both of the elephant’s eyes, and the
fly let a nit drop on them. The elephant, eaten up by maggots, maddened
with pain, overcome with thirst, wandered about seeking water to drink.
At that moment the frog, squatting on the mountain-top, let out a
croak. The elephant thought: “There must be water there;” and climbed
the mountain. Then the frog hopped down, and squatting at the bottom,
let out a croak. The elephant thought: “There must be water there.” And
going to the brink of the precipice, he tumbled and fell to the foot of
the mountain, and met destruction.
When the tiny quail realized that he was dead, she cried out: “I have
seen the back of my enemy!” And pleased and delighted, she strutted
over his shoulders, and passed away according to her deeds.
Behold the quail, the crow, the fly, the frog!
They slew the elephant! Behold the hatred of the haters!
_5. Quails and Fowler._
_In union there is strength._
Jātaka 33: i. 208-210.
Then said the Exalted One to those monks: “Monks, be united; do not
wrangle. For because of a wrangle many thousand quails lost their
lives.”
In times past, when Brahmadatta ruled at Benāres, the Future Buddha
was reborn as a quail, and lived in the forest with a retinue of many
thousand quails. At that time a certain quail-hunter used to go to the
haunt of the quails and attract them by imitating a quail’s whistle.
When he perceived that they had assembled, he would throw a net over
them and huddle them all together by trampling the edges. Then he would
fill his basket, go home, and sell them. Thus he made his living.
Now one day the Future Buddha said to those quails: “This fowler is
bringing our kinsfolk to destruction. I know a way by which he shall
not be able to catch us. From this time on, the moment he throws the
net over you, let each quail stick his head through a single mesh,
lift the net, and carrying it wherever you will, let it down on some
thorn-brake. This done, we can escape each through his own mesh.” They
all assented, saying, “Very well!”
When the net was thrown over them on the following day, they raised the
net precisely as the Future Buddha had told them to, dropped it on a
certain thorn-brake, and themselves escaped from under. Twilight came
on with the fowler still busy disentangling the net from the brake, and
he went away absolutely empty-handed. On the next day, and thereafter
also, the quails did the very same thing. The fowler also, busy every
moment until sunset disentangling the net, got nothing, and went home
absolutely empty-handed.
Now his wife got angry and said: “Day after day you return
empty-handed; I suppose there is some other household outside you have
to provide for too.” Said the fowler: “My dear, there is no other
household I have to provide for. The fact is, these quails are acting
in unison. The moment I throw the net, they depart with it and drop
it on a thorn-brake. But they will not live in unity forever. Do not
worry. When they fall to wrangling, I will return with them all and
bring a smile to your lips.” And he recited the following stanza to his
wife:
United, the birds go away with the net;
But when they fall out, they’ll come into my power.
Now after only a few days had passed, one quail, lighting on the
feeding-ground, accidentally trod on the head of another. The other was
offended and said: “Who trod on my head?” “I did, but accidentally;
do not be offended.” But the other was offended just the same. They
bandied words and wrangled with each other, saying, “You alone, I
suppose, lift the net!”
While they wrangled, the Future Buddha thought: “There is no safety for
a wrangler. From this moment they will not lift the net. Then they will
come to a sorry end. The fowler will get his chance. It is impossible
for me to live in this place.” And he went elsewhere with his own
retinue.
As for the fowler, he came back after a few days, imitated a quail’s
whistle, and when the quails had assembled, threw the net over them.
Then said one quail: “They say that in the very act of lifting the net,
you lost the down on your head. Now lift!” Said another: “They say that
in the very act of lifting the net, you lost your wing-feathers. Now
lift!”
Even as they said: “You lift!” “You lift!” the fowler tossed the net.
And huddling them all together, he filled his basket, and went home and
brought a smile to the lips of his wife.
And for the second time the Exalted One said this to those monks:
“Enough, monks! No quarreling! No brawling! No contending! No
wrangling!”
But in spite of this, they paid no attention to his words. Thereupon
the Exalted One related the following Story of the Past:
_6. Brahmadatta and the Prince._
_Love your enemies._
Vinaya i. 342-349.
In olden times at Benāres, Brahmadatta king of Kāsi was rich,
possessed of great wealth, ample means of enjoyment, a mighty army,
many vehicles, an extensive kingdom, and well filled treasuries and
storehouses. Dīghīti king of Kosala was poor, possessed of meagre
wealth, scanty means of enjoyment, a small army, few vehicles, a little
kingdom, and unfilled treasuries and storehouses.
Now Brahmadatta king of Kāsi drew up his fourfold army and went up
against Dīghīti king of Kosala. And Dīghīti king of Kosala heard:
“Brahmadatta king of Kāsi, they say, has drawn up his fourfold army,
and is come up against me.” Then to Dīghīti king of Kosala occurred
the following thought: “Brahmadatta king of Kāsi is rich, possessed of
great wealth, ample means of enjoyment, a mighty army, many vehicles,
an extensive kingdom, and well filled treasuries and storehouses. But
I am poor, possessed of meagre wealth, scanty means of enjoyment, a
small army, few vehicles, a little kingdom, and unfilled treasuries and
storehouses. I am not strong enough to withstand even a single clash
with Brahmadatta king of Kāsi. Suppose I were merely to countermarch
and slip out of the city!”
Accordingly Dīghīti king of Kosala took his consort, merely
countermarched, and slipped out of the city. Thereupon Brahmadatta king
of Kāsi conquered the army and vehicles and territory and treasuries
and storehouses of Dīghīti king of Kosala, and took possession. And
Dīghīti king of Kosala with his consort set out for Benāres, and in
due course arrived at Benāres. And there, in a certain place on the
outskirts of Benāres, Dīghīti king of Kosala resided with his consort,
in a potter’s dwelling, in disguise, in the guise of a wandering
ascetic.
Now in no very long time the consort of Dīghīti king of Kosala was
with child. And this was her craving: She desired at sunrise to see a
fourfold army drawn up, clad in armor, standing in a pleasant place,
and to drink the rinsings of swords. Accordingly the consort of Dīghīti
king of Kosala said this to Dīghīti king of Kosala: “I am with child,
O king. And this craving has arisen within me: I desire at sunrise to
see a fourfold army drawn up, clad in armor, standing in a pleasant
place, and to drink the rinsings of swords.” “Whence are we, wretched
folk, to obtain a fourfold army drawn up, clad in armor, standing in
a pleasant place, and the rinsings of swords?” “If, O king, I do not
obtain my desire, I shall die.”
Now at that time the Brahman who was the house-priest of Brahmadatta
king of Kāsi was a friend of Dīghīti king of Kosala. Accordingly
Dīghīti king of Kosala approached the Brahman who was the house-priest
of Brahmadatta king of Kāsi. And having approached, he said this to the
Brahman who was the house-priest of Brahmadatta king of Kāsi: “Sir,
your female friend is with child. And this craving has arisen within
her: She desires at sunrise to see a fourfold army drawn up, clad in
armor, standing in a pleasant place, and to drink the rinsings of
swords.” “Very well, O king, we also will see the queen.”