pâda of this stanza, I think we should read arthâd api bhra_ms_am
avâpnuvanti.
On hearing this, _S_akra, the chief of the Devas, highly admiring him,
praised him: 'Excellent, excellent!' and again he said:
19. 'Justly Fame, like a loving woman, attends upon those who have
renounced the world. Well, accept some other boon from me for this
well-said sentence.'
Then the Bodhisattva, induced by his hostility to innate evil passions
to blame the intercourse with such creatures as are not free from those
passions, under the guise of accepting the boon[65], said this:
[65] Instead of vrati, which is here almost meaningless, Prof. Kern
suggests v_ri_ti = vara.
20. 'May I never hear a fool, nor get the sight of such a one, nor speak
to such a one, nor endure the annoyance and the pain of staying with
such a one! This is the boon I ask thee for.'
_S_akra spoke:
21, 22. 'What dost thou say? Anybody being in distress is most deserving
of the commiseration of the pious. Now, foolishness being the root of
calamities, is held to be the vilest condition. How is this that thou,
though compassionate, abhorrest the sight of a fool, a person especially
fit for commiseration?'
The Bodhisattva answered: 'Because there is no help for him, sir. Do but
consider this:
23. 'If a fool were at any rate curable by treatment, how would anybody
like me be wanting in effort to bring about his good?
'But such a one, thou must understand, can derive no profit at all from
medical treatment.
24, 25. 'He follows the wrong course of conduct, as if it were the right
one, and desires to put also his neighbour in that way, and not having
been accustomed to a decent and upright behaviour, becomes even angry
when admonished for his good. Now, then, to such a person, who burns
with the infatuation of self-conceit, thinking himself wise, whose harsh
anger is provoked by those who speak for his good, and whose
impetuousness has not been softened because of the deficiency of his
moral education--say, what means does there exist to bring profit to
him?
26. 'For this reason, then, O most excellent of the Devas, because there
is no help for him, not even in the power of the compassionate, I do not
want to see a fool, since he is the most unfit object.'
On hearing this, _S_akra praised him, exclaiming 'Very well! very well!'
and charmed by his right sayings, spoke again:
27. 'The invaluable jewels of well-said sentences cannot be rewarded by
any equivalent. But as a handful of flowers to worship thee, I gladly
offer thee some boon for these too.'
Then the Bodhisattva, in order to show that the virtuous are welcome in
every circumstance, spoke:
28. 'May I see a wise man, and hear a wise man, dwell with such a one,
_S_akra, and converse with such a one! This boon, best of the Devas, do
grant me.'
_S_akra said: 'Thou seemest, indeed, to be a warm partisan of the wise.
Why, tell me then,
29. 'What have the wise done for thee? Say, Kâ_s_yapa, what is the
reason that thou showest this rather foolish greediness for the sight of
a wise man?'
Then the Bodhisattva, in order to show him the magnanimity of the
virtuous, spoke: 'Hearken, sir, for what reason my mind longs for the
sight of a wise man.
30. 31. 'He walks in the path of virtue himself, and brings also others
into that way, and words said for his good, even if they be harsh, do
not rouse his impatience. Being adorned by uprightness and decency, it
is always possible to make him accept what is said for his good. For
this reason my mind, adhering to virtue, is inclined to the partisan of
virtue.'
Then _S_akra praised him, exclaiming: 'Well said! very excellent!' and
with still increased satisfaction again summoned him to ask some boon.
32, 33. 'Surely, thou hast already obtained everything, since thou art
wholly satisfied, yet thou shouldst take some boon from me, considering
it as a means of gratifying me. For a favour offered out of reverence,
from abundance of power, and with the hope of affording a benefit,
becomes a cause of great pain, if not accepted.'
Then the Bodhisattva, seeing his utmost desire for doing good, and
wishing to please him and to benefit him, answered so as to declare to
him the superiority of the strong desire of almsgiving.
34. 'May thy food, which is free from destruction and corruption, thy
mind, which is lovely because of its practice of charity, and mendicants
adorned by the pureness of their good conduct, be mine! This most
blessed boon I ask.'
_S_akra said: 'Thy Reverence is a mine of jewels of well-said sentences.
Further,
35. 'Not only will everything thou hast requested be accomplished, but
on account of this well-said sentence I give thee some other boon.'
The Bodhisattva said:
36. 'If thou wilt give me a boon which incloses the highest favour for
me, O most excellent of all Celestials, do not come to me again in this
thy blazing splendour. For this boon I ask the destroyer of the
Daityas.'
Upon this _S_akra was somewhat irritated, and highly astonished he thus
spoke to him: 'Do not speak so, sir.
37. 'By every kind of ritual: prayers, vows, sacrifices, with penances
and toilsome exertions, people on earth seek to obtain the sight of me.
But thou dost not desire so. For what reason then? I came up to thee,
wishing to bestow my boons on thee.'
The Bodhisattva said: 'Do not yield to thy anger. I will pacify Thy
Highness, king of the Devas. It is not for want of courtesy, that I ask
so, nor is it a deed of irreverence, nor do I aim at showing lack of
devotion towards Thy Majesty. Not at all, but,
38. 'Contemplating thy superhuman wonderful shape, which though shining
gently, is still blazing with brilliancy, I fear the sight of thee,
however mildly shining, lest it should cause any want of strictness in
the fulfilment of my penance.'
Then _S_akra bowed to him, circumambulated him from left to right, and
disappeared on the spot. And lo, at day-break the Bodhisattva perceived
plenty of divine food and drink, brought thither by the power of
_S_akra, and many hundreds of Pratyekabuddhas called by the invitation
of _S_akra, also many angels (devaputras) high girded, ready to wait on
them.
39. Supplying in this way with food and drink the wants of those most
holy sages, the Muni obtained a sublime joy; and he delighted in living
after the manner suitable for ascetics, in performing his boundless vow
of meditation (dhyâna), and in tranquillity.
* * * * *
In this manner, then, a heroic practice of liberality is an ornament
even in ascetics, how much more in householders.
[So considering, a virtuous man must adorn himself with heroic constancy
of giving. This (story) must also be adduced, when treating of the
gladness caused to a liberal and charitable man; when blaming
covetousness, hatred, infatuation, and foolishness; when preaching on
the virtue of the intercourse with a pious friend, or on contentment.
Likewise in discourses on the magnanimity of the Tathâgata: 'So our Lord
was an inexhaustible mine of jewels of excellent sayings, when still in
his former existences, how much more so was he after attaining Complete
Wisdom.']
VIII. THE STORY OF MAITRÎBALA.
Being afflicted by the sufferings of others, the intensely compassionate
do not mind their own pleasure. This will be taught as follows.
At the time when the Bodhisattva, always having in view his purpose of
saving the creatures, had fixed upon (the exercise of the pâramitâ of)
compassion, as became his high-mindedness, and was always increasing in
matchless virtues--charity, humility, self-restraint, tenderness, and
the like, suitable for the benefit of the world, he was, it is said, a
king kind-hearted towards all creatures, named Maitrîbala[66].
[66] This name signifies, 'he whose strength is kindness,' cp.
stanza 14. The edition has here Maitrabalo, by a misprint, it
seems.
1, 2. This king felt the weal and the woe of his subjects as his own,
and being skilled in the art of protecting them, he handled both his
sword and his law in accordance with this feeling. Yet his sword was
only an ornament to him, since the (other) kings waited for his orders,
respectfully bowing their head-crests; his law, on the contrary, showed
itself most openly in the measures he took for promoting the welfare of
his people.
3. He dealt out punishments and rewards without infringing
righteousness. In consequence of his goodness of heart and his political
wisdom, he inquired into his subjects like a father.
So he ruled with righteousness, and while directing his veracity, his
liberality, his tranquillity, his wisdom, and his other virtues to
conduce to the welfare of others, he increased his store of exceedingly
lofty actions, which are the due requisites for the attainment of
Buddhahood. Now one day, five Yakshas, whom for some offence or other
(Kubera) the Lord of the Yakshas had exiled from his dominions, came to
his realm. These goblins were O_g_ohâras [that is, vigour-bereaving
spirits], skilled in the art of killing others[67]. When they saw the
kingdom exhibiting the aspect of the utmost prosperity, and became aware
that the absence of every kind of calamity made the people rejoiced,
satisfied, thriving, and in the habit of having merriment and manifold
festivals, the desire of taking away the vigour from the inhabitants of
that region arose within them.
[67] It is likely, those Yakshas were thought to possess the power
of causing consumptive diseases; consumption is called in Sanskrit
yakshma or râ_g_ayakshma. In the Divyâvadâna (295, 6) a râkshasa
o_g_ohâra_h_ is mentioned.
4. But, though they did their usual work with the greatest effort, they
were still not able to take away the vigour of the inhabitants of that
country.
5. The power of that king was so excessive that his very intention of
shielding proved the highest protection. For this reason those Yakshas
were powerless to take away the vigour of his subjects.
And as they were not able to debilitate any one, living in that kingdom,
however much they exerted themselves, they deliberated among themselves
and said: 'How may this be, sirs?
6. 'They do not possess such superiorities of learning, penance, or
magic as to enable them to obstruct our power, and yet all of us are
reduced to impotency, so as to bear our appellation (of O_g_ohâras) in
vain.'
And they assumed the shape of men of the Brâhman class, and going about,
they saw a certain cowherd of those who live in the forest-region, who
was sitting upon a grass-plot at the foot of a shady tree. He had shoes
on his feet, and on his head he wore a garland, made of flowers and
opening buds of forest-trees. His stick and his hatchet he had laid on
the earth on his right. He was alone and occupied with twisting a rope,
diverting himself meanwhile with singing and humming. Him they
approached and imitating human voice[68], they said to him: 'Well,
friend, thou who art charged with guarding the cows, how is it that
staying thus alone in this lonely forest where no man is to be seen,
thou are not afraid?' And he, looking at them, spoke: 'Of what should I
be afraid?' The Yakshas said: 'Hast thou never before heard that such
goblins as Yakshas, Râkshasas, or Pi_s_â_k_as are cruel by nature?
[68] In the original the Yakshas utter some inarticulate sounds
before succeeding in speaking Sanskrit.
7, 8. 'If men are in company and endowed with learning, penance, and
svastyayana-charms,[69] even then, be they never so brave and
contemptuous of fear, they will but narrowly escape those Râkshasas who
feed on the flesh and fat of men. How, then, is it that thou art not
afraid of them, thou who stayest without any comrade amidst these
solitary, remote, and frightful forests?'
[69] Viz. spells and charms, effective of bliss and happiness and
obstructive of the contrary.
On hearing this, the cowherd laughed heartily, and said to them:
9, 10. 'Well, the people of this country are protected by a mighty
svastyayana, so that even the Lord of the Devas himself has no power
over them, how much less the flesh-eating goblins. So it happens that I
wander fearless through the wilderness as if I stayed at home, at night
as if it were day, and alone as if I were in a crowd.'
Upon this the Yakshas became very curious, and said to him respectfully,
as if to encourage him: 'Why, you must tell us, gentle sir, you must
tell us, of what kind this extraordinary svastyayana of yours is.' He
answered them, laughing once more: 'Hear, then, of what kind this very
wonderful excellent svastyayana of ours is.
11. 'It is he whose broad breast is equal to a plate of the Golden
Mountain (Meru), he whose face displays the lovely beauty of the
spotless moon in autumn, he whose long and full arms are like golden
clubs, he who has the eyes of a bull and the gait of a bull. In short,
it is our king.
'Of this kind our excellent svastyayana is.' And after saying these
words, looking with resentment and astonishment in the face of the
Yakshas, he continued: 'Ah! this is rather a wonder, is not it?
12. 'So renowned is the power of our king, and it has not come to your
hearing! How has this happened? Or have you perhaps heard of it, but
distrusting the excessive marvel of that fame, not minded it?
13. 'I suppose, the people of the country, from whence you have come
hither, are either disinclined to search after virtue or indifferent
about it; it may also be that, the store of their good fortune[70] being
exhausted, the great renown of our king has shunned them.
[70] Every one's good fortune is the result of his merit, and lasts
until that store of good actions is exhausted.
'At all events, for you there is still some remnant of good fortune,
since you are come here from such a savage country.'
The Yakshas said: 'Gentle sir, tell us, of what nature is this power of
that king, that spirits are by no means able to hurt the inhabitants of
his realm?' The cowherd replied: 'Our monarch has obtained this power
through his high-mindedness. See, noble Brâhmans.
14. 'On friendliness does his strength rest, not on his motley-bannered
army, which he keeps only to comply with custom. He knows no anger, nor
does he speak harsh words. He protects his land in the proper manner.
Righteousness is the rule of his actions, not political wisdom, that
base science. His wealth serves to honour the virtuous. And endowed with
those marvellous qualities, still he does not take unto himself either
the wealth of the wicked, or pride.
'Such and many, many more virtues are to be found in our master. For
this reason no calamities have the power to hurt the inhabitants of his
realm. But how little is the information you may get from me! If you are
curious to learn the excellent qualities of our king, it would rather be
suitable for you to enter the capital. There you will behold the people
in their every-day life; you will see how firm they stand in the (moral)
bounds of the âryas, loving each the peculiar duties proper to him; how
merry and thriving they are, in consequence of a constant abundance of
food and uninterrupted welfare; how splendidly they are dressed, yet not
presumptuously; how kind they are to worthy strangers who come to them
as guests; how enraptured they are with the virtues of their king, the
praises of whose glory they never cease to proclaim with gladness, as if
they were uttering some auspicious and evil-averting charm. When
beholding all this, you will obtain the standard for measuring the
multitude of virtues possessed by our lord. And if you once begin to
feel something like reverence for his virtues, you will witness them,
for you will not fail to feel the desire for getting the sight of him.'
The Yakshas, being already moved with anger against the king on account
of his obstructing the manifestation of their power, were in no way
softened by this affectionate and well-deserved eulogy of his virtues.
15. Verily, as a rule the mind of fools[71] becomes inflamed the more by
the praise of the object which has excited their fervent wrath.
[71] In the original they are not called bâla, as above, Story VII,
stanza 22, but by the nearly synonymous term of manda. Still there
may be a slight difference between both appellations. Bâla meant at
the outset 'child, childish, ignorant;' manda, 'slow, feeble, sick,
dull, lazy.' Cp. Suttanipâta, verses 666, 728, 820, and 1051.
Now considering that king's love of charity and wishing to do harm to
him, they approached him at the time of his audience, and asked him for
a meal. The king rejoiced, ordered his officers who stood in charge of
such matters: 'Go and quickly present the Brâhmans with a delicious
meal.' The Yakshas, however, were not ready to accept the meal served to
them, though it might have suited the royal table, but spurning it, as
tigers would green grass, said they did not feed on such dishes. On
hearing which, the king went to them saying: 'But what sort of repast
will agree with your digestion, that something of the kind may be
fetched?'
The Yakshas answered:
16. 'Raw human flesh, freshly cut off and still warm, and human blood, O
lotus-eyed monarch, is the food and drink of Yakshas, O you who are
strict in keeping your engagements.'
After which, they reassumed their own disfigured and frightful features,
exhibiting their mouths rendered ferocious by large teeth, their eyes
fierce and red, flaming and squinting, their flat noses, wide-opened and
misshapen. Their hair and beard had the tawny colour of flames, and
their complexion was as dark as clouds big with rain. Looking at them,
the king knew them to be goblins[72], not men, and understood that for
that reason they did not like the food and drink served by his orders.
[72] Lit. 'to be Pi_s_â_k_as,' apparently a general term. The
different classes of goblins, Yakshas, Râkshasas, Pi_s_â_k_as, are
often confounded; in stanza 27 the general appellation is
Râkshasas. In Story IX, verse 66, yaksha and pi_s_â_k_a are used
promiscuously in the sense of 'ogre.' In the sixth story of the
Pâli _G_âtaka (translated by Rhys Davids in his Birth Stories, p.
180) the water-sprite is sometimes called rakkhaso, sometimes
yakkho.
17. And according to his compassionate nature and his pure-heartedness,
the pity of the monarch towards them increased by this reflection.
Absorbed with commiseration and pitying those Yakshas, he entered surely
upon this thought:
18, 19. 'For a merciful man such food and drink is not only hard to be
found, but it were also to be searched for day after day. Oh, the
immense grief it would cause him! A cruel man may be either able to get
it for them, or not. If not able, his effort would have no other effect
than that of mere destruction; if able, what can be more miserable than
such a one constantly exercising that evil practice?
20. 'These Yakshas, on the other hand, who live on food of that kind,
with hearts wicked and pitiless, are destroying their own happiness
every day. When will their sufferings ever end?
'This being so, how is it possible for me to procure such food for
them? Not even for one single day could I injure others and destroy
life.
21. 'Indeed, I do not remember having ever saddened the faces of those
who came to me as supplicants, and bereaved them of splendour by the
disappointment of their hopes, so as to make them appear like lotuses
withered by the winter-wind.
'But, why muse any longer? I have found what I will do.
22, 23. 'I will give them lumps of solid and fat flesh and draughts of
blood taken from my own body. What way, if not this, can be more
suitable for me to supply the wants of those beggars seeking their
relief from my side? For the flesh of animals who have died a natural
death is cold and bloodless, and of course does not please them; and
their hunger is great and attested by their afflicted figures.
'On the one hand, how may I take flesh out of the body of any other
living being? On the other, how may I suffer them who have resorted to
me, to draw off in this manner, with countenances languishing and eyes
sunken in consequence of their hunger and thirst, and still more sick
with grief because of the fruitlessness of their request on which they
had founded their hopes? It is, therefore, the right time to act in this
way.
24. 'Like a malignant ulcer, this body is always sick and an abode of
pain. Now I will return it that grief by availing myself of it for the
accomplishment of an extraordinary performance of surpassing
loveliness.'
Having so resolved, the Great-minded One, whose eyes and face received
increase of splendour by the outburst of his gladness, spoke thus to the
Yakshas, pointing out his body to them:
25. 'If this flesh and blood, which I bear only for the good of the
creatures, were now to be disposed of with the object of entertaining
guests, I would deem this a good fortune for myself and of great
consequence.'
The Yakshas, though knowing the determination of the king, could not
believe it; so marvellous did it appear to them. And they said to him:
26. 'After the mendicant has unveiled his suffering by wretched asking,
from that very moment it is the giver alone who ought to know what
should be done in the case.'
The king, understanding that they assented, was much rejoiced, and
ordered his physicians to be sent for, to have his veins opened. Now the
royal ministers, understanding his determination to offer his own flesh
and blood, became agitated, irritated, and perplexed by it, and prompted
by their affection, spoke emphatically to this purport: 'We pray Your
Majesty not to give way to your excessive love of charity in such a
degree as to disregard the consequences of your actions, whether they
are to be good or evil to your loyal and devoted subjects. Your Majesty
cannot be ignorant of the nature of the evil spirits.
27. 'Goblins, you know, rejoice in whatsoever may tend to the mishap of
your subjects, most illustrious lord. They get satisfied by a livelihood
necessitating injury to others. Such is the nature of that class of
beings, benevolent master.
28. 'You, Your Majesty, not minding your own pleasures, sustain the
toilsome burden of royalty exclusively for the happiness of your people.
Cease, therefore, from this determination of offering your flesh and
blood; it is a wrong action.
29. 'These goblins have no power over your people, Your Majesty, no
doubt, as long as your strength protects your subjects. So being
obstructed in their cleverness in bringing about mischief, they seek the
calamity of the inhabitants of this country by means of an adroit
scheme.
30. 'In fact, the Celestials are pleased with fat, suet, and the like,
offered to them in the fire at sacrifices, and these goblins should not
like Your Majesty's food, that is excellent and pure, being carefully
prepared!
'Surely, Your Royal Majesty is not obliged to communicate your designs
to such as we. Notwithstanding this, the attachment to our duty forbids
us to show in this matter our usual obedience. Can it be called a
righteous action of Your Majesty to throw your whole people into
calamity for the sake of those five? Moreover, for what reason do you
make us feel to this degree your want of affection? How else could it
happen that our flesh and blood, which we are employing in the service
of our master, have remained unnoticed by you, but you form the desire
of offering your own, while our bodies are entire and available?'
Then the king spoke to those ministers:
31. 'Being requested in distinct terms, how may anybody like me say "I
have not," when having, or "I will not give," speaking falsely?
32. 'Since I pass for your leader in matters of righteousness, if I
myself should walk in the wrong path, what would be the condition of my
subjects, who are ready to follow the example of my behaviour?
33. 'Therefore, it is with regard to my very subjects that I will have
the strength of my body taken out of it. Besides, if I were to be
faint-hearted, subdued by self-love, what power should I have to promote
the welfare of my people?