win over even the hearts of their enemies. Thus considering, he who is
desirous of gaining the affection of men ought to imitate the behaviour
of the virtuous. [This story is also to be propounded, when discoursing
on the Tathâgata. 'The creatures are not as able to bring about their
own profit, as the Lord was to bring about the profit of others.'
Likewise, when treating of listening with attention to the preaching of
the Law, when discoursing on compassion, and also when instructing
princes, in which case this is to be said: 'In this manner a king must
be merciful towards his subjects.' It may be adduced also, when treating
of gratitude. 'In this manner the virtuous show their gratitude.']
XXVIII. THE STORY OF KSHÂNTIVÂDIN.[192]
(Cp. the Pâli _G_âtaka, No. 313, Fausb. III, 39-43.)
[192] In the original Kshânti_g_âtakam. Kshânti must here be an
abbreviation of the name Kshântivâdin; in the Pâli redaction the
corresponding story bears the title of Khantivâdi_g_âtaka.
Truly, to those who have wholly imbibed the virtue of forbearance and
are great in keeping their tranquillity there is nothing unbearable.
This will be taught as follows.
One time the Bodhisattva, it is said, was an ascetic who had forsaken
the world. He had become convinced that the life in a home, since it is
beset with bad occupations, leaves but little room for righteousness;
for it is visited by many sins and evils and unfit for quiet, inasmuch
as it implies the prevalence of material interest (artha) and sensual
pleasures (kâma); it is exposed to the inroad of defiling passions:
love, hatred, infatuation, jealousy, anger, lasciviousness, pride,
selfishness, and the rest; it involves the loss of the possession of
shame and religion, and is the abode of covetousness and wicked lust. On
the other hand he understood the homeless state, as it avoids material
property and sensual objects, to be an agreeable one, being wholly free
from those evils. Thus knowing, he became an ascetic, eminent by his
conduct, his learning, his placidity of mind, his modesty, and his
self-restraint. As he was in the habit of always preaching forbearance
and teaching the Law from that point of view, in strict conformity with
the vow he had taken to do so, people neglecting his proper name and
that of his family, made him a name of their own invention, calling him
Kshântivâdin (forbearance-preacher).
1. Illustrious domination or knowledge or penance, also an extreme
passion for arts, likewise anomaly of body, language or behaviour are
the causes of giving new names to men.
2. So was the case with him. His true name vanished for the appellation
of Kshântivâdin, because knowing the power of forbearance and desiring
to adorn mankind, like himself, with that virtue he constantly used to
discourse on that topic.
3. The great endurance, which was a part of his very nature and the
firmness of which he showed by his unaltered calm, when injured by
others, as well as his excellent sermons on that subject, gave him the
renown of a Muni.
The residence of the High-minded One was a place in the forest, lovely
by its utter solitude and exhibiting the charming beauty of a garden; it
bore flowers and fruits at all seasons, and encompassed a pond of pure
water embellished by white and blue lotuses. By his dwelling there he
procured for that place the holiness of a hermitage.
4. For where pious persons adorned with excellent virtues, have their
residence, such a place is a very auspicious and lovely one, a sacred
place of pilgrimage (tîrtha), a hermitage.
There he was venerated by the different deities, who were living there,
and often visited by such people as were lovers of virtues and desirous
of their salvation. To that multitude of visitors he showed the high
favour of entertaining them with his sermons on the subject of
forbearance, rejoicing both their ears and hearts.
Now one time in the season of summer it happened that the king of that
country, in consequence of the hot weather, was seized with a great
longing to play in the water, a very desirable thing at that time. So he
went with his harem to that place in the forest, as it was distinguished
by the different delights proper to gardens.
5. While he was rambling in the wood with the beauties of his zenana
spreading about on all sides, he embellished its Nandana-like splendour,
so to speak, by the rich display of the graceful sport of himself and
his wanton retinue.
6. In the arbours and bowers, under the forest-trees with their laughing
dress of flowers, and in the water with its expanding lotuses the king
delighted in the unrestrained expansion of the natural dalliance of the
females.
7. Smilingly he beheld the graceful movements of fear and its beautiful
expression on the faces of some molested by bees, that were allured by
the perfumes of the implements for bathing and anointing mixed with the
fragrance of garlands and the odour of the rum.
8. Though they had adorned their ears with the most beautiful flowers,
and their hair wore plenty of garlands, the women could not have enough
of flowers. In the same way the king could not look enough at their
wanton playing.
9. He beheld those chaplet-like clusters of females, now clinging to the
arbours, now tarrying at the lotus-groups, sometimes hovering like bees
about the flowery trees.
10. Even the bold lascivious cries of the cuckoos, the dances of the
peacocks, and the humming of the bees were outdone by the tattle, the
dances, and the songs of those women.
11. The sound of the royal drums, as strong as the rattling of thunder,
induced the peacocks to utter their peculiar cries and make a
wide-spread circle of their tails, as if they were actors worshipping
the monarch by the virtue of their art.
Then, having enjoyed, with his harem, to his heart's content the
pleasure of walking about in that garden-like wood, as he was tired with
incessant playing and drunkenness overcame his mind, the king laid
himself down on his very precious royal couch in a beautiful arbour, and
fell asleep.
Now, when the women perceived that their lord was no longer occupied
with them, as they were not satiated with the manifold loveliness of the
forest which kept them enchanted, they moved from that place, and
rambled about in groups formed according to their liking, mixing the
confused sounds of their rattling ornaments with the tinkling noise of
their chatter.
12. Followed by the badges of sovereign power, the royal umbrella, the
royal tail-fan, the royal seat &c., which were decorated with golden
ornaments and borne by female slaves, the women walked about, indulging
unrestrainedly in their natural wantonness.
13. Disregarding the entreaties of the female servants, they greedily
laid hands upon the lovely flowers and twigs of the trees within their
reach, prompted by their petulance.
14. Though they had plenty of flowers, both as ornaments and arranged as
wreaths, they left on their way no shrub lovely by its flowers, nor tree
with its waving twigs without stripping them, out of cupidity.
Now in the course of their rambling through the forest, the loveliness
of which had captured their minds, the king's harem approached the
hermitage of Kshântivâdin. But those who were in charge of the royal
wives, although they knew the penance-power and high-mindedness of that
Muni, did not venture to prevent them from entering, on account of the
king's attachment to his darlings, lest he might resent their
intervention. So the royal wives, as if they were attracted by the
splendour of that hermitage, the loveliness of which was enhanced by
(the) supernatural power (of its occupant), entered the hermitage and
saw the eminent Muni sitting there with crossed legs under a tree, a
view auspicious and purifying to behold. His tranquillity gave a soft
expression to his countenance; the exceeding profundity of his mind
inspired awe; his face radiated, as it were, from the splendour of his
penance and, owing to his diligent exercise of dhyâna, bore the
beautiful expression of calm, as is proper to undisturbed senses, even
though the loftiest subjects of meditation were present to his thoughts.
In short, he was like the embodied Dharma. The lustre of his penance
subdued the minds of those royal wives, and the very sight of him was
sufficient to make them abandon their dalliance, frivolity, and
haughtiness. Accordingly they went to him in a humble attitude, and sat
down respectfully in a circle around him. He, for his part, performed to
them the usual salutation, welcoming them and saying to them kind and
courteous things which are agreeable to guests; then availing himself of
the opportunity which their questions procured him, he showed them his
hospitality by a religious discourse, preaching in such terms as were
easily understood by women, and illustrating his exposition of the Law
with examples.
15. 'He who, having obtained the blameless human state, and being born
in the full possession of organs and senses sound and vigorous, without
any defect[193], neglects to do good actions every day from lack of
attention--such a one is much deceived; is he not subject to the
necessity of death?
[193] Bodily infirmities are the effect of former actions. They are
with the Buddhists an impediment to proceeding on the way to
salvation for the same reason, as they entail impurity and
incompetence to assist at sacrificial performances in Brâhmanism.
16. 'A man may be ever so excellent by his birth, his figure, his age,
his superior power, or the wealth of his estate, never will he enjoy
happiness in the other world, unless he be purified by charity, good
conduct (_s_îla), and the rest of the virtues.
17. 'For surely, he who though devoid of a noble birth and the rest,
abhorring wickedness, resorts to the virtues of charity, good conduct
&c., such a one is hereafter visited by every kind of bliss, as the sea
in the rainy season by the water of the rivers.
18. 'To him who excels by his extraction, his figure, his age, his
superior power, or the wealth of his estate, attachment to virtues is
the most proper ornament already in this world; his golden garlands are
only indicative of his riches.
19. 'Blossoms are the ornaments of trees, it is flashes of lightning
that adorn the big rain-clouds, the lakes are adorned by lotuses and
waterlilies with their drunken bees; but virtues brought to perfection
are the proper ornament of living beings.
20. 'The various differences of men with respect to their health,
duration of life, beauty of figure, wealth, birth may be classed under
the heads of low, middle and high. This triad is not the effect of
natural properties nor caused by external influences, indeed. No, it is
the result of a man's actions (karma).
21. 'Knowing this to be the fixed law of human existence, and keeping in
mind the fickleness and frailness of life, a man must avoid wickedness,
directing his heart to pious behaviour. For this is the way leading to
good reputation and to happiness.
22. 'But a defiled mind acts like a fire, it burns away the good of
one's self and one's neighbour. He who is afraid of wickedness,
therefore, ought carefully to keep off such defilement by cultivating
what tends to the contrary.
23. 'As a fire, however fiercely burning, if it meet a great river,
filled up to its borders with water, becomes extinguished, so does the
fire which blazes within the mind of a man, if he relies on forbearance
that will serve him both in this world and in the next.
24. 'So forbearance is of great benefit. He who practises this virtue
avoids wickedness, for he has vanquished the causes of it. In
consequence thereof he will not rouse enmity, owing to his cherishing
friendliness. For this reason, he will be a person beloved and honoured,
and accordingly enjoy a happy life. At the end he comes to Heaven (as
easily) as if he entered his home, thanks to his attachment to a
meritorious behaviour.
'Moreover, ladies, this virtue of forbearance, I say,
25. 'Is celebrated as the superior degree of a pious nature; as the
highest development obtainable by merit and good repute; as that
purification which is attained without touching water; as the highest
wealth afforded by many affluents of virtuous properties.
26. 'It is praised also as the lovely firmness of mind of the virtuous
which is always indifferent to injuries done to them by others; as
having obtained by its properties its lovely name of kshamâ[194]; as
benefiting mankind; as well acquainted with pity.
[194] Kshamâ is a synonym of kshânti.
27. 'Forbearance is the ornament of the powerful; it is the highest
pitch of the strength of ascetics; and since it has the effect of a
shower of rain on the conflagration of evils, it may be called the
extinguisher of misfortune both in this world and after death.
28. 'To the virtuous forbearance is a coat of mail, blunting the arrows
which the tongue of the wicked shoots off against them. Mostly it
changes those weapons into flowers of praise, which may be inserted in
the garland of their glory.
29. 'It is stated to be the killer of Delusion, that adversary of the
Dharma, and an easy contrivance by which to reach salvation. Who, then,
ought not to do his utmost to obtain forbearance, that virtue invariably
conducive to happiness?'
In this manner the High-minded One entertained those female guests with
an edifying sermon.
Meanwhile the king, having satisfied his want of sleep, awoke; his
lassitude was gone, but his eyes were still heavy with the dimness of
inebriation, which had not entirely passed away. Desirous of continuing
his amorous sport, he frowningly asked the female servants who were
guarding his couch, where his wives were. 'Your Majesty,' they answered,
'Their Highnesses are now embellishing other parts of the forest, to
admire the splendour of which they walked on.' Having been thus informed
by them, the king, as he eagerly desired to witness the sportive
sayings and doings of the royal wives, how they were laughing and
jesting free and unrestrained, rose from his couch, and accompanied by
his female warriors bearing his umbrella, his chowrie, his upper
garment, and his sword, and followed by the eunuchs of his zenana,
wearing their armour and having reed-staves in their hands, he marched
through the forest after them. It was easy to follow the way they had
taken; for they had traced it out with juvenile wantonness by means of a
multitude of various blossoms, flower-clusters, and twigs, which they
had strewed about, moreover by the red sap of the areca-nut and betel
chewed by them. So then, going after them he went to the hermitage. But
no sooner had the king seen that most excellent _Ri_shi Kshântivâdin
surrounded by the circle of the royal wives, than he was seized with a
fit of wrath. This frenzy overtook him, partly because he was long since
his enemy and bore him a grudge[195], partly in consequence of his
intellect being still troubled by drunkenness and his mind overcome with
jealousy. And as his power of composing himself was small, he lost his
countenance, disregarding the laws of decency and politeness, and
submitted to sinful wrath. So his colour altered, drops of sweat
appeared on his face, his limbs trembled, his brows frowned, and his
eyes tinged reddish, squinted, rolled, stared. The loveliness, grace,
and beauty of his figure had waned. He pressed his hands together, and
rubbing them, squeezing thereby his finger-rings and shaking his golden
armlets, scolded that excellent _Ri_shi, uttering many invectives: 'Ha,
he exclaimed,
[195] This can be no wonder, for in the Pâli _G_âtaka, that wicked
king is identified with Devadatta.
30. 'Who is that knave who injures our majesty, casting his eyes on our
wives? Under the disguise of a Muni this hypocrite acts like a fowler.'
These words alarmed and disturbed the eunuchs, who said to the king:
'Your Majesty ought not to speak so. This is a Muni who has purified
his Self by a long life of vows and restraints and penance; Kshântivâdin
is his name.' Nevertheless the king, in the pervertedness of his mind,
did not take to heart their words, and continued: 'Alas! Ah!
31. 'So it is then a long time already since this hypocrite, setting
himself up as the foremost of holy ascetics, has deceived people by his
forgery!
'Well, then, I will lay open the true nature of that hypocrite, though
he keeps it veiled with his ascetic's dress and well conceals it by
practising the art of delusion and false godliness.' After thus
speaking, he took his sword from the hand of the female guard (who was
bearing it) and rushed on the holy _Ri_shi with the determination of
striking him, as if he were his rival. The royal wives, who had been
informed by their attendants of the king's approach, on seeing his fine
features changed by anger, became much afflicted, and with anxious looks
expressive of their trouble and consternation rose from the earth, and
took leave of the holy _Ri_shi. Then they went to meet the king, and as
they stood near him with their folded hands lifted up to their face,
they had the appearance of an assemblage of lotuses in autumn, when the
brightness of the flowers begins to peep out of the enclosure of the
buds.
32. Yet their graceful demeanour, their modesty and comeliness did not
appease his mind incensed with the fire of wrath.
But the queens who commenced already to recover from their first terror,
perceiving that the king in the fierce manner of one whose behaviour is
altered by anger was marching with a weapon in the direction of the holy
_Ri_shi, on whom he kept fixed his adverse looks, placed themselves in
his way, and surrounding him entreated him: 'Your Majesty, pray, do not
commit a reckless act, do not, pray. This man is the Reverend
Kshântivâdin.' The king, however, owing to his heart's wickedness,
became the more angry, thinking: 'Surely, he has already gained their
affection.' He reproved their temerity in requesting by clear signs (of
his discontent), frowning and casting on them angry looks, fierce as the
jealousy which had taken possession of his mind. After which, turning to
his eunuchs and shaking his head so that his royal diadem and ear-rings
trembled, he said with a glance at his wives:
33. 'This man speaks only of forbearance, but he does not practise it.
For example, he was not impassible to the covetousness of the contact
with females.
34. 'His tongue does not at all agree with his actions, still less with
his ill-intentioned heart. What has this man with unrestrained senses to
do in the penance-forest, that he should simulate religious vows and
dress and sit down in the hypocritical posture of a saint?'
Now, the king in his fit of wrath having thus rebuked his queens and
shown his hard-heartedness, they were affected with sorrow and sadness,
for they knew his ferocious nature and his contumacy which made him
inaccessible to persuasion. The eunuchs, who were likewise alarmed,
affected with anxiety, and afflicted, made signs to them with their
hands that they should withdraw. So they went away, lowering their faces
with shame and lamenting over that best of _Ri_shis.
35. 'We are the cause of the king's wrath against that sinless and
self-subdued holy ascetic, wide-famed for his virtues. Who knows what
will be the end of it? In one way or other will the king perform some
unbecoming deed, when he will make his wrath fall down on him, however
virtuous.
36. Yea, this king would be able to destroy his own royal behaviour and
his glory obtained by it, hurting the body of that Muni, as well as the
body of his penance, and grieving our guiltless minds at the same time!'
After the queens thus lamenting and sighing on his account--for what
could they else do for him?--were gone, the king in wrath came up to
the holy _Ri_shi, threatening him with drawn sword, in order to strike
him himself. On seeing that the Great Being, though thus assailed, kept
his calmness unchanged with imperturbable constancy, he became the more
excited, and said to him:
37. 'How skilled he is in playing the holy one, that he looks even at me
as if he were a Muni, persisting in his guileful arrogance!'
The Bodhisattva, however, owing to his constant practice of forbearance,
was not at all disturbed, and as he at once understood from that hostile
proceeding, though not without astonishment, that it was the eagerness
of wrath which caused the king to act in such an unbecoming way that he
had thrown off all restraint of politeness and good manners and lost the
faculty of distinguishing between his good and evil, he pitied that
monarch and, with the object of appeasing him, said, in truth, something
like this:
38. 'Meeting with disrespect is nothing strange in this world; for this
reason, since it may also happen to be the effect of destiny and guilt,
I do not mind it. But this grieves me that I cannot perform towards you,
not even with my voice, the usual kind reception, due to those who come
to me.
'Moreover hear this, O sovereign.
39. 'To such as you, who are bound to put evildoers on the right way and
to act for the interest of the creatures, it never behoves to do any
rash action. You should rather follow, therefore, the way of reflection.
40. 'Something good may be considered evil; inversely, something evil
may appear in a false light. The truth about anything to be done cannot
be discerned at once before inquiring by reasoning into the differences
in the several modes of action.
41. 'But such a king as gets a true insight of his proper line of
conduct by reflection and, after that, carries out his design with
righteousness by the way of his policy, will always effect the thrift of
dharma, artha and kâma in his people, nor will he be devoid of that
threefold prosperity himself.
42. 'For this reason, you ought to purify your mind of rashness, and to
be only intent on such actions as tend to good repute. In fact,
transgressions of a decent behaviour are highly notorious, if they are
committed by persons of a high rank in whom they were not seen before.
43. 'In a penance-forest protected by your mighty arm, you would not
suffer anybody else, in truth, to do what is blamed by the pious and
destructive to good behaviour. How is it that you should be decided to
act in this way yourself, O king?
44. 'If your harem came perchance to my hermitage together with their
male attendants, what fault of mine may be found there that you should
allow yourself to be thus altered by wrath?
45. 'Suppose, however, there is here some fault of mine, forbearance
would become you even then, my lord. Forbearance, indeed, is the chief
ornament of a powerful one; for it betrays his cleverness in keeping
(the treasury of) his virtues.
46. 'Kings cannot so much be adorned either by their dark-blue ear-rings
with their reverberation of dancing shine on the cheeks, or by the
several brilliant jewels of their head-ornament, as they are adorned by
forbearance. Thus considering, pray, do not disregard that virtue.
47. 'Set aside irascibility which is never fit to be relied upon, but
maintain forbearance (as carefully) as your dominions[196]. In truth,
the lovely behaviour of princes showing their esteem to ascetics, is
full of bliss.'
[196] Literally: as if it were the earth. The comparison
constitutes a pun in the original, for kshamâ may convey the
meaning of 'earth' while it also signifies 'forbearance.'
Notwithstanding this admonition by that excellent Muni, the king,
troubled by the crookedness of his mind, persisted in his false
suspicion. So he addressed him again:
48. 'If you are not a mock-ascetic, but really engaged in keeping your
vow of restraint, for what reason then do you, under the pretext of
exhorting me to forbearance, beg safety from my side[197]?'
[197] Instead of asmâd I read asmân.
The Bodhisattva answered: 'Hear then, great prince, for what reason I
urged you.
49. 'I spoke so that your good renown might not break down under the
blame you would incur because of me, if it were to be said of you "the
king has killed a guiltless ascetic, a Brâhman."
50. 'Death is an invariable necessity for all creatures. For this reason
I am not afraid of it, nor have I anything to fear, when I recollect my
own behaviour.
51. 'But it was for your sake, that you should not suffer by injuring
Righteousness, the source of happiness, that I praised forbearance to
you as the fit instrument for attaining salvation.