Chapter Nine

9.1Summary of Contents:

I. Kumāravardhana

9.2Thereupon the Blessed One arrived in the country of Kumāravardhana, where he said to the venerable Ānanda, “Ānanda, in this place a king named Upoṣadha was born and grew up. Therefore, this city was named Kumāravardhana.”

II. Krauñcāna

9.3The Blessed One went to Krauñcāna and said to the venerable Ānanda, [F.156.a] “Ānanda, since the excellent elephant of King Upoṣadha uttered the cry ‘krauñca, krauñca’ in this Krauñcāna, the place was named Krauñcāna.”

III. Aṅgadikā

9.4Having gone to Aṅgadikā, in a certain place in Aṅgadikā the Blessed One smiled … (the phrase about the seat of four buddhas should be recited in detail).

IV. Maṇivatī

9.5Having gone to Maṇivatī, the Blessed One said to the venerable Ānanda there, “Ānanda, since the Bodhisattva made an offering of many jewels (maṇi) in this Maṇivatī, this place was named Maṇivatī (Where There Are Jewels).”

V. Sālabalā567

9.6Having gone to Sālabalā, in a certain place in Sālabalā the Blessed One smiled … (the phrase about the seat of four buddhas should be recited in detail).

VI. Sālibalā

9.7Having gone to Sālibalā, in a certain place in Sālibalā the Blessed One smiled … (the phrase about the seat of four buddhas should be recited in detail).

VII. Suvarṇaprastha

9.8Having gone to Suvarṇaprastha, the Blessed One said, “Ānanda, in this Suvarṇaprastha the Bodhisattva made an offering of much gold (suvarṇa). Today brahmins still distribute gold, weighing it in units of prastha . Therefore, this place was named Suvarṇaprastha.”

VIII. Sāketā568

9.9Having gone to Sāketā, the Blessed One said to the venerable Ānanda there, “ Ānanda, in this Sāketā a king named Upoṣadha ruled over the country, which was rich, prosperous, peaceful, abundant in food, and full of many people. One day a soft, fleshy tumor developed on the crown of his head; it was exceptionally soft, just like tūla cotton or karpāsa cotton, and caused no pain. When it had fully enlarged, it burst open and a boy emerged from it. He was well proportioned, attractive, pleasant to behold, and gold in complexion … and every major limb and minor appendage of his body was complete. Since he was born (jāta) from the crown of the head (mūrdhni), he was named Mūrdhnāta.

9.10“Soon after the prince was born, King Upoṣadha brought him to the harem, where there were sixty thousand consorts. [F.156.b] As soon as they saw the prince, milk squirted out from each consort’s breasts, and they said, ‘May he suckle at my breast (*mān dhayatu)!’ Therefore, he was named Māndhātṛ. Some people knew him there as Mūrdhnāta, and others as Māndhātṛ.

9.11“Once, when Prince Māndhātṛ was away in the countryside, King Upoṣadha became sick. Although he was provided with medicines derived from roots, stalks, leaves, flowers, and fruits, the illness just kept on getting worse. He ordered his ministers, ‘Sirs, quickly anoint the prince as king.’

“ ‘Certainly, Your Majesty.’

9.12“The ministers sent a messenger, saying, ‘King Upoṣadha has become sick and says, “Call the prince and let him accept the royal anointing.” Hence the prince should come quickly.’ When the messenger had departed, King Upoṣadha died. Then the ministers sent another messenger to the prince, saying, ‘O Prince, your father has passed away. Please come and accept the kingdom.’

9.13“Prince Māndhātṛ stayed there, thinking, ‘Since my father has passed away, why do I need to go there?’

9.14The ministers again met together and sent the prime minister as a messenger. He went to the prince and requested, ‘O Prince, please come and accept the kingdom.’

“ ‘If I obtain the kingdom according to the Dharma,’ replied the prince, ‘the royal anointing will take place here.’

9.15“The ministers sent a message: ‘Your Majesty, the royal anointing requires many things. We perform the royal anointing in the palace on a jeweled floor with a throne, parasol, crown, and bracelet. Therefore, the prince must come to this very place.’

“ ‘If I obtain the kingdom according to the Dharma,’ replied the prince, [F.157.a] ‘everything necessary will appear here.’

9.16“A yakṣa named Divaukasa, attendant on Prince Māndhātṛ, brought there a jeweled floor and throne. People living in the palace then spontaneously came together, bringing a parasol, crown, and bracelet. Since the people living in the palace spontaneously (svayaṃ) came (āgata), the place was named Sāketā.”

IX. Rice Soup574

9.17Thereupon the Blessed One said to the venerable Ānanda, “Ānanda, let us go to Śrāvastī.”

“Certainly, O Honored One,” replied the venerable Ānanda to the Blessed One.

9.18Then the Blessed One traveled to Śrāvastī. In a certain place, a brahmin was plowing a field. He had not had a meal, and a girl brought rice soup for him. The Blessed One also came to that place.

9.19As soon as the brahmin saw the Buddha, the Blessed One, whose body was fully ornamented with the thirty-two marks of a great man, illuminated by the eighty minor marks, ornamented with a fathom-wide halo, and beautiful like a moving mountain of jewels with light surpassing a thousand suns, faith in the Blessed One arose in him.

9.20Whenever a being who has accumulated roots of merit looks at the Buddha for the first time, he experiences far greater pleasure than that of those who have practiced tranquility of mind for a dozen years, those who gain a son after having been childless, those who look upon treasure after having been poor, or those who are anointed as king after having longed for kingship.

9.21The brahmin quickly went to the Blessed One, bringing the rice soup. When he arrived, he said to the Blessed One, “O Gautama, this is rice soup. If the Honorable Gautama has compassion for me, [F.157.b] please accept this rice soup.”

9.22Then the Blessed One indicated to the brahmin an old well and said, “Brahmin, if you are giving it completely, pour it into this old well.”

9.23The brahmin poured it into the old well. When he had done this, by the awakened power of the buddhas and the divine power of the gods, the old well became piping hot, full of rice soup. The Blessed One then called the brahmin and said, “Brahmin, distribute the rice soup.”

9.24When he began to distribute it, the Blessed One exercised his magical power so that even when the entire community had eaten it, the old well remained piping hot, full of rice soup. After that, his faith in the Blessed One increased all the more, the brahmin paid homage at the Blessed One’s feet and sat down in front of him in order to hear the Dharma. The Blessed One knew his thinking, proclivity, disposition, and nature and preached the Dharma that was appropriate for him and that caused him to penetrate the four truths of the noble ones. … With the vajra of knowledge he leveled the twenty high peaks of the mountain chain of the false view of individuality that had been accumulated since beginningless time, and actualized the fruit of stream-entry. “O Honored One, I have been exalted, truly exalted. Since I seek refuge in the Blessed One, the Dharma, and the community of monks, may you accept me as a lay brother. From today onward, I embrace my faith as one who seeks refuge throughout my life.”

9.25Thereupon, like a merchant who had obtained merchandise, like a farmer who had gotten a bumper crop, like a warrior who had won a battle, like a patient who had been cured of every disease, having rejoiced in and praised the words of the Blessed One, [F.158.a] the brahmin bowed low until his forehead touched the Blessed One’s feet, and he departed from the Blessed One’s presence. When he arrived at the field, he saw golden barley growing there. Upon seeing it, his eyes opened wide with astonishment and he spoke a verse:

9.27Thereupon the brahmin hurried to the king. When he arrived, he wished the king victory and long life and said, “Your Majesty, the barley I sowed has become gold. Please appoint an overseer there.”

9.28The king appointed an overseer and sent him. The brahmin piled the gold up and divided it, but the king’s portion changed into ordinary barley. The overseer reported this to the king, and then the king ordered, “Have it divided again.” When he divided the barley again, still the king’s portion changed into ordinary barley. He divided it seven times in all, only to have the same result each time. Prompted by curiosity, the king himself went there and watched, and the result was the same. He said to the brahmin, “Brahmin, since this has been produced by your merit, the king’s portion is no longer required. Give me what you have measured.”

9.29Then the brahmin was much delighted, and what he gave became gold.

A. The Peasants’ Going Forth and the Oxen’s Rebirth in Heaven577

9.30After that, the Blessed One departed. At that time, in a certain place, five hundred peasants were plowing a field, looking pale, their feet and hands covered with cuts, and wearing hempen lower garments. The oxen, too, were plowing the field with sighs, their bodies hurt and wounded by being struck with spiked sticks, pus oozing from their wounds. The peasants then saw the Blessed One, whose body was fully ornamented with the thirty-two marks of a great man, [F.158.b] illuminated by the eighty minor marks, ornamented with a fathom-wide halo, and beautiful like a moving mountain of jewels with light surpassing a thousand suns. Whenever beings who have accumulated roots of merit look at the Buddha for the first time . . . .

9.31They then approached the Blessed One. When from a distance the Blessed One saw the peasants coming, he left the road and sat on the seat prepared for him in front of the community of monks in order to convert the peasants. The peasants bowed low until their foreheads touched the Blessed One’s feet, and then they sat down to one side. The Blessed One knew the peasants’ thinking, proclivity, disposition, and nature and preached the Dharma that was appropriate for them and that caused them to penetrate the four truths of the noble ones . . . . With the vajra of knowledge they leveled the twenty high peaks of the mountain chain of the false view of individuality that had been accumulated since beginningless time, and actualized the fruit of stream-entry.

9.32After having seen the truths, they made the gesture of supplication to the Blessed One and said to him, “O Honored One, we wish to go forth and be ordained monks in the well-taught Dharma and Vinaya. We will lead the pure life in the presence of the Blessed One.”

9.33The Blessed One ordained them by saying, “Come, monk,” . . . .

9.34The Blessed One instructed them. Endeavoring and striving, they … became objects of … praise. [F.159.a]

9.35The oxen, too, went to the Blessed One, having broken their yokes and the ropes around their horns. When they arrived, they sat down, surrounding the Blessed One. The Blessed One preached the Dharma that consists of three phrases for them, … having seen the truths, they left for their own residence, just as the haṃsas, fish, and turtles did when the Blessed One was on the bank of the Ganges.

B. The Former Lives of the Peasants and Oxen581

9.36The monks, feeling doubtful, inquired of the Buddha, the Blessed One, the one who severs all doubts, “O Honored One, what karma did these monks who were once peasants create that matured to cause them, after being peasants, to go forth in the teachings of the Blessed One, abandon all the defilements, and actualize the state of an arhat? What karma did these gods who had once been oxen create that matured to cause them to be born among oxen and see the truths?”

9.37The Blessed One said, “Monks, the actions were performed and accumulated by themselves, accruing a heap of karma . . . .

9.38“Monks, once, in this fortunate eon, when people’s lifespans were twenty thousand years long, there appeared in the world a teacher named Kāśyapa . . . . He stayed in the Ṛṣivadana Deer Park near the city of Vārāṇasī. In his teachings, these five hundred peasants went forth. There they did not recite, repeat, or practice concentration of the mind but rather were attached to the crowd and spent their time lazily, having enjoyed things given out of faith.

9.39“What do you think, monks? Those five hundred monks were indeed these five hundred peasants. The owner of the monastery [F.159.b] was indeed this householder who is the master of these peasants. Because of the maturation of the karma‍—namely, their not reciting, repeating, or practicing concentration of the mind and their being attached to the crowd and spending time lazily, having enjoyed things given out of the faith of the owner of the monastery‍—they were the peasants of the owner of the monastery for five hundred lives, and now they were also born among peasants. Because they went forth in the teachings of the Perfectly Awakened One Kāśyapa and led the pure life, they now went forth in my teaching, abandoned all the defilements, and actualized the state of an arhat.

9.40“These gods who had once been oxen, too, went forth in the teachings of the Perfectly Awakened One Kāśyapa. They transgressed the minor rules of training; that karma matured to cause them to be reborn among oxen. Because they had gained faith in me, they were reborn among the gods. Because they led the pure life and protected it in the presence of the Perfectly Awakened One Kāśyapa, they now saw the truths, becoming gods. Therefore, monks, the maturation of entirely negative actions is entirely negative … you should seek. Monks, that is how you must train.”

C. Toyikā584

9.41Thereupon the Blessed One said to the venerable Ānanda, “Ānanda, let us go to Toyikā.”

“Certainly, O Honored One,” replied the venerable Ānanda to the Blessed One.

9.42The Blessed One went to Toyikā, and in a certain place, a brahmin was plowing a field. Then the brahmin saw the Buddha, the Blessed One, whose body was fully ornamented with the thirty-two marks of a great man [F.160.a], illuminated by the eighty minor marks, … and beautiful … . He thought, “If I go to the Honorable Gautama to greet him, my work will fail. But if I do not go to greet him, my merit will fail. In this regard, is there any good means whereby neither my work nor my merit will fail?” A good idea then occurred to him: “If I greet him, staying here, neither my work nor my merit will fail.” He greeted him, holding a spiked stick and staying in that very spot: “Greetings to the Buddha, the Blessed One.”

9.43The Blessed One said to the venerable Ānanda, “Ānanda, this brahmin is wrong. If that man had been wise enough to know for himself that there was the unbroken skeleton of the Perfectly Awakened One Kāśyapa in this place, he would have come to me and greeted me. Then he would have greeted two perfectly awakened ones. Why? Ānanda, the unbroken skeleton of the Perfectly Awakened One Kāśyapa is in this place.”

9.44Then the venerable Ānanda quickly folded his upper robe in four, laid it down, and said to the Blessed One, “Blessed One, please sit on this prepared seat, and then this place will have been enjoyed by two perfectly awakened ones, namely, the Perfectly Awakened One Kāśyapa and now the Blessed One.”

9.45The Blessed One did sit on the prepared seat. [F.160.b] After sitting for a moment, he said to the monks, “Monks, do you want to see the unbroken skeleton of the Perfectly Awakened One Kāśyapa?”

9.46“O Blessed One, it is the right time. O Sugata, it is the right time. If the Blessed One reveals the unbroken skeleton of the Perfectly Awakened One Kāśyapa to the monks so that they see it, their minds will be filled with faith.”

9.47The Blessed One entertained mundane thoughts. It naturally occurs that when the buddhas, the blessed ones, entertain mundane thoughts, living creatures, including those as small as ants, understand the Blessed One’s thoughts. Nāgas thought, “For the sake of what did the Blessed One entertain mundane thoughts?” They saw that the Blessed One wanted to see the unbroken skeleton of the Perfectly Awakened One Kāśyapa, and so they raised the unbroken skeleton of the Perfectly Awakened One Kāśyapa. The Blessed One then said to the monks, “Monks, as it is going to sink, grasp its characteristics,” and then the skeleton sank.

9.48When King Prasenajit heard that the Blessed One had shown the unbroken skeleton of the Perfectly Awakened One Kāśyapa to the disciples, prompted by curiosity he departed with his consort, sons, ministers, army, citizens, and provincial dwellers. In the same manner, Virūḍhaka, the householder Anāthapiṇḍada, Ṛṣidatta, the bricklayer Purāṇa, Viśākhā Mṛgāramātā, and hundreds of thousands of beings departed, prompted by curiosity [F.161.a] and spurred by their previous roots of merit. But the skeleton had already sunk. When they heard that the unbroken skeleton of the Perfectly Awakened One Kāśyapa had sunk, they felt pain and despair, thinking, “We have come here in vain.”

9.49A lay brother circumambulated the spot and pondered in his mind, “How much will the merit from my circumambulation here be?”

9.50The Blessed One, knowing the lay brother’s mind with his own mind, spoke a verse in order to remove the many people’s regret:

9.52Another lay brother placed a lump of clay on the spot and pondered in his mind, “The Blessed One said that the merit from circumambulation was so much; how much will the merit from placing a lump of clay here be?”

9.53The Blessed One, knowing the lay brother’s mind with his own mind, spoke a verse:

9.54Having heard this, hundreds of thousands of beings piled up lumps of clay.

Other people placed flower petals on the spot and pondered in their minds, “The Blessed One said that the merit from circumambulation and a lump of clay was so much; [F.161.b] as for our flower petals, how much will the merit be?”

9.55The Blessed One, knowing their minds with his own mind, spoke a verse:

9.56Other people surrounded the spot with garlands of flowers and pondered in their minds, “The Blessed One said that the merit from flower petals was so much; as for our surrounding it with garlands of flowers, how much will the merit be?”

9.57The Blessed One, knowing their minds with his own mind, spoke a verse:

9.58Other people donated rows of lamps there and pondered in their minds, “The Blessed One said that the merit from surrounding it with garlands of flowers was so much; as for our donating rows of lamps, how much will the merit be?”

9.59The Blessed One, knowing their minds with his own mind, spoke a verse:

9.60Other people sprinkled perfumed water and pondered in their minds, “The Blessed One said that the merit from donating rows of lamps was so much; as for our sprinkling perfumed water, how much will the merit be?”

9.61The Blessed One, knowing their minds with his own mind, [F.162.a] spoke a verse:

9.62Other people raised parasols, banners, and flags and pondered in their minds, “The Blessed One said that the merit from circumambulation, placing a lump of clay, scattering flower petals, surrounding with garlands of flowers, donating rows of lamps, and sprinkling perfumed water was so much; as for our raising parasols, banners, and flags, how much will the merit be?”

9.63The Blessed One, knowing their minds with his own mind, spoke some verses:

9.65They asked themselves, “The Blessed One said that the merit from worshiping the Blessed One who has been completely emancipated was so much; as for the Blessed One who is present, how much will the merit be?”

9.66The Blessed One, knowing their minds with his own mind, spoke some verses:

9.68“It is impossible to understand the good qualities of the perfectly awakened ones, who are unknowable and turn the wheel of the Dharma [F.162.b] without obstacles.”

9.69Then the Blessed One preached the Dharma to the many people so that, having heard it, hundreds of thousands of beings attained great excellence. Some made a resolution to attain the awakening of disciples, some the awakening of a self-awakened one, and some complete and supreme awakening. Some attained the stage of warmth, some the stage of the summit, and some the stage of patient conformity to the truth. Some actualized the fruit of stream-entry, some the fruit of a once-returner, and some the fruit of a never-returner. Some actualized the state of an arhat, having abandoned all the defilements. And most of the audience became absorbed in the Buddha, devoted to the Dharma, and inclined to the community.

9.70Devout brahmins and householders held a festival at that place. After that, the place was known as “Toyikā, where they have a festival.”

X. Śrāvastī

A. A Leprous Beggar Woman’s Offering of Water Used for Boiling Rice598

9.71Thereupon the Blessed One, traveling through the country of Kosala, arrived in Śrāvastī and stayed in Śrāvastī, in the Jetavana, Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park. When the householder Anāthapiṇḍada heard that the Blessed One, traveling through the country of Kosala, had arrived in Śrāvastī and was staying in his own park near Śrāvastī, he went to the Blessed One, and upon his arrival he bowed low until his forehead touched the Blessed One’s, and then he sat down to one side. After he had sat down to one side, the Blessed One, through talk consistent with the Dharma, instructed, [F.163.a] inspired, encouraged, … the householder Anāthapiṇḍada. When he had … delighted him…, the Blessed One remained silent. Then the householder Anāthapiṇḍada rose from his seat … made the gesture of supplication to the Blessed One, and said, “May the Blessed One together with the community of monks assent to my offer of a meal at my house tomorrow.” He … prepared a pure and fine meal during the night. After he rose at dawn, he prepared seats, set up a jeweled pitcher, and let the Blessed One know the time by messenger: “O Honored One, the time has arrived. May the Blessed One know that the meal is ready.”

9.72The householder ordered a doorkeeper, “Sir, do not let non-Buddhist ascetics enter the house until the community of monks headed by the Buddha has finished the meal. After that, I will give a meal to the non-Buddhist ascetics.”

“Certainly, Master,” replied the doorkeeper to the householder Anāthapiṇḍada.

9.73Thereupon the Blessed One dressed early in the morning, took his bowl and his robe, and went … surrounded by a group of monks, and followed by the community of monks . . . . Knowing the Blessed One had … washed his hands and his bowl, the householder Anāthapiṇḍada took a low seat and sat before the Blessed One in order to hear the Dharma.

9.74Then the venerable Mahākāśyapa came to the Jetavana from a certain dwelling place in the wilderness, with long hair and beard and in his shabby robes. When he saw the Jetavana, there was no one there. He asked a monk who was responsible for monastic property, “Where is the community of monks headed by the Buddha?”

The monk told him, “They have been invited by the householder Anāthapiṇḍada.” [F.163.b]

9.75The venerable Mahākāśyapa thought, “I will eat almsfood there and serve the community of monks headed by the Buddha.”

9.76When he went to the house of the householder Anāthapiṇḍada, the doorkeeper said, “O noble one, please do not enter the house.”

“Why?”

9.77“The householder Anāthapiṇḍada ordered me, ‘Do not let non-Buddhist ascetics enter the house until the community of monks headed by the Buddha has finished the meal. After that, I will give a meal to the non-Buddhist ascetics.’ ”

9.78“I have attained a great boon,” thought the venerable Mahākāśyapa, “for the brahmins and householders do not know me to be a śramaṇa who is a son of the Śākyans. I will go and practice compassion for poor people.” With this thought, he went to a park and asked himself, “Whom should I accept as a follower today?”

9.79Shortly afterward, he approached a leprous beggar woman who was wandering and begging, and from whose body pus and blood were oozing. She had obtained by begging water that had been used for boiling rice. She saw the venerable Mahākāśyapa, whose body was beautiful, whose mind was pure, and whose behavior was calm, and thought, “I have certainly not performed any service for such a one worthy of veneration in the past; because of that, I am now in this circumstance. If the noble one Mahākāśyapa accepts out of compassion for me this water that had been used for boiling rice, I will offer it to him.”

9.80The venerable Mahākāśyapa knew her thoughts and held out his bowl, saying, “Sister, if you will give it to me, please pour it into this bowl.” Then her mind was filled with faith. When she poured the water into the bowl, a bee fell into it. She tried to remove it, but then one of her fingers broke off and fell into the water that had been used for boiling rice. She thought, “Even though the noble one, concerned about my feelings, may not throw it out, he will not consume it.”

9.81The venerable Mahākāśyapa, knowing her thoughts, [F.164.a] went to a wall in front of her, sat down by the wall, and ate. She thought, “Although the noble one, concerned about my feelings, has eaten some of the food, it will not serve as a meal.”

9.82The venerable Mahākāśyapa, knowing her thoughts, said to the beggar woman, “Rejoice, sister. I will live for a whole day and night with this meal given by you.”

9.83She rejoiced greatly, thinking, “I offered almsfood to the noble one Mahākāśyapa, and he accepted it!” She died, her mind filled with faith in the venerable Mahākāśyapa, and was reborn among the gods of Tuṣita.

9.84Śakra, Lord of the Gods, saw her offer water that had been used for boiling rice, gain faith, and die, but he did not see where she was reborn, even though he tried to find her among the beings of hell, the animals, the hungry ghosts, the humans, the gods attendant on the Four Great Kings, and the Thirty-Three Gods. Thus, the knowledge of gods works downward, not upward. [B40]

9.85Thereupon Śakra, Lord of the Gods, went to the Blessed One. When he arrived, he asked the Blessed One a question, singing it in verse:

9.87The Blessed One answered:

9.88Śakra, Lord of the Gods, then thought, “These humans give donations and make merit, even though they do not understand merit. Why should I, who does understand merit and am now enjoying the fruit of my merit, not give donations and make merit? [F.164.b] Since this noble one Mahākāśyapa is compassionate toward those who are wretched, helpless, poor, and destitute, I will now offer almsfood to him.”

9.89He produced a solitary, tumbledown, very shabby house in a village of the poor, and he himself changed into a shaggy-haired weaver in a hempen garment, whose limbs were covered with cuts, and began to weave cloth. Śacī, a goddess, dressed as the wife of the weaver and began to weave, throwing the shuttle. Divine food was prepared by his side.

9.90Then, being compassionate toward those who are wretched, helpless, and destitute, the venerable Mahākāśyapa arrived in due course at the house. When he stood at the door holding his bowl, thinking that it was a suffering man, Śakra, Lord of the Gods, filled the bowl with divine food. The venerable Mahākāśyapa then thought:

9.92It is natural that the knowledge of arhats does not function when they are not particularly attentive. When he focused his attention, he saw that the man was Śakra, Lord of the Gods, and said, “O Kauśika, the arrows of your longtime uncertainty and doubt have been uprooted by the Tathāgata, the Arhat, the Perfectly Awakened One, so why do you interfere with suffering people?”

9.93“O noble one Mahākāśyapa, why do I interfere with suffering people? These humans give donations and make merit, even though they do not understand merit. I do understand merit and am now enjoying the fruit of my merit; why should I not give donations and make merit? [F.165.a] Did the Blessed One not say this:

9.95Thereafter the venerable Mahākāśyapa was attentive whenever he entered a house for alms. At that time, Śakra, Lord of the Gods, remaining in the air, filled the venerable Mahākāśyapa’s bowl with divine food. The venerable Mahākāśyapa turned the bowl upside down, whereupon the food and drink were wasted. When the monks reported this matter to the Blessed One, the Blessed One said, “On account of that, I authorize you to have a cover for a bowl.”

9.96Then there was a loud shout: “The beggar woman So-and-so offered water that had been used for boiling rice to the noble one Mahākāśyapa, and she was reborn among the gods of Tuṣita!”

B. The Offerings by King Prasenajit604

9.97When King Prasenajit of Kosala heard that the beggar woman So-and-so had offered water that had been used for boiling rice to the noble one Mahākāśyapa and had been reborn among the gods of Tuṣita, he went to the Blessed One. Upon his arrival, he bowed low until his forehead touched the Blessed One’s feet, and then he sat down to one side. When King Prasenajit of Kosala had sat down to one side, the Blessed One, through talk consistent with the Dharma, instructed, inspired, … him. After he had … delighted him…, the Blessed One remained silent. Then King Prasenajit of Kosala rose from his seat, draped his upper robe over one shoulder, knelt on his right knee, made the gesture of supplication to the Blessed One, and said, “May the Blessed One assent to my offer of a meal for seven days, in the name of the noble one Mahākāśyapa.” [F.165.b]

9.98The Blessed One assented to King Prasenajit of Kosala by remaining silent. Then King Prasenajit of Kosala, knowing that the Blessed One had assented by remaining silent, bowed low until his forehead touched the Blessed One’s feet, and departed from his presence. Thereupon King Prasenajit of Kosala prepared a pure and fine meal during the night. After he rose at dawn, he prepared seats, set up a jeweled pitcher, and let the Blessed One know the time by messenger … with his own hands he served and satisfied them….

9.99A certain beggar was sitting in the elder’s seat. His mind was filled with faith when he thought, “Understanding merit and enjoying the fruit of his merit, this king gives donations and makes merit, not content with the merit there is.”

9.100King Prasenajit of Kosala, with his own hands, served and satisfied the community of monks headed by the Buddha with a pure and fine meal. Knowing the Blessed One had finished his meal and washed his hands and his bowl, he took a low seat and sat before the Blessed One in order to hear the Dharma. Then the Blessed One said, “Great King, to whose name shall I assign the rewards of the offerings, yours or that of someone who has made greater merit than you?”

9.101The king thought, “The Blessed One has accepted the almsfood from me. Who, then, has made greater merit than I?” He said, “O Blessed One, may the Blessed One assign the rewards of the offerings to the name of someone who has made greater merit than I.”

9.102The Blessed One then assigned the rewards of the offerings to the name of the beggar. [F.166.a] He did this for six days. On the sixth day, the king was plunged into grief, resting his cheek on his hand, thinking, “The Blessed One assigned the rewards of the offerings to the name of a beggar, though he had accepted the almsfood from me.”

9.103The ministers saw him and asked, “Your Majesty, why are you plunged into grief, resting your cheek on your hand?”

“Sirs,” replied the king, “the Blessed One assigned the rewards of the offerings to the name of a beggar, though he had accepted the almsfood from me. How can I help being plunged into grief?”

9.104Then an old minister said, “Your Majesty, do not worry. We will somehow arrange it so that tomorrow the Blessed One will assign the rewards of the offerings to the name of Your Majesty only.” He then instructed the laborers, “Tomorrow you should prepare finer food, so that half of the distributed food will enter the monks’ bowls and the other half will fall on the ground somehow.”

9.105The next day they prepared finer food. Then, knowing that the community of monks headed by the Buddha had sat down in comfort, they began to serve them, placing half of the food into the monks’ bowls and letting the other half fall on the ground. The beggar rushed to gather the food that had fallen on the ground, but the waiters blocked him. Then the beggar said, “If this king has much treasure, why does he not give it to suffering, begging people like us? What is the use of this wasted food?” His mind being disturbed, the beggar was not able to maintain his mind filled with faith as before.

9.106When the community of monks headed by the Buddha had finished the meal, the king went home without hearing the rewards of the offerings assigned, thinking, “The Blessed One will not assign the rewards of the offerings to my name.” [F.166.b] But the Blessed One did assign the rewards of the offerings to the name of King Prasenajit of Kosala, saying:

C. The Former Life of King Prasenajit605

9.108Thereupon the venerable Ānanda said to the Blessed One, “O Honored One, although the Blessed One has had meals at the palace of King Prasenajit of Kosala many times and assigned the rewards of the offerings, I have never heard him assign the rewards of the offerings in such a way in the past.”

9.109“Ānanda,” replied the Blessed One, “do you want to hear about the karmic bond related to King Prasenajit of Kosala’s saltless gruel?”

9.110“O Blessed One, it is the right time. Sugata, it is the right time. If the Blessed One reveals the karmic bond related to King Prasenajit of Kosala’s saltless gruel, the monks will listen to it and grasp it.”

9.111Then the Blessed One said to the monks, “Monks, there once lived a householder in a certain hamlet. He took a wife from a family of equal rank, and he and his wife played, made love, and enjoyed themselves. Thus, a boy who was well proportioned, attractive, and pleasant to behold was born … and raised, and he grew up.

9.112“Thereupon the householder said to his wife, ‘Good lady, since a son who will bring us debts and deprive us of our property has been born to us, I will go abroad bearing merchandise.’

“ ‘My dear, please do so,’ she replied.

9.113“He went abroad bearing merchandise, and, unfortunately, died there. Since his possessions were modest, his domestic property ran out, and his son suffered poverty. A friend of the householder [F.167.a] said to him, ‘Son, work in my fields, and I will provide you with food.’

“The son began to work in the man’s field, and the man provided him with food.

9.114“Then, one day there was a festival. The boy’s mother thought, ‘Today the householder’s wife will be busy giving a meal to her friends, kinsmen, relatives, śramaṇas, and young brahmins. So I will go to her in advance to get my son’s meal.’

9.115“She went in advance to the wife of the householder and asked her for a meal. The wife became angry and said, ‘Why should I give a meal to a servant boy when I have not yet even given it to śramaṇas, brahmins, and relatives? Wait all day; I will give you a double portion tomorrow.’

9.116“Then the boy’s mother thought, ‘Perhaps my son has become hungry; I will take him this saltless wheat gruel of mine.’

9.117“She then took it to the field. The boy saw her from a place nearby and asked, ‘Mother, is there not anything tasty?’

9.118“ ‘Son,’ she said, ‘we do not have even an ordinary meal today.’

“ ‘Why, mother?’

9.119“She explained to her son in detail all that the householder’s wife had said, and told him, ‘I brought this saltless wheat gruel. Son, please eat it.’

“ ‘Just leave it,’ he replied. She left it and departed.

9.120“When the buddhas do not appear, there appear self-awakened ones as the only ones worthy of veneration in the world, who are compassionate toward inferior, wretched people and content with places to sit on the outskirts of towns.

9.121“At that time, a certain self-awakened one arrived at that place. The boy saw him whose body was beautiful, whose mind was pure, and whose behavior was calm, and thought, ‘Certainly I have not performed any service for such a one so worthy of veneration in the past; because of that, I am now in this circumstance. If he accepts this saltless gruel from me, I will offer it to him.’

9.122“The self-awakened one knew the poor man’s thoughts [F.167.b] and held out his bowl, saying, ‘Sir, if you will give it to me, please pour it into this bowl.’ Then, out of strong faith, the boy offered the saltless gruel to the self-awakened one.

9.123“What do you think, monks? That one who was the poor boy at that time, on that occasion, was indeed this King Prasenajit of Kosala. Because of that karma, namely, his offering the saltless gruel to the self-awakened one at that time, on that occasion, he ruled over the kingdom of the Thirty-Three Gods six times. In this Śrāvastī, too, he has been an anointed kṣatriya king six times. And because of the remains of that karma, he became an anointed kṣatriya king in this life, too. Alluding to the maturation of the karma in which his offering of gruel was completed, I said:

9.125Then there was a loud shout: “The Blessed One has revealed the karmic bond related to King Prasenajit of Kosala’s saltless gruel!”

9.126Having heard this, King Prasenajit of Kosala went to the Blessed One. When he arrived, he bowed low until his forehead touched the Blessed One’s feet, and then he sat down to one side. When the king had sat down to one side, the Blessed One, through talk consistent with the Dharma . . . . When he had … delighted him…, the Blessed One remained silent. Then King Prasenajit of Kosala rose from his seat, draped his upper robe over one shoulder, knelt on his right knee, made the gesture of supplication to the Blessed One, and said, “May the Blessed One together with the community of monks assent to my offer of the requisites, namely, robes, almsfood, bedding and seats, [F.168.a] and medicines for the sick, for three months.” The Blessed One assented to King Prasenajit of Kosala by remaining silent. Thereupon King Prasenajit of Kosala began to provide the community of monks headed by the Buddha with meals of a hundred flavors, dress each monk with clothes worth a hundred thousand ordinary clothes, and offer rows of lamps, having gathered ten million bottles of oil, for three months. At the time of meals and offerings it was very loud and noisy.

D. The Offering of a Lamp by a Beggar Woman610

9.127Thereupon a certain beggar woman who was long suffering entered the city for alms, carrying a broken oil-vessel. When she heard that loud, noisy cry, she asked others, “Sirs, what is this loud, noisy cry?”

9.128People told her, “King Prasenajit of Kosala has begun to provide the community of monks headed by the Buddha with meals of a hundred flavors, dress each monk with clothes worth a hundred thousand ordinary clothes, and offer rows of lamps, having gathered ten million bottles of oil, for three months.”

9.129The beggar woman thought, “Not content with his other merits, this King Prasenajit of Kosala still makes donations and makes merit today. Now I too will beg for oil from someone and offer a lamp to the Blessed One.”

9.130Having begged and obtained a little oil, she poured it into the vessel and offered a lamp to the Blessed One’s walking path. Throwing herself at the foot of the walking path, she made this aspiration: “By this root of merit, may I become a teacher named Śākyamuni when people’s lifespans are a hundred years long, just as this teacher, the Blessed One Śākyamuni, appeared when people’s lifespans were a hundred years long. And just as his two best and wisest disciples are Śāriputra and Maudgalyāyana, his attendant monk is Ānanda, his father is Śuddhodana, his mother is Queen Mahāmāyā, his son is Prince Rāhulabhadra, and his city is Kapilavastu, so too may my two best and wisest disciples [F.168.b] be Śāriputra and Maudgalyāyana, my attendant monk be Ānanda, my father be Śuddhodana, my mother be Queen Mahāmāyā, my son be Prince Rāhulabhadra, and my city be Kapilavastu. And just as this blessed one will be completely emancipated, having his bones distributed, so too may I be completely emancipated, having my bones distributed.”

9.131At that time all the other lamps went out, and only the lamp she had lit remained burning.

9.132It is natural that until the buddhas, the blessed ones, retire, the attendants of the buddhas, the blessed ones, do not retire. The venerable Ānanda thought, “It is impossible, out of the question, for the buddhas, the blessed ones, to go to bed in a bright place. I will now extinguish the lamp.”

9.133He tried to extinguish the lamp by hand, but in vain. Then he tried with the hem of his garment, and then with a fan, but he still was not able to extinguish the lamp. The Blessed One asked the venerable Ānanda, “Ānanda, what are you doing?”

9.134“O Blessed One,” he answered, “I thought, ‘It is impossible, out of the question, for the buddhas, the blessed ones, to go to bed in a bright place. I will now extinguish the lamp.’ I tried to extinguish the lamp by hand, but in vain. Then I tried with the hem of my garment, and then with a fan, but it still was in vain.”

9.135“Ānanda,” said the Blessed One, “do not waste your effort. Even if a violent storm arose, it could not extinguish that lamp, let alone a hand, the hem of a garment, or a fan. That lamp was lit by this girl with a great resolution. Ānanda, this girl will become a tathāgata, an arhat, a perfectly awakened one named Śākyamuni when people’s lifespans are a hundred years long, [F.169.a] and his two best and wisest disciples will be Śāriputra and Maudgalyāyana, his attendant monk Ānanda, his father Śuddhodana, his mother Queen Mahāmāyā, his son Prince Rāhulabhadra, and his city Kapilavastu. And he will be completely emancipated, having his bones distributed.”

9.136There was then a loud shout: “Since the beggar woman So-and-so offered a lamp to the place for the Blessed One’s walking, the Blessed One predicted her supreme and complete awakening!” Having heard this, devout brahmins and householders offered her all the requisites, thinking about her future merit.

E. The Question of King Prasenajit: The Offerings Made by the Buddha in His Former Lives613

9.137Having heard this, and prompted by curiosity, King Prasenajit of Kosala prepared a thousand oil vessels, arranged various lamps, and lit lamps made from four different-colored precious materials at the walking path. Then he went to the Blessed One and said, “O Honored One, I invited the Blessed One for seven days for the purpose of veneration of the noble one Mahākāśyapa, and the Blessed One revealed the karmic bond related to my saltless gruel in the past. Further, I have offered meals to the Blessed One together with the community of disciples for three months, dressed each monk with clothes worth a hundred thousand ordinary clothes, and offered rows of lamps, having gathered ten million bottles of oil. But the Blessed One has not predicted my supreme and complete awakening. If I am going to become the best in the world, the leader, too, it would be nice if the Blessed One would predict my supreme and complete awakening.”

9.138“Great King,” replied the Blessed One, “supreme and complete awakening is profound. It appears profound, it is hard to see [F.169.b] or know, it is inconceivable, it is not the object of words, but subtle, and it is to be known only by those of keen perception, the wise, the learned. It is not attained by one donation or a hundred, a thousand, or a hundred thousand donations of yours. But, Great King, if you wish for supreme and complete awakening, you should give donations, make merit, and serve, attend, and wait on good friends. Giving donations, making merit, and serving, attending, and waiting on good friends, you will someday become the best in the world, the leader.”

9.139Being told this, King Prasenajit of Kosala burst into tears. Then King Prasenajit of Kosala wiped his tears away with the hem of his garment and asked the Blessed One, “O Honored One, how many donations did the Blessed One give, and how much merit did he make, seeking supreme and complete awakening?”

9.140“Great King,” replied the Blessed One, “leaving other past eons aside for now, I gave donations and made merit in various ways, seeking supreme and complete awakening in this fortunate eon. Listen to those stories well and keep them in mind; I shall teach them.”

F. Former Life Stories I618

9.141Internal Summary of Contents:

1. Māndhātṛ620

a. The Story of King Māndhātṛ621

9.142“Great King, once, when people’s lives were immeasurably long, there appeared a king named Upoṣadha. One day a soft, fleshy tumor developed on the crown of his head; it was exceptionally soft, just like tūla cotton or karpāsa cotton, and caused no pain. [F.170.a] When it had fully enlarged, it burst open and a boy emerged from it. He was well proportioned, attractive, pleasant to behold, and gold in complexion, his head like a parasol and with long arms, a broad forehead, eyebrows that meet, a prominent nose, and every major limb and minor appendage of his body complete, and his body was fully ornamented with the thirty-two marks of a great man.

9.143“Soon after birth, he was brought to the harem. As soon as the eighty thousand consorts of King Upoṣadha saw the prince, milk squirted out from all of their breasts, and each said, ‘Suckle at my breast (*mān dhaya)!’ Therefore, he was named Māndhātṛ. Other people said that since he had been born (jāta) from the crown of the head (mūrdhnā), the prince should be named Mūrdhnāta. There some people knew him as Māndhātṛ and others as Mūrdhnāta.

9.144“While Prince Māndhātṛ was playing princely games, six successive Śakras died. While he was in the position of crown prince, another six successive Śakras died.

9.145“One day Prince Māndhātṛ went to the countryside. After he had gone to the countryside, King Upoṣadha became sick. Although he was provided with medicines derived from roots, stalks, leaves, flowers, and fruits, the illness just kept on getting worse. He ordered his ministers, ‘Sirs, anoint the prince as king quickly.’

“ ‘Certainly, Your Majesty.’

9.146“The ministers sent a messenger, saying, ‘King Upoṣadha has become sick. He said, “Call the prince and let him accept the royal anointing.” Hence the prince should come quickly.’ When the messenger had departed, King Upoṣadha died. Then the ministers sent another messenger, saying, ‘O Prince, your father has passed away. Please come and accept the kingdom.’

9.147“Prince Māndhātṛ stayed there, thinking, ‘Since my father has passed away, what use is there in my going there?’ The ministers again met together and sent a minister as a messenger. [F.170.b] He went to the prince and requested, ‘O Prince, please accept the kingdom.’

“ ‘If I obtain the kingdom according to the Dharma,’ replied the prince, ‘the royal anointing will take place here.’

9.148“The ministers sent a message: ‘Your Majesty, the royal anointing requires many things. We perform the royal anointing in the palace on a jeweled floor with a throne, parasol, crown, and bracelet. Therefore, the prince must come to this very place.’

“ ‘If I obtain the kingdom according to the Dharma,’ replied the prince, ‘everything necessary will appear here.’

9.149“A yakṣa named Divaukasa, attendant on Prince Māndhātṛ, brought there a jeweled floor and throne. People living in the palace then spontaneously came together, bringing a parasol, crown, and bracelet. Since the people living in the palace spontaneously (svayaṃ) came (āgata), the place was named Sāketā.

9.150“Thereupon the ministers, army, citizens, and provincial dwellers also brought there the water for the royal anointing. They said, ‘Your Majesty, please accept the royal anointing.’

“ ‘Am I being crowned by humans?’ he replied. ‘If I obtain the kingdom according to the Dharma, I will be crowned by nonhumans.’

9.151“Thus, he was crowned by nonhumans, and his seven treasures appeared: namely, the precious chakra, elephant, horse, jewel, woman, householder, and minister. He had a thousand sons who were brave, bold, and endowed with excellent physiques, and who would defeat the enemy’s army.

9.152“There were comfortable woods near Vaiśālī, and there lived five hundred ṛṣis who had the five kinds of supernormal knowledge. There lived many birds in the woods, too. Since dhyāna is disturbed [F.171.a] by voices, when the birds in flight made a sound, a ṛṣi named Durmukha became angry and cursed them: ‘May your wings be broken!’ Their wings did break on account of the angry ṛṣi, and so they began to walk.

9.153“When the king was traveling through the country, he saw the birds walking and asked his ministers, ‘Why are these birds walking?’

“ ‘Your Majesty, since dhyāna is disturbed by voices, angry ṛṣis cursed the birds, and so their wings broke on account of the angry ṛṣis.’

9.154“ ‘There seem to be such ṛṣis who are not compassionate toward beings,’ the king remarked, and then he ordered, ‘Sirs, command the ṛṣis today not to live in my land.’

9.155“The ministers went to the ṛṣis and conveyed the order: ‘It was uttered from His Majesty’s lips: “You must not live in my land.” ’

9.156“The ṛṣis thought, ‘Since this king is the ruler of the four continents, let us go to the terrace of Mount Sumeru.’ They went there and settled in.

9.157“King Māndhātṛ’s people were thinkers, measurers, and investigators. Thinking and investigating, they exerted themselves in their respective arts and technical skills. Since they were thinkers, measurers, and investigators, they were named ‘born from thought’ (manuja, ‘human being’).

9.158“They began to work in the fields. When the king was traveling through the country, he saw the people working in the fields, and he asked his ministers, ‘What are these people doing?’

“ ‘Your Majesty,’ replied the ministers, ‘they are growing grains and so on in order to make medicine from them.’

9.159“The king wondered, ‘Why do the people in my land have to work in the fields?’ [F.171.b] Then he said, ‘The gods should cause a rain of twenty-seven kinds of seeds.’

9.160“As soon as King Māndhātṛ had wished this, the gods did cause a rain of twenty-seven kinds of seeds. King Māndhātṛ asked his provincial dwellers, ‘Whose merit caused these?’

“ ‘Both Your Majesty’s and ours did,’ they answered.

9.161“Then, the people began to plow the cotton fields. Again, when King Māndhātṛ was traveling through the country, he saw them and asked his ministers, ‘What are these people doing?’

“ ‘Your Majesty, these people are plowing the cotton fields,’ the ministers replied.

9.162“ ‘What need is there?’ asked the king.

“ ‘Your Majesty,’ they explained, ‘they do this in order to make clothes.’

9.163“ ‘Why do the people in my land have to plow the cotton fields?’ King Māndhātṛ wondered. ‘The gods should cause a rain of cotton.’

9.164“As soon as King Māndhātṛ had thought this, the gods did cause a rain of cotton seeds. King Māndhātṛ asked his provincial dwellers, ‘Whose merit caused these?’

“ ‘Both Your Majesty’s and ours did,’ they answered.

9.165“Then, these people began to spin the cotton, and the king asked, ‘What are these people doing?’

“ ‘Your Majesty, they are spinning cotton into thread,’ said the ministers.

9.166“ ‘Why do the people in my land have to spin cotton into thread?’ the king wondered. ‘The gods should cause a rain of cotton threads.’

9.167“As soon as King Māndhātṛ had thought this, the gods did cause a rain of cotton threads. The king asked, ‘Whose merit caused these?’

“ ‘Both Your Majesty’s and ours did,’ they answered.

9.168“After that, they began in due course to weave the cotton. The king asked, ‘What are they doing?’

“ ‘Your Majesty,’ they said, ‘they are weaving cotton into cloth.’

9.169“ ‘Why do the people in my land have to weave cotton into cloth?’ King Māndhātṛ wondered. [F.172.a] ‘The gods should cause a rain of cotton cloth.’

9.170“As soon as King Māndhātṛ had thought this, the gods did cause a rain of cotton cloth. The king asked, ‘Whose merit caused these?’

“ ‘Both Your Majesty’s and ours did,’ they answered.

9.171“The king thought, ‘These people do not realize the power of my merits. I have the continent of Jambu, which is rich, prosperous, peaceful, abundant in food, and full of many people. I have seven treasures: namely, the precious chakra, elephant, horse, jewel, woman, householder, and minister. I have a thousand sons who are brave, bold, and endowed with excellent physique, and who will defeat the enemy’s army. Now, may a rain of jewels fall in my palace, but not even a kārṣāpaṇa outside!’

9.172“As soon as King Māndhātṛ had thought this, a rain of jewels did fall in the palace for seven days, but not even a kārṣāpaṇa fell outside. It looked like someone possessing great dignity and great magical power, having made merit and performed good deeds, was enjoying the fruit of his merit. The king asked, ‘Whose merit caused these?’

“ ‘Your Majesty’s did,’ they answered.

9.173“The king said, ‘Sirs, you are wrong. If you had first said, “Your Majesty’s merit did,” I would have caused a rain of jewels throughout the continent of Jambu. But whoever wants jewels among you can take as many jewels as he wants.’

9.174“After that, while King Māndhātṛ was ruling over the great kingdom, six successive Śakras died.

9.175“The king asked the yakṣa named Divaukasa, attendant on Māndhātṛ, ‘Is there any other continent where they do not obey my orders?’

“ ‘Your Majesty,” Divaukasa answered, ‘there is a continent called Videha in the east, [F.172.b] which is rich, prosperous, peaceful, abundant in food, and full of many people. May Your Majesty go to that continent and rule it.’

9.176“Then King Māndhātṛ thought, ‘I have the continent of Jambu, which is rich, prosperous, peaceful, abundant in food, and full of many people. I have seven treasures: namely, the precious chakra, elephant, horse, jewel, woman, householder, and minister. I have a thousand sons who are brave, bold, and endowed with excellent physiques, and who will defeat the enemy’s army. Also, a rain of jewels fell in my palace for seven days. But it is said that there is another continent, which is called Videha in the east. I will now go to that continent and rule over it.’

9.177“As soon as he had thought this, King Māndhātṛ flew with an army of eight trillion up into the sky, surrounded by his thousand sons and preceded by his seven treasures. King Māndhātṛ went to Videha in the east and lived there. Like a being possessing great dignity and great magical power, having made merit and performed good deeds, enjoying the fruit of his merit, King Māndhātṛ ruled over the continent of Videha in the east for many years‍—hundreds of years, thousands of years, hundreds of thousands of years. While he was ruling over the continent of Videha in the east, six successive Śakras died.

9.178“Again, King Māndhātṛ asked the yakṣa Divaukasa, ‘Is there any other continent where they do not obey my orders?’

“ ‘Your Majesty,’ Divaukasa answered, ‘there is a continent called Godānīya in the west, which is rich, prosperous, peaceful, abundant in food, and full of many people. May Your Majesty go to that continent and rule it.’ [F.173.a] [B41]

9.179“Then King Māndhātṛ thought, ‘I have the continent of Jambu, which is rich, prosperous, peaceful, abundant in food, and full of many people. I have seven treasures: namely, the precious chakra, elephant, horse, jewel, woman, householder, and minister. I have a thousand sons who are brave, bold, and endowed with excellent physiques, and who will defeat the enemy’s army. Also, a rain of jewels fell in my palace for seven days. I went to the continent of Videha in the east, too. I ruled over the continent of Videha in the east for many years‍—hundreds of years, thousands of years, hundreds of thousands of years. But it is said that there is another continent, which is called Godānīya in the west. I will now go to that continent and rule over it.’

9.180“As soon as he had thought this, King Māndhātṛ flew with an army of eight trillion up into the sky, surrounded by his thousand sons and preceded by his seven treasures. King Māndhātṛ went to Godānīya in the west and lived there. Like a being possessing great dignity and great magical power, having made merit and performed good deeds, enjoying the fruit of his merit, King Māndhātṛ ruled over the continent of Godānīya in the west for many years‍—hundreds of years, thousands of years, hundreds of thousands of years. While he was ruling over the continent of Godānīya in the west, six successive Śakras died.

9.181“Again, King Māndhātṛ asked the yakṣa Divaukasa, ‘Is there any other continent where they do not obey my orders?’

“ ‘Your Majesty,’ Divaukasa answered, ‘there is a continent called Kuru in the north, which is rich, prosperous, peaceful, abundant in food, and full of many people. Moreover, these people are free from both attachment and acquisitiveness. May Your Majesty go to that continent and there command your army!’

9.182“Then [F.173.b] King Māndhātṛ thought, ‘‘I have the continent of Jambu, which is rich, prosperous, peaceful, abundant in food, and full of many people. I have seven treasures: namely, the precious chakra, elephant, horse, jewel, woman, householder, and minister. I have a thousand sons who are brave, bold, and endowed with excellent physiques, and who will defeat the enemy’s army. Also, a rain of jewels fell in my palace for seven days. I went to the continent of Videha in the east, too. I ruled over the continent of Videha in the east for many years‍—hundreds of years, thousands of years, hundreds of thousands of years. I went to the continent of Godānīya in the west, too. I ruled over the continent of Godānīya in the west for many years‍—hundreds of years, thousands of years, hundreds of thousands of years. But it is said that there is another continent, called Kuru in the north, which is rich, prosperous, peaceful, abundant in food, and full of many people. Moreover, these people are free from both attachment and acquisitiveness. I will now go to that continent and there command my army.’

9.183“As soon as he had thought this, King Māndhātṛ flew with an army of eight trillion up into the sky, surrounded by his thousand sons and preceded by his seven treasures.

9.184“When King Māndhātṛ saw a white place beside Mount Sumeru, he asked the yakṣa Divaukasa, ‘Divaukasa, what is that white place?’

“ ‘Your Majesty, those are grains of rice of the people of Kuru in the north, which does not need plowing or sowing. Thus, the people of Kuru in the north enjoy rice that does not need plowing or sowing. Go there, Your Majesty, and you will enjoy such a kind of rice, too.’

9.185“When he had heard this, King Māndhātṛ said to his ministers, ‘Leaders, do you see that white place?’ [F.174.a]

“ ‘Yes, we do, Your Majesty.’

9.186“ ‘Leaders, those are grains of rice of the people of Kuru in the north, which does not need plowing or sowing. Thus, the people of Kuru in the north enjoy rice that does not need plowing or sowing. Go there and you will enjoy such a kind of rice, too.’

9.187“When King Māndhātṛ proceeded, he also saw from a distance very beautiful trees like a row of garlands beside Mount Sumeru. Having seen them, he again asked the yakṣa Divaukasa, ‘Divaukasa, what are those very beautiful trees like a row of garlands?’

9.188“ ‘Your Majesty, those are the wish-fulfilling trees of the people of Kuru in the north. Thus, the people of Kuru in the north wear clothes produced by the wish-fulfilling trees.

9.189“Having heard this, King Māndhātṛ said to his ministers, ‘Leaders, do you see those very beautiful trees like a row of garlands?’

“ ‘Yes, we do, Your Majesty.’

9.190“ ‘Leaders, those are the wish-fulfilling trees of the people of Kuru in the north. Thus, the people of Kuru in the north wear clothes produced by the wish-fulfilling trees. Go there and you will wear the clothes produced by the wish-fulfilling trees, too.’

9.191“King Māndhātṛ then went to Kuru in the north and lived there. Like a being possessing great dignity and great magical power, having made merit and performed good deeds, enjoying the fruit of his merit, King Māndhātṛ commanded his army in the continent of Kuru in the north for many years‍—hundreds of years, thousands of years, hundreds of thousands of years. While he was commanding his army there, six successive Śakras died.

9.192“Again, King Māndhātṛ asked the yakṣa Divaukasa, ‘‘Is there any other continent where they do not obey my orders?’ [F.174.b]

“ ‘No, Your Majesty, there is not. But the Thirty-Three Gods enjoy long lives, excellent figures, and much happiness, and they live in a high heavenly palace for a long time. Your Majesty should now go to see the Thirty-Three Gods!’

9.193“The king thought, ‘I have the continent of Jambu, which is rich, prosperous, peaceful, abundant in food, and full of many people. I have seven treasures: namely, the precious chakra, elephant, horse, jewel, woman, householder, and minister. I have a thousand sons who are brave, bold, and endowed with excellent physiques, and who will defeat the enemy’s army. Also, a rain of jewels fell in my palace for seven days. I went to the continent of Videha in the east, too. I ruled over the continent of Videha in the east for many years‍—hundreds of years, thousands of years, hundreds of thousands of years. I went to the continent of Godānīya in the west, too. I ruled over the continent of Godānīya in the west for many years‍—hundreds of years, thousands of years, hundreds of thousands of years. I went to the continent of Kuru in the north, too. I commanded my army in the continent of Kuru in the north for many years‍—hundreds of years, thousands of years, hundreds of thousands of years. But it is said that the Thirty-Three Gods enjoy long lives, excellent figures, and much happiness, and they live in a high heavenly palace for a long time. I will now go to see the Thirty-Three Gods.’

9.194“As soon as he had thought this, King Māndhātṛ flew with an army of eight trillion [F.175.a] up into the sky, surrounded by his thousand sons and preceded by his seven treasures.

9.195“Mount Sumeru, the king of mountains, is surrounded by seven golden mountains. King Māndhātṛ stayed on golden Mount Nimindhara. While he was commanding his army there, six successive Śakras died. He then went from Mount Nimindhara to golden Mount Vinataka and stayed there. While he was commanding his army there, six successive Śakras died. He then went from Mount Vinataka to golden Mount Aśvakarṇa. While he was commanding his army there, six successive Śakras died. He then went from Mount Aśvakarṇa to golden Mount Sudarśana . While he was commanding his army there, six successive Śakras died. He then went from Mount Sudarśana to golden Mount Khadiraka. While he was commanding his army there, six successive Śakras died. He then went from Mount Khadiraka to golden Mount Īṣādhāra. While he was commanding his army there, six successive Śakras died. He then went from Mount Īṣādhāra to golden Mount Yugandhara. While he was commanding his army there, six successive Śakras died.

9.196A Section Index:

9.197“He then flew up into the sky from Mount Yugandhara and departed. The five hundred ṛṣis were living on the terrace of Mount Sumeru. They saw the king coming and said, ‘Sirs, that quarrelsome king is coming.’

9.198“Then the ṛṣi named Durmukha scooped up water with his hands and scattered it so that the army was blocked. The most treasured minister [F.175.b] went before him and said to the ṛṣis:

9.200“Then, having arrived at that place, King Māndhātṛ demanded, ‘Who has blocked this army?’

“ ‘The ṛṣis have,’ answered the most treasured minister.

9.201“ ‘What do these ṛṣis most cherish?’ asked the king.

“ ‘Your Majesty,’ replied the minister, ‘they most cherish their locks of hair.’

9.202“The king said, ‘May these people have their locks of hair fall out and become my attendants.’ The locks of their hair then did fall out, and they began to run before the king, holding bows and arrows in their hands.

9.203“ ‘Your Majesty,’ said the most treasured woman to the king, ‘these ṛṣis are ascetics; what use are they? Please release them.’

9.204“When the king had released them, they recovered their vigor and actualized the five kinds of supernormal knowledge again. King Māndhātṛ again flew up into the sky together with his army.

9.205“Mount Sumeru, the king of mountains, touches the golden ground eighty thousand yojanas below sea level; another eighty thousand yojanas appear above the water. Thus, the mountain is one hundred sixty thousand yojanas in total. Each side of it is eighty thousand yojanas long, and thus the mountain is three hundred twenty thousand yojanas in circumference. Consisting of four kinds of precious substances, it is excellent, beautiful, and pleasant to behold. The Thirty-Three Gods live on its summit. Their five kinds of guards are deployed there, namely, aquatic nāgas, karoṭapāṇi yakṣas, mālādhāras, sadāmattas, and the Four Great Kings.

9.206“When the aquatic nāgas blocked King Māndhātṛ’s army, King Māndhātṛ arrived at that place and asked, ‘Who has blocked this army?’

“ ‘Aquatic nāgas have,’ the members of the army answered.

9.207“ ‘Am I fighting animals?’ wondered the king. [F.176.a] “Then he said, ‘May these aquatic nāgas become my attendants.’

9.208“They began to go before King Māndhātṛ, and then these nāgas arrived where the karoṭapāṇi gods were. The gods asked them, ‘Sirs, why are you going?’

“ ‘A human king is coming here,’ they answered.

9.209“Then the nāgas and karoṭapāṇi gods turned back and blocked the army again. King Māndhātṛ came and asked, ‘Who has blocked this army?’

“ ‘Your Majesty, these karoṭapāṇi gods have blocked the army,’ the members of the army answered.

“King Māndhātṛ said, ‘May these karoṭapāṇi gods become my attendants.’

9.210“Then they began to run before King Māndhātṛ with the nāgas, and they arrived where the mālādhāra gods were. Those gods asked them, ‘Sirs, why are you running?’

“ ‘A human king is coming here,’ they answered.

9.211“Then the gods and nāgas turned back and blocked the army again. The king arrived at that place and asked, ‘Who has blocked this army?’

“ ‘Your Majesty, the mālādhāra gods have,’ the members of the army answered.

“The king said, ‘May these mālādhāra gods become my attendants.’

9.212“Then they began to run before him, and they arrived where the sadāmatta gods were. Those gods asked them, ‘Sirs, why are you running?’

“ ‘A human king is coming here,’ they answered.

9.213“Then they turned back and blocked the army again. The king arrived at that place and asked, ‘Who has blocked this army?’

“ ‘Your Majesty, the sadāmatta gods have,’ the members of the army answered.

“The king [F.176.b] said, ‘May these sadāmatta gods become my attendants.’

9.214“Then they began to run before him, and went to the gods attendant on the Four Great Kings. Those gods asked them, ‘Sirs, why are you running?’

“ ‘A human king is coming here.’

9.215“The Four Great Kings thought, ‘This being seems to have the great power of merit. We cannot block them.’

9.216“Then the gods attendant on the Four Great Kings informed the Thirty-Three Gods, ‘A human king is coming here.’ The Thirty-Three Gods thought, ‘Since this being seems to have the great power of merit, we should not obstruct him but welcome him with offerings.’ Then the Thirty-Three Gods did welcome him with offerings.

9.217“When King Māndhātṛ stood at the summit of Mount Sumeru, he saw a green chain of forests like billowing clouds and asked the yakṣa Divaukasa, ‘Divaukasa, what is that green chain of forests like billowing clouds?’

9.218“ ‘Your Majesty, that is the forest of the Thirty-Three Gods’ kovidāra trees, whose name is Pāriyātraka. The Thirty-Three Gods play, amuse themselves, and enjoy themselves there for the four months of the rainy season, obtaining and owning the divine objects of the five kinds of desires. Your Majesty should go there and play, amuse himself, and enjoy himself, possessing and owning the divine objects of the five kinds of desires, too.’

9.219“Having heard this, King Māndhātṛ asked the ministers, ‘Leaders, do you see that green chain of forests like billowing clouds?’

“ ‘Yes, we do, Your Majesty.’

9.220“ ‘Leaders, that is the Thirty-Three Gods’ kovidāra tree, whose name is Pāriyātraka. The Thirty-Three Gods play, amuse themselves, and enjoy themselves there for the four months of the rainy season, obtaining and owning the divine objects of the five kinds of desires. [F.177.a] Leaders, you should go there and play, amuse yourselves, and enjoy yourselves, obtaining and owning the divine objects of the five kinds of desires, too.’

9.221“Again, on the summit of Mount Sumeru, after King Māndhātṛ saw a high, white object resembling billowing clouds, he asked the yakṣa Divaukasa, ‘Divaukasa, what is that high, white object resembling billowing clouds?’

9.222“Your Majesty, that is the Thirty-Three Gods’ meeting hall, Sudharmā. The Thirty-Three Gods and the Four Great Kings meet together there and think, measure, and investigate divine and human matters. Your Majesty will go there, too.’

9.223“Having heard this, King Māndhātṛ asked the ministers, ‘Leaders, do you see that high, white object resembling billowing clouds?’

“ ‘Yes, we do, Your Majesty.’

9.224“ ‘Leaders, that is the Thirty-Three Gods’ meeting hall, Sudharmā. The Thirty-Three Gods and the Four Great Kings meet together there and think, measure, and investigate divine and human matters. Leaders, you will go there, too.’

9.225“The Thirty-Three Gods’ city, Sudarśana , is two thousand five hundred yojanas in length and width, and thus ten thousand yojanas in circumference. It is surrounded by seven golden walls, and each wall is three and a half yojanas high. On each wall, there are four towers made of gold, silver, lapis lazuli, and crystal. The walls are also provided with upward-facing and downward-facing windows. The ground in the city of Sudarśana is excellent, [F.177.b] beautiful, pleasant to behold, variegated‍—exceptionally variegated, and colored in a hundred and one hues. It is soft, exceptionally soft like tūla cotton or karpāsa cotton: it yields when one steps on it, and rises when one raises one’s foot. Divine mandārava flowers cover the ground to such a height that one sinks in them to the knees. When the wind rises, it clears the old flowers away and causes new flowers to fall. There are nine hundred ninety-nine gates in the city of Sudarśana , and at each gate there are five hundred yakṣas in blue garments and armor, holding bows and arrows, and thus they protect, guard, and adorn the Thirty-Three Gods.

9.226“The streets in the city of Sudarśana are two thousand five hundred yojanas long and twelve yojanas wide. They are excellent, beautiful and pleasant to behold, spread with golden sand, sprinkled with sandalwood water, and covered with golden lattices. There are various ponds throughout the city. These ponds are surrounded by four kinds of bricks made of gold, silver, lapis lazuli, and crystal. The ponds are also provided with stairs made of gold, silver, lapis lazuli, and crystal, and the ponds are surrounded by parapets made of gold, silver, lapis lazuli, and crystal. The nails, rails, and bases of the gold parapets are made of silver; those of the silver parapets are made of gold; those of the lapis lazuli parapets are made of crystal; and those of the crystal parapets [F.178.a] are made of lapis lazuli.

9.227“These ponds are filled with water that is honey-sweet and cool, covered with utpala, padma, kumuda, and puṇḍarīka flowers. There, various aquatic birds that assume any shape at will sing in melodious, beautiful, and pleasing voices. Everywhere around these ponds, trees bearing blossoms, trees bearing fruits, and trees bearing diadems grow in a very lovely manner, just like garlands skillfully made as earrings by a skilled garland maker or pupil of a garland maker. Various terrestrial birds that assume any shape at will sing in melodious and beautiful voices, too.

9.228“In the city of Sudarśana , wish-fulfilling trees of four kinds of cloth, namely, blue, yellow, red, and white, produce four kinds of clothes of these colors, respectively. Gods and goddesses obtain at once exactly what they want from these trees.

9.229“Four kinds of ornament trees produce four kinds of ornaments, namely, ornaments for the arms, ornaments for the ankles, ornaments to be worn under garments, and ornaments for display. Gods and goddesses obtain at once exactly what they want from these trees.

9.230“Gods and goddesses may also obtain at once exactly what they want when they want any of the four kinds of musical instruments, namely, lutes, flutes, three-stringed lutes, and harps.

9.231“Gods and goddesses may also obtain at once exactly what they want, when they want any of the four kinds of divine foods, namely, blue, yellow, red, and white.

9.232“There are houses with balconies, cool rooms, terraces, windows, and skylights, [F.178.b] places where groups of women or groups of celestial nymphs gather. There the Thirty-Three Gods play, amuse themselves, and enjoy themselves with drinks of honey, liquor produced from honey, and liquor from kadamba blossoms, as well as various sounds of music. Thus they enjoy the fruit of their own merit.

9.233“The Thirty-Three Gods’ divine meeting hall, Sudharmā, is three hundred yojanas in length and width, and nine hundred yojanas in circumference. It is excellent, beautiful, and pleasant to behold, made of crystal, and located four and a half yojanas above the city. There the Thirty-Three Gods’ seats are arranged: namely, the seats of the thirty-two brothers of Indra and the seat of Śakra, Lord of the Thirty-Three Gods. King Māndhātṛ’s seat was arranged at the very end of all these seats.

9.234“The Thirty-Three Gods welcomed King Māndhātṛ with offerings. In due course, those beings who were known to have great power from the maturation of their own merits entered there; others sat down outside.

9.235“King Māndhātṛ thought, ‘Certainly the last one of these arranged seats is mine.’ Then King Māndhātṛ thought, ‘Oh, I wish Śakra, Lord of the Gods, would offer half of his seat to me.’ Great King, as soon as he thought this, Śakra, Lord of the Gods, did offer half of his seat to King Māndhātṛ, and King Māndhātṛ sat down on half of the seat of Śakra, Lord of the Gods.

9.236“Great King, when King Māndhātṛ and Śakra, Lord of the Gods, sat on one seat together, there was no difference, no distinction, and no contrast between them in their height, girth, perfection of figure, or [F.179.a] speaking, except that Śakra, Lord of the Gods, did not blink his eyes.

9.237“Great King, while King Māndhātṛ was sitting among the Thirty-Three Gods, thirty-six successive Śakras died.

9.238“Thereupon a battle broke out there between the gods and the asuras. Whenever the asuras were defeated there, they closed the gate of their city and, after walking back and forth on the top of the wall, sat down; whenever the gods were defeated, they closed the gate of their city and, after walking back and forth on the top of the wall, sat down.

9.239“Then the asuras prepared their army consisting of four divisions. Having broken through the five barriers, they advanced to attack Śakra, Lord of the Gods. The yakṣas said to Śakra, Lord of the Gods, ‘Kauśika, please be informed that the asuras are approaching, having broken through the five barriers. Please get on with your business; do what should be done.’

9.240“Then Śakra, Lord of the Gods, prepared his army consisting of four divisions and made them march against the asuras. When he saw this, King Māndhātṛ said, ‘Please stay here; I will go.’

“ ‘Please do so,’ replied Śakra.

9.241“King Māndhātṛ then flew with an army of eight trillion up into the sky and sounded his bowstring. When they heard this, the asuras asked each other, ‘Whose bowstring is sounding?’ They heard that this was the sound of King Māndhātṛ’s bowstring, and felt wonder at this.

9.242“Then King Māndhātṛ made his army proceed. It is natural that each chariot of fighting gods and asuras remains horizontally in the sky, not hovering above or below the others. But King Māndhātṛ’s chariot flew up into the sky above all the asuras [F.179.b] and stayed there. The asuras asked each other, ‘Who flew up into the sky above us and remains there?’

9.243“When they heard that this was the human king, Māndhātṛ, they thought, ‘This being, whose chariot flies in the sky above us, is someone who is known to have great power from the maturation of his merits.’

9.244“They were then defeated. Frightened and outfought, they turned their backs and retreated to the residence of the asuras.

9.245“ ‘Who won?’ asked King Māndhātṛ.

“The ministers answered, ‘Your Majesty did.’

“ ‘I am superior to the Thirty-Three Gods,’ thought the king.

9.246“Then King Māndhātṛ thought, ‘I have the continent of Jambu, which is rich, prosperous, peaceful, abundant in food, and full of many people. I have the continents of Videha in the east, Godānīya in the west, and Kuru in the north, too. I also have seven treasures: namely, the precious chakra, elephant, horse, jewel, woman, householder, and minister. Furthermore, I have a thousand sons who are brave, bold, and endowed with excellent physiques, and who will defeat the enemy’s army. A rain of jewels fell in my palace for seven days. I came to the Thirty-Three Gods, I entered the divine meeting hall, Sudharmā, and Śakra, Lord of the Gods, gave me half of his seat. Thus, I will now drive away Śakra, Lord of the Gods, from this residence, and I myself will rule all the kingdoms of gods and humans.’

9.247“As soon as he thought this, Great King, King Māndhātṛ’s success ended. He alighted on the continent of Jambu, [F.180.a] became seriously ill, and experienced unbearable mortal pain.

9.248“Thereupon King Māndhātṛ’s ministers, astrologers, chief ministers who had installed the king on the throne, and those who lived by mantras went to King Māndhātṛ. When they arrived, they asked the king, ‘If, after Your Majesty passes away, the people in the kingdom left behind ask us, “Sirs, what did King Māndhātṛ say at his last moment?” how should we answer those people who ask this?’

9.249“ ‘Leaders, if, after my death, the people left behind come to you and ask you this, you should answer those people, “Sirs, King Māndhātṛ is said to have passed away not content with the five objects of desire, even after having possessed the seven treasures, ruled over his kingdom in the four continents with the four kinds of human success, and even gone to the Thirty-Three Gods.” ’

9.250“Then he spoke some verses:

9.254“Great King, thus, in this way, you should know that few people die contented and satisfied with the objects of the five kinds of desires in the human world and that many people die discontented and unsatisfied with the objects of the five kinds of desires in the human world. [F.180.b]

9.255“Thereupon King Māndhātṛ made a limitless offering and spoke some more verses:

9.257“At that time citizens and provincial dwellers heard that King Māndhātṛ had become sick and was dying. After they had heard this, hundreds of thousands of people went to see King Māndhātṛ. The king told the people about the faults of desire and also talked about the faults of living at home and about rejecting desire. After they had heard this, hundreds of thousands of people abandoned their lives at home and went forth among ṛṣis. Having sat in the forest and practiced the four pure ways of abiding, they drove away their longing for objects of desire. Having practiced in this way many times, they were reborn as inhabitants of the world of Brahmā.

9.258“Great King, while King Māndhātṛ was playing as a child, acting as the crown prince, ruling over the great kingdom in the continent of Jambu, living in the continents of Videha in the east, Godānīya in the west, Kuru in the north, and on the seven golden mountains, and going to the residence of the Thirty-Three Gods and living there, one hundred fourteen successive Śakras died.

9.259“Great King, how long is the life of Śakra, Lord of the Gods? What is a hundred years for humans is one day for the Thirty-Three Gods. Thirty of these days is a month, and twenty of these months is a year. One thousand divine years in this calculation is the lifespan of the Thirty-Three Gods, which is equal to thirty-six million human years.

9.260“Great King, [F.181.a] the one who was Śakra at that time, on that occasion‍—the time when, having gone to the Thirty-Three Gods, King Māndhātṛ thought, ‘Oh, I wish Śakra, Lord of the Gods, would offer half of his seat to me’‍—is the monk Kāśyapa. The one who was Śakra, Lord of the Gods, at that time, on that occasion‍— the time when King Māndhātṛ thought, ‘I will now drive away Śakra, Lord of the Gods, from this residence, and I myself will rule the kingdoms of gods and humans’‍—is the Perfectly Awakened One Kāśyapa. Although the king was known as a being of immense power, he conceived an evil thought. Therefore, his success ended and he alighted on the continent of Jambu, became seriously ill, and experienced unbearable mortal pain.

9.261“What do you think, Great King? That one who was King Māndhātṛ at that time, on that occasion, was indeed me. Although he benefited such a large number of beings, he did not attain supreme knowledge. But these acts were only a cause, only a condition, only a preparation for supreme and complete awakening.”

b. A Former Life of King Māndhātṛ: The Son of the Head of a Guild656

9.262The king, feeling doubtful, inquired of the Buddha, the Blessed One, the one who severs all doubts, “O Honored One, what karma did King Māndhātṛ create that matured to cause that golden rain that fell for seven days as soon as he thought about it?”

9.263“Great King, once in the past there appeared in the world a teacher named Sarvābhibhū, who was a tathāgata, an arhat, a perfectly awakened one, perfect in knowledge and conduct, a sugata, world knowing, a supreme tamer of people to be tamed, a teacher of gods and humans, a buddha, and a blessed one.

9.264“At that time there was a son of the head of a guild, who was newly married. By the custom of the region, a dowry was to be given to one’s daughter’s husband as soon as he married her; [F.181.b] the bride, adorned with flowers made of four kinds of jewels, was to be given to her husband; and the husband was to bring her to his house. The son of the head of a guild rode in a vehicle and departed for his house, carrying flowers made of four kinds of jewels. Soon after he departed, he met the Perfectly Awakened One Sarvābhibhū walking toward him along the road. When he saw him, who was fully ornamented with the thirty-two marks of a great man, whose figure one would never be tired of looking at, great faith arose in the man. With his mind filled with faith, he then alighted from the vehicle and scattered the flowers made of four kinds of jewels toward the Perfectly Awakened One Sarvābhibhū. The Perfectly Awakened One Sarvābhibhū exercised his magical power so that these flowers became as large as chariot wheels, which followed him when he walked and stopped when he stopped. With faith arisen, the man spoke some verses:

9.268“What do you think, Great King? That one who was the son of the head of a guild at that time, on that occasion, was indeed me. Because of the maturation of that karma, namely, my gaining faith in the Perfectly Awakened One Sarvābhibhū and scattering flowers made of four kinds of jewels, a golden rain fell in my palace for seven days.”

c. A Former Life of King Māndhātṛ: A Grain Merchant661

9.269“O Honored One, what karma did King Māndhātṛ create that matured to cause [F.182.a] his going to the Thirty-Three Gods, after ruling over the kingdom in the four continents?”

9.270“Great King, once in the past there appeared in the world a teacher named Vipaśyin, who was a perfectly awakened one, perfect in knowledge and conduct, a sugata, world knowing, a supreme tamer of people to be tamed, a teacher of gods and humans, a buddha, and a blessed one. In his travels, in due course he arrived at the royal capital, Bandhumatī.

9.271“Soon after, the Perfectly Awakened One Vipaśyin dressed early in the morning, took his bowl and his robe, and entered Bandhumatī, the royal capital, for alms. There a certain merchant dealing in grains saw the Perfectly Awakened One Vipaśyin, whose figure one would never tire of looking at, and then faith arose in the merchant. With faith arisen, he scooped up some mudga beans and poured them into a bowl. Out of these mudga beans, four entered the bowl, one hit the edge of the bowl and fell to the ground, and the rest fell directly on the ground, not reaching the bowl. Then, his faith having further increased, the merchant made an aspiration:

9.273“What do you think, Great King? That one who was the merchant dealing in grains at that time, on that occasion, was indeed me. There, my faith in the Perfectly Awakened One Vipaśyin arisen, I scooped up some mudga beans and poured them into his bowl, four of which entered the bowl and the rest fell on the ground. Because of the maturation of this karma, I ruled over the kingdom in the four continents. [F.182.b] Because of the maturation of the karma in which one mudga bean hit the edge of the bowl and fell to the ground, I went to the Thirty-Three Gods. Great King, if the rest of the beans that had been poured had not fallen on the ground, I would have ruled over the kingdom among the gods and humans because of the maturation of that karma. That one who was the merchant dealing in grains at that time, on that occasion, was indeed King Māndhātṛ. Therefore, Great King, it will generate a great fruit, a great benefit, to perform service for the Buddha, the Blessed One, who possesses great compassion. Great King, you must learn that you should perform service for the Buddha, the Blessed One.”

2. Mahāsudarśana662

9.274“Great King, again, seeking supreme and complete awakening, I benefited beings. Listen to that story.

9.275“Great King, once there appeared a wheel-turning king named Mahāsudarśana, who had conquered the border regions in the four directions, was a righteous Dharma king, and had attained the seven treasures and four kinds of human success.

9.276“What were the seven treasures King Mahāsudarśana possessed? They were the precious chakra, elephant, horse, jewel, woman, householder, and minister.

9.277“What were the four kinds of human success King Mahāsudarśana possessed?

“He had a long life, living for an exceptionally long time: While he was playing princely games, eighty-four thousand years passed. While he was in the position of crown prince, another eighty-four thousand years passed. While he was ruling over the great kingdom, another eighty-four thousand years passed. While he was leading the pure life of a royal ṛṣi, another eighty-four thousand years passed. This is said to be a success of King Mahāsudarśana: namely, his long life, his living for an exceptionally long time.

9.278“Moreover, King Mahāsudarśana [F.183.a] was well proportioned, attractive, and pleasant to behold‍—he surpassed the human figure, though he did not attain a divine figure. This is said to be a success of King Mahāsudarśana: namely, his being well proportioned, attractive, and pleasant to behold.

9.279“Moreover, King Mahāsudarśana was by nature free from harm and free from disease, and his temperature was in a good state, neither too cold nor too hot, but healthy. His stomach did not suffer any harm, and he safely digested all food and drink, whatever he consumed. This is said to be a success of King Mahāsudarśana: namely, his being naturally free from harm and disease.

9.280“Moreover, King Mahāsudarśana was admired and loved by the citizens and provincial dwellers, just like a father by his sons. Great King, whenever he went to a park, King Mahāsudarśana ordered the charioteer, ‘Charioteer, drive the chariot properly and slowly. I will take the time to see the citizens and provincial dwellers.’ The citizens and provincial dwellers asked the charioteer, too, ‘Charioteer, drive the chariot properly and slowly. We will take the time to see His Majesty, too.’ This is said to be a success of King Mahāsudarśana: namely, his being admired and loved by the citizens and provincial dwellers.

9.281“One day the citizens and provincial dwellers came to King Mahāsudarśana, bringing much gold and silver and many gems and bejeweled blankets. Upon their arrival, they said to King Mahāsudarśana, ‘We offer this much gold and silver and this many gems and bejeweled blankets to Your Majesty. May Your Majesty have compassion [F.183.b] and accept them.’

9.282“ ‘Gentlemen, I do not want them, for I have such wealth in my land,’ said the king, and he did not accept them.

9.283“Nonetheless, the citizens and provincial dwellers offered the treasures a second and a third time, but King Mahāsudarśana refused the second and the third time to accept them. The citizens and provincial dwellers thought, ‘We have prepared much gold and silver and many gems and bejeweled blankets for His Majesty. It would not be right for us to return home with them. We will now pile up a mountain of gold and silver in front of King Mahāsudarśana, put the gems and bejeweled blankets to one side, say, “These are your possessions, Your Majesty,” and leave, not looking at them.’

9.284“Then the citizens and provincial dwellers did pile up a mountain of gold and silver in front of King Mahāsudarśana, put the gems and bejeweled blankets to one side, said, “These are your possessions, Your Majesty,” and left, not looking at them.’

9.285“King Mahāsudarśana thought, ‘Since such wealth has been obtained lawfully, not unlawfully, I will now build a palace that is in accordance with the law.’ Eighty-four thousand neighboring minor kings heard that King Mahāsudarśana was going to build a palace in accordance with the law. After they had heard this, they went to King Mahāsudarśana, and when they arrived, [F.184.a] they said to King Mahāsudarśana, ‘Your Majesty, please do not worry about building a palace that is in accordance with the law. We will build Your Majesty’s palace, in accordance with the law.’

9.286“ ‘Gentlemen, since I have such wealth in my land, I do not need it,’ said the king, and he did not assent. Then the eighty-four thousand neighboring minor kings threw themselves at the feet of King Mahāsudarśana. Some caught the hem of his garment and some made the gesture of supplication to King Mahāsudarśana, and they implored him, ‘Your Majesty, please do not worry about building a palace that is in accordance with the law. We will build Your Majesty’s palace, in accordance with the law.’

9.287“King Mahāsudarśana then assented to the eighty-four thousand neighboring minor kings by remaining silent.

9.288“Thereupon each of the eighty-four thousand neighboring minor kings, knowing that King Mahāsudarśana had assented by remaining silent, departed for his own residence. They then went back to King Mahāsudarśana, carrying much gold and silver and pillars made of jewels. Upon their arrival, they asked King Mahāsudarśana, ‘Where should we build Your Majesty’s palace, in accordance with the law, and what size should it be?’

9.289“ ‘Gentlemen, in this case you should build a palace that is in accordance with the law one yojana in length and width to the east of Kuśāvatī.’

9.290“Then the eighty-four thousand neighboring minor kings built the palace in accordance with the law one yojana in length and width to the east of Kuśāvatī. They established foundations made of gold, silver, lapis lazuli, and crystal for the palace, in accordance with the law. They built pillars made of gold … [F.184.b] and crystal for the palace, in accordance with the law. The pedestals, bearing blocks, capitals, and beams of the gold pillars were made of silver; those of the silver pillars were made of gold; those of the lapis lazuli pillars were made of crystal; and the pedestals, bearing blocks, capitals, and beams of the crystal pillars were made of lapis lazuli. They set up four kinds of short beams, rafters, and long beams made of gold … and crystal for the palace, in accordance with the law. They put up four kinds of domes made of gold … and crystal on the palace, in accordance with the law. They covered the palace, in accordance with the law, with four kinds of slabs made of gold … and crystal. They built four kinds of staircases made of gold … and crystal in the palace, in accordance with the law. They surrounded the palace, in accordance with the law, with four kinds of parapets made of gold … and crystal. The nails, rails, and bases of the gold parapets were made of silver; those of the silver parapets were made of gold; those of the lapis lazuli parapets were made of crystal; and those of the crystal parapets were made of lapis lazuli. Furthermore, they built eighty-four thousand balconies made of gold … and crystal on the palace, in accordance with the law. On the balconies made of gold, they arranged braided couches made of silver, which were covered with woolen cloth, cushions, satin cloth, white blankets, [F.185.a] and cloth from Kaliṅga, and were provided with an upper covering and red pillows at both ends. On the silver balconies, couches made of gold; on the lapis lazuli balconies, couches made of crystal; on the crystal balconies, they arranged braided couches made of lapis lazuli, which were … red pillows at both ends.

9.291“In front of the gold balcony, they arranged palm trees made of silver, whose leaves, flowers, and fruits were made of gold; in front of the silver balcony, palm trees made of gold; in front of the lapis lazuli balcony, palm trees made of crystal; and in front of the crystal balcony, palm trees made of lapis lazuli, whose leaves, flowers, and fruits were made of crystal. When these palm trees swayed in the breeze, they made a pleasant sound as if a skilled musician were skillfully playing a five-part musical instrument.

9.292“In the palace that was in accordance with the law they spread golden sand, sprinkled sandalwood water, and set up golden nets to which golden bells were tied.

9.293“Thereupon, knowing that all the construction of the palace that was in accordance with the law had been completed, the eighty-four thousand neighboring minor kings dug a pond in accordance with the law, one yojana in length and width, in front of the palace in accordance with the law, and lined the pond in accordance with the law with slabs made of gold, silver, lapis lazuli, and crystal.

9.294“They built four kinds of staircases made of gold … and crystal in the pond that was in accordance with the law. They surrounded the pond that was in accordance with the law with four kinds of parapets made of gold … and crystal. The nails, rails, and bases of the gold parapets were made of silver; those of the silver parapets were made of gold; [F.185.b] those of the lapis lazuli parapets were made of crystal; and the nails, rails, and bases of the crystal parapets were made of lapis lazuli.

9.295“In the pond that was in accordance with the law, they grew various aquatic flowers, namely, utpala, padma, kumuda, puṇḍarīka, saugandhika, mṛdugandhika, and flowers of all seasons‍—flowers of all times of year that were harmless to everyone.

9.296“On two banks of the pond that was in accordance with the law, they grew various terrestrial flowers, namely, atimuktaka, campaka, pāṭala, vārṣikā, mallikā, navamallikā, sumanā, yūthikā, dhānuṣkārī, and flowers of all seasons‍—flowers of all times of year that were harmless to everyone.

9.297“Around the pond that was in accordance with the law, they spread golden sand, sprinkled sandalwood water, and set up golden nets to which golden bells were tied.

9.298“Thereupon, knowing that all the construction of the pond that was in accordance with the law had been completed, the eighty-four thousand neighboring minor kings made a palm tree forest that was in accordance with the law, one yojana in length and width, in front of the pond that was in accordance with the law. In the palm tree forest that was in accordance with the law, they made four kinds of palm trees made of gold … crystal. The leaves, flowers, and fruits of the gold palm trees were made of silver; those of the silver palm trees were made of gold; those of the lapis lazuli palm trees were made of crystal; and those of the crystal palm trees were made of lapis lazuli. When these palm trees swayed in the breeze, they made a pleasant sound as if a skilled musician were skillfully playing a five-part musical instrument.

9.299“They surrounded the palm tree forest that was in accordance with the law with four kinds of parapets made of gold, silver, [F.186.a] jewels, and crystal. The nails, rails, and bases of the gold parapets were made of silver . . . . In the palm tree forest that was in accordance with the law they spread golden sand, sprinkled sandalwood water, and set up golden nets to which golden bells were tied.

9.300“Thereupon, knowing that all the construction of the palace that was in accordance with the law, the pond that was in accordance with the law, and the palm tree forest that was in accordance with the law had been completed, the eighty-four thousand neighboring minor kings went to King Mahāsudarśana. When they arrived, they said to King Mahāsudarśana, ‘We have built Your Majesty’s palace in accordance with the law, a pond in accordance with the law, and a palm tree forest. May Your Majesty know that their time has now come.’

9.301“Then King Mahāsudarśana thought, ‘It would not be right for me to live by myself in this palace first. In the palace that is in accordance with the law, I will now give food to śramaṇas, brahmins, and people of good conduct living in my land and provide each of them with a pair of new cotton robes.’

9.302“Thereupon King Mahāsudarśana gave food to five hundred self-awakened ones, provided each of them with a pair of new cotton robes, and spoke some verses:

9.305“Great King, if you think that the one who was that wheel-turning king named Mahāsudarśana, who had ruled the four continents [F.186.b] and had attained the seven treasures and four kinds of human success at that time, on that occasion, was someone else, you should think otherwise. I was the wheel-turning king named Mahāsudarśana, who had ruled the four continents and had attained the seven treasures and four kinds of human success at that time, on that occasion.

9.306“Great King, if you think that I attained supreme and complete awakening by these donations or distribution of donations, you should think otherwise; these donations of mine were only a cause, only a condition, only a preparation for supreme and complete awakening.”

3. Velāma668

9.307“Great King, again, seeking supreme and complete awakening, I gave donations and made merit. Listen to that story.

9.308“Great King, once there was a very wealthy brahmin named Velāma. He gave donations to brahmins as follows:

9.309“He gave brahmins eighty-four thousand elephants adorned with gold, illuminated with gold, decorated with golden banners, and covered with golden nets.

9.310“He gave brahmins eighty-four thousand horses adorned with gold, illuminated with gold, and covered with golden nets.

9.311“He gave brahmins eighty-four thousand chariots made of either of four kinds of materials, namely, gold, silver, lapis lazuli, or crystal, covered with lion skins, leopard skins, and white blankets, and decorated with flags of victory.

9.312“He gave brahmins eighty-four thousand golden vessels filled with powdered silver.

“He gave brahmins eighty-four thousand silver vessels filled with gold dust.

9.313“He gave brahmins eighty-four thousand braided couches made of either of four kinds of materials‍—namely, gold, silver, lapis lazuli, or crystal‍—covered [F.187.a] with woolen cloth, cushions, large coverings, and cloth from Kaliṅga, and provided with an upper covering and red pillows at both ends; eighty-four thousand pairs of bolts of four kinds of cloth, namely, cloth from Kāśi, linen cloth, dukūla cloth, and koṭambaka cloth; eighty-four thousand cows that had golden horns, silver hooves, calves with beautiful coats of fur, and bronze buckets and were covered with pairs of pieces of cotton cloth; and eighty-four thousand girls well adorned with golden armlets and necklaces. He gave all of these as donations, not to mention food and drink‍—foods to eat, drink, lick, and suck.

9.314“Great King, greater than such donations made to brahmins by the very wealthy brahmin Velāma is the result of the donation of one who gives food to one hundred ṛṣis who are non-Buddhist ascetics and free from desires.

9.315“Great King, greater than such donations made to brahmins by the very wealthy brahmin Velāma and one who gives food to one hundred ṛṣis who are non-Buddhist ascetics and free from desires is the result of the donation of one who gives food to a single ordinary person dwelling in a forest of jambū trees.

9.316“Greater than such donations made to brahmins by the very wealthy brahmin Velāma and one who gives food to one hundred ṛṣis who are non-Buddhist ascetics and free from desires is the result of the donation of one who gives food to one person who is going to actualize the fruit of stream-entry.”

9.317(This and so on are supposed to be stated in detail; only the conclusion of each case should be written as follows.)

9.318“Greater than the donation of one who gives food to one hundred people who are going to actualize the fruit of stream-entry [F.187.b] is the result of the donation of one who gives food to one stream-enterer.

9.319“Greater than the donation of one who gives food to one hundred stream-enterers is the result of the donation of one who gives food to one person who is going to actualize the fruit of a once-returner.

9.320“Greater than the donation of one who gives food to one hundred people who are going to actualize the fruit of a once-returner is the result of the donation of one who gives food to one once-returner.

9.321“Greater than the donation of one who gives food to one hundred once-returners is the result of the donation of one who gives food to one person who is going to realize the fruit of a never-returner.

9.322“Greater than the donation of one who gives food to one hundred people who are going to actualize the fruit of a never-returner is the result of the donation of one who gives food to one never-returner.

9.323“Greater than the donation of one who gives food to one hundred never-returners is the result of the donation of one who gives food to one person who is going to actualize the fruit of an arhat.

9.324“Greater than the donation of one who gives food to one hundred people who are going to actualize the fruit of an arhat is the result of the donation of one who gives food to one arhat.

9.325“Greater than the donation of one who gives food to one hundred arhats is the result of one who offers a park to the community of monks in the four directions.

“Greater than this is the result of one who has a monastery built in the park.

9.326“Greater than this is the result of one who provides the monastery with seats and bedding, namely, couches, stools, cushions, blankets, pillows, and square mats.

9.327“Greater than this is the result of one who frequently makes offerings suitable for conditions in the monastery. [F.188.a]

9.328“Greater than this is the result of one who seeks refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the community and accepts the rules of training.

“Greater than this is the result of one who possesses thoughts of love….

9.329“Great King, greater than such a donation made to brahmins by the very wealthy brahmin Velāma; one who gives food to one hundred ṛṣis who are non-Buddhist ascetics and free from desires; one who gives food to one hundred people who are going to actualize the fruit of stream-entry; one hundred stream-enterers; one hundred people who are going to actualize the fruit of a once-returner; one hundred once-returners; one hundred people who are going to actualize the fruit of a never-returner; one hundred never-returners; one hundred people who are going to actualize the fruit of an arhat; one hundred arhats; one who offers a park to the community of monks in the four directions; one who has a monastery built in the park; one who provides the monastery with seats and bedding, namely, couches, stools, cushions, blankets, pillows, and square blankets; one who frequently makes offerings suitable for conditions in the monastery; one who seeks refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the community and accepts the rules of training; and one who possesses thoughts of love … is the result of one who observes that all conditioned things are impermanent, who observes exhaustion, who observes freedom from desire, who observes cessation, and who observes emancipation.

9.330“Great King, therefore you must learn this: You must observe that all conditioned things are impermanent. [F.188.b] You must observe exhaustion, freedom from desire, cessation, and emancipation. Great King, you must learn this.

9.331“Great King, having thus given donations to brahmins and made merit, the very wealthy brahmin Velāma spoke some verses:

9.334“Great King, if you think that the one who was that very wealthy brahmin named Velāma at that time, on that occasion, was someone else, you should think otherwise. I was the very wealthy brahmin named Velāma at that time, on that occasion, and there I gave such donations to brahmins.

9.335“Great King, if you think that I attained supreme and complete awakening by these donations or distributions of donations, you should think otherwise; these donations were only a cause, only a condition, only a preparation for supreme and complete awakening.”

4. Kuśa672

a. The Story of Prince Kuśa673

9.336“Great King, again, seeking supreme and complete awakening, I gave donations and made merit. Listen to that story.

9.337“Great King, once there was a strong king named Śakuna. He was a good friend of Śakra, Lord of the Gods, but he had no son or daughter. He was plunged into grief, resting his cheek on his hand, thinking, ‘Although I have such wealth and sovereignty, I have no son or daughter. After my death, my family lineage will end.’ Śakra, Lord of the Gods, saw him and asked, ‘My friend, why are you plunged into grief, resting your cheek on your hand?’

9.338“ ‘Kauśika,’ answered the king, ‘although I have such wealth and sovereignty, I have no son or [F.189.a] daughter. After my death, my family lineage will end.’

“ ‘My friend, I will send you a certain medicine,’ Śakra said. ‘Give it to your consorts, and you will have sons and daughters.’

9.339“Śakra, Lord of the Gods, went to Mount Gandhamādana, found the medicine, and sent it to the king. The king gave it to his consorts, saying, ‘Take this medicine,’ but the king’s chief consort was asleep then. The other women took the medicine, not waking her up, and they all became pregnant. After that, the chief consort woke up and saw them pregnant. She asked, ‘What did you do to become pregnant?’

“ ‘His Majesty gave us a certain medicine to take,’ they answered.

9.340“ ‘Why did you not wake me up? Anyway, in what vessel was the medicine brought?’

“ ‘It was wrapped in kuśa grass.’

9.341“ ‘Where is the grass?’

“ ‘Here.’

9.342“She washed the kuśa grass and drank the water, and she became pregnant, too. After eight or nine months, a boy was born to all of them. The chief consort gave birth to a son who had eighteen inauspicious marks, a face like a lion’s, and the power of a great nagna. A great celebration was held at his birth, and he was named Kuśa. The king was pleased when he saw the other sons, but he became angry at Kuśa because the prince’s looks were unpleasant.

9.343“Neighboring minor kings said to each other, ‘Sirs, we are all oppressed by this King Mahāśakuni. Let us drive him out of the kingdom.’ They advanced with an army consisting of four divisions and surrounded the king’s city. Unable to fight them, King Mahāśakuni shut the gates, deployed his army on the walls, and stood there.

9.344“Kuśa went to his mother and asked, ‘Mother, why have the gates been shut?’

“ ‘Your father is unable to fight the neighboring minor kings, [F.189.b] and he has shut the gates and stands there.’

9.345“ ‘Mother, I will fight them. The king should give me a chariot.’

“ ‘My son, you are unloved by him and you anger him. Why would he give you a chariot?’

9.346“ ‘Mother, please go to him. Please go and say, “Prince Kuśa will fight them. Please give him a chariot.” ’

“She went and said to the king, ‘Your Majesty, the prince says, “I will fight them. Please give me a chariot.” ’

9.347“When the king had given him a chariot, the prince mounted it, carrying two quivers of arrows, and departed. Śakra, Lord of the Gods, thought, ‘These neighboring minor kings are strong. Prince Kuśa, the bodhisattva of this fortunate eon, will experience difficulty. I will help him.’

9.348“He gave the prince a conch shell, chakra, and club and said, ‘O bodhisattva, you should survive with these.’

9.349“The prince opened the gate and set out. When he blew the conch shell, the army was frightened by the sound. Some were deafened by it, and some ran away, covering their ears. When he threw the chakra and club, people fell to the ground. When he went into the middle of the battlefield and blew the conch shell, the eardrums of everyone shattered. They ran away, thinking, ‘This man is a rākṣasa!’ The prince won a complete victory and returned to his father.

9.350“ ‘Your Majesty, I have subdued all the kings. Your land is now perfect.’

“When he heard this, King Mahāśakuni was delighted. He said to himself, ‘Prince Kuśa is strong and of perfect vigor. Why did I feel hatred toward him?’

9.351“The king began to feel pleased with the prince.

“When he let his sons marry, he tried to find a wife for Kuśa, too. But all of those he asked for their daughters said, ‘I would give my daughter to anyone but Kuśa.’

9.352“When a certain king [F.190.a] had asked for another king’s daughter, and he had not yet married her, King Mahāśakuni asked for the girl under the pretense of asking for her for another son of his and gave the girl to Kuśa. Investigating constellations and consulting the sundial to choose an auspicious day, time, and moment, he had Prince Kuśa and the girl marry each other. The king then issued an order: ‘Sirs, none should show a mirror to Prince Kuśa. Let him wash without entering the water. Do not let him go to his wife in the daytime.’

9.353“When Prince Kuśa was playing with his brothers, his wife saw him and asked some others, ‘Who is that fiend playing among the princes?’

9.354“ ‘It is your husband.’

“ ‘How could my husband be this kind of man?’

9.355“Later, she again saw him playing with water with the other princes. Having asked and been answered in the same way, she lamented, ‘My husband is this kind of man!’

9.356“She determined, though, that she would confirm it. She lit a lamp and covered it with a pot. When the prince came to his wife, she uncovered the lamp and she saw him, he who had eighteen inauspicious marks and a face like a lion. She ran away, crying, ‘Fiend! Fiend!’

9.357“A certain hamlet chief revolted against King Mahāśakuni. The king sent Prince Kuśa there, ordering him, ‘Go and conquer the people of that hamlet.’ When he had gone there, Kuśa’s wife sent a message to her parents: ‘Are there any other men in the world? You gave me to a fiend. If you kill me, that’s fine. If you do not, I will kill myself.’ They then took her back.

9.358“Having conquered the hamlet chief, Prince Kuśa returned and asked his mother, ‘Mother, where is my wife?’

“ ‘She was taken back by her parents,’ his mother replied.

9.359“ ‘Why?’

“ ‘She thought you were a fiend.’

9.360“ ‘Mother, I will go and take her back.’

“ ‘You should do so.’

9.361“He departed, carrying his conch shell, chakra, and club. At that time, in a certain hamlet, many people had shut the gates and were watching in every direction for fear of a lion. [F.190.b] Prince Kuśa asked them, ‘Why are you doing such a thing?’

“ ‘Because of fear of a lion.’

9.362“ ‘Why do you not kill it?’

“ ‘We cannot.’

9.363“ ‘If I kill it, what will you give me?’

“ ‘Half of an army consisting of four divisions.’

9.364“When Kuśa approached the lion and blew his conch shell, it died, its eardrums broken. He brought it to the hamlet.

“ ‘Sirs, here is the lion.’

9.365“ ‘Please take half of an army consisting of four divisions.’

“ ‘Keep it with you here’ he replied, ‘and give it to me when I come back.’

9.366“He went to the hamlet where his wife was, and went to a garland maker. The garland maker asked, ‘Who are you?’

“ ‘I am the son of a garland maker,’ he answered.

9.367“ ‘What is your name?’

“ ‘Vuṭaka.’

9.368“Bodhisattvas are experts in the arts and technical skills. He skillfully made garlands. The garland maker gave the girl, Kuśa’s wife, one of the garlands. ‘You have never made such a garland,’ she remarked. ‘What is the reason for this?’

“ ‘My disciple made it.’

9.369“ ‘I must see your disciple.’

“The garland maker took Kuśa there. She saw him and wondered, ‘Where has this fiend come from?’ She drove him off, crying, ‘Fiend! Fiend!’

9.370“He then went to a cook, and the cook asked, ‘Who are you?’

“ ‘I am the son of a cook.’

9.371“ ‘What is your name?’

“ ‘Sthālisugandha.’

9.372“He skillfully boiled and baked. The cook served the boiled and baked food to the girl. ‘My man,’ she asked, ‘who skillfully boiled and baked this?’

“ ‘My disciple did.’

9.373“ ‘I must see your disciple.’

“… Again he was driven off.

9.374“He then went to a physician, and the physician asked, ‘Who are you?’

“ ‘I am the son of a physician.’

9.375“ ‘What is your name?’

“ ‘Ātreya.’

9.376“When the girl had a headache, the physician [F.191.a] was plunged into grief, being unable to cure her. Kuśa asked him, ‘Master, why are you plunged into grief?’

“ ‘The princess has a headache, but I am not able to cure her.’

9.377“ ‘I will go and cure her.’

“He went to her, and when she saw him she thought, ‘Where has this fiend come from?’ Then she thought, ‘If I say something, he will not heal me. I will say it when I have been healed.’ When she had been healed, she cried, ‘Fiend! Fiend!’ and drove him off.

9.378“He went to ministers and they asked him, ‘Who are you?’

“ ‘I am a match for a thousand.’

9.379“They hired him.

“The prince who had once been the fiancé of the princess heard that the princess, whom he had once almost gained, had abandoned Prince Kuśa and gone home. He sent a message to the king (the father of the princess): ‘If you give me your daughter, that’s fine. But if you do not, you will lose your kingdom.’

9.380“ ‘I have already given this daughter of mine to Prince Kuśa, a son of King Mahāśakuni,’ the king replied. ‘How could I give her to another man?’

9.381“That prince came with an army consisting of four divisions and surrounded the palace. Unable to fight him, the king shut the gates and stood there. Prince Kuśa asked the ministers, ‘Sirs, why did you shut the gates?’ When they had explained the details to him, Prince Kuśa said, ‘If the daughter of the king is given to me, I will fight him.’

9.382“They reported this to the king. The king said, ‘I have already given this daughter to a son of King Mahāśakuni. How could I give her to this man? This present conflict itself has happened in relation to this daughter.’

9.383“ ‘Your Majesty,’ said the ministers, ‘we do not know which will win. Let him fight them for the time being. Then we will arrange the matter suitably.’

“ ‘You should do so,’ agreed the king.

9.384“The ministers ordered him, ‘You, match for a thousand, do as you said.’

“Prince Kuśa then departed, holding two quivers that contained five hundred arrows each, [F.191.b] and carrying a conch shell, chakra, and club. When he had blown the conch shell, the enemy ran away, their eardrums broken. The princess thought, ‘Since this Prince Kuśa has great vigor and courage, why should I feel revulsion toward him?’ She felt pleased with him and said to the king, ‘Please do as you promised.’

9.385“ ‘My daughter, I have given you to Kuśa.’

“ ‘Father,’ she said, ‘that Prince Kuśa is none other than this man.’

9.386“ ‘My daughter, if so, go with him.’

“The king gave him an army consisting of four divisions. He also gave him his daughter, performing a great ceremony.

9.387“The prince returned to the hamlet and requested them, ‘Sirs, give me that half of an army consisting of four divisions.’

“ ‘O Prince,’ they replied, ‘there was such a flood that it carried away the four-division army.’

9.388“There were sheep walking nearby. Prince Kuśa spoke a verse:

9.390“ ‘If you give it to me, that’s fine. But if you do not, I will destroy you.’

They gave him the army.

9.391“He stayed near a river, and when he had leisure time, he entered the river to bathe. He saw the image of his face there and thought, ‘I have eighteen inauspicious marks and a face like a lion. This is why the princess felt revulsion toward me. What use is the life of such a man like me? I will go and kill myself.’

9.392“He went to a certain dense forest and tried to hang himself. Śakra, Lord of the Gods, thought, ‘Although he is the bodhisattva of the fortunate eon, he will kill himself because of a lack of beauty. I must fulfill his wish.’

9.393“Śakra [F.192.a] said, ‘O Prince, do not be depressed. Do not kill yourself. Wear this crest jewel on your head, and your wish will be fulfilled.’ Then he departed.

9.394“When Prince Kuśa tried to enter his residence, a guard stopped him, saying, ‘This is the palace of Prince Kuśa. You cannot enter.’

“ ‘That Kuśa is me,’ he replied.

9.395“The guard did not believe him. The prince took the crest jewel off and he looked as before, so then the guard believed him. Prince Kuśa thought that he would stay there. He then sent a message to his father: ‘Please be informed that I am here.’

9.396“Śakra, Lord of the Gods, told him about mines of four kinds of treasure. He had the city built with four kinds of precious materials. Since Prince Kuśa lived there, the city was named Kuśāvatī. He became a wheel-turning king of power named Kuśa. He built places for offerings in sixty thousand cities. He gave donations to brahmins for years‍—hundreds of years, thousands of years, hundreds of thousands of years. Seeing the perfection of his offerings, he spoke these verses:

9.400“Great King, if you think that the one who was that wheel-turning king of power named Kuśa and gave donations and made merit in the sixty thousand cities at that time, on that occasion, was someone else, you should think otherwise. I was [F.192.b] the wheel-turning king of power named Kuśa at that time, on that occasion, and there I built places for offerings in sixty thousand cities, gave donations, and made merit.

9.401“Great King, if you think that I attained supreme and complete awakening by those donations or distributions of donations, you should think otherwise; those donations of mine were only a cause, only a condition, only a preparation for supreme and complete awakening.”

b. The Former Life of Prince Kuśa683

9.402The monks, feeling doubtful, inquired of the Buddha, the Blessed One, the one who severs all doubts, “O Honored One, what karma did Kuśa create that matured to cause him to have eighteen inauspicious marks and to be born to a family that was rich and had great wealth and many possessions?”

9.403“Monks,” the Blessed One replied, “the actions were performed and accumulated by Kuśa himself, accruing a heap of karma. The conditions have ripened, and they approach him like a flood, inevitably. Who else but Kuśa would experience the actions that he himself performed and accumulated? Monks, actions performed and accumulated do not mature in the earth element, the water element, the fire element, or the wind element, which are outside the body. Virtuous and nonvirtuous actions performed and accumulated like this mature in the aggregates, elements, and sense spheres.

9.405“Monks, once there lived a householder in a hamlet. He went to a park, taking various kinds of plentiful food with him.

9.406“When the buddhas do not appear, there appear self-awakened ones as the only ones worthy of veneration in the world, who are compassionate toward inferior, wretched people and content with places to sit on the outskirts of towns. [F.193.a]

9.407“At that time, a certain wandering self-awakened one arrived at the park. When he saw him, the householder ordered his laborers, ‘Sirs, drive this mendicant away.’

9.408“They were not able to drive him away. The householder stood up, caught the self-awakened one by himself, and drove him away, saying, ‘Where are you going, you who have a face like a lion and eighteen inauspicious marks?’

9.409“The self-awakened one thought, ‘Alas, it is not right if this man is always hurt and injured.’ He soared high into the sky…. The householder served him, and then threw himself at the feet of the self-awakened one and made an aspiration: ‘May I not receive the karma I created of harsh speech toward such an excellent one worthy of veneration. May I be born to a family that is rich and has great wealth and many possessions, through this root of merit from performing service for him.’

9.410“What do you think, monks? That householder was indeed this Prince Kuśa. Because of the maturation of the karma he created of harsh speech toward the self-awakened one there, he became one who had eighteen inauspicious marks and a face like a lion. And because of the maturation of the karma of performing service for him, he became a wheel-turning king of power.

9.411“Therefore, monks, the maturation of entirely negative actions is entirely negative; the maturation of entirely positive actions is entirely positive; the maturation of those that are mixed is mixed. Therefore, monks, henceforth you should abandon entirely negative and mixed actions, and you should seek entirely positive actions. Monks, that is how you must train.”

5. Triśaṅku685

9.412“Great King, again, seeking supreme and complete awakening, I gave donations and made merit. Listen to that story.

9.413“Great King, once there was a mātaṅga king named Triśaṅku in a country called Kaliṅga, who had hundreds and [F.193.b] thousands‍—hundreds of thousands‍—of mātaṅga attendants, was naturally loving and merciful, benefited all beings, and had compassion for them. Whenever a famine broke out in his country, the gods brought rain in answer to his appeal to the truth, so that there was never a serious famine. He went forth among ṛṣis and realized the five kinds of supernormal knowledge.

9.414“ At that time in Vārāṇasī, a king named Brahmadatta was ruling over the country, which was rich, prosperous, peaceful, abundant in food, and full of many people. One day astrologers predicted that it would not rain for twelve years. King Brahmadatta then announced with the ringing of bells in the city of Vārāṇasī: ‘Listen, sirs, citizens living in Vārāṇasī! Astrologers have predicted that it will not rain for twelve years. Whoever among you has food for the duration should stay. Those who do not should leave.’

9.415“Then many people began to discuss this with each other for fear of an untimely death from the famine: ‘Sirs, such-and-such a matter has been announced by the king who rules over the regions. What should we do about this? Where should we go?’ They heard that there was a ṛṣi from a mātaṅga family in the country of the mātaṅgas, and gods brought rain in answer to his appeal to the truth. Those who did not have food for twelve years went to the country of the mātaṅgas. The king of the mātaṅgas, the son of a ṛṣi from a mātaṅga family, provided the people with food and drink for twelve years. The famine persisted, and King Brahmadatta asked his ministers, ‘Where did those people go?’

9.416“ ‘Your Majesty,’ answered the ministers, ‘there is a mātaṅga king named Triśaṅku in the country of Kaliṅga, who is naturally loving and merciful, benefits all beings, and has compassion for them. Gods bring rain in answer to his appeal to the truth, and so [F.194.a] many people went there.’

9.417“ ‘Sirs, this great famine seems to be an interval between even greater famines. What should we do about this?’ asked the king.

“ ‘Your Majesty,’ they replied, ‘we have heard that this king of the country of the mātaṅgas went forth among ṛṣis. Please request help from him.’

9.418“Then King Brahmadatta went to the country of the mātaṅgas and requested help from the ṛṣi: ‘O great ṛṣi, a great famine, which seems to be an interval between even greater famines, has broken out in my country. It would be appropriate if you could make an appeal to the truth about this.’

9.419“The ṛṣi then made an appeal to the truth:

9.422“In answer to this appeal to the truth, the gods brought rain to Vārāṇasī. The famine ended, and there was a bumper crop. After that, the inhabitants of Vārāṇasī came back from the country of mātaṅgas to Vārāṇasī.

9.423“Great King, if you think that the one who was that mātaṅga king named Triśaṅku, naturally loving and merciful, who benefited all beings and had compassion for them, and in answer to whose appeal to the truth the gods brought rain so that the famine ended and there was a bumper crop at that time, on that occasion, was someone else, you should think otherwise. I was the mātaṅga king named Triśaṅku, who was naturally loving and merciful, who benefited all beings and had compassion for them, and in answer to whose appeal to the truth the gods brought rain so that the famine ended and there was a bumper crop at that time, on that occasion.

9.424“Great King, if you think that I attained supreme and complete awakening by these donations or distributions of donations, you should think otherwise; these donations of mine were [F.194.b] only a cause, only a condition, only a preparation for supreme and complete awakening.”

6. Mahādeva687

9.425“Great King, again, seeking supreme and complete awakening, I gave donations and made merit. Listen to that story.

9.426“Great King, once in Mithilā there appeared a king named Mahādeva, a wheel-turning king who had conquered the border regions in the four directions, a righteous Dharma king who had attained the seven treasures. His seven treasures were as follows: the precious chakra, elephant, horse, jewel, woman, householder, and minister. He also had a thousand sons who were brave, bold, and endowed with excellent physiques, and who would defeat the enemy’s army. He conquered the land entirely, as far as the seashore, without risking harm, without violence, without punishment or weapons, but in accord with the Dharma and impartially.

9.427“Then, when a barber was arranging King Mahādeva’s hair and beard, the king ordered him, ‘My man, when you find Yama’s messengers, white hairs, growing on my head, let me know.’

“ ‘Certainly, Your Majesty,’ replied the barber to King Mahādeva.

9.428“One day when the barber was arranging King Mahādeva’s hair and beard, he did find Yama’s messengers, white hairs, growing on King Mahādeva’s head. Having found them, he said to King Mahādeva, ‘Your Majesty, please be informed that Yama’s messengers, white hairs, are growing on your head.’

9.429“ ‘My man, then gently pull out those white hairs without cutting them and place them in my palm.’

“ ‘Certainly, Your Majesty,’ replied the barber to King Mahādeva, and he gently pulled out the white hairs with a pair of golden tweezers one by one and placed them in King Mahādeva’s palm.

9.430“Holding [F.195.a] the white hairs in both his hands, King Mahādeva then spoke a verse:

9.432“ ‘Since I have enjoyed human desires, it is time for me to seek divine desires. Now I will put my eldest son upon the throne and lead the pure life of a royal ṛṣi.’

9.433“Thereupon King Mahādeva summoned his eldest son by messenger and said, ‘Understand, my son, that Yama’s messengers, white hairs, are growing on my head. Since I have enjoyed human desires, it is time for me to seek divine desires. My son, I will entrust you with the land as far as the seashore, so you should protect it lawfully, not unlawfully. If someone’s conduct is unlawful or a mixture of lawful and unlawful, do not let him live in your country.

9.434“ ‘My son, when you too find Yama’s messengers, white hairs, growing on your head, you too should put your eldest son upon the throne and lead the pure life of a royal ṛṣi. Thus, my son, you should complete this virtuous and sure path introduced by me, and you should not break the tradition. You should not be an inferior man.

9.435“ ‘My son, he who lets such a virtuous and sure path, once introduced at such a time as when there were good men, increase will not be the one who breaks their tradition. He will not be an inferior man among them. My son, he who does not let such a virtuous and sure path, once introduced at such a time as when there were good men, increase will be the one who breaks their tradition, and will be an inferior man among them. Therefore I am saying to you [F.195.b] to complete such a virtuous and sure path introduced by me. You should not break the tradition. You should not be an inferior man.’

9.436“Thereupon King Mahādeva put his eldest son upon the throne and led the pure life of a royal ṛṣi in the mango grove of Mahādeva here, in Mithilā.

9.437“The eldest son who was put upon the throne was also named Mahādeva, a wheel-turning king who had conquered the border regions in the four directions . . . . Then, when a barber was arranging King Mahādeva’s hair and beard . . . . ‘You should not be an inferior man.’ Thereupon that King Mahādeva put his eldest son upon the throne and led the pure life of a royal ṛṣi. Likewise, his son, grandson, great-grandson, and eighty-four thousand Mahādevas in succession led the pure life of a royal ṛṣi.

9.438“Having seen the perfection of his offerings, King Mahādeva spoke some verses:

9.440“Great King, if you think that the one who was that wheel-turning king named Mahādeva, who established that virtuous and sure path so that on the basis of the virtuous and sure path eighty-four thousand Mahādevas led the pure life of a royal ṛṣi, at that time, on that occasion, was someone else, you should think otherwise. I was the wheel-turning king named Mahādeva at that time, on that occasion, and none but I established that virtuous and sure path, so that on the basis of the virtuous and sure path eighty-four thousand Mahādevas led the pure life of a royal ṛṣi. [F.196.a]

9.441“Great King, if you think that I attained supreme and complete awakening by these donations or distributions of donations, you should think otherwise; these donations of mine were only a cause, only a condition, only a preparation for supreme and complete awakening.”

7. King Nimi691

9.442“Great King, again, seeking supreme and complete awakening, I gave donations and made merit. Listen to that story.

9.443“Great King, once in this Mithilā there appeared a king named Nimi who was the last in his royal line, a righteous Dharma king who abided in the Dharma. With his consorts, sons, ministers, army, citizens, and provincial dwellers, he practiced the Dharma, gave donations, made merit, practiced abstinence, and practiced moral conduct correctly.

9.444“At that time, Śakra, Lord of the Gods, praised the king in the presence of the Thirty-Three Gods, who were sitting together in the divine meeting hall, Sudharmā: ‘O my friends, the people of Videha have attained a great boon, for Nimi, the king of the people of Videha, is a righteous Dharma king, a great king who abides in the Dharma. With his consorts … he practices the Dharma … and practices moral conduct correctly. O my friends, do you want to see King Nimi?’

9.445“ ‘O Kauśika, we sincerely wish to do so.’

“ ‘Then, my friends, wait here. I will see King Nimi briefly.’

9.446“Thereupon Śakra, Lord of the Gods, disappeared from the presence of the Thirty-Three Gods, as quickly as a strong man stretches his bent arm or [F.196.b] bends his stretched arm, and arrived at King Nimi’s palace in Mithilā. He said, ‘O Nimi, you have attained a great boon, for the Thirty-Three Gods, sitting together in the divine meeting hall, Sudharmā, have praised you: “O my friends, the people of Videha . . . . He … practices moral conduct correctly.” O Nimi, do you want to go to see the Thirty-Three Gods?’

“ ‘O Kauśika, I do wish to go see the Thirty-Three Gods.’

9.447“ ‘Then, Nimi, wait here. I will shortly send you a chariot drawn by a thousand fine horses. You should ride in it and come without fear.’

“ ‘I shall do so,’ replied King Nimi to Śakra, Lord of the Gods.

9.448“Thereupon Śakra, Lord of the Gods, went to the Thirty-Three Gods and ordered Mātali, a charioteer, ‘Mātali, go and very quickly prepare a chariot with a thousand fine horses. Go to King Nimi and say, “O Nimi, this is the chariot drawn by a thousand fine horses sent to you by Śakra, Lord of the Gods. Come, ride in it without fear.” ’

9.449“ ‘O Kauśika, what you instructed will be carried out without any mistake,’ replied the charioteer Mātali to Śakra, Lord of the Gods. He prepared very quickly a chariot with a thousand fine horses and went to King Nimi. When he arrived, he said, ‘O Nimi, this is the chariot drawn by a thousand fine horses sent to you by Śakra, Lord of the Gods. Come, ride in it without fear.’

9.450“King Nimi rode the chariot drawn by a thousand fine horses without fear. Then the charioteer [F.197.a] Mātali asked King Nimi, ‘Along which side shall I drive your chariot, the side where beings of evil karma experience the maturation of evil and nonvirtuous karma, or the side where beings of virtuous karma experience the maturation of virtuous karma?’

9.451“ ‘In this case, Mātali, drive the chariot in a way that will enable me to see both, the side where beings of evil karma experience the maturation of evil and nonvirtuous karma, and the side where beings of virtuous karma experience the maturation of virtuous karma.’

9.452“Thereupon the charioteer Mātali drove King Nimi’s chariot in a way that enabled King Nimi to see both, the side where beings of evil karma experience the maturation of evil and nonvirtuous karma, and the side where beings of virtuous karma experience the maturation of virtuous karma.

9.453“King Nimi went to the Thirty-Three Gods and sat in the Thirty-Three Gods’ divine meeting hall, Sudharmā. Śakra, Lord of the Gods, offered half of his seat to King Nimi; King Nimi and Śakra, Lord of the Gods, sat on both halves of the same seat.

9.454“When King Nimi and Śakra, Lord of the Gods, sat on both halves of the same seat, there was no difference, no distinction, and no contrast between them, except that Śakra, Lord of the Gods, did not blink his eyes.

9.455“Then, having seen the perfection of his offerings, King Nimi spoke this verse:

9.456“Thereupon Śakra, Lord of the Gods, said to King Nimi, [F.197.b] ‘O Nimi, you should stay here and amuse yourself. Play, amuse yourself, and enjoy yourself, enjoying the objects of the five kinds of desires.’

9.457“The king then spoke these verses:

9.459“When he had gone back to Mithilā, he gave donations and made merit, and he spoke some other verses:

9.463“Great King, if you think that the one who was that wheel-turning king Nimi, who went to the Thirty-Three Gods, was given by Śakra, Lord of the Gods, half of his seat and divine objects of the five kinds of desires, came back to Mithilā, built places for offerings at the four gates of the city, gave donations, and made merit, was someone else, you should think otherwise. I was the wheel-turning king Nimi at that time, on that occasion, who went to the Thirty-Three Gods, was given by Śakra, Lord of the Gods, half of his seat and divine objects of the five kinds of desires, came back to Mithilā, built places for offerings at the four gates of the city, gave donations, and made merit. [F.198.a]

9.464“Great King, if you think that I attained supreme and complete awakening by these donations or distributions of donations, you should think otherwise; these donations of mine were only a cause, only a condition, only a preparation for supreme and complete awakening.”

8. Ādarśamukha696

9.465“After him (Nimi), there was a mighty king named Ānanda … One, two, … five sons were born to him. The youngest son’s face (mukha) resembled a mirror (ādarśa), and so he was named Ādarśamukha. All these sons were raised and grew up. Prince Ādarśamukha was gentle and well self-controlled. The others were fierce, violent, and rough. When they all met together for their father’s business, they did not resolve anything with intelligence. Prince Ādarśamukha, though, investigated very profound questions with his intelligence.

9.466“When King Ānanda caught a disease, he thought, ‘Whom shall I install on the throne? Whichever of the four elder sons I install on the throne, he will do harm to the people with his bad conduct because these four are fierce, violent, and rough. If I install Prince Ādarśamukha on the throne, kinsmen will condemn this, saying, “Why on earth did this king now install the youngest son on the throne, putting aside the elder sons?” So, I will devise a plan.’

9.467“He prepared three treasures, consorts who would show honor, and six things to be examined with intelligence, and he said to his ministers, ‘Leaders, after my death, you should test each prince. After my death, you should install on the throne the one whom the jeweled shoes fit when he wears them, [F.198.b] for whom the throne remains unmoving when he sits on it, for whom the diadem remains unmoving when he wears it on his head, to whom the consorts show honor, and who possesses all six things to be examined with intelligence: namely, internal treasure, external treasure, internal and external treasure, treasure on the top of a tree, treasure on the top of a mountain, and treasure on a bank.’ Having thus spoken, the king died, saying:

9.469“When the ministers put the jeweled shoes on the eldest prince, they did not fit. When they put him on the throne, it wobbled. When they put the diadem on him, it wobbled. The consorts did not show honor to him, either. When they told him the six things to be examined with intelligence, he did not know them. It was the same for the next younger brothers.

9.470“When they put the jeweled shoes on Prince Ādarśamukha, however, they fit perfectly. When he sat on the throne, it remained still. When he wore the diadem, it remained still. The consorts, too, showed honor to him. The ministers then told him, ‘Further, you must know the six things to be examined with intelligence: namely, internal treasure, external treasure, internal and external treasure, treasure on the top of a tree, treasure on the top of a mountain, and treasure on a bank.’

9.471“Ādarśamukha thought, ‘They say “internal treasure.” What is internal treasure? It is treasure inside the threshold. They say “external treasure.” What is external treasure? It is treasure outside the threshold. They say “internal and external treasure.” What is internal and external treasure? It is treasure under the threshold. They say “treasure on the top of a tree.” What is treasure on the top of a tree? It is treasure that is in the place where the shadow of the tree under which that king used to sit falls at noon. [F.199.a] They say “treasure on the top of a mountain.” What is treasure on the top of a mountain? It is treasure that is under the stone slab for bathing, which is in that pool where that king enjoyed himself. They say “treasure on a bank.” What is treasure on a bank? It is treasure that is at the end of a drain through which the household water flows.’

9.472“When the ministers examined everything, these treasures were discovered. They therefore anointed him as king. Ādarśamukha became a mighty king.

9.473“A brahmin named Daṇḍin lived in a certain hamlet, and he borrowed bulls from a certain householder. Having plowed a field, he drove those bulls back to the house of the householder. At that time, the householder was having lunch. The brahmin Daṇḍin drove the bulls inside, and they went out through another gate. After finishing lunch, the householder stood up, but he did not see the bulls anywhere. He caught Daṇḍin and asked, ‘Where are the bulls?’

9.474“He replied, ‘Did they not enter the house?’

“ ‘You stole my bulls. Return the bulls to me!’

“ ‘I did not steal them,’ insisted Daṇḍin.

9.475“ ‘Since that King Ādarśamukha is a person of intelligence,’ said the householder, ‘let’s go to him, and he will solve this problem and show us right and wrong.’

9.476“They then departed.

“A certain man had lost a wild mare. He called out to Daṇḍin, ‘Catch the mare!’

9.477“ ‘How should I stop it?’ he replied.

“ ‘In whatever way you can!’

9.478“He took a stone and hit the mare on the head, so it died.

“ ‘You killed my mare. Give me another!’ the man demanded.

9.479“ ‘Why would I give you a mare?’

“ ‘Come, let us go to King Ādarśamukha,’ said the man, ‘and he will issue a ruling.’

9.480“They too departed, and he, Daṇḍin, tried to escape. He leapt down from the top of a wall. [F.199.b] Under it, a weaver was weaving cloth. Daṇḍin fell on him, and the weaver died. Daṇḍin was again caught by the wife of the weaver. She told him, ‘You killed my husband. Give me back my husband!’

9.481“ ‘From where would I bring your husband?’

“ ‘Come, let us go to King Ādarśamukha,’ she said, ‘and he will issue a ruling for us.’

9.482“They too departed. There was a deep river along the way. There, a carpenter was swimming around with an axe in his mouth. Daṇḍin asked him, ‘How deep is the water?’

9.483“ ‘The water is very deep,’ the carpenter answered, letting the axe drop, which then fell into the water. He caught Daṇḍin and said, ‘It is because of you that my axe dropped into the water!’

9.484“ ‘I didn’t drop it.’

“ ‘Come, let us go to King Ādarśamukha, and he will issue a ruling.’

9.485“Since they were tired, they entered a tavern, taking Daṇḍin with them. The tavern hostess had a newborn son whom she had wrapped in cloth and kept asleep, and Daṇḍin sat down on him. She cried out, ‘There is a child! There is a child!’ When she looked, the child was dead. She caught Daṇḍin and said, ‘You killed my son. Give me back my son!’

9.486“ ‘I did not kill him,’ he answered. ‘Why would I give you a son?’

“ ‘Come, let us go to King Ādarśamukha,’ she replied.

9.487“Then they departed. In a certain place, there was a raven on a dead tree. It saw Daṇḍin and asked, ‘Where are you going?’

“ ‘I am not going anywhere, but these people are taking me.’

9.488“ ‘Where?’

“ ‘To Ādarśamukha.’

9.489“ ‘Then also take a message for me, and say to King Ādarśamukha, “There is a tree whose leaves are dead in such-and-such a place, and there is a raven there. It asks, ‘Why am I happy when I am here, whereas I am not pleased where there are other trees, the leaves of which are green and shiny?’ ” ’ [F.200.a]

9.490“They again departed. A deer saw Daṇḍin and asked, ‘Daṇḍin, where are you going?’

“ ‘I am not going anywhere, but these people are taking me.’

9.491“ ‘Where?’

“ ‘To Ādarśamukha.’

9.492“ ‘Take my message also, and ask him, “Why, although there are green, grassy meadows in other places, do I not wish for them?” ’

9.493“They again departed. Then a partridge (tittira) saw him and asked, ‘Where are you going?’ … ‘Then take my message also, and ask him, “I utter a partridge’s call in one place but utter a different call in another place. What is the reason for this?” ’ [B44]

9.494“In another place, a snake saw him … ‘Then take my message also, and ask him, “It is easy for me to go out of the hole, but it is hard to enter it again. What is the reason for this?” ’

9.495“A serpent and a mongoose were hostile to each other and fighting … ‘Then take our message also, and ask him, “We fight by day, whenever one sees the other, and are never pleased with each other. What is the reason for this?” ’

9.496“A certain newly married woman … she said, ‘Take my message also, and ask him, “I miss my father-in-law’s house when I am in my father’s house, but I miss my father’s house when I am in my father-in-law’s house. What is the reason for this?” ’

9.497“They again departed and went to King Ādarśamukha. Having arrived [F.200.b] and wished the king victory and long life, Daṇḍin sat down to one side. The others too bowed low until their foreheads touched the feet of the king, and then they took their seats. The king asked Daṇḍin, ‘Why have you come?’

9.498“ ‘Your Majesty, I was brought here.’

“ ‘For what reason?’

9.499“Daṇḍin explained why he was in dispute with the householder. The king asked the householder, ‘Did you see the bulls?’

“ ‘Yes, I did.’

9.500“ ‘Daṇḍin, did you drive the bulls inside?’

“ ‘Your Majesty, I did.’

9.501“The king decreed, ‘Since he did not let him (the householder) know, cut out this Daṇḍin’s tongue. Since he did not tie the bulls, gouge out his (the householder’s) eyes.’

9.502“ ‘First my bulls were lost, and second, my eyes are to be gouged out! It would be better that Daṇḍin won!’ cried the householder.

9.503“The second man said, ‘Your Majesty, this Daṇḍin killed my mare.’

“ ‘How did he kill it?’

9.504“When he explained it all in detail, the king decreed, ‘Since he said, “Catch it in whatever way you can,” cut out this man’s tongue. Since he was not able to catch it otherwise than by hitting it with a stone, cut off also this Daṇḍin’s hands.’

9.505“ ‘First my mare was killed, and second, my tongue is to be cut out! It would be better that Daṇḍin won!’ cried the second man.

9.506“When the weaver’s wife explained her case in detail, the king decreed, ‘Take this very man as your husband.’

9.507“ ‘First my husband was killed by him, and second, he becomes my husband! It would be better that Daṇḍin won!’ she cried. [F.201.a]

9.508“When the carpenter explained his case in detail, the king decreed, ‘Since he uttered words in the river, letting the axe out, cut out this carpenter’s tongue. Since he asked the carpenter when he saw the water was deep, gouge out this Daṇḍin’s eyes.’

9.509“ ‘First my axe was lost, and second, my tongue is to be cut out! It would be better that Daṇḍin won!’ the carpenter cried.

9.510“When the tavern hostess explained her case in detail, the king decreed, ‘Since she laid down the child completely covered with cloth, cut off the hands of this tavern hostess. Since he sat on another’s seat without looking at it first, gouge out Daṇḍin’s eyes.’

9.511“ ‘First my son was killed, and second, my hands are to be cut off! It would be better that Daṇḍin won!’ she cried.

9.512“When Daṇḍin delivered the raven’s message, the king said, ‘Daṇḍin, tell the raven, “There are treasures that you hid under the dead tree when you were the headman of a hamlet that was in that place. Give them to someone and leave, and you will be at ease.” ’

9.513“When he delivered the deer’s message, the king said, ‘You should tell the deer, “Deer, once there was a tree there, and drops of honey were dripping down from its top. Thus, the green meadows were sweetened, and you ate there. Since the honey bees are gone, you should not be attached to the grass. You should not suffer misfortune.” ’

9.514“When he delivered the partridge’s message, the king said, ‘There is no treasure where the partridge utters a partridge’s call, but there are treasures where it utters a different call. Tell it, “You should show the treasure to someone and go somewhere else, for it would not be right if you suffered misfortune.” ’

9.515“When he delivered the message of the serpent and the mongoose, the king said, ‘Tell the two, ‘You were born as two brothers when you were humans. There, one said, “Let us divide our possessions.” The other did not do so, overwhelmed by avarice. There, one was reborn as a serpent because it was excessively attached. The other was reborn as a mongoose because it clung to the possessions and was excessively attached to them. [F.201.b] Therefore, you should give the possessions to śramaṇas or brahmins and relinquish your dwelling, and you will be at ease.” ’

9.516“When he delivered the snake’s message, the king said, ‘You should tell the snake, “When you have become hungry and feeble, you easily exit the hole, but after having eaten much food, you have trouble entering the hole. If you know the proper amount of food to take in, you will live at ease.” ’

9.517“When he delivered the newly married woman’s message, the king said, ‘You should tell the newly married woman, “There is a friend of yours in your father’s house. When you are in your father-in-law’s house, you miss the friend. When you are in your father’s house, you miss your husband. Since it would not be right if you suffered misfortune, relinquish one place and keep well the other.” ’

9.518“The newly married woman and the snake did as they were instructed. The serpent and mongoose and the raven gave the treasures to Daṇḍin. The rest, too, did as they were instructed.

9.519“ ‘Oh, the king appears to be quite brilliant!’ marveled the ministers.

“The king, pleased and delighted, built offering halls at the four city gates and appointed managers of the offerings.

9.520“At that time, there was a famine for twelve years. When that twelve-year famine occurred, he provided hundreds of thousands of beings with food. Taking account of the perfection of his offerings, he spoke these verses:

9.524“Great King, if you think that the one who was that mighty king named Ādarśamukha, who provided hundreds of thousands of beings with food during the twelve-year famine, at that time, on that occasion, was someone else, you should think otherwise. I was the mighty king named Ādarśamukha, and I provided hundreds of thousands of beings with food during the twelve-year famine at that time, on that occasion.

9.525“Great King, if you think that I attained supreme and complete awakening by these donations or distributions of donations, you should think otherwise; these donations of mine were only a cause, only a condition, only a preparation for supreme and complete awakening.”

9. Sudhana706

a. The Story of King Sudhana707

9.526“Great King, again, seeking supreme and complete awakening, I gave donations and made merit. Listen to that story.

9.527“Great King, once there was a wheel-turning king named Sudhana. He built places for offerings in eighty-four thousand cities. He gave donations and made merit for many years‍—hundreds of years, thousands of years, hundreds of thousands of years. Having seen the perfection of his offerings, he spoke these verses:

9.531“Great King, if you think that the one who was that wheel-turning king named Sudhana, who built places for offerings in eighty-four thousand cities, who gave donations and made merit for many years‍—hundreds of years, thousands of years, hundreds of thousands of years‍—at that time, on that occasion, was someone else, you should think otherwise. I was the wheel-turning king named Sudhana at that time, on that occasion, who built places for offerings in eighty-four thousand cities, who gave donations and made merit for many years‍—hundreds of years, thousands of years, hundreds of thousands of years.

9.532“Great King, if you think that I attained supreme and complete awakening by these donations or distributions of donations, you should think otherwise; these donations of mine were only a cause, only a condition, only a preparation for supreme and complete awakening.”

b. The Story of Prince Sudhana708

9.533“Great King, again, seeking supreme and complete awakening, I gave donations and made merit, and accomplished the perfection of effort, but I did not attain supreme and complete awakening. Listen to that story.

9.534“Great King, once there were two kings in the land of Pañcāla, namely, North Pañcāla and South Pañcāla. King North Pañcāla, called Dhana, in a city called Hastināpura, being a righteous Dharma king ruled in accordance with the Dharma over the country, which was rich, prosperous, peaceful, abundant in food, and full of many people, and in which there was no fighting, dispute, strife, or robbers, in which illness had abated, and which was abundant in rice [F.203.a], sugarcane, cattle, and buffalo.

9.535“In that city there was a large, pleasant pond full of utpala, padma, kumuda, and puṇḍarīka flowers, and adorned with haṃsas, cakravākas, and kāraṇḍavas. In the pond there lived the son of a nāga named Janmacitra. He brought rain at the appropriate times, so that the ground was rich in crops. The country had plenty of food and drink, and people gave food to śramaṇas, brahmins, the poor, and the destitute with generosity, veneration, and respect.

9.536“King South Pañcāla was excessively unrighteous, fierce, violent, and short tempered. He did not rule over the kingdom in accordance with the Dharma and always threatened people living in the country with punishment, beating, hitting, killing, arresting, binding, fettering, chaining, and various other kinds of harm. Because he was excessively unrighteous, the gods did not bring rain at the appropriate times. Thus, through fear and despair, his people abandoned their country at the risk of their lives and went to North Pañcāla’s land, where they settled.

9.537“Later, when King South Pañcāla set out to inspect the country under the pretext of hunting, he saw villages and cities deserted, parks and temples ruined and destroyed. When he saw them, he asked his ministers, ‘Sirs, why are these villages and cities deserted? Why are the parks and temples [F.203.b] ruined and destroyed? Where have those people gone?’

9.538“ ‘Your Majesty,’ the ministers replied, ‘they have gone to the land of Dhana, King North Pañcāla.’

9.539“ ‘For what reason?’

“ ‘Your Majesty, please grant us the freedom to speak without fear.’

9.540“ ‘Sirs, I do. Speak.’

“And so they told him, ‘Your Majesty, King North Pañcāla rules over the country in accordance with the Dharma, and so his land is rich, prosperous, peaceful, abundant in food, and full of many people. There is no fighting, combat, dispute, strife, or robbers; illness has abated there; and the country is abundant in rice, sugarcane, cattle, and buffalo. People, eager to offer generosity, veneration, and respect, also give food to śramaṇas, brahmins, the poor, and the destitute. Your Majesty is fierce, violent, and short tempered, and so you always threaten your people with punishment, beating, hitting, killing, arresting, binding, fettering, chaining, and various other kinds of harm. Therefore, through fear and despair, those people have gone to King North Pañcāla’s land.’

9.541“ ‘Sirs,’ King South Pañcāla asked them, ‘is there any good means whereby those people will come back and live in these villages and cities?’

9.542“The ministers answered, ‘If Your Majesty rules over the country in accordance with the Dharma and protects the land with thoughts of love, benefit, and compassion just as King North Pañcāla does, those people will soon come back and live in these villages and cities.’

9.543“ ‘If so, sirs,’ replied King South Pañcāla, ‘I too will rule over the country in accordance with the Dharma and protect the land with thoughts of love, benefit, and compassion just as King North Pañcāla does. [F.204.a] You should make those people come back and live in these villages and cities by any means.’

9.544“ ‘Your Majesty, there is another advantage. In that city, there is a large pond full of utpala, padma, kumuda, and puṇḍarīka flowers, and adorned with haṃsas, cakravākas, and kāraṇḍavas. There lives the son of a nāga named Janmacitra. Because he duly brings rain at the appropriate times, the ground is richer and richer in crops, and so and the country has plenty of food and drink.’

9.545“ ‘Sirs, is there any way to bring that son of a nāga here?’ asked the king.

“ ‘Your Majesty, wielders of spells and mantras could bring him. Please search for them.’

9.546“The king then had a box of gold tied to the top of a banner and had proclaimed throughout the country with the ringing of bells: ‘I will give this box of gold to anyone who brings Janmacitra, the son of a nāga, from North Pañcāla’s land. I will also treat him with great honor.’

9.547“A certain snake charmer went to the ministers and said, ‘If you would give me this box of gold, I will catch and bring Janmacitra, the son of a nāga.’

“ ‘Take it,’ said the ministers.

9.548“ ‘Please have it kept in the hands of someone whom you trust and have confidence in,’ he replied, ‘and give it to me after I bring Janmacitra, the son of a nāga.’

“ ‘Do as you have said.’

9.549“Thereupon the snake charmer entrusted the box of gold to the hands of a trustworthy man and went to the city of Hastināpura. When he observed the whole area around the pond, [F.204.b] because he was familiar with omens, he thought that Janmacitra, the son of a nāga, was in that very place. He returned for oblations and necessities, requesting the ministers, ‘Please give me oblations and necessities. I will catch and bring the son of a nāga in seven days.’

9.550“Janmacitra too saw the snake charmer and thought, ‘He has come to catch me. I will be caught in seven days and experience the great pain of separation from my parents. What should I do? On whom should I rely?’

9.551“There had lived near the pond two hunters named Sāraka and Phalaka, They had made their living by the pond by killing terrestrial animals such as rabbits, antelope, and boars that came there to drink water, and aquatic animals such as fish, turtles, and frogs. By that time, though, Sāraka was dead, and only Phalaka was alive. Janmacitra, the son of a nāga, thought, ‘There is no one but Phalaka on whom I can rely.’ Then, dressed as a human, he went to the hunter Phalaka and said, ‘Sir, do you know by whose power King Dhana’s land is rich, prosperous, peaceful, abundant in food, and full of many people, … abundant in rice, sugarcane, cattle, and buffalo?’

9.552“ ‘I do know,’ answered the hunter. ‘It is because the king is righteous, and he rules over the country in accordance with the Dharma and protects the land with thoughts of love, benefit, and compassion.’

“ ‘Why only that? It must be because of something else,’ he said.

9.553“The hunter replied, ‘There is another advantage. There lives in this pond the son of a nāga named Janmacitra. Because he duly brings rain at the appropriate times, [F.205.a] the crops have been more and more abundant. Therefore, the ground is richer and richer in crops, and so the land has plenty of food and drink.’

9.554“Janmacitra asked, ‘If someone were to take the son of a nāga by force from this land, what would happen to that son of a nāga?’

9.555“ ‘It would not be right. He would experience the pain of separation from his parents, and the king and the people would suffer hardships caused by his absence.’

9.556“ ‘What would you do to the abductor?’

“ ‘I would kill him.’

9.557“ ‘Do you know that son of a nāga?’

“ ‘No, I don’t.’

9.558“ ‘It’s me. A snake charmer from South Pañcāla’s land is trying to catch me. He has gone home for oblations and necessities, but he will come back in seven days. When he comes back, he will drive wedges made from khadira into the four corners of the banks of the pond, tie strings of various colors, and chant mantras. You should hide near him. When he has finished this preparation, the water in the pond will boil and overflow, and I will appear. At that time, you should shoot the snake charmer in a vital part, approach him quickly, and say, “Withdraw the mantra. If you do not, I will cut off your head and throw it on the ground.” If he loses his life and dies without withdrawing the mantra, I will be bound by the noose of the mantra throughout the rest of my life.’

9.559“ ‘Even only to benefit you, I will do that,’ said the hunter, ‘not to mention benefiting the entire country. I will help you.’

9.560“Then the son of a nāga indicated a certain hiding place. On the seventh day, the hunter was hiding in that hiding place, and the snake charmer came there too and began to prepare the oblations and necessities. He drove wedges made from khadira into the four corners of the banks of the pond. He tied strings of various colors [F.205.b] and chanted mantras. Then the water began to boil. The hunter shot him in a vital part and, having unsheathed a sword, said, ‘Are you trying to take the son of a nāga living in our land by force with a mantra? Withdraw the mantra. If you do not, I will cut off your head and throw it on the ground.’

9.561“Tormented by pain and frightened by the fear of death, the snake charmer revoked the mantra. The hunter immediately killed him. Then, liberated from the mantra that was just like a binding noose, the son of a nāga emerged from the pond, embraced the hunter, and cried out, ‘You are my mother, you are my father! Thanks to you, the pain of separation from my parents did not befall me. Come, let us go to my residence.’

9.562“He took the hunter to his residence, satisfied him with various foods and drinks, gave him jewels, and said to his parents, ‘Father, Mother, this is my ally, protector, and friend. Thanks to him, I escaped being separated from you.’

“They too gave him precious things and various jewels. Taking these things, he left the pond.

9.563“Near the pond, there was a hermitage that was abundant in flowers and fruits, and in which various birds were singing. There lived a ṛṣi who was naturally loving and merciful and affectionate toward beings. The hunter began to visit the ṛṣi three times a day and he told him all that had happened to himself and Janmacitra, the son of a nāga. Then the ṛṣi said to him, ‘What use are the jewels and gold to you? There is a noose called Amogha (Unfailing) in his residence. Ask for it.’

9.564“The hunter then desired the noose Amogha. Having heard the words of the ṛṣi, he again went to the nāga’s residence. [F.206.a] Then he saw the noose Amogha on the gate of the nāga’s residence. He thought, ‘This is the very noose Amogha, which I want,’ and then entered the nāga’s residence. Then Janmacitra, the son of a nāga, along with other nāgas, pleased and entertained him and offered him jewels. He said, ‘I do not need jewels. But give me the noose Amogha.’

9.565“ ‘Why do you need this?’ asked Janmacitra. ‘We need it desperately to protect ourselves when we are attacked by a garuḍa.’

“The hunter replied, ‘You would need it only when there is harm from a garuḍa, but I need it all the time. Give it to me if you think you have profited and been benefited by me.’

9.566“Janmacitra, the son of a nāga, thought, ‘Since he has greatly benefited me, I will ask my parents for permission and give it to him.’ After asking his parents for permission, he gave him the noose. Thereupon the hunter, happy and satisfied as if he had attained mastery, left the nāga’s residence, taking the noose Amogha with him, and went to his house.

9.567“Later, King Dhana and his consort played, made love, and enjoyed themselves. Though they did so, the king produced no son or daughter. He was plunged into grief, resting his cheek on his hand, thinking, ‘Although there is such wealth stored up in my home, I have no son or daughter. So after my death, my family lineage will end, my land will be lost, and all my possessions will fall under another king’s control.’

9.568“Śramaṇas, brahmins, companions, friends, and kinsmen asked him, ‘Your Majesty, why [F.206.b] are you plunged into grief?’ He explained the matter to them in detail, and they urged him, ‘Pray to the gods, and you will have a son.’

9.569“ Being sonless and wanting a son, he prayed to Śiva, Varuṇa, Kubera, Vāsava, and so forth. He also prayed to other special gods, namely, the gods of parks, the gods of forests, the gods of crossroads, the gods of three-forked roads, the gods accepting oblations, and the gods who had been born together with him, who were harmonious with the Dharma, and who always followed him.

9.570“ In this world, it is said that sons and daughters are born on account of prayers, but this is not true. If such a thing were true, each person would have a thousand sons just like a wheel-turning king. Rather, sons and daughters are born because three conditions are satisfied. What are the three? Affected by passion, the parents have intercourse; the mother is at an appropriate time and in her fertile period; and a gandharva is around and wants to enter the womb. When these three conditions are satisfied, sons and daughters are born.

9.571“While the king was thus devoting himself to prayer, a bodhisattva of the fortunate eon entered his chief consort’s womb.

9.572“ A certain kind of woman of an intelligent nature has five special characteristics. What are the five? She knows if a man is affected by passion or free from passion; she knows the appropriate time and menstrual cycle; she knows that the embryo has entered the womb; she knows from whom it has entered; and she knows whether it is a boy or a girl: if it is a boy, it resides on the right side, and if it is a girl, it resides on the left side.

9.573“Being very pleased, she said to her husband, ‘My dear, I am pregnant. [F.207.a] Since the fetus resides on the right side, it is certainly a boy. Be delighted!’

9.574“He too was very pleased. He stretched his upper body, raised his right hand, and spoke an inspired utterance: ‘I will see the face of my son, which I have desired for a long time. May he be born as a suitable son for me, not an unsuitable one. May he take over my work. May he feed me, after having been fed himself. May he inherit my property. May my family lineage last for a long time. When we have died and passed away, may he give donations and make merit for us, either large or small, and assign the rewards of the offerings to our names, saying, “May this go to where those two are reborn and follow them.” ’

9.575“Then, knowing that she was pregnant, he arranged everything so that, until the fetus in the womb was mature, she stayed on the terrace, provided with the requisites for cold when it was cold; the requisites for heat when it was hot; foods prescribed by physicians that were not too bitter, sour, salty, sweet, spicy, or astringent; foods that were free from bitter, sour, salty, sweet, spicy, and astringent ingredients; and short necklaces and long necklaces. With her body covered with ornaments, she moved from one couch to another, from one stool to another, never descending to the ground, as if she were a celestial nymph strolling in the Nandana Grove. She never heard any unpleasant sounds, and she felt free.

9.576“After eight or nine months, she bore a boy who was well proportioned, pleasant to behold, attractive, gold in complexion, with a head like a parasol, long arms, a broad forehead, eyebrows that meet, a prominent nose, and every major limb and minor appendage of his body complete. When he was born, drums were beaten in celebration. The king heard them and asked, [F.207.b] ‘What is this?’

9.577“Some of the consorts said to the king, ‘Your Majesty, be delighted! Your son has been born.’

9.578“The king then made the entire city comfortable by removing stones, pebbles, and gravel, sprinkling sandalwood water, raising banners and flags, setting out sweet-smelling censers, and scattering various flowers around the city. He ordered, ‘Give donations to śramaṇas, brahmins, the poor, and the destitute. Release all prisoners.’

9.579“Thus, he held a great celebration at the birth for twenty-one days and, intending to give the child a name, asked, ‘What name shall we give the boy?’

9.580“The ministers said, ‘Since this boy is the son of King Dhana, let us name him Sudhana.’ Thus he was named Sudhana. The boy Sudhana was entrusted to eight nurses: two nurses to hold the baby on their laps, two nurses to suckle the baby, two nurses to wipe excrement off the baby’s body, and two nurses to play with the baby. The eight nurses raised the baby on milk, fermented milk, butter, butter oil, liquid butter oil, and other special foods, and he soon grew like a lotus that shoots up in a pond. When he grew up, he was made to learn letters … , and he became fully learned in eight kinds of analysis, classification, and reading and became one whose actions are clear. He became fully learned in the various arts and technical skills of kṣatriyas who have been anointed and have attained dominance, mastery, and sovereignty over the kingdom and have conquered vast lands, namely, riding on the neck of an elephant, riding a horse, handling a chariot, handling a sword and a bow and arrow, retreating and advancing, taming elephants, handling a noose, handling a spear, handling a cudgel, clenching the fist, pacing, cutting, tearing, piercing, and the five arts of shooting, namely, shooting from afar, shooting at a sound, shooting at a vital part, shooting without being noticed, and shooting truly. His father arranged for three types of consorts‍—older, middling, and younger; built three types of residences for winter, [F.208.a] summer, and the rainy season; and made three types of parks for winter, summer, and the rainy season. Thereupon Prince Sudhana went up to the terrace without male company, and he played, amused himself, and enjoyed himself, to the accompaniment of musical instruments.

9.581“Later, when the hunter Phalaka was wandering around one day looking for deer, he arrived at a certain mountain. At the foot of the mountain, there was a ṛṣi’s hermitage, which was abundant in flowers and fruits, and in which various birds were flying around. There the hunter saw a large pond full of utpala, kumuda, and puṇḍarīka flowers, and adorned with haṃsas, kāraṇḍavas, and cakravākas. He walked around in the hermitage and soon saw a ṛṣi in a garment made of bark, with long hair, beard, nails, and body hair, whose body had been harmed by the wind and heat, living under a certain tree, sitting in a hut made of grass. When he saw him, the hunter bowed low until his forehead touched the feet of the ṛṣi. He then made the gesture of supplication and asked, ‘Excellent sir, how long has it been since you settled in this place?’

“ ‘It has been forty years.’

9.582“ ‘If you have lived in this place for such a long time, have you seen or heard of any wonders or marvels here?’

“The calm-natured ṛṣi answered slowly, ‘Sir, do you see this pond?’

9.583“ ‘Excellent sir, I do.’

“ ‘This is the pond named Brahmasabhā. It is full of utpala, kumuda, and puṇḍarīka flowers, and various birds live here. It is full of water the color of snow, silver, and frost, and it is surrounded by sweet-smelling flowers. On the fifteenth day of every month, Manoharā, the daughter of Druma, the king of kinnaras, visits this pond to bathe, surrounded by five hundred kinnarīs, carrying instruments to wash the head and various ointments. When she bathes, even birds and beasts [F.208.b] are enchanted by dance, song, and the sound of music. I too spend seven days with great pleasure and mental satisfaction after having heard that sound. Sir, I have seen this wonder and marvel.’

9.584“Then the hunter Phalaka thought, ‘I have obtained the noose Amogha from the nāga. I will throw it at the kinnarī Manoharā.’

9.585“Later, on the fifteenth day of the month, carrying the noose Amogha, he approached a thicket of flowers, fruits, and leaves near the bank of the pond and stayed there, watching carefully. At that time, surrounded by five hundred kinnarīs, the kinnarī Manoharā majestically approached the lotus pond Brahmasabhā, just as the ṛṣi had described. The hunter Phalaka immediately threw the noose Amogha and caught the kinnarī Manoharā with it. Caught thus by the noose Amogha, she jumped up in the pond and let out a cry of fear. When they heard this, the rest of the kinnarīs began to run about, looking for the kinnarī Manoharā. Then they saw her bound, and they ran away in fear. As the hunter looked at her, who was extremely well proportioned and pleasant to behold, he touched her, trying to grasp her. She said:

9.587“The hunter said, ‘If I do not grasp you, you will run away.’

“ ‘I will not run away,’ she replied. ‘If you do not believe me, take this crest jewel by which I fly in the sky.’

9.588“ ‘Who knows what you will do?’ retorted the hunter.

“She gave him the crest jewel and said, ‘I will obey him in whose hand this crest jewel lies.’

9.589“Then the hunter took the jewel and departed, taking her along, still caught in the noose.

9.590“At that time, [F.209.a] Prince Sudhana came hunting. The hunter saw Prince Sudhana, well proportioned, attractive, and pleasant to behold. When he saw him, he thought, ‘This is a prince, and this is a woman who is extremely well proportioned and pleasant to behold. If he sees her, he will take her by force. I will now voluntarily give her to him as a present.’

9.591“Then he brought her bound with rope to Prince Sudhana. When he arrived, he threw himself at the prince’s feet and said, ‘Your Highness, I present this treasured woman as a gift to you. Please take her.’

9.592“Prince Sudhana saw that the kinnarī Manoharā was well proportioned, pleasant to behold, attractive, had a perfect complexion, had collected every good quality, was adorned with the eighteen female characteristics, and was more beautiful than anyone in the country. Her breasts were ample, hanging down like golden pots or tortoises, robust and solid, round and full. Her eyes were jet black, bloodshot, and long, and they were shaped like lotus buds. Her nose was long and prominent. Her lower lip was just like coral, a jewel, or a bimba fruit. Her cheeks were not hollow but plump. The upper parts of her cheeks were adorned with very lovely marks. Her eyebrows were smoothly arched, close, and as black as a cluster of bees. Her shoulders were round like a spotless full moon, and her arms were long. Her belly was deeply creased with three lines and slightly protruding. She slightly stooped from the weight of her breasts. Her waist was beautifully shaped like a part of a chariot. Her hands were soft like the pith of the plantain tree. Her thighs were tapering, round, and beautiful. Her every limb was smooth and beautiful, with no vein standing out. She proudly walked with the sounds of a jeweled headdress, a choker, anklets, bracelets, short necklaces, and long necklaces. [F.209.b] Her hair was black and soft. Her feet were adorned with anklets just like Śacī, the wife of Indra. She was wearing a golden belt around her slim waist. Many short necklaces hung down from her neck. The color of her skin was beautiful like molten gold.

9.593“As soon as he saw her, the prince was caught firmly by the noose of lust, which is as hard to hold as a spotless, clear, and trembling moon reflected in water; is as hard to recognize as a makara in a wavy river; flies swiftly like a garuḍa or the wind; changes quickly like rolling cotton; and moves about busily like a monkey without stopping anywhere.

9.594“Having his heart pierced by the arrow of lust, it gave a sound of the utmost secret of desire for union, having been shot with the bow of improper mental attention because of attachment to a beautiful one by a mind that was deeply stained. His heart adhering to defilement through perpetual repetition, he was eager to taste the pleasure of lust and, dashing for the cliff, danger, and precipice because of all defilements, he fell down there just like a moth flying into the fire. And so it is said:

9.596“Prince Sudhana took Manoharā to the city of Hastināpura and gave the hunter an excellent village. Thereupon Prince Sudhana went up to the terrace with Manoharā, and they played, made love, and enjoyed themselves. Manoharā enchanted Prince Sudhana with her good qualities‍—her beauty, youth, and hundreds of kinds of service‍—so that his thoughts never left her.

9.597“Later, one day, two brahmins came from another province. One of them served the king, [F.210.a] and the other Prince Sudhana. The one who served the king was appointed chief priest and given an allotment. The one who served Prince Sudhana was only given an allotment by him. ‘Your Highness,’ he asked, ‘what will you do for me when your father passes away and you are enthroned?’

9.598“Prince Sudhana answered, ‘I will appoint you my chief priest just as the brahmin who is your friend was appointed my father’s chief priest.’

9.599“The rumor passed from mouth to mouth, and the brahmin chief priest heard it. He thought, ‘I will prevent the prince from attaining the throne, let alone that brahmin from being appointed chief priest.’

9.600“Later, the chief of a certain hamlet in the kingdom revolted against the king. The king sent troops to conquer him, but they came back defeated, beaten, vanquished. He sent troops seven times altogether, but they came back defeated, beaten, vanquished. The ministers said to the king, ‘Your Majesty, why do you damage your own army and strengthen the enemy’s? Please summon all the people living by the sword in Your Majesty’s land.’

9.601“The brahmin chief priest thought, ‘Now it is the time to devise a plan to kill Prince Sudhana.’ He said to the king, ‘Your Majesty, you cannot conquer them in that way.’

“ ‘What should I do? Should I myself go there?’ asked the king.

9.602“ ‘Why should Your Majesty yourself go?’ the chief priest asked in return. ‘This Prince Sudhana is young and possessed of power and pride. Send him with these troops.’

“ ‘I should do so,’ said the king.

9.603“Thereupon the king summoned the prince and ordered him, ‘O Prince, go with the troops and conquer the people of that hamlet.’

9.604“ ‘Certainly, Your Majesty,’ [F.210.b] replied Prince Sudhana, and he went to the harem. When he saw Manoharā, however, he forgot everything. Thereupon he was again ordered by the king, but as soon as he saw her, he again forgot everything. Then the chief priest said to the king, ‘Your Majesty, Prince Sudhana is so attached to Manoharā that he cannot leave. Prepare the troops. When the prince comes out from the harem, prevent him from going to Manoharā and dispatch him.’

“The king ordered the ministers, ‘Sirs, prepare an army.’

9.605“Having accepted the king’s order, the ministers prepared an army consisting of divisions of elephants, horses, chariots, and infantry and equipped with various kinds of requisites and weapons. Then, when the prince came out, the king ordered him, ‘O Prince, the army is prepared. Go.’

9.606“ ‘Your Majesty, I will see Manoharā and then go,’ he replied.

“ ‘O Prince,’ said the king, ‘she will be an obstacle, so you should not see her.’

9.607“ ‘Father, if so, I will see my mother and then go.’

“ ‘O Prince, do go see your mother.’

9.608“He went to his mother, bringing Manoharā’s crest jewel. He threw himself at her feet and said, ‘Mother, I will go to conquer the people of that hamlet. Please conceal this crest jewel in a hidden place and do not give it to Manoharā unless she is in danger of death.’

9.609“Having made this request of his mother, he said goodbye and left with the army amid the sounds of various musical instruments. He passed in due course through various provinces and then stayed under a tree near the hamlet.

9.610“At that time, Great King Vaiśravaṇa set out with his attendants along a path for a meeting of yakṣas, who were quite numerous‍—hundreds of yakṣas, thousands of yakṣas, hundreds of thousands of yakṣas. When he set out along the path, [F.211.a] he was blocked in the air. He thought, ‘I have passed along this path many times, and my vehicle has never been blocked. What has blocked me now? What is the cause of this?’

9.611“He saw Prince Sudhana and thought, ‘This is the bodhisattva of the fortunate eon. He will be distressed about going into battle. I will help him and conquer the people of the hamlet without harming any living being.’

9.612“He said to Pāñcika, the great general of yakṣas, ‘Come, Pāñcika, you should conquer the people of the hamlet without harming any living being, even before Prince Sudhana begins to fight the people of the hamlet.’

9.613“ ‘Certainly,’ replied Pāñcika, the great general of yakṣas, to Great King Vaiśravaṇa, and he created a divine army consisting of four divisions: men as large as palm trees, elephants as large as mountains, horses as large as elephants, and chariots as large as heavenly vehicles. Then, in a terrifying display of various weapons such as swords, clubs, lances, missiles, chakras, darts, arrows, axes, and so forth, as well as the sounds of various musical instruments, Pāñcika arrived at the hamlet with the great army. Its wall was destroyed by the sound of the elephants, horses, and chariots, the sounds of various musical instruments, and the power of the yakṣas themselves. The dwellers of the hamlet saw the army and the broken wall and, much astonished, they asked, ‘Where did this army come from?’

9.614“Then they said, ‘Open the gate quickly. Prince Sudhana is coming after this. This army belongs to him. If you do not open the gate quickly, everything will be destroyed.’

9.615“They added:

9.616“They opened the gate and then they raised banners and flags, filled vessels, and welcomed Prince Sudhana with the sounds of various musical instruments. He set them at ease and pleased them. He appointed a chief, assessed the tax, and took their property as security. Then, having defeated the hamlet, Prince Sudhana went home.

9.617“That very night, King Dhana dreamed that a vulture came, tore the king’s stomach open, pulled out his intestines, and surrounded the entire city with them, and that seven treasures came to his residence. Having dreamed these things, the king sprang to his feet and sat on his large bed, frightened and dejected, with the hairs in every pore of his body standing on end. He was plunged into grief, resting his cheek on his hand, asking himself, ‘Is there a chance I will lose my throne or be in danger of death because of this?’

9.618“When the night had passed, he talked to the brahmin chief priest. The brahmin thought, ‘That the king had such a dream certainly means that the prince has conquered the hamlet. I shall tell him a lie.’ He said, ‘Your Majesty, you had an inauspicious dream. Certainly, you will lose your throne or be in danger of death because of this. However, there is a means to prevent this. It is seen in the lore of brahmanical mantras.’

9.619“ ‘What is the means to prevent it?’

“ ‘Your Majesty, build a well-shaped pond of a certain size in a park. Then paint the pond with an application of lime, clean it well, and fill it with the blood of smaller animals. Then, when Your Majesty bathes, you must enter the pond by one staircase. After entering by one, you must ascend another. After entering by the second, you must ascend a third. [F.212.a] After entering by the third, you must ascend a fourth. After this, four brahmins who have mastered the Vedas and the auxiliary branches of the Vedas should lick Your Majesty’s feet with their tongues and burn incense made from kinnara fat. Doing this, Your Majesty will be purified of your sins and protect your kingdom for a long time.’

9.620“ ‘I can do all this,’ said the king, ‘but kinnara fat is very difficult to obtain.’

“ ‘Your Majesty, is it difficult to obtain what is right here?’ asked the chief priest.

“ ‘What do you mean?’ asked the king.

9.621“ ‘Your Majesty,’ said the chief priest, ‘is this Manoharā not a kinnarī?’

“ ‘Chief priest, do not say that,’ said the king, ‘for she is the prince’s life.’

9.622“The chief priest asked, ‘Your Majesty, have you never heard this?

9.624“There is nothing one attached to himself cannot do. The king agreed. Thereupon he began to do as the chief priest had instructed. A pond was dug, painted with an application of lime, and cleaned well, and it was filled with the blood of smaller animals. Learning of these preparations, Sudhana’s consorts were pleased and satisfied and said, ‘Since we are endowed with youth and beauty, we and Prince Sudhana will now play, make love, and enjoy ourselves.’

9.625“Manoharā saw them pleased and asked, ‘Why are you so pleased?’

“Then someone explained to Manoharā in detail what had happened. Full of pain and despair, Manoharā went to Prince Sudhana’s mother. She threw herself at her feet [F.212.b] and informed her of the matter slowly, in a piteous voice. The mother said, ‘If this is so, look into it thoroughly. So will I.’

9.626“Manoharā looked into it and reported back. The mother looked into it too, and it seemed to be true. Then she gave the crest jewel and garment to Manoharā and said, ‘Daughter, you should not leave until it is time so that I will not be blamed.’

9.627“And so the king went bathing, going through all the procedures he had been taught. He entered the pond filled with blood and returned to land. Thereupon brahmins licked his feet with their tongues. Then he ordered, ‘Bring the kinnarī.’ Manoharā immediately soared up into the air and spoke a verse:

9.629“The king saw her fly off through the air. Frightened, he said to the chief priest, ‘The kinnarī Manoharā has fled, while the purpose for which we have made all this effort has not yet been accomplished.’

“ ‘Your Majesty,’ said the chief priest, ‘the purpose is now accomplished, and you are free from sin.’

9.630“Thereupon Manoharā thought, flying through the air, ‘All my falling into these circumstances began when that ṛṣi spoke of me. If he had not spoken, I would not have been caught. So, I will first go to that ṛṣi.’

9.631“She went to his hermitage, and after paying homage at his feet, she said to the ṛṣi, ‘O great ṛṣi, in consequence of your speaking of me, I was caught, touched by a human, and narrowly avoided death. Therefore, I ask you, if Prince Sudhana at some point comes here in search of me, give him this ring and say this: “O Prince, the way is difficult and exhausting. Turn back.” [F.213.a] If he does not turn back, you should tell him the way: “O Prince, Manoharā said this: ‘There are three black mountains in the north, another three beyond them, and another three beyond them. And then beyond them, there is the Himalaya, the king of mountains. To its north lies Mount Utkīlaka, and Kūjaka Jalapatha, Khadiraka, Ekadhāraka, Vajraka, Kāmarūpin, Utkīlaka, Airāvataka, Avevāṇa, and Pramokṣa. Go over these mountains. Among them, Mounts Khadhiraka, Ekadhāraka, and Utkīlaka are to be entered through caves, and Vajraka by the king of birds. You should cross the mountains by these means. You should defeat the magical contraptions, which are the one with a goat-like face, the one like a sheep, and the man shaped like a yellow rākṣasa. There is a snake with a great stream of saliva, swimming in a cave. You should destroy it with courage.

9.641“ ‘ “ ‘Having crossed the rivers, with composure defeat the five hundred yakṣas on the lookout. Then, the palace of the king of kinnaras is there.’ ” ’

“After she had thus spoken to the ṛṣi, Manoharā paid homage at his feet and departed.

9.642“Later, the king heard that Prince Sudhana had conquered the hamlet and come back to the city of Hastināpura, bringing presents, and he was very pleased. After the prince was fully rested, he went to his father, greeted him, and sat down in front of him. The king spoke to him in an extremely pleasing manner. ‘O Prince,’ he inquired, ‘did you come back safely?’

9.643“ ‘Your Majesty, thanks to you, the chief of the hamlet was conquered, their property was taken as security, and a new chief was appointed. Here are also taxes and presents. Accept them for your storehouse.’

“ ‘Son, you did a good job. I will accept them,’ said the king.

9.644“Then the prince expressed to his father his wish to leave. The king said, ‘O Prince, stay here so we might enjoy the presents together.’

“ ‘Your Majesty, I have not seen Manoharā for a long time, and so I will go.’

9.645“ ‘O Prince, do not leave today‍—leave tomorrow.’ [F.214.a]

“He insisted, saying, ‘Father, I must certainly go today.’

9.646“The king remained silent. Then the prince went to his residence. Seeing that the door of the consorts’ palace had lost its radiance, he anxiously entered, but he did not see Manoharā. Dazed and wandering around, he cried, ‘Manoharā! Manoharā!’

9.647“Then the consorts gathered and gossiped about her. With his heart tormented, he asked all of them about this, and they explained exactly what had happened. He was stupefied with sorrow. The women said to him, ‘Your Highness, there are women much more excellent than her in this harem. Why are you so sad?’

9.648“Having learned that his father was ungrateful, he went to his mother, threw himself at her feet, and lamented, ‘Mother,

9.652“ ‘Son,’ she said, ‘Manoharā experienced unbearable pain and fear, so I released her.’

“ ‘Mother, how did this happen?’

9.653“She related in detail all that had happened. He said, ‘My father is merciless and ungrateful.’ And then he asked, ‘Mother, where did she go? By which way?’

9.654“She said, ‘Son,

9.655“Unable to bear the pain of separation from Manoharā, [F.214.b] he became weary and again lamented in a piteous voice:

9.656“Then his mother said to him, ‘Son, there are women much more excellent than her in this harem. Why are you so sad?’

“ ‘Mother,’ replied the prince, ‘so long as I do not have her, with whom would I be pleased?’

9.657“She tried to soothe him, but he kept grieving with sorrow. He began to wander, seeking Manoharā’s whereabouts. He then hit on a good idea: ‘I will first ask the very man from whom I obtained her.’ And so he went to the hunter Phalaka and demanded, ‘From whom did you obtain Manoharā?’

9.658“ ‘There lives a ṛṣi at the foot of a mountain called such-and-such,’ he replied, ‘and there is a lotus pond named Brahmasabhā in his hermitage. She came to bathe there. The ṛṣi told me this, and so I obtained her.’

“ ‘I will now go to the ṛṣi,’ thought the prince. ‘I will discover her whereabouts from him.’

9.659“The king heard a rumor that the prince was utterly stupefied because of his separation from Manoharā. Then the king asked him, ‘O Prince, why should you be stupefied? I will soon give you a wife more excellent than her.’

“ ‘Father,’ he answered, ‘I cannot be with my harem without her.’

9.660“Although the king told him the same thing many times, the prince would not change his mind. Then the king installed guards at the city gate and city wall, lest the prince try to escape by those means. The prince remained awake throughout the night. These five kinds of beings are said to sleep little at night‍—to hardly sleep at all. What five? They are said to be a man bound up by attachment to a woman, a woman bound up by attachment to a man, a being that is a red wild duck, the chief of thieves, and a monk who is striving.

9.661“Thereupon [F.215.a] the prince thought, ‘If I go through the king’s gate, there are fierce guards watching over it, and they will cut me in punishment or kill me. I will now go by any means along the path where there are no guards.’

9.662“He rose that night, tied the garland of blue utpalas that had been fastened to his head to a banner, and descended where there were no guards. Then the moon came out. When he saw the moon, he chanted a lamentation about his separation from Manoharā thus:

9.664“He then proceeded, remembering the joy he had experienced before. He saw a doe and said to her, too:

9.666“He left there and arrived at a certain other place. Seeing bees playing in the middle of a forest adorned with flowers and fruits, he said to a bee:

9.668“He left that place, too, and when he saw a snake, he said:

9.669“Thereupon he went to another place. When he saw a cuckoo [F.215.b] singing in a certain forest, he said to the cuckoo, too:

9.671“He left that place, too, and saw a tree called aśoka , ‘without sorrow,’ full of blossoms.

9.672“Thus stupefied, he arrived in due course at the ṛṣi’s hermitage. Having politely greeted the ṛṣi, he said:

9.674“Then the ṛṣi said ‘Welcome’ to Prince Sudhana, made the salutation to be made first, giving him a seat and so forth, and said:

9.677“ ‘She gave me this ring and said, “Say to him, ‘The way is difficult and exhausting. Turn back.’ If he cannot turn back, you should tell him the way.” [F.216.a] Then, she said this: “There are three black mountains in the north, another three beyond them, and another three beyond them. And then beyond them, there is the Himalaya, the king of mountains.

9.678“ ‘ “You should obtain these medicines from that place. There is a medicine called sūdayā; you should boil it with ghee and drink it. This will free you from thirst and hunger and improve your memory and physical strength. You should also look for a monkey. You should also learn mantras. You should have a bow and arrows, luminous jewels, an antidote to counteract the effects of poison, three iron wedges, and a lute.

9.679“ ‘ “To the north of the Himalaya, the king of mountains, lies Mount Utkīlaka, and Kūjaka Jalapatha, Khadiraka, Ekadhāraka, Vajraka, Kāmarūpin, Utkīlaka, Airāvataka, Avevāṇa, and Pramokṣa. You have to cross these mountains. Among them, enter Mount Khadiraka through a cave. Ekadhāraka and Utkīlaka are also to be entered through caves, and Vajraka by the king of birds. You should cross the mountains by these means. You should defeat the magical contraptions, which are the one with a goat-like face, the one like a sheep, and the man shaped like a yellow rākṣasa. There is a snake with a great stream of saliva, swimming in a cave. You should destroy it with courage.

9.689“ ‘ “Having crossed the rivers, with composure defeat the five hundred yakṣas on the lookout. Then, the palace of the king of kinnaras is there.” ’

9.690“And so, in order to look for the medicines, mantras, and antidote as instructed, Prince Sudhana bowed low until his forehead touched the ṛṣi’s feet, and then departed. He prepared everything as instructed except a monkey. Then, taking everything with him, he went to the ṛṣi again. The ṛṣi gave him a monkey and said:

9.694“Thereupon Prince Sudhana departed, carrying everything as instructed by Manoharā. In due course, he conquered mountains, rivers, caves, pits, and so forth, with medicines, mantras, and the antidote, and arrived near the city of Druma, the king of kinnaras. The prince saw the prosperous city adorned with a beautiful park full of various flowers and fruits, inhabited by various birds. There were ponds and long square lakes there, where kinnarīs were wandering about. When he saw kinnarīs come there to draw water, Prince Sudhana asked them, ‘What are you doing with this much water?’

9.695“They answered, ‘There is a daughter of Druma, the king of kinnaras, who is called Manoharā. Since she was caught by human hands, we are going to wash the human smell off her.’

9.696“ ‘Do you pour water over her from all these jars at once or one by one?’ asked Prince Sudhana.

“ ‘One by one,’ they answered.

9.697“He thought, ‘Here is a good device. I will put this signet ring in a jar.’ He put it in a jar held by a certain kinnarī, without being noticed, [F.217.b] and said to the kinnarī, ‘Bathe Manoharā first with this jar of yours.’

“ ‘There is certainly something important to this,’ she thought.

9.698“When she poured water over Manoharā’s head with that jar first, the signet ring fell on her lap. Manoharā was puzzled by this. She then asked the kinnarī, ‘Has some human come here?’

9.699“ ‘Yes, he has,’ she replied.

“ ‘Go and conceal him in a hidden place.’

9.700“She took him inside the palace and concealed him in a hidden place. Then Manoharā threw herself at her father’s feet and asked, ‘Father, if that Prince Sudhana, who was my husband, comes here, what will you do to him?’

9.701“ ‘He is a human, and I have no use for him,’ he answered. ‘I will tear him asunder and scatter his body in every direction.’

“Manoharā then said to him, ‘Father, how else does a human come here? I myself told him to do so.’

9.702“Then Druma, the king of kinnaras, completely calmed his anger. When he had completely calmed his anger, he said, ‘If the prince comes, I will adorn you with every ornament, surround you with many treasures, requisites, and a thousand kinnarīs, and give you to him.’

9.703“Pleased, delighted, and gladdened, Manoharā then adorned Prince Sudhana with divine ornaments and showed him to Druma, the king of kinnaras. Thus Druma, the king of kinnaras, saw Prince Sudhana, well proportioned, attractive, pleasant to behold, and endowed with a perfect complexion. Upon seeing him, he felt extreme wonder. Then, intending to test the prince, he set out seven golden trees, seven palm trees, seven drums, and seven boars.

9.704“Prince Sudhana was a bodhisattva, and bodhisattvas are experts in the arts and technical skills. [F.218.a] Also, the gods make efforts to remove obstacles from them. And so the bodhisattva danced, sang, and played musical instruments of various sounds provided by deities, such as a lute, gong, harp, three-stringed lute, clay drum, and so forth. Surrounded by thousands of kinnaras, he held a sword just like a blue utpala petal. Beheld by Druma, the king of kinnaras, he went to a golden tree and cut the tree asunder as if it were a plantain, rendering it into pieces as small as sesame seeds. He shot through the seven palm trees, seven drums, and seven boars with an arrow, and stood immovable like Mount Sumeru. Then the gods in the sky and hundreds of thousands of kinnaras let out a great cry of laughter: ‘Hāhā!’ Having seen and heard this, Druma, the king of kinnaras, felt wonder. Then he had Manoharā mingle with a thousand kinnarīs who looked identical to her and said to Prince Sudhana, ‘O Prince, now find Manoharā.’

9.705“Prince Sudhana spoke a verse in order to distinguish her from the others:

9.706“Then she immediately took a step. The kinnarīs said, ‘Your Majesty, this Prince Sudhana is possessed of power, effort, and courage and is suitable for Manoharā. Why do you mock him? Give Manoharā to him.’

9.707“Then, as the kinnaras praised the prince, Druma, the king of kinnaras, in accordance with the kinnaras’ wishes, [F.218.b] offered great honor to Prince Sudhana. He adorned Manoharā with divine ornaments and, holding her with his left hand and taking a golden pitcher in his right hand, went to Prince Sudhana and said, ‘O Prince, I give you this Manoharā surrounded by a thousand kinnarīs, as your wife. Although humans are not steadfast, you must not abandon her, no matter what.’

9.708“ ‘Certainly, Father,’ replied Prince Sudhana to Druma, the king of kinnaras. He and Manoharā played, made love, and enjoyed themselves to the accompaniment of musical instruments, without male company, in the residence of the kinnaras.

9.709“Later, he remembered his own country and grieved with sorrow because of the great pain of separation from his parents. He said to Manoharā, ‘I am overwhelmed by the great pain of separation from my parents.’

9.710“Manoharā then explained in detail to her father what had happened. He said, ‘Go with the prince. Since humans are deceitful, though, you must be careful.’

“Thereupon Druma, the king of kinnaras, gave the prince many jewels and pearls and much gold.

9.711“The prince flew with Manoharā through the air by the power possessed by kinnaras and arrived in due course at the city of Hastināpura. Then the city of Hastināpura was made comfortable by removing stones, pebbles, and gravel, sprinkling sandalwood water, hanging many silk tassels, raising banners and flags, setting sweet-smelling censers out, and scattering flowers. Surrounded by thousands of human kings, the prince with Manoharā then entered the city of Hastināpura. After he was fully rested, [F.219.a] he went to his father, bringing various treasures. He sat down by the king’s seat and explained in detail how he had gone to and come back from the city of kinnaras. Thereupon King Dhana knew that he was possessed of power, effort, and courage and anointed him as king.

9.712“Prince Sudhana thought, ‘It is from a special cause established in the past that I have been united with Manoharā and attained kingship. I will now again give donations and make merit.’ He made limitless offerings in the city of Hastināpura for twelve years.

9.713“Great King, if you think that the one who was that prince called Sudhana at that time, on that occasion, was someone else, you should think otherwise. I was the king called Sudhana at that time, on that occasion, when I performed a bodhisattva’s deeds. I did not attain supreme and complete awakening only because I showed power, effort, and courage for Manoharā and made limitless offerings for twelve years, however; these donations and efforts were only a cause, only a condition, only a preparation for supreme and complete awakening.”

10. Viśvantara769

a. Viśvantara’s Story I770

9.714“Great King, again, seeking supreme and complete awakening, I gave donations and made merit. Listen to that story.

9.715“Great King, once there was a king named Viśvāmitra in a city called Viśvapurī. In accordance with the Dharma, he ruled over the country, which was rich, prosperous, peaceful, abundant in food, and full of many people, where there was no fighting, combat, dispute, strife, . . . . [F.219.b]

9.716“One day, he and his consort played, made love, and enjoyed themselves, and thus the consort conceived a child. After eight or nine months, a boy was born. He was well proportioned, attractive, pleasant to behold, gold in complexion, with a head like a parasol, long arms, a broad forehead, eyebrows that meet, a prominent nose… He became fully learned in the five arts . . . .

9.717“Prince Viśvantara was pious, good, and of a virtuous disposition. He benefited himself and others. He was merciful, a great individual who wished for the Dharma, and he was loving to beings. He offered everything, gave everything, gave without attachment, and engaged himself in great donations. Having heard of his huge donations, seekers came from even a hundred yojanas away, and everyone was given something, their wishes satisfied.

9.718“One day, the bodhisattva mounted the most excellent chariot, one glittering with jewels, gold, silver, diamonds, lapis lazuli, emeralds, rubies, and sapphires; made with a core of the best sandalwood, covered with the skins of a lion, tiger, and leopard; that ran as fast as the wind; and pulled by four horses sounding small golden and silver bells. He traveled in it from the most excellent city to a park.

9.719“Then certain brahmins who had mastered the Vedas and auxiliary branches of the Vedas saw Viśvantara and greeted him: ‘O kṣatriya prince, victory to you!’ They also said:

9.721“Having been told this, the bodhisattva Viśvantara quickly descended from the chariot. With his heart pleased, delighted, and gladdened, he gave the chariot to the brahmins and said:

9.723“Later, when spring came, he mounted the most excellent elephant, named Rājyavardhana , whose color was white like flowers such as jasmine and white water lily, snow, silver, and white clouds; whose body was well supported in its seven parts; whose feet were well supported, and who walked majestically like the elephant Airāvaṇa, was adorned with the best characteristics, and was auspicious to behold. He went to a park in a forest where the trees were budding, and birds such as haṃsas, curlews, peacocks, parrots, hill mynas, cuckoos, and jīvaṃjīvakas were singing, followed by his favorite slaves, friends, and servants like the moon surrounded by stars.

9.724“Then, certain brahmins sent by an enemy quickly approached Prince Viśvantara and greeted him: ‘O kṣatriya prince, victory to you!’ They also said:

9.726“Having been told this, the bodhisattva quickly dismounted from that most excellent elephant. With his mind pleased, delighted, and gladdened, he gave the best elephant to them and said: [F.220.b]

9.728“King Viśvāmitra heard it said, ‘Your son Viśvantara gave the most excellent elephant, named Rājyavardhana , to the brahmins sent by our enemies.’ When he had heard this, King Viśvāmitra trembled with intense anger, summoned Prince Viśvantara, and shouted, ‘O Prince, you should not stay in my country. Go away!’

9.729“Having been abandoned by his father, Prince Viśvantara then thought, ‘Because I have been exerting myself for awakening and have put on the armor of effort in order to accept the whole world as my followers, I gave even that elephant.

9.732“Having made up his mind, the bodhisattva went to his wife, Mādrī, and explained these matters in detail. As soon as she heard them, Mādrī made the gesture of supplication, and then said to the bodhisattva, with her heart fearing separation from her husband, ‘My dear, if so, I too will go to the forest of ascetics. Being apart from you, I would not be able to live even for one moment. Why?

9.734“The bodhisattva said, ‘We will certainly part in the end. That is the nature of the world. Since you have been used to the best food, drink, bedding, and clothing, your body [F.221.a] is very delicate. In the forest of ascetics, you have to lie on grass and leaves, eat roots, flowers, and fruits, walk on the ground full of darbha grass, stones, other kinds of grass, and thorns, rely always upon only one meal a day, and expose yourself to public scrutiny. You have to exert yourself to venerate every sudden guest. Even there, I will certainly give as many donations as I can. You should never regret this. Therefore, give it adequate thought now.’

9.735“ ‘My dear,’ Mādrī replied, ‘I will follow you with all my might.’

“The bodhisattva said to her, ‘If so, you should remember this promise.’

9.736“Thereupon the bodhisattva went to his father. He bowed and said:

9.737“Then the king gasped with the pain of being separated from his son and said in a trembling voice, ‘Son, change your thoughts of giving and stay.’

9.738“The bodhisattva replied:

9.739“Then, riding a chariot with his son, daughter, and wife, he departed the most excellent city. A hundred thousand saddened citizens and provincial dwellers followed him. Then a man heard their crying, lamenting voices and saw the many people going out the city gate, and he asked another man, ‘My good man, many people are lamenting. What has caused this?’

9.740“He answered, ‘Sir, how do you not know?

9.741“Thereupon the bodhisattva approached in an appropriate manner the citizens who had left the most excellent city and said, ‘Sirs, go home, go home. Even if you stay with loved ones for a very long time, you will certainly end up parting from them. Your relatives’ company is just like a tree under which you break the fatigue from traveling. So you will certainly part from loved ones. Why?

9.743“Then, a brahmin who had traveled for three hundred yojanas saw the bodhisattva and approached him. He said, ‘O kṣatriya prince, having heard of your good qualities, I have come here from a country three hundred yojanas away. It is therefore appropriate that you give me this most excellent chariot as a reward for my efforts.’

9.744“Unable to bear it, Mādrī shouted at the brahmin with harsh words:

9.745“The bodhisattva said, ‘You should not scold the brahmin. Why?

9.746“And so, greatly pleased, the bodhisattva gave the chariot, along with its horses, to the brahmin and said:

9.748“And so, with his mind greatly pleased, Viśvantara gave that most excellent chariot to the brahmin and went to the forest of ascetics, carrying their son Kṛṣṇa on his shoulder, with Mādrī holding their daughter Jālinī in her arms. They arrived in due course at the forest of ascetics. Thereupon Viśvantara lived in the forest of ascetics, keeping vows that pleased his heart.

9.749“Later, when Mādrī had gone from the forest of ascetics to collect roots and fruits, a certain brahmin came to Viśvantara and said, ‘O kṣatriya prince, victory to you!

9.751“Having been told this, the bodhisattva Viśvantara pondered for a while about giving away his beloved children. Then the brahmin said to the bodhisattva Viśvantara, ‘O kṣatriya prince, I am asking you this because I have heard that you give away everything. What do you have to consider about this?

9.753“Having been spoken to like this, the bodhisattva Viśvantara said to the brahmin, ‘O great brahmin,

9.755“ ‘Great brahmin, however,

9.757“Then the brahmin said to Viśvantara, ‘O kṣatriya prince, it is not appropriate for you, who were born to a lineage of great kings; whose good qualities are renowned all over this world; who loves all beings with compassion; who is unstoppable just like a rutting elephant in practicing generosity, veneration, and honor; who venerates śramaṇas, brahmins, and guests; who accepts those who are poor, destitute, helpless, and hungry; who fulfills everyone’s wishes; and who is beneficial to see, to make my coming in vain, my effort of traveling unfruitful, my seeing you not beneficial, and my wish and desire for which I have been struggling for a long time unfruitful. If my chariot of mind (manoratha, “wish”), whose horses are thoughts, is struck by your words of refusal, it will quickly return. Therefore, it is appropriate for you to satisfy my wish and give them. Why?

9.759“When he had heard these words of the brahmin, the bodhisattva Viśvantara was overcome by attachment to his children and worried:

9.763“Then the bodhisattva Viśvantara decided definitely to give his two beloved children away and declared:

9.766“He said further:

9.767“As soon as he gave the young children, the earth quaked in six ways. The ascetics living in the forest were surprised at the quaking of the earth and asked each other:

9.769“There was an old ascetic there from the Vasiṣṭha family who was learned in omens. He informed the ṛṣis about this matter: ‘Certainly, Viśvantara has relinquished his two children who lived in the forest of ascetics, the little ones who ate fruits and drank water, who were pleasant and agreeable to the eyes, in order to save beings overwhelmed by suffering. For this reason, the earth quaked.’

9.770“Then the two children knew that their father intended from his heart to give them away, and, crying piteously, they made the gesture of supplication, threw themselves at Viśvantara’s feet, [F.223.b] and said:

9.772“Contorting his face with the pain that seized his heart and shedding tears, the bodhisattva embraced the two children and said, ‘Children,

9.775“Then, knowing that their father intended from his heart to give them away, the children paid homage at their father’s feet, made the gesture of supplication, and slowly said in piteous voices with humble words:

9.777“ ‘Again, Father,

9.778“After they had thus spoken, they saluted their father, circumambulated him three times, and left the hermitage with tearful eyes, still desiring to speak to the respectable one, looking back again and again.

9.779“Then, losing his composure because of his young children’s very piteous words, the bodhisattva made a vow for awakening in his mind and entered the hut in the forest of ascetics. As soon as the young children left, the worlds of the great billionfold universe quaked in six ways. Thousands of gods [F.224.a] emitted cries and laughter in the air, and said:

9.781“At that time Mādrī was coming back to the hermitage, bringing roots and fruits. She hurried to the hermitage because of the quaking of the earth. A deity thought, ‘Mādrī is coming to deter the bodhisattva from the perfection of giving in which he has made efforts to liberate all beings,’ and so the deity assumed the form of a lioness and stood blocking the way. Mādrī said to the wife of the king of beasts:

9.783“ ‘Again,

9.784“Having been spoken to in this way, the deity assuming the form of a lioness left the road in a certain direction. Thereupon, seeing inauspicious signs, Mādrī paused to think: ‘As I hear voices sobbing in the air, and the lamenting voices of the gods living in the forest, too, something unfortunate has certainly happened in the hermitage.’ She then said aloud:

9.787“Thinking of a hundred thousand such unfortunate things, she hurried to the hermitage. [F.224.b] When she entered the hermitage, upset, she searched for the two children but did not see them. Perplexed, with her mind quivering, she thought at each place in the hermitage, ‘In this place, my son Kṛṣṇa with his sister always played with fawns. These are the houses the two of them made from dust. These are the toys of those two. But I do not see them. Perhaps they have entered a grass hut that I do not see and are sleeping.’ Thus worrying and desiring to see her children, she put the roots and fruits to one side, threw herself at her husband’s feet, and cried out with tearful eyes, ‘My dear, where are the two, our son and daughter?’

9.788“Viśvantara said to her:

9.789“When she was told this, Mādrī fell to the ground like a doe shot with a poisoned arrow, writhed like a fish out of water, cried in a piteous voice like a crane that had lost its chicks, lowed in various ways like a cow whose calves have died, and said:

9.798“Mādrī saw trees that those young children had planted and grown, which had abundant leaves, and in her anguish embraced them, and said:

9.800“Then she saw the fawns that had played with the two young children sitting in the hermitage and became pained. She slowly said in a piteous voice:

9.802“Then, when she followed the way along which those children had gone, she saw that the two young children’s footprints were not straight but twisted and turned here and there. Pressed by acute pain again, she said:

9.805“Upon seeing her thus pouring out lamentations, the bodhisattva reasoned with her with words concerning impermanence in a variety of ways and said:

9.809“Then Mādrī said to the bodhisattva, making a firm resolution:

9.810“ ‘Again,

9.811“Then Śakra, Lord of the Gods, knew that the bodhisattva and Mādrī were making efforts that were marvelous and very difficult to make. Surrounded by the Thirty-Three Gods, he approached the hermitage through the sky, illuminated the forest with a vast splendor of light, and said to the bodhisattva while hovering in the air:

9.813“Having encouraged the bodhisattva in this way, Śakra, Lord of the Gods, thought, ‘If he winds up alone, separated from the one attending him, he will become distressed. So I will now ask him for Mādrī.’

9.814“Then he assumed the form of a brahmin, went to the bodhisattva, and said to him:

9.815“Unable to bear this, Mādrī said to the brahmin:

9.816“The bodhisattva Viśvantara observed Mādrī with a compassionate mind. Mādrī then said to the bodhisattva:

9.818“The bodhisattva replied to Mādrī:

9.819“After saying this, being pleased, delighted, and gladdened, he thought:

9.820“Knowing this, he held Mādrī with his hand and said to the brahmin:

9.822“Thereupon Mādrī entered into the brahmin’s possession. Overwhelmed by the pain of separation from her husband, son, and daughter, she said, her voice interrupted by gasping:

9.824“Then Śakra, Lord of the Gods, extinguished his form as a brahmin, took his own form, and said to Mādrī:

9.826Having rejoiced at these words, Mādrī bowed to Śakra and said:

9.827“Having had this asked of him, the great Indra entered the hermitage, held Mādrī with his left hand, went to the bodhisattva, and said to him:

9.829“Thereupon Śakra, Lord of the Gods, drove that brahmin who had taken away the son and daughter insane so that he went to that very city, thinking that it was some other city, and offered to sell the young children. The ministers saw this and said to the king, ‘Your Majesty,

9.831“When he heard this, the king became upset and said, ‘Quickly, show me the two children.’

9.832“The ministers gave a cry, and the citizens hurried to the king. Then a minister took the children to the king.

9.834“Thereupon the king said to the ministers:

9.835“Then Śakra, Lord of the Gods, bowed to the bodhisattva and departed for his residence. Sometime after, King Viśvāmitra died. Brahmins, ministers, citizens, and provincial dwellers went to the hermitage together, requested the bodhisattva to return to his own city, and enthroned him. Thereafter Viśvantara as a king was called Sarvaṃdada, ‘Giver of Everything.’ After having given various donations to śramaṇas, brahmins, the poor, the destitute, friends, kinsmen, relatives, and laborers, he spoke these verses:

9.839“Great King, if you think that the one who was King Viśvantara, who gave various donations to śramaṇas, brahmins, the poor, the destitute, friends, kinsmen, relatives, and laborers, and thereby made merit, at that time, on that occasion, was someone else, you should think otherwise. I was that king named Viśvantara at that time, on that occasion, and there I gave various donations to śramaṇas, brahmins, the poor, the destitute, friends, kinsmen, relatives, and laborers, and thereby made merit.

9.840“Great King, if you think that I attained supreme and complete awakening by these donations or distributions of donations of mine, you should think otherwise; these donations of mine were only a cause, only a condition, only a preparation for supreme and complete awakening.”

b. Viśvantara’s Story II808

9.841“Great King, again, seeking supreme and complete awakening, I gave donations and made merit. Listen to that story.

9.842“Great King, once there was a king named Viśvāmitra in a city called Viśvapurī. Just as he loved his only son, he ruled in accordance with the Dharma over his country, which was rich, prosperous, peaceful, abundant in food, and full of many people, where there was no fighting, combat, dispute, strife, robbers, or illness, and which was abundant in rice, sugarcane, and cattle.

9.843“He took a wife from a family of equal rank, and he and she played, made love, and enjoyed themselves. Thus, a son was born who was well proportioned, attractive, pleasant to behold, gold in complexion, [F.228.a] with a head like a parasol, long arms, and a broad forehead. His kinsmen met together and said, ‘What name shall we give the boy?’ Then they said, ‘Sirs, since this prince is the son of King Viśvāmitra, let us name him Prince Viśvantara.’ And so they named the prince Viśvantara. He was entrusted to eight nurses . . . . He became fully learned in the five arts . . . .

9.844“Since he gave everything that was begged for to those who begged, he was known as Sarvaṃdada, ‘Giver of Everything.’

9.845“There was a daughter of a neighboring minor king called Mādrī. She was asked for and taken to him as a bride together with a vast amount of treasure. He and she played, made love, and enjoyed themselves. Later, a son was born, and he was named Kṛṣṇa. Again they played, made love, and enjoyed themselves. Thus, a daughter was born, and she was named Jālinī.

9.846“King Viśvāmitra had a most excellent elephant, called Auspicious , and neighboring minor kings were jealous of him for its power. He said to Viśvantara, ‘Son, it is all because of this most excellent elephant that the neighboring minor kings envy us. Even if you give everything else, keep the most excellent elephant Auspicious .’

9.847“The neighboring minor kings asked each other, ‘Through whose power are we all defeated by this King Viśvāmitra?’

“One of them said, ‘King Viśvāmitra has the best elephant, called Auspicious . Through its power we are all defeated by him.’

9.848“The rest wondered, [F.228.b] ‘Is there any good means whereby we could acquire this most excellent elephant?’