Chapter 25: The Story of the Fish Guided by Jalavāhana

25.1“And so, noble goddess, Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, had cured the illnesses in the kingdom of King Sureśvaraprabha, so that there were few illnesses and people had the enthusiasm and physical strength they had previously possessed. All the beings in the kingdom of King Sureśvaraprabha were happy, enjoyed amusements, performed acts of generosity, and created merit. They praised Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, saying, ‘May Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, be victorious! May he be victorious! He is the king of healing, who heals the illnesses of all beings. He is the visible presence of a bodhisattva, and he knows all the eight branches of the Āyurveda.’

25.2“Noble goddess, Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, had a wife by the name of Jalāmbujagarbhā. [F.260.a]

25.3“Noble goddess, the wife, Jalāmbujagarbhā, had two sons. The name of one was Jalāmbara and the name of the other was Jalagarbha.

25.4“Noble goddess, Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, traveled with his two sons successively through the villages, towns, market towns, countryside, realm, and the royal capital.

25.5“Noble goddess, at another time, Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, went into an empty wilderness. In that empty wilderness he saw carnivores‍—dogs, jackals, crows, and other birds‍—that were hurrying toward a lake in that wilderness, and he wondered, ‘Why are these carnivores‍—dogs, jackals, and so on, up to birds‍—hurrying in that direction?’ Then he also thought, ‘I will go in the direction that the dogs, jackals, crows, and other birds are rushing.’

25.6“Noble goddess, then Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, went along in that way until he eventually came to the lake in the empty wilderness where they were going. Ten thousand fish lived in that great lake. He saw that many hundreds of the fish had no water and he felt great compassion for them. Then he saw emerging from a tree the upper half of the body of a goddess. The goddess said to Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, ‘Excellent, noble son, excellent. Why is that? Because your name is Jalavāhana you must give water to these fish. You are called Jalavāhana for two reasons, because you bring water and because you give water. Therefore act in accordance with your name!’

25.7“Jalavāhana asked the goddess, ‘Goddess, how many of these fish are there?’

25.8“The goddess replied, ‘A full ten thousand fish.’

25.9“Then, noble goddess, Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, developed an even greater motivation of compassion.

25.10“Noble goddess, at that time, there was just a little water left in that great lake in the empty wilderness, [F.260.b] and those ten thousand fish were close to death, deprived of water, and rushing and darting around.

25.11“Noble goddess, Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, ran in all four directions. In whatever direction Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, went, those ten thousand fish looked piteously in that direction at Jalavāhana.

25.12“Noble goddess, Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, again ran in all four directions but did not find water, so then he looked into the four directions and saw many trees that were not very far away. He climbed those trees and cut off branches. Carrying those tree branches, he went back to the great lake, and there he created a very cool shade for those ten thousand fish.

25.13“Then, noble goddess, Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, went searching for the river that flowed into that lake. Wherever he ran in the four directions, he did not find the river that flowed into the lake. He hurriedly followed a dried-up riverbed. There was a great river called Jalāgamā, and it was the waters of that river that had flowed into that lake in the empty wilderness. At that time, a wicked being, in order to obtain those ten thousand fish, had caused the river to flow into a great ravine in that area so that subsequently there would be no water flowing to the fish. When Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, saw that, he thought, ‘Not even a thousand people could make the course of this river flow to that lake, so how would I alone be able to?’ He then returned.

25.14“Then, noble goddess, Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, hurriedly went to King Sureśvaraprabha. Having reached him, he bowed down his head to the feet of King Sureśvaraprabha, seated himself in one direction, and told his story: ‘I had eliminated illness in all the villages, towns, and market towns within Your Majesty’s domain. [F.261.a] In a certain place, there is a lake called Aṭavīsaṃbhavā, in which live ten thousand fish. They lack water and are being tormented by the sun. Just as I did for human beings, I wish to save the lives of those who have been born as animals. Therefore, Your Majesty, I request twenty elephants from you.’

25.15“King Sureśvaraprabha gave his ministers the command: ‘Give the great king of doctors twenty elephants!’

25.16“The ministers said to him, ‘Great being! Go to the elephant pen, take away twenty elephants, and bring benefit and happiness to beings!’

25.17“Then, noble goddess, Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, with his sons Jalāmbara and Jalagarbha, led away twenty elephants and obtained from the elephant keepers one hundred ox-leather bags, and then they returned, going to where great river Jalāgamā flowed. They filled those bags with water, loaded them onto the elephants, and hurried back to the lake in the empty wilderness. When they had arrived there, they took down the water from the elephants, and from all four directions they filled the lake with water. As Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, walked in the four directions, wherever he went, the ten thousand fish sped there.

25.18“Then, noble goddess, Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, wondered, ‘Why are the ten thousand fish speeding to wherever I am?’ He also thought, ‘These ten thousand fish are definitely tormented by the fire of hunger and are begging me for food, so I will give them food.’

25.19“Then, noble goddess, Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, said to his son Jalāmbara, ‘Mount the fastest of all these elephants ride as quickly as you can to our home, and say to your grandfather, the head merchant, “O grandfather, Jalavāhana has said, [F.261.b] ‘Put together as one all the food that my parents, brothers, sisters, male servants, female servants, and workmen have at home, and send it to me quickly in the hands of Jalāmbara riding the elephant!’ ” ’

25.20“Then the boy Jalāmbara, riding that elephant, rode and galloped as quickly as he could and came to his home. When he had arrived there, he told his story in detail. Then the boy Jalāmbara loaded onto the elephant all that combined food that he had been told to obtain, and he rode that elephant to the lake in the empty wilderness.

25.21“Jalavāhana was delighted to see his son Jalāmbara, received the food from his son, divided it, and scattered it in the lake, satisfying those ten thousand fish.

25.22“He thought, ‘At another time, in a solitary place, I heard from a bhikṣu reading the Mahāyāna that someone who hears the name of the Tathāgata Ratnaśikhin at the time of death will be reborn in a happy existence in a higher world. So I will teach the fish the profound Dharma of dependent origination and also recite the name of the tathāgata arhat samyaksaṃbuddha Ratnaśikhin.’

25.23“At that time, the beings in Jambudvīpa had two views. Some had faith in the Mahāyāna and some disparaged it.

25.24“Then, at that time, Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, stood in the lake up to his knees and recited: ‘Homage to the tathāgata arhat samyaksaṃbuddha Ratnaśikhin. Previously, when the Tathāgata Ratnaśikhin was practicing bodhisattva conduct, he made this prayer: “May anyone in the ten directions who hears my name at the time of their death, [F.262.a] after their passing be reborn with the good fortune of becoming devas in Trāyastriṃśa.” ’

25.25“Then Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, taught this Dharma to those who had been reborn as animals: ‘Because this exists, that is produced; because this is born, that is born. In that way, because of the factor of ignorance, there is formation; because of the factor of formation, there is consciousness; because of the factor of consciousness, there is name and form; because of the factor of name and form, there are the six āyatanas; because of the factor of the six āyatanas, there is contact; because of the factor of contact, there is sensation; because of the factor of sensation, there is craving; because of the factor of craving, there is grasping; because of the factor of grasping, there is becoming; because of the factor of becoming, there is birth; because of the factor of birth, there is old age, death, misery, lamenting, suffering, unhappiness, and distress. In that way there is produced this great mass of nothing but suffering.

25.26“ ‘Thus, through the cessation of ignorance, formation ceases, and so on, until in that way this great mass of nothing but suffering ceases.’

25.27“Noble goddess, in that way, at that time, in that time, Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, recited those words of the Dharma to those who had been reborn as animals. Then, together with his sons, Jalāmbara and Jalagarbha, he returned to his home.

25.28“At another time, Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, ate a great feast and became intoxicated from alcohol, and then went to sleep in his bed. At that time, in that time, there appeared a great omen. When that night had passed, it was time for the ten thousand fish to die, and they were reborn with the good fortune of becoming devas in Trāyastriṃśa. As soon as they were born there, this manner of thought arose in their minds: [F.262.b] ‘Through what good karma as a cause have we been reborn among the devas of Trāyastriṃśa?’ Then they thought, ‘We were ten thousand fish in Jambudvīpa. We had been reborn as animals, but Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, satisfied us with much water and the most excellent food, and then he taught us the profound Dharma of dependent origination and recited the name of the tathāgata arhat samyaksaṃbuddha Ratnaśikhin. It is through that good quality as a cause and as a condition that we have been reborn here among the Trāyastriṃśa devas. We must go to where Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, is and, after arriving there, make offerings to him.’

25.29“Then those ten thousand devas vanished from among the Trāyastriṃśa devas and arrived at the home of Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son.

25.30“At that time, Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, was sleeping on his bed, and those devas placed ten thousand pearl necklaces above his head. They placed a hundred thousand pearl necklaces in front of his feet. They placed a hundred thousand pearl necklaces to his right. They placed a hundred thousand pearl necklaces to his left. They also sent down a great rain of coral tree flowers that came up to the knees. They also played divine music that woke up everyone in Jambudvīpa. Then those ten thousand devas went up into the sky and sent down a rain of coral tree flowers here and there throughout the domain of King Sureśvaraprabha. Then they went to the great lake in the empty wilderness and sent down a great rain of coral tree flowers onto that great lake. Then they vanished from there and returned to their paradise where they delighted and amused themselves with the five sensory pleasures, enjoyed pleasures, and experienced splendor and good fortune.

25.31“In Jambudvīpa, at dawn, King Sureśvaraprabha saw that these signs had occurred, and he asked his astrologers and prime ministers, [F.263.a] ‘Why did these signs appear last night?’

25.32“They answered, ‘Your Majesty should know this: a rain of forty thousand pearl necklaces and also a rain of divine coral tree flowers fell in the home of Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son.’

25.33“King Sureśvaraprabha said to his ministers, ‘You go and summon Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, with pleasant words.’

25.34“Then the astrologers and prime ministers went to the home of Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, and having arrived they said to Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, ‘King Sureśvaraprabha is summoning you.’

25.35“Then Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, went with the prime ministers to King Sureśvaraprabha.

25.36“King Sureśvaraprabha said to him, ‘Jalavāhana, such kinds of signs appeared last night. Do you know why there were those signs?’

25.37“Then, Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, said to King Sureśvaraprabha, ‘Your Majesty, I know that the time of death definitely came for those ten thousand fish.’

25.38“The king asked, ‘How do you know that, Jalavāhana?’

25.39“ ‘Your Majesty,’ said Jalavāhana. ‘I will send Jalāmbara to that lake to see whether those ten thousand fish are dead or alive.’

25.40“ ‘Do that!’ commanded the king.

25.41“Then Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, said to his son Jalāmbara, ‘Son, go to see whether the ten thousand fish in the lake in the empty wilderness have died or not.’

25.42“Then the son, Jalāmbara, went as quickly as he could to that great lake in the empty wilderness and saw that the time of death had come for those ten thousand fish and that a great rain of coral tree flowers had fallen there. He returned and said to his father, ‘Their time of death had come.’

25.43“Then Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, having heard those words, went to King Sureśvaraprabha and told him in detail what had occurred: ‘The time of death had come to all those ten thousand fish, and they were reborn among the devas of Trāyastriṃśa. It is through their and my power that those good signs appeared last night. [F.263.b] There also fell a rain of forty thousand strings of pearls and divine coral tree flowers in my home.’

25.44“Then the king was happy, pleased, and overjoyed.”

25.45The Bhagavat then said to the goddess Bodhisattvasamuccayā, “Noble goddess, do not hold the view of thinking that at that time, in that time, King Sureśvaraprabha was anyone else. Why is that? It is because during that time the Śākya Daṇḍapāṇi was King Sureśvaraprabha.

25.46“Noble goddess, do not hold the view of thinking that at that time, in that time, the head merchant Jaṭiṃdhara was anyone else. Why is that? It is because during that time King Śuddhodana was the head merchant Jaṭiṃdhara.

25.47“Noble goddess, do not hold the view of thinking that at that time, in that time, Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, was anyone else. Why is that? It is because during that time I was Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son.

25.48“Noble goddess, do not hold the view of thinking that at that time, in that time, his wife, Jalāmbujagarbhā, was anyone else. Why is that? It is because during that time the Śākya maiden Gopā was his wife, Jalāmbujagarbhā.

25.49“Rāhula was at that time the son Jalāmbara, and Ānanda was at that time the son Jalagarbha.

25.50“Noble goddess, do not hold the view of thinking that at that time, in that time, the ten thousand fish were anyone else. Why is that? It is because during that time Jvalanāntara­tejo­rāja and the rest of these ten thousand devas were those ten thousand fish that I satisfied with water and excellent food, to whom I taught the profound Dharma of dependent origination, and to whom I recited the name of the tathāgata arhat samyaksaṃbuddha Ratnaśikhin. [F.264.a] It is because of that good action as a cause that they arrived here and that I have given them the prophecy of their attainment of the highest, most complete enlightenment. Because they listened to the Dharma reverently with complete delight, complete trust, and complete joy, they have received their prophecies and names.

25.51“Noble goddess, do not hold the view of thinking that at that time, in that time, the tree goddess was anyone else. Why is that? It is because during that time you were that tree goddess.

25.52“Noble goddess, know through this teaching that while I continued in saṃsāra, I ripened many beings for enlightenment, and they have all obtained prophecies of their attainment of the highest, most complete enlightenment.”

25.53This concludes “The Story of the Fish Guided by Jalavāhana,” the twenty-fifth chapter of “The Lord King of Sūtras, the Sublime Golden Light.”