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While dwelling in
the Jetavana grove, the Master told the following story concerning
Devadatta's fall into Hell in the company of five hundred families.
When the Chief Disciples had gone away, Devadatta, taking his followers
with them, being unable to swallow his pain, spat hot blood from his
mouth, and departed. Then tormented by great agony, As he contemplated
the virtues of the Tathagata, he became tormented by great agony. He
then said to himself:
"I for nine mouths have thought evil of the Tathagata, but the Master's
heart has never harbored a single sinful thought of me. Likewise the
eighty Chief Elders of the Order bear no malice towards me. Nay, it is
due to my own commission of evil deeds that the Master, the Great
Elders, the chief of my family Rahula, and the royal clans of the
Sakyas have banished me. Having brought this forlorn state upon my own
self, I must go to the Master and seek to make a reconciliation."
Laying in a
litter that was carried by his followers, he traveled always by night
until he had made his way to the city of Kosala.
Informed of Devadatta's impending arrival, Ananda the Elder went to the
Master and said: "Devadatta is coming, they say, to make his peace with
you."
"Ananda, Devadatta shall not see me," replied the Master.
Again when Devadatta had arrived at the city of Savatthi to see the
Buddha, the Elder informed Master, to which the Blessed One replied as
before.
Devadatta's aim came to a head at the gate of the Jetavana grove. As he
moved towards the Jetavana lake, a fever arose in his body. Desiring to
bathe and drink, Devadatta commanded his followers to let him out of
the litter so that he might take a drink.
No sooner had he alighted and stood upon the ground, than the great
earth gaped open, a flame arose from the nethermost Avici hell to
surrounded him. At last aware that his sinful deeds had come to a head,
and remembering the virtues of the Tathagata, Devadatta recited the
following stanza:
"With these my bones to that supreme Being,
Marked with an hundred lucky marks, all-seeing,
God, more than God, who man's bull-spirit tames,
With all my soul to Buddha I am fleeing!"
Although he was now engaged in the very act of taking refuge, Devadatta
was nevertheless doomed to rebirth in that Avici Hell, taking with him
the five hundred families who had previously attended upon him. Since
those families were made to also suffer his fate, they both reviled the
Dasabala and abused him.
One day when the Brethren were talking in the Hall of Truth, they said:
"Brothers, the sinful Devadatta, through greed of gain, set his anger
causelessly against the Supreme Buddha. With no regard for the terrors
of future punishment, he in the company of five hundred families, was
doomed to hell."
Then the Master entered the Hall of Truth and asked of what the
Brethren were speaking. After being informed of the topic of their
discussion, the Blessed One said: "Brethren, Devadatta--being greedy of
gain and honor--had no eye for the terrors of the future. In former
times, as now, both he and his followers came to utter ruin due to
their greedy pursuit of happiness in the present."
So saying, the Master told them a story of the past.
Once upon a time,
when Brahmadatta was king of Benares, there stood nearby a great town
of carpenters that was the home to a thousand families. The carpenters
from this town used to profess to all who enquired that they would make
a bed, a chair, or a house for them. But each time after receiving a
large advance of money in their hands, they proved able to make nothing
whatever.
for this very reason, the people used to upbraid every carpenter they
met, and otherwise interfered with them. The debtor carpenters became
so much harassed that they could live in that town no longer.
"Let us go into some foreign land," they said, "where we might find
some other place to dwell in."
So they went to forest and cut down many trees, out of which they built
a mighty ship. After launched her in the river, they sailed her away
from that town, and after traveling a distance of some three-quarters
of a league they laid her up.
Then in the middle of the night they returned to the town to fetch
their families. After conveying their kinsfolk on-board the ship, they
proceeded down river to the ocean. After sailing at the wind's will,
they eventually reached at an island that lay in the middle of the
ocean.
Now on that remote island grew wild all manner of wild plants and fruit
trees bearing bananas, mangoes, rose-apples, jackfruit, and coconuts
Likewise rice, sugar-cane, and what not could be found in plenty.
"But if yonder island is haunted by demons, we shall all perish," they
thought. "We must therefore form an expedition for the purpose of
exploring it."
For this purpose they appointed seven men brave and strong. Armed with
the five kinds of weapons, this troop disembarked for the purpose of
exploring that island.
Unbeknownst to them, there was indeed another resident on the island
who had been shipwrecked there sometime earlier. Living off bounty of
the wild rice, sugar-cane and the rest, that castaway had grown quite
stout and sturdy. Thinking himself all alone on the island, he went
about naked, clothed only by means of his long hair and beard.
While lying in the cool shade alone a sandy beach that glistered like
silver plate, that naked castaway wondered at his own high state of
contentment. "No such happiness as this have they who dwell in India,
that plough and sow," he thought to himself. "Far better to me is this
island than India!"
Having thus reached such a blissful realization, shipwrecked man sang
out:
"Others sow and others plough,
Living off the sweat of the brow;
In my realm they have no share:
India? This is better by far!"
Upon hearing the far-off sound of that castaway's song, the scouts from
the carpenters' ship exclaimed: "Could that be the voice of man that we
hear? Come! Let us make go make his acquaintance."
By following the sound of the man's singing, they eventually came upon
the castaway. But since his naked countenance horrified them, they
shouted "Tis a goblin!" as they put arrow to bow.
When the shipwrecked man spied the intent of his unexpected visitors,
he became fearful of being wounded. "I am no goblin, O sirs, I'm a
man," he cried out. "Pray spare my life!"
"What?" said the explorers. "Do all the men here go about naked and
defenseless?" The asked him this question over and over again, but the
castaway just kept repeating "I'm a man."
No longer fearing that defenseless man, the explorers approached and
engaged him in pleasant conversation.
"As a reward for your good deeds you have found your way hither," said
the castaway, "for this is a first-rate island. No one here need work
with their hands to make a living. Of rice, fruit sugar-cane there is
indeed an abundance. Of it there is no end, and moreover it all grows
wild. Therefore you may live hin this place without any anxiety."
"Is there nothing else that might hinder our living here?" asked the
explorers.
"There is nothing here to fear save one thing. This isle is haunted by
spirits who become incensed if they see the excretions of human bodies.
So take care whenever you relieve yourselves to dig a hole in the sand
and cover up your bodily evacuations. This is the only danger to be
found here. therefore you must always be careful to observe this one
point."
Having been so
advised, the thousand families decided to make their new home in that
place. Amongst the new colonists there were two master workmen, each
the head of five hundred families. One master workman was ever foolish
and greedy to have only the best food, while the other was wise and not
bent on getting the best of everything. And after the carpenter
families had dwelled there for some time, they all grew rather stout
and sturdy.
"We have not been merry men for a long time," some of them realized one
fine day. "Come, let us make some toddy from the isle's abundant juice
of sugar-cane"
Having caused strong drink to be made, they all sang, danced, and
sported. Immersed in thoughtlessness, the drunken revelers relieved
themselves here, there, and everywhere without making any attempt to
hide their bodily excretions, thereby transforming the fair isle into a
most foul and disgusting place.
When the local deities became aware that these men had spoiled their
favorite playing-place, they became angry and prepared to take their
revenge. "Let us bring the sea over this isle in order to cleanse it,"
they decided. "As this is the time of the dark fortnight, we shall bide
our time for the next fifteen days. But at the time of the next full
Moon's rising, we will bring up the sea and kill them all."
However, one of these spirits was a righteous deity who had no wish to
see the isle's new resident all perish before his eyes. In order to
exercise his compassion, he cause the whole island to be illuminated by
a blaze of light, at the very time when the men were all sitting on
their doorsteps and engaged in the pleasant conversations after having
enjoyed their evening meals.
Adorned in all his splendor, that righteous deity hovered in the air to
the island's north, and spoke the following words:
"0 ye carpenters. The deities are all angry with you. Dwell no longer
in this place, for in fifteen days, the deities the sea shall engulf
this isle and destroy you one and all. Therefore you must prepare to
flee from this place before then."
He then recited the following stanza:
"In thrice five days the full Moon shall rise to view.
Then from the sea a mighty flood is due
This mighty island to overwhelm. Make haste,
Elsewhere take shelter, that it harm not you."
Having delivered this advice, the righteous deity returned to his own
place. However, a cruel comrade of the first deity entertained the
following thought: "Perhaps they will follow his advice and escape. I
shall endeavor to prevent their going, and thus bring them all to utter
destruction."
Likewise adorned in divine splendor, the second made a great blaze of
light over the entire island. Remaining poised in the air towards the
south of the island, he asked the carpenters:
"Has there been a god here?"
"There has," the men replied.
"What did he tell you?" asked the cruel deity.
"To flee, my Lord," they replied.
"This god does not want you to live here," the cruel deity said, "which
is why he speaks with such anger. Go not elsewhere, but remain here."
He then recited the following two stanzas:
"To me by many signs it is made clear,
That mighty ocean flood of which you hear
Shall never this great island overwhelm.
So take your pleasure, grieve not, never fear.
"Here you may live upon this wide abode,
Full of all things to eat, of drink and food;
As I see no danger for you. Come and enjoy
Unto all generations this shall be to your good."
After attempting to relieve their anxiety, the cruel one made his
departed. After he had gone, the foolish master carpenter raised his
voice, and paying no heed to the words of the righteous first deity, he
cried out:
"Your honors, pray listen to me!"
"That god, who from the southern quarter clear
Cries out, All safe! From him the truth we hear;
Fear or fear not, the northern one is no seer:
Why grieve then, take your pleasure, never fear!"
Upon hearing his foolish words, the five hundred carpenters who were
ever greedy to obtain only the very best of things elected to follow to
the counsel of their leader.
The wise master carpenter, however, refused to hearken to the foolish
leader's words. Instead, he recited the following stanzas:
"While these two goblins against each other cry,
One calling fear, and the other security,
Come hear my rede, lest soon and out of hand
Ye will together all perish utterly.
Let us all join in the building of a mighty bark,
A vessel stout, a safe place, an ark
All settings: if the southern spoke the truth,
And the other said but folly, off the mark
This vessel for our good at need shall be;
Nor will we leave this isle incontinent;
But if the northern god spoke truthfully,
The southern did but foolishness present
Then in the ship we all embark together,
And where our safety lies, all hie us thither.
"Take not for best or worst what first you hear;
But whosoever lets all pass within the ear,
And then deliberating takes the mean,
That man to safest harborage will steer."
After this, the wise master carpenter said: "Come now, let us heed the
words of both deities. Come let us build a ship together. If the words
of the first deity be true, into that ship we will climb and depart.
But if the words of the second be the truth, well then we will put the
ship out of our way, and continue to dwell in this place."
In response to this advice, the foolish master made the following reply:
"Go to where? Why do you see a crocodile inside of a teacup! You are
way-too slow! It is clear that the first god merely spoke in anger
against us, while the second only out of affection. If we leave this
choicest of isles, whither shall we go? If you must indeed take your
leave, well then drag your tails behind you. Go make your ship on your
own, for we have no want of it!"
So the wise man, together with those that followed
his advice, built a ship, After putting all the fittings aboard, the
whole company stood on the ship's deck, where they waited to see what
would happen.
At the time of the full-moon's rising, up from the ocean arose a great
wave, and knee-deep it swept over the whole island. Upon observing the
rising waves, the wise man cast loose the ship and sailed away.
The five hundred families of the foolish carpenter's party, however,
sat still, and said to one another: "A wave has indeed arisen and swept
over the island, but surely the water will grow no deeper."
Then succeeding ocean-waves rose fist waist-deep, then man-deep, then
as deep as a palm-tree, and finally as deep as seven palm-trees,
rolling one after the other to sweep the island clean.
That wise man, being fertile in resource and un-snared by the greed for
the very best of things, departed safely in the company of his
followers. But as for the foolish carpenter who had been so greedy to
possess good things, not regarding the fear of the future, was utterly
destroyed, together with the five hundred families that followed him.
"As through mid-ocean, by the deeds they did,
The traders escaped away in happiness:
So wise men, comprehending what lies hid
Within the future, will no jot transgress.
"Fools in their folly, consumed by greed
Who future dangers do not comprehend,
Slink overwhelmed, in face of present need,
As those in ocean's middle found their end.
"Accomplish then the deed before the need,
Let not lack hurt me of the needful thing.
Who timely do the necessary deed
Come time, come never into suffering."
At the end of this discourse, the Master said:
"Not now for the first time, Brethren, but formerly also, has Devadatta
been ensnared by the pleasures of the present. Without looking to the
future, he comes to destruction, together with all his companions."
So saying, the Blessed One identified the Birth: "At that time,
Devadatta was the foolish carpenter, Kokalika was the unrighteous deity
that stood in the southern region, Sariputta was the deity who stood in
the northern region, and I myself was the wise carpenter."
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One day as she
was bringing back fruit from the forest, she spied a pool next to a
mountain cave. After removing the basket from her head, she stood on
the edge of the cave, rubbed her body all over with yellow dye, and
then stepped down to take her bath.
After washing herself, she climbed out of the water, put her bark
garment back on and then stood once more at the edge of that pool. It
seemed as if the whole forest became brighter from the radiance that
seemed to shine from her person.
At that very moment a goblin--having going forth to find his prey--
caught sight of her. Totally captivated by the sight of her, the
love-stricken goblin recited the following stanzas:
"Tied to the spot and trembling as in fear,
Who in this rocky cave is standing here?
Tell us, I pray, O slender-waisted dame,
Who may thy kinsmen be, and what is thy name?
"Who art thou, lady, ever fair and bright,
And what is thy birth that you can flood with light
This grove, a fit home of every beast of prey,
An ogre I to you all due homage pay."
On hearing what the goblin said, she replied with three stanzas of her
own:
"Prince Sotthibena, know full well, is heir to the throne,
And I, the prince's wedded wife, as Sambula am known.
Videha's royal son is sick and in the forest lies;
Alone I tend him, mad with pain, or else surely he dies.
"This savory bit of venison I picked up in the wood,
And bear it to my lord today, now faint for want of food."
The goblin inquired:
"What good is this sick lord of thine, O Sambula, to thee?
No wife, but nurse is what he craves. I will thy husband be."
Sambula replied:
"With sorrow worn, a wretch forlorn, no beauty can I claim,
If thou art fain a bride to gain, go woo some fairer dame."
The goblin said:
"Four hundred wives have I to grace my home on yonder hill;
0 lady, deign o'er them to reign, and each fond wish fulfill.
"O Fair maid bright with golden light, whatever is dear to thee
Is mine to give, so come and live a life of joy with me.
"But if denied to me as bride, thou art my lawful prey,
And wilt be good to serve as food to break my fast today."
That goblin grim with his seven tufts inspiring dread alarm,
Found helpless Sambula astray and seized her by the arm.
Thus held by him, that ogre grim, her lustful, cruel foe,
She still deplored her absent lord, nor ever forgot his woe.
She said:
"No grief to me that I should be this hateful oger's prey,
But that the love of my dear lord from me should fall away.
No gods are here, but absent far they flee,
Nor any of the world's guardians do I see,
To check the course of outrage and suppress
All acts of unrestrained licentiousness."
Then by the efficacy of her virtue the abode of Sakra began to shake
and his throne of yellow marble began to show signs of heat. Upon
reflection, Sakra discerned the cause. Taking up his thunderbolt, he
came with all speed, and while standing above the goblin, spoke this
stanza:
"Amongst women folk the chief in fame,
She's wise and perfect, bright as name,
Shouldst thou eat her, thy skull be riven.
0 goblin, into fragments seven.
So harm her not; let her go free,
For a devoted wife is she."
Upon hearing Sakra's words, the goblin let Sambula go.
Sakka thought: "This goblin will be guilty of the same thing again."
So he bound him with celestial chains and let him loose on the third
mountain from thence, that he might not return. After earnestly
exhorting the royal lady, Sakra departed to his own abode. Then the
princess, after sunset, by the light of the moon readied the hermitage.
To explain the matter, the Master recited these stanzas:
"Escaped from ogre, to her hut she fled,
As bird returning finds its fledglings dead,
Or cow, robbed of her calf, laments an empty shed.
"Thus Sambula, of royal fame, made moan,
Wild-eyed and helpless, in the wood, alone.
Hail, priests and Brahmans, righteous sages too,
Deserted, I for refuge fly to you.
"All hail, ye lions and ye tigers fell,
And other beasts that in the woodland dwell.
All hail, ye grasses, herbs and plants that creep,
All hail, ye forests green and mountains steep.
"All hail to Night, bedecked with stars on high,
Dark as blue lotus of the deepest dye.
All hail to Ganges: mother of rivers she,
Known amongst men as famed Bhagirathi.
"Hail, Himavat, of all the mountains king,
Huge rocky pile, overtopping everything."
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Overhearing his
wife's lamentations, Sofithisena thought:
"I do not quite know what all this means. If she were acting thus for
love of me, her heart would be broken. I will put her to the test."
So he went and sat at the door of his hut. She, still lamenting, came
to the door, and, making a low obeisance, she said: "Where has my lord
been?"
"Lady," he said, "on other days you have never come back at this hour.
Today you are very late.
"Illustrious lady, why so late today?
What favored lover led to this delay?"
"My lord, I was returning with my fruit when I beheld a goblin," she
answered. "He fell in love with me, and after seizing me by the hand,
he said: 'Unless you obey my words, I will eat you alive.'"
And at that very moment, sorrowing for you only, I uttered a lament:
"Seized by my foe, I, full of woe, these words to him did say;
'No grief to me that I should be a hateful ogre's prey,
But that the love of my dear lord from me should fall away.'"
Then she told her husband the rest of the story.
"Having been seized by this goblin, and unable to make him let me go, I
acted so as to excite the attention of the gods. In response, Sakra,
the Lord of the Devas came with thunderbolt in hand. While standing in
the air, he threatened the goblin, thereby effecting my release. Then
Sakra bound that goblin with magic chains, deposited him on the third
mountain range from here, and then departed."
Upon hearing his wife's words, Sotthisena replied: "Well, lady, it may
have been just as you say, although with womankind it is often hard to
discover the truth. In the Himalaya region dwell many foresters,
ascetics and magicians. Who shall believe you!"
And so saying, he recited this stanza:
"You jades are ever by far too clever,
Truth among such is a great rarity.
The ways of your sex are enough to perplex,
Like the course of a fish in the sea."
Upon hearing her husband's words, she said:
"My lord, though you do not believe me, by virtue of the truth I speak,
I will heal you."
So, filling a pot of water and performing an Act of Truth, she poured
the water on his head and spoke this stanza:
"May Truth for aye my shelter be,
As I love no man more than thee,
And by this Act of Truth, I pray,
May thy disease be healed today."
As soon as she sprinkled Sotthisena with the water, the leprosy
straightway left him as if it were copper rust that had been washed
away by some acid. After staying a few days more in the forest, they
departed that hermitage, and, coming to Benares, re-entered the royal
park.
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Being apprised of
their arrival, the king went to the park, and there and then bade the
royal umbrella to be raised over Sotthiaena, after which he ordered
that Sambula should be raised to the position of chief queen.
After conducting the couple into the city, the king himself adopted the
ascetic life and took up his abode in the park, although still
constantly taking his meals in the palace.
Although Sotthisena conferred the rank of chief consort onto Sambula,
no other honor did he pay her. Ignoring her very existence, he found
his pleasure elsewhere in the arms of other women.
Due to the jealousy of her rivals, Sambula soon grew thin and pale of
countenance and her veins stood out upon her body. Then one day when
her ascetic father-in-law came by for a meal, she came to him after he
had finished eating, saluting him, and sat down on one side.
Upon noticing her languid condition, her father-in-law inquired:
"Seven hundred elephants by night and day
Are guarding thee, all ready for the fray,
Hundreds of archers shielding thee from harm;
Whence come the foes to fill thee with alarm?"
"Your son, my lord, no longer is in love with me," she replied.
"Fair as a lotus are the maids he loves,
Their swan-like voices his deepest passion moves,
As he lies he listens to their measured strain,
in his heart, I fear, I no longer reign.
"In human shape but like to nymphs divine,
Adorned with ornaments of gold they shine,
Of perfect form the noble maidens lie
In graceful pose, to charm the royal eye.
"If I once more might wander in the wood,
To glean a portion for his daily food,
Once more I should a husband's love regain,
And quit the court in forest realms to reign.
"A woman may in softest robes be dressed,
And be with food in rich abundance blest,
Fair though she be, yet if an unloved wife,
Best fix a rope and put an end to life.
"Yea the poor wretch on bed of straw that lies,
If she find favor in her husband's eyes,
Enjoys a happiness unknown to one,
Itioh in all else, but poor in love alone."
Having thus explained the cause of her distress, her father-in-law
summoned the king and said:
"Dear Sotthisena, when you were crushed by the disease of leprosy and
hid yourself in the forest, she went with you and ministered to your
wants, and by the power of truth she healed your sickness. Now after
she has been the means of your being established on the throne, you do
not even know the place of her sitting and uprising. This is very wrong
of you. An act of treachery to a friend like this is a sin."
Reproving his son, he recited this stanza:
"A loving wife is ever hard to find,
As is a man that to his wife is kind:
Thy wife was virtuous and loving too;
Do thou, O king, to Sambula be true."
After he had thus reproved his son, he got up and went away.
After his father had gone, the king called for Sambula to beg for her
forgiveness: "My dear, forgive the wrong I have done you this long
time. Henceforth I confer on you all power."
"Shouldst thou, with wealth in great abundance blest,
Still pine away, by jealouay oppressed,
I and these maidens, creatures of thy hand,
Will be obedient to thy command."
Thenceforth the pair lived happily together. After living a life full
of charity and good works they departed to fare according to their
deeds. The ascetic, after entering upon ecstatic meditation, passed to
the heaven of Brahma.
The Master here ended his lesson and saying: "Not now only, but
formerly too, Mallika was a devoted wife."
He identified the Birth: "At that time Sambula was Mallika, Sotthisena
was the king of Kosala, and the ascetic father was myself."
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