XII. The Story of the Brahman  - SE Quadrant, Upper Register, Reliefs 27 - 28

THE JATAKAMALA
Table of Contents:

The Tigress
The King of the Sibis
Small Portion of Gruel
Head of a Guild
The Invincible One
The Hare
The Sage Agastya
Maitribala
Prince Visvantara
The Sacrifice
Lord of the Devas
The Brahman
Unmadayanti
Suparaga
Lord of Fishes
The Quail's Young
The Story of the Jar
The Childless One
The Lotus Stalks
The Treasurer
Kuddabodhi
The Holy Swan
Mahabodhi
The Great Ape
Sarabha
The Ruru Deer
The Monkey Chief
Kshantivadin
The Brahmaloka Inhabitant
The Elephant
Sutasoma
Ayogriha
The Buffalo
The Woodpecker

What forbids the virtuous to transgress the boundary of good behavior is the very shame of the Self within their hearts. This will be taught by the following.

Once the Bodhisattva was born into an illustrious family of Brahmans that was well reputed both on account of the family's ancestry and good conduct. Highly esteemed and renowned, that family observed the traditional customs and set a high value on good education and good manners.

Having received in due order the different sacraments, the Bodhisattva dwelt at the home of his teacher, a Brahman who was distinguished by the superiority of his learning, by his birth, and by his practice of the customary conduct, with the object of studying the Veda.

That the Bodhisattva obtained the love and affection of his teacher was not only due to the quickness in which he mastered and retained the holy texts he was taught, but also because of a devoted obedience that was embellished by tranquillity, which was indeed a characteristic of his family lineage but a rare ornament indeed when displayed by a youth. For virtues practiced without interruption are magic charms to win the affection even of those who are burnt by the fires of hatred, let alone the affection of the sound-hearted.

Now his teacher, during the intervals of rest from sacred study told them all frequently about his own sufferings and the adverse effects of his own poverty with the object of trying the morals of his disciples.

"To him no help his family affords,
No joy is his, not even on holidays,
And wretched alms-requesting makes him sick.
A pauper's wish, how may it be fulfilled?
The state of a moneyless man
is the home of disregard, the abode of toil.
And a very hard conduction it is, devoid of pleasure,
abounding in scantiness,
and incessantly afflicting like a calamity."

Like excellent horses, pricked with spurs, his disciples were much moved by their attachment to their spiritual teacher and therefore did their utmost to deliver to him ever more and better prepared food from their daily begging rounds. But he said to them:

"Good sirs, do not exert yourselves in this way. No offerings of food obtained by daily begging will diminish anyone's distress of poverty. If you cannot bear my hardship, you ought rather to apply your efforts to gaining wealth. Doing thus, you would act in the proper manner. Why do I say so?

"Hunger is driven away by food, and thirst by water.
The spell-uttering voice together with medicine expels illness. But poverty's pain is destroyed only by wealth,
that cause of being honored by one's kinsman."

"What can we do for you?" replied his pupils. "Unhappy we are that the extent of our power is so small. Moreover, if wealth, like food, were obtained by begging, we would not allow you to suffer by poverty in this degree, master. But the proper, though weak, means for Brahmans to gain wealth is through the receiving gifts. Since the people here are not charitable, we are powerless, and by this impotency we are smitten with grief."

"But there are other expedients for earning money," replied the teacher, "and they are explained in the law books. Yet, my strength being exhausted by old age, I am not fit to put them into effect."

"Our own strength is not impaired by old age, master," replied his disciples. "If, then, you think us capable of acting upon those precepts of the law books, inform us of them, that we may require you for your labor of teaching us."

"No such means of earning money are indeed available for young men whose mind is too loose to carry out such a strong resolution," replied the teacher. "Nevertheless, if Your Honors urge me, well, you may learn from me what one of the said expedients are.

"In the law-precepts for the time of distress, theft is an approved livelihood for Brahmans; and poverty, I suppose, is the extreme distress in this world. Consequently, it is no sin for us to enjoy the wealth of others.

"Men such as you, would doubtlessly be able to seize wealth even by violence. You should, however, not practice that mode of taking, minding your reputation. Therefore, you must show your energy in lonely places and times."

By such language, the teacher loosened the bridle from his disciples. Accordingly they exclaimed, "Very well," approving his bad words as if they were good, and all of them engaged themselves to do so--save the Bodhisattva.

The Bodhisattva's innate goodness forbade him to comply with the teacher's advise. On the contrary, he was compelled to oppose it without delay, though the teacher's other pupils had already accepted it as a duty. Ashamed and with downcast looks he heaved a soft sigh and remained silent.

Perceiving that the Bodhisattva did not approve of that fashion of making money, despite his refusal to crying it down outright, and due to the high regard in which he appraised the virtue of that Great Being, the teacher entered upon the following reflection:

"For what reason does he disapprove of theft? Is it want of courage or disaffection towards me or does he really know it to be a wicked action?"

In order to prompt the Bodhisattva to reveal his true disposition of mind, the teacher spoke the following words:

"Say, noble Brahman, those twice-born men who are incapable of bearing my misfortune are willing to resort to the course of life followed by the energetic and the heroes. However, in you I find nothing but indolence and dullness. Surely, you must not be affected by our distress. My suffering is evident; its whole extent lies open to your eyes and I have surely made it plain by speech. Notwithstanding this, you keep quiet! How is it that your mind is undisturbed and untouched by such sorrow?"

After respectfully saluting his teacher, the Bodhisattva replied as follows:

"Heaven forbid such feelings! Verily, it is not for want of affection or hard-heartedness that causes me to keep apart, nor am I unmoved by the sufferings of my teacher. However, I think that the mode of acting that my master has shown us cannot be put into practice. It is impossible, indeed, to commit a wicked action without being seen. Why? Because there does not exist anything like loneliness.

"No, loneliness is not to be found anywhere in the world for the evil-doer. Are not the invisible Beings and the purified Munis, whose eyes are endowed with divine power, the on-lookers of men's actions? Not seeing them, the fool thinks himself alone and commits sin.

"But I know no lonely place at all. Wheresoever I do not see anybody else, is such a place for that reason empty of my own Self?

"Of a bad action my own Self is a witness far more sharp-sighted than any other person. Another may perchance perceive me, or he may not, his mind being occupied with his own business. But my Self, eagerly surrendering my whole mind to passion, knows with certainty that I am doing evil. It is for this reason that I keep aloof from the others."

Understanding that his teacher was fully appeased, the Bodhisattva continued:

"Nor can I persuade myself into the belief that you would deceive us in this way for the sake of obtaining wealth. Who, indeed, knowing the difference between virtue and vice, would allow himself to be seduced by the pursuit of wealth in oppression of virtue? As to my own determination, I will inform you of it. Better is it to take on the alms-bowl and vile garments, beholding the opulence of the mansions of one's enemies, than to bend one's mind shamelessly to the murder of righteousness, be it even with the goal of attaining the Sovereignty of the Devas!"

At these words his teacher, rapt with joy and admiration, rose from his seat, embraced the Bodhisattva, and said: "Very well, very well, my son! Well-said, well-said, noble Brahman! This is becoming to your keen intellect, which is adorned by tranquillity.

"Fools leave the path of duty, stirred by any motive whatever, but the virtuous do not allow themselves to be led astray even in the midst of the greatest distress; penance, learning, and wisdom being their wealth.

"As the rising moon in autumn adorns the firmament, so you are the ornament of your entirely spotless family. For you have discerned the full import of the sacred texts that you have been taught. That you have well understood them is made plain by your good behavior. My labor has not been fruitless for it is crowned with success."

So then, it is the very shame of the Self within their own hearts that prevents the virtuous from transgressing the boundary of good behavior. For this reason the pious man ought to have a powerful shelter in shame. This story is to be adduced on account of such texts as this: "In this way the faithful votary of our creed, being well-guarded by the trench of his shame, avoid what is noxious and fosters what is wholesome." Likewise in the texts dealing with the felling of shame and the regard of public opinion.

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