Part 7

"Regard thy people as men do an only son. Do not oppress them, do not destroy them; keep in due check every member of thy body, forsake unrighteous doctrine and walk in the straight path. Exalt not thyself by trampling down others, but comfort and befriend the suffering. 19

"Neither ponder on kingly dignity, nor listen to the smooth words of flatterers. 20

"There is no profit in vexing oneself by austerities, but meditate on the Buddha and weigh his righteous law. 21

"We are encompassed on all sides by the rocks of birth, old age, disease, and death, and only by considering and practising the true law can we escape from this sorrow-piled mountain. 22

"What profit, then, in practising iniquity? 23

"All who are wise spurn the pleasures of the body. They loathe lust and seek to promote their spiritual existence. 24

"When a tree is burning with fierce flames, how can the birds congregate therein? Truth cannot dwell where passion lives. He who does not know this, though he be a learned man and be praised by others as a sage, is beclouded with ignorance. 25

"To him who has this knowledge true wisdom dawns, and he will beware of hankering after pleasure. To acquire this state of mind, wisdom is the one thing needful. To neglect wisdom will lead to failure in life. 26

"The teachings of all religions should center here, for without wisdom there is no reason. 27

"This truth is not for the hermit alone; it concerns every human being, priest and layman alike. There is no distinction between the monk who has taken the vows, and the man of the world living with his family. There are hermits who fall into perdition, and there are humble householders who mount to the rank of rishis. 28

"Hankering after pleasure is a danger common to all; it carries away the world. He who is involved in its eddies finds no escape. But wisdom is the handy boat, reflection is the rudder. The slogan of religion calls you to overcome the assaults of Māra, the enemy. 29

"Since it is impossible to escape the result of our deeds, let us practise good works. 30

"Let us guard our thoughts that we do no evil, for as we sow so shall we reap.; 31

"There are ways from light into darkness and from darkness into light. There are ways, also, from the gloom into deeper darkness, and from the dawn into brighter light. The wise man will use the light he has to receive more fight. He will constantly advance in the knowledge of truth. 32

"Exhibit true superiority by virtuous conduct and the exercise of reason; meditate deeply on the vanity of earthly things, and understand the fickleness of life. 33

"Elevate the mind, and seek sincere faith with firm purpose; transgress not the rules of kingly conduct, and let your happiness depend, not upon external things, but upon your own mind. Thus you will lay up a good name for distant ages and will secure the favor of the Tathāgata." 34

The king listened with reverence and remembered all the words of the Buddha in his heart. 35

XXVI.

THE THREE CHARACTERISTICS AND THE UNCREATE.

When the Buddha was staying at the Veluvana, the bamboo grove at Rājagaha, he addressed the brethren thus: 1

"Whether Buddhas arise, O priests, or whether Buddhas do not arise, it remains a fact and the fixed and necessary constitution of being that all conformations are transitory. This fact a Buddha discovers and masters, and when he has discovered and mastered it, he announces, teaches, publishes, proclaims, discloses, minutely explains and makes it clear that all conformations are transitory. 2

"Whether Buddhas arise, O priests, or whether Buddhas do not arise, it remains a fact and a fixed and necessary constitution of being, that all conformations are suffering. This fact a Buddha discovers and masters, and when he has discovered and mastered it, he announces, publishes, proclaims, discloses, minutely explains and makes it clear that all conformations are suffering. 3

"Whether Buddhas arise, O priests, or whether Buddhas do not arise, it remains a fact and a fixed and necessary constitution of being, that all conformations are lacking a self. This fact a Buddha discovers and masters, and when he has discovered and mastered it, he announces, teaches, publishes, proclaims, discloses, minutely explains and makes it clear that all conformations are lacking a self." 4

And on another occasion the Blessed One dwelt at Sāvatthi in the Jetavana, the garden of Anāthapindika. 5

At that time the Blessed One edified, aroused, quickened and gladdened the monks with a religious discourse on the subject of Nirvāna. And these monks grasping the meaning, thinking it out, and accepting with their hearts the whole doctrine, listened attentively. But there was one brother who had some doubt left in his heart. He arose and clasping his hands made the request: "May I be permitted to ask a question?" When permission was granted he spoke as follows: 6

"The Buddha teaches that all conformations are transient, that all conformations are subject to sorrow, that all conformations are lacking a self. How then can there be Nirvāna, a state of eternal bliss?" 7

And the Blessed One, in this connection, on that occasion, breathed forth this solemn utterance: 8

"There is, O monks, a state where there is neither earth, nor water, nor heat, nor air; neither infinity of space nor infinity of consciousness, nor nothingness, nor perception nor non-perception; neither this world nor that world, neither sun nor moon. It is the uncreate. 9

"That, O monks, I term neither coming nor going nor standing; neither death nor birth. It is without stability, without change; it is the eternal which never originates and never passes away. There is the end of sorrow. 10

"It is hard to realize the essential, the truth is not easily perceived; desire is mastered by him who knows, and to him who sees aright all things are naught. 11

"There is, O monks, an unborn, unoriginated, uncreated, unformed. Were there not, O monks, this unborn, unoriginated, uncreated, unformed, there would be no escape from the world of the born, originated, created, formed. 12

"Since, O monks, there is an unborn, unoriginated, uncreated, and unformed, therefore is there an escape from the born, originated, created, formed." 13

XXVII.

THE BUDDHA'S FATHER.

The Buddha's name became famous over all India and Suddhodana, his father, sent word to him saying: "I am growing old and wish to see my son before I die. Others have had the benefit of his doctrine, but not his father nor his relatives." 1

And the messenger said: "O world-honored Tathāgata, thy father looks for thy coming as the lily longs for the rising of the sun." 2

The Blessed One consented to the request of his father and set out on his journey to Kapilavatthu. Soon the tidings spread in the native country of the Buddha: "Prince Siddhattha, who wandered forth from home into homelessness to obtain enlightenment, having attained his purpose, is coming back." 3

Suddhodana went out with his relatives and ministers to meet the prince. When the king saw Siddhattha, his son, from afar, he was struck with his beauty and dignity, and he rejoiced in his heart, but his mouth found no words to utter. 4

This, indeed, was his son; these were the features of Siddhattha. How near was the great samana to his heart, and yet what a distance lay between them! That noble muni was no longer Siddhattha, his son; he was the Buddha, the Blessed One, the Holy One, Lord of truth, and teacher of mankind. 5

Suddhodana the king, considering the religious dignity of his son, descended from his chariot and after saluting his son said: "It is now seven years since I have seen thee. How I have longed for this moment!" 6

Then the Sakyamuni took a seat opposite his father, and the king gazed eagerly at his son. He longed to call him by his name, but he dared not. "Siddhattha," he exclaimed silently in his heart, "Siddhattha, come back to thine aged father and be his son again!" But seeing the determination of his son, he suppressed his sentiments, and desolation overcame him. 7

Thus the king sat face to face with his son, rejoicing in his sadness and sad in his rejoicing. Well might he be proud of his son, but his pride broke down at the idea that his great son would never be his heir. 8

"I would offer thee my kingdom," said the king, "but if I did, thou wouldst account it but as ashes." 9

And the Buddha said: "I know that the king's heart is full of love and that for his son's sake he feels deep grief. But let the ties of love that bind him to the son whom he lost embrace with equal kindness all his fellow-beings, and he will receive in his place a greater one than Siddhattha; he will receive the Buddha, the teacher of truth, the preacher of righteousness, and the peace of Nirvāna will enter into his heart." 10

Suddhodana trembled with joy when he heard the melodious words of his son, the Buddha, and clasping his hands, exclaimed with tears in his eyes: "Wonderful is this change! The overwhelming sorrow has passed away. At first my sorrowing heart was heavy, but now I reap the fruit of thy great renunciation. It was right that, moved by thy mighty sympathy, thou shouldst reject the pleasures of royal power and achieve thy noble purpose in religious devotion. Now that thou hast found the path, thou canst preach the law of immortality to all the world that yearns for deliverance." 11

The king returned to the palace, while the Buddha remained in the grove before the city. 12

XXVIII.

YASODHARĀ.

On the next morning the Buddha took his bowl and set out to beg his food. 1

And the news spread abroad: "Prince Siddhattha is going from house to house to receive alms in the city where he used to ride in a chariot attended by bis retinue. His robe is like a red clod, and he holds in his hand an earthen bowl." 2

On hearing the strange rumor, the king went forth in great haste and when he met his son he exclaimed: "Why dost thou thus disgrace me? Knowest thou not that I can easily supply thee and thy bhikkhus with food?" 3

And the Buddha replied: "It is the custom of my race." 4

But the king said: "How can this be? Thou art descended from kings, and not one of them ever begged for food." 5

"O great king," rejoined the Buddha, "thou and thy race may claim descent from kings; my descent is from the Buddhas of old. They, begging their food, lived on alms." 6

The king made no reply, and the Blessed One continued: "It is customary, O king, when one has found a hidden treasure, for him to make an offering of the most precious jewel to his father. Suffer me, therefore, to open this treasure of mine which is the Dharma, and accept from me this gem:" 7

And the Blessed One recited the following stanza:

"Rise from dreams and loiter not Open to truth thy mind. Practise righteousness and thou Eternal bliss shalt find." 8

Then the king conducted the prince into the palace, and the ministers and all the members of the royal family greeted him with great reverence, but Yasodharā, the mother of Rāhula, did not make her appearance. The king sent for Yasodharā, but she replied: "Surely, if I am deserving of any regard, Siddhattha will come and see me." 9

The Blessed One, having greeted all his relatives and friends, asked: "Where is Yasodharā?" And on being informed that she had refused to come, he rose straightway and went to her apartments. 10

"I am free," the Blessed One said to his disciples, Sāriputta and Moggallāna, whom he had bidden to accompany him to the princess's chamber; "the princess, however, is not as yet free. Not having seen me for a long time, she is exceedingly sorrowful. Unless her grief be allowed its course her heart will cleave. Should she touch the Tathāgata, the Holy One, ye must not prevent her." 11

Yasodharā sat in her room, dressed in mean garments, and her hair cut. When Prince Siddhattha entered, she was, from the abundance of her affection, like an overflowing vessel, unable to contain her love. 12

Forgetting that the man whom she loved was the Buddha, the Lord of the world, the preacher of truth, she held him by his feet and wept bitterly. 13

Remembering, however, that Suddhodana was present, she felt ashamed, and rising, seated herself reverently at a little distance. 14

The king apologized for the princess, saying: "This arises from her deep affection, and is more than a temporary emotion. During the seven years that she has lost her husband, when she heard that Siddhattha had shaved his head, she did likewise; when she heard that he had left off the use of perfumes and ornaments, she also refused their use. Like her husband she had eaten at appointed times from an earthen bowl only. Like him she had renounced high beds with splendid coverings, and when other princes asked her in marriage, she replied that she was still his. Therefore, grant her forgiveness." 15

And the Blessed One spoke kindly to Yasodharā, telling of her great merits inherited from former lives. She had indeed been again and again of great assistance to him. Her purity, her gentleness, her devotion had been invaluable to the Bodhisatta when he aspired to attain enlightenment, the highest aim of mankind. And so holy had she been that she desired to become the wife of a Buddha. This, then, is her karma, and it is the result of great merits. Her grief has been unspeakable, but the consciousness of the glory that surrounds her spiritual inheritance increased by her noble attitude during her life, will be a balm that will miraculously transform all sorrows into heavenly joy. 16

XXIX.

RĀHULA.

Many people in Kapilavatthu believed in the Tathāgata and took refuge in his doctrine, among them Nanda, Siddhattha's halfbrother, the son of Pajāpatī; Devadatta, his cousin and brother-in-law; Upāli the barber; and Anuruddha the philosopher. Some years later Ānanda, another cousin of the Blessed One, also joined the Sangha. 1

Ānanda was a man after the heart of the Blessed One; he was his most beloved disciple, profound in comprehension and gentle in spirit. And Ānanda remained always near the Blessed Master of truth, until death parted them. 2

On the seventh day after the Buddha's arrival in Kapilavatthu, Yasodharā dressed Rāhula, now seven years old, in all the splendor of a prince and said to him: 3

"This holy man, whose appearance is so glorious that he looks like the great Brahmā, is thy father. He possesses four great mines of wealth which I have not yet seen. Go to him and entreat him to put thee in possession of them, for the son ought to inherit the property of his father." 4

Rāhula replied: "I know of no father but the king. Who is my father?" 5

The princess took the boy in her arms and from the window she pointed out to him the Buddha, who happened to be near the palace, partaking of food. 6

Rāhula then went to the Buddha, and looking up into his face said without fear and with much affection: "My father!" 7

And standing near by him, he added: "O samana, even thy shadow is a place of bliss!" 8

When the Tathāgata had finished his repast, he gave blessings and went away from the palace, but Rāhula followed and asked his father for his inheritance. 9

No one prevented the boy, nor did the Blessed One himself. 10

Then the Blessed One turned to Sāriputta, saying: "My son asks for his inheritance. I cannot give him perishable treasures that will bring cares and sorrows, but I can give him the inheritance of a holy life, which is a treasure that will not perish." 11

Addressing Rāhula with earnestness, the Blessed One said: "Gold and silver and jewels are not in my possession. But if thou art willing to receive spiritual treasures, and art strong enough to carry them and to keep them, I shall give thee the four truths which will teach thee the eightfold path of righteousness. Dost thou desire to be admitted to the brotherhood of those who devote their life to the culture of the heart seeking for the highest bliss attainable?" 12

And Rāhula replied with firmness: "I do. I want to join the brotherhood of the Buddha." 13

When the king heard that Rāhula had joined the brotherhood of bhikkhus he was grieved. He had lost Siddhattha and Nanda, his sons, and Devadatta, his nephew. But now that his grandson had been taken from him, he went to the Blessed One and spoke to him. And the Blessed One promised that from that time forward he would not ordain any minor without the consent of his parents or guardians. 14

CONSOLIDATION OF THE BUDDHA'S RELIGION.

XXX.

JĪVAKA, THE PHYSICIAN.

Long before the Blessed One had attained enlightenment, self-mortification had been the custom among those who earnestly sought for salvation. Deliverance of the soul from all the necessities of life and finally from the body itself, they regarded as the aim of religion. Thus, they avoided everything that might be a luxury in food, shelter, and clothing, and lived like the beasts in the woods. Some went naked, while others wore the rags cast away upon cemeteries or dungheaps. 1

When the Blessed One retired from the world, he recognized at once the error of the naked ascetics, and, considering the indecency of their habit, clad himself in cast-off rags. 2

Having attained enlightenment and rejected all unnecessary self-mortifications, the Blessed One and his bhikkhus continued for a long time to wear the cast-off rags of cemeteries and dung-heaps. 3

Then it happened that the bhikkhus were visited with diseases of all kinds, and the Blessed One permitted and explicitly ordered the use of medicines, and among them he even enjoined, whenever needed, the use of unguents. 4

One of the brethren suffered from a sore on his foot, and the Blessed One enjoined the bhikkhus to wear foot-coverings. 5

Now it happened that a disease befell the body of the Blessed One himself, and Ānanda went to Jīvaka, physician to Bimbisāra, the king. 6

And Jīvaka, a faithful believer in the Holy One, ministered unto the Blessed One with medicines and baths until the body of the Blessed One was completely restored. 7

At that time, Pajjota, king of Ujjenī, was suffering from jaundice, and Jīvaka, the physician to king Bimbisāra, was consulted. When king Pajjota had been restored to health, he sent to Jīvaka a suit of the most excellent cloth. And Jīvaka said to himself: "This suit is made of the best cloth, and nobody is worthy to receive it but the Blessed One, the perfect and holy Buddha, or the Magadha king, Senija Bimbisāra." 8

Then Jīvaka took that suit and went to the place where the Blessed One was; having approached him, and having respectfully saluted the Blessed One, he sat down near him and said: "Lord, I have a boon to ask of the Blessed One." 9

The Buddha replied: "The Tathāgatas, Jīvaka, do not grant boons before they know what they are." 10

Jīvaka said: "Lord, it is a proper and unobjectionable request." 11

"Speak, Jīvaka," said the Blessed One. 12

"Lord of the world, the Blessed One wears only robes made of rags taken from a dung-heap or a cemetery, and so also does the brotherhood of bhikkhus. Now, Lord, this suit has been sent to me by King Pajjota, which is the best and most excellent, and the finest and the most precious, and the noblest that can be found. Lord of the world, may the Blessed One accept from me this suit, and may he allow the brotherhood of bhikkhus to wear lay robes." 13

The Blessed One accepted the suit, and after having delivered a religious discourse, he addressed the bhikkhus thus: 14

"Henceforth ye shall be at liberty to wear either cast-off rags or lay robes. Whether ye are pleased with the one or with the other, I will approve of it." 15

When the people at Rājagaha heard, "The Blessed One has allowed the bhikkhus to wear lay robes," those who were willing to bestow gifts became glad. And in one day many thousands of robes were presented at Rājagaha to the bhikkhus. 16

XXXI.

THE BUDDHA'S PARENTS ATTAIN NIRVĀNA.

When Suddhodana had grown old, he fell sick and sent for his son to come and see him once more before he died; and the Blessed One came and stayed at the sick-bed, and Suddhodana, having attained perfect enlightenment, died in the arms of the Blessed One. 1

And it is said that the Blessed One, for the sake of preaching to his mother Māyā-devī, ascended to heaven and dwelt with the devas. Having concluded his pious mission, he returned to the earth and went about again, converting those who listened to his teachings. 2

XXXII.

WOMEN ADMITTED TO THE SANGHA.