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The Exemplary Tale of Puṇyabala

Translation of བསད་ནམས་ཀྱ་སྟབས་ཀྱ་རྟགས་པ་བརྗད་པ (བསོད་ནམས་ཀྱི་སྟོབས་ཀྱི་རྟོགས་པ་བརྗོད་པ)

Language
English
Translators
Ruth Gamble, Tenzin Ringpapontsang
Extent
108 passages, 16,201 words
Text
complete digital text
Source
84000 · Translated by the Lokākṣi Translator Group under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the… · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 (84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha). Shown whole and unaltered, with its notes, on a…

Contents

Text

84000's introduction

intro.1

In Śrāvastī, at Prince Jeta’s Grove, several elder monks in the Buddha’s assembly cannot agree on which human quality is most valuable and beneficial: beauty, diligence, artistry, or insight. They ask the Buddha, who replies that merit, which gives rise to all the qualities they have noted, is of most benefit to beings. To illustrate this point, he tells the story of a past life in which he was born as Puṇyabala, with four older brothers who were each named after their most prized quality: Rūpabala, Vīryavanta, Śilpavanta, and Prajñāvanta. In an ensuing contest to determine which quality produces the best outcomes in real life, Puṇyabala wins, and through his merit is granted dominion over much of the world. The Buddha then goes on to tell the story of his even earlier lifetime as Dyūtajaya, during which he developed the intention to attain buddhahood through the accumulation of merit.

intro.2

The Exemplary Tale of Puṇyabala is written in one the most recognizable literary forms in Buddhism: the Buddha’s past-life stories. These stories are usually morality tales, which highlight the positive benefits of certain actions and the detrimental results of others. This tale focuses on the benefits of accruing merit. Puṇyabala is a young prince whose store of merit is so great that he acquires untold riches and power.

intro.3

Most past-life stories of the Buddha are found within two genres of Buddhist literature: avadānas and jātakas. The Sanskrit term avadāna, broadly meaning “narrative” or “tale,” denotes a type of exemplary story that is common to most Indian religious traditions. In the Buddhist context, avadāna is traditionally specified as the tenth of a twelvefold categorization of Buddhist scripture (Skt. pravacana), classified according to content, thematic structure, and literary style. Although this class of works is as varied as it is voluminous, the stories typically illustrate the results of good and bad karma, indicating how past deeds have shaped present circumstances. In this vein, many avadānas, the present one included, set out to show how the exemplary lives of the Buddha, or more often of his followers, have resulted from their meritorious deeds in past lives. Avadānas may also, in certain cases, include prophecies (Skt. vyākaraṇa) of future spiritual attainments.

intro.4

Avadānas recounting past deeds generally follow a three-part narrative structure: a story from the present life of the Buddha or another protagonist, a story of an exemplary past deed, and a connecting conclusion that shows how the past protagonist and his circle were prior incarnations of the present protagonist and his circle. In this regard, avadānas bear a close relationship to jātakas (“birth stories” of the Buddha), which some scholars have justifiably considered to be a subset of the avadāna genre. One notable difference, however, is that the protagonist of an avadāna is often not the Buddha himself, as it is in most jātaka stories, but one of his followers or prospective followers.¹ Another difference is that avadānas typically concern realized beings’ past human lives, not those as animals or nonhumans, as is the case in many jātaka tales. Finally, while jātaka stories had wide popular appeal, with plots, characters, and motifs drawn from pan-Indian folklore, the avadānas seem to have been originally intended primarily for monastics, as suggested by their frequent references to attendant monks, their moral tone, and their specific prescriptions for Buddhist practice that are interspersed throughout the narratives. Yet, in the course of their historical diffusion, these edifying tales of spiritual and moral achievement eventually gained wide popularity and came to inspire and educate Buddhist monastics and lay followers alike.

intro.5

The Exemplary Tale of Puṇyabala demonstrates many of the leitmotifs of the avadāna genre. The Buddha relates an inspirational story about the benefits of making merit, and uses illustrative narratives to show how this practice underpins all rival character traits, being the only one that leads directly to spiritual attainment. Although the narrative contains some elements that would be more typical of a jātaka, such as the giving away of body parts,² it is primarily dedicated to explaining and illustrating the primacy and far-reaching efficacy of merit-making in spiritual life and has fewer of the entertaining plot devices that enliven the jātaka versions of this story.

intro.6

The central story and leading characters of The Exemplary Tale of Puṇyabala are found in various permutations throughout the Buddhist past-lives literature. The bare outline of the tale of the five young men, their debate over what is “best in the world” (Skt. loke anuttaraṃ in the Mahāvastu version), and their journey to a foreign land in order to test their differing theories, is shared by at least three other Buddhist texts that are each much shorter in length than the Puṇya­balāvadāna. These texts are the Puṇyavanta Jātaka, which forms a chapter of the Mahāvastu;³ a Tocharian version of the Puṇyavanta story;⁴ and a metric version that is included in the Bhadrakalpāvadāna.⁵ Apart from their shared narrative outline, these texts are not only notably different in composition and content from one another, but also from the Puṇya­balāvadāna. While the dialog and ensuing adventures of the five young men are the focus of the Puṇya­balāvadāna and of the Puṇyavanta Jātaka in the Mahāvastu, the Tocharian version devotes more than three-quarters of its content to the stories and dialogs preceding the young men’s journey, giving only seven and a half lines to their actual adventures.⁶

intro.7

The characters also differ among these works. The protagonist in our avadāna, Puṇyabala, is named Puṇyavanta in the other works (or its equivalent Punyavaṃ in the Tocharian version) and likewise Rūpabala is Rūpavanta in the other works. Moreover, in the Mahāvastu version, the young prince’s companions are said to be ministers’ sons (Skt. amātyaputrā) who are of the same age, whereas they are referred to as princes (Tib. gzhon nu, Skt. kumāra; Tocharian mäñcuṣke) belonging to the same royal family in both the Tocharian tale and the Puṇya­balāvadāna. The concluding correspondences drawn between the past characters and their present incarnations are largely similar, except that Śilpavanta becomes one of the Buddha’s ten leading disciples, Aniruddha (Pāli Anuruddha), in the Puṇya­balāvadāna and the Tocharian tale but becomes a lesser known disciple, Rāśtrapāla (Pāli Raṭhapāla), in the Mahāvastu tale.

intro.8

An interesting narrative difference between these works is that the Mahāvastu version of the exploits of Rūpavanta, Prajñāvanta, and Puṇyavanta contains erotic intrigues or escapades that are absent in the Puṇya­balāvadāna and the Tocharian tale, though the latter does describe at some length a nocturnal liaison between a painter and a maiden, as an illustration of the perils of artistry offered by the wise Prajñāvanta. In general, the Puṇya­balāvadāna gives comparatively little consideration to the feats of the other princes, which are each summarized in only a line or two and devotes far more attention than the other works to explaining and illustrating the benefits of merit-making through the lens of Puṇyabala’s life. In the Mahāvastu narrative, it is not through any meritorious deeds that Puṇyavanta earns the respect of King Brahmadatta and his ministers, but rather by generally making an agreeable impression on them, and especially by not falling prey to the sexual advances of the love-smitten princess! It is for these rather passive successes that the king rewards Puṇyavanta with the princess’s hand in marriage and makes him heir to the throne. In the Puṇya­balāvadāna, by contrast, it is only through a series of arduous merit-making tasks—including living in poverty, giving wealth to the poor, giving his limbs and blood to an amputee, and making the aspiration to gain spiritual awakening so that he can liberate all beings from saṃsāra—that Puṇyabala’s efforts bear fruit. Even then, it is only upon gaining the final approval of the god Śakra, who appears in the guise of a brahmin to interrogate the young prince and ensure that his altruistic deeds have not been corrupted by any disinclination or vested interest, that Puṇyabala finally gains prosperity, kingship, and the assurance of future awakening to buddhahood.

intro.9

Of the works considered, it is only the Puṇya­balāvadāna that treats the ideal of merit in systematic detail and argues for its alleged superiority over the other virtues. Significantly, the Tocharian tale devotes well over half its content to extolling insight, giving relatively short shrift to merit. The Mahāvastu story gives only cursory treatment to each of the five prized qualities and seems to be invested far more in plot developments than in ethical and didactic considerations. Taken together, all these structural and thematic differences between the versions of this story reinforce our general impression that the Puṇya­balāvadāna was primarily intended as a morality tale for a Buddhist monastic audience. It is perhaps worth noting that there are several jātaka tales featuring a King Puṇyabala who is renowned for his generosity, but these otherwise bear little resemblance to the Puṇyavanta narrative.

intro.10

Let us now give a brief synopsis of The Exemplary Tale of Puṇyabala. Our story begins with the Buddha delivering a teaching to his disciples in Prince Jeta’s Grove about the crucial importance of generosity, the accumulation of merit, and the maintenance of discipline. The Buddha’s teaching prompts his students to debate over which human quality should be considered the most valuable quality and therefore the most worthy aim in life. Venerable Nanda argues that good looks are most valuable to humans.⁷ Venerable Śroṇakoṭīviṃśa argues that it is diligence.⁸ Venerable Aniruddha argues that it is artistic skill, and venerable Śāriputra argues that it is insight. When they cannot resolve their disagreement, they ask the Buddha. The Buddha tells them that merit is the best human quality, as it underpins all the others. He then tells a story from one of his past lives to illustrate this claim.

intro.11

He recounts a previous life as King Puṇyabala, who was the fifth of five brothers. His four older brothers each exemplify, and indeed are named after, the human qualities they consider most worthy: Rūpabala, Vīryavanta, Śilpavanta, and Prajñāvanta. It becomes clear early on that it is Puṇyabala’s inborn quality of merit, especially generosity, that makes his birth the most valuable and auspicious of the five. Indeed, his presence in his mother’s womb already attracts the veneration of the gods and all the kingdom’s residents, including the king, and causes treasures to rain down from the sky.

intro.12

In the episodes of his coming of age, Prince Puṇyabala’s merit is described as closely related to his generosity; he is generous because of his merit, and his merit is, in turn, a result of his generosity. A key example of this is his compassionate act of granting food to hungry pretas who were hitherto unable to eat anything that was offered to them.

intro.13

Even such acts, however, do not convince his brothers of the preeminence of merit. As a result, he eventually devises a test to see which of their qualities is the most valuable quality for humans. He suggests that they travel to a foreign land where they are unknown and test out which quality proves most beneficial to themselves and others. The other brothers agree, and all five leave home to live incognito in a distant land. After they arrive, the other brothers soon find success by virtue of their respective qualities, but they are not as successful as Puṇyabala. In fact, their varying degrees of success reflect an ascending hierarchy of the values they embody, with each being more beneficial and encompassing than the last.

intro.14

Puṇyabala begins his life abroad by staying in a pauper’s house. His host quickly becomes wealthy and respected, and so does Puṇyabala. Puṇyabala then encounters a man who had given unacceptable medical advice to a rival king and was punished by amputation of all his limbs. Puṇyabala offers him his own limbs, and he uses the power of words of truth to attach his severed limbs to their new recipient. Śakra is compelled by this act to make an appearance. He demands to know if Puṇyabala regrets the action, and Puṇyabala confirms his continuing diligence in generosity by pronouncing another truth statement—which restores his arms and legs. Śakra is impressed and states that Puṇyabala will soon attain awakening.

intro.15

After these acts, Puṇyabala grows increasingly wealthy and becomes the king of a neighboring land. He is then given additional kingdoms, until eventually he comes to rule most of the world. His brothers and father seek him out and acknowledge his superiority. After his death, he is reborn in Heaven of Joy and eventually takes rebirth as the Buddha.

intro.16

The narrative concludes, in standard avadāna fashion, with the Buddha revealing the true identities of the characters in the story. He relates that he was Puṇyabala, the parents in the story were none other than his current parents, and Puṇyabala’s brothers were the four monks who argued over which human quality is the most valuable quality.

intro.17

The Buddha continues with a further past-life story in which he had taken birth as a pauper named Dyūtajaya, who had gambled away all his money and become utterly destitute. On his way home, however, he encountered a previous buddha named Aparājita, to whom he confessed his errant ways; he aroused the mind of awakening and made an offering to Aparājita of five handfuls of cowrie shells and his upper garment. This was a paltry offering, but presumably all he could manage given his recent deprivation and, most importantly, it was made with pure intention. As a result of this pure deed, he went on to first become wealthy, then a king on earth, and eventually a king in heaven. Eventually, it was the catalyst for his rebirths as Puṇyabala and the Buddha. This final narrative serves to illustrate how any human being, even a wrongdoer, can attain the highest goals in life if he or she strives to benefit others with pure intention.

intro.18

The colophon of the text states that it was translated from Sanskrit into Tibetan by the imperial-era translators Jinamitra, the Kashmiri scholar, and the Tibetan Devacandra (eighth to ninth centuries). Jinamitra was active in Tibet at the end of the eighth century or during the first decades of the ninth.⁹ The Puṇya­balāvadāna’s inclusion in the Denkarma Catalog shows that it was translated prior to that catalog’s compilation in 812. In this catalog, the text is grouped within the category of Hīnayāna sūtras (Tib. theg pa chung ngu’i sde).¹⁰ Indeed, its cast of characters includes only the Buddha Śākyamuni and his śrāvaka disciples (in their present and former lives), and none of the bodhisattvas who often appear in the Mahāyāna sūtras.

intro.19

This text was also translated into Chinese by Dānapāla in 983, during the Northern Song Dynasty.¹¹ However, the text of the Chinese translation does not closely match the Tibetan version of the text, and only begins partway through the narrative. It therefore seems likely that the Chinese and Tibetan translations were based on different versions of the text (or perhaps the Chinese translation was based on an incomplete source text).¹² We have not consulted the Chinese translation in preparing this English translation of The Exemplary Tale of Puṇyabala.

intro.20

Kazuo Kano has noted that a Sanskrit version of the Puṇya­balāvadāna that once belonged to the Indian scholar Atiśa Dīpaṃkaraśrījñāna is currently stored in the Potala Palace in Lhasa. Unfortunately, however, this text along with the many other Sanskrit and Tibetan texts in the Potala collection remain unavailable to scholars at this time.¹³

intro.21

The Exemplary Tale of Puṇyabala has not previously been translated into any Western language. In producing the present English translation, we based our work primarily on the Tibetan edition found in the Degé Kangyur, but consulted variant readings in the Comparative Edition (dpe bsdur ma) and the Stok Palace manuscript edition.

1.1

Homage to the Buddha.

Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One was staying in Śrāvastī, in Prince Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍada’s park. At that time, the Blessed One said to the monks, “Monks, when certain foolish men possess three traits at odds with the sacred Dharma, they do not practice generosity, do not engage in merit, and do not maintain discipline after taking it on. What are these three traits? They are attachment, miserliness, and carelessness.

“Monks, because some foolish men possess these three traits at odds with the sacred Dharma, they do not practice generosity, do not engage in merit, and do not

1.2

maintain discipline after taking it on. As a result, when their bodies fail and they die, they will fall into lower realms and be reborn in the hell realms.

“Monks, those worthy people who have three qualities of the sacred Dharma practice generosity, engage in merit, and maintain discipline after taking it on. What are these three qualities? They are nonattachment, freedom from the stain of miserliness, and conscientiousness. Monks, those sublime beings who have these three qualities will practice generosity, engage in merit, and maintain discipline after taking it on. As a result, when their bodies fail and they die, they will meet happy destinies and take birth in the higher realms, among the gods.”

These words were proclaimed by the Blessed One. After the Well-Gone One had said these words, he, the Teacher, went on to say this:

“Due to miserliness and carelessness,
You do not practice generosity.
Therefore, with a mind that yearns for merit,
You should practice generosity.

“The fears of the miserly are such that
Due to their fears of hunger and thirst,
They do not give in this life.
Thus, these childish ones are tainted
By their fear-induced lack of generosity,
Both in this world and in the hereafter.

“But those who forsake miserliness
Will give when it is right to give.
So for them, death is not really death.
They are like well-provisioned travelers.

“Those who give what is hard to give up,
Making offerings, large or small,
Of what is very hard to relinquish,
Such people

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are the purifiers of difficult karma.
Unworthy ones do not understand this.
Worthy ones do not do things that transgress the Dharma.

“So it is for the worthy and the unworthy,¹⁴
That when they have passed from this life,
The unworthy go to hell,
And the worthy go to heaven.

“There is no refuge from the ravages of old age.
As life shortens, the moment when your life force is taken draws closer.
It is reasonable for those who see this terror of death
To engage in acts¹⁵ that bring merit and happiness.¹⁶

“Making hundreds of thousands of offerings
Will not amount to a sixteenth fraction
Of the small acts of joyous giving performed
By those who relinquish women and live as a renunciant.

“How can it be that making vast and prodigious offerings
Does not necessarily qualify as the path of appropriate offering?
How can it be that making hundreds of thousands of offerings
Does not amount to a sixteenth fraction of a renunciant’s offering?

“It is so because here, in this life, some childish fools kill and shackle others,
Brutally ruining them, while donating their wealth to others.
Such generosity accompanied by tear-stained faces and punishment
Does not qualify as the path of appropriate offering.

“Even if such offerings are vast and prodigious,
They do not qualify as the path of appropriate generosity.
This is why even hundreds of thousands of offerings
Do not amount to even a sixteenth fraction of a renunciant’s offerings.

“Those who are not hypocritical
And who give away righteously acquired wealth
Let go of things that are hard to relinquish.
They will go to the gods’ realms because of their merit.”

After speaking thus, the Blessed One rose from his seat and proceeded toward a dense forest. He stayed in the dense forest for the day, sitting beneath a tree.

During that time, many monks gathered in the assembly hall and took their seats. The elders began to discuss the issue of the most valuable quality of human beings.¹⁷ Among those seated in the assembly were the Blessed One’s cousin, his aunt’s son, venerable Nanda, along with venerable Śroṇakoṭīviṃśa,

1.4

venerable Aniruddha, and venerable Śāriputra.

At this point, venerable Nanda said, “Venerable ones, good looks are the most valuable quality of humans.”

Venerable Śroṇakoṭīviṃśa said, “Venerable ones, diligence is the most valuable quality of humans.”

Venerable Aniruddha said, “Venerable ones, being skilled in arts and crafts¹⁸ is the most valuable quality of humans.”

And venerable Śāriputra said, “Venerable ones, insight is the most valuable quality of humans.”

They then said, “Venerable ones, since we have all understood things differently and cannot come to an agreement, we must go to the Blessed One and report our disagreement to him. We will accept whatever the Blessed One tells us.”

The venerable ones then praised the Blessed One:

“He is the great compassionate teacher.
He is omniscient and eliminates doubts.
He eradicates uncertainty,
Like the sun dispels darkness.

“He is the sole refuge for living beings,
Who are caught in the net of suffering
And are set on a wrong path.
He is like the best father of children.

“Therefore, we shall all ask him,
The lord of all qualities,
Who strives for the welfare of all sentient beings,
The Sage who eradicates doubt.

“The Victor will eradicate
The great knot of uncertainty.
Therefore, let us all go
And ask the Thus-Gone One.”

Having spoken thus, many of the monks made arrangements to go see the Blessed One. On this occasion that the Blessed One had settled in the dense forest to spend the day there, many monks of the saṅgha¹⁹ had meanwhile gathered and taken their seats in the assembly hall. At this time, he heard with his unhindered, superhuman, pure, divine ears what they had said.

1.5

He then rose from his meditative absorption and returned to the assembly hall. Once there, he took his seat on the mat that was set out for him in the center of the assembly. When he was seated, the Blessed One asked the monks, “Monks, you are all gathered and seated here in the assembly hall. What have you been discussing? What topic of discussion has presently brought you to gather and be seated here?”

They responded, “Honorable One, with many monks gathered in the assembly hall, the venerable ones have been discussing the issue of the most valuable quality of human beings. Venerable Nanda said, ‘Venerable ones, good looks are the most valuable quality of humans.’ Venerable Śroṇakoṭīviṃśa said, ‘Venerable ones, diligence is the most valuable quality of humans.’ Venerable Aniruddha said, ‘Venerable ones, being skilled in arts and crafts is the most valuable quality of humans.’ And venerable Śāriputra said, ‘Venerable ones, insight alone is the most valuable quality of humans.’ Honorable One, this is how we deliberated about the matter. Since we venerable ones were all in disagreement, and each saw things differently, we decided to come before the Blessed One and ask about this very issue. We resolved to accept whatever advice the Blessed One gives us. Honorable One, this is what we, the many monks gathered and seated in the assembly hall, discussed. This is the topic of discussion that has brought us to assemble and take our seats here.”

Following their query, the Blessed One replied with the following verse:

“Good looks, skill in arts and crafts,
Diligence, insight, and all the other qualities that
Sentient beings possess have arisen from merit.

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Therefore, merit is most important.”

After uttering this, the Blessed One said to the monks, “Monks, those things you understood to be the most valuable qualities are only of limited duration; they are not the most valuable qualities for all beings and all occasions. Merit, however, is the most valuable quality for all living beings on all occasions. Monks, in truth, I have not observed a single thing that is a more valuable quality than merit. Monks, to explain why, I will tell you a story.”

“Once upon a time, a king named Bright Power ruled from his capital city. During his reign, the kingdom became more prosperous, expansive, and pleasant. It had good harvests, and it was filled with a large population of creatures and humans. The king’s wife was named Queen Vibhūṣitā. She had a lovely figure and was beautiful, most pleasing to the eye. Some time later, he frolicked and enjoyed himself with Queen Vibhūṣitā, and they made love. From this playing, pleasuring, and lovemaking, a son was born.

Their son also had a lovely figure. He was beautiful and pleasing to the eye. His complexion surpassed that of humans but did not quite equal that of the gods. At his birth, a celebratory ceremony was arranged, and on this occasion he was given the name Rūpabala. Later, three more sons were born. They were named Vīryavanta, Śilpavanta, and Prajñāvanta.

“After some time, Queen Vibhūṣitā again became pregnant with another son. On the day of this child’s conception, gold of various hues suddenly rained down around the palace. Furthermore, a large divine canopy decorated with various precious jewels appeared above the queen’s head. When King Bright Power saw these miraculous occurrences, he was amazed and asked the astrologers, ‘Ah! What is this unprecedented miracle?’ The astrologers replied, ‘Lord,

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this son your queen has conceived is one who will be renowned for his great merit, which is the power of this being.’ When the king heard this, he was utterly astonished.

“Shortly thereafter, a wish arose in the queen’s mind, and she beseeched the king, ‘Well now, wouldn’t it be wonderful if I could be seated on a lion throne, with a white umbrella above me and a yak-tail fan with a jewel-encrusted handle?’ Thereupon, the king’s mind was filled with joy. He did just as she wished and ordered that the city be lavishly decorated. Thus, he ordered that everything be done just as she requested, and nothing remained unsatisfied of the wish that had arisen in her mind.

“Later, another wish arose in her mind, and she beseeched the king, ‘Well now, wouldn’t it be wonderful if I were seated on a pile of gold and silver and could then make offerings with my own hands, thus making merit and providing wealth to those who lack wealth?’ The king agreed to this. After the king did just as she had requested, nothing remained unsatisfied of the wish that had arisen in her mind.

“Later, another wish arose in her mind: ‘Well now, wouldn’t it be wonderful if I were to release all the prisoners?’ In order to fulfill the wish she had conceived, the king released all the prisoners, and nothing remained unsatisfied of the wish that had arisen in her mind.

“Later, yet another wish arose in her mind: ‘Well now, wouldn’t it be wonderful if I were to behold parks?’ At this, the king fulfilled her wish by letting her behold the beautiful parks, and nothing remained unsatisfied of the wish that had arisen in her mind.

“Later, still another wish arose in her mind. She beseeched the king, ‘Well now, wouldn’t it be wonderful if I were to speak words of truth before a crowd of people? And if, while seated on a divine lion throne because of the karmic ripening of the merit I possess, I could teach the Dharma to many people? And if, following my teaching, some miracles would occur and the gods would immediately make offerings to me?’

1.8

“The king then ordered that the queen’s chamber and the wider city be beautified. All the city’s many residents gathered, attired themselves in clean apparel, adorned themselves with ornaments, and held incense, garlands, and perfume in their hands. Goddess-like, Queen Vibhūṣitā entered the crowd, wearing an assortment of ornaments, surrounded by her female retinue, and captivating people’s eyes and hearts. Placing her mind in a state of love that encompassed all sentient beings, she gazed at the sky and spoke this verse, whose truth was a spiritual blessing:

“ ‘If the child residing inside me like a divine emanation
Is a superior one, a lord of humans, Puṇyabala,
Then by this truth may the gods
Quickly arrange my lion throne.’

“As soon as she uttered those words, the gods who displayed the power of merit instantaneously offered her a magical lion throne, and divine flowers began to rain down. When they saw this amazing magical display, which aroused joy in gods and humans, the crowds of people were astonished. ‘Ah! How powerful is this merit!’ they said in unison. ‘Even the gods who are worshiped in all worlds are summoned by the power of merit and must listen to the humans’ commands! How marvelous it is!’

“At this point, Queen Vibhūṣitā was overjoyed. She ascended the throne without hesitation and took her seat. As soon as the queen sat on the throne, the earth shook in six different ways, and the lion throne rose from the ground and ascended into the sky, reaching the height of seven humans. Next, a divine canopy decorated with various precious jewels appeared over the lion throne. Because the crowd of people saw the power of merit, their minds were delighted, and they liberally offered incense, garlands, and perfume to the queen. They folded their hands out of respect,

1.9

sat in front of her and listened to her words with humbled minds. When King Bright Power likewise saw the astonishing power of merit, he was overjoyed, and together with his retinue, he sat down with folded hands. Then Queen Vibhūṣitā recited a verse that had never before been heard:

“ ‘If beings accumulate merit, they will be happy.
Therefore, people should perform meritorious deeds.
Moreover, they should perform them again and again.
They should aspire for this alone.’

“As soon as she uttered these verses, a voice came from the sky, ‘Very well said!’ The sound of divine music could be heard, and a great shower of highly ornate divine garments rained down. Upon hearing this verse, King Bright Power and the crowd of people were filled with joy. The gods present in the sky removed the robes and ornaments from their bodies without hesitation and draped them over Queen Vibhūṣitā and her lion throne. In unison they uttered the words, ‘Well said! Well said!’

“After the queen had slowly descended from the lion throne and was seated on the ground, the sounds of divine music faded, but the sounds of human music continued to resound. The king and the crowd of people jubilantly paid great honor to the queen and escorted her back to her chambers. Once the queen had gone inside, the lion throne disappeared. The crowd saw the efficacy of merit, and their minds were filled with pure joy. They said in unison, ‘Ah! This is the greatness of merit! Ah! This is the sweet fruit of merit!’

“Thereafter, nothing that the queen had wished for was left unfulfilled. Sometime later, after nine months had elapsed, Queen Vibhūṣitā gave birth to a son at daybreak.

1.10

The newborn had a beautiful appearance and was pleasing to the eye and lovely. At this time, the earth shook in six different ways, and from the sky a great shower of seven kinds of precious substances rained down on the queen’s chambers. Various sorts of garments rained down on everyone around the king’s palace. And everywhere in that kingdom, supreme, beautiful, divine flowers showered down. Flowering trees produced flowers, and fruiting trees produced fruit. Gentle rain showers fell everywhere. Fresh breezes wafted in from the four directions.

“The Four Great Kings spontaneously offered a bejeweled lion throne and a wish-fulfilling tree in the presence of the newborn child. Śakra, lord of the gods, held in his own hands fine fabrics, and he held an eight-spoked divine umbrella and a golden-handled yak-tail fan over the boy. Above him, the gods of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three unfurled canopies of divine fabric. Some tossed precious gems, some tossed ornaments, some tossed garments, some tossed flowers, and some tossed powders. Some tossed perfumes, garlands, and ointments. Some played exquisite divine music.

“The god Viśvakarma, the architect of the gods, cleared the city of rocks, gravel, and pebbles, and strung up many cloth tassels. He also erected victory banners and flags, sprinkled sandalwood water, hung censers containing sweet-smelling incense, and scattered assorted flowers everywhere. When he had finished, the city was as attractive as the gods’ pleasure garden, called Park of Delights.

“A hundred of the finest elephants freely came from the dense jungles and arrayed themselves in formation. A hundred mares and their foals followed. All the crops ripened marvelously without any plowing or planting.

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Below this lion throne and facing it were five treasuries filled to the brim with all kinds of jewels, which were never depleted no matter how many were taken from them. In that moment, even animals that are natural enemies²⁰ regarded each other with loving hearts.

“The boy had magical and extraordinary powers. Immediately after being born, he was instantly able to remember his past lives. Looking in the four directions, he recited a verse:

“ ‘If beings accumulate merit, they will be happy.
Therefore, humans should perform meritorious deeds.
Moreover, they should perform them again and again.
They should aspire for this alone.’

“Thereby, the mind of a magical and exceedingly powerful god who lived in the sky became overjoyed upon witnessing this exceptionally wondrous and delightful display of merit. To teach the greatness of this merit, at that time he uttered this verse:

“ ‘Look at this display of merit!
This merit has overwhelmed
Everyone, from the Four Great Kings
Up to the Lord of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three.’

“After witnessing such splendor, the king, the queen’s retinue, the princes, ministers, courtiers, and other people in the area were wide-eyed with amazement. In this state of utter astonishment, they exclaimed, ‘Ah! The power of the boy’s merit! Ah! Even though he’s human, the boy’s merit is so renowned that he receives abundant wealth like that of gods! How wonderful!’

“The king, overjoyed and delighted, issued an order to his treasurers. Heeding his command, they amassed heaps of gold and silver in the king’s courtyard, and then gave gifts, thus accruing merit. Many poor people became rich, and a short time later, the king’s wealth increased even more. A big celebration was held to mark the prince’s birth

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and give him a name. The king asked, ‘What should the prince’s name be?’ The ministers replied, ‘Lord, since this boy has enormous power of merit, and because at his birth he has accrued wealth like that of the gods, the prince’s name should be Puṇyabala.’ Thus, he was named Puṇyabala.

From then on, Prince Puṇyabala had eight nurses assigned to him: two women to hold him, two wet nurses, two women to bathe him, and two women to play with him. These eight women fed him milk, yogurt, butter, ghee, and cream, and they raised him with great care and affection. He blossomed like a lotus in a pond.

“When he grew older, he was instructed in letters and perfected his reading and writing. He perfected the five sets of royal skills. Furthermore, Prince Puṇyabala had great faith, and he was virtuous and goodhearted. He worked for the benefit of himself and others. He was compassionate and a great being, someone who sought the Dharma, loved all beings, longed to make offerings, loved to give, took great joy in generosity, and gave away everything. He gave prodigiously without attachment. He was committed to great generosity.

“He begrudged nothing—not even his own flesh—to ascetics, brahmins, the poor, the suffering, and the destitute. There was nothing he would not give away prodigiously. When beggars came to him for alms, he maintained a loving heart toward them. Looking at the sky, he would generate the intention, ‘Well now, wouldn’t it be wonderful if whatever they desired—gold, silver, fabric, food, meals, drink, or bedding—were to come to me from the sky!’

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When he generated such an intention, whatever they desired would come forth, but none of them understood the reason. The beggars returned home with their desires thoroughly fulfilled by these goods. Because of the prince’s fame, he was extolled throughout Jambudvīpa, from all the netherworlds of the nāgas up to the celestial realms of Brahmā.

“After some time, Prince Puṇyabala set out on an excursion to the Pleasure Garden of Supreme Wealth, together with his four older brothers. On their way, they were encircled by many thousands of begging pretas with mouths²¹ like needles and stomachs like Mount Sumeru. They were like standing skeletons, their bodies ablaze, venerating him with hands together. No one other than Prince Puṇyabala could see the pretas. At this point, the pretas spoke to Prince Puṇyabala saying, ‘Oh Prince, you are well-known for your great merit. If you are indeed compassionate, please give to us who are so hungry and thirsty for food and drink. Previously, we were overpowered by miserliness, and thus we have now been born in the preta realm. Because of this, in this realm not only have we not found any water for many hundreds of years, but we have also not seen any kind of food.’

“After they said this, Prince Puṇyabala’s mind was greatly moved by compassion. In sorrow, he gazed at the sky and gave rise to the thought, ‘Well now, wouldn’t it be wonderful if I received divine food and drink!’ Instantly, divine food and drink came from the sky. Prince Puṇyabala then gave the hungry and thirsty pretas the divine food and drink, in order to satisfy them. But for a while, due to the faults of their past karma, they were unable to see the food and drink. Thus they exclaimed, ‘Oh Prince, you are renowned as a compassionate person,

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so why have you not satisfied us?’

“The prince responded, ‘I have provided you with abundant divine food and drink. What is wrong with this food and drink that you have not eaten or drunk it yet?’

“The pretas said to him, ‘Oh Prince, we cannot see the divine food and drink because of the faults of our past karma.’

“Upset, Prince Puṇyabala then thought, ‘Alas! This is due to the influence of miserliness.’ His heart filled with love for the pretas, and he expressed an aspiration: ‘If merit has power, may the power of that truth and the truth of these words allow these pretas to see this divine food and drink as it really is,²² and may they have the ability to consume it.’

“At the very moment the prince uttered these words, they no longer perceived things erroneously, and their mouths became normal. Thus, Prince Puṇyabala was exceedingly happy that he had been able to satiate the pretas with the divine food and drink. But as they received food and drink unlike any they had ever tasted, due to the power of their utterly unbearable hunger and thirst, the pretas consumed too much, and their stomachs burst. Nevertheless, because they died with minds full of appreciation for Prince Puṇyabala, they were born among the league of the gods of Heaven of Joy. Thereupon, they proclaimed, ‘Prince Puṇyabala, because you caused us to manifest among the league of the gods of Heaven of Joy, let us rejoice! Now, relying only on you, we will become generous and create merit.’ At this, Prince Puṇyabala felt overjoyed and said, ‘How wonderful!’ He then continued on his way to the pleasure garden.

“When he and the others²³ arrived at the pleasure garden, they began to confer²⁴ and try to gain certainty about the important subject of what is the most valuable quality of human beings. His brother the good-looking prince ²⁵ said, ‘What is the point of this question? Even

1.15

common people know that good looks are the most valuable quality of humans. Why? When they see someone with good looks, even if they have never seen this person before, they are overjoyed—even those who were not joyful before. Even the sages of the past proclaimed that attaining good looks is fully half of what is to be attained. Moreover, just observe that when people see someone with good looks, they are gladdened by merely beholding this person. From their hearts, they treat this person with respect, just like the best people treat the supreme Dharma.’

“When the diligent one heard the words of the good-looking prince, he said, ‘But what are you going to do with these good looks? Diligence alone is the most valuable quality of humans. Why? If you have good looks but lack diligence, no desirable results will appear or be heard of, either at present or in future lives. So to say that good looks are the most valuable quality will only confuse childish, ordinary²⁶ beings. Diligence produces desirable results in this very life. Consider that such things as farmers’ crops, merchants’ wealth, servants’ sustenance, superior men’s understanding of scriptures, and meditators’ attainments of the fruits of meditation all appear in this life as the desirable fruits of diligence. Diligence also produces fruits in future lives: such things as the higher realms, vast resources, and the attainment of liberation also appear in future lives as the fruits of diligence. Moreover, diligence serves as the basis of all good qualities, and it overcomes harm. Nothing is harder to attain than diligence.’

“When the artistic one heard this, he laughed and said,

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‘My mind is unsettled by what you have said, even though you are right in many respects. Why is this? Because I have never seen anyone achieve any results through diligence without artistry. This is because I have observed that those with artistry achieve results. Therefore, artistry alone is the most valuable quality of humans. Moreover, even low-born artisans are certainly respected by kings, ministers, brahmins, and householders.

“ ‘Multiskilled artisans are
Greatly respected, even by gods and humans.
Even if their behavior is rough,
Artisans are still respected by gods and humans.’

“After Śilpavanta said this, the wise one gave a little chuckle and said, ‘Nothing is a more valuable quality for humans than insight—neither good looks, nor diligence, nor artistry is as useful. Why? Those with impaired insight may be handsome, but their attractiveness²⁷ is conditional. They may be diligent, but without insight they will not achieve their goals. And without insight, they cannot learn a craft.²⁸ Therefore, insight alone accomplishes all goals, and it is the most valuable quality of humans.

“ ‘Moreover, by way of insight one will acquire good looks and skills,
As well as diligence and wealth.
People will obtain excellence and great happiness.
Everything is obtained by way of insight.’

“After Prajñāvanta said this, Prince Puṇyabala smiled. When he spoke, it was as if the power of merit itself flowed from his mouth: ‘Without insight, all these things—good looks, artistry, and diligence—are not valuable qualities. But those who have accomplished them by way of insight receive their associated fruits and reap their benefits. This is plainly true. Yet you cannot acquire insight without merit; and therefore, merit alone is the most valuable quality of humans. Merit is the one fundamental source

1.17

of the goals of attractiveness, honorableness, delightfulness, pleasantness, and congeniality. I cannot even begin to describe the full extent of merit’s positive qualities, but to give you an inkling of them, let me at least explain a mere fraction of merit’s positive qualities. Listen!

“ ‘Those with merit obtain good looks.
Due to merit they have discipline.
Those with merit obtain good fortune.
And likewise they become prosperous.

“ ‘Those with merit obtain insight.
Due to merit, they master poetry.
Those with merit obtain dignity.
Those with merit obtain good births.

“ ‘Due to merit they are born into a high caste.
Due to merit they remember past lives.
Those with merit gain fame.
Those with merit will have good temperaments.

“ ‘Those with merit become generous.
Those with merit have unimpaired faculties.
Those with merit find happiness.
Those with merit are venerated by the wise.

“ ‘Those with merit obtain power.
Due to merit, they will meet worthy people.
Those with merit fulfill all their goals.
In this life, they will also be suitable recipients of offerings.

“ ‘Whether they make a living from farming or commerce,
If they work to attain the happiness they desire,
Even by working only a little, those with merit
Will obtain vast wealth.

“ ‘Those who accrue merit
Easily attain everything through merit.
Clothing, food, drink, and jewels come from the sky,
Merely by wishing for them.

“ ‘Those with merit obtain lovely homes.
Those with merit get the best wives.
Great merit grants them wealth and crops.
All their wishes will be realized.

“ ‘When those with merit travel,
The ground will be free of logs and thorns.
In accordance with whatever merit they possess,
It may even be level and covered with fabric.

“ ‘They can heal the sick
By merely touching them.
Similarly, when touched by those with merit,
Food, drink, or both,
As well as clothing, jewels,

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and crops,
Will never be depleted.

“ ‘Because of the greatness of their meritorious natures,
Gods, nāgas, asuras, yakṣas,
Pretas, mahoragas, and humans
Protect those with merit from poison and harm.

“ ‘Those with merit gain respect.
Through merit, they delight many people.
Those with merit become famous.
Those with merit receive good fortune.
The words of those with merit are authoritative.

“ ‘Those with merit become attractive.
Due to merit, they acquire the voice of Brahmā.
Merit will grant them a beautiful physique and complexion.
Those with merit will also have excellent speech.

“ ‘Being mindful and amiable, they will be leaders.
They will be learned in many topics.
They will have faithful retinues.
Those with merit will be free from sickness.

“ ‘And due to the ripening of their aspirations,
They will have gifts and glory.
Those with merit will receive kingdoms.
They will be unrivaled and nonviolent.

“ ‘Because of their merit, their wealth will not diminish.
Those with merit also acquire treasure.
Due to merit, they will become universal monarchs,
And the seven precious possessions of a monarch will appear before them.

“ ‘With radiance equal to the sun and moon
Moving across the sky,
The very moon will be gained by merit.
The very sun will be gained by merit.

“ ‘Brahmā himself will be attained by merit.
Śakra himself will be attained by merit.
Due to merit, people will become gods
Traveling in their celestial chariots.

“ ‘Similarly, they will become sons of gods
Or powerful asura kings.
Those with merit are freed from the lower realms.
Because of merit, they will go to the higher realms.

“ ‘Those with merit find
Exceedingly rare and exquisite flowers.
Those with merit acquire supernatural powers.
Merit illuminates the world.

“ ‘Due to merit, they become
Supreme among gods, asuras, and humans.’

“Thus spoke Prince Puṇyabala. But because of their biased perspectives, the others did not accept his words. So Puṇyabala spoke to them again:

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‘Hey! Come now! Let’s go to a faraway land, dressed in disguise. That way, we can learn which is the most valuable quality of humans: good looks, diligence, artistry, insight, or merit.’

“The other princes agreed to Puṇyabala’s proposal, exclaiming, ‘Let’s do it!’ Thus, without hesitating or even telling their father, they set out for a faraway kingdom in another land, and entered the realm of a different king, dressed in disguise.

“When people saw the good-looking one, they gathered around him because he was so attractive, and he was able to live solely on the wealth they gave him. The diligent one saw a strong, swift, and deep river that was terrifying even to look at,²⁹ and which had swept away a large sandalwood tree. Through the great power of his diligence, he was able to haul out that large sandalwood tree that others were not able to salvage, and he made a living selling it. He became wealthy from this endeavor. The artistic one made his living by creating crafts and became wealthy by this trade. The wise one skillfully negotiated a settlement of a longstanding rivalry between two merchants. This pleased the two businessmen so much that they paid him enough to live comfortably.

“In order to highlight the importance of merit-making, Prince Puṇyabala went to live in a pauper’s house. On his first day living in the house, the power of Prince Puṇyabala’s merit caused the household to amass vast riches: great wealth, crops, gold, and silver filled the house. The pauper was surprised and ecstatic. He wondered, ‘Where did all this new wealth come from?’ Then he thought again, ‘All this wealth

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must have accumulated due to the influence of the newcomer in my house.’

“Prince Puṇyabala let the poor man use the wealth however he wished. At that time, the poor man became prosperous and his wealth increased greatly. The man pondered again and thought, ‘I was very poor and remained so. Now, whatever abundance and fortune I have is dependent on this youth. Why? On the day this youth came to my home, abundance also came to my home. This person must therefore be a paragon of great merit, and it would be appropriate to venerate him.’ Thereafter, he continually revered the prince with great admiration. The story of the young stranger in a certain pauper’s house spread far and wide. Everywhere it was proclaimed, ‘Due to the youth’s power, fortune has come to that house!’ When the populace heard this, they came to admire Prince Puṇyabala and exclaimed, ‘Ah! How great is the power of merit!’

“At that time, Puṇyabala’s power caused the flowers and fruit trees to bloom continuously. Periodically, the gods also sent down showers of timely rains, which provided for excellent crops. As a result, a great many people were delighted by the power of merit, and wishing to behold this spectacle, they set out to witness it for themselves. Prince Puṇyabala wanted to bring together the people who were approaching him. He gave rise to this aspiration: ‘Well now, wouldn’t it be wonderful if I had a house that was delightful to look at in all sorts of ways, replete with all kinds of jewels and various sorts of goods, and teeming with male and female staff and servants?’

“Monks,³⁰ as soon as those wishes arose, Prince Puṇyabala suddenly had a large house that was delightful to look at in every way, replete with all sorts of jewels, supplied with various types of goods,

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