Karmashataka 33: Bam po 33

it was. At that time as well, I subdued these [beings] and established them in the path of the ten wholesome actions. Now as well, I turned them away from sinful karma and established them in the path of the ten wholesome actions.

The Hundred Deeds, Thirty-third viśrāma.
The Sovereign

The Story of Head of Indra

When the Blessed One was in Rājagṛha, in Vaiśālī there lived a certain archery master named Head of Indra who knew everything there was to know about archery. He trained five hundred Licchavis in archery, and they mastered it and became very powerful.

One day a disagreement arose between the people of Rājagṛha and Vaiśālī, and the people of Rājagṛha arrayed the four divisions of their army and advanced on Vaiśālī to wage war. Master archer Head of Indra heard that Rājagṛha was advancing on them to wage war, and when he heard this he set out with a retinue of five hundred and advanced on the Rājagṛha army to wage war.

As they advanced they massacred many, and the Rājagṛha soldiers fled. Many people of Rājagṛha were slaughtered as they advanced again not twice or thrice but five times. Soon word spread that master archer Head of Indra had shot five thousand men with arrows and killed them all.

So it was that one day the people of Rājagṛha implored the Blessed One, “Lord, Head of Indra is an adversary to those without adversaries, a rival to those without rivals. Lord, he has killed some five thousand men. Blessed One, out of compassion, please tame Head of Indra.” The Blessed One assented to the people of Rājagṛha by his silence. Understanding that by his silence the Blessed One had given his assent, the inhabitants of Rājagṛha then took leave of the Blessed One.

The Blessed One disappeared from Rājagṛha and traveled to Vaiśālī,

where he performed a miracle so that Head of Indra simply did not know archery anymore. This confused him, and he thought, “What’s wrong with me?”²⁰¹ Then he heard that the Blessed One, who had been living in Rājagṛha, had come to Vaiśālī, and he thought, “Since the Blessed One is omniscient and all-seeing, he will be able to directly apprehend why I do not know archery anymore.” So he went to see the Blessed One. Upon his arrival he touched his head to the Blessed One’s feet and sat before him to listen to the Dharma.

The Blessed One directly apprehended his thoughts, habitual tendencies, temperament, capacity, and nature, and taught him the Dharma accordingly. When he heard it, Head of Indra destroyed with the thunderbolt of wisdom the twenty high peaks of the mountain of views concerning the transitory collection, and manifested the resultant state of stream entry right where he sat.

After he saw the truths, he rose from his seat, drew down the right shoulder of his upper garment, bowed toward the Blessed One with palms pressed together, and requested, “Blessed One, if permitted I wish to go forth in the Dharma and Vinaya so well spoken, complete my novitiate, and achieve full ordination. In the presence of the Blessed One, I too wish to practice the holy life.”

“Head of Indra,” the Blessed One told him, “go announce this to your students. After that it will be easy for you to go forth, complete your novitiate, and achieve full ordination.”

“As you wish, Blessed One,” he replied.

He took leave of the Blessed One and went to Vaiśālī, where he taught the five hundred Licchavis the Dharma in such a way that they too wished to go forth no matter what.

They then asked for their parents’ permission and went with Head of Indra to see the Blessed One. When they arrived they touched their heads to the Blessed One’s feet and sat before him to listen to the Dharma.

The Blessed One directly apprehended their thoughts, habitual tendencies, temperaments, capacities, and natures, and taught them the Dharma accordingly. Hearing it, they destroyed with the thunderbolt of wisdom the twenty high peaks of the mountain of views concerning the transitory collection, and manifested the resultant state of stream entry right where they sat.

After they saw the truths, they rose from their seats, drew down the right shoulder of their upper garments, bowed toward the Blessed One with palms pressed together, and also requested the Blessed One, “Lord, if permitted we wish to go forth in the Dharma and Vinaya so well spoken, complete our novitiates, and achieve full ordination. In the presence of the Blessed One, we too wish to practice the holy life.”

With the words “Come, join me, monks!” the Blessed One led them to go forth as novices, conferred on them full ordination, and instructed them. Casting away all afflictive emotions through diligence, practice, and effort, they manifested arhatship.

“Lord,” the monks inquired of the Blessed Buddha, “tell us why the five hundred Licchavis entrusted themselves to Head of Indra, went forth in the doctrine of the Blessed One, cast away all afflictive emotions, and manifested arhatship.”

“Not only now,” the Blessed One explained, “but in times past as well, and in the same way, I turned Head of Indra and the five hundred Licchavis away from sinful actions and set them on the path of the ten virtuous actions.

“Monks, in times gone by, King Mahendra reigned in the city of Potalaka. One day the royal queen conceived, and after nine or ten months had passed, she gave birth to a child who was well proportioned, pleasing to the eye, and beautiful, with glowing, golden skin and a well-rounded head, long arms, a broad brow, a fine and prominent nose, and eyebrows that met. At the elaborate feast celebrating his birth they asked, ‘What name should we give this child?’ and they named him, saying, ‘Since this is Mahendra’s child, his name will be Mahendrasena.’

“They reared young Mahendrasena on milk, yogurt, butter, ghee, and milk solids. As he grew up, they made him study letters, and trained him in all the different fields of craft and skill in which duly consecrated rulers of the royal caste train, such as how to ride an elephant, how to ride horseback, how to wield a weapon, and how to shoot an arrow, advance, retreat, wage war, grasp with an iron hook, wield a lasso, shoot a spear, throw a single-pointed vajra, throw other single-pointed weapons, and throw a disk; how to cut, cleave, grapple and hold, employ footwork, guard one’s head, strike from a distance, and strike at the noise of an unseen enemy; and how to target the vital points, take infallible aim, and maximize damage. By the time he had been educated in all of these, he was learned in the five areas of knowledge.

“He came to see that his father and the five hundred ministers ruled both righteously and unrighteously, and he thought, ‘I will give up the kingdom and go to live in a forest devoted to austerities.’ Reflecting in this way, he asked for his parents’ permission and went to live in the forest.

“One day his

father died. Upon his death the neighboring kings began to do harm to the country, and the ministers thought, ‘The neighboring kings do us such harm because we have no lord. We must summon the prince so that he can assume the throne.’ With this in mind the chief minister went to see the prince and said to him, ‘Lord, your father has passed away. Please come and assume your father’s kingdom.’

“ ‘If you adopt the path of the ten virtuous actions, then I shall return,’ he replied. With that he led the chief minister to adopt the path of the ten virtuous actions. The chief minister then set all five hundred ministers on the path of the ten virtuous actions, and afterward they summoned the prince and set him on the throne. By returning there, he set all the country’s many inhabitants on the path of the ten virtuous actions.

“O monks, what do you think? I am the one who was that king then, and lived the life of a bodhisattva. The one who was that chief minister then is none other than Head of Indra. Those who were his ministers then are none other than the five hundred Licchavis. At that time the five hundred ministers entrusted themselves to Head of Indra, and I turned them away from sinful actions and set them on the path of the ten virtuous actions. Now as well they have entrusted themselves to Head of Indra, and I have turned them away from sinful actions and established them in the unsurpassed, supreme welfare of nirvāṇa.

“They also went forth in the teaching of the totally and completely awakened Buddha Kāśyapa. After practicing pure conduct all their lives then, their faculties ripened, and now they have been liberated.”

Part Ten

1. Śakra
2. The King
3. The Hunter
4. The Story of Deluded ²⁰²

5. The Brahmin: Three Stories
6. The Story of the Householder Govinda
7. The Quarrel
8. The Nāga (2)
9. Two Stories about King²⁰³ Śibi
10. Kauśāmbī

Śakra

Among the gods of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three it is Śakra, King of the Gods, who reigns over the kingdom of the thirty-three gods. Five signs customarily appear when gods near the time of their death and transmigration: (1) Deities are illuminated from within, but at that time this light dwindles. (2) The clothing and ornaments of the gods of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, as well as the branches of flowers and fruit that adorn their clothing, normally make very pleasant sounds when shaken by the wind, but at that time the sounds become unpleasant. (3) Deities’ clothing is soft to the touch, but at that time their clothing becomes very coarse. (4) No odor can cling to the body of a god, but at that time their bodies begin to reek. (5) Deities’ eyes never close, but at that time their eyes close.

As gods approach the time of their death and transmigration, secondary signs also begin to appear: whereas before no odor could cling to their clothing, their clothing begins to reek; whereas before their garlands of flowers could not wilt, they begin to wilt; a foul smell comes over their bodies; perspiration starts to come from both of their armpits; and as they near death and transmigration, they no longer wish to sit upon their thrones.

So it was that one day the secondary signs began to appear on Śakra, King of the Gods. He noticed the secondary signs coming on, and upon noticing them, was immediately horrified. He thought, “To whom can I go for refuge who could prevent me from dying and transmigrating from my current state?”

The young demigoddess Śacī said, “Kauśika, you should go to Jambudvīpa and ask those among the ascetics and brahmins who are of a virtuous nature how to prevent yourself from dying and transmigrating from your current state. Seek refuge in them.”

No sooner had Śakra, King of the Gods, heard this than he

and the young demigoddess Śacī disappeared from the Heaven of the Thirty-Three and traveled to Jambudvīpa, where they approached the ascetics and brahmins and others and asked, “How can one prevent the death and transmigration of a god?”

“Who are you?” they asked in reply.

“I am Śakra, King of the Gods,” he said.

Overcome with joy and elation they said, “What a great boon for us! Śakra, King of the Gods, has come to see us!” And they went to him for refuge.

In despair, Śakra, King of the Gods thought, “I came here seeking refuge, wishing to ask them a question, and instead they took refuge in me. What need is there to put my question to these ascetics and brahmins now?” and he abandoned the hope he had in them.

Now on that occasion the Bodhisattva was in the Tuṣita Heaven observing the world by means of the four observations, and he addressed all six classes of beings in the desire realms, saying, “Friends, this evening I shall take birth in Jambudvīpa, where I shall satiate living beings with the nectar of immortality. Let those among you who wish for this nectar also take birth in Jambudvīpa. There I shall grant a share of nectar to you.”

Then the Bodhisattva reincarnated in his mother’s womb, and Śakra, King of the Gods, thought, “What need is there for me to offer the ascetics and brahmins my help and respect? This bodhisattva has reincarnated in his mother’s womb. After he is born he will realize the nectar of immortality—let me then offer him my help and respect.” He sent four gods to be the Bodhisattva’s protectors. From time to time he himself

went to protect the Bodhisattva, and when the Bodhisattva was born it was Śakra himself who gathered him up in his arms.

When the Bodhisattva grew up, became disillusioned with saṃsāra, and began making efforts in renunciation. Śakra also traveled to the Bodhimaṇḍa to protect him. When the Bodhisattva had achieved unexcelled wisdom, tamed a first and then a second group of five, tamed fifty upper-class village boys and the group known as the Good,²⁰⁴ established Nandā and Nandabalā in the truths, caused Uruvilvā Kāśyapa and Nadī Kāśyapa to go forth, displayed three miracles upon traveling to Gayā, and in Bamboo Grove placed in the truths King Bimbisāra and eighty thousand gods, as well as the brahmins of Magadha and thousands upon thousands of householders, Śakra, King of the Gods, thought, “This is still not a good time for me to ask the Blessed One my question.” After the Blessed One had placed King Bimbisāra in the truths, traveled to Rājagṛha, and accepted Bamboo Grove, he caused Śāriputra and Maudgalyāyana to go forth, spreading the doctrine.

The blessed buddhas, teachers of the one path to be traversed, with mastery over wisdom and the two types of knowable objects, in command of the three kinds of sterling equanimity, fearless by means of the fourfold fearlessness, freed from migration through the five destinies, keen in the six sense bases, practiced in the seven limbs of enlightenment, focused on the eight liberations, absorbed in the nine successive meditative absorptions, possessing all ten of the ten powers, whose proclamations are the great roaring of a perfect lion, by nature regard the world with their buddha eyes six times throughout the day and night—three times by day and three times by night.

These are their thoughts as they look out in wisdom: “Who is in decline? Who will flourish? Who is destitute? Who is in a dreadful state? Who is being harmed? Who is destitute, in a dreadful state, and being harmed? Who is veering toward the lower realms? Who is descending through the lower realms? Who has descended to the lower realms? Whom shall I pull up from the lower realms, and establish in the resultant state of heaven and liberation? Whom, mired in misdeeds, shall I lift up by the hand? Whom, lacking the seven jewels of the noble ones, shall I lead to command of the seven jewels of the noble ones? Whom, not having produced roots of virtue, shall I lead to produce them? Whom, having already produced roots of virtue, shall I lead to ripen their roots of virtue? Whom, having already ripened their roots of virtue, shall I slice open with the blade of wisdom? For whom shall I cause this world, adorned with a buddha’s presence, to be fruitful?”

The ocean, home of creatures fierce,
Could fail to send its tides on time.
But when the time has come to tame
Their offspring, buddhas never fail.

The Blessed One thought, “I must establish Śakra, King of the Gods, and his suite of eighty thousand attendants in the truths.” With this thought he disappeared from Rājagṛha and traveled to Indra’s cave on Mount Videha, south of Rājagṛha and north of a brahmin village called Mango Forest. As the Blessed One entered into equipoise on the element of fire, Śakra, King of the Gods, thought, “Now the time has come for me to ask the Blessed One my question.”

His suite of eighty thousand divine attendants, the young demigoddess Śacī, and the young gandharva Pañcaśikha all disappeared from the Heaven of the Thirty-Three and came to sit upon Mount Videha. Then, by the power of the bodily presence of Śakra, King of the Gods, and that of the other thousands of demigods, great rays of light spread all over Mount Videha.

Śakra, King of the Gods, entered Indra’s cave,

and upon entering, saw the Blessed One sitting in equipoise on the element of fire. Upon seeing him he thought, “The Blessed Buddha has entered into equipoise on the element of fire—the time has not yet come for me to go to the Blessed One and offer my help and respect.”

For a moment he sat without saying anything, then he said to the young gandharva Pañcaśikha, “Pañcaśikha, child, could you cause the Blessed One to stir? If you do so, it will be easy for us to go to the Blessed One and offer our help and respect.”

“Yes, Kauśika, I believe I could,” Pañcaśikha replied.

Taking up a guitar of beryl, with a suite of five hundred attendants he approached the Blessed One. He bid the Blessed One to stir with verses worthy of the Lord and worthy of the arhats. Then Pañcaśikha returned to Śakra, King of the Gods, and said to him, “The Blessed One stirs, Kauśika. The time has come for you to go see the Blessed One and to offer him your help and respect.”

The Blessed One thought, “Alas, this cave is very narrow, and that god’s suite of attendants is very large. I will perform a miracle that causes Śakra, King of the Gods, and his suite of attendants to be easily accommodated, that they might sit and listen to the Dharma.” Then the Blessed One performed a miracle that caused Indra’s cave to be large and open.

Śakra, King of the Gods, and his suite of eighty thousand divine attendants, the young demigoddess Śacī, and the young gandharva Pañcaśikha all approached the Blessed One. Upon their arrival they touched their heads to the Blessed One’s feet and sat before him to listen to the Dharma.

Śakra, King of the Gods, shared the story of his previous exploits with the Blessed One, and then asked his question: “Lord, what are the fetters of gods, humans,

demigods, nāgas, garuḍas, gandharvas, or those with any other kind of bodily form?”

“Kauśika,” the Blessed One replied, “envy and avarice are what binds the gods, humans, demigods, nāgas, garuḍas, gandharvas, and those with any other kind of bodily form. They don’t think, ‘I should live without resentment, enmity, ill will, strife, reproof, conflict, and contention.’ Instead they live in resentment, enmity, ill will, strife, reproof, conflict, and contention.”

“Lord, so it is,” said Śakra. “It is just as you say. Envy and avarice are what binds the gods, humans, demigods, nāgas, garuḍas, gandharvas, and those with any other kind of bodily forms. They don’t think, ‘I should live without resentment, enmity, ill will, strife, reproof, conflict, and contention.’ Instead they live in resentment, enmity, ill will, strife, reproof, conflict, and contention. I have understood the meaning of the Blessed One’s words, overcome my doubt, and have no hesitation.”

After he heard the Blessed One’s response to his questions, Śakra, King of the Gods, praised what the Blessed One said,

rejoiced, and asked the Blessed One other questions.

“Lord, on what are envy and avarice founded? What is their origin? What are their aspects? Whence are they born? What must be present for envy and avarice to arise? What must be absent for envy and avarice not to arise?”

“Kauśika,” the Blessed One replied, “envy and avarice are founded on affinity and antipathy. Affinity and antipathy are their origins. Affinity and antipathy are their aspects. They are born from affinity and antipathy. Where there is affinity and antipathy, envy and avarice will arise. Where there is neither affinity nor antipathy, envy and avarice will not arise.”

“Lord, so it is. It is just as you say,” Śakra agreed. “Envy and avarice are founded on affinity and antipathy. Affinity and antipathy are their origins. Affinity and antipathy are their aspects. They are born from affinity and antipathy. Where there is affinity and antipathy, envy and avarice will arise. Where there is neither affinity nor antipathy, envy and avarice will not arise. I have understood the meaning of the Blessed One’s words, overcome my doubt, and have no hesitation.”

After Śakra, King of the Gods, heard the Blessed One’s response to his questions, he rejoiced and asked the Blessed One other questions.

“Lord, on what are affinity and antipathy founded? What is their origin? What are their aspects? Whence are they born? What must be present for affinity and antipathy to arise? What must be absent for affinity and antipathy not to arise?”

“Kauśika,” the Blessed One replied,

“affinity and antipathy are founded on craving. Craving is their origin. Craving is their aspect. They are born from craving. Where there is craving, affinity and antipathy will arise. Where there is no craving, affinity and antipathy will not arise.”

“Lord, so it is. It is just as you say,” Śakra agreed. “Affinity and antipathy are founded on craving. Craving is their origin. Craving is their aspect. They are born from craving. Where there is craving, affinity and antipathy will arise. Where there is no craving, affinity and antipathy will not arise. I have understood the meaning of the Blessed One’s words, overcome my doubt, and have no hesitation.”

After Śakra, King of the Gods, had heard the Blessed One’s response to his questions, he praised what the Blessed One said, rejoiced, and asked the Blessed One other questions.

“Lord, on what is craving founded? What is its origin? What are its aspects? Whence is it born? What must be present for craving to arise? What must be absent for craving not to arise?”

“Kauśika,” the Blessed One replied, “craving is founded on thought construction. Thought construction is its origin. Thought construction is its aspect. It is born from thought construction. Where there is thought construction, craving will arise. Where there is no thought construction, craving will not arise.”

“Lord, so it is. It is just as you say,” Śakra agreed. “Craving is founded on thought construction. Thought construction is its origin. Thought construction is its aspect. Of thought construction it is born. Where there is thought construction, craving will arise. Where there is no thought construction, craving will not arise. I have understood the meaning of the Blessed One’s words, overcome my doubt, and have no hesitation.”

After

Śakra, King of the Gods, had heard the Blessed One’s response to his questions, he praised what the Blessed One said, rejoiced, and asked the Blessed One other questions.

“Lord, on what is thought construction founded? What is its origin? What are its aspects? Whence is it born? What must be present for thought construction to arise? What must be absent for thought construction not to arise?”

“Kauśika,” the Blessed One replied, “thought construction is founded on discursive elaboration. Discursive elaboration is its origin. Discursive elaboration is its aspect. It is born from discursive elaboration. Where there is discursive elaboration, thought construction will arise. Where there is no discursive elaboration, thought construction will not arise.

“Kauśika, accordingly, where there is discursive elaboration, thought construction will arise. Where there is thought construction, craving will arise. Where there is craving, affinity and antipathy will arise. Where there is affinity and antipathy, envy and avarice will arise. Where there is envy and avarice, there will be cudgels hefted, weapons taken up, strife, reproof, conflict, contention, cunning, deceit, retribution, lies disseminated, and many such nonvirtuous, sinful things. Thus does this entire great heap of suffering arise.

“Accordingly, where there is no discursive elaboration, thought construction will not arise. Where there is no thought construction, craving will not arise. Where there is no craving, affinity and antipathy will not arise. Where there is neither affinity nor antipathy, envy and avarice will not arise. When there is no envy and avarice, the hefting of cudgels, the taking up of weapons, strife, reproof, war, contention, cunning, deceit, retribution, the dissemination of lies, and any such nonvirtuous, sinful dharmas all will cease. Thus does this entire great heap of suffering cease.”

“Lord, so it is,” Śakra,

King of the Gods, agreed. “It is just as you say. Thought construction is founded on discursive elaboration. Discursive elaboration is its origin. Discursive elaboration is its aspect. It is born from discursive elaboration. Where there is discursive elaboration, thought construction will arise. Where there is no discursive elaboration, thought construction will not arise. I have understood the meaning of the Blessed One’s words, overcome my doubt, and have no hesitation.”

After Śakra, King of the Gods, had heard the Blessed One’s response to his questions, he praised what the Blessed One said, rejoiced, and asked the Blessed One other questions.

“Lord, it is said that there is a path to stopping discursive elaboration. Lord, what is the path to stopping discursive elaboration? What is the path that, if the ordained set out upon it, will stop discursive elaboration?”

“Kauśika,” The Blessed One replied, “the path that stops discursive elaboration is the noble eightfold path, namely, right view, right understanding, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right meditation. This is called the path that stops discursive elaboration. The ordained who enter it are known as those who have entered the path that stops discursive elaboration.”

“Lord, so it is. It is just as you say,” Śakra, King of the Gods, agreed. “They are known as those who have entered the path that stops discursive elaboration. I have understood the meaning of the Blessed One’s words, overcome my doubt, and have no hesitation.”

After Śakra, King of the Gods, had heard the Blessed One’s response to his questions, he praised the Blessed One’s words, rejoiced, and asked

the Blessed One other questions.

“Lord, is there something that is the causal attribute of the prātimokṣa vows taken by the ordained who have entered the path that stops discursive elaboration?”

“Kauśika,” the Blessed One replied, “there are six causal attributes of the prātimokṣa vows taken by the ordained who have entered the path that stops discursive elaboration. They are (1) the forms perceived by the eyes, (2) the sounds perceived by the ears, (3) the smells perceived by the nose, (4) the tastes perceived by the tongue, (5) the tangible objects perceived by the body, and (6) the mental phenomena perceived by the mind.

“Kauśika, I have said, ‘There are two types of forms that are perceived by the eyes—those that are trustworthy and those that are not trustworthy.’ I have said, ‘Any form perceived by the eyes that I have recognized as unsuitable to adopt and adhere to is surely to be abandoned.’ And I have also said, ‘Any form perceived by the eyes that is suitable to adopt and adhere is to be trusted.’ Thus has the Tathāgata taught, knowing when the time is right for clarification on these.

“In the same way, I have also said, ‘There are two types of sounds perceived by the ears, smells perceived by the nose, tastes perceived by the tongue, tangible objects perceived by the body, and phenomena perceived by the mind—those that are trustworthy, and those that are not trustworthy.’ I have also said about these, ‘One should absolutely and surely abandon mental phenomena known by mind that are recognized as unsuitable to adopt and adhere to.’ I have also said, ‘Given that the Tathāgata knows the right time to teach what should be adopted at any occasion, phenomena known by the mind that are suitable to adopt and adhere to should indeed be adopted by the mindful and vigilantly introspective.’ ”