Karmashataka 5: Bam po 5

actualized [it]. The first uddāna verse of the Karmaśataka is finished. The Karmaśataka, [Fascicle 5]. The uddāna is: / Four chariots and the trunk, / Gopī, haired, lotus-hued, / The butcher, golden-colored, cow

8. The Cowherds
9. A Band of Friends
10. The Story of Abhaya
11. The Story of Lake of Jewels
12. The Story of Wealth’s Delight
13. The Bear: Two Stories
14. The Story of Small Person with a Curving Spine
15. The Rākṣasa

The Chariot: Four Stories

The First “Chariot” Story

When the Blessed One was in Śrāvastī, there lived a certain brahmin who wished to perform a ritual offering, so he climbed onto his chariot and rode into Śrāvastī. That morning, when the Blessed One donned his lower garment and Dharma robes, and, carrying his alms bowl, went for alms in Śrāvastī, the brahmin was filled with joy, circumambulated the Blessed One, and departed. At that moment, the Blessed One smiled.

Now it is the nature of the blessed buddhas’ smiles that when they smile, colorful beams of blue, yellow, red, and white light radiate from their mouths, with some traveling up and others traveling down.

Those that travel down go to the beings in the Reviving Hell, the Black Thread Hell, the Crushing Hell, the Shrieking Hell, the Screaming Hell, the Hot Hell, the Hell of Extreme Heat, the Hell of Ceaseless Agony, the Blistering Hell, the Bursting Blister Hell, the Hell of Chattering Teeth, the Hell of Lamentation, the Cold Whimpering Hell, the Splitting Open Like a Blue Lotus Hell, the Splitting Open Like a Lotus Hell, and the Splitting Open Like a Great Lotus Hell, and as they descend they cool the beings in the hot hells, and warm the beings in the cold hells.

In this way they soothe the particular injuries of those beings, who wonder, “Have we died and been reborn somewhere other than this place?” Then, to engender faith in them, the blessed ones radiate an emanation, and when the beings see it, they think, “Alas, it is neither that we have died and left this place, nor that we have been born elsewhere. Rather it is because of the unprecedented appearance of this emanation that our particular injuries have been soothed.” They

feel real joy toward the emanation, exhausting the deeds that brought them to experience the hells. Now, as fit vessels of the truths, they take rebirth among the gods and humans.

The rays of light that travel up go to the following gods: those of the Abodes of the Four Great Kings, the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, the Strifeless Heaven, Tuṣita Heaven, the Delighting in Creation Heaven, the Heaven of the Masters of Others’ Creations, and the Heaven of Brahmā’s Assembly; those of the realms called Brahmin Priests, Great Brahmā, Limited Splendor, Immeasurable Splendor, Radiant Heaven, Lesser Virtue, Immeasurable Virtue, Extensive Virtue, and the Cloudless Heaven; and those of the realms called Increasing Merit, Great Result, None Greater, Sorrowless, Sublime Vision, Great Vision, and Supreme. There they sound a cry of impermanence, suffering, emptiness, and selflessness, and they echo the following two verses:

Cultivate renunciation,
Practice the Buddha’s teaching—
Trample the lord of death’s army
Like an elephant in a house of reeds!

Those who mind their way along the path
Of this Dharma and Vinaya
Will abandon the round of rebirth
And put an end to suffering.

Then the rays of light circle through the trichiliocosm and come back to the blessed ones. Should the blessed one wish to make a revelation about past deeds, they will disappear into the blessed one’s back. Should he wish to foretell the future, they will disappear into the chest. Should he wish to prophesy about a hell birth, they will disappear into the soles of the feet. Should he wish to prophesy about an animal birth, they will disappear into the heels.

Should he wish to prophesy about birth as an anguished spirit, they will disappear into the big toe. Should he wish to prophesy about a human birth, they will disappear into the knees.

Should he wish to prophesy about someone’s becoming a great universal monarch, they will disappear into the palm of the left hand. Should he wish to prophesy about someone’s becoming a universal monarch, they will disappear into the palm of the right hand. Should he wish to prophesy about a god birth, they will disappear into the navel. Should he wish to prophesy about the enlightenment of the listeners, they will disappear into the mouth. Should he wish to prophesy about the enlightenment of the solitary buddhas, they will disappear into the hair between the eyebrows. Should he wish to prophesy about an unexcelled, total, and complete enlightenment, they will disappear into the crown of the head.

After these particular rays of light had circled the Blessed One three times, they disappeared into the hair between the Blessed One’s eyebrows. Then Venerable Ānanda joined his palms in reverence and praised the Blessed One with the following verse:

“From your mouth’s great gate spill forth
Scores of thousand-colored spectra.
Like the shining of the sun,
They illumine everything.”

He then supplicated him with the following verses:

“The lords of beings, the buddhas who cast off disconsolation,
Are rid of savagery and pride, and are themselves the cause of all that’s good.
These victors over every rival, in the absence of cause and condition
Do not display their smiles, which are the color of conch and lotus root.

“So if you know it’s time, for your mind never falters,
Then come—ascetic, victor—quell your disciples’ hesitation.
O sage, greatest of the herd, with speech unrivaled, sure, and good,
Reassure those prone to doubt.

“Mountain still, and vast as oceans,
Buddha, fully awakened lord,
Your smile is no mundane event.
Hero, make it manifest so that many might pay heed.

“With speech like a clap of thunder,
Graceful like a royal bull,
Oh tell the fruits awaiting those,
The peerless ones, who praise you!

“Lord, if in the absence of the right causes and conditions the tathāgatas, the arhats, the totally and completely awakened buddhas do not smile, what are the causes and conditions that make them smile?”

“Ānanda, so it is,” replied the Blessed One. “It is just as you say, Ānanda. Without the right causes and conditions the tathāgatas, the arhats, the totally and completely awakened buddhas do not smile. Ānanda, did you see the brahmin who circumambulated the Tathāgata and departed?”

“Yes, Lord, I saw him,” Ānanda said.

“Ānanda, because of the root of virtue of this brahmin’s action, he will not fall to the lower realms for thirteen eons. For thirteen eons he will take rebirth among gods and humans. After circling in saṃsāra, in his final rebirth, his final dwelling place, he will take birth as a human being. Then he will go forth and manifest the thirty-seven wings of enlightenment without a teacher or any instruction. He will manifest the enlightenment of a solitary buddha and become the solitary buddha known as Circumambulating. That is what shall come of his act of generosity.”

The Second “Chariot” Story

When the Blessed One was in Śrāvastī there lived a certain young brahmin who performed his sacrifice, climbed onto his chariot, and, attended by his host of servants, rode into Śrāvastī. As the Blessed One returned from Śrāvastī where he had gone for alms, the young man gazed at the Blessed One joyfully, and at that moment the Blessed One smiled.

Now it is the nature of the blessed buddhas’ smiles that when they smile, colorful beams of blue, yellow, red, and white light radiate from their mouths, with some traveling up and others traveling down.

Those that travel down go to the beings in the Reviving Hell, the Black Thread Hell,

the Crushing Hell, the Shrieking Hell, the Screaming Hell, the Hot Hell, the Hell of Extreme Heat, the Hell of Ceaseless Agony, the Blistering Hell, the Bursting Blister Hell, the Hell of Chattering Teeth, the Hell of Lamentation, the Cold Whimpering Hell, the Splitting Open Like a Blue Lotus Hell, the Splitting Open Like a Lotus Hell, and the Splitting Open Like a Great Lotus Hell, and as they descend they cool the beings in the hot hells, and warm the beings in the cold hells.

In this way they soothe the particular injuries of those beings, who wonder, “Have we died and been reborn somewhere other than this place?” Then, to engender faith in them, the blessed ones radiate an emanation, and when the beings see it, they think, “Alas, it is neither that we have died and left this place, nor that we have been born elsewhere. Rather it is because of the unprecedented appearance of this emanation that our particular injuries have been soothed.” They feel real joy toward the emanation, exhausting the deeds that brought them to experience the hells. Now, as fit vessels of the truths, they take rebirth among the gods and humans.

The rays of light that travel up go to the following gods: those of the Abodes of the Four Great Kings, the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, the Strifeless Heaven, Tuṣita Heaven, the Delighting in Creation Heaven, the Heaven of the Masters of Others’ Creations, and the Heaven of Brahmā’s Assembly; those of the realms called Brahmin Priests, Great Brahmā, Limited Splendor, Immeasurable Splendor, Radiant Heaven, Lesser Virtue, Immeasurable Virtue, Extensive Virtue, and the Cloudless Heaven; and those of the realms called Increasing Merit, Great Result, None Greater, Sorrowless, Sublime Vision, Great Vision, and

Supreme. There they sound a cry of impermanence, suffering, emptiness, and selflessness, and they echo the following two verses:

Cultivate renunciation,
Practice the Buddha’s teaching—
Trample the lord of death’s army
Like an elephant in a house of reeds!

Those who mind their way along the path
Of this Dharma and Vinaya
Will abandon the round of rebirth
And put an end to suffering.

Then the rays of light circle through the trichiliocosm and come back to the blessed ones. Should the blessed one wish to make a revelation about past deeds, they will disappear into the blessed one’s back. Should he wish to foretell the future, they will disappear into the chest. Should he wish to prophesy about a hell birth, they will disappear into the soles of the feet. Should he wish to prophesy about an animal birth, they will disappear into the heels. Should he wish to prophesy about birth as an anguished spirit, they will disappear into the big toe. Should he wish to prophesy about a human birth, they will disappear into the knees.

Should he wish to prophesy about someone’s becoming a great universal monarch, they will disappear into the palm of the left hand. Should he wish to prophesy about someone’s becoming a universal monarch, they will disappear into the palm of the right hand. Should he wish to prophesy about a god birth, they will disappear into the navel. Should he wish to prophesy about the enlightenment of the listeners, they will disappear into the mouth. Should he wish to prophesy about the enlightenment of the solitary buddhas, they will disappear into the hair between the eyebrows. Should he wish to prophesy about an unexcelled, total, and complete enlightenment, they will disappear into the crown of the head.

After these particular rays of light had circled the Blessed One three times, they disappeared into the hair between the Blessed One’s eyebrows. Then Venerable Ānanda

joined his palms in reverence and praised the Blessed One with the following verse:

“From your mouth’s great gate spill forth
Scores of thousand-colored spectra.
Like the shining of the sun,
They illumine everything.”

He then supplicated him with the following verses:

“The lords of beings, the buddhas who cast off disconsolation,
Are rid of savagery and pride, and are themselves the cause of all that’s good.
These victors over every rival, in the absence of cause and condition
Do not display their smiles, which are the color of conch and lotus root.

“So if you know it’s time, for your mind never falters,
Then come—ascetic, victor—quell your disciples’ hesitation.
O sage, greatest of the herd, with speech unrivaled, sure, and good,
Reassure those prone to doubt.

“Mountain still, and vast as oceans,
Buddha, fully awakened lord,
Your smile is no mundane event.
Hero, make it manifest so that many might pay heed.

“With speech like a clap of thunder,
Graceful like a royal bull,
Oh tell the fruits awaiting those,
The peerless ones, who praise you!

“Lord, if in the absence of the right causes and conditions the tathāgatas, the arhats, the totally and completely awakened buddhas do not smile, what are the causes and conditions that make them smile?”

“Ānanda, so it is,” replied the Blessed One. “It is just as you say, Ānanda. Ānanda, did you see the young brahmin who felt joy as he gazed at the Tathāgata?”

“Yes, Lord, I saw him,” Ānanda said.

“Ānanda, because of the root of virtue of this brahmin’s action, he will not fall to the lower realms for thirteen eons. For thirteen eons he will take rebirth among gods and humans. After circling in saṃsāra, in his final rebirth, his final dwelling place, he will take birth as a human being.

Then he will go forth and manifest the thirty-seven wings of enlightenment without a teacher or any instruction. He will manifest the enlightenment of a solitary buddha and become the solitary buddha known as Joy. That is what shall come of his act of generosity.”

The Third “Chariot” Story

When the Blessed One was in Śrāvastī, one morning he donned his lower garment and Dharma robes, and, carrying his alms bowl, went for alms in Śrāvastī, where there was a certain brahmin who had climbed into his chariot and set out to ride through the country. At first, thinking that the sight of the Blessed One was inauspicious, he rushed on ahead. Out of compassion for him the Blessed One simply stood still, and as the brahmin rode past all four of the city gates, he saw the Blessed One standing before each one.

Then the brahmin thought, “My, the ascetic Gautama is a person with great miracles and great power!” and he was filled with joy toward the Blessed One. In his joy he scattered a handful of flowers upon the Blessed One, and at that moment the Blessed One smiled.

Now it is the nature of the blessed buddhas’ smiles that when they smile, colorful beams of blue, yellow, red, and white light radiate from their mouths, with some traveling up and others traveling down.

Those that travel down go to the beings in the Reviving Hell, the Black Thread Hell, the Crushing Hell, the Shrieking Hell, the Screaming Hell, the Hot Hell, the Hell of Extreme Heat, the Hell of Ceaseless Agony, the Blistering Hell, the Bursting Blister Hell, the Hell of Chattering Teeth, the Hell of Lamentation, the Cold Whimpering Hell, the Splitting Open Like a Blue Lotus Hell, the Splitting Open Like a Lotus Hell, and the Splitting Open Like a Great Lotus Hell, and as they descend they cool the beings in the hot hells, and warm the beings in the cold hells.

In this way they soothe the particular injuries of those beings,

who wonder, “Have we died and been reborn somewhere other than this place?” Then, to engender faith in them, the blessed ones radiate an emanation, and when the beings see it, they think, “Alas, it is neither that we have died and left this place, nor that we have been born elsewhere. Rather it is because of the unprecedented appearance of this emanation that our particular injuries have been soothed.” They feel real joy toward the emanation, exhausting the deeds that brought them to experience the hells. Now, as fit vessels of the truths, they take rebirth among the gods and humans.

The rays of light that travel up go to the following gods: those of the Abodes of the Four Great Kings, the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, the Strifeless Heaven, Tuṣita Heaven, the Delighting in Creation Heaven, the Heaven of the Masters of Others’ Creations, and the Heaven of Brahmā’s Assembly; those of the realms called Brahmin Priests, Great Brahmā, Limited Splendor, Immeasurable Splendor, Radiant Heaven, Lesser Virtue, Immeasurable Virtue, Extensive Virtue, and the Cloudless Heaven; and those of the realms called Increasing Merit, Great Result, None Greater, Sorrowless, Sublime Vision, Great Vision, and Supreme. There they sound a cry of impermanence, suffering, emptiness, and selflessness, and they echo the following two verses:

Cultivate renunciation,
Practice the Buddha’s teaching—
Trample the lord of death’s army
Like an elephant in a house of reeds!

Those who mind their way along the path
Of this Dharma and Vinaya
Will abandon the round of rebirth
And put an end to suffering.

Then the rays of light circle through the trichiliocosm

and come back to the blessed ones. Should the blessed one wish to make a revelation about past deeds, they will disappear into the blessed one’s back. Should he wish to foretell the future, they will disappear into the chest. Should he wish to prophesy about a hell birth, they will disappear into the soles of the feet. Should he wish to prophesy about an animal birth, they will disappear into the heels. Should he wish to prophesy about birth as an anguished spirit, they will disappear into the big toe. Should he wish to prophesy about a human birth, they will disappear into the knees.

Should he wish to prophesy about someone’s becoming a great universal monarch, they will disappear into the palm of the left hand. Should he wish to prophesy about someone’s becoming a universal monarch, they will disappear into the palm of the right hand. Should he wish to prophesy about a god birth, they will disappear into the navel. Should he wish to prophesy about the enlightenment of the listeners, they will disappear into the mouth. Should he wish to prophesy about the enlightenment of the solitary buddhas, they will disappear into the hair between the eyebrows. Should he wish to prophesy about an unexcelled, total, and complete enlightenment, they will disappear into the crown of the head.

After these particular rays of light had circled the Blessed One three times, they disappeared into the hair between the Blessed One’s eyebrows. Then Venerable Ānanda joined his palms in reverence and praised the Blessed One with the following verse:

“From your mouth’s great gate spill forth
Scores of thousand-colored spectra.
Like the shining of the sun,
They illumine everything.”

He then supplicated him with the following verses:

“The lords of beings, the buddhas who cast off disconsolation,
Are rid of savagery and pride, and are themselves the cause of all that’s good.
These victors over every rival, in the absence of cause and condition
Do not display their smiles, which are the color of conch and lotus root.

“So if you know it’s time,

for your mind never falters,
Then come—ascetic, victor—quell your disciples’ hesitation.
O sage, greatest of the herd, with speech unrivaled, sure, and good,
Reassure those prone to doubt.

“Mountain still, and vast as oceans,
Buddha, fully awakened lord,
Your smile is no mundane event.
Hero, make it manifest so that many might pay heed.

“With speech like a clap of thunder,
Graceful like a royal bull,
Oh tell the fruits awaiting those,
The peerless ones, who praise you!

“Lord, if in the absence of the right causes and conditions the tathāgatas, the arhats, the totally and completely awakened buddhas do not smile, what are the causes and conditions that make them smile?”

“Ānanda, so it is,” replied the Blessed One. “It is just as you say, Ānanda. Without the right causes and conditions the tathāgatas, arhats, totally and completely awakened buddhas do not smile. Ānanda, did you see the brahmin who scattered flowers on the Tathāgata?”

“Yes, Lord, I saw him,” Ānanda said.

“Ānanda, because of the root of virtue of this brahmin’s action, he will not fall to the lower realms for thirteen eons. For thirteen eons he will take rebirth among gods and humans. After circling in saṃsāra, in his final rebirth, his final dwelling place, he will take birth as a human being. Then he will go forth and manifest the thirty-seven wings of enlightenment without a teacher or any instruction. He will manifest the enlightenment of a solitary buddha and become the solitary buddha known as Flower Guru. That is what shall come of his act of generosity.”

The Fourth “Chariot” Story

One day when the Blessed One was in Śrāvastī and was traveling from Śrāvastī to Rājagṛha, a brahmin riding in a chariot met him along the way. When the brahmin saw the Blessed One

he climbed down from his chariot and offered him the chariot. Out of compassion for him the Blessed One hovered in the air above the chariot. This delighted the brahmin, and filled with such great delight, he took leave of the Blessed One. At that moment the Blessed One smiled.

Now it is the nature of the blessed buddhas’ smiles that when they smile, colorful beams of blue, yellow, red, and white light radiate from their mouths, with some traveling up and others traveling down.

Those that travel down go to the beings in the Reviving Hell, the Black Thread Hell, the Crushing Hell, the Shrieking Hell, the Screaming Hell, the Hot Hell, the Hell of Extreme Heat, the Hell of Ceaseless Agony, the Blistering Hell, the Bursting Blister Hell, the Hell of Chattering Teeth, the Hell of Lamentation, the Cold Whimpering Hell, the Splitting Open Like a Blue Lotus Hell, the Splitting Open Like a Lotus Hell, and the Splitting Open Like a Great Lotus Hell, and as they descend they cool the beings in the hot hells, and warm the beings in the cold hells.

In this way they soothe the particular injuries of those beings, who wonder, “Have we died and been reborn somewhere other than this place?” Then, to engender faith in them, the blessed ones radiate an emanation, and when the beings see it, they think, “Alas, it is neither that we have died and left this place, nor that we have been born elsewhere. Rather it is because of the unprecedented appearance of this emanation that our particular injuries have been soothed.” They feel real joy toward the emanation, exhausting the deeds that brought them to experience the hells.

Now, as fit vessels of the truths, they take rebirth among the gods and humans.

The rays of light that travel up go to the following gods: those of the Abodes of the Four Great Kings, the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, the Strifeless Heaven, Tuṣita Heaven, the Delighting in Creation Heaven, the Heaven of the Masters of Others’ Creations, and the Heaven of Brahmā’s Assembly; those of the realms called Brahmin Priests, Great Brahmā, Limited Splendor, Immeasurable Splendor, Radiant Heaven, Lesser Virtue, Immeasurable Virtue, Extensive Virtue, and the Cloudless Heaven; and those of the realms called Increasing Merit, Great Result, None Greater, Sorrowless, Sublime Vision, Great Vision, and Supreme. There they sound a cry of impermanence, suffering, emptiness, and selflessness, and they echo the following two verses:

Cultivate renunciation,
Practice the Buddha’s teaching—
Trample the lord of death’s army
Like an elephant in a house of reeds!

Those who mind their way along the path
Of this Dharma and Vinaya
Will abandon the round of rebirth
And put an end to suffering.

Then the rays of light circle through the trichiliocosm and come back to the blessed ones. Should the blessed one wish to make a revelation about past deeds, they will disappear into the blessed one’s back. Should he wish to foretell the future, they will disappear into the chest. Should he wish to prophesy about a hell birth, they will disappear into the soles of the feet. Should he wish to prophesy about an animal birth, they will disappear into the heels. Should he wish to prophesy about birth as an anguished spirit, they will disappear into the big toe. Should he wish to prophesy about a human birth,

they will disappear into the knees.

Should he wish to prophesy about someone’s becoming a great universal monarch, they will disappear into the palm of the left hand. Should he wish to prophesy about someone’s becoming a universal monarch, they will disappear into the palm of the right hand. Should he wish to prophesy about a god birth, they will disappear into the navel. Should he wish to prophesy about the enlightenment of the listeners, they will disappear into the mouth. Should he wish to prophesy about the enlightenment of the solitary buddhas, they will disappear into the hair between the eyebrows. Should he wish to prophesy about an unexcelled, total, and complete enlightenment, they will disappear into the crown of the head.

After these particular rays of light had circled the Blessed One three times, they disappeared into the hair between the Blessed One’s eyebrows. Then Venerable Ānanda joined his palms in reverence and praised the Blessed One with the following verse:

“From your mouth’s great gate spill forth
Scores of thousand-colored spectra.
Like the shining of the sun,
They illumine everything.”

He then supplicated him with the following verses:

“The lords of beings, the buddhas who cast off disconsolation,
Are rid of savagery and pride, and are themselves the cause of all that’s good.
These victors over every rival, in the absence of cause and condition
Do not display their smiles, which are the color of conch and lotus root.

“So if you know it’s time, for your mind never falters,
Then come—ascetic, victor—quell your disciples’ hesitation.
O sage, greatest of the herd, with speech unrivaled, sure, and good,
Reassure those prone to doubt.

“Mountain still, and vast as oceans,
O Buddha, fully awakened lord,
Your smile is no mundane event.
Hero, make it manifest so that many might pay heed.

“With speech like a clap of thunder,
Graceful like a royal bull,
Oh tell the fruits awaiting those,
The peerless ones, who praise you!

“Lord, if in the absence of the right causes and conditions the tathāgatas, the arhats,

the totally and completely awakened buddhas do not smile, what are the causes and conditions that make them smile?”

“Ānanda, so it is,” replied the Blessed One. “It is just as you say, Ānanda. Without the right causes and conditions the tathāgatas, the arhats, the totally and completely awakened buddhas do not smile. Ānanda, did you see the brahmin who proffered his chariot to the Tathāgata?”

“Yes, Lord, I saw him,” Ānanda said.

“Ānanda, because of the root of virtue of this brahmin’s action, he will not fall to the lower realms for thirteen eons. For thirteen eons he will take rebirth among gods and humans. After circling in saṃsāra, in his final rebirth, his final dwelling place, he will take birth as a human being. Then he will go forth and manifest the thirty-seven wings of enlightenment without a teacher or any instruction. He will manifest the enlightenment of a solitary buddha and become the solitary buddha known as He Who Gave a Chariot. That is what shall come of his act of generosity.”

The Story of Earnest

When the Blessed One was in Śrāvastī, there was a certain being who was reborn as a blind hell being. The entirety of his immense body was covered by a continuous mass of sores, and worms bored into him from the crown of his head to the soles of his feet. Unable to tolerate his condition, he ran to and fro.

When he fled to the plains, there were iron-fanged lions, tigers, leopards, and bears that tore into his flesh over and over again and fed on him.

When he submerged himself in the water, there were crocodiles with fangs of iron that tore into his flesh over and over again and fed on him.

When he fled into the sky above there were crows, vultures, and woodpeckers with beaks of iron that tore into his flesh over and over again and fed on him.

When he fled into the dense forest,