ལས་བརྒྱ་ཐམ་པ་པ 3
The Hundred Deeds 3
- Language
- English
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a daughter was born to King Prasenajit who was well proportioned, pleasing to the eye, and beautiful. A son who was well proportioned, pleasing to the eye, and beautiful had also been born to King Brahmadatta of Kāśi, so celebratory music resounded from both of their camps.
Hearing the music coming from both sides, the kings asked, “What is all this celebratory music?”
King Brahmadatta’s ministers replied, “It is for the birth of King Prasenajit’s daughter, and for you, Deva, upon the arrival of your son,” and King Prasenajit’s ministers replied, “It is for you, Deva, upon the arrival of your daughter, and for the birth of King Brahmadatta’s son.”
When they heard this, both were in good spirits, and thought, “We should not treat each other as enemies now that we have the means to become kin!”
King Brahmadatta sent an envoy to King Prasenajit with the message, “Please give your newborn daughter to my son in marriage.”
King Prasenajit thought, “This will be a way to make friends with King Brahmadatta for the rest of my life,” and sent an envoy to King Brahmadatta with the response, “I shall comply with your wish.” The two asked forgiveness of one another and made friends. One sent a great wealth of clothing and finery for the girl, and the other sent much clothing and finery for the boy. As friends, the two now departed the region with their arms around each other’s shoulders.
King Prasenajit thought, “Since the birth of my daughter, I am happy with King Brahmadatta,” so he named her Kṣemā (She Who Brings Happiness) at the elaborate feast celebrating her birth. They reared her on milk, yogurt, butter, ghee, and milk solids, and she flourished like a lotus in a lake. When she grew up she found faith in the doctrine of the Blessed Buddha, went for refuge and took the fundamental precepts,
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made merit, and went continually to the nunnery to listen to the Dharma.
So it was that one day she manifested the resultant state of non-return and attained miraculous powers. Endowed with great power and magical abilities, she achieved concentration on the eight liberations. She demonstrated the miracle of her magical abilities for her parents, and said, “Mother, Father, now that I have achieved these things, I cannot engage in sexual relations, so I am asking for your kind permission to go forth in the doctrine of the Blessed One.”
“My child, we cannot allow this,” her parents said, “for we betrothed you as soon as you were born. We have already sent our word and set aside our dispute, but still—when the wedding party comes for you, you can make your request to the groom and go forth, should he agree.”
Then King Prasenajit sent an envoy to King Brahmadatta with the message, “Our daughter Kṣemā wishes to go forth. We cannot stop her. Do not delay in making her a bride.”
King Brahmadatta likewise sent an envoy with the response, “I shall come on such-and-such a date. Start making preparations for her to be sent away as a bride.”
When King Prasenajit heard this, he began making preparations to send her away as a bride. King Brahmadatta then sent his son with great riches and a great show of force, whereupon King Prasenajit respectfully led the delegation into Śrāvastī.
Once the wedding delegation had been led in, an altar was erected and decorated with ornaments, and many people gathered there. They clad the young woman in every type of adornment and led her to her place at the decorated altar. Then the young man too was led to the decorated altar, and he turned and beckoned to young Kṣemā. Suddenly she rose up into the sky
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and gave a miraculous display of fire and light, rain and lightning.
When the young man and the many others saw this they experienced a surge of tremendous joy toward Kṣemā, and the young man thought, “How could she engage in sexual relations with me, now that she has attained such great virtues?”
He called out to her, “Fine woman, come down! I’ll let you decide as you please!”
Kṣemā told him, “Lord, I cannot engage in sexual relations with you—please give your consent to my going forth in the doctrine of the Blessed One.”
“Given,” the young man replied. Young Kṣemā immediately descended and gave a Dharma teaching to the people. Then she asked for her parents’ permission, went to the garden of Prince Jeta, approached the Blessed One, touched her head to the Blessed One’s feet, and requested, “Lord, 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.” Thereupon the Blessed One presented her to Mahāprajāpatī.
Mahāprajāpatī led her to go forth as a novice, conferred on her full ordination, and instructed her. Casting away all afflictive emotions through diligence, practice, and effort, she manifested arhatship. As an arhat, free from the attachments of the three realms, her mind regarded gold no differently than filth, and the palms of her hands as like space itself. She became cool like wet sandalwood. Her insight crushed ignorance like an eggshell. She achieved the insights, superknowledges, and discriminations. She had no regard for worldly profit, passion, or acclaim. Her state was such that Indra,
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Upendra, and the other gods worshiped and venerated her and addressed her with respect, and the Blessed One commended her as foremost among the wise.
After Kṣemā had gone forth in this way, the king’s son thought, “If even a woman can have such realizations of the Dharma, surely I can go forth in the Blessed One’s doctrine as well.” With this thought, he likewise asked for his parents’ permission, and, casting away all afflictive emotions through diligence, practice, and effort, he manifested arhatship.
The monks asked the Blessed One, “Lord, what actions did young Kṣemā and the king’s son take that ripened into their births into families of great means, prosperity, and wealth; that they pleased and did not displease the Blessed One; and that they went forth in the doctrine of the Blessed One, cast away all afflictive emotions, and manifested arhatship?”
“This happened due to the power of their prayers,” the Blessed One replied.
“Lord, where did they make these prayers?”
“Monks,” explained the Blessed One, “in times past, in this fortunate eon, when people lived as long as twenty thousand years and the tathāgata, the arhat, the totally and completely awakened buddha possessed of insight and perfect conduct, the sugata, the knower of the world, the tamer of persons, the charioteer, the unsurpassed one, the teacher of humans and gods, the blessed buddha known as Kāśyapa was in the world, there lived in the city of Vārāṇasī a certain householder, prosperous and wealthy, a person of vast and magnificent means, endowed with the wealth of Vaiśravaṇa—with wealth to rival Vaiśravaṇa’s.
“When the time came for him to marry he took a wife, and they enjoyed themselves and coupled. Then one day they both found faith in the doctrine of the totally and completely awakened Buddha Kāśyapa and
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said to one another, ‘Good spouse, seeing as we have neither sons nor daughters, after we die all that we have will become property of the king. So while we yet live, let us carry only that which we can take with us into the next life.’
“The two spouses built a monastery that was complete in every respect, offered it to the totally and completely awakened Buddha Kāśyapa and the rest of the saṅgha of monks, provided for all their needs, and served them with respect.
“One day they had an idea and said, ‘Let us give up living at home to go forth in the teaching of the totally and completely awakened Buddha Kāśyapa.’ Casting away household affairs, they gave gifts and made merit, went forth as novices in the doctrine of the totally and completely awakened Buddha Kāśyapa, and received full ordination.
“They practiced pure conduct all their lives, and while they may not have attained any great virtues, at the time of their deaths they prayed, ‘While we may not have attained any great virtues, still we have gone forth in the doctrine of the totally and completely awakened Buddha Kāśyapa, given gifts, made merit, and practiced pure conduct all our lives. By this root of virtue, wherever we are born, may it be into families of great means, prosperity, and wealth, and may we be well proportioned, pleasing to the eye, and beautiful. May we please and not displease Uttara, the young brahmin prophesied by the totally and completely awakened Buddha Kāśyapa to be the next blessed buddha. May we go forth in his doctrine, cast away all afflictive emotions, and manifest arhatship.’
“O monks, what do you think? The two who were married then
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are none other than Kṣemā and the king’s son. The acts of giving gifts, making merit, practicing pure conduct all their lives, and praying at the time of their deaths ripened such that wherever they were born, it was into families of great means, prosperity, and wealth, and they were well proportioned, pleasing to the eye, and beautiful.
“So it is, monks, now that I myself have become the very equal of the totally and completely awakened Buddha Kāśyapa—equal in strength, equal in deeds, and equal in skillful means—that they have pleased me, not displeased me, gone forth in my very doctrine, cast away all afflictive emotions, and manifested arhatship.”
The Story of Maṇiprabha
When the Blessed One was in Śrāvastī there was a young god named Maṇiprabha, who had hoops in his ears and necklaces around his neck, and whose body was graced with strings of precious stones. He had a luminous celestial mansion of exquisite, divine jewels. This exalted being of light filled the front of his long shirt with divine flowers—lotus, blue lotus, white water lily, and white lotus flowers—and when night had fallen he went to the garden of Prince Jeta in Śrāvastī to see the Blessed One. Upon his arrival, he scattered the divine blue lotus, lotus, white water lily, white lotus, and mandārava flowers over the Blessed One, 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, and nature, and taught him the Dharma accordingly. Hearing it, the young god destroyed the twenty high peaks of the mountain of views concerning the transitory collection with the thunderbolt of wisdom, and manifested the resultant state of stream entry right where he sat. Having seen the truths,
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he touched his head to the Blessed One’s feet, circumambulated him three times, and disappeared on the spot.
When that happened, the monks, who were making continued, earnest, and sleepless efforts at dusk and dawn, noticed that the garden of Prince Jeta was suffused with a great light and wondered, “What was this? Last night, did Sahāṃpati Brahmā, or Śakra, King of the Gods—or perhaps the four great kings—come to offer respect to the Blessed One?”
Thinking this, they asked the Blessed One, “Lord, last night, did Sahāṃpati Brahmā, or Śakra, King of the Gods—or perhaps the four great kings—come to see the Blessed One?”
“Monks,” the Blessed One replied, “last night it was neither Sahāṃpati Brahmā, nor Śakra, King of the Gods, nor the four great kings who came to see me, but rather a young god named Maṇiprabha, a very exalted being of light with a luminous celestial mansion of exquisite, divine jewels, who came to see me and to offer his respect. I taught him the Dharma, and after he heard the Dharma from me he manifested the resultant state of stream entry. Having seen the truths, he went back to where he belongs.”
“Lord, what action did Maṇiprabha take that ripened into his birth as a god, that he attained a luminous celestial mansion of exquisite, divine jewels, and that he pleased the Blessed One, and did not displease him?”
“Monks,” explained the Blessed One, “Maṇiprabha committed and accumulated the actions himself at a previous time. The actions he committed and accumulated did not ripen into the external element of earth. They did not ripen into the element of water, nor the element of fire, nor the element of wind. The actions he committed and accumulated, both virtuous and nonvirtuous,
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ripened into nothing but his own aggregates, sense bases, and constituent elements.
“When the time arrives—and even if
A hundred eons pass—
Fruit is born of every act
That sentient beings amass.
“Monks, in times past, in this fortunate age when people lived as long as twenty thousand years and the tathāgata, the arhat, the totally and completely awakened buddha possessed of insight and perfect conduct, the sugata, the knower of the world, the tamer of persons, the charioteer, the unsurpassed one, the teacher of humans and gods, the blessed buddha known as Kāśyapa was in the world, there lived in Vārāṇasī a certain householder, prosperous and wealthy, a person of vast and magnificent means, endowed with the wealth of Vaiśravaṇa—with wealth to rival Vaiśravaṇa’s.
“That householder constructed a stūpa enshrining the hair and nail relics of the totally and completely awakened Buddha Kāśyapa, and a monastery that was complete in every respect, and he provided for all the monastery’s needs. Even the rain gutters of the stūpa dangled with jewels, such that the monastery associated with it shone night and day. He offered the monastery to the Blessed Buddha Kāśyapa and the rest of the saṅgha of monks. He also offered his respectful service to the monks, and provided for all their needs. After going for refuge and maintaining the fundamental precepts all his life, he took birth among the gods, where he obtained a celestial mansion of exquisite jewels.
“O monks, what do you think? The householder who at that time built the reliquary stūpa enshrining the totally and completely awakened Buddha Kāśyapa and his teachings, and the monastery associated with it, and who hung jewels on the stūpa, is none other than the young god Maṇiprabha. The acts of building the reliquary stūpa and the associated monastery, complete in every respect,
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offering them to the Blessed Buddha Kāśyapa and the rest of the saṅgha of monks, and hanging jewels on the stūpa ripened into his taking birth among the gods.
“So it is, monks, now that I myself have become the very equal of the totally and completely awakened Buddha Kāśyapa—equal in strength, equal in deeds, and equal in skillful means—that he has pleased me and not displeased me.”
The Story of Jasmine
When the Blessed One was in Śrāvastī there lived a certain householder, prosperous and wealthy, a person of vast and magnificent means, endowed with the wealth of Vaiśravaṇa—with wealth to rival Vaiśravaṇa’s. When the time came for him to marry he took a wife, and they enjoyed themselves and coupled.
The householder had no heir and desired a son, so he supplicated the gods. He prayed to Paśupati, Varuṇa, Kubera, Śakra, Brahmā, and the rest, and to the deities of the pleasure groves, the forest deities, the deities of the crossroads, the deities of forks in the road, the deities who receive strewn oblations, the deities of his inherited tradition, and the deities who are in constant attendance of righteous persons.
While it is often said that praying to deities can cause a boy or girl to be born, this is not true. If children could be made just by praying, every family would have them a thousand times over, like a universal monarch. In fact, there are three circumstances that allow for the birth of a child: a child is born when (1) lust arises in the parents and they have intercourse, (2) the mother still has her menstrual cycle and is approached by a gandharva, and (3) the gandharva’s mind is either attached or angry.
Nevertheless, he remained intent on his prayers, and a great being
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took birth in his wife’s womb who was well renowned and had gained his final birth, had the good fortune to soon be liberated due to gathering the accumulations, had his sights set on nirvāṇa and had turned away from saṃsāra, had no desire for the states of rebirth in cyclic existence, and who had now assumed his final body.
A woman wise in nature possesses five extraordinary qualities. She knows (1) whether a man is attracted to her, (2) the time of her menstrual cycle, (3) that she has conceived, (4) from whom she has conceived, and (5) whether the child is a boy or a girl, for if it is a baby boy it will stay on the right side of the womb, and if it is a girl it will stay on the left side of the womb.
When the householder’s wife conceived a child, she was overjoyed and told her husband, “My Lord, I have conceived a boy. He is staying on the right side of my womb, so rejoice, for it is sure to be a boy!”
At this the householder too was very happy. He puffed out his chest, put his right hand in the air, and expressed his joy, saying, “I shall see the face of the son for whom I have prayed for so long! May everything be right with my son, may nothing go wrong with him, and may he carry on my work! As I care for him, may he care for me in return! May he enjoy my inheritance! May my lineage endure for a long time! And after our passing, when we die, may he give gifts, be they great or small, and make merit! When he does, may he dedicate the merit thus: ‘Wherever these two are born, may this go to them!’
Now that he knew his wife was pregnant, he ensconced her on the upper levels of their house in order to care for the baby. He provided her with what she needed for winter in the winter, what she needed for summer in the summer, with food that was
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not too bitter, too sour, too salty, too sweet, too spicy, or too astringent as instructed by the healer, and he served her food that was not bitter, sour, salty, sweet, spicy, or astringent. He draped her body with garlands and strings of precious stones, and he moved her from divan to divan and seat to seat like a goddess through a joyous garden, never letting her descend to the ground, never letting her hear an unpleasant word even for a moment.
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?
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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.
Just as the blessed buddhas regard the world with their buddha eyes six times throughout the day and night—three times by day and three times by night—so too the great listeners regard the world with their listener’s eyes six times throughout the day and night—three times by day and three times by night.
When Venerable Aniruddha regarded the world with his listener’s eyes, he saw a being who was in his final birth taking birth in the home of that householder, and thought, “Who will tame this being? Will he be tamed by the Buddha, or will he be tamed instead by the listeners?” Then he saw that it was he himself who would tame him, and since he was already⁴² a spiritual friend of the house, to strengthen the householder’s resolve, he went to the householder’s home alone, without companions or attendants.
The householder saw that Venerable Aniruddha was alone, without companions or attendants, and he asked, “Noble one, why have you come here alone, without companions or attendants? Noble one, is there no one at all who could attend you?”
“Where shall we find attendants, if one such as yourself does not grant them to us?” replied Venerable Aniruddha.
“Noble one,” said the householder, “my wife has conceived, so if we have a son,
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I shall offer him to you as an attendant.” Venerable Aniruddha said, “The virtuous keep their promises,” and having spoken thus, he departed.
After nine or ten months had passed, the householder’s wife gave birth to a child who was well proportioned, pleasing to the eye, and beautiful, and from all over whose body the fragrance of jasmine flowers arose, suffusing the entire house with the scent of jasmine. A rain of jasmine flowers fell all about the house as the child entered his mother’s womb and again at the time of his birth.
At the elaborate feast celebrating his birth, when they were asked, “What name should we give this child?” they named him, saying, “Since a rain of jasmine flowers fell all about the house as the child entered his mother’s womb and again at the time of his birth, his name will be Jasmine.” They reared young Jasmine on milk, yogurt, butter, ghee, and milk solids, and he flourished like a lotus in a lake.
As he grew up he studied letters, tallying, and arithmetic; the study of seals, lending, deposits, and commerce; and the examination of cloth, jewels, gems, incense, medicine, elephants, horses, and arms and armor. He became skilled in writing, skilled at reading, learned, decisive, and industrious, a master of the eight types of examination.
One day Venerable Aniruddha saw that the time had come for the child to go forth. He went to the householder’s home and reminded him by saying, “Householder, before this child was born you granted him to me as an attendant. The virtuous keep their promises, do they not? Didn’t you yourself make such a promise?”
“Yes, noble one,” the householder replied, “I did make just such a promise.” After he said this, he took the child by his hands,
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offered him to Venerable Aniruddha, and told him, “My child, before you were born, I offered you to the noble one. Therefore go, and be an attendant of the noble one.”
The child said, “This will be of benefit to me,” and with those words he followed Venerable Aniruddha away. After Venerable Aniruddha had instructed, encouraged, inspired, and delighted the householder with a discourse on the Dharma, he rose from his seat and departed.
Having brought the child to the monastery, Venerable Aniruddha led him to go forth as a novice, conferred on him full ordination, and instructed him. Casting away all afflictive emotions through diligence, practice, and effort, he manifested arhatship. As an arhat, free from the attachments of the three realms, his mind regarded gold no differently than filth, and the palms of his hands as like space itself. He became cool like wet sandalwood. His insight crushed ignorance like an eggshell. He achieved the insights, superknowledges, and discriminations. He had no regard for worldly profit, passion, or acclaim. He became an object of offering, veneration, and respectful address by Indra, Upendra, and the other gods.
He also achieved miraculous abilities and great power, such that he reached the concentrations, liberations, meditative stabilizations, and attainments. He could enter and emerge from equipoise quickly, passing from one meditation to the next in the time it takes to thread a needle, and re-emerging just as quickly.
One day Venerable Jasmine thought, “The Blessed One has dispelled so many kinds of suffering and anguish, brought me many kinds of happiness and bliss, cleared away so many of my sins and nonvirtues, and secured for me such virtues.
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How could I repay the Blessed One’s kindness? Anytime a buddha arises in the world, it is only to benefit beings, so surely I too should act for the benefit of beings!”
Reflecting in this way, he wondered, “Whom might I tame?” He looked out, and right away he saw his two parents. Upon seeing them he thought, “But by what method can I tame them?” and he realized he could tame them with a display of miracles. So he disappeared from the garden of Prince Jeta and reappeared at his parents’ house, floating in midair before them. He made a miraculous display of fire and light, rain and lightning, then descended and took a seat.
He taught his parents the Dharma particularly suited to them. Hearing it, the householders and their retinue 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. He led them to go for refuge and maintain the fundamental precepts. Having seen the truths, they gave gifts and made merit.
The monks inquired of the Blessed One, “Lord, what action did Venerable Jasmine take that ripened into his birth into a family of great means, prosperity, and wealth; that he was well proportioned, pleasing to the eye, and beautiful; that at his birth, the scent of jasmine flowers arose from all over his body; that as he entered the womb, a rain of jasmine flowers fell all about the house; and that he pleased the Blessed One, did not displease him, went forth in the doctrine of the Blessed One, cast away all afflictive emotions, and manifested arhatship?
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And his parents—what action did they take that, entrusting themselves to him completely, they pleased the Blessed One, and did not displease him?”
“It came about by the power of their prayers,” replied the Blessed One.
“Lord, where did they make these prayers?”
“Monks,” the Blessed One explained, “in times past, in this fortunate eon, when people lived as long as twenty thousand years and the tathāgata, the arhat, the totally and completely awakened buddha possessed of insight and perfect conduct, the sugata, the knower of the world, the tamer of persons, the charioteer, the unsurpassed one, the teacher of humans and gods, the blessed buddha known as Kāśyapa was in the world, there lived in Vārāṇasī a certain householder, prosperous and wealthy, a person of vast and magnificent means, endowed with the wealth of Vaiśravaṇa—with wealth to rival Vaiśravaṇa’s.
“When the time came for him to marry he took a wife, and as they enjoyed themselves and coupled, one day his wife conceived. After nine or ten months had passed, she gave birth to a child who was well proportioned, pleasing to the eye, and beautiful.
“As he grew up he found faith in the doctrine of the totally and completely awakened Buddha Kāśyapa. He asked for his parents’ permission and went forth. After going forth, he studied the Tripiṭaka and became a proponent of the Dharma with all the eloquence of his wisdom and freedom. He led his parents to live a life of perfect faith, and to go for refuge and maintain the fundamental precepts, and he inspired them to give gifts and to share what they had.
“One day he thought, ‘I have completed whatever educational duties were before me. Now let me serve the saṅgha!’ With this thought he called upon his parents, the brahmins, and others of faith, and they offered the saṅgha cooked rice, soup, drink, porridge,
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and provisions such as clothing, food, bedding, seats, and medicines for the sick, and they offered them residences as well.
“He anointed all the stūpas containing hair and nail relics with an unguent of sesame oil and fragrant ointments; offered rows of butter lamps, garlands of jasmine flowers, and parasols; and scattered loose jasmine petals over them.
“Then he prayed, ‘By this root of virtue, wherever I am born, may it be into a family of great means, prosperity, and wealth. May I be well proportioned, pleasing to the eye, and beautiful. From all over my body may the fragrance of jasmine flowers arise. As I enter my mother’s womb, may a rain of jasmine flowers also fall all about the house. May I please and not displease Uttara, the young brahmin prophesied by the totally and completely awakened Buddha Kāśyapa to be the next blessed buddha. Going forth in his doctrine alone may I cast away all afflictive emotions and manifest arhatship.
“ ‘May I have a sharp intellect. May I attain the concentrations, liberations, meditative stabilization, and attainments. May I enter and emerge from equipoise quickly, passing from one meditation to the next in the time it takes to thread a needle, and re-emerging just as quickly.’
As they saw him sitting there praying his parents asked, ‘Child, what prayers are you making?’
“ ‘I prayed like this…’ he told them, and related it all in detail.
His parents said, ‘May you alone again become our son. May the two of us again become your parents. Entrusting ourselves to you completely, may we please and not displease the Blessed Buddha.’
“O monks, what do you think? The one
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who was that monk then is none other than Jasmine now. At that time he went forth in the doctrine of the totally and completely awakened Buddha Kāśyapa and rendered service in accord with the Dharma. He served the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha with respect, and the act of praying ripened such that wherever he was born it was into a family of great means, prosperity, and wealth; he was well proportioned, pleasing to the eye, and beautiful; from all over his body the fragrance of jasmine flowers arose; and a rain of flowers fell all about the house as he entered his mother’s womb, and again at the time of his birth.
“So it is, monks, now that I myself have become the very equal of the totally and completely awakened Buddha Kāśyapa—equal in strength, equal in deeds, and equal in skillful means—that he has pleased me, not displeased me, gone forth in my very doctrine, cast away all afflictive emotions, and manifested arhatship; that his intellect became sharp; that that he reached the concentrations, liberations, meditative stabilizations, and attainments; and that he can enter and emerge from equipoise quickly, passing from one meditation to the next in the time it takes to thread a needle, and re-emerging just as quickly.
“The ones who were his parents then are none other than his parents now. At that time they prayed, ‘Entrusting ourselves to you completely, may we please and not displease the king of the Śākyas,’ and now, entrusting themselves to him completely, they have pleased me, and not displeased me.”
Give It to Me!
One morning when the Blessed One was in Śrāvastī he donned his lower garment and Dharma robes, and, carrying his alms bowl, went for alms.
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A little brahmin child stood not far from the Blessed One and watched as a householder offered a laḍḍū treat of a hundred flavors, big enough to fill his stomach.
When the brahmin child saw the laḍḍū treat, great craving arose in him for it, and he approached the Blessed One and said, “Hey Gautama, gimme that laḍḍū!”
The Blessed One answered the brahmin child, “Child, if you say, ‘I don’t need that laḍḍū treat,’ I’ll hand it over.”
So he said to Gautama, “Hey Gautama, I don’t need that laḍḍū treat,” and the Blessed One handed the laḍḍū treat to him.
At that time, not far from the Blessed One was sitting the householder Anāthapiṇḍada, who thought, “It won’t be possible for the Blessed One to take alms again today. There’s nowhere else, no other opportunity.”
Realizing that there was no other place and no other opportunity for the Blessed One to take alms, he pulled the brahmin child aside and said, “Little brahmin, give that laḍḍū treat back to the Blessed One and I’ll give you five hundred gold coins.”
“As you wish, householder,” the brahmin child said, and he put the laḍḍū treat back into the Blessed One’s alms bowl. The Blessed One finished his alms round and returned to the monastery. Meanwhile, the householder Anāthapiṇḍada brought the brahmin child home, gave him something to eat, and handed him the five hundred gold coins.
The monks inquired of the Blessed One, “Lord, tell us why the Blessed One would not give the brahmin child the laḍḍū treat when he begged the Blessed One for it, but the Blessed One gave the laḍḍū treat to him after the child said, ‘Hey Gautama, I don’t need that laḍḍū treat,’
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“Monks,” explained the Blessed One, “for many thousands of lifetimes, that brahmin child frequently indulged, became addicted, and ended up wanting more. Thus I’ve lured him with a laḍḍū treat to turn him away from his preoccupation with acquiring things; that will be the sole cause of his going forth and giving up his aggregates.”
“Lord, when will this brahmin child give up his aggregates?”
“Monks, in the future a totally and completely awakened Buddha named Mountain, who will far surpass the listeners and solitary buddhas, will emerge in the world. It is in his doctrine alone that, having obtained a human birth, he will go forth, cast away the afflictive emotions, and manifest arhatship.”
The Story of She Who Gathers
When the Blessed One was in Rājagṛha, there was a king named Padmagarbha who reigned in Takṣaśīla. His kingdom was prosperous, flourishing, happy, and well populated. The harvest was good. Quarreling and arguments had ceased, there was no fighting or infighting, and there were no robbers, thieves, illness, or famine. Rice, sugarcane, cattle, and buffalo were plentiful. His was a reign in accord with the Dharma, and he treated the kingdom like a beloved only child.
As he and the queen enjoyed themselves and coupled, the queen conceived, and her mind became filled with thoughts like, “If only I could debate the scriptural exegetes!” and other fervent wishes of that sort. When the king heard of this, he took her to the soothsayers.
“Deva,” the soothsayers said, “she has such fervent wishes in her mind because the being in her womb
Linked texts (1)
- ལས་བརྒྱ་ཐམ་པ་པ — Classical Tibetan