ལས་བརྒྱ་ཐམ་པ་པ 9
The Hundred Deeds 9
- Language
- English
9.1
and placed you in the unsurpassed, supreme welfare of nirvāṇa.”
The Bear: Two Stories
The First Story of the Bear
When the Blessed One was in Rājagṛha and traveling in the Gayā region, he fell ill with a cold. An expert healer named Jīvaka advised him of the benefits of a medicinal butter called iron arrow. He prepared the butter decoction himself and offered it to the Blessed One. Since there was some left to spare, Jīvaka asked the Blessed One, “Lord, please tell me to whom I should give the leftover decoction.”
The Blessed One replied to Jīvaka, “Jīvaka, ask the saṅgha to distribute it to whomever they wish.”
Jīvaka replied, “I shall do as the Blessed One has instructed,” and went to distribute the remaining decoction to the saṅgha, but none of the monks took any.
When Devadatta noticed this he asked, “What’s that, Jīvaka?”
“This is what’s left of a medicinal butter called iron arrow that the Blessed One took. He offered it to the saṅgha, but no one took any.”
“I’ll take it,” Devadatta said. “Give me the same amount that the ascetic Gautama took.”
“Devadatta, not only is the Blessed One’s body very big, but his strength is greater than yours,” Jīvaka replied. “You won’t be able to digest that much.”
“If the ascetic Gautama can digest it, why can’t I?” Devadatta retorted. Paying no heed to Jīvaka’s advice, he drank just as much as the Blessed One had.
The next day the Blessed One had prepared a simple rice soup and was eating it. When Devadatta heard that the Blessed One had prepared a simple rice soup and was eating it, he said to Jīvaka, “Jīvaka, I too
9.2
shall prepare a simple rice soup.”
Seeing his pallor, Jīvaka said, “Devadatta, if you can’t even digest butter, how will you be able to digest rice soup?”
“If the ascetic Gautama can tolerate it, why can’t I?” he said. With these words he prepared a simple rice soup of his own, but no sooner had he eaten it than stomach pain overtook him. He rolled around on the ground, unable to bear the pain in his stomach.
Everyone in the world has those who are their friends, those who are enemies, and those in between. So someone went and summoned Venerable Ānanda and told him, “Lord Ānanda, a stomach illness has nearly killed Devadatta.” When he heard this Venerable Ānanda was concerned about his brother Devadatta and became worried. He approached the Blessed One and informed him, “Lord, Devadatta is near death from a stomach illness. Blessed One, please protect him!” As soon as the Blessed One heard this, he was seized by great compassion and hurried to where Devadatta was.
When he got there he placed his hands on Devadatta’s head and said, “Devadatta, if it is by any measure true or a true statement that you, a murderer, and Rāhula are alike in my mind as two palms pressed together, then may you be healed.” No sooner had he said this than Devadatta was well.
Then the monks said, “Devadatta, the Blessed One took on the difficult task for you of saving your precious life.”
“What’s so miraculous about that?” he retorted. “If he did not understand the study of medicine, how could he have established such an assembly as this?” Then he began devising some scheme to kill the Blessed One.
When the monks heard about this, they implored the Blessed One, “Lord, when the Blessed One protects Devadatta, all Devadatta does is try to kill the Blessed One.
9.3
Even now he is devising some scheme. Lord, tell us why Devadatta has not repaid your kindness, has no sense of gratitude, and makes a waste of what you have done.”
“Not only now,” the Blessed One explained, “but in times past as well, and in the same way, he did not repay my kindness, had no sense of gratitude, and made a waste of what I did. Listen well!
“Monks, in times past there lived in a certain mountain village a poor man who made his living by selling grass and wood. One day he ventured out on the mountain to cut down a tree and snow began to fall. Assailed by an icy wind and suffering from exposure in the bad weather, he took shelter inside a large rock cave.
“At that time the Bodhisattva had taken birth as a bear. Now even when bodhisattvas take a lower birth with their bodies, their minds do not descend to lower realms. They are great beings, compassionate, with a loving nature, who care deeply for beings and are committed to their welfare. Thus the bear did not wish anyone harm but subsisted only on roots and fruit.
“So it was that in that cave the bear had already amassed a stock of roots and fruit by the time that the man, driven by the wind, stumbled inside. Upon entering, the man saw him, was overcome with terror, and thought, ‘He has me now. I’m as good as dead! There’s no way for me to get out of his reach.’
“When the Bodhisattva saw the man, he thought to himself, ‘This man has been driven here by the wind, and is terrified.’ Recognizing this, out of compassion for him he spoke to him in his own tongue, saying, ‘Fear not, my friend. You need not be afraid of me.’ Then the Bodhisattva sheltered the man with his own body, and provided him with roots and fruit. He continued to shelter the man with his own body for seven days.
“After he had sustained him with roots and fruit like this for seven days and the bad weather had passed, the Bodhisattva
9.4
instructed him, ‘Human, return to your home. Don’t tell anyone I am here, for I have many enemies, and someone is sure to come and kill me for meat.’ Having said this the Bodhisattva set the man outside, and the man returned to his mountain village carrying a load of wood.
“Now there in the mountain village, two hunters were out in pursuit of deer. When they saw the man carrying his load of wood, they said, ‘Here this man comes after spending seven days on the mountainside, away from the village—where has he been these seven days? What has he been eating?’
“So they put their questions to him. He told his story to the two hunters in great detail, and right away they said to him, ‘Show us where the bear is, and we’ll kill it. Then we’ll give you your fair share of the bear meat.’
“The man thought, ‘While it’s true that for seven days the bear protected me and did me no harm, there’s also not a thing to eat in my house, and if I lead these two men to the bear, everyone in my family will be able to eat for many days.’ So he said to the two men, ‘Very well, you two—I’ll show you where the bear is.’
“After he showed the animal in the cave to the two hunters, they both shot the bear with poisoned arrows, and the searing pain of death’s approach overwhelmed the Bodhisattva. Knowing well that he was going to die, he spoke in verse:
“ ‘I kept to myself in a narrow crevasse—
Whom did I rob then, and of what?
I made my meals of grass, roots, and fruit.
I did no harm to anyone.
“ ‘But now it’s time and death draws near
And there is nothing I can do,
For be it bliss or be it pain,
All that is, is karma’s fruit.’
“After the two men killed the bear, they skinned him and divided the meat into three parts. They said to the man, ‘Here, you can take your share.’ The man heard them and
9.5
held out his hands. But when he said, ‘Give it here,’ both his hands fell off onto the ground.
“At the sight of this the two hunters screamed, ‘Aiieee! What is this?’
“ ‘For seven days,’ the man explained, ‘I faced wind and bad weather, and that bear sheltered me with his own body, sustaining me with roots and fruit. It is because of my ingratitude and refusal to repay his kindness that I have met with such results.’
“Upon hearing this, the two hunters were immediately overcome with despair, and thought, ‘This was no ordinary being. How could we eat this flesh that is steeped in such mercy? It is worthy of veneration.’
“In those days the world was adorned by the presence of a buddha, and the hunters took the meat to his monastery. When they arrived at the monastery, they offered the meat to the saṅgha. Laying eyes on it, one arhat thought, ‘This meat is steeped in the mercy of a bodhisattva of our fortunate eon.’ Recognizing this, he said to the monks, ‘Lords, this meat is steeped in the mercy of a bodhisattva of our good eon. It is worthy of veneration. Let us offer our respect!’ Having said this, he spoke this verse:
“ ‘This great, fortunate beast
Bears the yoke of a bodhisattva.
Endowed with great compassion,
He is worthy of worship in the triple world.’
“After the arhat had spoken these words, he, the monks, and the two hunters cremated the flesh, then built a reliquary stūpa for the remains, made a large offering to it, and departed.
“O monks, what do you think? I am the one who was that bear then, and lived the life of a bodhisattva. The one who was that man then is now Devadatta. And that time as well he did not repay my kindness, nor have a sense or gratitude, but
9.6
made a waste of what I did.”
The Second Story of the Bear
This story begins with a narrative similar to the previous story.
The monks addressed the Blessed One: “Lord, Devadatta has not repaid your kindness, has no sense of gratitude, and makes a waste of what you have done.”
“Not only now,” the Blessed One explained, “but in times past as well, and in the same way, he did not repay my kindness, had no sense of gratitude, and made a waste of what I did. Listen well!
“Monks, in times past there was a certain mountain village where there lived a poor man who made his living by selling grass and wood. One day, he ventured into the forest to cut down a tree and a lion began to stalk him. In fear he scrambled up the tree, and he found a bear sitting there who had already climbed up because he too was afraid of the lion. When the man saw him he was doubly afraid and thought, ‘I’m safe from the threat of the lion, but now this one might cause me harm.’ That bear, however, was a bodhisattva of this fortunate eon.
“Now even when bodhisattvas take a lower birth with their bodies, their minds do not descend to lower realms. The Bodhisattva saw him and thought, ‘This man is terrified.’
“Recognizing this, in compassion for him he spoke to him in his own tongue, saying, ‘Fear not, my friend. You need not have any fear of me.’ The Bodhisattva stretched out his paw, drew him further up, and sheltered him with his own body.
“Then the Bodhisattva said to him, ‘You should know that this lion is hostile, and wishes to attack and kill us. So when I go to sleep, you protect me, and when you are sleeping, I will protect you. If we both protect one another, we’ll stay safe.’
“ ‘Ok,’ the man said,
9.7
and he rested, making a pillow of the Bodhisattva’s lap.
“As the man was sleeping, the lion, king of beasts, said to the Bodhisattva, ‘Humans have no sense of gratitude. Give the man to me! After I eat him, I shall be on my way. Once I’m gone, you’re free to go wherever you please.’
“The Bodhisattva replied, ‘I cannot forsake those who come to me for refuge. I can relinquish my own life, but I cannot forsake those who come to me for refuge.’ Just then the man awoke, and the Bodhisattva said, ‘Human, while you were sleeping I protected you. Now as I sleep, please do the same.’ Then the Bodhisattva made a pillow of the man’s lap and went to sleep.
“As the Bodhisattva was sleeping, the lion said to the man, ‘Human, give the bear to me! After I eat him, I shall be on my way. Once I’m gone, you’re free to go wherever you please. If you don’t, after I’ve gone the bear is going to kill you anyway.’
“The man thought, ‘What the lion is saying is true.’ Squandering his life to come, his heart devoid of compassion, he heaved the bear out of the tree. As the bear plummeted from the tree, he spoke these verses:
“ ‘Such misery! Of all worldly beings,
Those without Dharma one should fear most.
For among the wicked, they are the ones
Who would harm even their friends.’
“No sooner had he struck the ground than the lion, king of beasts, killed and ate him, then departed from the region.
“When the man heard the bear’s words he was filled with great regret. ‘Oh no! What have I done!’ he thought. ‘When I was sleeping, he served me so well. He protected my life, and I betrayed him!’⁸³ This drove him mad, and he ran all about, crying:
“ ‘Such misery! Of all worldly beings,
Those without Dharma one should fear most.
For among the wicked, they are the ones
Who would harm even their friends.’
“His brothers brought him to a doctor
9.8
and asked, ‘What has happened to him?’
“ ‘It is not a ghost that has caused this disturbance,’ he replied, ‘I cannot heal him.’
“In a solitary place not far from their mountain village there was a sage who was clairvoyant, a person of great miracles and great power. The brothers took the man, showed him to the sage, and asked, ‘What has driven him mad?’ The sage then told the brothers the story in detail.
“ ‘He betrayed someone, and that’s why he went mad,’ he concluded. He taught the man the Dharma in such a way that he could return his mind to its ordinary state and then said, ‘You betrayed him—alas! It’s not right to treat another being who did such good for you the way you did.’ Having spoken thus, the sage recited these verses:
“ ‘Seated, lying, standing, walking—
Whatever the occasion be—
No happiness is to be found
In the betrayal of a friend.
“ ‘He spoke verses of compassion
Even as he went tumbling down.
For this, ill-minded man, you’ll burn
In flames, like the Khāṇḍava Forest.⁸⁴
“ ‘Because of the frightful things you’ve done,
The sorrow and suffering you have wrought,
When you pass on to the next world
A life of malady alone awaits you.
“ ‘You’ll be terrified at the things you hear
As you sob in the horrid Shrieking Hell—
Episodes of tremendous torment,
Iterations of every ill.
“ ‘Unbearable, your wicked deed—
Whatever did he do to you?
Among every type of wicked folk,
Some go so far as to harm their friends.
“ ‘Remember the terrible sin that you,
Devoid of Dharma, chose to commit.
How could you have done this wicked deed?
Not the bear nor the lion should you forget.
“ ‘You’ve so little sense, you failed to comprehend
How one should act toward a friend.
Through killing, you will meet your murder.
By malice, you will meet your foe.
9.9
“ ‘When you encountered a terrifying lion,
The bear offered you his service for the duration.
He protected you from falling,
A favor you did not return.
“ ‘Those who teach the Dharma say,
“Betraying a friend is the vilest fetter.”
So when you die—you of rotten mind—
You’ll take rebirth in the hells.’⁸⁵
“Having heard the sage’s rebuke, the man regretted his actions and went forth in the presence of the very same sage.
“O monks, what do you think? I am the one who was that bear then, and lived the life of a bodhisattva. The one who was that man then is none other than Devadatta. At that time too, neither did he repay my kindness, nor did he have any sense of gratitude, but rather made a waste of what I did.”
The Story of Small Person with a Curving Spine
When the Blessed One was in Śrāvastī, there lived a certain poor brahmin who was destitute of means and made his living begging for food. One day his wife became pregnant, and after she conceived the brahmin did not receive very much in the way of alms. After nine or ten months had passed, she gave birth to a child who was gaunt and emaciated and had a poor complexion, an ugly face, and a crooked spine.
They celebrated his birth with whatever they could scrounge together and asked, “What name should we give this child?” And they named him, saying, “Since this child is very small, and has a curved spine, his name will be Small Person with a Curving Spine.” They reared him on milk, yogurt, butter, ghee, and milk solids.
One day, this being’s past actions ripened such that his mother’s breast ran dry. After that his mother nourished him with cow and buffalo milk, but these too proved scarce. Now it is impossible and out of the question for a being in their final existence to die an untimely death. Thus, they could occasionally obtain cow and buffalo milk, and he did receive some modest nourishment.
When he had grown, his father said to him,
9.10
“Child, our entire livelihood consists only of begging. We have neither fields to plow, nor any business to conduct. So go now and make your living from whatever food you can beg.”
“As you wish,” the child replied, and he began to beg. But even when he would spend a long time walking all about, he never found more than was enough to barely keep himself alive.
Then at a certain point the young man found faith in the doctrine of the Blessed One, so he approached a monk and asked him, “Lord, if appropriate, 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.”
“Are your parents still alive?” asked the monk.
“They are,” he replied.
“Have you informed your parents about this?”
“I have not, lord.”
“Young man, the buddhas and their disciples neither lead novices to go forth nor confer full ordination without the parents’ permission,” the monk told him. “Go and inform your parents, then come back here. This will make things easier for you later on.”
So Small Person with a Curving Spine heeded the monk’s advice, approached his parents, and said, “Mother, Father, I am asking for your kind permission to go forth in the doctrine of the Blessed One.”
His parents thought, “Until now, his suffering knew no equal. The two of us have also suffered so. All it would take to bring him happiness is for him to go forth. Moreover, he’ll be able to achieve happiness not just in this life but in the next as well.” With these thoughts in mind, they said, “Of course, child. Should you achieve any special attainments, please demonstrate them to us.”
“As you wish,” he replied.
After receiving permission from his parents, Small Person with a Curving Spine went on to the garden of Prince Jeta. There he approached the monk and told him, “Lord, I’ve informed both my parents. Now that my parents have given me their consent to go forth, Lord, if permitted, I wish to go forth in the Dharma and Vinaya so well spoken,
9.11
complete my novitiate, and achieve full ordination. In the presence of the Blessed One, I too wish to practice the holy life.”
Great persons do that which is of benefit to others, so the monk led him to go forth as a novice and conferred on him full ordination. The monk provided him with two or three days’ worth of food, and then instructed him, “My child, one deer cannot feed another. Go then for alms to your home region, the country frequented by your father.”
Heeding the words of his preceptor, he would occasionally go begging for alms. Sometimes, however, he would also try to eat food by seating himself in the rows of the saṅgha, but as the food was being distributed, his past actions would ripen such that the food and drink would run out just as it was to be distributed to him, or else some other intervening complication would arise. Even when they then returned, he would be passed over, and the food would be distributed to those behind him. Thus, even while seated there in the rows, sometimes he would get food and other times he would not.
When the monks heard about this, they asked the Blessed One about it. The Blessed One replied, “Monks, let there be a rule established for monks sitting behind. Those sitting behind should not take their food until those in front of them have taken theirs. If for some reason another person is passed over, they should not eat until that person has received a share. If, moreover, one person was not able to receive everything, the others should divide their food with that person. To do so is good. To do otherwise is an infraction. Those who commit such an infraction will take alms in service of others when they go for all alms.”
Then one day Venerable Small Person with a Curving Spine swept the Blessed One’s fragrant chamber, and that day
9.12
he received good food and drink. He also received good food and drink as he continued sweeping the Blessed One’s fragrant chamber for the next two or three days. As a result, his body became strong, resilient, and capable.⁸⁶
He cast away all afflictive emotions through diligence, practice, and effort, and 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.
When he achieved arhatship, his past actions ripened such that on that day a different monk swept the Blessed One’s fragrant chamber. He was walking along carrying a broom, thinking, “I’m off to sweep the Blessed One’s fragrant chamber,” and when he saw that another monk had already swept it, he thought, “I may now find myself going hungry.” So in the morning he donned his lower garment and Dharma robes, and, carrying his alms bowl, he went for alms in Śrāvastī. But even though he did, he did not receive anything, and that day he went hungry.
On the following day as well Venerable Small Person with a Curving Spine was walking along carrying a broom, thinking, “I’m off to sweep the Blessed One’s fragrant chamber,” when he saw that another monk had already swept it. Thinking, “Today I
9.13
may go hungry a second time,” he returned to his hut.
There he heard that a householder had invited the Blessed One and the rest of the saṅgha of monks to take their food at his house, and he thought, “What need is there for me to go for alms? Now I can go and take my food at the same house where the Blessed One and the rest of the saṅgha of monks are going to eat.” So he sat down in a cross-legged position and began to meditate.
In the meantime, some important matters came up for the householder, so he invited the Blessed One and the rest of the saṅgha of monks to take the midday meal at his house a bit early, and with his own hand he contented them with many good, wholesome foods. Afterward, the Blessed One gave a Dharma teaching for the people of the house and returned to the monastery.
Venerable Small Person with a Curving Spine noticed that the day had become warm,⁸⁷ so he donned his lower garment and Dharma robes, and set out carrying his alms bowl. The Blessed One, traveling on one side of the road, entered the garden of Prince Jeta, and Venerable Small Person with a Curving Spine, traveling on the other side of the road, went to the householder’s home. When he arrived, he realized that the Blessed One and the rest of the saṅgha of monks had already taken their food and departed. So it was that he went hungry a second day.
The following day another monk swept the Blessed One’s fragrant chamber. Venerable Small Person with a Curving Spine was walking along carrying a broom, thinking, “I’m off to sweep the Blessed One’s fragrant chamber,” when he saw that another monk had already swept it. At that the thought occurred to him, “Today I may go hungry a third time,” and he returned to his hut.
After he was home, word reached Venerable Ānanda that Venerable Small Person with a Curving Spine had gone hungry for two days already. Hearing this, in concern for him he got in touch with one of their patrons,
9.14
then came to Venerable Small Person with a Curving Spine and said, “Venerable Small Person with a Curving Spine, today you should go and eat at the home of such-and-such a householder.” Thereupon Venerable Ānanda donned his lower garment and Dharma robes, and, carrying his alms bowl, went for alms in Śrāvastī.
But, after having waited such a long time, when Venerable Small Person with a Curving Spine donned his lower garment and Dharma robes, and, carrying his alms bowl, went to the home of that householder, his past actions ripened in such a way that some important matters came up for the householder, who in his distraction left for another village without mentioning anything to the people of his house. Having gone there and not received any food, Venerable Small One with a Curving Spine went hungry a third day.
Word reached Venerable Ānanda that Venerable Small Person with a Curving Spine had now gone hungry for three days, and he thought, “I myself will bring alms for him.” He went to Venerable Small Person with a Curving Spine and said, “Don’t worry, Venerable Small Person with a Curving Spine! Tomorrow I shall have food for you,” and he returned to his hut.
The next day, carrying two alms bowls, he set out for Śrāvastī. After begging alms there, he ate some himself. Intending the rest for Venerable Small Person with a Curving Spine, he was carrying them to the garden of Prince Jeta when Venerable Small Person with a Curving Spine’s past actions ripened such that dogs appeared along the way, and they stole the food and ate it. Venerable Ānanda thought, “By the time I make it back to Śrāvastī, it will be past noon.” So he returned to the monastery, and on that day Venerable Small Person with a Curving Spine went hungry a fourth time.
Then word reached Venerable Maudgalyāyana that Venerable Small Person with a Curving Spine had now gone hungry for four days, and he thought, “Tomorrow I shall bring him food,” and he returned to his hut.
9.15
The next day, carrying two alms bowls, he went for alms in Śrāvastī. After begging alms there, he ate some himself. Intending the rest for Venerable Small Person with a Curving Spine, he was carrying them to the garden of Prince Jeta when Venerable Small Person with a Curving Spine’s past actions ripened such that crows appeared along the way, and they stole the food and ate it. Then Venerable Maudgalyāyana thought, “By the time I make it back to Śrāvastī, it will be past noon.” So he returned to the monastery, and on that day Venerable Small One with a Curving Spine went hungry a fifth time.
Then word reached Venerable Śāriputra that Venerable Small Person with a Curving Spine had now gone without food for five days, and he thought, “Tomorrow I shall bring him food.” He went to Venerable Small One with a Curving Spine and said, “Don’t worry, Venerable Small One with a Curving Spine! Tomorrow I shall have food for you,” and returned to his hut.
The next day, carrying two alms bowls, he went for alms in Śrāvastī. After begging alms there, he ate some himself. Intending the rest for Venerable Small Person with a Curving Spine, he was carrying them to the garden of Prince Jeta when Venerable Small Person with a Curving Spine’s past actions ripened such that nonhuman spirits appeared along the way, and they made the food disappear. Then Venerable Śāriputra thought, “By the time I make it back to Śrāvastī, it will be past noon.” So he said nothing, and on that day Venerable Small One with a Curving Spine went without food a sixth time.
Again Venerable Śāriputra thought, “Tomorrow I shall bring him food.” He went to Venerable Small Person with a Curving Spine and said, “Don’t worry, Venerable Small One with a Curving Spine! Tomorrow I shall have food for you,” and returned to his hut. The next day, carrying two alms bowls, he set out for Śrāvastī.
9.16
After begging alms there, he ate some himself. Intending the rest for Venerable Small One with a Curving Spine, he was carrying them to Venerable Small Person with a Curving Spine’s hut when Venerable Small Person with a Curving Spine’s past actions ripened such that on the hut neither doors nor windows were to be found.
Then by means of a miracle Venerable Śāriputra manifested a door, went inside, and said, “Venerable Small Person with a Curving Spine, rise now and wash your face.”
“I have already washed my face,” he replied. Then Venerable Śāriputra immediately set the alms bowls and water sieve to one side and placed the container of water in Venerable Small Person with a Curving Spine’s hands.
After setting out stands for the alms bowls, he took one up in his own hands and said, “Here now, take your alms bowl.”
At that very moment, the bowl plunged down into the earth, descending all the way to the base of the universe. Venerable Śāriputra extended his arm like an elephant’s trunk, drawing up the alms bowl and placing it in his left hand. Then he gave it a blessing with his right hand and said, “Venerable Small Person with a Curving Spine, please eat.”
He said, “I shall,” but as he lifted a single morsel of food from the bowl, the morsel actually disappeared. Every morsel of food that he took from the bowl disappeared in just the same way.
Then Venerable Śāriputra took up a morsel in his own right hand and tried to put it in Venerable Small Person with a Curving Spine’s mouth and his mouth disappeared—he became like a mound of grass without an opening. Venerable Śāriputra’s miraculous powers could not make his mouth reappear, and it grew to be past noon.
After noontime his mouth became as it was before. Then Venerable Śāriputra asked, “Venerable Small Person with a Curving Spine, what is tormenting you so unbearably?”
“Lord Śāriputra,” he replied, “I am tormented by thirst. Please give me some water to drink!”
Venerable Śāriputra filled a alms bowl with water, and Venerable Small Person with a Curving Spine picked it up, lifted it to his mouth
9.17
and said, “Something to drink!” Then, due to his past actions, human beings appeared and began dumping ashes into the bowl.
When he saw this, he thought, “All that I am experiencing certainly comes from the actions I myself have committed and accumulated. There is no doubting their arrival, for I have put the conditions in place and accumulated the causes. Therefore they cannot ripen or be experienced in the aggregates, elements, or sense bases of another.”
With that he quaffed the ash-gruel, and on that basis he passed into parinirvāṇa amid a miraculous display of fire and light, rain and lightning. Afterward, his fellow practitioners of the holy life venerated his remains. They built a reliquary stūpa and venerated it with flowers, burning sticks of incense, incense powders, and incense cones.
The monks inquired of the Blessed One, “Lord, what action did Venerable Small Person with a Curving Spine take that ripened into his being hungry and bereft, that he went hungry for seven days, and that upon eating ash-gruel he passed into parinirvāṇa?”
“Monks,” the Blessed One explained, “in his previous lives he himself collected the causes and put the conditions in place. The actions he committed and accumulated are now returning as certainly as the tides. Since it was he himself who committed and accumulated them, who else is there to experience them?
“Monks, the actions he committed and accumulated did not ripen in 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, 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 gone by,
9.18
in a certain mountain village there lived a 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. 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. At the elaborate feast celebrating his birth they named him according to their clan.
“They reared him on milk, yogurt, butter, ghee, and milk solids, and 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.
“That householder delighted in giving. He made merit and gave gifts at his home to ascetics, brahmins, practitioners, mendicants, the poor, and the bereft. Then one day the householder died. After his death, as his wife grieved her spouse, she continued to give gifts as had been their custom. Thereupon her son said to her, ‘Mother, don’t pare our house down to nothing! I won’t be able to run the household as father did.’
“Many times he tried to stop her like this, but it was no use. Finally the young man thought, ‘Whatever I do, it’s no use. I shall kill her!’ So he locked up his mother in the confines of the house and deprived her of food and drink.
“She pleaded with him, ‘My child, please let me go! I won’t share with anyone ever again! I can’t stay in this house forever!’
9.19
“ ‘While you yet live, I cannot release you,’ the young man replied. So he locked up his mother in the confines of the house, depriving her of food, and kept her barricaded there for seven days until the people of his house told their relatives, and the relatives came and let her go.
“After nearly losing her life in the confines of the house, she begged her son for water. The young man thought, ‘This is sure to kill her,’ and handed her ash-gruel. Her body was very weak, so when she drank the ash-gruel it caused her death.
“O monks, what do you think? The one who was that young man then is none other than Small Person with a Curving Spine now. The acts of leaving his mother to go hungry and killing her with ash-gruel ripened into his being cooked by hell beings for hundreds upon hundreds of eons, and ripened such that after he was released from that fate, wherever he was born, he went hungry until he drank ash-gruel and died.
“Now that he had come into what would be his final birth, his final body, his final dwelling place, he continued to go hungry until he achieved arhatship. In the end, the same condition, eating ash-gruel, caused him to pass into parinirvāṇa.
“He committed another act as well, an act that ripened into starvation and great suffering for him.
Monks, 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 a certain householder in Vārāṇasī.
“One day his wife conceived, and after nine or ten months had passed, she gave birth to twins. At the elaborate feast celebrating their birth they named them according to their clan. They reared them on milk, yogurt, butter, ghee, and milk solids, and when they grew up,
9.20
they found faith in the doctrine of the totally and completely awakened Buddha Kāśyapa, asked for their parents’ permission, and went forth. Having gone forth, they studied the Tripiṭaka and became proponents of the Dharma with all the eloquence of their wisdom and freedom. They were inseparable, sticking together wherever they went.
“One of the two, having acquired provisions of clothing, food, bedding, a seat, and medicines for the sick, thought, ‘How wonderful! With all the profit and acclaim I’ve gained, I can see to the welfare of my fellow practitioners of the conduct leading to liberation. Let me render service to the twofold saṅgha in accord with the Dharma.’ He began to render service to the saṅgha in accord with the Dharma, providing provisions such as clothing, food, bedding, seats, and medicines for the sick for all their needs.
“His brother thought, ‘This is my sibling, my friend. If indeed our virtuous works depend on one another, then his desire to render service to the saṅgha will create obstacles for my own virtuous work.’
“Thinking this, he said to him, ‘Brother, I don’t want to throw away my own virtuous work to provide for the saṅgha.’
“His brother replied, ‘Everything I’ve needed has come to me with almost no trouble at all. Yet my fellow practitioners of pure conduct are sorely lacking things they need. How could I not wish to help them?’ Thus, although he tried to stop his brother from helping many times, it was no use.
“Finally he thought, ‘So long as he yet lives, there will be no stopping this. Oh, but let me devise some means to take him to another country! That will stop him.’ With this in mind, he devised a way to lead his brother to another country, and there they stayed.
“Over time their absence became an obstacle to the livelihood of the other monks, and while they were away,
9.21
his brother heard the monks were in dire straits and right away said to his sibling, ‘I shall go there and bring the monks the things they need!’
“To this his brother replied, ‘Brother, those monks are just like anguished spirits, dependent on others for absolutely everything. Will you throw away your own virtuous work, then, to travel there?’
“ ‘You must confess the mistake you’ve made by speaking harshly to me. Otherwise you’re sure to meet with the frightful results of what you’ve done.’
“He was flooded with regret, and after practicing the holy life all his life, at the time of his death, he prayed, ‘May I not meet with the results of the act of speaking harshly to fellow practitioners of the holy life, and of creating obstacles to their livelihood. While I may not have attained any great virtues, still I have been of service to the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha, and practiced pure conduct all my life. Therefore, 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.’
“O monks, what do you think? The one who was that monk then is none other than Small Person with a Curving Spine. The act of speaking harshly to fellow practitioners of the holy life ripened such that for five hundred lifetimes he took rebirth as an anguished spirit. Once he had died and moved on from that state, that same act also ripened such that, wherever he was born, he went hungry and died. Now, having come into what would be his final birth before achieving arhatship, the act of having gone hungry ripened into his passing into parinirvāṇa.
“At that time he prayed, ‘May I please and not displease Uttara, the young brahmin
9.22
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.’
“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.”
The Rākṣasa
When the Blessed One was in Śrāvastī, there lived in the sewage bogs outside Śrāvastī a certain rākṣasa. His head was bald⁸⁸ like that of a monk. Where any hair should have been, his entire body teemed instead with parasites as tiny as the tip of a needle, each of which fed on him, causing him unbearable pain. He dragged himself back and forth across the sewage bog, tormented by hunger and eating filth. In unbearable pain, he would reel from one side of the bog to the other, stirring up all the filthy sewage.
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.
9.23
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.
Then the Blessed One thought, “The time has come to issue a prophecy of this rākṣasa’s awakening. Through him I shall guide a great many disciples.” With this in mind, in order to guide them the Blessed One transformed Śrāvastī such that it was filled with the terrible stench of the sewage bog.
The people of Śrāvastī were mystified, and, impelled by their previous roots of virtue, they wondered, “Where is that terrible stench coming from?” Thousands upon thousands of them gathered, hoping for a spectacle. The people followed the terrible stench out toward the sewage bog, where they saw the filthy rākṣasa living there, dragging himself back and forth.
Looking at him, they thought, “A being like this! And such suffering! What is all this?”
Thereupon the Blessed One thought, “Every one of my disciples from Śrāvastī
9.24
has now gathered,” so in the morning the Blessed One donned his lower garment and Dharma robes, and, carrying his alms bowl, he set out for Śrāvastī accompanied by a group of monks.
When they came to the sewage bog, the people saw the Blessed Buddha in the distance, and, upon seeing him, those without faith said, “They say the mendicant Gautama takes no joy in spectacles, but even he has to stop and stare.”
Those who had faith in him said, “Through this being the Blessed One will give an extraordinary Dharma teaching, no doubt.” They prepared a seat for the Blessed One, saying, “This way, Blessed One—if you please! Welcome, Blessed One, very good! O Blessed One, please have a seat on this cushion we have prepared for you!”
Then the Blessed One took his place on the seat prepared for him, and thought, “The best thing would be for me to enter into a meditation such that this rākṣasa can recall his former lives and converse with me in a human tongue.” So the Blessed One entered into a meditation such that the rākṣasa recalled his former lives and could converse with him in a human tongue.
Then the Blessed One spoke to him, saying, “My friend, have you studied the Tripiṭaka, the ‘three baskets’ of scripture?”
“Yes, Blessed One, I have studied the Tripiṭaka.”
“My friend, are you then a Tripiṭaka master?”
“Yes, Blessed One, I am a Tripiṭaka master.”
“Oh friend, are you a Tripiṭaka master?”
“Yes, Sugata, I am a Tripiṭaka master.”
The Blessed One asked, “Are you now undergoing the repercussions of your misconduct of body, speech, and mind?”
“Blessed One,
9.25
this hideous experience is indeed the result that has ripened from my misconduct of body, speech, and mind. Sugata, the experience is hideous.”
“Who guided you to such nonvirtue?”
“My own mind,” he replied.
Now, hearing this, the people wondered, “Who is this being who recalls his former lives and converses with the Blessed One in a human tongue?” Since the ears of the blessed buddhas are difficult to reach, they were not able to put their question to the Blessed One, so they asked Venerable Ānanda, “Lord Ānanda, who is this being that recalls his former lives and converses with the Blessed One in a human tongue?”
“Put your question to the Blessed One,” Venerable Ānanda replied.
“The ears of the blessed buddhas are difficult to reach. We cannot ask the Blessed Buddha ourselves,” they said.
Venerable Ānanda replied, “Though the ears of the blessed buddhas are difficult to reach for me as well, out of compassion for you I shall ask.”
Then Venerable Ānanda drew down the right shoulder of his upper garment, bowed toward the Blessed One with palms together, and asked him, “Lord, who is this being that recalls his former lives, converses with the Blessed One in a human tongue, and suffers in the throes of such agony?”
The Blessed One explained to Venerable Ānanda, “Ānanda, this being is one who committed nonvirtuous actions over and over again. The nonvirtuous actions he committed were manifold.
“Ānanda, in times gone by,
9.26
when the one who transcended the levels of the listeners and solitary buddhas, 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 Greatest of All was in the world, there was a certain householder who found faith in the doctrine of the totally and completely awakened Buddha Greatest of All, went for refuge, and took the fundamental precepts.
“Then he thought, ‘Let me give up living at home to go forth in the doctrine of the totally and completely awakened Buddha Greatest of All.’ He gave up household affairs and went forth in the doctrine of the totally and completely awakened Buddha Greatest of All.
“Having gone forth, he studied the Tripiṭaka and became a proponent of the Dharma with all the eloquence of his wisdom and freedom. Having acquired provisions of clothing, food, bedding, a seat, and medicines for the sick, he thought, ‘How wonderful! With all the profit and acclaim I’ve gained, I can see to the welfare of fellow practitioners of the holy life.’ Then he called together all the benefactors and patrons, and began to offer his respectful service to the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha.
“At that time, on Camel’s Hump Mountain, there was a certain saṅgha of seventy-seven thousand on the path of learning and on the path of no more to learn who made pledges to stay there during the rains. ‘We should have chosen a steward before we pledged to come stay here during the rains,’ they thought. ‘Who is there who could support our saṅgha?’ Then the idea came to them, ‘That Tripiṭaka master has great merit, and is widely known to have acquired provisions such as clothing, food, bedding, a seat, and medicines for the sick. Let’s encourage him
9.27
to support us in our pledge to remain here during the rains.’
“They went to him and said, ‘Lord, we seventy-seven thousand monks wish to keep our pledge to remain in retreat on Camel’s Hump Mountain during the rains. We would like to encourage you to provide for the saṅgha in accord with the Dharma. With your help we can keep our pledge to stay here during the rains.’
“ ‘Don’t worry,’ the Tripiṭaka master replied. ‘I shall provide for all your needs.’
“Upon hearing this, the monks went up onto the mountain, entrusting that Tripiṭaka master alone to help them keep their pledge to stay there during the rains. Then the Tripiṭaka master thought, ‘I told the monks they needn’t worry. But there’s no reason for me to do anything⁸⁹ when I can simply call upon all the benefactors and patrons, and they will provide for all the saṅgha’s needs.’ With this in mind, in the morning he donned his lower garment and Dharma robes, and, carrying his alms bowl, he set out for local village.
“At that time five hundred merchants were arriving from upon the great ocean, having just completed their voyage. As the merchants were unpacking their wares not far from the mountain, they spotted the monks gathering on top of the mountain, and they were delighted to see them.
“The serving monk approached them, and when they saw him they asked, ‘Lord, where are you going?’
“ ‘We have seventy-seven thousand monks staying on the mountainside,’ the Tripiṭaka master replied. ‘They’re depending on me to help them keep their pledge to stay there during the rains. Thus for their sake I am going to call upon all the benefactors and patrons.’
“ ‘Don’t worry, lord,’ said the merchants. ‘We will provide for all their needs.’ With that they offered him a great deal of gold and silver, and said, ‘Lord, until now you’ve provided for all the monks’ needs.
9.28
If all this gold and silver is enough, good. If it’s not sufficient, we will offer as much gold and silver as you need, and after the rains have ended, we will offer provisions then as well.’
“ ‘As you wish,’ the serving monk replied. He returned to the monastery bearing all the gold and silver, but as he looked at all the gold and silver, he began to feel very attached to it. So he hid all the gold and silver, and then supplied the monks with only very poor food and drink.
“One day the monks told the serving monk, ‘Lord, we cannot sustain ourselves on such poor food and drink.’
“ ‘This is all I can do for you,’ he replied. ‘I cannot do any more. If you cannot live from this, you should call upon your benefactors and patrons for your livelihood.’
“After he said this, the monks went to the merchants and asked, ‘Are you able to provide food and drink for seventy-seven thousand monks?’
“The merchants replied, ‘Lords, we have already offered a great deal of gold and silver to the noble one who is to provide for you. We told him, “If it’s enough, then very well. If it is not sufficient, then we shall offer as much gold and silver as you need.” Why then has he been supplying you with such poor food and drink?’
“The merchants went to the Tripiṭaka master and said, ‘Lord, didn’t we say that if this gold and silver was enough, good, and that if it was not enough, we would offer more gold and silver? Why then did you supply the monks with such poor food and drink?’ This embarrassed the serving monk, and he immediately became angry. Never again would he be allowed to act as steward for the monks.
“Then the monks said to him,
First 28 of 32 passages. Read on
Linked texts (1)
- ལས་བརྒྱ་ཐམ་པ་པ — Classical Tibetan