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法句譬喻經 33: Advantageous service

Texts from the Buddhist Canon commonly known as Dhammapada, with accompanying narratives 33

Language
English

Contents

Advantageous service

33.p1.1

Formerly Buddha with his followers, having gone to the kingdom of Kausāmbī (Ku-tan-mi), he took up his residence in the Vihāra called Mi-yin (lovely sound), and there preached the word for the sake of Devas and men. At this time the king of the country was called Yau-tien (Udāyana), whose queen was of a remarkably pure character. Having heard that Buddha had come to his kingdom, the King and the Queen, with her attendants, went forth to visit him, and having paid him the usual salutations, they sat down. Then Buddha, for their sakes, began to preach and to show the impermanency, sorrow, and vanity of things around us, from which all our miseries come. And then he proved that heaven was the reward of religious merit (virtue), and hell the result of sin (crime). In consequence of this sermon both the King and Queen were induced to accept the five rules of a lay-disciple, and so returned to the palace. Now at this time there was a certain Brahman called Kih-sing (lucky star), who had a daughter incomparable for loveliness, just sixteen years old. On her account the Brahman, for ninety days, exposed a heap of a thousand gold masurans, and challenged any one to find a single fault in her, and whoever could do so should have the gold. No one being able to do so, and desiring to find some one fit for her to marry, he again challenged any one to bring a man equal to his daughter in grace, and to him he would give her as a wife.

33.p1.2

Now, having heard that the family of the Shaman Gōtama, known as the Śākyas, were remarkable for their beauty, and that therefore he was fit to possess his daughter, he came to the place where Buddha was, and taking his daughter with him, after the usual salutations, he spake thus:—"My daughter is extremely beautiful, and unequalled for womanly grace; and you also, Gōtama, are remarkable for your beauty. You may, therefore, have my daughter, and make her your companion (wife).” To whom Buddha replied, “Your daughter's beauty, sir, is according to your own estimation; my beauty is according to that of the Buddhas; my beauty and a woman's beauty are wholly different. Your daughter's loveliness, sir, is like that of the picture on the jar (or vessel), in the middle of which there is only filth and excrement. How can that be considered as beauty which belongs only to the eyes, the ears, the nose, the mouth, the body? It is this beauty of outside form that causes sorrow, overturns families, destroys kinship, sacrifices relationships, kills children; all these come from this (love of) womanly beauty. But I am a Shaman—I stand by myself—and would rather endure any calamity than comply with your request. Sir, you may go; I decline your offer.” On this the Brahman departed highly irate; and then, coming into the presence of the King, he dilated on his daughter's beauty, and offered her to him. The King, highly pleased at her appearance, accepted her, and made her his second Queen.

33.p1.3

Having laden her with presents and jewelry, she soon began to fill his mind with jealous thoughts and dislike for the first Queen, and at last persuaded him to send for her on a certain occasion to indulge her fancy (knowing that she would not come). Consequently the King sent for her, on which the first Queen declined to appear, on the ground that she was engaged in some religious exercise (fast), and so for several occasions. The King, enraged thereat, sent a man with a rope to drag her into his presence; and when she was brought in, he took his bow and purposed to shoot her through the body. But lo! the arrow he discharged returned again towards the King, and did her no harm; and so again and again. On this the King, filled with astonishment (fear), said to her, “By what power of magic have you been able to bring this about?” To which she replied, “I have but taken refuge in the three gems, and the whole day have been engaged in religious observances (fasts), and on this account the Lord (World-honoured) has protected me.” On this the King exclaimed, “Wonderful!” and, dismissing the second Queen, he sent her back to her parents, and re-established the first in undisputed authority. Then, with the Queen's attendants, he went to the place where Buddha was, and after due salutations, he explained to him what had happened, on which Buddha (after a short discourse) repeated these lines :—

33.p2

“If Heaven were to rain down the seven precious substances, yet would not the covetous man be satisfied; his pleasure would be little, his sorrow much. The wise man, possessed of virtue, although he possessed the pleasures of Heaven, would wisely let them go, and covet them not. He who finds his happiness in removing thoughts of lustful enjoyment, this man is the disciple of Buddha.”

33.p3

Then Buddha further explained to the King the inevitable result of a wicked life, that it would redound ten thousand times more miserably on the guilty man, whilst the reward of religion and self-denial would be certainly the enjoyment of heaven. Having so spoken, the King and the Queen's attendants, and the rest, received perfect release, and became partakers in the Paths.

33.p4

Translated from the Chinese by Samuel Beal, 1878.

33.p5

Texts from the Buddhist canon, commonly known as Dhammapada, with accompanying narratives

33.p6

Published by Trübner & Co, Ludgate Hill, London, 1878.

33.p7

Translated by the Shamans Fā-Kheu and Fā-Lih, of the Western Tsin Dynasty.

33.p8

Original book can be downloaded at https://archive.org/details/textsfrombuddhis00beal.

33.p9

Prepared for SuttaCentral by Yasoj and Ven. Vimala.

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