King Udayana of Vatsa’s Questions; King Udayana of Vatsa’s Questions
Translation of འཕགས་པ་བད་སའ་རྒྱལ་པ་འཆར་བྱད་ཀྱས་ཞས་པ་ཞས་བྱ་བའ་ལའ (འཕགས་པ་བད་སའི་རྒྱལ་པོ་འཆར་བྱེད་ཀྱིས་ཞུས་པ་ཞེས་བྱ་བའི་ལེའུ)
- Language
- English
- Translators
- Ben Ewing, Lowell Cook
- Extent
- 123 passages, 17,956 words
- Text
- complete digital text
- Source
- 84000 · Published by 84000 (v 1.0.7 2025); Published by 84000 (v 1.0.6 2024). 84000: Translating the Words of the… · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 (84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha). Shown whole and unaltered, with its notes, on a…
Contents
Text
84000's introduction
intro.1
Manipulated into a murderous rage by the jealous Queen Anupamā, King Udayana launches a barrage of arrows at Queen Śyāmāvatī. King Udayana is terrified when Queen Śyāmāvatī pays homage to the Buddha, cultivates loving kindness, and the arrows are repelled. Awestruck by such a spectacle and inspired by Queen Śyāmāvatī’s words of praise for the Buddha, King Udayana approaches the Buddha and requests a teaching on the inadequacies of women. The Buddha tells King Udayana that he must first understand his own faults and proceeds to deliver a discourse on the four faults of men, such as attachment to sense pleasures and failure to take care of elderly parents. The teaching is delivered with a plethora of analogies and striking imagery to turn the mind away from sensual desires. The work concludes with King Udayana giving up his weapons and going for refuge in the Three Jewels, filled with love for all beings.
intro.2
King Udayana of Vatsa’s Questions ¹ is a cautionary discourse on the dangers of sense desires and the consequences of acting on them. In this work, King Udayana is driven into a murderous rage when his jealous wife, Queen Anupamā, deceives him with lies about Queen Śyāmāvatī engaging in infidelities with the Buddha and his monastic community. Queen Śyāmāvatī is a female lay disciple of the Buddha, however, and when the king attempts to kill her, she pays homage to the Buddha and cultivates loving kindness, and the king’s arrows are miraculously repelled. This miraculous display, along with Queen Śyāmāvatī’s own words of faith in the Buddha, convinces the king to seek him out and ask for his guidance. King Udayana asks the Buddha to explain the faults of women, such that they could lead him to commit murder, but the Buddha responds that he must first understand his own faults. The rest of the work consists of the Buddha explaining the four faults of men who indulge in sense pleasures, causing them to fall under the sway of women, and the hellish fates that await them as a result.
intro.3
The four faults concern ignorant attachment to objects of desire: reckless indulgence in sense pleasures; shameful neglect of one’s parents, especially in their old age; immoral actions due to a failure to heed the teachings of the wise; and miserly failure to give donations to those who deserve them, such as renunciants, the Buddhist monastic community, and the poor. Throughout the work, women are given as the primary example of objects of sensual desire. The work goes into highly colorful descriptions, both in prose and poetic verse, of the impure nature of the human body and of the female body in particular, seemingly as a way of instilling a sense of aversion and disgust for sensual pleasures like sexual activity. The Buddha also analyzes the delusive nature of desire and the mental conditions under which people become addicted to sensual pleasures. He gives extensive descriptions of the terrible deeds men are driven to commit under the influence of their desire for women, as well as the terrible fates that await the men who commit such deeds. Their behaviors are condemned in no uncertain terms. The text gives vivid descriptions of the punishments one will undergo in many of the specific hell realms into which one may be reborn, providing the names of many of them.
intro.4
This text has received attention throughout the centuries for its descriptions of the dangers of sexual desire toward women and of the impure nature of the human body. Several passages from King Udayana of Vatsa’s Questions, comprising about two to three pages in all, are quoted in Śāntideva’s eighth-century work, the Śikṣāsamuccaya. Śāntideva uses this work, among others, as a scriptural basis for a discussion of the harms of desire. King Udayana of Vatsa’s Questions is also quoted extensively by the yogi Shabkar (zhabs dkar tshogs drug rang grol, 1781–1851) in his work The Wondrous Emanated Scriptures (rmad byung sprul pa’i glegs bam). In this case, as well, King Udayana of Vatsa’s Questions is used as scriptural evidence for the dangers of desiring women. The sections quoted by Shabkar appear to match those in the Degé Kangyur. In modern scholarship, Diana Paul has translated a version of this work from Chinese and discussed it in her book Women in Buddhism.²
intro.5
The narrative framework of the Buddha’s discourse in this work builds on the old story of Mākandika (Māgaṇḍiya in Pali), who offers his beautiful daughter, Anupamā, to the Buddha. That a version of the Buddha’s dialogue with Māgaṇḍiya is found in the Suttanipāta of the Pali Canon suggests that the story is among the oldest in Buddhist literature,³ and the Pali commentary on that text, which is also part of the Pali Canon, provides one version of the backstory for the dialogue.⁴ Another version of this tale, found in the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya⁵ (and also in the closely related Divyāvadāna ⁶), starts earlier than the episode related in the present text and ends later. Earlier, we learn, Mākandika had given his daughter to King Udayana after the Buddha had refused her. And later, whereas King Udayana of Vatsa’s Questions concludes when King Udayana becomes a lay disciple of the Buddha, the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya version goes on to describe how Queen Anupamā, undeterred in her murderous intent, subsequently conspires with her father, Mākandika, who had become King Udayana’s chief minister, to set fire to the queens’ quarters; that ultimately results in the deaths of the morally pure Śyāmāvatī and the rest of King Udayana’s five hundred wives, all of whom willingly cast themselves into the flames.
intro.6
King Udayana seems to be portrayed in these stories as a powerful but impulsive, passionate, and sometimes belligerent person who is led by the Buddha to reflect and change. Another text in the Kangyur featuring King Udayana of Vatsa that follows this pattern is Advice to a King (2) (Toh 215).⁷ In its brief framing story, the king is about to set out on a military campaign of conquest when he meets the Buddha. At first angry about being intercepted, he shoots an arrow at the Buddha, but the arrow is miraculously prevented from meeting its target—just as, in the present text, the arrow he shoots at Queen Śyāmāvatī is stalled and turned back. This startling event arouses his respect and he becomes receptive to the advice the Buddha then gives him on combating the great enemy of belief in a self.
intro.7
King Udayana of Vatsa’s Questions is included in all extant versions of the Kangyur as the 29th member of the Ratnakūṭa, or Heap of Jewels, section. All versions agree that it was translated from Sanskrit into Tibetan by the Indian scholars Jinamitra and Surendrabodhi along with the Tibetan translator-editor Yeshé Dé, all of whom were prolific in their translation activity. Given this translation team, along with the fact that it is included in both the Phangthangma and Denkarma⁸ imperial catalogs, we can be confident that this work was translated into Tibetan between the late eighth and early ninth centuries. The work was also translated into Chinese on three different occasions: between 290–306 ce by Faju, in 706 ce by Bodhiruci, and in 984 ce by Fatian. The present translation is based on the Degé Kangyur with reference to variant readings recorded in the Pedurma comparative edition and Stok Palace edition, as well as the Sanskrit excerpts in the Śikṣāsamuccaya.
intro.8
Manipulated into a murderous rage by the jealous Queen Anupamā, King Udayana launches a barrage of arrows at Queen Śyāmāvatī. King Udayana is terrified when Queen Śyāmāvatī pays homage to the Buddha, cultivates loving kindness, and the arrows are repelled. Awestruck by such a spectacle and inspired by Queen Śyāmāvatī’s words of praise for the Buddha, King Udayana approaches the Buddha and requests a teaching on the inadequacies of women. The Buddha tells King Udayana that he must first understand his own faults and proceeds to deliver a discourse on the four faults of men, such as attachment to sense pleasures and failure to take care of elderly parents. The teaching is delivered with a plethora of analogies and striking imagery to turn the mind away from sensual desires. The work concludes with King Udayana giving up his weapons and going for refuge in the Three Jewels, filled with love for all beings.
intro.9
King Udayana of Vatsa’s Questions ¹ is a cautionary discourse on the dangers of sense desires and the consequences of acting on them. In this work, King Udayana is driven into a murderous rage when his jealous wife, Queen Anupamā, deceives him with lies about Queen Śyāmāvatī engaging in infidelities with the Buddha and his monastic community. Queen Śyāmāvatī is a female lay disciple of the Buddha, however, and when the king attempts to kill her, she pays homage to the Buddha and cultivates loving kindness, and the king’s arrows are miraculously repelled. This miraculous display, along with Queen Śyāmāvatī’s own words of faith in the Buddha, convinces the king to seek him out and ask for his guidance. King Udayana asks the Buddha to explain the faults of women, such that they could lead him to commit murder, but the Buddha responds that he must first understand his own faults. The rest of the work consists of the Buddha explaining the four faults of men who indulge in sense pleasures, causing them to fall under the sway of women, and the hellish fates that await them as a result.
intro.10
The four faults concern ignorant attachment to objects of desire: reckless indulgence in sense pleasures; shameful neglect of one’s parents, especially in their old age; immoral actions due to a failure to heed the teachings of the wise; and miserly failure to give donations to those who deserve them, such as renunciants, the Buddhist monastic community, and the poor. Throughout the work, women are given as the primary example of objects of sensual desire. The work goes into highly colorful descriptions, both in prose and poetic verse, of the impure nature of the human body and of the female body in particular, seemingly as a way of instilling a sense of aversion and disgust for sensual pleasures like sexual activity. The Buddha also analyzes the delusive nature of desire and the mental conditions under which people become addicted to sensual pleasures. He gives extensive descriptions of the terrible deeds men are driven to commit under the influence of their desire for women, as well as the terrible fates that await the men who commit such deeds. Their behaviors are condemned in no uncertain terms. The text gives vivid descriptions of the punishments one will undergo in many of the specific hell realms into which one may be reborn, providing the names of many of them.
intro.11
This text has received attention throughout the centuries for its descriptions of the dangers of sexual desire toward women and of the impure nature of the human body. Several passages from King Udayana of Vatsa’s Questions, comprising about two to three pages in all, are quoted in Śāntideva’s eighth-century work, the Śikṣāsamuccaya. Śāntideva uses this work, among others, as a scriptural basis for a discussion of the harms of desire. King Udayana of Vatsa’s Questions is also quoted extensively by the yogi Shabkar (zhabs dkar tshogs drug rang grol, 1781–1851) in his work The Wondrous Emanated Scriptures (rmad byung sprul pa’i glegs bam). In this case, as well, King Udayana of Vatsa’s Questions is used as scriptural evidence for the dangers of desiring women. The sections quoted by Shabkar appear to match those in the Degé Kangyur. In modern scholarship, Diana Paul has translated a version of this work from Chinese and discussed it in her book Women in Buddhism.²
intro.12
The narrative framework of the Buddha’s discourse in this work builds on the old story of Mākandika (Māgaṇḍiya in Pali), who offers his beautiful daughter, Anupamā, to the Buddha. That a version of the Buddha’s dialogue with Māgaṇḍiya is found in the Suttanipāta of the Pali Canon suggests that the story is among the oldest in Buddhist literature,³ and the Pali commentary on that text, which is also part of the Pali Canon, provides one version of the backstory for the dialogue.⁴ Another version of this tale, found in the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya⁵ (and also in the closely related Divyāvadāna ⁶), starts earlier than the episode related in the present text and ends later. Earlier, we learn, Mākandika had given his daughter to King Udayana after the Buddha had refused her. And later, whereas King Udayana of Vatsa’s Questions concludes when King Udayana becomes a lay disciple of the Buddha, the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya version goes on to describe how Queen Anupamā, undeterred in her murderous intent, subsequently conspires with her father, Mākandika, who had become King Udayana’s chief minister, to set fire to the queens’ quarters; that ultimately results in the deaths of the morally pure Śyāmāvatī and the rest of King Udayana’s five hundred wives, all of whom willingly cast themselves into the flames.
intro.13
King Udayana seems to be portrayed in these stories as a powerful but impulsive, passionate, and sometimes belligerent person who is led by the Buddha to reflect and change. Another text in the Kangyur featuring King Udayana of Vatsa that follows this pattern is Advice to a King (2) (Toh 215).⁷ In its brief framing story, the king is about to set out on a military campaign of conquest when he meets the Buddha. At first angry about being intercepted, he shoots an arrow at the Buddha, but the arrow is miraculously prevented from meeting its target—just as, in the present text, the arrow he shoots at Queen Śyāmāvatī is stalled and turned back. This startling event arouses his respect and he becomes receptive to the advice the Buddha then gives him on combating the great enemy of belief in a self.
intro.14
King Udayana of Vatsa’s Questions is included in all extant versions of the Kangyur as the 29th member of the Ratnakūṭa, or Heap of Jewels, section. All versions agree that it was translated from Sanskrit into Tibetan by the Indian scholars Jinamitra and Surendrabodhi along with the Tibetan translator-editor Yeshé Dé, all of whom were prolific in their translation activity. Given this translation team, along with the fact that it is included in both the Phangthangma and Denkarma⁸ imperial catalogs, we can be confident that this work was translated into Tibetan between the late eighth and early ninth centuries. The work was also translated into Chinese on three different occasions: between 290–306 ce by Faju, in 706 ce by Bodhiruci, and in 984 ce by Fatian. The present translation is based on the Degé Kangyur with reference to variant readings recorded in the Pedurma comparative edition and Stok Palace edition, as well as the Sanskrit excerpts in the Śikṣāsamuccaya.
1
Homage to all buddhas and bodhisattvas.
Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One was dwelling in the Sarasvatī grove in Kauśāmbī with a great assembly of some five hundred monks and numerous bodhisattva great beings. At that time, Queen Anupamā, daughter of Mākandika, was overcome with jealousy and envy toward Queen Śyāmāvatī.
Queen Anupamā, daughter of Mākandika, addressed King Udayana of Vatsa: “Your Majesty, five hundred women, including Queen Śyāmāvatī, have committed dishonorable acts with Gautama the mendicant. I humbly request Your Majesty to act as you see fit with regard to this situation.”
With these lies, Queen Anupamā, daughter of Mākandika, sowed her discord. Rage, aggression, and wrath toward the Blessed One and the assembly of disciples welled up in King Udayana of Vatsa. Miserable and overcome with a wrathful fury, he drew his bow and shot a razor-sharp arrow at Queen Śyāmāvatī with murderous intent.
In that instant, Queen Śyāmāvatī called out, “Homage to the Blessed One, the thus-gone, worthy, perfect Buddha!” She prostrated herself to the Blessed One, praised him, and entered into meditative absorption on loving-kindness.
Homage to all buddhas and bodhisattvas.
Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One was dwelling in the Sarasvatī grove in Kauśāmbī with a great assembly of some five hundred monks and numerous bodhisattva great beings. At that time, Queen Anupamā, daughter of Mākandika, was overcome with jealousy and envy toward Queen Śyāmāvatī.
Queen Anupamā, daughter of Mākandika, addressed King Udayana of Vatsa: “Your Majesty, five hundred women, including Queen Śyāmāvatī, have committed dishonorable acts with Gautama the mendicant. I humbly request Your Majesty to act as you see fit with regard to this situation.”
With these lies, Queen Anupamā, daughter of Mākandika, sowed her discord. Rage, aggression, and wrath toward the Blessed One and the assembly of disciples welled up in King Udayana of Vatsa. Miserable and overcome with a wrathful fury, he drew his bow and shot a razor-sharp arrow at Queen Śyāmāvatī with murderous intent.
In that instant, Queen Śyāmāvatī called out, “Homage to the Blessed One, the thus-gone, worthy, perfect Buddha!” She prostrated herself to the Blessed One, praised him, and entered into meditative absorption on loving-kindness.
2
Through the power of the Buddha, the razor-sharp arrow turned back and burst into flames directly above King Udayana of Vatsa’s head. As it burned and blazed, it became a single flame, sometimes moving about and sometimes standing still. Then, moving toward King Udayana of Vatsa, the arrow remained on his right side without touching his body.
King Udayana of Vatsa shot two or three more arrows with the same result before Queen Śyāmāvatī said to him, “Great King, in this situation, if you were to prostrate to the Thus-Gone One, you too would find well-being.”
Full of terror and fear, King Udayana of Vatsa became weak, and his hair stood on end. Falling to the ground, he spoke these verses to Queen Śyāmāvatī:
“Are you a goddess or a gandharvī?
Are you a piśācī or a rākṣasī?
How is it that I should consider you?
Answer my question thus.
“There is no woman anywhere
Who is not harmed by weapons.
I have never heard of nor seen,
Nor known of someone like that.
“I am mighty and diligent
And skilled in the art of archery;
There is no doubting my arrow
For never has it missed.
“Whether it be monkeys or birds,
No matter if it be men or targets,
Wherever I shoot my arrow,
Never yet has it missed its mark.
“And yet today, this arrow that I shot
Returned back as if counteracted,
And—without any physical harm—
It came to rest right in front of me.
“Having heeded the words of others,
I desired to bring about your death,
Yet now I go to you for protection.
Please protect me, pitiful being that I am.
“Henceforth⁹ I will not act in this manner.
Please be patient with miserable beings,
Recollect your past love for me, and
Delight therein, curbing your wrath.”
Queen Śyāmāvatī responded in verse to King Udayana of Vatsa:
Through the power of the Buddha, the razor-sharp arrow turned back and burst into flames directly above King Udayana of Vatsa’s head. As it burned and blazed, it became a single flame, sometimes moving about and sometimes standing still. Then, moving toward King Udayana of Vatsa, the arrow remained on his right side without touching his body.
King Udayana of Vatsa shot two or three more arrows with the same result before Queen Śyāmāvatī said to him, “Great King, in this situation, if you were to prostrate to the Thus-Gone One, you too would find well-being.”
Full of terror and fear, King Udayana of Vatsa became weak, and his hair stood on end. Falling to the ground, he spoke these verses to Queen Śyāmāvatī:
“Are you a goddess or a gandharvī?
Are you a piśācī or a rākṣasī?
How is it that I should consider you?
Answer my question thus.
“There is no woman anywhere
Who is not harmed by weapons.
I have never heard of nor seen,
Nor known of someone like that.
“I am mighty and diligent
And skilled in the art of archery;
There is no doubting my arrow
For never has it missed.
“Whether it be monkeys or birds,
No matter if it be men or targets,
Wherever I shoot my arrow,
Never yet has it missed its mark.
“And yet today, this arrow that I shot
Returned back as if counteracted,
And—without any physical harm—
It came to rest right in front of me.
“Having heeded the words of others,
I desired to bring about your death,
Yet now I go to you for protection.
Please protect me, pitiful being that I am.
“Henceforth⁹ I will not act in this manner.
Please be patient with miserable beings,
Recollect your past love for me, and
Delight therein, curbing your wrath.”
Queen Śyāmāvatī responded in verse to King Udayana of Vatsa:
3
“I am neither goddess nor gandharvī,
Nor am I a piśācī or rākṣasī.
I am the queen Śyāmāvatī,
A disciple of the Lord of the World.
“Out of affection for Your Majesty,
I rested my mind in meditative absorption.
Let your mind now develop faith
In the sovereign master, the Lord of the World.
“He has taught that one should not kill
Any man or woman who has cultivated
Loving-kindness for billions of eons,
And who abides in loving-kindness.
“He who is unharmed by women,
And who knows the true nature of things,
As one knows ripe grain by its golden color,
It is in his teaching that I find joy.
“All the lords of the world
Have taught that women are loathsome;
Those who avoid gazing upon women
Are exalted by the lords of the world.
“Buddhas, pratyekabuddhas,
Bodhisattvas, and disciples
Do not indulge in women
For it is but a foolish pursuit.
“To indulge in women
Is taught to be Māra’s noose.
Attachment to negative deeds
Is a path to distress and destruction.¹⁰
“The unwise who cling to women,
Perform acts of wickedness,
And seek to reject wisdom
Will be led to the lower realms.
“The wise who wish for liberation
Do not keep company with women.
They do not jump into
The pit of smokeless fire.
“Since they talk so attractively,
And snare you with only a look,
Then send you to the unbearable hells,
Heed not the words of women!
“I am not possessed of anger –—
My mind is, instead, full of faith.
Let your mind, too, have faith
In the sovereign master, the Lord of the World.
“O Great King, be on your way
And gaze upon the supreme human,
Being mindful and paying heed
To the Dharma that he teaches.”
“I am neither goddess nor gandharvī,
Nor am I a piśācī or rākṣasī.
I am the queen Śyāmāvatī,
A disciple of the Lord of the World.
“Out of affection for Your Majesty,
I rested my mind in meditative absorption.
Let your mind now develop faith
In the sovereign master, the Lord of the World.
“He has taught that one should not kill
Any man or woman who has cultivated
Loving-kindness for billions of eons,
And who abides in loving-kindness.
“He who is unharmed by women,
And who knows the true nature of things,
As one knows ripe grain by its golden color,
It is in his teaching that I find joy.
“All the lords of the world
Have taught that women are loathsome;
Those who avoid gazing upon women
Are exalted by the lords of the world.
“Buddhas, pratyekabuddhas,
Bodhisattvas, and disciples
Do not indulge in women
For it is but a foolish pursuit.
“To indulge in women
Is taught to be Māra’s noose.
Attachment to negative deeds
Is a path to distress and destruction.¹⁰
“The unwise who cling to women,
Perform acts of wickedness,
And seek to reject wisdom
Will be led to the lower realms.
“The wise who wish for liberation
Do not keep company with women.
They do not jump into
The pit of smokeless fire.
“Since they talk so attractively,
And snare you with only a look,
Then send you to the unbearable hells,
Heed not the words of women!
“I am not possessed of anger –—
My mind is, instead, full of faith.
Let your mind, too, have faith
In the sovereign master, the Lord of the World.
“O Great King, be on your way
And gaze upon the supreme human,
Being mindful and paying heed
To the Dharma that he teaches.”
4
Inspired by Queen Śyāmāvatī, King Udayana of Vatsa, surrounded by a great assembly of people and his royal power and wealth, went to meet the Blessed One with great speed and haste. He saw the Blessed One, elegant and beautiful. The Blessed One’s sense faculties and mind were calmed, and he was completely controlled. He had perfected the most sublime tranquility meditations and the most sublime meditative concentrations. He rose above the crowd like a golden sacrificial post resplendent with glory. The Blessed One’s body was brilliant, vibrant, and beautifully adorned with the thirty-two marks of a great being. Surrounded by an assembly of monks, nuns, laymen, laywomen, and bodhisattvas, the Blessed One was venerated by gods, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, mahoragas, humans, and non-humans. Having seen that, the king approached the Blessed One and bowed at his feet.
Addressing the Blessed One, he said, “Blessed One, I have witnessed wonders the likes of which I have never seen before. Will the Blessed One grant me the opportunity to make a request?”
The Blessed One replied to King Udayana of Vatsa, “Great King, make a request as you wish. Speak!”
King Udayana of Vatsa then said to the Blessed One, “Blessed One because I am attached to my desires and their cause and basis, today I was overcome with wrath and fury by the words of Queen Anupamā, daughter of Mākandika. I was overcome with thoughts of rage and anger toward the Blessed One and his assembly of disciples
Inspired by Queen Śyāmāvatī, King Udayana of Vatsa, surrounded by a great assembly of people and his royal power and wealth, went to meet the Blessed One with great speed and haste. He saw the Blessed One, elegant and beautiful. The Blessed One’s sense faculties and mind were calmed, and he was completely controlled. He had perfected the most sublime tranquility meditations and the most sublime meditative concentrations. He rose above the crowd like a golden sacrificial post resplendent with glory. The Blessed One’s body was brilliant, vibrant, and beautifully adorned with the thirty-two marks of a great being. Surrounded by an assembly of monks, nuns, laymen, laywomen, and bodhisattvas, the Blessed One was venerated by gods, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, mahoragas, humans, and non-humans. Having seen that, the king approached the Blessed One and bowed at his feet.
Addressing the Blessed One, he said, “Blessed One, I have witnessed wonders the likes of which I have never seen before. Will the Blessed One grant me the opportunity to make a request?”
The Blessed One replied to King Udayana of Vatsa, “Great King, make a request as you wish. Speak!”
King Udayana of Vatsa then said to the Blessed One, “Blessed One because I am attached to my desires and their cause and basis, today I was overcome with wrath and fury by the words of Queen Anupamā, daughter of Mākandika. I was overcome with thoughts of rage and anger toward the Blessed One and his assembly of disciples
5
and shot a razor-sharp arrow at my wife Śyāmāvatī with murderous intent. When I did, it burst into flames in the sky, and as it burned and blazed, it became a single flame. As if the arrow were counteracted, it returned back to remain on my right side, without touching my body.
“Blessed One, I bowed at the feet of my wife Śyāmāvatī, and asked her, ‘Are you a goddess, nāginī, gandharvī, piśācī, rākṣasī, or something else?’ She told me, ‘I am not a goddess, nāginī, gandharvī, piśācī, or rākṣasī. Rather, I am a disciple of the Blessed One, the thus-gone, worthy, completely perfect Buddha. Out of love for you, I have rested my mind in equipoise.’ My wife Śyāmāvatī then sang the praise of the Blessed One in various ways.
“Then, Blessed One, I had this thought: ‘If a disciple of the Blessed One, the thus-gone, worthy, perfectly awakened Buddha, is so full of compassion, loving-kindness, great superhuman power, and great marvelous strength, and is of such great distinction, then what must the Blessed One, the thus-gone, worthy, perfectly awakened Buddha himself be like?’
“Blessed One, in that way, because I was like a fool—ignorant, unclear, and unwise—I felt rage and hatred toward the Thus-Gone One and the assembly of disciples. For this, I request your forgiveness. In the presence of the assembly of disciples, I confess my errors.
and shot a razor-sharp arrow at my wife Śyāmāvatī with murderous intent. When I did, it burst into flames in the sky, and as it burned and blazed, it became a single flame. As if the arrow were counteracted, it returned back to remain on my right side, without touching my body.
“Blessed One, I bowed at the feet of my wife Śyāmāvatī, and asked her, ‘Are you a goddess, nāginī, gandharvī, piśācī, rākṣasī, or something else?’ She told me, ‘I am not a goddess, nāginī, gandharvī, piśācī, or rākṣasī. Rather, I am a disciple of the Blessed One, the thus-gone, worthy, completely perfect Buddha. Out of love for you, I have rested my mind in equipoise.’ My wife Śyāmāvatī then sang the praise of the Blessed One in various ways.
“Then, Blessed One, I had this thought: ‘If a disciple of the Blessed One, the thus-gone, worthy, perfectly awakened Buddha, is so full of compassion, loving-kindness, great superhuman power, and great marvelous strength, and is of such great distinction, then what must the Blessed One, the thus-gone, worthy, perfectly awakened Buddha himself be like?’
“Blessed One, in that way, because I was like a fool—ignorant, unclear, and unwise—I felt rage and hatred toward the Thus-Gone One and the assembly of disciples. For this, I request your forgiveness. In the presence of the assembly of disciples, I confess my errors.
6
In the hope that you may show me compassion, I confess my errors. I request you, Blessed One, to treat me with kindness. I vow to practice restraint from this day forward.”
The Blessed One said, “Great King, rise and be seated,” and he accepted with kindness King Udayana of Vatsa who had confessed his faults. King Udayana of Vatsa bowed his head at the feet of the Blessed One and sat to one side.
King Udayana of Vatsa, sitting to one side, addressed the Blessed One: “Blessed One, because of how cruel, obstinate, and quick to anger I was, I have been driven to negative actions by the words of women. Because of that, Blessed One, I will go to the hell realms. Blessed One, out of compassion for me, I request the Blessed One to describe thoroughly and correctly the faults of women so that, from today onward, I will not, by any means, fall under the sway of women and be driven to negative deeds that will lead me to fall into the hell realms. It would be for the long-term benefit of myself and all sentient beings, so that we may be helped and happy. Please describe thoroughly and correctly the behaviors of women, the characteristics of women, the treachery of women, the deceitfulness of women, the dishonesty of women, the unsteadiness of women, the fickleness of women, the dependencies of women, the words of women, and the deceptiveness of women.”
The Blessed One asked King Udayana of Vatsa, “Great King, what is your purpose in asking such questions?”
In the hope that you may show me compassion, I confess my errors. I request you, Blessed One, to treat me with kindness. I vow to practice restraint from this day forward.”
The Blessed One said, “Great King, rise and be seated,” and he accepted with kindness King Udayana of Vatsa who had confessed his faults. King Udayana of Vatsa bowed his head at the feet of the Blessed One and sat to one side.
King Udayana of Vatsa, sitting to one side, addressed the Blessed One: “Blessed One, because of how cruel, obstinate, and quick to anger I was, I have been driven to negative actions by the words of women. Because of that, Blessed One, I will go to the hell realms. Blessed One, out of compassion for me, I request the Blessed One to describe thoroughly and correctly the faults of women so that, from today onward, I will not, by any means, fall under the sway of women and be driven to negative deeds that will lead me to fall into the hell realms. It would be for the long-term benefit of myself and all sentient beings, so that we may be helped and happy. Please describe thoroughly and correctly the behaviors of women, the characteristics of women, the treachery of women, the deceitfulness of women, the dishonesty of women, the unsteadiness of women, the fickleness of women, the dependencies of women, the words of women, and the deceptiveness of women.”
The Blessed One asked King Udayana of Vatsa, “Great King, what is your purpose in asking such questions?”
7
King Udayana of Vatsa responded, “Blessed One, I fall under the sway of women because they are vicious, hateful, fierce, and quick to anger. Blessed One, it is women who will lead me to the hell realms. Thus, Blessed One, please heed this request of mine.”
The Blessed One said to King Udayana of Vatsa, “Great King, you must first understand your own faults and then you will come to understand the faults of women.”
King Udayana of Vatsa responded to the Blessed One, “Excellent, Blessed One, excellent! When men possess certain faults, they fall under the sway of women. Please, Blessed One, explain these faults of men to me.”
The Blessed One responded to King Udayana of Vatsa, “Yes, Great King, listen carefully and pay attention. I will now explain.”
King Udayana of Vatsa said, “Very well, Blessed One,” and he listened as the Blessed One had instructed.
The Blessed One addressed him, saying, “Great King, when men possess four particular faults, they fall under the sway of women. What are the four? They are as follows:
“Great King, men are attached to the objects of their desire and become reckless in pursuit of them. Intoxicated by sense pleasures, they ignore the morally disciplined, virtuous,
King Udayana of Vatsa responded, “Blessed One, I fall under the sway of women because they are vicious, hateful, fierce, and quick to anger. Blessed One, it is women who will lead me to the hell realms. Thus, Blessed One, please heed this request of mine.”
The Blessed One said to King Udayana of Vatsa, “Great King, you must first understand your own faults and then you will come to understand the faults of women.”
King Udayana of Vatsa responded to the Blessed One, “Excellent, Blessed One, excellent! When men possess certain faults, they fall under the sway of women. Please, Blessed One, explain these faults of men to me.”
The Blessed One responded to King Udayana of Vatsa, “Yes, Great King, listen carefully and pay attention. I will now explain.”
King Udayana of Vatsa said, “Very well, Blessed One,” and he listened as the Blessed One had instructed.
The Blessed One addressed him, saying, “Great King, when men possess four particular faults, they fall under the sway of women. What are the four? They are as follows:
“Great King, men are attached to the objects of their desire and become reckless in pursuit of them. Intoxicated by sense pleasures, they ignore the morally disciplined, virtuous,
8
and wise mendicants and brahmins and, instead, only desire to gaze upon women again and again. They do not serve, follow, or venerate the morally disciplined, virtuous, and wise mendicants and brahmins when they see them. By abandoning the morally disciplined, virtuous, and wise mendicants and brahmins, they also abandon their own faith, moral discipline, generosity, and wisdom. Those men are faithless, their discipline is faulty, they lack learning, and they are stingy. They behave like hungry spirits; they are weak-minded, attracted to open sores,¹¹ and involved with excrement. They delight in the smell of backsides, they enjoy filth, and they have a craving for women. They do not seek peace, they are occupied with their attachments, and they go to places where they should not. They are contemptible, they resemble maggots in excrement, and they welcome defilement. They lust after the objects of their desire, abandoning all shame and modesty. They violate the laws of gods and men, lead despicable lives, are detested by the wise, and keep company with foolish beings. They entertain negative thoughts, keep company with bad friends, are constantly engaging in bad actions, and are inclined toward bad actions.
“They become controlled by women and enslaved by them. They fall under the sway of women as they become dedicated to them and live beside them. They are fixated upon orifices, dependent on orifices, and reliant on orifices. They are occupied with saliva, mucus, phlegm, snot, pus, fetid excretions,¹² cerebral secretions, and excrement. They behave like sheep, cows, chickens, dogs, pigs, jackals, and asses. They make their living by harming others.
and wise mendicants and brahmins and, instead, only desire to gaze upon women again and again. They do not serve, follow, or venerate the morally disciplined, virtuous, and wise mendicants and brahmins when they see them. By abandoning the morally disciplined, virtuous, and wise mendicants and brahmins, they also abandon their own faith, moral discipline, generosity, and wisdom. Those men are faithless, their discipline is faulty, they lack learning, and they are stingy. They behave like hungry spirits; they are weak-minded, attracted to open sores,¹¹ and involved with excrement. They delight in the smell of backsides, they enjoy filth, and they have a craving for women. They do not seek peace, they are occupied with their attachments, and they go to places where they should not. They are contemptible, they resemble maggots in excrement, and they welcome defilement. They lust after the objects of their desire, abandoning all shame and modesty. They violate the laws of gods and men, lead despicable lives, are detested by the wise, and keep company with foolish beings. They entertain negative thoughts, keep company with bad friends, are constantly engaging in bad actions, and are inclined toward bad actions.
“They become controlled by women and enslaved by them. They fall under the sway of women as they become dedicated to them and live beside them. They are fixated upon orifices, dependent on orifices, and reliant on orifices. They are occupied with saliva, mucus, phlegm, snot, pus, fetid excretions,¹² cerebral secretions, and excrement. They behave like sheep, cows, chickens, dogs, pigs, jackals, and asses. They make their living by harming others.
9
They do not cherish their parents, nor do they cherish mendicants, brahmins, or others worthy of receiving offerings. They lose their faith in the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha; they lose nirvāṇa. They enter the hells, the animal realm, and the realm of the Lord of Death—they fall to that level. They take up the bodies of lions and garuḍas. They sink to the level of the Hell of Iron-Thorn Trees and the Hell of Burning Coals. They enter the Reviving Hell, Black Line Hell, Crushing Hell, Howling Hell, Great Howling Hell, Hot Hell, Fiercely Hot Hell, and the Hell of Endless Torment.
“Even after hearing about these faults of women, these men feel neither anxiety nor disgust¹³ when they reflect on how they laughed, cried, and felt like shouting aloud, and how they danced, sang, and played music while desiring women and keeping company with them.
“Great King, such is the conduct of foolish beings. Beings with these behaviors will be reborn in the lower realms. Great King, attachment to sense pleasures is the first fault of men whereby they fall under the influence of women and are reborn in the lower realms.”
The Blessed One then spoke the following verses:
“Foul and filthy, objects of desire ought to be despised.
Dissatisfying, frightful, and impermanent, they cause suffering.
Pointlessly, these inferior things lead to one’s demise.
Thus, who among the wise would indulge their desirous cravings?
“Sense pleasures are utterly loathsome,
Like the stench of a cesspit brimming with excrement,
A dwelling filled with rotten, overpowering odors,¹⁴
Or the loathsome charnel grounds of the dead.
“Just as flies, upon seeing a wound, swarm to it,
And pigs, after seeing excrement, run to it,
And dogs run to the butcher for meat,
They do not cherish their parents, nor do they cherish mendicants, brahmins, or others worthy of receiving offerings. They lose their faith in the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha; they lose nirvāṇa. They enter the hells, the animal realm, and the realm of the Lord of Death—they fall to that level. They take up the bodies of lions and garuḍas. They sink to the level of the Hell of Iron-Thorn Trees and the Hell of Burning Coals. They enter the Reviving Hell, Black Line Hell, Crushing Hell, Howling Hell, Great Howling Hell, Hot Hell, Fiercely Hot Hell, and the Hell of Endless Torment.
“Even after hearing about these faults of women, these men feel neither anxiety nor disgust¹³ when they reflect on how they laughed, cried, and felt like shouting aloud, and how they danced, sang, and played music while desiring women and keeping company with them.
“Great King, such is the conduct of foolish beings. Beings with these behaviors will be reborn in the lower realms. Great King, attachment to sense pleasures is the first fault of men whereby they fall under the influence of women and are reborn in the lower realms.”
The Blessed One then spoke the following verses:
“Foul and filthy, objects of desire ought to be despised.
Dissatisfying, frightful, and impermanent, they cause suffering.
Pointlessly, these inferior things lead to one’s demise.
Thus, who among the wise would indulge their desirous cravings?
“Sense pleasures are utterly loathsome,
Like the stench of a cesspit brimming with excrement,
A dwelling filled with rotten, overpowering odors,¹⁴
Or the loathsome charnel grounds of the dead.
“Just as flies, upon seeing a wound, swarm to it,
And pigs, after seeing excrement, run to it,
And dogs run to the butcher for meat,
10
So, too, do the unwise delight in women.¹⁵
“Infamous and shameful, they degrade positive qualities;
Because of them, one’s pure discipline declines,
And the higher realms are lost as one falls into the hells.
Who among the wise would indulge their desirous cravings?
“Just as the body deteriorates and delusions arise
When one consumes halāhala poison,
In the same way sense pleasures cause foolish beings
Not to see physical forms, like one’s own body, as poison.
“In the same way that a skilled magician
Delights hundreds with conjured illusions,
Foolish beings, who seek pleasure for themselves,
Fall to the lower realms because of their delight in sense pleasures.
“Using feasts of food and drink,
Accompanied by song, dance, and music,
To take a bride from a good family
Is the accrual of pain, the accumulation of suffering.
“Craving for the enjoyment of sense pleasures is pain,
Yet people praise these filthy things, which cause injury and ignorance.
By praising and indulging in such lowly desires,
Inferior people will fall to the lower realms.
“Those who desire for such pain praise these objects
And delight in such harmful desires.
Pointlessly forsaking their lives, these foolish beings
Will fall down into the great and unbearable abyss.
“These people who are dominated by pride and ignorance
Are like birds unable to see the far shores of the ocean;
For so long as they are consumed with the five precious metals,
These foolish beings will wander and burn.
“These foolish beings, utterly intoxicated and confused,
Mistake mere glass for an exquisite vase;
Ignorant as to the path, they will remain forever here,
Where they claim, ‘It is perfect,’ due to their desires.
“Because they do not know karma in all its diversity,
They do not believe in the downfall of all beings.
They do not truly honor their fathers and mothers
So, too, do the unwise delight in women.¹⁵
“Infamous and shameful, they degrade positive qualities;
Because of them, one’s pure discipline declines,
And the higher realms are lost as one falls into the hells.
Who among the wise would indulge their desirous cravings?
“Just as the body deteriorates and delusions arise
When one consumes halāhala poison,
In the same way sense pleasures cause foolish beings
Not to see physical forms, like one’s own body, as poison.
“In the same way that a skilled magician
Delights hundreds with conjured illusions,
Foolish beings, who seek pleasure for themselves,
Fall to the lower realms because of their delight in sense pleasures.
“Using feasts of food and drink,
Accompanied by song, dance, and music,
To take a bride from a good family
Is the accrual of pain, the accumulation of suffering.
“Craving for the enjoyment of sense pleasures is pain,
Yet people praise these filthy things, which cause injury and ignorance.
By praising and indulging in such lowly desires,
Inferior people will fall to the lower realms.
“Those who desire for such pain praise these objects
And delight in such harmful desires.
Pointlessly forsaking their lives, these foolish beings
Will fall down into the great and unbearable abyss.
“These people who are dominated by pride and ignorance
Are like birds unable to see the far shores of the ocean;
For so long as they are consumed with the five precious metals,
These foolish beings will wander and burn.
“These foolish beings, utterly intoxicated and confused,
Mistake mere glass for an exquisite vase;
Ignorant as to the path, they will remain forever here,
Where they claim, ‘It is perfect,’ due to their desires.
“Because they do not know karma in all its diversity,
They do not believe in the downfall of all beings.
They do not truly honor their fathers and mothers
11
Or their sons and daughters, and, instead, bring them pain.
“Constantly chattering about intimacy with women
And fully preoccupied with such behavior,
They amass negative deeds in a net of delusion
And pave the way to the lower realms.
“Perceiving their passion as bliss,
These people utterly abandon both father and mother.
They fail to make offerings those who are worthy
And indulge in sense pleasures that ought to be deplored.
“Such people seek their own torment here and there.
The flow of their thoughts is certain to cause destruction.
Those afflicted people search for praise and delight therein.
Such ignoble people are not of the Dharma, but wholly of the world.
“On that basis, they are bound to experience
Torment from weapons and iron shackles,
From bonds, battles, strife, and certain death,
After they die, they will go to the fearsome Hell of Endless Torment.
“In this very life, too, such suffering abounds.
As their wealth diminishes and their beauty fades,
The higher realms slip away and they descend to hell.
Thus, who among the wise would give rise to desirous thoughts.
“Even for the wise, it is easy to lose themselves
In the midst of dense forests made of iron.
It is easy for the learned to get cut on the razor blades.
It is all too easy to end up preparing one’s bed of knives.
“It is easy to end up seizing lumps of burning iron;
It is easy to end up swallowing such iron balls.
To encounter fearsome, fiery pits is easy indeed.
Thus, never let your two hands touch a woman.
“The extent to which people indulge in sense pleasures
Is the extent to which they forsake complete happiness.
Given that sense pleasures are nothing but pain and filth,
Give up such pleasures, along with misery and impurity.
“Desires are the ground for all suffering,
For they cause one’s wealth to be squandered.
Attraction is the root of men’s downfall;
Thus, those who associate with women find only pain.
Or their sons and daughters, and, instead, bring them pain.
“Constantly chattering about intimacy with women
And fully preoccupied with such behavior,
They amass negative deeds in a net of delusion
And pave the way to the lower realms.
“Perceiving their passion as bliss,
These people utterly abandon both father and mother.
They fail to make offerings those who are worthy
And indulge in sense pleasures that ought to be deplored.
“Such people seek their own torment here and there.
The flow of their thoughts is certain to cause destruction.
Those afflicted people search for praise and delight therein.
Such ignoble people are not of the Dharma, but wholly of the world.
“On that basis, they are bound to experience
Torment from weapons and iron shackles,
From bonds, battles, strife, and certain death,
After they die, they will go to the fearsome Hell of Endless Torment.
“In this very life, too, such suffering abounds.
As their wealth diminishes and their beauty fades,
The higher realms slip away and they descend to hell.
Thus, who among the wise would give rise to desirous thoughts.
“Even for the wise, it is easy to lose themselves
In the midst of dense forests made of iron.
It is easy for the learned to get cut on the razor blades.
It is all too easy to end up preparing one’s bed of knives.
“It is easy to end up seizing lumps of burning iron;
It is easy to end up swallowing such iron balls.
To encounter fearsome, fiery pits is easy indeed.
Thus, never let your two hands touch a woman.
“The extent to which people indulge in sense pleasures
Is the extent to which they forsake complete happiness.
Given that sense pleasures are nothing but pain and filth,
Give up such pleasures, along with misery and impurity.
“Desires are the ground for all suffering,
For they cause one’s wealth to be squandered.
Attraction is the root of men’s downfall;
Thus, those who associate with women find only pain.
12
“For a man who comprehends such guidance,
And does not act carelessly regarding women,
The path to the higher realms will always be clear,
And supreme awakening will not be hard to achieve.¹⁶
“Furthermore, Great King, one’s parents undergo hardship. For nine or ten months, your mother carries you in the womb, enduring much pain to raise you. She wipes away your urine and excrement and nurses you on her lap. She helps you to grow and nurtures you. Parents show you the world and teach you all about it. They are concerned about you and wish for your well-being. They desire your benefit and wish you well. They desire your success and happiness. They desire to help you out in the world. As such they are worthy of generosity.
“Out of desire to help their son and for him to be happy, they use the wealth they have saved to find him a bride from a different family. The son then becomes attached and intoxicated; he lusts after her to the point of fainting. He becomes fixated on her and remains infatuated. Attached to and intoxicated by this girl from a different family, he neglects his parents who are worthy of generosity and who have grown old, frail, weak, and blind. He kicks them out of their own home, banishing them without resources or wealth.
“Great King, one should constantly, at all times, and with genuine happiness, honor one’s kind and venerable parents. One should revere, venerate, and worship them. And yet, men kick their parents out of their own homes, banishing them, as they give their respect and honor to the girl taken from another family, presenting her food, drink, and clothing. They cherish, esteem, worship, and respect her with genuine happiness, yet not their parents. Just look at these heartless and inconsiderate people with their wicked minds!
“Great King, look at these people who forsake the Dharma that leads to the higher realms
“For a man who comprehends such guidance,
And does not act carelessly regarding women,
The path to the higher realms will always be clear,
And supreme awakening will not be hard to achieve.¹⁶
“Furthermore, Great King, one’s parents undergo hardship. For nine or ten months, your mother carries you in the womb, enduring much pain to raise you. She wipes away your urine and excrement and nurses you on her lap. She helps you to grow and nurtures you. Parents show you the world and teach you all about it. They are concerned about you and wish for your well-being. They desire your benefit and wish you well. They desire your success and happiness. They desire to help you out in the world. As such they are worthy of generosity.
“Out of desire to help their son and for him to be happy, they use the wealth they have saved to find him a bride from a different family. The son then becomes attached and intoxicated; he lusts after her to the point of fainting. He becomes fixated on her and remains infatuated. Attached to and intoxicated by this girl from a different family, he neglects his parents who are worthy of generosity and who have grown old, frail, weak, and blind. He kicks them out of their own home, banishing them without resources or wealth.
“Great King, one should constantly, at all times, and with genuine happiness, honor one’s kind and venerable parents. One should revere, venerate, and worship them. And yet, men kick their parents out of their own homes, banishing them, as they give their respect and honor to the girl taken from another family, presenting her food, drink, and clothing. They cherish, esteem, worship, and respect her with genuine happiness, yet not their parents. Just look at these heartless and inconsiderate people with their wicked minds!
“Great King, look at these people who forsake the Dharma that leads to the higher realms
First 26 of 127 passages. Read on