The Sūtra of Golden Light 5: Bam po 5

Chapter 17: The Story of the Fish Guided by Jalavāhana

“And so, noble goddess, Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, had cured the illnesses in the kingdom of King Sureśvara­prabha, so that there were few illnesses and people had the enthusiasm and physical strength they had previously possessed. All the beings in the kingdom of King Sureśvara­prabha were happy, enjoyed amusements, performed acts of generosity, and created merit. They praised Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, saying, ‘May Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, be victorious! May he be victorious! He is the king of healing,³⁵⁸ who heals the illnesses of all beings. He is the visible presence of a bodhisattva, and he knows all the eight branches of the Āyurveda.’

“Noble goddess, Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, had a wife by the name of Jalāmbuja­garbhā.

“Noble goddess, the wife, Jalāmbuja­garbhā, had two sons. The name of one was Jalāmbara and the name of the other was Jalagarbha.

“Noble goddess, Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, traveled with his two sons successively through the villages, towns, market towns, countryside, realm, and the royal capital.

“Noble goddess, at another time, Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, went into the wilderness. In that wilderness he saw carnivores—dogs, jackals, crows, and other birds—that were hurrying toward a lake in that wilderness, and he wondered, ‘Why are these carnivores—dogs, jackals, and so on, up to birds—hurrying in that direction?’ Then he also thought, ‘I will go in the direction that the dogs, jackals, crows, and other birds are rushing.’

“Noble goddess, then Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, went along in that way until he eventually came to the lake in the wilderness where they were going. Ten thousand fish lived in that great lake. He saw that many hundreds³⁵⁹ of the fish had no water,

and he felt great compassion for them. Then he saw emerging from a tree the upper half of the body of a goddess. The goddess said to Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, ‘Excellent, noble son, excellent. Why is that? Because your name is Jalavāhana, you must give water to these fish. You are called Jalavāhana for two reasons, because you bring water and because you give water.³⁶⁰ Therefore, act in accordance with your name!’

“Jalavāhana asked the goddess, ‘Goddess, how many of these fish are there?’

“The goddess replied, ‘A full ten thousand fish.’

“Then, noble goddess, Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, developed an even greater motivation of compassion.

“Noble goddess, at that time, there was just a little water left in that great lake in the wilderness, and those ten thousand fish were close to death, deprived of water, and rushing and darting around.

“Noble goddess, Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, ran in all four directions. In whatever direction Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, went, those ten thousand fish looked piteously in that direction at Jalavāhana.

“Noble goddess, Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, again ran in all four directions but did not find water, so then he looked into the four directions and saw many trees that were not very far away. He climbed those trees and cut off branches, Carrying those tree branches, he went back to the great lake, and there he created a very cool shade for those ten thousand fish.

“Then, noble goddess, Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, went searching for the river that flowed into that lake. Wherever he ran in the four directions, he did not find the river that flowed into the lake. He hurriedly followed a dried-up riverbed. There was a great river called Jalāgamā, and it was the waters of that river that had flowed into that lake in the wilderness.³⁶¹ At that time, a wicked being,³⁶²

in order to obtain those ten thousand fish, had caused the river to flow over a great cliff³⁶³ in that area so that subsequently there would be no water flowing to the fish. When Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, saw that, he thought, ‘Not even a thousand people could make the course of this river flow to that lake, so how would I alone be able to?’ He then returned.

“Then, noble goddess, Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, hurriedly went to King Sureśvara­prabha. Having reached him, he bowed down his head to the feet of King Sureśvara­prabha, seated himself to one side, and told his story: ‘I had eliminated illness in all the villages, towns, and market towns within Your Majesty’s domain.³⁶⁴ In a certain place, there is a lake called Aṭavīsaṃbhavā, in which live ten thousand fish. They lack water and are being tormented by the sun. Just as I did for human beings, I wish to save the lives of those who have been born as animals. Therefore, Your Majesty, I request twenty elephants from you.’

“King Sureśvara­prabha gave his ministers the command: ‘Give the great king of doctors twenty elephants!’

“The ministers said to him, ‘Great being! Go to the elephant pen, take away twenty elephants, and bring benefit and happiness to beings!’

“Then, noble goddess, Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, with his sons Jalāmbara and Jalagarbha, led away twenty elephants and obtained from the elephant keepers one hundred ox-leather bags, and then they returned, going to where the great river Jalāgamā flowed. They filled those bags with water, loaded them onto the elephants, and hurried back to the lake in the wilderness. When they arrived there, they took down the water from the elephants, and from all four directions they filled the lake with water. As Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, walked in the four directions, wherever he went, the ten thousand fish sped there.

“Then, noble goddess, Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, wondered, ‘Why are the ten thousand fish speeding to wherever I am?’ He also thought, ‘These ten thousand fish are definitely tormented by the fire of hunger and are begging me for food, so I will give them food.’

“Then, noble goddess, Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, said to his son Jalāmbara, ‘Mount the fastest one of these elephants, ride as quickly as you can to our³⁶⁵ home, and say to your grandfather, the head merchant, “O grandfather, Jalavāhana has said, ‘Put together as one all the food that my parents, brothers, sisters, male servants, female servants, and workmen have at home, and send it to me quickly in the hands of Jalāmbara riding the elephant!’ ” ’

“Then the boy Jalāmbara, riding that elephant, rode and galloped as quickly as he could and came to his home. Arriving there, he told his story in detail. Then the boy Jalāmbara loaded onto the elephant all that combined food that he had been told to obtain, and he rode that elephant to the lake in the empty wilderness.

“Jalavāhana was delighted to see his son Jalāmbara, received the food from his son, divided it, and scattered it in the lake, satisfying those ten thousand fish.

“He thought, ‘At another time, in a solitary place, I heard from a bhikṣu reading the Mahāyāna that someone who hears the name of the Tathāgata Ratnaśikhin at the time of death will be reborn in a happy existence in a higher world.³⁶⁶ So I will teach the fish the profound Dharma of dependent origination and also recite the name of the tathāgata arhat samyak­saṃbuddha Ratnaśikhin.’

“At that time, the beings in Jambudvīpa had two views. Some had faith in the Mahāyāna

and some disparaged it.

“Then, at that time, Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, stood in the lake up to his knees and recited: ‘Homage to the tathāgata arhat samyak­saṃbuddha Ratnaśikhin. Previously, when the Tathāgata Ratnaśikhin was practicing bodhisattva conduct, he made this prayer: “May anyone in the ten directions who hears my name at the time of their death, after their passing be reborn with the good fortune of becoming devas in Trāyastriṃśa.” ’

“Then Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, taught this Dharma to those who had been reborn as animals: ‘Because this exists, that is produced; because this is born, that is born. In that way, because of the factor of ignorance, there is formation; because of the factor of formation, there is consciousness; because of the factor of consciousness, there is name and form; because of the factor of name and form, there are the six āyatanas; because of the factor of the six āyatanas, there is contact; because of the factor of contact, there is sensation; because of the factor of sensation, there is craving; because of the factor of craving, there is grasping; because of the factor of grasping, there is becoming; because of the factor of becoming, there is birth; because of the factor of birth, there is aging and death, misery, lamenting, suffering, unhappiness, and distress. In that way there is produced this great mass of nothing but suffering.

“ ‘Thus, through the cessation of ignorance, formation ceases, and so on, until in that way this great mass of nothing but suffering ceases.’

“Noble goddess, in that way, at that time, in that time, Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, recited those words of the Dharma to those who had been reborn as animals. Then, together with his sons, Jalāmbara and Jalagarbha, he returned to his home.

“At another time, Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, ate a great feast

and became intoxicated from alcohol, and then went to sleep in his bed. At that time, in that time, there appeared a great omen. When that night had passed, it was time for the ten thousand fish to die, and they were reborn with the good fortune of becoming devas in Trāyastriṃśa. As soon as they were born there, this manner of thought arose in their minds: ‘Through what good karma as a cause have we been reborn among the devas of Trāyastriṃśa?’ Then they thought, ‘We were ten thousand fish in Jambudvīpa. We had been reborn as animals, but Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, satisfied us with much water and the most excellent food, and then he taught us the profound Dharma of dependent origination and recited the name of the tathāgata arhat samyak­saṃbuddha Ratnaśikhin. It is through that good quality as a cause and as a condition that we have been reborn here among the Trāyastriṃśa devas. We must go to where Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, is and, after arriving there, make offerings to him.’

“Then those ten thousand devas vanished from among the Trāyastriṃśa devas and arrived at the home of Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son.

“At that time, Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, was sleeping on his bed, and those devas placed ten thousand pearl necklaces above his head. They placed a hundred thousand pearl necklaces in front of his feet. They placed a hundred thousand pearl necklaces to his right. They placed a hundred thousand pearl necklaces to his left. They also sent down a great rain of coral tree flowers that came up to the knees. They also played divine music that woke up everyone in Jambudvīpa. Then those ten thousand devas went up into the sky and sent down a rain of coral tree flowers here and there throughout the domain of King Sureśvara­prabha. Then they went to the great lake in the empty wilderness and sent down a great rain of coral tree flowers onto that great lake.

Then they vanished from there and returned to their paradise, where they delighted and amused themselves with the five sensory pleasures, enjoyed pleasures, and experienced splendor and good fortune.

“In Jambudvīpa, at dawn, King Sureśvara­prabha saw that these signs had occurred, and he asked his astrologers and prime ministers, ‘Why did these signs appear last night?’

“They answered, ‘Your Majesty should know this: a rain of forty thousand pearl necklaces and also a rain of divine coral tree flowers fell in the home of Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son.’

“King Sureśvara­prabha said to his ministers, ‘You go and summon Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, with pleasant words.’

“Then the astrologers and prime ministers went to the home of Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, and having arrived they said to Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, ‘King Sureśvara­prabha is summoning you.’

“Then Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, went with the prime ministers to King Sureśvara­prabha.

“King Sureśvara­prabha said to him, ‘Jalavāhana, such kinds of signs appeared last night. Do you know why there were those signs?’

“Then Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, said to King Sureśvara­prabha, ‘Your Majesty, I know that the time of death definitely came for those ten thousand fish.’

“The king asked, ‘How do you know that, Jalavāhana?’

“ ‘Your Majesty,’ said Jalavāhana, ‘I will send Jalāmbara to that lake to see whether those ten thousand fish are dead or alive.’

“ ‘Do that!’ commanded the king.

“Then Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, said to his son Jalāmbara, ‘Son, go to see whether the ten thousand fish in the lake in the empty wilderness have died or not.’

“Then the son, Jalāmbara, went as quickly as he could to that great lake in the empty wilderness and saw that the time of death had come for those ten thousand fish and that a great rain of coral tree flowers had fallen there.

He returned and said to his father, ‘Their time of death had come.’

“Then Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, having heard those words, went to King Sureśvara­prabha and told him in detail what had occurred: ‘The time of death had come to all those ten thousand fish, and they were reborn among the devas of Trāyastriṃśa. It is through their and my³⁶⁷ power that those good signs appeared last night. There also fell a rain of forty thousand strings of pearls and divine coral tree flowers in my home.’

“Then the king was happy, pleased, and overjoyed.”

The Bhagavat then said to the goddess Bodhisattvasamuccayā, “Noble goddess, do not hold the view of thinking that at that time, in that time, King Sureśvara­prabha was anyone else. Why is that? It is because during that time the Śākya Daṇḍapāṇi was King Sureśvara­prabha.

“Noble goddess, do not hold the view of thinking that at that time, in that time, the head merchant Jaṭiṃdhara was anyone else. Why is that? It is because during that time King Śuddhodana was the head merchant Jaṭiṃdhara.

“Noble goddess, do not hold the view of thinking that at that time, in that time, Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son, was anyone else. Why is that? It is because during that time I was Jalavāhana, the head merchant’s son.

“Noble goddess, do not hold the view of thinking that at that time, in that time, his wife, Jalāmbuja­garbhā, was anyone else. Why is that? It is because during that time the Śākya maiden Gopā was his wife, Jalāmbuja­garbhā.

“Rāhula was at that time the son Jalāmbara, and Ānanda was at that time the son Jalagarbha.

“Noble goddess, do not hold the view of thinking that at that time, in that time, the ten thousand fish were anyone else. Why is that? It is because during that time Jvalanāntara­tejo­rāja and the rest of these ten thousand devas were those ten thousand fish that I satisfied with water and excellent food, to whom I taught the profound Dharma of dependent origination, and to whom I recited the name of the tathāgata arhat samyak­saṃbuddha Ratnaśikhin. It is because of that good action as a cause that they arrived here and that I have given them the prophecy of their attainment of the highest, most complete enlightenment. Because they listened to the Dharma reverently with complete delight, trust, and supreme joy, they have received their prophecies and names.³⁶⁸

“Noble goddess, do not hold the view of thinking that at that time, in that time, the tree goddess was anyone else. Why is that? It is because during that time you were that tree goddess.

“Noble goddess, know through this teaching that while I continued in saṃsāra, I ripened many beings for enlightenment, and they have all obtained prophecies of their attainment of the highest, most complete enlightenment.”

Chapter 18: The Gift of the Body to a Tigress

“Moreover, noble goddess, bodhisattvas give away their bodies in order to benefit others. What is that like?

“The Bhagavat,³⁶⁹ with the light rays of a hundred various, stainless, and vast qualities shining on the earth³⁷⁰ and in the paradises, with the vision of unimpeded wisdom, and the power to suppress adversaries,³⁷¹ accompanied by a thousand bhikṣus, was traveling and passing through the Pañcala³⁷² land and came to a forest.

“There he saw a place of soft pasture, green and blue, with its surface adorned by a variety of aromatic flowers.

When he saw that, the Bhagavat said to Venerable Ānanda, ‘Ānanda, this area is beautiful; it has the signs of a place for me to speak, so now prepare a seat for the Tathāgata.’

“In accordance with the Bhagavat’s instruction, he prepared a seat. When it was prepared, he said to the Bhagavat:

“ ‘Excellent, supreme Bhagavat, sublime giver of the supreme to humans,
Bringer of liberation from the bondage of existence, your seat is prepared.
I pray that you be seated and speak the amṛta of the sublime instructions
That bring liberation so as to benefit³⁷³ beings.’³⁷⁴

“The Bhagavat then sat on the seat and said to the bhikṣus, ‘Bhikṣus, do you want to see the bones of a bodhisattva who did that which was difficult to do?’

“The bhikṣus said to the Bhagavat:

“ ‘Excellent Ṛṣi, tell us well, for the time has come for us to see
The bones of someone dedicated to the benefit of beings,³⁷⁵
Who had patience, great diligence and delighted in peace and self-control,
Who delighted in wisdom and mindfulness and possessed immeasurable qualities.’

“The Bhagavat then stamped on the ground’s surface with the sole of his foot,³⁷⁶ which was as soft as a newly blossomed lotus flower and had marked upon it the design of a wheel with a thousand spokes. As soon as he had pressed down on the earth, it shook in six ways and a stūpa made of silver and gold emerged from it.

“The Bhagavat then said to Venerable Ānanda, ‘Ānanda, open this stūpa!’

“Venerable Ānanda, obeying the Bhagavat, opened the stūpa and saw inside it some golden caskets covered with jewels and pearls that shone³⁷⁷ with a golden light. Having seen that, he told the Bhagavat, ‘Bhagavat, there are golden caskets.’

“ ‘Open all these seven caskets!”³⁷⁸ said the Bhagavat.

“He thus opened them all, and he saw in them bones that were the color of snow and water lilies. Having seen them, he told the Bhagavat, ‘Bhagavat, there are bones.’

“ ‘Ānanda, bring the bones of the great being!’ said the Bhagavat.

“Venerable Ānanda picked up those bones and gave them to the Buddha Bhagavat. The Bhagavat took the bones, held them in front of the saṅgha, and said:

“ ‘These are the bones of someone who possessed the accumulation of supreme qualities, had supreme understanding,³⁷⁹
And had sublime, supreme self-control, meditative stability, patience,³⁸⁰ enthusiasm, and renown.
Moreover, they created in those with understanding a constant enthusiasm and aspiration for this enlightenment,
And they have created a delight for giving in those with perfect understanding.’³⁸¹

“The Bhagavat then said to the bhikṣus, ‘Bhikṣus, pay homage to the bones of a bodhisattva that are suffused with good conduct and good qualities, that are supremely difficult to see, and that are a field of merit.’

“Those bhikṣus placed their palms together and with aspiration paid homage to the bones.

“Then Venerable Ānanda, with palms together, said to the Bhagavat, ‘The Bhagavat Tathāgata is higher than all worlds and is to be paid homage by all beings, so why does the Tathāgata pay homage to these bones?’

“The Bhagavat replied to Venerable Ānanda, ‘Ānanda, it is through these bones that I quickly attained the highest, most complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood. Ānanda, in the past, in a time gone by, there was a king by the name of Mahāratha, who had many troops and vehicles and unimpeded power, and who had subjugated his adversaries. He had three sons who were like young gods: Mahāpraṇāda, Mahādeva, and Mahāsattva.

“ ‘At a certain point the king, in order to amuse himself, went to a park; the boys, attracted to the qualities of that park, and desiring flowers, ran back and forth and came to twelve great, dense forests, which the princes entered. The princes dismissed their attendants, who then went here and there while the princes entered the twelve great, dense forests in the protected park.

“ ‘Mahāpraṇāda said to his two younger brothers, “I am oppressed by the fear in my heart that we could be killed by wild beasts. Let’s go back!”

“ ‘Mahādeva said, “I am not afraid, but in my heart there is the thought of being separated from beloved people.”

“ ‘Mahāsattva said:

“ ‘ “I have no fear and have no sadness
In this solitary forest praised by sages.
My heart has become filled with joy,
Thinking I will find a vast, excellent purpose.”

“ ‘As the young princes were wandering in the midst of those twelve great, dense forests, they saw a tigress who had given birth seven days before, encircled by her five cubs. She was so hungry and thirsty and exhausted that her body was completely weakened.

“ ‘When they saw her, Mahāpraṇāda said, “Alas, this afflicted creature has given birth to cubs some six or seven days ago. Now that she has not found food, she will eat her own cubs or will die of hunger.”

“ ‘ “What does this tormented one eat?” asked Mahāsattva.

“ ‘ “Fresh meat and warm blood is said to be the food of tigers, black bears, brown bears,³⁸² and lions,”³⁸³ answered Mahāpraṇāda.

“ ‘Mahādeva said, “She has a body that is tormented by hunger and thirst, and she has only a little life left. She is so weakened she will not be able to seek for food and drink in this place. Who would give up their own body to save her life?”

“ ‘ “Oh! To give up one’s body would be a difficult thing to do!” said Mahāpraṇāda.

“ ‘ “For us,” said Mahāsattva, “who have small minds and are attached to life and body, it would be difficult to do, but for supreme beings who give their bodies to others, who are dedicated to benefiting others, it would not be difficult.

³⁸⁴“ ‘ “The noble beings who arise from pity and compassion,
Thinking they will find a body in paradise or on this earth,
With a joyful mind oriented to saving the lives of others
Without wavering, would delight in this in a hundred ways.”

“ ‘As they went away, the young prince³⁸⁵ was very unhappy and kept looking back at the tigress, staring at her from afar.

“ ‘Mahāsattva thought, “The time has come for me to give away my body. Why is that?

“ ‘ “For a long time I have taken care of this body of pus
With food, drink, beds, carriages, and other suitable things,
But it will naturally fall apart and be destroyed, come to an end, have a bad end.
It has never before rid itself of that nature; it has no benefit.

“ ‘ “It is in all respects impure and therefore cannot be kept alive, so I should use it for something better. Therefore, I will become like a great ship that crosses the ocean of births and deaths.³⁸⁶ It has no essence; it is like foam. It is filled with worms and is a waste. It has a hundred growths that are like boils. It is filled with urine and feces, and I will give it away.³⁸⁷

“ ‘ “I will obtain the Dharma body that is without misery, changeless, never ruined, stainless, completely filled with such qualities as meditation, filled with a hundred qualities, and free of all impurities.”³⁸⁸

“ ‘With a heart that was filled with perfect compassion, and self-controlled in that way, he said, “You two go on. I have something of my own to do and will go back into the twelve dense forests,” and he sent them both away.

“ ‘The young prince then returned into the great forest

and went to the location of the tigress. He hung his clothes on a branch, and prayed, “I wish to attain the unequaled peace of enlightenment in order to benefit beings. With unchanging, wise compassion, I make a gift of the body, which others find hard to give away. May I attain the faultless, priceless enlightenment that bodhisattvas seek. May I free the three worlds from the terrifying ocean of existence.”

“ ‘Mahāsattva then laid himself down before the tigress, but the tigress did nothing to the loving bodhisattva.

“ ‘The bodhisattva thought, “Oh! She is too weak to do anything!” and got up. With the wisdom of compassion, he sought a weapon. He could not find a weapon anywhere, so he took the branch of a bamboo that was a hundred years old and hard, cut his throat with it, and fell before the tigress.

“ ‘As soon as the bodhisattva fell, the earth shook six times like a ship in the middle of water being shaken by the wind. The sun also was eclipsed, and the beauty of its light rays vanished. There also fell a rain of flowers mixed with divine incense and powders.

“ ‘Then a deva with a marveling mind praised the bodhisattva:

“ ‘ “Excellent wise one, you have in this way pervaded all beings with your compassion.
You have pleased the lords of humans by giving away your body in this way.
You will soon find here, without difficulty and without impediment, a pure peace,
The supreme state of peace that is free of the meaning of birth and death.”

“ ‘The tigress licked³⁸⁹ the bodhisattva’s body soaked in blood, and soon there was nothing left of the body but bones without flesh or blood.

“ ‘Then Mahāpraṇāda, thinking about the earthquake, said to Mahādeva:

“ ‘ “This earth, as far as the oceans and including the oceans, shook;
The sun was without light, and there was a rain of flowers.

Also, my mind became disturbed, so it seems as if
Our younger brother has given away his body.”

“ ‘Mahādeva said:

“ ‘ “I also became worried when he spoke
Those words of compassion while gazing upon
The starving one tormented by a hundred sufferings,
Extremely weak and ready to eat her own cubs.”

“ ‘Then those two young princes, oppressed by sadness, their eyes filled with tears, returned along their path and reached the tigress. They saw all their brother’s clothes were hung upon a bamboo branch, his bones were torn apart and separated, his blood had muddied the ground, and his hair was scattered here and there.

“ ‘When they saw that, they fainted, falling on his bones, where they lay for a while until they revived, stood up, stretched out their arms, and emitted cries of despair.

“ ‘ “Alas! Beloved young brother! The king
And also the mother who loves her son
Will ask us about our little brother:
‘Where have you left the one with lotus eyes?’

“ ‘ “Alas, it would be better for us two to die
In this place, for it will not be good if we live!
How will our parents be able to look upon us
When Mahāsattva no longer exists?”

“ ‘Then the two young princes, weeping and crying out pitifully in many ways, returned.

“ ‘The attendants of the young princes had gone in search of them, running around in all directions, and when they saw one another they asked, “Where is the boy? Where is the boy?”

“ ‘At that time, the queen was sleeping in her bed, and in a dream she became separated from a loved one in this way: her breasts were both cut off, her teeth fell out, and she saw a hawk carry off one of three frightened dove chicks. Then the queen, alarmed by the earth shaking, woke up at that moment and became deep in thought:

“ ‘ “This support of beings, which is clothed by the oceans, has been completely shaken.
The light rays of the sun vanished, which indicates that there will be grief in my heart.