The Acts of the Buddha 1.9

1.9

佛所行讚離欲品第四

46. He asked, “What kind of a bier is this? Streamers and flowers, and various decorations! The attendants are all grieving, walking along with disheveled hair and bitterly weeping.”

47. A celestial spirit instructed the charioteer to reply, “This is a dead person. His faculties are ruined and his life has ended. His mind and consciousness have departed. His spirit is gone and his body is parched, as rigid as a dead log.

48. “His relatives and friends were bound by their love before, but now no one is happy to see him. They will abandon him in an empty tomb.”

49. When the Crown Prince heard the word “dead,” he felt grief and his thoughts were constrained. He asked, “Is only this person dead, or does the same apply to all in the world too?”

50. The reply came, “All are the same everywhere. With a beginning there certainly will be an end. Old and young and middle-aged, having a body they all go to ruin.”

51. The Crown Prince was startled and leaned against the front of his

chariot. His breathing almost stopped and he sighed, “How mistaken are the people in the world!

52. “They openly see the obliteration of the body, yet negligence arises. In one’s mind it is neither a dead log nor a stone, yet no one ever considers its impermanence.”

53. He immediately ordered [the charioteer] to turn the chariot and go back. “There is no more time for excursions. Life is fragile and death unexpected. Why indulge in an excursion?”

54. But the charioteer had received an order from the king. He was afraid and did not dare turn back. He drove on and swiftly urged on [the horses]. He went straight to the gardens.

55. The streams in the grove were majestic and clean, and the fine trees were all blossoming. Divine birds and wondrous animals flew and ran about, singing joyfully and harmoniously. Their radiance was a joy for one’s ears and eyes. It looked like the Celestial Nanda Garden.

Renunciation

1. When the Crown Prince entered the garden, a multitude of maidens came to welcome him. They all gave rise to the idea that [such beauties] are rarely encountered. Rivals in attractiveness, they presented their subtle sincerity. Each one exhausted her ingenious poses, waiting upon him as was fitting.

2. Some grasped his hands and feet and some fondled him all over. Others laughed in response and some showed a sad countenance. They planned to please the Crown Prince, so that he would have happy thoughts.

3. When the multitude of maidens saw the Crown Prince’s bright complexion and his appearance, which was that of a celestial figure, and which did not require any ornamentation but whose plain person surpassed all adornment, they all looked on and thought that Candramas, the celestial son, had come.

4. They devised all kinds of means [to please him] but they did not move the Bodhisattva’s mind. Looking at each other, they became ashamed and fell silent, not uttering a word.

5. There was the son of a brahman called Udāyin. He said to the ladies, “You are all beautiful.

6. “You are intelligent and very skillful, but the power of your beauty is not permanent. You fully understand the worldly and its secret ways to comply with desire.

7. “Your appearance is wonderful, as if you have the look of jade ladies. When gods see you they may reject their queens, and divine seers would waver because of it. Why would it be impossible for the son of a human king to be moved by his emotions?

8. “Even though this royal crown prince’s self-control may now be firm, he may be pure and just, and endowed only with virtue, he is not superior to the power of women.

9. “Long ago, Sundarī was able to destroy a great seer. She led him to indulge in desire and stepped on his head with her foot. Dīrghatapas Gautama was also ruined by a celestial queen.

10. “The son of the seer Vibhāṇḍaka indulged in desire and he subse-

quently went along with the currents [of samsara]. The brahman seer Viśvāmi-

tra cultivated the path for tens of thousands of years. He became deeply

attached to a celestial queen and was suddenly destroyed in one day.

11. “If the power of those beautiful maidens overcame pure conduct, all

the more can your skills move the prince! Apply yourselves even more dili-

gently and do not let the royal succession be interrupted!

12. “A woman may be low by nature, yet the worthy will subsequently

be overcome by her. Why do you not exhaust your tricks so that he may have

tainted thoughts?”

13. Then, when the crowd of ladies had merrily heard Udāyin’s expla-

nation, they increased their joy, just as when a fine horse is flogged with a

whip. They went before the Crown Prince and each one presented several

kinds of tricks.

14. They sang and danced, or talked and laughed, raising their eyebrows

and showing their white teeth. They glanced sidelong at him with their beau-

tiful eyes, and their sheer garments made their white bodies visible. Dain-

tily moving with a mincing gait, feigning affection, one after the other attended

to him.

15. In their desire they were genuine at heart, and fully carried out the

words of the great king. With dissolute appearance, irreverent and vulgar,

they forgot their sense of shame.

16. But the Crown Prince’s mind was firm. He was unyielding and did

not change his countenance. He was like a great dragon-elephant, surrounded

by a herd of elephants.

17. They could not confuse his mind. He dwelled among the multitude

as if he were residing in solitude, just like Śakra, ruler of the gods, surrounded

by celestial maidens. While the Crown Prince was in the garden, he was sur-

rounded in the same way.

18. Some arranged their dress for him, and some washed his hands and

feet. Some applied perfume, and some adorned themselves with flowers.

19. Some strung necklaces, and some embraced him closely. Some rested

on their couches, and some murmured confidentialities with heads inclined.

20. Some engaged in common diversions, and some talked of a multi-

tude of amorous things. Some assumed a lustful appearance, trying to move

his heart.

21. The Bodhisattva’s heart remained pure, firm and difficult to change. Hearing the words of the ladies, he felt neither sorrow nor joy.

22. He doubled his considerations of disgust. He sighed, thinking all this was strange. He knew for the first time that lustful thoughts of women were so abundant.

23. “They do not know that youthful beauty is ruined in a moment by old age and death. Alas! Such great delusion! Foolishness obscures their minds.

24. “They should consider old age, illness, and death, and night and day apply and exert themselves! While a sharp sword hangs over their neck, how can they still have fun?

25. “They see the old age, illness, and death of others but do not know how to observe themselves. They are people of mud and wood—what anxieties would they have?

26. “When, for instance, there are two trees in the wild, both with luxuriant flowers and leaves; when one is cut down, the other one does not know fear. These people are just as unwitting.”

27. Then Udāyin came to where the Crown Prince was. He saw that he was quietly meditating in silence, his mind free from any notion of the five desires.

28. He then said to the Crown Prince, “Earlier I was ordered by the great king to be a good friend for his son. I shall offer you some honest words now.

29. “There are three kinds of friends. One may do away with what is unprofitable. One may accomplish what is profitable for someone else. And one will not abandon you in adversity.

30. “If, after having been called your good friend, I were to abandon my duty as a man and if my words do not fully reveal my feelings, why use the term ‘three gains’? I shall therefore speak true words now in order to show my sincerity.

31. “If one’s years are in a time of abundance and one is fully endowed with a beautiful complexion but does not esteem women, this is not the style of a superior man. They may just bring about unreal thoughts, but you should strive to be receptive!

32. “You should have yielding thoughts and captivate them with courtesy! Desire increases pride, and nothing surpasses that of a woman. Your thoughts may be averse now, but you should strive to comply with their way!

33. “When you are courteous to a maiden, her heart is happy. Courtesy

is an ornament. If one forsakes courtesy, one is like a tree without flowers

and fruits.

34. “Why the need for courtesy? In order to receive their services! You

have obtained hard-to-obtain sense objects. Do not give rise to any idea of

contempt!

35. “Desire is first and foremost. Even the gods cannot forget about it!

Even Lord Śakra had an illicit affair with the wife of the seer Gautama.

36. “The seer Agastya practiced asceticism for a long time, but because

he wanted a celestial queen his wishes were consequently unrealized.

37. “The seer Bṛhaspati and the celestial son Candramas, the seer Parāśara

and Kapiñjalāda, all such, out of many others, were ruined by women.

38. “In addition, regarding your own sense objects now, would you be

unable to enjoy them? Having planted meritorious roots in your past lives,

you have obtained these numerous beauties. The whole world is attached to

happiness, but your heart, on the other hand, does not value this.”

39. Then, when the royal Crown Prince had heard the specious words

and fluent eloquence of his friend Udāyin, skillfully explaining the charac-

teristics of the world,

40. He answered, “Udāyin, I am moved by your sincere explanation. I

will say something to you now. Listen attentively!

41. “I do not despise fine sense objects and I know that they give peo-

ple in the world happiness, but because I see that they are characterized by

impermanence, I am weary of them in mind.

42. “If [such sense objects and pleasures] would permanently stay this

way, without the suffering of old age, illness, and death, I too would expe-

rience happiness and never feel any disgust.

43. “If one might [make fast] the beauty of the maidens, without final

decay, even though desire is an error I might yet entertain my human feel-

ings.

44. “If someone experiences old age, illness, and death, he himself should

not be happy, much less feel any attachment for someone else!

45. “Impermanent are the objects of the five desires, and the same also

applies to one’s own person. But if one lets thoughts of happiness arise, one

is on a level with birds and beasts.

46. “The seers you mentioned were attached to the five desires. One should immediately be weary of them. They were ruined because they indulged in desire.

47. “You have further extolled that excellent king who was attached to the objects of the five desires, but he too was ruined in the same way. Know that he was not excellent!

48. “If you skillfully say that one should pretend, make an effort, and attend to them out of courtesy, if one indulges in them, then one really is attached. Why use the term ‘effort’?

49. “Considering deceit to be courtesy, I do not do such a thing. To someone who is really courteous, this is wrong.

50. “Such thoughts are hard to repress. One becomes attached according to the circumstances. If one is attached, one does not see any error. Why make an effort for [the sake of] courtesy?

51. “A devious mind with idle courtesy—I do not see that it is right. Know that old age, illness, and death are a mass of great suffering!

52. “Advising me to fall into that—these are not the words of a good friend. Alas, Udāyin! You really are very sincere!

53. “The ailments of birth, old age, illnesss, and death—this suffering is very dreadful. The eyes see that all decays, yet one finds happiness in their pursuit.