Garland of the Buddha's Past Lives (Volume 2). Aryashura

GARLAND OF THE BUDDHA’S PAST LIVES VOLUME II

STORY 21 THE SMALLER BIRTH-STORY OF BODHI

       21.1 21.3 21.4 21.4 21.6 21.6

      21.1

      By conquering anger, enemies are quelled. By doing the opposite, enemies are increased.

      Tradition has handed down the following story.

      The Bodhi·sattva, that Great Being,* is said to have once taken his birth in an eminent brahmin family that was honored by the king and esteemed by the people as if it were a god. The family’s magnificent practice of virtue meant it enjoyed an extremely large fame and secure wealth.

      In the course of time the Bodhi·sattva grew up and, after undergoing all the sacred rites, he quickly became renowned among learned assemblies for his dedication to knowledge and virtue.

      21.5

      The fame of the wise expands

      among learned assemblies,

      like the fame of gems among jewelers

      or the reputation of heroes on battlefields.

      The Great One* had become intimate with the ascetic path and had thoroughly developed his moral awareness in his previous lives. This, combined with the fact that his mind was cleansed by wisdom, meant he took no delight in the household life. Desires were full of strife, disagreement, hatred and repugnance. Associated with kings, thieves, floods, fires and hostile kinsmen, they produced discontent and were a source of multiple evils. Desiring spiritual matters instead, he abandoned sensual pleasures as if they were poisoned food. Shaving off his fine hair and beard, he cast aside the illusory graces of his house-hold clothes and put on some dreary-looking saffron robes, ________

       21.9 21.9 21.11 [3]

      committing himself to the glory of ascetic disciplines and restraints.

      Moved by her affection for her husband, his wife also shaved off her hair. Freeing her body from the concerns of superficial ornaments, she became adorned only by the glory of her virtue and natural appearance. Clothed in saffron robes, she followed her husband into the ascetic life.

      When the Bodhi·sattva realized that his wife intended to follow him into the ascetic forest, he addressed her as follows, knowing that a woman’s tender nature is unsuited to a life of austerity in the forest:

      “You have shown your innate affection toward me, my lady. But stop being so determined to follow me. It would be more suitable if you lived with other ascetic women. For forests are difficult to dwell in. Consider this:

      21.10

      Abandoning their houses,

      ascetics dwell wherever they are at sunset:

      cremation grounds, deserted areas, mountains,

      or forests teeming with fierce wild beasts.

      Constantly roaming alone, intent on meditation,

      they withdraw from the sight of women.

      So lend your mind toward turning back.

      What need have you for such hardship?”

      But his wife had already firmly resolved to follow the Bodhi·sattva and she replied somewhat as follows, her eyes welling with tears:

       21.15 21.15 21.16

      “If the joy of following you

      were a laborious notion,

      why would I pursue something

      painful to me and disagreeable to you?

      But as I am incapable

      of living without you,

      please pardon me if

      I defy your orders!”

      21.15

      And although he spoke to her this way two or three times, she was still unwilling to turn back. So the Bodhi·sattva decided to show her equanimity.

      Followed by his wife as a chakra·vaka* bird is followed by its mate, he wandered through villages, cities and towns until one day, after he had eaten, he practiced meditation in an isolated spot in the forest. The area was splendid and immaculate and adorned by various trees and thickets. Sun rays, resembling attentive servants, filtered through the thick shade here and there like moonlight, and the ground was sprinkled with the pollen of various flowers. When it turned to evening time, the Bodhi·sattva rose from his meditation and stitched together robes made up of rags from dust-heaps. Not far from him, his ascetic wife adorned the root of a tree, illuminating it like a deity with the power of her beauty and focusing on a meditation practice taught to her by her husband.

      At that time a king happened to arrive in the area while making a tour of the forest groves. The spring season had produced an abundance of delightful sprigs and the woods buzzed with swarms of bees roaming around making honey. ________

       21.22

      Charming ponds were adorned with smiling lotuses and water-lilies, while flocks of wanton cuckoos cried out with joy. Soothing breezes blew, suffused with the fragrant scents of various flowers.

      Clusters of multi-colored flowers blazed,

      as if draped by the glory of spring.

      Male cuckoos and peacocks sang.

      Ponds were strewn with lotuses.

      Fresh soft grass grew.

      Drunken bees hummed.

      It captivated the heart to see

      these playgrounds of Desire.

      21.20

      The king courteously approached the Bodhi·sattva and sat down to one side after the usual friendly words of greeting had been exchanged. But when he saw the captivating sight of the ascetic lady, his heart was thrown into turmoil by her glorious beauty and his greedy nature made him consider how to kidnap her, even though he realized she was the Bodhi·sattva’s companion in virtue.

      Though his composure was destroyed by Desire,

      he did not rashly insult the ascetic.

      For he had heard of the power of such austerity-rich

      men,

      how their blazing fury could make fiery curses.

      “I will only know how to act after I ascertain his ascetic power,” the king reflected. “If his mind is ruled by passion for her, then he clearly possesses no ascetic power. But if he is devoid of passion, or shows only little regard for her, then he is likely to have enormous ascetic power.”

       21.24 21.27 21.29 21.29

      Pondering the matter this way, the king addressed the Bodhi·sattva to ascertain his ascetic power under the pretence of being concerned for his welfare:

      “Venerable ascetic, in a world full of rogues and reckless men, it is not right for you to wander these unprotected forests with such a beautiful companion in virtue. For if anyone were to wrong her, I would certainly be blamed. Consider this:

      21.25

      So weakened are you by austerities,

      if someone insulted you and your virtue

      and snatched this woman away by force,

      what else could you do but grieve?

      Attachment to anger destroys the mind,

      ruining fame by violating virtue.

      Let this woman live in the realm of people.

      For what use is female contact to ascetics?”

      “Your Majesty speaks fitting words,”