Saṅkha-Jātaka

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Source: Adapted from Archaic Translation by W.H.D. Rouse
JATAKA No. 442

SANKHA-JATAKA

"O learned brahmin," etc.--This story the Master told in Jetavana monastery, about the giving of all the necessities.

At Shravasti city, it is said, a certain lay disciple having heard the Tathagata's (Buddha's) discourse, being pleased at heart, gave an invitation for the next day; at his door he set up a pavilion, richly decorated, and sent to say that it was time. The Master came attended by five hundred Brethren(Monks), and sat in the gorgeous seat appointed for him. The layman, having made rich presents to the company of Brethren headed by the Buddha, invited them again for the next day; and so for seven days he invited them, and offered gifts, and on the seventh gave them all a Brother's(Monk's) necessities. In this presentation he offered a special gift of shoes. The pair of shoes offered to the Buddha were worth a thousand pieces of money, those offered to the two Chief Disciples were worth five hundred, and shoes to the value of an hundred were given to each of the five hundred Brethren who remained. And after this presentation made of all that the Brethren need, he sat down before the Lord Buddha, along with his company. Then the Master returned thanks in a voice of much sweetness: "Layman, most generous is your gift; be joyful. In olden days, Before the Buddha came into the world, there were those who by giving one pair of shoes to a Pacceka Buddha, in consequence of that gift found a refuge on the sea where refuge there is none; and you have given to the whole of Buddha's company all that a Brother(Monk) can need--how can it be, but that your gift of shoes should prove a refuge to you?" and at his request, he told a story of the past.

Once upon a time, this Benares was named Molini. While Brahmadatta reigned in Molini as king, a certain brahmin Sankha, rich, of great wealth, had built almshalls in six places, one at each of the four city gates, one in the midst of it, one by his own door. Daily he gave in alms six hundred thousand pieces of money, and to homeless and beggars he did much generosity.

One day he thought to himself, "My store of wealth once gone, I shall have nothing to give. Whiles it is still unexhausted I will take ship, and sail for the Gold Country, from where I will bring back wealth." So he caused a ship to be built; filled it with merchandise; and said he, as he said farewell to wife and child, "Until I come again, see that you make no stay in distributing of alms." This said, he took up his sunshade, wore his shoes, and with his servants about him, setting his face towards the seaport, at midday he departed.

At that moment, a Pacceka Buddha on Mount Gandha-madana, meditating, saw him on his way to get wealth, and thought he, "A great man is journeying to get wealth: will there be anything on the sea to hinder him, or no?--There will.--If he sees me he will present me with shoes and sunshade; and in consequence of this gift of shoes, he will find refuge when his vessel is wrecked upon the sea. I will help him." So passing through the air, he descended not far from the traveller, and moved to meet him, treading the sand hot as a layer of burning embers in the fierce wind and sunshine. "Here," thought the brahmin, "is a chance of gaining merit; here I must sow a seed this day." In high delight he made haste to meet and greet him. "Sir," says he, "be so kind as to come aside from the road for some time, under this tree." Then as the man came in beneath the tree, he brushed up the sand for him, and spread his upper robe, and made him sit down; with water perfumed and purified he washed his feet, anointed him with sweet scented oil; from his own feet he took off the shoes, wiped them clean and anointed them with scented oil, and put them on him, and presented him with shoes and sunshade, asking him wear the one, and spread the other overhead as he went his ways. The other, to please him, took the gift, and as the brahmin gazed upon him for the increase of his faith, flew up and went on his way again to Gandha-madana.

The Bodhisattva on his part, glad at heart, proceeded to the harbour, and took ship.

When they were come to the high seas, on the seventh day the ship sprang a leak, and they could not bale the water clear. All the people in fear for their lives made a great outcry, calling each upon his own god(angel). The Great Being chose him one assistant, and anointing all his body with oil, ate a mess of powdered sugar with ghee (clarified butter) as much as he desired, and giving the man to eat also, he climbed up the mast. "In that direction," said he, "lies our city"; pointing out the direction, and throwing off all fear of the fish and turtles, he dived off with the man to a distance of more than a hundred and fifty arm lengths. A lot of men perished; but the Great Being, with his servant, began to make his way over the sea. For seven days he kept on swimming. Even then he kept the holy fast day, washing his mouth with the salt water.

Now at that time a divinity named Mani-mekhala, which by interpretation is Jewel-zone, had been commanded by the four lords of the world, "If by shipwreck any ill happen to men who have gone to the Three Refuges, or are gifted with virtue, or who worship their parents, you should save them" ; and to protect any such, the deity took position upon the sea. In her divine power she kept no outlook for seven days, but on the seventh day, scanning the sea, she saw the virtuous brahmin Sankha, and thought she, "It is now the seventh day since the man was thrown into the sea: were he to die, great would be my blame." So troubled at heart the deity filled a golden plate full of all manner of divine meats, and moving fast wind-swift towards him, came to a stop before him in mid-air, saying, "Seven days, brahmin, have you taken no food: eat this!" The brahmin looked at her, and replied, "Takeyour food away, for I am keeping fast."

His attendant, who came behind, saw not the deity, but heard only the sound; and thought he, "The brahmin chatters, I think, being of tender frame, and from his seven days' fasting, being in pain and in fear of death: I will comfort him." And he repeated the first stanza:

"O learned brahmin, full of sanctity, Pupil of many a holy teacher, why     All out of reason do futile babbling use, When none is here, except me, to make reply?"

The brahmin heard, and knowing that he had not seen the deity, he said, "Good fellow, it is no fear of death; but I have another here to talk with me" ; and he repeated the second stanza:

"It is a fair radiant presence, gold-sprinkled over, That offers me food for my nourishment,    All bravely set upon a plate of gold: To her I answer No, with heart content."

Then the man repeated the third stanza:

"If such a wonderful being one should see, A man should ask a blessing hopefully.    Arise, beseech her, holding up claspt hands: "Say, are you human, or a deity?"

"You say well," said the brahmin, and asked his question by repeating the fourth stanza:

"As you see me in kindly way And "Take and eat this food" to me do say,    I ask you, lady, excellent in might, Are you a goddess, or a woman, I ask?"

Upon that the deity repeated two stanzas:

"A goddess excellent in might am I; And to mid-ocean onward here did move,    Full of compassion and in heart well-pleased, For your sake come in this extremity.

"Here food, and drink, and place of rest see, Vehicles various and manytimes;    You, Sankha, I make lord of every thing Which for desirableyour heart may hold."

On hearing this the Great Being thought it over. "Here is this deity (thought he), in the middle of the ocean, offering me this thing and that thing. Why does she wish to offer them to me? Is it for any virtuous act of mine, or by her own power, she does it? Well, I will ask the question." And he asked it in the words of the seventh stanza:

"Of all my sacrifice and offering You are the queen, and yours is the governing;  You of fair slender waist, you beautiful-browed: What deed of mine has brought to fruit this thing?"

The deity listened to him, thinking, "This brahmin has put his question, I suppose, because he imagines I know not what good deed he has done. I will just tell him." So she told him, in the words of the eighth stanza:

"A solitary, on the burning way, Weary and foot blistered, thirsty, you did stay,    O brahmin Sankha, for a gift of sandals: That gift your Cow of Plenty is this day."

When the Great Being heard this, he thought to himself, "What! in this impracticable ocean the gift of shoes given by me has become a give-all to me! Ah, lucky was my gift to the Pacceka Buddha!" Then, in great contentment, he repeated the ninth stanza:

"A ship of planks well built let there be, Sailed swiftly by fair winds, impervious to the sea;    No place is here for other vehicle; This very day take me to Molini."

The deity, well pleased at hearing these words, caused a ship to appear, made of the seven things of price; in length it was eight hundred arm lengths, in width six hundred arm lengths, twenty fathoms (fathom=6feet) in depth; it had three masts made of sapphire, cordage of gold, silver sails, and of gold were also the oars and the rudders. This vessel the deity filled with the seven precious things; then embracing the brahmin, set him aboard the gorgeous ship. She did not notice the attendant; However the brahmin gave him a share of his own good fortune; he rejoiced, the deity embraced him also, and set him in the ship. Then she guided the ship to the city of Molini, and having stored all this wealth in the brahmin's house, returned to her place of living.

The Master, in his Perfect Wisdom, uttered the final stanza:

"She pleased, delighted, with a happy cheer, A vessel marvellous caused to appear;    Then, taking Sankha with his serving man, To that most lovely city brought them near."

And the brahmin all his life long lived at home, distributing generosity without end, and observing virtue; and at the end of his days he with his man went to heaven.

When the Master had made an end of this discourse he explained the truths:-now at the conclusion of the Truths the layman entered upon the First Path(Trance):-and he thus identified the Birth; "At that time Uppalavanna was the deity, Ananda was the attendant, and I myself was the Brahmin Sankha."