Petavatthu(Ghost stories)38

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38. THE STORY OF NANDAKA (4.3)
Two hundred years after the passing away of the Teacher(Buddha),  king Pingala was reigning in Surattha(probably Saurashtra, Gujarat). The head of his army was Nandaka, of heretical (wrong) views. The redactors tell this story about them.

1. Raja(king) Pingalaka,  it is said, was lord of the people of Surat city. He had gone on a service to the Moriyas(Mauryas of Magadha/Bihar) and again was on his way back to Surat.

2. In the heat of the noonday the king came to a swamp; he beheld a delightful road, haunt of the petas.

3. The king told his driver: "This is a delightful road; peaceful, safe, lucky, Follow this course, charioteer."

4. From this point the king of Surat with his army of four types(elephats, horses, chariots & foot soldiers) proceeded upon it at the head of the men from Surat.

5. With a flurried look a man thus addressed the ruler of Surat : "We are going on a wrong road; it is frightful, hair-raising,

6. "In front a way is seen, but behind it is not seen. We are travelling on a wrong road near Yama's men.

7. "A non-human odour is blowing; a dreadful noise is heard." Alarmed  t e rajab of Surat thus spoke to the charioteer.

8. " We are going upon a wrong road; it is frightful and hair-raising. In front a way is seen, but behind it is not seen.

9. "We are travelling on a wrong road near Yama's men. A non-human odour is blowing; a dreadful noise is heard."

10. He mounted upon the back of an elephant; and looklng toward the four directions, he saw a banyan with its abundant shade.

11. The tree resembled a dark blue thunder-cloud in colour, and its top had the hue of mist. The king asked his driver: "What is that big object which we see, like the dark blue thunder-cloud  in colour anti having a top with the hue of mist?

Charioteer :

12. "Sire, that is a banyan with abundant shade; it is a tree that looks like the dark blue thunder cloud in colour, and its top has the hue of mist."

13. The rajah of Surat set out in the direction in which was seen that  large tree, which in colour had the likeness of a dark blue thunder-cloud and whose top had the hue of mist.

14. Having descended from the back of the elephant, the  king approached  the tree  and with his ministers and attendants sat down at the roots of the banyan.

15. He saw a full water-jar and cakes. Then a man who had the appearance of a deva and was bedecked with all kinds of ornaments, came up and thus addressed the rajah:

16. " Welcome  Sire; you have not come far, Lord, drink water. eat cakes. o conqueror ! "

17. The king with his ministers and attendants drank water and ate cakes, then the king spoke thus:

18." If Now I ask, are you a deva(angel), or a gandharva(servant of deva), or Sakka(Indra, king of heaven)  Purindada ? Not knowing you we ask. How may we know you? "

Peta:

19. "I am not deva, nor gandharva, surely not Sakka Purindada, I am a peta, sire,  who from Surat have here come.

Rajah:

20. "How were you virtuous, how behaved you in the past in Surat? Through what holy living of yours have you acquired this splendour?"

Peta :

21. "Listen to it, sire, conqueror and extender of the realm, and you too,  ministers and attendants of the king, and let the brahman priest, listen,

22. "I am from Surat, Lord; I was a man of evil intent and held false doctrines. My character was bad; I was miserly and had abusive nature.

23.  "I restrained many who ware charitable and doing good, and I barred the way for others who were disposed to give,

24 . "(saying:) 'A gift brings no reward.  Where to comes the fruit  of self-restraint ?  There is no teacher at all. Who will chastise him that gives no gifts?

25, '" Among living beings one's weight equals another's. Why do they honour the eldest(old)? There is neither strength nor energy. Why speak of a man's exertion(in deeds)?

26. "A gift bears no fruit at all; it does not purge away an enemy. A man acquires what he is to obtain and receives what is tending to come.

27. "There is no mother, father, or brother: there is no world beyond the present. There is no gift; here is no sacrifice : nothing well-established exists.

28. "Whoever injures  a man or cuts off another's head, does not do any wrong to living beings.

29." Indestructible and indivisible is a living being; is (either) octagonal or spherical like a ball; he is five hundred yojanas  high. Who is able to detroy him?

30." Just as a ball of string which is thrown down rolls away from him who unwinds it, exactly in the same manner the living man rolls away from those unwinding him.

31. "Just as he who leaves one village finds his way into another, eve so does the living being enter another body.

32. "Just as he who departs from a house goes into another, even so does the living being enter another case.

33. " After having passed through the cycle of transmigration(rebirth) for eighty-four hundred thousand great kalpas, both the foolish and the wise will make an end of ill deeds.Both happiness and unhappiness are measured by bushels and baskets. He who is victorious understands all.  Other people are dull-witted ! Such views I did  hold."

34." If I was erring, filled with ignorance. I was  a heretic and not virtuous. I was miserly  and abusive. In less than six months I shall die(from now, from the state of peta ),

35. "Will go down to the exceedingly severe and terrible hell  I shall fall. It is four-cornered and has four doors

36. "It is divided into parts hy measure  it is surrounded by an iron fence and  covered on the top with iron.

37." Its iron floor is glowing wi th heat. Flashing on all sides for a hundred yojanas, it exists for all time.  A hundred thousand units pass by and straightway a sound is heard. A lakh(100000 years)  has elapsed, sire,  which is a hunredth part is a crore(10000000)  of years; The people who were heretics and of bad character and abused the righteous are tormented in hell for a hundred  thousand  crore of years. In that place I shall long suffer pain.

38. "Therefore I exceedingly bewail(stress) the fruit of evil deeds. Listen to this, SIre, conqueror  and extender of the realm: good luck to you, sire. I have a daughter, Uttara  !

39 . "She perfoms good works and finds delight in the moral precepts and in the feast days(food donation). She is self-restrained, liberal, wise of speech, and unselfish.

40. "She is completely obedient to her instruction(teaching) and is a daughter-in-Iaw in others'  family; she is a lay discipIe of the glorious Buddha, the Sakya sage.

41. "A rnonk, eminent in morals entered the village to ask for alms. His eyes  were cast down: he was mindful(alert), (sense)door-guarded, and well-restrained. As he was begging from house to house in regular order, he came to her dwelling.

42. "Him did Uttara see-sire & said  'good luck to you!'  she gave him a water-jar and various cakes. saying:

43. "My father has died. reverend sir: may this help him I' No sooner was this done  then the result was produced.

44. "I am partaking of food and enjoying pleasures like King Vessavana. Hear this, sire, conqueror  and extender of the realm :

45. "The Buddha. is called highest  in the world and among devas(angels). Go with your wife and child to Buddha for refuge.  O conqueror,

46. "By the eight-fold way they reach,  the immortal abode. Go with your wife and child to Dhamma (Buddha's path) for refuge, O conqueror.

47. "Walking the four ways,standing in the four fruits, this order(of monks of Buddha) is upright and devoted to wisdom and morals.

48. "Go, conqueror, with your wife and children to the order(of monks of Buddha) for refuge. Quickly abstain from killing; reject what is not given to you in the world; be no strong-drinker(of liquor); do not speak falsely; and be content with your own wife."

Rajah:

49. "You think of  my welfare, yakkha : you think of my good, deva !  I will do your word; you are my teacher.

50. "I approach for refuge in the Buddha and Supreme Dhamma(his path & laws), and I seek refuge in the order(of monks)  of men and devas.

51. "I quickly refrain from taking Iife ; I refuse what is not given to me in the world; no strong-drinker, I speak not falsely; and I am content with my own wife.

52. "I cast away (mouthed) blustering quickly as it were into the river's stream. I vomit out (abandon) wicked doctrine, delighting in the teaching of the Buddha. "

53. Thus spoke the rajah(king) of Surat, renouncing his sinful outlook, When he had paid honour to the Lord Buddha, the eminent monarch ascended his chariot looking to east.!