Petavatthu(Ghost stories)2.6

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2.6 The Story of Kanha(Krishna)

While the Teacher(Buddha) was staying at Jetavana, he told this story.

At Savatthi, the son of a certain lay disciple died. The afflicted father could neither bathe nor eat nor mind his business, nor serve the Buddha. Talking confusedly, he would say : "Where is my dear boy, who left me behind? Why he has gone before us?" As the Teacher was surveying the world at dawn, he saw that that man was destined for the fruits of first level(Sotapatti) ; on the following day, surrounded by a group of monks, he walked around in Savatthi to beg for alms. After his meal, he went with Ananda, his attendant, to the door of the man's honse. Thereupon his household told the lay disciple and brought him into the presence of the Teacher(Buddha). When the latter saw him sitting at one side, he said, " What, lay disciple, are you grieving?" He replied, "Yes, reverend sir." Buddha "Lay disciple, the wise men of old did not grieve for a dead son, after they had heard a story of the sages " ; then being entreated by the head of the house, he told this story.

Once upon a time in the city of Dwaravati there were ten royal brothers, Vasudeva(Krishna), Baladeva, Chandadeva, Suriyadeva, Aggideva, Varunadeva, Ajjuna, Pajjuna, Ghatapandita(now Buddha), and Ankura. Of these, a son of the great king Vasudeva died. The monarch(Krishna), overcome with grief, neglected all his obligations, and making an anjali salutation to the bed , he lay clown, talking nonsense. At that time Ghatapandita thought : "No one else besides me is able to dispel my brother's grief. With a tact I shall remove his sorrow." So he assumed the appearance of a madman, and looking at the sky, he roamed through the entire city. saying: " Give me a hare, give me a hare" Then the whole city thought, "Ghatapandita has gone mad." At that time, the privy councillor, Rohineyya by name, went to King Vasudeva(Krishna), and opened conversation with him by this stanza :

1. Arise. Kanha(Krishna). Why you are lying down ? What good does sleep do to you? He who is your own brother, your heart and right eye, is overpowered by winds. Ghata is speaking nonsense, Kesava(Krishna)!"

The Teacher continued :

2. "When he heard this statement of Rohineyya, Kesava(Krishna) with a flurried look arose, oppressed with grief for his brother."

Then the king came down from the terrace, and went to meet Ghatapandita. He held him fast with both hands, and in the conversation with him, said :

3. " Why now like a mad one do you roam through the whole city of Dwaravati and mutter, 'A hare, a hare' ? What kind of hare do you want?

4. I will have a hare made for you of gold, of jewels, of copper, of silver also of precious stones, and coral.

5. " There are also other little rabbits running in the woods and forest; these also I will send to you. What kind of hare do you want? "

Ghatapandita :

6. "I do not want these hares, the rabbits that inhabit the earth; the hare of the moon I wish : that one bring down to me, Kesava! "

Then the king heard him, he was distressed at the thought 'Beyond a doubt, my brother has gone mad,' and said :

7. "Now my kinsman, you will surely throwaway your sweet life. You yearn for something that is not to be desired in that you wish for the hare of the moon."

When Ghatapandita had heard the words of the king, he stood still saying:

8. "If, Kanha(Krishna) you are so wise as you teach another, why do you still today mourn for your son that died in the past?"

As he stood in the middle of the road. he spoke as follows:

" I indeed desire that which is intelligible, but you mourn for that which is not intelligible."

Then in expounding to him Dhamma, he said :

9. " This is not possible for man or even for a spirit, but this is unattainable that the son born unto me should not die?"

10. "It is not possible with incantations(mantras), nor with drugs from roots, nor with herbs, nor with wealth, Kanha, to bring here the departed one whom you mourn.

11. "The very wealthy, those owning many goods, also those possessing kingdoms, and the warriors, they who are opulent with abounding riches, these also are not free from old age and death."

12. " The Kshatriyas, the Brahmans, the Vaishyas, the Sudras, the Chandalas, the Pukkusas, both these and others with their lineage, they too are not free from old age and death."

13. " They who recite a charm(mantra), the six parts which were thought out by brahmans, both these and others with their knowledge, these also are not free from old age and death."

14. " Verily the rishis also who are rightly saints, ascetics who have subdued themselves, these also, the ascetics leave the body at the proper time."

15. "They who have realized truth, the arihants, and they who are free from human passion, cast aside this body at the end of their good and evil deeds."

Thus Ghatapandita(now Buddha) expounded to him Dhamma. When the king(Krishna) had heard him, the pangs of his grief were gone and his mind was serene. In praising Ghatapandita, he said:

16. "Verily, me, glowing, being like a fire over which ghee had been poured, you sprinkled with water, as it were; now I put an end to all my pain."

17. "Verily, you drew from me the sting, the grief that was rooted in my heart, yon who dispelled from me. overcome with sorrow, the mourning for my son."

18. "Now have I laid aside my grief ; calm am I and serene. I neither mourn nor weep since I heard your words."

19. "So do the wise who are compassionate ; they turn us away from grief, just as Ghata did to his eldest brother."

20. " Whoever has such companions and attendants, they follow with encouraging words, as did Ghata did to his eldest brother."

The Teacher repeated this sermon and said : " Thus, lay disciple, the wise men of old removed grief for a son, after having heard a story of the sages." Then in explaining the truths, he applied the jataka to the incident. At the end of the discourse, the lay disciple was established in the fruits of Sotapatti(first level of divine awakening).