Gandhāra-Jātaka

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Source: Adapted from Archaic Translation by H.T. Francis and R.A. Neil
JATAKA No. 406

GANDHARA-JATAKA

"Villages full sixteen thousand," etc.--The Master told this when living in Jetavana monastery, concerning the rule on the storing up of medicines (*1). The occasion however arose in Rajgraha city. When the venerable Pilindiyavaccha went to the king's living to set free the park-keeper's family (*2), he made the palace all of gold by magic power: and the people in their delight brought to that Elder Monk the five kinds of medicine. He gave them away to the congregation of Brethren(Monks). So the congregation had many medicines, and as they received the medicines, they filled pots and jars and bags in this way and laid them aside. People seeing this murmured, saying, "Those greedy monks are accumulating these in their houses." The Master, hearing this thing, made the rule, "Whatever medicines for sick brethren (stores received, must be used within seven days)," and said, "Brethren, wise men of old, before the Buddha appeared, ordained in other faiths and keeping only the five rules, used to scold those who laid aside even salt and sugar for the next day; but you, though ordained in such a path of salvation (nirvana), make a stockpile for the second and the third day," and so he told the tale of old.

Once upon a time the Bodhisattva was the king's son of the Gandhara(near Afghanistan & Pakistan including Kandahar) kingdom; at his father's death he became king and ruled with righteousness.

In the Central Region, in the kingdom of Videha a king named Videha was ruling at the time. These two kings had never seen each other, but they were friends and had great trust the one in the other. At that time men were long-lived: their life was for thirty thousand years. Then once, on the fast day of the full moon, the king of Gandhar(Kandahar) had taken the vow of the commands (*3), and on the dais in the middle of a royal throne prepared for him, looking through an open window on the eastern quarter, he sat giving to his ministers a discourse on the matter of the righteous path. At that moment Rahu(eclipse) was covering the moon's face which was full and spreading over the sky. The moon's light vanished. The ministers, not seeing the moon's brightness, told the king that the moon was seized by Rahu(eclipse). The king, observing the moon, thought, "That moon has lost its light, being marred by some trouble from outside; now my royal group of attendants is a trouble, and it is not suitable that I should lose my light like the moon seized by Rahu(eclipse): I will leave my kingdom like the moon's face shining in a clear sky and become an ascetic: why should I advise another? I will go about, detached from family and people, disciplining myself alone: that is right for me." So he said, "As you please so do," and gave over the kingdom to his ministers. When he gave up his kingdom in the two kingdoms of Kashmir and Gandhara(Kandahar), he took the religious(hermit) life, and attaining the transcendental faculty he passed the rains in the Himalaya region devoted to the delight of meditation. The king of Videha, having asked of merchants, "Is it well with my friend?" heard that he had taken the religious(hermit) life, and thought, "When my friend has taken the religious(hermit) life, what should I do with a kingdom?" So he gave up the rule in his city of Mithila, seven leagues( x 4.23 km) in extent, and his kingdom of Videha, three hundred leagues( x 4.23 km) in extent, with sixteen thousand villages, storehouses filled, and sixteen thousand dancing girls, and without thinking of his sons and daughters he went to the Himalaya region and took the religious(hermit) life. There he lived on fruits only, living in a state of calm. Both of them following this quiet life afterwards met, but did not recognise each other: yet they lived together in this quiet life in friendliness. The ascetic of Videha waited upon the ascetic of Gandhara(near Afghanistan & Pakistan including Kandahar). On a day of full moon as they were sitting at the root of a tree and talking on things relating to the law, Rahu(eclipse) covered the moon's face as it was shining in the sky. The ascetic of Videha looked up, saying, "Why is the moon's light destroyed?" And seeing that it was seized by Rahu(eclipse), he asked, "Master, why has he covered the moon and made it dark?" "Scholar, that is the moon's one trouble, Rahu(eclipse) by name; he binders it from shining: I, seeing the moon's face struck by Rahu(eclipse), thought, "There is the moon's pure face become dark by trouble from outside; now this kingdom is a trouble to me: I will take the religious(hermit) life so that the kingdom does not make me dark as Rahu(eclipse) does the moon's face": and so taking the moon's face seized by Rahu(eclipse) as my theme, I gave up my great kingdom and took the religious(hermit) life." "Master, were you king of Gandhara(near Afghanistan & Pakistan including Kandahar)?" "Yes, I was." "Master, I was the king Videha in the kingdom of Videha and city of Mithila: were we not friends though we never saw each other?" "What was your theme?" "I heard that you had taken the religious(hermit) life and thinking, "Surely he has seen the good of that life," I took you as my theme, and leaving my kingdom took the religious(hermit) life." From that time they were exceedingly intimate and friendly, and lived on fruits only. After a long time's living there they came down from Himalaya for salt and vinegar, and came to a frontier village. The people, being pleased with their manner, gave them alms and taking a promise made for them houses for the night and the like in the forest, and made them dwell there, and built by the road a room for taking their meals in a pleasant watered spot. They, after going their rounds for alms in the frontier village, sat and ate the alms in that hut of leaves and then went to their living-house. The people who gave them food one day put salt on a leaf and gave it them, another day gave them saltless food. One day they gave them a great deal of salt in a leaf basket. The ascetic of Videha took the salt, and coming gave enough to the Bodhisattva at the meal time and took to himself the proper measure: then putting up the rest in a leaf basket he put it in a roll of grass, saying, "This will do for a saltless day." Then one day when saltless food was received, the man of Videha, giving the alms-food to the man of Gandhara(near Afghanistan & Pakistan including Kandahar), took the salt from the roll of grass and said, "Master, take salt." "The people gave no salt to-day, where have you got it?" "Master, the people gave much salt one day before: then I kept what was over, saying, "This will do for a saltless day." "Then the Bodhisattva scolded him, saying, "O foolish man, you gave up the kingdom of Videha, three hundred leagues( x 4.23 km) in extent, took the religious(hermit) life and attained freedom from attachments, and now you get a desire for salt and sugar." And so advising him he spoke the first stanza:-

Villages full sixteen thousand with their wealth you threw away, Treasuries with wealth in plenty: and you're stockpiling here to-day!

Videha, being thus admonished, did not endure the scolding but became estranged, saying, "Master, you see not your own fault, though you see mine; did you not leave your kingdom and become religious(ascetic), saying, "Why should I advise another? I will discipline myself alone": why then are you now advising me?" So he spoke the second stanza:-

Kandahar and all its province, all its wealth, you threw away, Giving no more royal orders: and you're ordering me to-day!

Hearing him the Bodhisattva spoke the third stanza:-

It is righteousness I'm speaking, for I hate unrighteousness: Righteousness when I am speaking, sin on me leaves no impression.

The ascetic of Videha, hearing the Bodhisattva's words, said, "Master, it is not suitable for one to speak after annoying and angering another, even though he speaks to the point: you are speaking very harshly to me, as if cutting me down with blunt steel," and so he spoke the fourth stanza:-

Whatsoever words, if spoken, would to others cause offence, Wise men leave those words unspoken, though of mighty consequence.

Then the Bodhisattva spoke the fifth stanza:-

Let my hearer scatter chaff, or let him take offence or not, Righteousness when I am speaking, sin on me can leave no spot.

Having so said, he went on, "I will not work with you, O Ananda (*4), as a potter with raw clay only: I will speak scolding again and again; what is truth, that will abide." And so being devoted in conduct suitable to that advice of the Lord Buddha, as a potter among his vessels, after beating them often, takes not the raw clay, but takes the baked vessel only, so preaching and scolding again and again he takes a man like a good vessel, and preaching to show him this, he spoke this pair of stanzas:-

Were not wisdom and good conduct trained in some men's lives to grow, Many would go wandering idly like the blinded buffalo.

But since some are wisely trained in moral conduct fair to grow, Thus it is that disciplined in paths of virtue others go.

Hearing this, the Videha ascetic said, "Master, from this time admonish me; I spoke to you with peevish natural temper, pardon me," and so paying respect he gained the Bodhisattva's pardon. So they lived together in peace and went again to Himalaya. Then the Bodhisattva told the Videha ascetic how to attain to mystic meditation. He did so and reached the higher Faculties and Attainments. So both, never leaving off meditation, became destined for the Brahma world.

After the lesson, the Master identified the Birth: "At that time the Videha ascetic was Ananda, the Gandhara(Kandahar) king was myself."

Footnotes:

(1)Mahavagga vi. 15. 10

(2)See Mahavagga vi. 15. 1

(3)A vow to keep the five moral rules.

(4)The ascetic is addressed by this name, as if his future re-birth as Ananda was foreseen.