Aṭṭhāna-Jātaka

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Source: Adapted from Archaic Translation by H.T. Francis and R.A. Neil
JATAKA No. 425

ATTHANA-JATAKA

"Make Ganges calm," etc.--The Master told this tale while living in Jetavana monastery, concerning a backsliding Brother(Monk). The Master asked him, "Is the story true, Brother, that you are backsliding?" "Yes, lord." "What is the cause?" "The power of desire." "Brother(Monk), womankind are ungrateful, treacherous, untrustworthy: of old wise men could not satisfy a woman, even by giving her a thousand pieces a day: and one day when she did not get the thousand pieces she had them taken by the neck and was thrown out: so ungrateful are womankind: do not fall into the power of desire for such a cause," and so he told an old tale.

Once upon a time when Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares, his son, young Brahmadatta, and young Mahadhana, son of a rich merchant of Benares, were comrades and playfellows, and were educated in the same teacher's house. The prince became king at his father's death: and the merchant's son dwelling near him. There was in Benares a certain royal dancer & pleasure girl, beautiful and prosperous. The merchant's son gave her a thousand pieces daily, and took pleasure with her constantly: at his father's death he succeeded to the rich merchant's position, and did not forsake her, still giving her a thousand pieces daily. Three times a day he went to wait upon the king. One day he went to wait upon him in the evening. As he was talking with the king, the sun set, and it became dark. As he left the palace, he thought, "There is no time to go home and come back again: I will go straight to the pleasure girl's house:" so he dismissed his attendants, and entered her house alone. When she saw him, she asked if he had brought the thousand pieces. "Dear, I was very late to-day; so I sent away my attendants without going home, and have come alone; but tomorrow I will give you two thousand pieces." She thought, "If I admit him to-day, he will come empty-handed on other days, and so my wealth will be lost: I won't admit him this time." So she said, "Sir, I am but a royal dancer & pleasure girl: I do not give my favours without a thousand pieces: you must bring the sum." "Dear, I will bring twice the sum tomorrow," and so he begged her again and again. The royal dancer & pleasure girl gave orders to her maids, "Don't let that man stand there and look at me: take him by the neck, and threw him out, and then shut the door." They did so. He thought, "I have spent on her eighty crores(x10 million) of money; yet on the one day when I come empty-handed, she has me seized by the neck and was thrown out: Oh, womankind are wicked, shameless, ungrateful, treacherous:" and so he thought and thought on the bad qualities of womankind, till he felt dislike and disgust, and became discontented with a layman's life. "Why should I lead a layman's life? I will go this day and become an ascetic," he thought: so without going back to his house or seeing the king again, he left the city and entered the forest: he made a hermitage on the Ganges bank, and there made his dwelling as an ascetic, reaching the Perfection of Meditation, and living on wild roots and fruits.

The king missed his friend and asked for him. The royal dancer & pleasure girl's conduct had become known throughout the city: so they told the king of the matter, adding, "O king, they say that your friend through shame did not go home, but has become an ascetic in the forest." The king summoned the royal dancer & pleasure girl, and asked if the story were true about her treatment of his friend. She confessed. "Wicked, nasty woman, go quickly to where my friend is and fetch him: if you fail, your life is gone." She was afraid at the king's words; she mounted a chariot and drove out of the city with a great group of attendants; she searched for his dwelling and hearing of it by report, went there and saluted and prayed, "Sir, bear with the evil I did in my blindness and wrongdoing: I will never do so again." "Very well, I forgive you; I am not angry with you." "If you forgive me, mount the chariot with me: we will drive to the city, and as soon as we enter it I will give you all the money in my house.". When he heard her, he replied, "Lady, I cannot go with you now: but when something that cannot happen in this world will happen, then perhaps I may go;" and so he spoke the first stanza:-

Make Ganges calm like lotus-tank, cuckoos pearl-white to see, Make apples bear the palm-trees' fruit: Perhaps it then might be.

But she said again, "Come; I am going." He answered, "I will go." "When?" "At such and such a time," he said and spoke the remaining stanzas:-

When woven out of tortoise-hair a triple cloth you see, For winter wear against the cold, perhaps it then may be.

When of mosquito's teeth you build a tower so skilfully, That will not shake or stagger soon, perhaps it then may be.

When out of horns of hare you make a ladder skilfully, Stairs that will climb the height of heaven, perhaps it then may be.

When mice to mount those ladder-stairs and eat the moon agree, And bring down Rahu(eclipse) from the sky, the thing perhaps may be.

When swarms of flies devour strong drink in pitchers full and free, And house themselves in burning coals, the thing perhaps may be.

When asses get them ripe red lips and faces fair to see, And show their skill in song and dance, the thing perhaps may be.

When crows and owls shall meet to talk secretly, And attract each other, lover-like, the thing perhaps may be.

When sun-shades, made of tender leaves from off the forest tree, Are strong against the rushing rain, the thing perhaps may be.

When sparrows take Himalaya in all its majesty, And bear it in their little beaks, the thing perhaps may be.

And when a boy can carry light, with all its bravery, A ship full-rigged for distant seas, the thing perhaps may be.

So the Great Being spoke these eleven stanzas to fix impossible (atthana) conditions. The royal dancer & pleasure girl, hearing him, won his forgiveness and went back to Benares. She told the matter to the king, and begged for her life, which was granted.

After the lesson, the Master said, "So, Brethren(Monks), womankind are ungrateful and treacherous"; then he explained the truths, and identified the Birth:-After the Truths, the backsliding Brother(Monk) was established in the fruition of the First Path(Trance):-"At that time the king was Ananda, the ascetic was myself."