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| Temple statue of a Buddhist king in Bangkok, Thailand (fredMin/flickr.com) |
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This discourse presents a gentle satire of royal life. Despite his position, King Pasenadi of Kosala finds himself in the role of messenger for his wives. As king he is surrounded by people he cannot trust. Some bring misinformation into his palace, others hope to overthrow him. He is so preoccupied with responsibilities that he fails to pick up on the Buddha's gentle joke about his servitude to the sisters Soma and Sakula. He suffers an attention deficit and at times cannot phrase his questions properly so arrives at no greater certainty about the Buddha's teachings than that they "seem reasonable." At the end of the sutra he departs, not because he is done, but only because his courtier tells him it is time to go.The substance of the discussion nevertheless touches on some serious issues such as the differences among the castes of India at the time of the Buddha, which can be applied to issues of racism/class division in our time.
The discussion and the setting play off one another. Because of his social position, the king is unable to pursue the path to liberation open to all regardless of race, caste, or sex. His social advantages are therefore spiritual liabilities. Like many of us in the modern world, he has plenty of things but no time.
SUTRA
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| All hail the king, in this case famous Buddhist kings Pukkusati and Bimbisara meet in India after the former renounces the throne and travels from Taxila to meet the Buddha (w-e) |
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| One of the Four Heavenly Kings, Korea (wiki) |
Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was staying among the Udaññans, in the Deer Park at Kannakatthala [in ancient India]. At that time King Pasenadi of Kosala had arrived in Udañña on business. He said to one of his men, "Come, my good man. Go to the Blessed One and, showing reverence with your head to his feet in my name, ask whether he is free from illness and affliction, carefree, strong, and abiding in comfort, saying: 'King Pasenadi of Kosala, venerable sir, shows reverence...' Then say, 'Venerable sir, today King Pasenadi of Kosala will come to see the Blessed One after his morning meal.'"
Having responded, "As you wish, sire," the man went to the Blessed One...
Now, the sisters Soma and Sakula [two wives of the king according to the Commentary] heard, "Today, they say, King Pasenadi of Kosala will go to see the Blessed One after his morning meal." So they approached King Pasenadi while his meal was being served and said to him, "Well in that case, great king, show reverence with your head to his feet in our name, too, and ask how he is doing, saying: 'The sisters Soma and Sakula, venerable sir, show reverence with their heads to your feet and ask whether you are [well]...'"
- The Commentary's treatment of this incident as a whole seems aimed at taking the teeth out of the satire, perhaps to appease the royal patrons of the Buddhist monks who compiled the Commentary. It insists that the two sisters did not barge in on the king as his morning meal was being served, but were actually taking part in the meal-serving ceremony. But the sisters' tone in making their request is not servile. So perhaps the Commentary is mistaken about their identity as well.
Then, after his morning meal, King Pasenadi of Kosala went to the Blessed One, bowed, sat respectfully to one side, and said, "The sisters Soma and Sakula, venerable sir, show reverence and ask..."
"But, great king, couldn't the sisters Soma and Sakula get another messenger?"
"Venerable sir, the sisters Soma and Sakula heard I was coming to see the Blessed One after his morning meal.' So they approached me while my meal was being served..."
"May the sisters Soma and Sakula be happy, great king."
Omniscience
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| King Sakka as Burmese Thagyamin |
"Those who say this, are they speaking in line with what the Blessed One has said? Are they misrepresenting the Blessed One? Are they speaking in line with the Dharma so that no one whose thinking is in line with the Dharma would have grounds to criticize them?"
"Great king, those who say so are not speaking in line with what I have said. They are misrepresenting me."
Then King Pasenadi Kosala turned to General Vidudabha: "General, who brought this topic into the palace?"
So King Pasenadi turned to one of his men, "Come, my good man. Summon Sañjaya the Akasa clan Brahmin saying, 'King Pasenadi Kosala summons you.'"
Responding "As you wish, sire," the man went to Sañjaya and said to him, "King Pasenadi of Kosala summons you."
Then the king said to the Blessed One, "Could it be that something was said by the Blessed One in reference to something else, which a person could have misunderstood? In what way does the Blessed One recall having made [such] a statement?"
"Great king, I recall having said, 'It is not possible that a Brahmin or wandering ascetic could know everything and see everything all at once.'"
"Venerable sir, what the Blessed One says seems reasonable. What the Blessed One says seems logical: 'It is not possible that a Brahmin or wandering ascetic could know everything and see everything all at once.'
Castes
"Venerable sir, there are these four castes: noble warriors (nobles, rulers), Brahmins (priests, intellectuals), merchants (traders), and workers (laborers). Is there any distinction or difference among them?"
"Great king, of these four castes, two -- noble warriors and Brahmin priests -- are held to be foremost in terms of receiving homage, hospitality, salutations, and polite services."
"I'm not asking about the present life, venerable sir. I'm asking about the future. Is there any distinction or difference among these four castes?"
"Great king, there are these Five Factors of Exertion. What are the five?
"There is the case where a monastic has conviction, is convinced of the Tathagata's enlightenment: 'Indeed, the Blessed One is worthy and rightly self-awakened, consummate in knowledge and [proper] conduct, well-gone, a knower of the worlds, unexcelled trainer of those fit to be tamed, teacher of devas and human beings, enlightened, blessed.
"One is free from illness and discomfort, endowed with good digestion -- not too cold, not too hot, of moderate strength -- fit for exertion.
"One is neither fraudulent nor deceitful. One declares oneself to the teacher or to wise friends in the supreme life in line with what one actually is.
"One keeps one's persistence aroused for abandoning unskillful mental (heart) qualities and developing skillful mental qualities. One is steadfast, solid in effort, not shirking duties with regard to skillful mental qualities.
"One is discerning, endowed with wisdom leading to the arising of the goal -- noble, penetrating, leading to the right ending of suffering.
"These are the Five Factors of Exertion.
"As for the four castes, great king, if they were endowed with these Five Factors of Exertion, that would be for their long-term welfare and happiness."
"Venerable sir, if these four castes were endowed with these Five Factors of Exertion, would there be any distinction or difference among them in that respect?"
"I tell you, great king, the difference among them would reside in the diversity of their exertion.
"Suppose that there were two tamable elephants, tamable horses, or tamable oxen that were well-tamed and well-trained, and there were two tamable elephants, tamable horses, or tamable oxen that were untamed and untrained.
"What do you think, Would the two tamable elephants, tamable horses, or tamable oxen that were well-tamed and well-trained acquire the habits of the tamed and reach the status of the tamed?"
"Yes, venerable sir."
"And would the two tamable elephants, tamable horses, or tamable oxen that were untamed and untrained acquire the habits of the tamed and reach the status of the tamed?"
"No, venerable sir."
"In the same way, great king, it is impossible that what could be attained by one who has confidence, who is free from illness, who is neither fraudulent nor deceitful, whose persistence is aroused, and who is discerning could also be attained by one who is without conviction, who is sickly, fraudulent and deceitful, lazy, and dull." More
"One is neither fraudulent nor deceitful. One declares oneself to the teacher or to wise friends in the supreme life in line with what one actually is.
"One keeps one's persistence aroused for abandoning unskillful mental (heart) qualities and developing skillful mental qualities. One is steadfast, solid in effort, not shirking duties with regard to skillful mental qualities.
"One is discerning, endowed with wisdom leading to the arising of the goal -- noble, penetrating, leading to the right ending of suffering.
"These are the Five Factors of Exertion.
"As for the four castes, great king, if they were endowed with these Five Factors of Exertion, that would be for their long-term welfare and happiness."
"Venerable sir, if these four castes were endowed with these Five Factors of Exertion, would there be any distinction or difference among them in that respect?"
"I tell you, great king, the difference among them would reside in the diversity of their exertion.
"Suppose that there were two tamable elephants, tamable horses, or tamable oxen that were well-tamed and well-trained, and there were two tamable elephants, tamable horses, or tamable oxen that were untamed and untrained.
"What do you think, Would the two tamable elephants, tamable horses, or tamable oxen that were well-tamed and well-trained acquire the habits of the tamed and reach the status of the tamed?"
"Yes, venerable sir."
"And would the two tamable elephants, tamable horses, or tamable oxen that were untamed and untrained acquire the habits of the tamed and reach the status of the tamed?"
"No, venerable sir."
"In the same way, great king, it is impossible that what could be attained by one who has confidence, who is free from illness, who is neither fraudulent nor deceitful, whose persistence is aroused, and who is discerning could also be attained by one who is without conviction, who is sickly, fraudulent and deceitful, lazy, and dull." More
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