Amber Larson, Crystal Quintero, Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly; Acharya Buddharakkhita (trans.), Nagavagga, "The Elephant" (Dhp XXIII, Dhp. 320-333); G.P. Malalasekera
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| Theravada Buddhist monk meditating in the jungle with elephant (Santi foto/flickr.com) |
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| Burmese monks (S. Ranieri) |
320. As an elephant in the battlefield
withstands arrows shot from bows all around, even so shall I endure
abuse. There are many, indeed, who lack virtue.
321. A tamed elephant is led into a crowd,
and the ruler mounts a tamed elephant. Best among humans is the subdued one
who endures abuse.
322. Excellent are well-trained mules,
thoroughbred Sindhu horses, and noble tusker elephants. But better still
is the person who has subdued him or herself.
323. Not by these mounts, however, would
one go to the Untrodden Land (nirvana), as one who is self-tamed goes by
one's own tamed and well-controlled mind (heart). |
| The American Buddhist nun Ayya Tathaaloka giving the gift of the Dharma (bhikkhuni.net). |
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| Novice nun, Burma (Huggy's pics) |
324. Musty during rut, the tusker-elephant named Dhanapalaka* is uncontrollable. Held in captivity, the tusker does not
touch a morsel of food, but only longingly calls to mind the elephant forest.
325. When a person is sluggish and
gluttonous, sleeping and rolling around in bed like a fat domestic pig,
that sluggard undergoes rebirth again and again.
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| Elephant perahera (flickr.com) |
326. Formerly this mind (heart) wandered about as
it liked, where it wished and according to its pleasure, but now I shall
thoroughly master it with wisdom as a mahout controls with ankus an
elephant in rut.
327. Delight in heedfulness! Guard well
your thoughts! Draw yourself out of this bog of harm, even as an
elephant draws itself out of the mud.
328. If for company you find a wise and prudent friend who leads a good life, you should, overcoming all
impediments, keep that person's company joyfully and mindfully.
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| Mahout bathes elephant (Cyrille Gibot) |
329. If for company you cannot find a wise
and prudent friend who leads a good life, then, like a king who leaves
behind a conquered kingdom, or like a lone elephant in the elephant
forest, go your way alone.
330. Better it is to live alone; there is
no keeping fellowship with a fool. Live alone and do no harm; be carefree like
an elephant in the elephant forest.
331. Good are friends when need arises;
good is contentment with just what one has; good is merit when life is
at an end; and good is the abandoning of all suffering (through enlightenment).
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| Pārileyya elephant and the Buddha (ES) |
332. In this world, good it is to serve
one's mother, good it is to serve one's father, good it is to serve monastics, and good it is to serve the enlightened persons.
333. Good is virtue until life's end, good
is confidence that is steadfast, good is the acquisition of wisdom, and good
is the avoidance of harmful karma.
G.P. Malalasekera (Dictionary of Pali Proper Names, PTS) edited by Wisdom Quarterly
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| Drunk Nalagiri charges the Buddha who responds with loving-kindness taming the beast. |
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| Nalagiri (Takht-i-bahi Museum) |
Nālāgiri was an elephant who lived in the royal stalls at Rājagaha.
Ven. Devadatta, after several vain attempts to kill
the Buddha, obtained Prince
Ajātasattu's consent to use Nālagiri as a
means of bringing about the Buddha's death.
The elephant, he said, knows nothing
of the Buddha's virtues. He will have no hesitation in destroying him. Nālagiri
was indeed a fierce animal, but in order to increase his fierceness, Devadatta
instructed his keeper (mahout) to give him twice his usual amount of alcoholic toddy.
A proclamation
was then made with the beating of drums that the streets of the city should be
cleared as Nālāgiri would be let loose upon them.
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| The people ran, but Ananda stepped in to save the Buddha. The Buddha saved himself and the royal elephant Nalagiri, who was soothed with waves of loving-kindness (metta). |
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| In Parileyyaka forest |
The Buddha was informed
of this and warned against going into the city for alms. He ignored the warning
and went into Rājagaha with monastics from the city's 18 monasteries.
At the sight of the tusker elephant Nālāgiri, the people fled in terror.
Ven. Ananda, on seeing the elephant advancing towards
the Buddha, went in spite of the Buddha's orders to the contrary: he stood in
front of the Buddha, who had to make use of his supernatural power to move him.
Just then a woman carrying a child saw the elephant coming
and fled. In her terror she dropped the child at the Buddha's feet. As the elephant
was about to attack the child, the Buddha spoke to him, suffusing him with loving kindness and, stretching out his right hand, he stroked the
animal's forehead.
Thrilled with joy at the touch, Nālāgiri sank on his knees
before the Buddha, and the Buddha taught him the Dharma.
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| Taming Nalagiri (ariyamagga.net) |
It is said that had the elephant not been a wild beast, he would have become a
stream enterer. Marveling at the sight,
the assembled people threw all of their ornaments on the elephant's body
covering it. And henceforth the elephant was known as Dhanapāla
(Dhanapālaka).
The Buddha returned to Bamboo Grove
and later that day recounted the
Cullahamsa Rebirth Tale (Jātaka) in praise of Ananda's loyalty (Vin.ii.194f.:
J.v.333ff.; Avedānas i. 177).
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| Nalagiri (huntingtonarchive.osu.edu) |
It is said (Mil. 349) that 900 hundred million living beings who witnessed the
miracle realized the truth.
The Bodhisattva [the Buddha before enlightenment] in a past life was once riding an elephant when he saw a
non-teaching buddha. Intoxicated by his own glory, he made the elephant charge at him. It was as a result of this action (karma) that the Buddha, in this
rebirth, was charged by Nālāgiri (UdA.265; Ap.i.300). Compare at
Donamukha.
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