“Thou art pale and thin and weak,” and so on. The Master (the Buddha) told this tale while dwelling in Jetavana, concerning the Perfection of Wisdom.
One day the monastics raised a discussion in the Hall of Truth, saying:
“Venerables, the Master (the Buddha) has great and wide wisdom. He is ready and quick-witted. He is sharp, keen-witted, and is able to crush the arguments of his opponents. By the power of his wisdom, he overthrows the subtle questions propounded by warrior-caste sages and reduces them to silence. And having established them in the
Three Guides (
ti-sarana) and the precepts, he causes them to enter on the path that leads to the deathless (nirvana).”
The Master came and asked the topic the monks were debating as they sat together. On hearing what it was he said, “It is not wonderful, meditators, that the Tathagata (the Buddha), having attained the Perfection of Wisdom, should overthrow the arguments of his opponents and convert warriors and others?
For in earlier ages [in past lives], when he was still seeking for supreme knowledge, he was wise and able to crush the arguments of his opponents. Indeed, in the time of Vidhura Kumara, on the summit of the Black Mountain, which is 60 leagues in height, by the force of my wisdom I converted the ogre general,
Yakkha Punnaka, and reduced him to silence and made him give his own life as a gift.” So saying, he told a story of the past.
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| Nagas are dragons (Reptilians, snakes) opposed by Supannas (Avians, garudas, phoenixes) |
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I.Once upon a time, in the Kuru Kingdom in the City of Indapatta, a king ruled named
Dhananjaya-korabba. He had a minister named
Vidhura Pandita [who will turn out to be the Bodhisatta], who gave his instructions concerning temporal and spiritual matters. And having a sweet tongue and great eloquence in discoursing of the
dharma (Truth), he bewitched all the kings of
Jambudipa [India, the subcontinent or island or light (in the sky), possibly the earth] by his sweet discourses concerning the
dharma as elephants are fascinated by a favorite lute, nor did he suffer them to depart to their own kingdoms, but dwelled in that city in great glory, teaching the
dharma to the people with a Buddha’s power.
Now there were four rich Brahmin householders in Benares (Varanasi), friends, who, having seen the misery of sensual desires, went into the Himalayas and embraced the wandering ascetic life, and having entered upon the transcendental states and the mystical meditations, continued to dwell a long time there, feeding on forest roots and fruits, and then, as they went on alms round to procure salt and sour condiments, came to the city Kalacampa in the Kingdom of Anga.
There four householders who were friends, being pleased with their deportment, having paid them respect and taken their alms bowls, waited upon then with choice food, each in his own house, and taking their promise arranged a dwelling place for them in their garden.
Now the one who spent his day in the world of the
devas [of the Thirty-Three], after beholding King Sakka’s glory, described it in full to his attendant and so, too, did the one who spent his day in the Naga and Suparna worlds and so, too, the one who spent his day in the park of the Koravya king Dhananjaya.
Each described in full the glory of that respective king. So these four attendants desired [rebirth in] these heavenly abodes, and having performed the giving of gifts and other works of
merit (
punya), at the end of their lives, one was reborn as Sakka, another was reborn with a wife and child in the Naga world, another was born as the Supanna king in the palace of the
Simbali Lake, and the fourth was conceived of by the chief queen of King Dhananjaya, while the four ascetics were reborn in the Brahma world.
The Koravya prince grew up, and on his father’s passing assumed his kingdom and ruled in righteousness, but he was famed for his skill in dice. He listened to the instruction of Vidhura Pandita and gave alms and kept the moral precepts and observed the [weekly] lunar fasting day (
uposatha).
One day when he had undertaken the fast, he went into the garden, determining to practice pious meditation and, having seated himself in a pleasant spot, he performed the duties of a wandering ascetic.
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| Devas are beautiful humanoids in space/heavens. |
[The celestial
deva King] Sakka also, having undertaken to keep the fast, found that there were obstacles in the world of the
devas, so he [came down and] went into that very garden in the world of humans and, having seated himself in a pleasant spot, performed the duties of a wandering ascetic.
The Naga King Varuna also, having undertaken to keep the fast, found that there were obstacles in the Naga world, so he went into that same garden and, having seated himself in a pleasant place, performed the duties of a wandering ascetic.
The Suparna king also, having undertaken to keep the fast, found that there were obstacles in the Suparna world, so he went into that same garden and, having seated himself in a pleasant spot, performed the duties of a wandering ascetic.
Then these four, having risen from their places at evening time, as they stood on the bank of the royal lake, came together and looked at one another and, being filled with their old kindly affection, they woke up their former friendship and sat down with pleasant greetings.
Sakka sat down on a royal seat, and the others seated themselves as befitted the dignity of each. Then Sakka said to them, “We are all four kings. Now what is the preeminent virtue of each?”
Then
Varuna (
Varuna 17) the Naga king replied, “My virtue is superior to that of you three,” and when they inquired why, he said: “This Supanna king is our enemy, whether before or after we are reborn, yet even when I see him such a destructive enemy of our race, I never feel any anger. Therefore, my virtue is superior.” And he then uttered the first stanza of the
Catuposatha Jataka ("Fourfold Lunar Observance Day
Birth Story"):
.
“The good person who feels no anger towards one who merits anger and who never lets anger arise within, one who even when angered does not allow it to be seen — that person they indeed call an ascetic. These are my qualities; therefore, my virtue is superior.”
The Supanna king, hearing this, said: “This Naga is my chief food, but since -- even though I see such food at hand, I endure my hunger and do not commit evil [of killing] for the sake of food -- my virtue is superior,” and he uttered this stanza:
“One who bears hunger with a pinched belly, a self-restrained hermit who eats and drinks by rule and commits no evil for the sake of food — that person they indeed call an ascetic.”
Then Sakka the king of the devas said: “I left behind various kinds of heavenly glory, all immediate sources of happiness, and came to the world of humankind in order to maintain my virtue. Therefore, my virtue is superior,” and he uttered this stanza:
“Having abandoned all sport and pleasure, one utters no false word in the world, one is averse to all outward pomp and carnal desire. Such a person they indeed call an ascetic.” Thus did Sakka describe his own virtue.
Then King Dhananjaya said: “I today have abandoned my court and my seraglio with 16,000 dancing girls, and I practice an ascetic’s duties in a garden. Therefore, my virtue is superior,” and he added this stanza:
“Those who with full knowledge abandon all that they call their own and all the workings of lust, one who is self-restrained, resolute, unselfish, and free from desire, that person they indeed call an ascetic.” Thus they each declared their own virtue as superior, and then they asked Dhananjaya:
“O king, is there any wise person in thy court who could solve this doubt?”
“Yes, O kings, I have Vidhura Pandita, who fills a post of unequalled responsibility and declares civil and monastic law. He will resolve our doubt. We will go to him.” They at once consented. So they all went out of the garden and proceeded to the hall for spiritual assemblies and, having ordered it to be adorned, they seated the Bodhisatta (Buddha-to-be) on a high seat and, having offered him a friendly greeting, sat down respectfully to one side and said:
“O wise sir, a doubt has risen in our minds! Do solve it for us: We ask thee, the minister of lofty wisdom: A dispute has arisen in our utterances. Do consider and solve our perplexities today. Let us through thee today escape our doubt.”
The wise man, having heard their words, replied: “O kings, how shall I know what you said, speaking well or ill concerning your virtue, as you uttered the stanzas in your dispute?” And he added this stanza:
“Those wise ones who know the real state of things and who speak wisely at the proper time — how shall they, however wise, draw out the meaning of verses that have not been uttered to them? How does the Naga king speak, how
Garula (the Supanna), the son of Vinata? Or what says the king of the Gandhabbas (Gandharvas, the lowest rank of
devas, messenger angels and musicians)? Or how speaks the most noble king of the Kurus?”
Then they uttered this stanza to him:
“The Naga king preaches forbearance, Garula the son of Vinata gentleness, the king of the Gandhabbas abstinence from carnal lust, and the most noble king of the Kurus freedom from all hindrances to spiritual perfection.”
Then the Great Being (the Bodhisatta), having heard their words, uttered this stanza:
“All these sayings are well spoken. There is nothing here uttered amiss. And one in whom these are properly fitted like the spokes in the nave of a wheel, that person who is endowed with these four virtues, is called an ascetic indeed.”
Thus the Great Being declared the virtue of each of them to be one and the same. Then the four, when they heard him, were well pleased and uttered this stanza in his praise:
“You're the best, incomparable, wise, a guardian and knower of the dharma (Truth): having grasped the problem with wisdom, you cut off doubts with skill just as an ivory-worker ivory cuts away with a saw.”
So all four were pleased with his explanation of their question. Then Sakka rewarded him with a robe of fine celestial silk, Garula with a golden garland, Varuna the Naga king with a jewel, and King Dhananjaya with a thousand cows, and so on. Then Dhananjaya addressed him in this stanza:
“I give thee a thousand cows and a bull and an elephant, and these ten chariots drawn with thoroughbred horses, and 16 excellent villages, being well pleased with your solution to the question.”
Then Sakka and the rest, having paid all honor to the Great Being, departed to their own abodes. Here ends the section of the fourfold fast (their Uposatha Day observance).
II.
Now the queen of the Naga king was the Lady Vimala, and when she saw that no jeweled ornament was on his neck, she asked him where it was. He replied, “I was pleased at hearing the moral discourse of Vidhura Pandita the son of the Brahmin Canda, and I...
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