The Jātaka, vol. I (Ekanipāta)

Now one day the lot fell on a pregnant doe of the herd of Branch, and she went to Branch and said, " Lord, I am with young. When I have brought forth my little one, there will be two of us to take our turn. Order me to be passed over this turn." "No, I cannot make your turn another's," said he; "you must bear the consequences of your own fortune. Begone ! " Finding no favour with him, the doe went on to the Bodhisatta and told him her story. And he answered, "Very well; you go away, and I will see that the turn passes over you." And therewithal he went himself to the place of execution and lay down with his head on the block. Cried the cook on seeing him, "Why here's the king of the deer who was granted immunity ! What does this mean % " And off he ran to tell the king. The moment he heard of it, the king mounted his chariot and arrived with a large following. "My friend the king of the deer," he said on beholding the Bodhisatta, "did I not promise you your lifel How comes it that you are lying here ? ''

" Sire, there came to me a doe big with young, who prayed me to let her turn fall on another ; and, as I could not pass the doom of one on to another, I, laying down my life for her and taking her doom on myself, have laid me down here. Think not that there is anything behind this, your majesty." " My lord the golden king of the deer," said the king, "never yet saw I, even among men, one so abounding in charity, love and pity as you. Therefore am I pleased with you. Arise ! I spare the lives both of you and of her." " Though two be spared, what shall the rest do, O king of men ? " "I spare their lives too, my lord." " Sire, only the deer in your pleasaunce will thus have gained immunity; what shall all the rest do?" "Their lives too I spare, my lord." "Sire, deer will thu« be safe; but what will the rest of four-footed creatures do 1 " [152]. " I spare their lives too, my lord." "Sire, four-footed creatures will thus be safe; but what will the docks of birds do?" "They too shall be spared, my lord." "Sire, birds will thus be safe ; but what will the fishes do, who live in the water 1 " "I spare their lives also, my lord."

After thus interceding with the king for the lives of all creatures, the 1 For dhammaganclika see Jut. n. 124; in. 41. Great Being arose, established the king in the Five OommandmentH, saying, "Walk in righteousness, great king. Walk in rigliteousness and justice towards parents, children, townsmen, and countryfolk, so that when this earthly body is dissolved, you may enter the bliss of heaven." Thus, with the grace and charm that marks a Buddha, did he teach the Truth to the king. A few days he tarried in the pleasauncc for the king's instruction, and then with his attendant herd he passed into the forest again. And that doe brought forth a fawn fair as the op(!ning l)ud of the lotus, who used to phty about with the Branch deer. Seeing tliis Ids mother said to him, "My child, don't go about witli him, only go al)out with the herd of the Banyan deer." And by way of exhortation, siie repeated this stanza : — Keep only with the Banyan deer, and slmn The Branch deer's herd ; more welcome far Is death, my child, in Banyan's comi)aiiy. Than e'en the amplest term of life with Branch. Thenceforth, the deer, now in the enjoyment of immunity, used to eat men's crops, and the men, remembering the immunity granted to them, did not dare to hit the deer or drive them away. So they assemlded in the king's courtyard and laid the matter before the king. Said he, " Wluai the Banyan deer won my favour, [153] I promised him a boon. 1 will forego my kingdom rather than my promise. Begone! Not a man in my kingdom may harm the deer."

But when this came to the ears of the Banyan deer, he called his heid together and said, " Henceforth you shall not eat the crops of others." And having thus forbidden them, he sent a message to the men, saying, " From this day forward, let no hiisbandman fence his field, but merely indicate it with leaves tied up round it." And so, we hear, began a j>lan of tying up leaves to indicate the fields; and never was a deer known to trespass on a held so marked. For thus they had been instructed by the Bodhisatta. Thus did the Bodhisatta exhort the deer of his herd, and thus did ht^ act all his life long, and at the close of a long life passed away witli them to fare according to his deserts. The king too abode by the Bodhisatta's teachings, and after a life spent in good works })assed away to lare according to his deserts. At the close of this lesson, when the ]\Iaster had repeated tliat, a-s now, so in bygone days also he had been the salvation of the pair, he preached the Four Truths. He then shewed the connexion, Unking together the two stories ho had told, and identified the Birth by saying,— "Devadatta was the Branch Deer of

42 The Jataka. Book I. tliuso liay.s, ;uRi his lo I lowers were that deer's herd; the nun was the doe, auJ rrincc Kassapa was her oftspring; Anaiida was the king; and 1 luysulf was King Banyan Deer." [Not(-. This Jataka is referred to in Milindapaiiho (page 289 of Rhys Davids' transition), and is figured in Phites xxv. (1) and XLiii. (2) of Cunningham's Stupa of liharhut and in the frontispiece to this Vohnnc. Sec also .lulien's If II en Thsang, II. .3()1. For the .stanza and the Introductory Story see Dliammapada, pp. 327 — 330.]

^'■Cnrxed he the dart of loce." — This story was told l>y the Master while at Jetavana ab(nit the teniptati(Mi caused to Brethren hy the wives of their nunidane life. This will be related in the Indriya-jataka' in the Eighth Book. Said the Blessed One to the Brother, "Brother, it was because of this very woman that in bygone days you met your death and were roasted over glowing embers." The Brethren asked the Ble.ssed One to explain this. The Blessed One made clear what had })een concealed from them by re-l)irth. [154] (Henceforth we shall omit the words respecting the Brethren's request for an explanation and the making cle;ir what had been concealed by re-birth ; and we shall only say "told this story of the past." When only this is said, all the rest is to be supplied and repeated as above, — the request, the simile of setting free the moon fi-oni the clouds, and the making clear what had been concealed by re-birth.) Once on a time in tin; kingdom of Magadha the king was reigning in Rajagaha, and when the crops were grown the deer were exposed to great perils, so that they retired to the forest. Now^ a certain mountain-stag of the forest, having become attached to a doe who came from near a village, was moved by his love for her to accompany her when the deer returned home from the fore.st. 8aid she, "You, sir, are but a simi)le stag of the forest, and the neighbourhood of villages is beset with peril and danger. So don't come down with us." But he because of his great love for her would not stay, but came with her.

WJieu they knew that it was the time for the ileer to couu; down tV the liills, the Magadha folk posted themselves in ambush by the road ; ;uid a hunter was lying in wait just by the road along which the pair wen; travelling. Scenting a man, the young doe suspected that a hunter was in ambush, and let the stag go on first, following herself at some distance. With a single arrow the hunter laid the stag low, and the doe seeing him struck was off like the wind. Tlien that hunter came forth from his hiding-place and skinned the stag and lighting a fire cooked the; sweet flesh over the embers. Having eaten and drunk, he took ofT home th(! remainder of the bleeding carcass on his carrying-pole to nigale his chililren. Now in those days the Bodhisatta was a fairy dwelling in that very grove of trees, and he marked what had come to pass. " Twas not father or mother, but passion alone tiiat destroyed this foolish deer [155]. The; dawn of passion is bliss, but its end is sorrow and suffering, — the painful loss of hands, and the misery of the five forms of bonds and blows. To cause another's death is accounted infamy in this world ; infamous too is the land which owns a woman's sway and rule ; and infamous are the men who yield themselves to women's dominion." And tlier(;withal, while the other fairies of the wood apjtlauded and offered i)erfumes and flowers and the like in homage, the Bodhisatta wove the three infamies into a single stanza, and made the wood re-echo with his sweet tones as he taught tlu; ti'uth in these lines : —

Cursed bo the dart of love that works men pain I Cursed be the land where women rule su[)reme ! And cursed the fool that bows to woman's sway ! Thus in a single stanza were the three infamies comprised by the Bodhisatta, and the woods re-echoed as he taught the Truth with all the mastery and grace of a Buddha [156]. His lesson ended, the Master preached the Four Truths, at the close whereof the love-sick Brother was established in the Fruit of the First Path. Having told the two stories, the Master shewed the connexion linking the two together, and identified the Birth. (Henceforward, we shall omit the -words 'Ha\-ing told the two stories,' and simply say 'shewed the comiexion... ;' the words omitted arc to be sup|)lied as before.) "In those days," said the Master, "the love-sick Brother was the mountjiinstag; his mundane wife was the young doc, and I was myself the fairy who preached the Truth shewing the sin of passion." [Sotc. See page 330 of Benfcy's Pa/ica-Tan(ra.] 44 The Jataka. Book I.

" There's nothing worse." This story was told by the Master while at Jetavaua, about the Elder Tissa, called Direct-alms the Less. Tradition says that, while the Master was dwelling at the Bamboo-grove near Rajagaha, the scion of a wealthy house, Prince Tissa by name, coming one day to the Bamboo-grove and there hearing a discourse from the Master, wished to join the Bi-otherhood, but, being refused because his parents would not give their consent, obtained their consent l)y following Rattha-pala'si example and refusing food for seven days, and finally took the vows with the Master. About a fortnight after admitting this young man, the Master repaired from the Bamboo-grove to Jetavana, where the young nobleman undertook the Thirteen Obligations''^ and passed his time in going his round for alms from house to house, omitting none. Under the name of the Elder Tissa Direct -alms the Less, he became as bright and shining a light in Buddhism as the moon in the vault of heaven. A festival having been proclaimed at this time at Rajagaha, the Elder's mother and father laid in a silver casket the trinkets he used to wear as a layman, and took it to heart, bewailing thus, — " At other festivals our son used to wear this or that bravery as he kept the festival ; and he, our only sou, has been taken away by the sage Gotama to the town of Savatthi. Where is our son sitting now or standing?" Now a slave-girl who came to the house, noticed the lady of the house weeping, and asked her why she was weeping ; and the lady told her all,

"What, madam, was your son fond of?" "Of such and such a thing," replied the lady. "Well, if you will give me authority in this house, I'll fetch your son back." "Very good," said the lady in assent, and gave the girl her expenses and despatched her with a large following, saying, " Go, and manage to fetch my son back." So away the girl rode in a palanquin to Savatthi, where she took up lier residence in the street which the Elder used to frequent for alms. [157] Surrounding herself with servants of her own, and never allowing the Elder to see his father's people about, she watched the moment when the Elder entered the street and at once bestowed on him an alms of victual and drink. And when she had bound him in the bonds of the craving of taste, she got him eventually to seat himself in the house, till she knew that her gifts of food as alms had put him in her power. Then she feigned sickness and lay down in an inner chamber. In the due course of his round for alms at the proper time, the Elder came to the door of her house; and her people took the Elder's bowl and made him sit down in the house.

When he had seated himself, he said, "Where is the lay-sister?" "She's ill, sir ; she would be glad to see you." Bound as he was by the bonds of the craving of taste, he broke his vow and obligation, and went to where the woman was lying. 1 See liatthapdla-sutta in the Majjhhmi-Nlkdya (No. 83), translated in the Ceylon R. A. S. Journal, 1847. See also Vinaya, Vol. iii. pages 13 and 148. ^ These are meritorious ascetic practices for quelling the passions, of which the third is an undertaking to eat no food except alms received direct from the giver in the Brother's alms-bowl. Hence "ticket-food" (Jataka No. 5) was inadmissible. Then she told him the reason of her coming, and so wrought on him that, all because of his being bound by the bonds of the craving of taste, slie made him forsake the Brotherhood ; when he was in her power, she put him in the palanquin and came back with a large following to llajagaha again. All this was noised abroad. Sitting in the Hall of Truth, the Brethren discussed the matter, saying, "Sirs, it is reported that a slave-girl lias bound in the bonds of the craving of taste, and has carried oft", the Elder Tissa the Less, called Direct-alms." Entering the Hall the ]\[aster sat down on his jewelled seat, and said, "What, Brethren, is the subject of discussion in this conclave?" They told him the incident.

"Brethren," said he, "this is not the first time that, in bondage to the craving of taste, he has fallen into her power ; in bygone days too he fell into her power in like manner." Xwd so saying, he told this story of the past. Once on a time when Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares he had a gardener named Sanjaya. Now there came into the king's pleasaunce a Wind-antelope, which fled away at the sight of Safljaya, but the latter let it go without ten'ifying the timid creature. After several visits the antelope used to roam about in the pleasaunce. Now the gardener was in the habit of gathering flowers and fruits and taking them day by day to the king. Said tlie king to him one day, " Have you noticed anything strange, friend gardener, in the pleasaunce ? " " Only, sir, that a Windantelope has come about the grounds." "Could you catch it, do you think?" "Oh, yes; if I had a little honey, I'd bring it right into your majesty's palace.'' The king ordered the honey to be given to the man and he went off" with it to the pleasaunce, wliere he first anointed with the honey the grass at the spots frequented by the antelope, [158] and then hid himself. When the antelope came and tasted the honied grass it was so snared by tlie lust of taste that it would go nowhere else but only to the pleasaunce.

Marking the success of his snare, the gardener began gradually to show himself. The appearance of the man made the antelo])e take to flight for the first day or two, but growing familiar with the sight of him, it gathered confidence and gradually came to eat grass from the man's hand. He, noting that the ci-eature's confidence had been won, first strewed the path as thick as a cai'pet with broken boughs; then tying a gourd full of honey on his shoulder and sticking a bunch of grass in his waist-cloth, he kept dropping wisps of the honied grass in front of the antelope till at last he got it right inside the palace. No sooner was the antelope inside than they shut the door. At sight of men the antelope, in fear and trembling for its life, dashed to and fro about the hall; and the king coming down from his chamber above, and seeing the trembling creature, said, "So timid is the Wind-antelope that for a whole week it will not revisit a spot where it has so much as seen a man ; and if it lias once been frightened anywhere, it never goes back there again all its life long. Yet,

46 The Jdtaka. Booh I. ensnared by the lust of taste, this wild thing from the jungle has actually come to a place like this. Truly, my friends, there is nothing viler in the world than this lust of taste." And he ])ut his teaching into this stanza : — There's nothing worse, men say, than taste to snare, At home or with one's friends. Lo! taste it was That unto Safijaya deliver'd up The jungle-haunting anteloi)e so wild. And with these words he let the antelope go back to its forest again. [159] When the Master had ended his lesson, and had repeated what he had said as to that Brother's having fallen into that woman's power in bygone days as well as in the present time, he shewed the connexion and identified the Birth, by saying, "In those days this slave-girl was Saiijaya, Direct-alms the Less was the wind-antelope, and I myself was the King of Benares."

" For when a deer." — This story was told by the Master while at Jetavana about an unruly Brother. Tradition says that this Brother was unruly and would not heed admonition. Accordingly, the Master asked him, saying, " Is it true, as they say, that you are unruly and will not heed admonition?" " It is true. Blessed One,'' was the reply. "So too in bygone days," said the Master, "you were unruly and woiild not heed the admonition of the wise and good, — with the result that you were caught in a gin and met your death." And so saying, he told this story of the past. Once on a time when Brahmadatta was in Benares the Bodhisatta was born a deer and dwelt in the foi'est at the head of a herd of deer. His sister brought her son to him, saying, "Brother, this is your nephew; teach him deer's ruses." And thus she placed her son imder the Bodhisatta's care. Said the latter to his nephew, " Come at such and such a time and I will give you a lesson." But the nephew made no appearance at the time appointed. And, as on that day, so on seven days did he skip his lesson and fail to learn the ruses of deer; and at last, as he was roaming about, he was caught in a gin. His mother came and said to the Bodhisatta, " Brother, was not your nephew taught deer's I'uses?"

"Take no thought for the iinteachable rascal," said the Bodhisatta ; [160] "your son failed to learn the ruses of deor." And so saying, having lost all desire to advise the scapegrace even in his deadly peril, he repeated this stanza : — For when a deer has twice four hoofs to run And liranching antlers armed with countless tines, And when by seven tricks he's saved himself, 1 teach him then, Kharadiya, no more. But the hunter killed the self-willed deer that was caught in the snare, and departed with its flesh. When the Master had ended this lesson in support of wliat he had said as to the imruliness of the Brother in bygone days as well as in the present, he shewed the connexion, and identified the Birth, by saying "In those days this unruly Brother was the nephew-deer, Uppala-vanna ^ was the sister, and I myself the deer who gave the admonition." [JVote. In the gathCi I have translated not the meaningless kfthlhi of Fausbilll's text, nor the easy variant hllehi, which is substituted in the gloss, but Laid hi, the more difficult reading which occurs in some Sinhalese mss, and which is read by Fausboll in the analogous story No. 16. This reading is also given by Dickson in J. R. A. S. Ceylon, 1884, p. 188, from the Jataka Pela Sanne. If kCdehi be read, the translation becomes, " I do not try to teach one who has played truant seven times." In the J. R. A. S. Ceylon, 1884, p. 125, Kiinte says, " I have little doubt that laldhi is the original form of the populaising-song, and h'lle/u a mistake for it, and that on this mistake the granunarian compiler has built up his silly little story about the deer who would not go to school."]

" In all three postures."— This story was told by the Master while dwelling in the Badarika Monastery in Kosambi, about the Elder Rahula whose li(!art was set on observing the rules of the Brotherhood. Once when the Master was dwelling in the Aggalava Temple lianl l)y the town of Alavl, many female lay-disciples and Sisters used to flock thither to hear the' Truth preached. The preaching was iu the daytime, but as tune 1 See the interesting Life of this theri iu Mrs Bode's 'Women Leaders of the Buddhist Keformation' (J. R. A. S. 1893, pp. 540—552), where it is explained that Uppala-vanna "came by that name because she had a skin Hke the coloiu- iu the lieart of the dark-blue lotus." 48 The Jdtaka. Book I. ^Yore on, the women did not attend, and there were only Brethren and men disciples present. Tlien the preaching took place in the evening; and at the close the Elder Ih-ethrcn retired each to his own chamber. But the younger ones with the lay-disciples lay down to rest in the Service-hall. When they fell asleep, loud was the snoring and snorting and gnashing of teeth as they lay [161] After a short slumber some got up, and reported to the Blessed One the impropriety which they had witnessed. Said he, " If a Brother sleeps in the company of Novices, it is a Pacittiya offence (requiring confession and ,il>solution)." And after delivering this pi-ecept he went away to Kosambl.

Thereon the Brethren said to the Reverend Bilhula, "Sir, the Blessed One has laid down this precept, and now you will please find quarters of your own." Now, before this, the Brethren, out of respect for the father and because of the anxious desire of the son to observe the rules of the Brotherhood, had welcomed the youth as if the place were his;— they had fitted up a little bed for him, and had given him a cloth to make a pillow with. But on the day of our story they would not even give him house-room, so fearful were they of transgressing. _ The excellent RahuTa went neither to the Buddha as being his father-, nor to Sariputta, Captain of the Faith, as being his preceptor, nor to the Great Moggallana as being his teacher, nor to the Elder Ananda as being his uncle ; but betook himself to the liuddha's jakes and took up his abode there as though in a heavenly mansion. Now in a Buddha's jakes the door is always closely shut : the levelled floor is of perfumed earth ; flowers and garlands are festooned round the walls ; and all night long a lamp burns there. But it was not this splendour which prompted Rilhula to take up his residence here. Nay, it was simply because the Brethren had told him to find quarters for himself, and because he reverenced instruction and yearned to observe the rules of the Order.

Indeed, from time to time the Brethren, to test him, when they saw him coming from quite a distance, used to throw down a hand-broom or a little dust-sweepings, and then ask who had thrown it down, after Rahula had come in. "Well, Rahula came that way," would be the remark, but never did the futiu'e Elder say he knew nothing about it. On the contrary, he \ised to remove the litter and humbly ask pardon of the Brother, nor go away till he was assured that he was pardoned;— so anxious was he to observe the rules. And it was solely this anxiety which made him take up his dwelling in the jakes.

Now, though day had not yet dawned, the Master halted at the door of the jakes and coughed 'Ahem.' 'Ahem,' responded the Reverend Rahula. "Who is there?" said the Buddha. "It is I, Rahula," was the reply; and out came the young man and bowed low. "Why have you been sleeping here, Rahula?" "Because I had nowhere to go to. Up till now, sir, the Brethren have been very kind to me; but such is their present fear of erring [162] that they won't give me shelter any more. Consequently, I took up my abode here, because I thought it a spot where I should not come into contact with anybody else." Then thought the Master to himself, " If they treat even Rahula like this, what will they not do to other youths wliom they admit to the Order?" And his heart was moved within him for the Truth. So, at an early hour he had the Brethren assembled, and questioned the Captain of the Faith thus, "I suppose you at all events, Sariputta, know where Rahula is now quartered? ' "No, sir, I do not." "Sariputta, Rahula was living this day in the jakes. Sariputta, if you treat Rahula like this, what will not be your treatment of other youths whom you admit to the Order? Such treatment will not retain those who join us. In future, keep your Novices in your own quarters for a day or two, and only on the third day let them lodge out, taking care to acquaint yourself with their l<xlging." With this rider, the Master laid down the precept.

Gathering together in the Hall of Truth, the Brethren spoke of the goodness of Rahula. "See, sirs, how anxious was Rahula to observe the rules. When told to find his own lodging, he did not say, 'I am the son of the Buddha; what haxeyou to do with quarters? Vou turn out!' No; not a single Brother did he oust, but quartered himself in the jakes." As they were talking thus, the Master came to the Hall and took his scat on his throne of state, saying, "What is the subject of your talk, brethren/" "Sir," was the reply, "we were talking of the anxiety of Rahula to keep the rules, nothing else." Then said the Master, "This anxiety Rahula h;is shewn not only now, but also in tlie past, when he had been born an animal." And so siiying, he told this story of the past. Once on a time a certain king of Magadha was reigning in Riijagaba; and in those days the Bodhisatta, having been born a stag, was living in the forest at the head of a herd of deer. Now his sister brouglit Iier son to him, saying, " Brother, teach your nephew here the ruses of deer." "Certainly," said the Bodhisatta; "go away now, my boy, and come back at such and such a time to be taught." Punctually at the time his uncle mentioned, the young stag was there and received instruction in the ruses of deer.

One day as he was ranging the woods he was caught in a snare and uttered the plaintive cry of a captive. Away fled the herd and told the mother of her son's capture. She came to her bi'other and asked him whether his nephew had been taught the ruses of deer. "Fear not; [163] your son is not at fault," said the Bodhisatta. " He has learnt thoroughly deer's ruses, and will come back straightway to your great rejoicing." And so saying, he repeated this stanza : — In all three postures— on his back or sides — Your son is versed ; he's trained to use eight hoofs', And save at midnight never slakes hi.s thirst ; As he lies couched on earth, he lifeless seems. And only with his under-nostril breathes. Six tricks 2 my nephew knows to cheat his foes. [164] Thus did the Bodhisatta console his sister by shewing her how thoroughly her son had mastered the ruses of deer. Meantime the young stag on being caught in the snare did not struggle, but lay down at full length^ on his side, with his legs stretched out taut and rigid. He pawed up the ground round his hoofs so as to shower the grass and earth about ; relieved nature; let his head fall; lolled out his tongue; beslavered his body all over; swelled himself out by drawing in the wind ; turned up his eyes; breathed only with the lower nostril, holding his breath with the upper one; and made himself generally so rigid ami so stifl" as to look like a corpse. Even the blue-bottles swarmed round him ; and here and there crows settled.

1 This the commentator explains as having two hoofs on each foot, reffrriiij,' to the cloven hoof of the deer. 2 I.e. the three mentioned in line 1, and the three mentioned in lines 2, H, and 5, respectively. » See infra p. G2, 1. 10. 50 The Jataka. Booh I. The hunter came up and smacked the stag on the belly with his hand, remarking, " He must have been caught early this morning ; he's going bad already." So saying, the man loosed the stag from his bonds, saying to himself, " I'll cut him up here where he lies, and take the flesh home with me." But as the man guilelessly set to work to gather sticks and leaves (to make a fire with), the young stag rose to his feet, shook himself, stretched out his neck, and, like a little cloud scudding before a mighty wind, sped swiftly back to his mother. After repeating what he had said as to Rahula's having shewn no less anxiety in time past to keep rules than in the present, the Master made the connexion and identified the Birth by saying, " Rahula was the young stag of those days, Uppala-vanna his mother, and I the stag his uncle."

[^Note. According to Feer (J. As. 1876, p. 516) this Jataka is also called SilUiCd-Cimd in the Bigandet lis. The substance of the Introductory Story occurs in the Viriai/a, Vol. iv. page 16.]

"/)!. light or dark." — This story was told by the Master while at Jetavana about two Brethren who had joined the Brotherhood in their old age. Tradition says [165] that they were living in a forest-dwelling in the Kosala country, and that one was named the Elder Dark and the other the Elder Light. Now one day Light said to Dark, "Sir, at what time does what is called cold appear?" "It appears in the dark half of the month." And one day Dark said to Light, "Sir, at what time does what is called cold appear?" "It appears in the liglit half of the month." As the pail' of them together could not solve the question, they went to the Master and with due salutation asked, saying, "Sir, at what time does what is called cold apjiear?" After the Master had heard what they had to say, he said, "Brethren, in bygone days also, I answered for you this same question ; but your previous existences have become confused in your minds i." And so saying, he told this story of the past. ^ The compound bhavasaihkhepagatattd occurs here and in the next Jataka, and also Vol. I. p. 463 and Vol. ii. p. 137. The meaning of the word appears to be that by re-birth events in previous existences have become jumbled up together so that no distinct memory remains. A Buddha has the power of remembering the whole of liis past existences.

Once on a time at the foot of a certain mountain there were ]ivin<' together in one and the same cave two friends, a lion and a tiger. The Bodhisatta too was living at the foot of the same hill, as a hermit. Now one day a dispute arose between the two friends about the cold. The tiger said it was cold in the dark half of the month, whilst the lion maintained that it was cold in the light lialf. As the two of them together could not settle the question, they put it to the Bodhisiitta. H<! repeated this stanza : — In light or dark half, whensoe'er the wind Doth blow, 'tis cold. For cold is caused by wind. And, therefore, I decide you both are right. Thus did the Bodhisatta make peace between those friends. [166] AVTien the ^Master had ended his lesson in support of what he had said as to his having answered the same question in l)'ygone days, he preaclied tlic Four Truths, at the close whei'eof both of the Elders won the Fruit of the First Path. The Master shewed the connexion and identified the Birth, by saying, "Dark was the tiger of those days, Light the lion, and I myself the ascetic who answered the question."

"If folk but kne7v."—T\-iis story was told by the Master while at Jetavaua about Feasts for the Dead. For at this time the folk were putting to death goats, sheep, and other animals, and offering them up as what is called a Feast for the Dead, for the sake of their departed kinsmen. Finding tliem thus engaged, the Brethren asked the ^Master, saying, "Just now, sir, tlic folk are taking the lives of many living creatures and offering them up as what is called a Feast for the Dead. Can it be, sir, that there is any good in this ?" " No, Brethren," replied the Master ; " not even when life is taken with the object of providing a Feast for the Dead, does any good arise thcirefi-om. In bygone days the wise, preaching the Trutli from mid-air, and shewing the evil consequences of the practice, made the whole continent renounce it. But n()w, when their previous existences have become confused in their minds, the practice has sprung up afresh." And, so saying, he told this story of the past. Once on a time when Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares, a brahmin, who was versed in the Three Vedas and world-famed as a teacher, Ix'iug minded to offer a Feast for the Dead, had a goat fetclied and said to his

52 The Jataha. Book I. pupils, "My sons, take this goat down to the river and bathe it; then hang a garland round its neck, give it a pottle of grain to eat, groom it a Vjit, and bring it back." " Very good," said they, and down to the river they took the goat, where they bathed and groomed the creature and set it on the bank. The goat, becoming conscious of the deeds of its past lives, was overjoyed at the thought that on this very day it would be freed from all its misery, and laughed aloud like the smashing of a pot. Then at the thought that the brahmin by slaying it would bear the misery which it had borne, the goat felt a great compassion for the brahmin, and wept with a loud voice. "Friend goat," said the young brahmins [167], "your voice has been loud both in laughter and in weeping ; what made you laugh and what made you weep ? " " Ask me your question before your master." So with the goat they came to their master and told him of the matter. After hearing their story, the master asked the goat why it laughed and why it wept. Hereupon the animal, recalling its past deeds by its power of remembering its former existences, spoke thus to the brahmin : — " In times past, Ijrahmin, I, like you, was a brahmin versed in the mystic texts of the Vedas, and I, to offer a Feast for the Dead, killed a goat for my offering.

All through killing that single goat, I have had my head cut off five hundred times all but one. This is my five hundredth and last birth ; and I laughed aloud when I thought that this very day I should be freed from my misery. On the other hand, I wept when I thought how, whilst I, who for killing a goat had been doomed to lose my head five hundred times, was to-day being freed from my misery, you, as a penalty for killing me, would be doomed to lose your head, like me, five hundred times. Thus it was out of compassion for you that I wept." "Fear not, goat," said the brahmin ; " I will not kill you." " What is this you say, brahmin % " said the goat. " Whether you kill me or not, I cannot escape death to-day." " Fear not, goat; I will go about with you to guard you." " Weak is your protection, brahmin, and strong is the force of my evil-doing."

Setting the goat at liberty, the brahmin said to his disciples, " Let us not allow anyone to kill this goat;" and, accompanied by the young men, he followed the animal closely about. The moment the goat was set free, it reached out its neck to browse on the leaves of a bush growing near the top of a rock. And that very instant a thunderbolt struck the rock, rending off a mass which hit the goat on the outstretched neck and tore off its head. And people came crowding round. [168] In those days the Bodhisatta had been born a Tree- Fairy in that selfsame .spot. Uy his supernatural powers he now seated himself crosslegged in mid-air while all tlio crowd looked on. Thinking to himself, 'U these creatures only knew the fruit of evil-doing, perhaps they would desist from killing,' in his sweet voice he taught thcin the Truth in this stanza : — If folk but knew the penalty would be Birth unto sorrow, living things would cease From taking life. Stern is the slayer's doom. Thus did the Great Being preach the Truth, scaring his hearers with the fear of hell ; and the people, hearing him, were so terrified at the fear of hell that they left ofl' taking life. And the JJodliisatUi after establishing the multitude in the Commandments by preaching the Truth to them, passed away to fare according to his deserts. The jicople, too, remained steadfast in the teaching of the Bodhisatta and spent their liveii in charity and other good works, so that in the end they thronged the City of the Devas.

His lesson ended, the Master shewed the connexion, and identified the Birth by saying, "In those days I was the Tree-fairy."

[169] ''Take thought of life hereafter." This story was told by the blaster while at Jetavana aliout the offering of a sacrifice luuler vow to gods. Tradition says that in those days folk when going a journey on business, usetl to slay living creatiu-es and offer them as a sacrifice to gods, and set out on their way, after making this vow, — "If we come safely back with a profit, we will give you another sacrifice." And when they did come safely back with a profit, the idea that this was all due to gods made them slay a number of living creatums and offer them uj) as a sacrifice to obtain a release from their vow. When the Brethren became aware of this, they asked the Blessed One, saying, " Can there be any good in this, sir / " The Blessed One told this story of the past. Once on a time in the Kasi country the squire of a certain little village had promised a sacrifice to the Fairy of a banyan-tree which stood at the entrance to the villase. Afterwards when he returned, he slew a number 54 The Jataka. Book I. of creatures and betook himself to the tree to get released from his vow. But the Tree-Fairy, standing in the fork of its tree, repeated this stanza: —

Take thought of life hereafter when you seek 'llelease'; for this release is bondage strict. Not thus the wise and good release themselves ; For this, the fool's release, in bondage ends. Thenceforth, men refrained from such taking of life, and by walking in righteousness thronged thereafter the city of the Devas. His lesson ended, the Master shewed the connexion and identified the Birth, by saying, " I was the Tree-fairy of those days." [JVote. Feer mentions a second title, Panavadha-Jdtaka (J. As. 1876, p. 516).]

[ITU] '■^ I found the footprints P This story was told by the Master whilst journeying on an alms-pilgrimage through Kcjsala, when he had come to the village of Nalaka-pana (Cane-drink) and was dwelling at Ketaka-vana near the Pool of Nalaka-pana, about cane-sticks. In those days the Brethren, after bathing in the Pool of Nalaka-pana, made the novices get them cane-sticks for needle-cases 1, but, finding them hollow throughout, went to the Master and said, " Sir, we had cane-sticks got in order to provide needle-cases ; and from top to bottom they are quite hollow. Now how can that be?" "Brethren," said the Master, "such was my ordinance in times gone by." And, so saying, he told this story of the past. In past times, we are told, there was a thick forest on this spot. And in the lake here dwelt a water-ogre who used to devour everyone who went down into the watex-. In those days the Bodhisatta had come to life as the king of the monkeys, and was as big as the fawn of a red deer ; he lived in that forest at the head of a troop of no less than eighty thousand monkeys

1 In the Vinaya, {CiiUav. v. 11), the Buddha is made to allow "the use of a needlecase made of bamboo." whom he shielded from harm. Thus did he coiiii«el his s\il»jects; — ''My friends, in this forest there are trees that are poisonous and lakes tliat are haunted by ogres. Mind to ask me first liefore you either (sat any fruit which you have not eaten before, or drink of any wattu- wliere you have not drunk before." "Certainly," said they readily. One day they came to a s})ot they had never visited before. As they were searching for water to drink after their day's wanderings, they came on this lake. But they did not drink ; on the contrary they sat down watching for the coming of the Bodhisatta. When he came up, he said, " Well, my friends, why don't you drink ? " " We waited for you to come." " Quite right, my friends," said the Bodhisatta. Then he made a circuit of the lake, and scrutinized the footprints round, with the result that he found tliat all the footsteps led down into the water and none came up again. " Without doubt," thought he to himself, " this is the haunt of an ogre." So he said to his followers, "You are quite right, my friends, in not drinking of this water ; for the lake is haunted by an ogre."

When the water-ogre realised that they were not entering his domain, [171] he assumed the shape of a horrible monster with a blue belly, a white face, and bright- red hands and feet ; in this shape he came out from the water, and said, "Why are you seated here"? Go down into the lake and drink." But the Bodhisatta said to him, "Are not you the ogre of this water '? " " Yes, I am," was the answer. " Do you take as your prey all those who go down into this water?" "Yes, I do; from small birds upwards, I never let anything go which comes down into my water. I will eat the lot of yon too." " But we shall not let you eat us." " Just drink the water." " Yes, we will diink the water, and yet not fall into your power." "How do you propose to drink the water, then?" "Ah, you think we shall have to go down into the water to drink ; whereas we shall not enter the water at all, but the whole eighty thousand of us will take a cane each and drink therewith from your lake as easily as we could through the hollow stalk of a lotus. And so you will not be able to eat us." And he repeated the latter half of the following stanza (the first half being added by the Master when, as Buddba, he recalled the incident) : —

I found the footprints all lead down, none back. With canes we'll drink ; you shall not take my life. So saying, the Bodhisatta had a cane brought to him. Tlien, calling to mind the Ten Perfections displayed by him, he recited them in a .solemn asseveration', and blew down the cane. [172] Straightway the cane became 1 Literally "made a truth-act." If this is done with iuteution, a miracle instantly follows. Cf. No. 35 &c. 56 The Jataka. Book I. hollow throughout, without a single knot being left in all its length. In this fashion he had another and another brought and blew down them. (But if this were so, he could never have finished ; and accordingly the foregoing sentence must not be understood in this — literal — sense.) Next the Bodhisatta made the tour of the lake, and commanded, saying, "Let all canes throwing here become hollow throughout." Now, thanks to the "reat virtues of the saving goodness of Bodhisattas, their commands are always fulfilled. And thenceforth every single cane that grew round tliat lake became hollow throughout. (In this Kapjya, or Era, there are four miracles which endure through the whole Era. What are the fonrl Well, they are — first, the sign of the hare in the moon', which will last through the whole Era ; secondly, the spot where the fire was put out as told in the Vattaka Jataka^, which shall remain untouched by fii-e throughout the Era ; thirdly, on the site of Ghatlkara's house^ no rain shall ever fall while this Era lasts ; and lastly, the canes that grow round this lake shall be hollow throughout during the whole of the Era. Such are the four Era-miracles, as they are called.)

After giving this command, the Bodhisatta seated himself with a cane in his hands. All the other eighty thousand monkeys too seated tliemselves round the lake, each with a cane in his hands. And at the same moment when the Bodhisatta sucked the water up through his cane, they all drank too in the same manner, as they sat on the bank. This was the way they drank, and not one of them could the water-ogre get ; so he went off in a rage to his own habitation. The Bodhisatta, too, with his following went back into the forest. When the Master had ended his lesson and had repeated what he had said as to the hoUowness of the canes being the result of a former ordinance of his own, he shewed the connexion, and identified the Birth by saying, "Devadatta was the water-ogre of those days ; my disciples were the eighty thousand monkeys ; and I was the monkey-king, so fertile in resource." 1 See Jataka No. 316, and Tawney's Kathd-Sarit-Sdgara, Vol. n. p. 66, where a number of passages bearing on this symbol are referred to, and Benfey's PaficaTantra, i. 349, See also Cariyu-Pitaka, p. 82.

3 See the (unpublished) Gbatikara Sutta (No. 81 of the Majjhima Nikaya), Bhimma. pada, p. 349, and Milinda-panha, p. 222.

[173] "y/ic antelope tiiows well." — This story was told ])y tlic Ma.stor wliilo at the Bamboo-grove about Dcvadatta. For onco when tlio J'retlircii wore gatlicivd together in tlie Hall of Ti'uth, they sat talking reproachfully of Devadatt^i, saying, "Sirs, with a view to destroy the Buddha Devaelatta hired bowmen, hurleil down a rock, and let loose the elephant Dhana-palaka ; in every way he goes about to slay the Lord of Wisdom i." Entering and seating himself on the seat prepared for him, the Master asked, saying, "Sirs, what is the theme you arc discussing hei'e in conclave?" "Sir," was the reply, "we were discussing the wickedness of Devadatta, saying that he was always going about to slay you." Said the Master, "It is not only in these present days, J)rethreu, that Devadatta goes about seeking to slay me; he went about with the like intent in bygone days also, — but was unable to slay me." And so saying, he told this story of the past. Once on a time when Bi'ahmadatta was reigning in Benares, tiie Bodhisatta came to life as an antelope, and used to live ou fruits in liis haunts in the forest. At one period he was subsisting on the fruit of a sepaniii-tree. And there was a village hunter, whose method was to l)uild a platform in trees at the foot of which he found the track of deer, and to watch aloft foi* their coming to eat the fruits of the trees.

When the deer came, he brought them down with a javelin, and sold the flesh for a living. This hunter one day marked the tracks of the Bodhisatta at the foot of the tree, and made himself a platform up in the boughs. Having breakfasted early, he went with his javelin into the forest and seated himself on his platform. The Bodhisatta, too, came abroad early to eat the fruit of that tree ; but he was not in too great a liurry to approach it. " For," thought he to himself, "sometimes these platform-building hunters build themselves platforms in the boughs. Can it be that this can have happened here 1 " And he halted some way off to reconnoitre. Finding that the Bodhisatta did not approach, the hunter, still seated aloft on his platform, [174] threw fruit down in front of the antelope. Said the latter to himself, " Here's the fruit coming to meet me; I wonder if there is a hunter up there." So he looked, and looked, till he caught sight of the hunter in the tree ; but, feigning not to have seen the man, he shouted, " My worthy tree, hitherto you have been in the habit of letting your fruit fall straight to

1 See Vinaya, CuUavagga, vii. 3, for details of Devadatta's attempt to kill (iotainu. In the Vinaya, the elephant is named NAlagiri. 58 The Jataka. Book I. the gi-ouiid like a peudaut creeper; but to-day you have ceased to act like a tree. And therefore, as you have ceased to behave as becomes a tree, I too must change, and look for food beneath another tree." And so saying, he repeated this stanza : — The antelope knows well the fruit you drop. I like it not; some other tree I'll seek^ Then the hunter from his platform hurled his javelin at the Bodhisatta, crying, " Begone ! I've missed you this time." Wheeling round, the Bodhisatta halted and said, '• You may have missed vie^ my good man ; but dfipeiid upon it, you have not missed the reward of your conduct, namely, tlie eight Large and the sixteen Lesser hells and all the live forms of bonds and torture." With these words the antelope bounded off on its way ; and the hunter, too, climbed down and went his way. When the Master had ended this discourse and had repeated what he had said about Devadatta's going about to slay him in bygone days also, he shewed the connexion and identified the Birth, by saying, "Devadatta was the platformhunter of those days, and I myself the antelope."

[175] '■'■The dogs that in the royal palace grow." — This story was told by the Master while at Jetavana, about acting for the good of kinsfolk, as will be related in the Twelfth Book in the Bhaddasala-jataka-. It was to drive home that lesson that he told this story of the past. Once on a time when Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares, the result of a past act of the Bodhisatta was that he came to life as a dog, and dwelt in a great cemeteiy at the head of several hundred dogs. Now one day, the king set out for his pleasaunce in his chariot of state drawn by milk-white horses, and after amusing himself all the day in the grounds came back to the city after sunset. The carriage-harness ^ See Dhammapada, pp. 147, 331. - No. 465. they left in the courtyard, still hitched ou to the clmriot. In the ni'dit it rained and the harness got wet. Moreover, the king's dogs came down from the ui)per chambers and gnawed the leather work and stra))s. Next day they told the king, saying, "Sire, dogs have got in through the mouth of the sewer and have gnawed the leather work and straps of your majesty's carriage." Enraged at the dogs, the king said, " Kill every dog you see." Then began a great slaughter of dogs; and the creatures, 6nding that they were being slain whenever they were seen, repaired to the cemetery to the Bodhisatta. "What is the meaning," asked he, "of your assemlding in such numbers?" They said, "The king is so enraged at the report that the leather work and straps of his carriage have been gnawetl by dogs within the royal precincts, that he has ordered all dogs to \)v. killed. Dogs are being destroyed wholesale, and great peril has arisen."

Thought the Bodhisatta to himself, "No dogs from without can get into a place so closely watched; it must be the thoroughbred dogs inside the palace who have done it. At present nothing happens to tlie real culprits, while the guiltless are being put to death. What if I were to discover the culprits to the king and so save the lives of my kith and kin?" He comforted his kinsfolk by saying, " H:ive no fear ; I will save you. [176] Only wait here till I see the king." Then, guided by the thoughts of love, and calling to mind the Ten Perfections, he made his way alone and unattended into the city, commanding thus, "Let no hand be lifted to throw stick or stone at me." Accordingly, when he made his appearance, not a man grew angry at the sight of him. The king meantime, after ordering the dogs' destruction, had taken his seat in the hall of justice. And straight to him ran the Bodhisatta, leaping under the king's throne. The king's servants tried to get him out ; but his majesty stoj^ped them. Taking heart a little, the Bodhisatta came forth from under the throne, and bowing to the king, said, " Is it you who are having the dogs destroyed?" "Yes, it is I." "What is their offence, king of men?" "They have been gnawing the straps and the leather covering my carriage." " Do you know the dogs wlio actually did the mischief?" "No, I do not." "But, your majesty, if you do not know for certain the real culprits, it is not right to order the destruction of every dog that is seen." " It was because dogs had gnawed the leather of my carriage that I ordered them all to be killed." " J)o your people kill all dogs without exception ;

or are there some dogs who are spared ? " " Some are spared, — the thorough-bred dogs of my own palace." "Sire, just now you were saying that you had ordered the universal slaughter of all dogs wherever found, because dogs had gnawed the leather of your carriage; whereas, now, you say tiiat the thoroughbred dogs of your own palace escape death. Therefore you are following

60 The Jdtaka. Book I. the four Evil Courses of partiality, dislike, ignorance and fear. Such courses are wrong, and not kinglike. For kings in trying cases should be as unbiassed as the beam of a balance. But in this instance, since the royal dogs go scot-free, whilst poor dogs are killed, this is not the impartial doom of all dogs alike, but only the slaughter of poor dogs." And moreover, the Great Being, lifting up his sweet voice, said, " Sire, it is not justice that you are performing," and he taught the Truth to the king in this stanza : — [177] The dogs that in the royal palace grow, The well-bred dogs, so strong and fair of form, — Not these, but only we, are doomed to die. Here's no impartial sentence meted out To all alike; 'tis slaughter of the poor. After listening to the Bodhisatta's words, the king said, " Do you in your wisdom know who it actually was that gnawed the leather of my carriage 1" "Yes, sire." "Who was it?" "The thorough-bred dogs that live in your own palace." " How can it be shewn that it was they who gnawed the leather ? " "I will prove it to you," " Do so, sage." "Then send for your dogs, and have a little butter-milk and kusa-grass brought in." The king did so.

Then said the Great Being, " Let this grass be mashed up in the buttermilk, and make the dogs drink it." The king did so ; — with the result that each several dog, as he drank, vomited. And they all brought up bits of leather ! " Why it is like a judgment of a Perfect Buddha himself," cried the king overjoyed, and he did homage to the Bodhisatta by offering him the royal umbrella. But the Bodhisatta taught the Truth in the ten stanzas on righteousness in the Te-sakuna Jataka^, beginning with the vk^ords : — Walk righteously, great king of princely race. Then having established the king in the Five Commandments, and having exhorted his majesty to be steadfast, the Bodhisatta handed back to the king the white umbrella of kingship. At the close of the Great Being's words, [178] the king commanded that the lives of all creatures should be safe from harm. He ordered that all dogs from the Bodhisatta downwards, should have a constant supply of food such as he himself ate; and, abiding by the teachings of the Bodhisatta, he spent his life long in charity and other good deeds, so that when he died he was re-born in the Deva Heaven. The ' Dog's Teaching ' endured for ten thousand years. The Bodhisatta also lived to a ripe old age, and then passed away to fare according to his deserts.

When the Master had ended this lesson, and had said, " Not only now, Brethren, does the Buddha do what profits liis kimhvd ; in former times alsn he did the like," — he shewed the connexion, and identified the I'irth hy sjiyinj^, "Ananda was the king of those days, the liuddlia's fcjllowers were the othei-s, and I myself was the dog."

" Though prosti'ate noiv." — This story was told by the Master while at Jetavana about a Brother who gave up persevering. For it was then that the Master addressed that Brother and said, "Bretln'en, in bygone days the wise and good persevered even amid hostile surroundings, and, even when they were wounded, still did not give in." And, so saying, he told this story of the past. Once on a time when Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares, the Bodliisatta came to life as a thoroughbred 8indh horse and was made the king's destrier, surrounded by all pomp and state. He was fed on exquisite three-year old rice, which was always served vip to him in a golden dish worth a hundred thousand pieces of money ; and the ground of ids stall was perfumed with the four odours. Round his stall were hung ciimson curtains, while overhead was a canopy studded with stars of gold. On tlio walls were festooned wreaths and garlands of fragrant flowers; and a himp fed with scented oil was always burning thei'e. Now all the kings round coveted the kingdom of Benares. Once seven kings encompassed Benares, and sent a missive to the king, saying, "Either yield up your kingdom to us or give battle." Assembling his ministers, the king of Benares laid the matter before them, and asked them what lie was to do. Said they, "You ought not to go oiit to do battle in person, sire, in the first instance. [179] Despatch such and such a knight out (ii-st to tight them ; and later on, if he fails, we will decide what to do."

Then the king sent for that knight and said to him, "Can you figlit tinseven kings, my dear knight? " Said he, "Give me but your noltle destrier, and then I could fight not seven kings only, but all the kings in India." " My dear knight, take my destrier or any other horse you plea.so, and do battle." "Very good, my sovereign lord," said the knight; and with a bowhe passed down from the upper chamlx^rs of the ])alace. Th«'n he had the noble destrier led out and sheathed in mail, aiming liimself too c.-ip :'i-|>ie. 62 The Jdtaka. Booh I. and girding on his sword. Moimted on his noble steed he passed out of the city-gate, and witli a lightning charge broke down the first camp, taking one king alive and bringing him back a prisoner to the soldiers' custody. Returning to the field, he broke down the second and the third camps, and so on until he captured alive five kings. The sixth camp he had just broken down, and had captured the sixth king, when his destrier received a wound, which streamed with blood and caused the noble animal sharp pain. Perceiving that the horse was wounded, the knight made it lie down at the king's gate, loosened its mail, and set about arming another horse. As the Bodhi-satta lay at full length on his side, he opened his eyes, and gathered what the knight was doing.

" My rider," thought he to himself, " is arming another horse. That other horse will never be able to break down the seventh camp and capture the seventh king ; he will lose all that I have accomplished. This peerless knight will be slain ; and the king, too, will fall into the hands of the foe. I alone, and no other horse, can break down that seventh camp and capture the seventh king." So, as he lay there, he called to the knight, and said, " Sir knight, there is no horse but I who can break down the seventh camp and capture the seventh king. I will not throw away what I have already done ; only have me set upon my feet and clad again in my armour." And so saying, he repeated this stanza: — [180]

Though prostrate now, and pierced with darts, I lie. Yet still no hack can match the destrier. So harness none but me, 0 charioteer. The knight had the Bodhisatta set upon his feet, bound up his wound, and armed him again in proof. Mounted on the destrier, he broke down the seventh camp, and brought back alive the seventh king, whom he handed over to the custody of the soldiers. They led the Bodhisatta too up to the king's gate, and the king came out to look upon him. Then said the Great Being to the king, " Great king, slay not these seven kings ; bind them by an oath, and let them go. Let the knight enjoy all the honour due to us both, for it is not right that a warrior who has presented you with seven captive kings should be brought low. And as for yourself, exercise charity, keep the Commandments, and rule your kingdom in righteousness and justice." When the Bodhisatta had thus exhorted the king, they took off his mail ; but when they were taking it off piecemeal, he passed away. The king had the body burned with all respect, and bestowed great honour on the knight, and sent the seven kings to their homes after exacting from each an oath never to war against him any more. And he I'uled his kingdom in righteousness and justice, passing away when his life closed to fare thereafter according to his deserts.

Then the Master said, "Thus, Brethren, in bygone days the wise and good persevered even amid hostile surroundings, and, even wlion wounilod so grievously, still did not give in. Whereas you who have devoted yourself to so saving a doctrine, — how comes it that you give up persevering?" After whicli, he preached the Four Truths, at the close whereof the faint-hearted Brother won Arahatship. His lesson ended, the Master [181] shewed the connexion, and identified the Birth by saying, "Ananda was the king of those days, Sariputta the knight, and 1 myself the tliorougli-bicd Sindh lutrse."

^^jVo matter when or where." — This story was told by the Master while at Jetavana about another Brother who gave up persevering. But, in this case, he addressed that Brother and said, " Brethren, in bygone days the wise and good still persevered even when wounded." And, so saying, he told this story of the past. Once on a time when Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares, there were seven kings who encompassed the city, just as in the foregoing story. So a warrior who fought from a chariot harnessed two Sindh horses (a pair of brothers), and, sallying from the city, broke down six canij)s and captured six kings. Just at this juncture the elder horse was wounded. On drove the charioteer till he reached the king's gate, where he took tlu^ elder brother out of the chariot, and, after unfastening the horse's mail as he lay upon one side, set to work to arm another horse. Realising the warrior's intent, the Bodhisatta had the same thouglits pass through his head as in the foregoing story, and sending for the chai-iotcci-, rc|ifatr(] this stanza, as he lay : — No matter when or where, in weal or woe, The thorough-bred fights on ; the hack gives in.

The charioteer had the Bodhisatta set on his feet and liarnestied. Tlien he broke down the seven tli camp and took prisoner tlie seventh king, with whom he drove away [182] to the king's gate, and there took out the noble horse. As he lay upon one side, the Bodhisatta gave the same counsels to the king as in the foregoing story, and then expired. The king had the body burned with all respect, lavished honouis on the chaiiolii r, ;inil 64 The Jataka. Book I. after ruling his kingdom in righteousness passed away to fare thereafter uccordins: to his deeds. His lesson ended, the Master preached the Truths (at the close whereof that Brotlior won Arahatship) ; and identihed the Birth by saying, " The Elder Ananda was the king, and the Perfect Buddha was the horse of those days."

" Change thou the spot.''' — This story was told by the Master while at Jetavana, about an ex-goldsmith, who had become a Brother and was co-resident with the Captain of the Faith (Sariputta). Now, it is only a Buddha who has knowledge of the hearts and can read the thoughts of men ; and therefore through lack of this power, the Captain of the Faith had so little knowledge of the heart and thoughts of his co-resident, as to prescribe impurity as the theme for meditation. This was no good to that Brother. The reason why it was no good to him was that, according to tradition, he had invariably been born, throughout live hundred successive births, as a goldsmith; and, ciMisequently, the cumulative effect of seeing alisolutely pure gold for so long a time had made the theme of impurity viseless. He spent four months without being able to get so much as the first inkling of the idea. Finding himself unable to confer Arahatship on his co-resident, the Captain of the Faith thought to himself, "This must certainly be one whom none but a Buddha can convert ; I will take him to the Buddha." So at early dawn he came with the Brother to the Master.

"What can it be, Sariputta," said the Master, "that has brought you here with this Brother?" "Sir, I gave him a theme for meditation, and after four months he has not attained to so much as the first inkling of the idea; so I brought him to you, thinking that here was one whom none but a Buddha can convert." "What meditation, Sfiriputta, did you prescribe for him?" "The meditation on impurity, Blessed One." "Sariputta, it is not yours to have knowledge of the hearts and to read the thoughts of men. Depart now alone, and in the evening come back to fetch your co-resident." After thus dismissing the Elder, the Master had that Brother clad in a nice under-cloth and a robe, kept him constantly at his side when he went into town for alms, and saw that he received choice food of all kinds. Returning to the Monastery once more, surrounded by the Brethren, the Master retired during the daytime [183] to his perfinned chamber, and at evening, as he walked about the Monastery with that Brother by his side, he made a pond appear and in it a great clump of lotuses out of which grew a great lotus-flower. "Sit here, Brother," he said, " and gaze at this flower." And, leaving the Brother seated thus, he retired to his perfumed chamber.

That Brother gazed and gazed at that flower. The Blessed One made it decay. As tlie Brother looked at it, the flower in its decay farled; the petals fell off, beginning at the rim, till in a little while all were gone; then the stamens fell away, and only the i)ericarp was left. As he looked, tliat lirother thought within himself, "Even now, this lotus-flower was lovely and fair; vet its colour is de]iarted, its petals and stamens have fallen away, and only the pericarp is left standing. Decay has come upon this beautiful lotus; what may not befall my body? Transitory are all compounded things!" An;! witli the thought he won Insight. Knowing that tlie Brother's mind had risen to Insight, the Master, seated an he was in his perfumed chamber, emitted a radiant semblance of himself, aiid uttered this stanza : — Pluck out self-love, as with the hand you pluck The autumn water-lily. Set your heart On naught but this, the ]ierfect Path of Peace, And that Extinction which the Buddha taught. At the close of this stanza, that Brother won Arahatshi]). At the thought that he would never be born again, never be troubled with existence in any shape hereafter, he burst into a heartfelt utterance beginning with tliese stanzas : —

He who has lived his life, whose thought is ripe ; He who, from all defilements purged and free, Wears his last body; he whose life is pure, Whose subject senses own him sovereign lord; — He, like the moon that wins her way at last From Rahu's jaws\ has won supreme release. The foulness which enveloped me, which wrought Delusion's utter darkness, I dispelled ; — As, tricked with thousand rays, the beaming sun niumines heaven with a flood of light. After this and renewed utterances of joy, he went to the Blessed One and saluted him. The Elder, too, came, and after due salutation to the Master, went away with his co-resident. When news of all this spread among the Brethren, [184] they gathered together in the Hall of Truth and there sat praising the virtues of tlie Lord of Wisdom, and saying, "Sirs, through not knowing the hearts and thoughts of men, the Elder Sariputta was ignorant of his co-resident's disposition. But the Master knew, and in a single day liestowed on him Arahatshi[) together with perfected scholarship. Oh, how great are the marvellous powers of a Buddha!" Entering and taking the seat set ready for him, the Master asked, saying, "What is the theme of your discourse here in conclave. Brethren ?"

"Naught else, Blessed One, than this,— that you alone had knowledge of the heart, and could read the thoughts, of the co-resident of tlie Captain of tlie Faith." "This is no marvel. Brethren; that I, as Buddha, should now know that Brother's disposition. Even in bygone days I knew it ecjually well." And, so saying, he told this story of the past. Once on a time Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares. In those days the Bodhisatta used to be the king's director in things t.-iii].oral and spiritual. 1 Rfihu was a kind of Titan who was thought to cansn eclipses by triii|)onirily swallowing tlie sun and moon. Tlie Jdtaha. Booh I. At this time folk had washed another horse, a sorry beast, at the bathinc'-place of the king's state- charger. And when the groom was for leading the state-charger down into the same water, the animal was so affronted that he would not go in. So the groom went off to the king and said "Please your Majesty, your state-chai'ger won't take his Then the king sent the Bodliisatta, saying, " Do you go, sage, and find out why the animal will not go into the water when they lead him down." " Very o'ood, sire," said the Bodliisatta, and went his way to the waterside. Here he examined the horse; and, finding it was not ailing in any way, he tried to divine what the reason could be. At last he came to the conclusion that some other horse must have been washed at that place, and that the charger had taken such umbrage thereat that he would not go into the water.

So he asked the grooms what animal they had washed first in the water. " Another horse, my lord, — an ordinary animal." " Ah, it's his self-love that has been offended so deeply that he will not go into the water," said the Bodhisatta to himself; "the thing to do is to wash him elsewhere." So he said to the groom, " A man will tire, my friend, of even the daintiest fiire, if he has it always. And that's how it is with this horse. He has been washed here times without number. Take him to other waters [185], and there bathe and water him." And so saying, he repeated this stanza : —

Change thou the spot, and let the charger drink Now here, now there, with constant change of scene. For even milk-rice cloys a man at last. After listening to his words, they led the horse off elsewhere, and there watered and bathed him all-right. And while they wei'e washing the animal down after watering him, the Bodhisatta went back to the king. "Well," said the king; "has my horse taken his drink and bath, my friend i"' " He has, sire." " Why would he not do so at first ? " " For the following reason," said the Bodhisatta, and told the king the whole story. "What a clever fellow he is," said the king; " he can read the mind even of an animal like this." And he gave great honour to the Bodhisatta, and when his life closed passed away to fare according to his deserts, Tlie Bodhisatta also passed away to fare likewise according to his deserts. When the Master had ended his lesson and had repeated what he had said as to his knowledge, in the past as well as the present, of that Brother's disposition, he shewed the connexion, and identified the Birth by saying, "This Brother was the state-charoer of those days; Ananda was tlie king ; and I myself the wise minister.'"

" Through hearing first." — This story was told by the Master while at the Bamboo-grove, about Devadatta, who, having secured the adherence of Prince Ajata-sattu, had attained both gain and honour. Prince Ajata-sattu had a Monastery built for Devadatta at Gaya-sisa, and every day brought to him [186] five hundred kettles of perfumed three-year-old rice flavoured with all the choicest flavourings. All this gain and honour brought Devadatta a great following, with whom Devadatta lived on, without ever stirring out of his Monastery. At that time there were living in Rajagaha two friends, of whom one had taken the vows under the Master, whilst the other had taken them iinder Devadatta. And these continued to see one another, either casually or by visiting the Monasteries. Now one day the disciple of Devadatta said to the other, "Sir, why do you daily go round for alms with the sweat streaming oft' you? Devadatta sits quietly at Gaya-sisa and feeds on the best of fare, flavoured with all the choicest flavourings. There's no way like his. Why breed misery for yourself? Why should it not be a good thing for you to come the first thing in the morning to the Monastery at Gaya-sisa and there drink our ricegruel with a relish after it, try our eighteen kinds of solid victual, and enjoy our excellent soft food, flavom-ed with all the choicest flavom'ings?"

Being pressed time after time to accept the invitation, the other began to want to go, and thenceforth used to go to Gaya-sisa and there eat and eat, not forgetting however to return to the Bamboo-grove at the proper hovir. Nevertheless he could not keep it secret always ; and in a little while it came out that he used to hie oft' to Gaya-sisa and there regale himself with the food provided for Devadatta. Accordingly, his friends asked him, saying. " Is it true, as they say, that you regale yourself on the food provided for Devadatta?" "Who said that?" said he. "So-and-so said it." "It is true, sirs, that I go to Gaya-sisa and eat there. But it is not Devadatta who gives me food ; others do that." "Sir, Devadatta is the foe of the Buddhas; in his wickedness, he has secured the adherence of Ajata-sattu and by unrighteousness got gain and honour for himself. Yet you who have taken the vows according to this faith which leads to salvation, eat the food which Devadatta gets by unrighteousness. Come; let us bring you before the Master." And, taking with them the Brother, they went to the Hall of Truth.

When the Master became aware of their presence, he said, "Brethren, are you bringing this Brother here against his will?" "Yes, sir; this Brother, after taking the vows under you, eats the food which Devadatta gets by unrighteousness." "Is it true, as they say, that you eat the food which Devadatta gets by unrighteoiLsness?" "It was not Devadatta, sir, that gave it me, but others." "Raise no quibbles here. Brother," said the Master. "Devadatta is a man of bad conduct and bad principle. Oh, how could you, who have taken the vows here, eat Devadatta's food, whilst adhering to my doctrine ? But you have always been prone to being led away, and have followed in turn every one you meet." And, so saying, he told this story of the past. 68 The Jfltaha. Bool: I. Once on a time when Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares, the Bodhisatta became his minister. In those days the king had a stateelephant [187], named Damsel face, who was virtuous and good, and never hurt anybody. Now one day some burglars came close up to the elephant's stall by night and sat down to discuss their plans in these words: — "This is the way to tunnel into a house ; this is the way to break in through the walls ; before carrying off the plunder, the tunnel or breach in the walls ought to be made as clear and open a-s a road or a foi'd.

In lifting the goods, you shouldn't stick at murder ; for thus there will be none able to resist. A burglar should get rid of all goodness and virtue, and be quite pitiless, a man of cruelty and violence." After having schooled one another in these counsels, the burglars took themselves off. The next day too they came, and many other days besides, and held like converse together, till the elephant came to the conclusion that they came expressly to instruct him, and that he must turn pitiless, cruel, and violent. And such indeed he became. No sooner did his mahout appear in the early morning than the elephant took the man in his trunk and dashed him to death on the ground. And in the same way he treated a second, and a tliird, and every person in turn who came near him.

The news was brought to the king that Damsel-face had gone mad and was killing everybody that he caught sight of. So the king sent the Bodhisatta, saying, "Go, sage, and find out what has perverted him." Away went the Bodhisatta, and soon satisfied himself that the elephant showed no signs of bodily ailment. As he thought over the possible causes of the change, he came to the conclusion that the elephant must have heard persons talking near him, and have imagined that they were giving him a lesson, and that this was what had pervei-ted the animal. Accordingly, he asked the elephant-keepers whether any persons had been talking together recently near the stall by night. " Yes, my lord," was the answer; "some burglars came and talked." Then the Bodhisatta went and told the king, saying, " There is nothing wrong, sire, with the elephant bodily ; he has been perverted by overhearing some burglars talk." "Well, what is to be done nowl" "Order good men, sages and brahmins, to sit in his stall and to talk of goodness." " Do so, my friend," said the king. Then the Bodhisatta set good men, sages and Vji'ahmins, in the stall [188], and bade them talk of goodness. And they, taking their seats hard by the elephant, spoke as follows, " Neither maltreat nor kill. The good should be long-suffering, loving, and merciful." Hearing this the elephant thought they must mean this as a lesson for him, and resolved thenceforth to become good. And good he became.

"Well, my friend," said the king to the Bodhisatta; "is he good now?" "Yes, your majesty," said the Bodhisatta; "thanks to wise and good men the elephant who was so perverted has become himself agaiu." And so saying, he repeated this stanza : — Through hearing first the burglars' wicked talk Damsel-face ranged abroad to wound and kill ; Through hearing, later, wise men's lofty words The noble elephant turned good once more. Said the king, "He can read the mind even of an animal !" And he conferred great lionour on the Bodhisatta. After living to a good old age, he, with the Bodhisatta, passed away to fare according to his deserts. Said the Master, — "In the past, too, you followed everyone you met. Brother ; hearing burglars talk, you followed what they said ; and hearing the wise aud good talk, you followed what they said." His lesson ended, he shewed the connexion, and identified the Birth, by saying, "The traitorous Brother was the Damsel-face of those days, Ananda the king, aud I myself the minister."

" iVo morsel can he eat." — This story was told by the Master while at Jetavana, about a lay-disciple and an aged Elder. [189] Ti'adition says that there were in Savatthi two friends, of whom one joined the * Brotherhood but used to go every day to the other's house, where his friend used to give him an alms of food and make a meal himself, and then accompany him back to the Monastery, where he sat talking all the livelong day till the sun went down, when he went back to town. And his friend the Brother xised to escort him on his homeward way, going as far as the city-gates before turning back. The intimacy of these two became known among the Brethren, who were sitting one day in the Hall of Truth, talking about the intimacy which existed between the pair, when the Master, entering the Hall, asked what was the subject of their talk ; and the Brethren told him. "Not only now, Brethren, are these two intimate with one another," said the Master; "they were intimate in bygone days as well." And, so saying, he told this story of the past. Once on a time when Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares, tlie Bodhisatta became his minister. In those days there was a dog which used to go to the stall of the elephant of state, and eat the gobbets of rice which fell where the elepliaut fed. Haunting the place for the food's sake,

70 Tlie Jataka. Book I. the dog grew very friendly with the elephant, and at last would never eat except with him. And neither could get on without the other. The dog used to disport himself by swinging backwards and forwards on the elephant's trunk. Now one day a villager bought the dog of the mahout and took the dog home with him. Thenceforward the elephant, missing the dog, refused either to eat or drink or take his bath ; and the king was told of it. His majesty despatched the Bodhisatta to find out why the elephant behaved like this. Proceeding to the elephant-house, the Bodhisatta, seeing how sad the elephant was, said to himself, "He has got no bodily ailment ; he must have formed an ardent friendship, and is sorrowing at the loss of his friend." So he asked whether the elephant had become friends with anyone. "Yes, my lord," was the answer; "there's a very warm friendship between him and a dog." "Where is that dog now?" "A man took it off'." " Do you happen to know where that man lives ? " " No, my lord." The Bodhisatta went to the king and said, " There is nothing the matter with the elephant, sire; but he was very friendly with a dog, [190] and it is missing his friend which has made him refuse to eat, I imagine." And so saying, he repeated this stanza : —

No morsel can he eat, no rice or grass; And in the bath he takes no pleasure now. Methinks, the dog had so familiar grown, That elephant and dog were closest friends. "Well," said the king on hearing this; "what is to be done now, sageV "Let proclamation be made by beat of drum, your majesty, to the effect that a man is i-eported to have carried off" a dog of which the elephant of state was fond, and that the man in whose house that dog shall be found, shall pay such and such a penalty." The king acted on this advice ; a,nd the man, when he came to hear of it, promptly let the dog loose. Away ran the dog at once, and made his way to the elephant. The elephant took the dog up in his trunk, and placed it on his head, and wept and cried, and, again setting the dog on the ground, saw the dog eat first and then took his own food. " Even the minds of animals are known to him," said the king, and he loaded the Bodhisatta with honoui's. Thus the Master ended his lesson to shew that the two were intimate in bygone days as well as at that date. This done, he unfolded the Four Truths. (This unfolding of the Four Truths forms part of all the other Jatakas ; but we shall only mention it where it is expressly mentioned that it was blessed unto fruit.) Then he shewed the connexion, and identified the Birth by saying, " The lay-disciple was the dog of those days, the aged Elder was the elephant, and I myself the wise minister." [191]

"Speak oidi) words of Hndness.^' — This story was told by the Master while at Jctavana, about the bitter words spoken by the Six^. For, in tliosc days the Six, when they disagreed with respectable Brethren, used to taunt, revile and jeer them, and load them with the ten kinds of abuse. This the Brethren reported to the Blessed One, who sent for the Six and asked whether tliis charj^e was true. On their admitting its truth, he rebuked them, saying, "Brethren, hard words gall even animals : in bygone days an animal made a man who had used harsh language to- him lose a thousand pieces." And, so saying, he told this story of the past. Once on a time at Takkasila in the land of Gandhara there was a king reigning there, and the Bodhisatta came to life as a bull. When he was quite a tiny calf, he was presented by his owners to a brahmin who came in — they being known to give away presents of oxen to such-like holy men. The brahmin called it Nandi-Visala (Great- Joy), and treated it like his own child, feeding the young creature on rice-grviel and rice. When the Bodhisatta grew up, he thought thus to himself, " I have been brought up by this brahmin with great pains, and all India cannot show the bull which can draw what I can. How if I were to repay the brahmin the cost of my nurture by making proof of my strength 1 " Accordingly, one day he said to the brahmin, " Go, brahmin, to some merchant rich in herds, and wager him a thousand pieces that your bull can draw a hundred loaded carts."

The brahmin went his way to a merchant and got into a discussion with him as to whose oxen in the town were the strong. " Oh, so-and-so's, or so-and-so's," said the merchant. "But," added he, "there are no oxen in the town which can compare with mine for real strength." Said the bi-ahmin, " I have a bull who can pull a hundred loaded carts." " Where's such a bull to be found?" laughed the merchant. "I've got him at home," said the brahmin. " Make it a wager." " Certainly," said the brahmin, and staked [192] a thousand pieces. Then he loaded a hundred carts with sand, gravel, and stones, and leashed the lot together, one behind the other, by cords from the axle-tree of the one in front to the trace-bar of its successor. This done, he bathed Nandi-Visala, gave him a measure of perfumed rice to eat, hung a garland round his neck, and harnessed him all ^ The ' Six ' were notorious Brethren who are always mentioned as defying the rules of the Order. 72 The Jataka. Book I. alone to the leading cart. The brahmin in person took his seat upon the pole, and flourished his goad in the air, shouting, " Now then, you rascal ! pull them along, you rascal!"

"I'm not the rascal he calls me," thought the Bodhisatta to himself ; and so he planted his four feet like so many posts, and budged not an inch. Straightway, the merchant made the brahmin pay over the thousand pieces. His money gone, the brahmin took his bull out of the cart and went home, where he lay down on his bed in an agony of grief. When NandiVisala strolled in and found the brahmin a prey to such grief, he went up to him and enquired if the brahmin were taking a nap. "How should I be taking a nap, when I have had a thousand pieces won of me ? " " Brahmin, all the time I have lived in your house, have I ever broken a pot, or squeezed up against anybody, or made messes about ? " "Never, my child." "Then, why did you call me a rascal 1 It's you who are to blame, not I. Go and bet him two thousand this time. Only remember not to miscall me rascal again." When he heard this, the brahmin went off" to the merchant, and laid a wager of two thousand. Just as before, he leashed the hundred carts to one another and harnessed Nandi-Visala, very spruce and fine, to the leading cart. If you ask how he harnessed him, well, he did it in this way: — first, he fastened the cross-yoke on to the pole;

then he put the bull in on one side, and made the other fast by fastening a smooth piece of wood from the cross-yoke on to the axletree, so that the yoke was taut and could not skew round either way. Thus a single bull could draw a cart made to be drawn by two. So now seated on the pole, the brahmin stroked Nandi-Visala on the back, and called on him in this style, " Now then, my fine fellow ! pull them along, my fine fellow ! " With a single pull the Bodhisatta tugged along the whole string of the hundred carts [193] till the hindermost stood where the foremost had started. The merchant, rich in herds, paid up the two thousand pieces he had lost to the brahmin. Other folks, too, gave large sums to the Bodhisatta, and the whole passed into the hands of the brahmin. Thus did he gain greatly by reason of the Bodhisatta.

Thus laying down, by way of rebuke to the Six, the rule that hard words please no one, the Master, as Buddha, uttered this stanza : — Speak only words of kindness, never words Unkind. For him who spoke hiui fail-, he moved A heavy load, and brought him wealth, for love. When he had thus ended his lesson as to speaking only words of kindness, the Master identified the Birth by saying, "Ananda was the ])rahniin of those days, and I myself Nandi-Visala." \_Note. The substance of this story occurs in the Vinaya, Vol. iv, page 5.]

" Wit/t hciirii loiidsy — This story was told by tlic Master wliilc at ,leta\'aiia, about the Double Miracle, which, together with the Descent from Heaven, will be related in the Thirteenth I>ook, in the Sarabhaniiga-jataka'. After he had i)erfornied the Doul)lc Miracle and had made a stay in Hea\en, the All-knowing Buddha descended at the city of Saihkassa on the day of the Great Pavarana- Festival, and thence passed with a large following to Jetavana. Gathering together in the Hall of Truth, the Brethren sat praising the virtues of the Master, saying, "Sirs, peerless is the Buddha; none may bear the yoke borne l)y the Buddha. The Six teachers, though they protested so often that the}', and they only, would perform miracles, yet not a single miracle did they work. 0 ! how peerless is the Master I" Entering the Hall and asking the theme which the Brethren were discussing in conclave [194], the Master was informed that their theme was no other than his own virtues. "Brethren," said the Master, "who shall now bear the yoke borne by me? Even in bygone days, when I came to life as an animal, I was unmatched." And, so saying, he told this story of the past.

Once on a time when Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares, the Bodhisatta came to life as a bull. And while he was still a young calf, his owners, who had been lodging with an old woman, made him over to her in settlement of their i*eckoning. She reared him like her own child, feeding him on rice-gruel and rice and on other good cheer. The name he l)ecame knoAvn by was "Granny's Blackie." Growing up, he used to range about with the other cattle of the village, and was as black as jet. The village urchins used to catch hold of his horns and ears and dewlaps, and have a ride ; or they would hold on to his tail in play, and mount on his back. One day he thought to himself, "My mother is very poor; she has painfully reared me, as if I were her own child. What if I were to earn some money to ease her hard lot?" Thenceforth he was always looking out for a job. Now, one day a young merchant at the head of a caravan came with five hundred waggons to a ford the bottom of which was so rough that his oxen could not pull the waggons through. And even when he took out the five hundred pairs of oxen and yoked the lot together to form one team, they could not get a single cart by itself across the river. Close

'^ The festival at the end of the lainy season (Mahdvai/jja iv. Ij. 74 The Jataka. Book I. by that ford the Bodhisatta was about with the other cattle of the village. And the young merchant, being a judge of cattle, ran his eye over the herd to see whether amoug them there was a thorough-bred bull who could pull the waggons across. When his eye fell on the Bodhisatta, he felt sure lie would do; and, to find out the Bodhisatta's owner, he said to the herdsmen, "Who owns this animall If I could yoke him on and get my waggons across, I would pay for his services." Said they, "Take him and harness him, then ; he has got no master hereabouts." But when the young merchant slipped a cord [195] through the Bodhisatta's nose and tried to lead him off, the bull would not budge. For, we are told, the Bodhisatta would not go till his pay was fixed. Understanding his meaning, the merchant said, " Master, if you will pull these five hundred waggons across, I will pay you two coins per cart, or a thousand coins in all." It now required no force to get the Bodhisatta to come. Away he went, and the men harnessed him to the carts. The first he dragged over with a single pull, and landed it high and dry; and in like manner he dealt with the whole string of waggons.

The young merchant tied round the Bodhisatta's neck a bundle containing five hundred coins, or at the rate of only one for each cart. Thought the Bodhisatta to himself, "This fellow is not paying me according to contract! I won't let him move on!" So he stood across the path of the foremost waggon and blocked the way. And try as they would, they could not get him out of the way. "I suppose he knows I've paid him short," thought the merchant; and he wrapped up a thousand coins in a bundle, which he tied round the Bodhisatta's neck, sayiug, "Here's your pay for pulling the waggons across." And away went the Bodhisatta with the thousand pieces of money to his "mother." "What's that round the neck of Granny's Blackie?" cried the children of the village, running up to him. But the Bodhisatta made at them from afar and made them scamper off, so that he reached his "mother" all right. Not but what he appeared fagged out, with his eyes bloodshot, from dragging all those five hundred waggons over the river. The pious woman, finding a thousand pieces of money round his neck, cried out, " Where did you get this, my child ? " Learning from the herdsmen what had happened, she exclaimed, "Have I any wish to live on your earnings, my child ? Why did you go through all this fatigue 1 " So sayiug, she washed the Bodhisatta with warm water and rubbed him all over with oil ; she gave him drink and regaled him with due victuals. And when her life closed, she passed away, with the Bodhisatta, to fare according to her deserts.

When he had ended this leasou to sshew that the Buddha was umuatcliod in the past as then, he shewed the connexion by uttering, as Buddha, this stanza : — [196] With heavy hmds to carry, with had roads. They harness 'Blackie'; he soon draws the hjad. After his lesson to shew that only 'Blackie' could draw the load, he shewed the connexion, and identified the Birth by saying, "Uppala-Vanna was the old woman of those days, and I myself 'Granny's Blackie.' "

"Then eiir// not pour Mimika." — This story was told by the Master while at Jetavana about being seduced by a 2>himp young woman, as will be related in the Thirteenth Book in the Culla-Narada-Kassapa-jatakai. Then the Master asked that Brother, saying, "Is it true. Brother, as they say, that you are passion-tost?" "It is true, sir," was the reply. "Brother," said the Master, "she is your bane; even in bygone days, you met your end and were made into a relish for the company on her marriage-day." And so saying, he told this story of the past. Once on a time, when Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares, the Bodhisatta came to life as an ox, named Big Red, on the squire's estate in a certain hamlet. And he had a younger brother vi^ho was known as Little Red. There were only these two brothers to do all the draughtwork of the family. Also, the squire had an only daughter, whose hand was asked in marriage for his son by a gentleman of the town. And the parents of the girl, with a view to furnishing dainty fare [197] for the wedding guests, began to fatten uj) a pig named Munika.

Observing this, Little Red said to his brother, " All the loads that have to be drawn for this household are drawn by you and me, my bi'other ; but all they give us for our pains is sorry grass and straw to eat. Yet here is the pig being victualled on rice ! What can be the reason why he should be treated to such fare ? " 76 The Jataka. Book I. Said his brother, " My dear Little Red, envy him not ; for the pig eats the food of death. It is but to furnish a relish for the guests at their daughter's wedding, that the family are feeding up the pig. "Wait but a little time and the guests will be coming. Then will you see that pig lugged out of his quarters by the legs, killed, and in process of conversion into curry." Atid so saying, he repeated this stanza : — Then envy not poor Munika; 'tis death He eats. Contented munch your frugal chafi", — The pledge and guarantee of length of days. Not long afterwards the guests did arrive ; and Munika was killed and cooked into all manner of dishes. Said the Bodhisatta to Little Red, "Did you see Munika, dear brother?" "I have indeed seen, brother, the outcome of Munika's feasting. Better a hundred, nay a thousand, times than such food is ours, though it be but grass, straw, and chaff; — for our fare harms us not, and is a pledge that our lives will not be cut short."'

When he had ended his lesson to the effect that the Brother had thus in bygone days been brought to his doom by that young woman and had been made into a relish for the company [198], he preached the Truths, at the close whereof the passion-tost Brother reached the First Path of Salvation. Also the Master shewed the connexion and identified the Birth by saying, "The passion-tost Brother was the pig Munika of those days, the young woman is the same in both cases, Ananda was Little Red, and I myself Big Red." \^Note. See hereon Benfey's Pahca- Tantra, page 228, where the migrations of this popular story are traced. See also Jatakas Nos. 286 and 477.]

"■Let all the forest's nestlings."— Thin story was told by the Master while at Jetavana, about a brother who drank water without straining it'. Tradition says that two young Brothers who were friends went from Savatthi into the country, and took up their abode in a pleasant spot. After staying here as long as they wanted, they departed and set out for Jetavana in order to see the Perfect Buddha. ^ As to the rules for filtering water, see Vinnija Cnllaragga v. 13. One of them carried a strainer; the other had none; so both of them used the same strainer before drinking. One day they fell out. The owner of the strainer did not lend it to his companion, but strained and drank alone by himself. As the other was not allowed the strainei', and as he could not endure liis thirst, he drank water without straining it. In due course Ijoth reached Jetavana and with respectful salutation to the Master took their seats. After friendly words of greeting, he asked whence tliey had come. "Sir," said they, "we have been living in a hamlet in the Kosala country, whence we have come in order to see you." "I trust you have arrived as good friends as you started i" Said the brother without a strainer, "Sir, he fell out with me on the road and would not lend me his strainer." Said the other, "Sir, lie didn't strain his water, but — wittingly — drank it down with all tlie living things it contained." "Is this report true.

Brother, that you wittingly drank off water with all the living things it contained ?" "Yes, sir, I did drink unstrained water," was the reply. "Brother, the wise and good of bygone days, when flying in rout along the deep in the days of their sovereignty over the City of the Devas, thought scorn to slay living-creatures in order to secure power for themselves. Rather, they turned their chariot back, sacrificing great glory in order to save the lives of the young of the Garulas'." And, so saying, he told this story of the past.

[199] Once on a time thei'e was a king of Magadha reigning at Rajagaha in the land of Magadha. And just as he who is now Sakka came to life in his pi'eceding birth in the hamlet of Macala in tlie land of Magadha, even so was it in the selfsame hamlet that the Bodhisatta came to life in those days as a young noble. When the day for his naming came, he was named 'Prince Magha,' but when he grew up, it was as ' Magha the young Brahmin ' that he was known. His parents took a wife for him from a family of equal rank with their own ; and he, with a family of sons and daughters growing up round him, excelled in charity, and kept the Five Commandments. In that village there were just thirty families, and one day the men were standing in the middle of the villnge transacting the affairs of the village. The Bodhisatta had kicked aside the dust from where he was standing, and was standing there in comfort, when up came another and took his stand there. Then the Bodhisatta made himself another comfortable .standing-place, — only to have it taken from him like the first. Again aTid again the Bodhisatta began afresh until he had made comfortable standingplaces for every man there. Another time he put up a pavilion, — which later on he pulled down, building a hall with benches and a jar of water inside. Another time these thirty men were led by the Bodhisatta to

^ Ganilas were winged creatures of a supernatural order, the inveterate foes of the Nagas, whose domain was tlie water. Of. {f.fi.) JStaka No. \'A. 78 The Jdtaha. Booh I. become like-minded with himself; he established them in the Five Commandments, and thenceforth used to go about with them doing good works. And they too doing good works, always in the Bodhisatta's company, used to get up early and sally forth, with razors and axes and clubs in their hands. With their clubs they used to roll out of the way all stones that lay on the four highways and other roads of the village ; the trees that would strike against the axles of chariots, they cut down ; rough places they made smooth ; causeways they built, dug water-tanks, and built a hall ; they shewed charity and kept the Commandments. In this wise did the body of the villagers generally abide by the Bodhisatta's teachings and keep the Commandments. Thought the village headman to himself, " When these men used to get drunk and commit murders and so forth, I used to make a lot of money out of them not only on the price of their drinks but also by the fines and dues they paid. But now here's this young brahmin Magha bent on making them keep the Commandments ; he is putting a stop to murders and other crime." [200] And in his rage he cried, "I'll make them keep the Five Commandments !

" And he repaired to the king, saying, " Sire, there is a band of robbers going about sacking villages and committing other villanies." When the king heard this, he bade the headman go and bring the men before him. And away went the man and hauled up as prisoners before the king every one of those thirty men, representing them to be the rascals. Without enquiry into their doings, the king commanded offhand that they should be trampled to death by the elephant. Forthwith they made them lie down in the king's courtyard and sent for the elephant. The Bodhisatta exhorted them, saying, " Bear in mind the Commandments ; love the slanderer, the king and the elephant as yourselves." And they did so.

Then the elephant was brought in to trample them to death. Yet lead him as they might, he would not approach them, but fled away trumpeting loudly. Elephant after elephant was brought up ; — but they all fled away like the first. Thinking that the men must have some drug about their persons, the king ordered them to be searched. Search was made accordingly, but nothing was found ; — and so they told the king. "Then they must be muttering some spell," said the king; "ask them whether they have got a spell to mutter." The question being put to them, the Bodhisatta said they had got a spell. And this the king's people told his majesty. So the king had them all summoned to his presence and said, " Tell me your spell." The Bodhisatta made answer, "Sire, we have no other spell than this, that not a man among the whole thirty of us destroys life, or takes what is not given, or misconducts himself, or lies ; we drink no strong drink ; we abound in lovingkindness ; we shew charity ; we level the roads. dig tanks, and build a public hall; — this is our spell, oui' safeguard, and our strength."

Well-pleased with them, the king gave them all the wealth in the slanderer's house and made him their slave ; and he gave them the elephant and the village to boot. Thenceforward, doing good works to their hearts' content, they sent for a carpenter and caused him to put up a large hall at the meeting of the four highways; but [201] as they had lost all desire for womankind, they would not let any woman share in the good work. Now in those days there were four women in the Bodhisatta's house, whose names were Goodness, Thoughtful, Joy, and Highborn. Of these Goodness, finding herself alone with the carpenter, gave him a douceur, saying, — " Brother, contrive to make me the jirincipal person in connexion with this hall." "Very good," said he. And before doing any other work on the building, he had some pinnacle wood dried, which he fashioned and bored and made into a finished pinnacle. This he wrapped \ip in a cloth and laid aside. When the hall was finished, and it was time to put on the pinnacle, he exclaimed, " Alas, my masters, there's one thing we have not made." "What's thati" "Why, we ought to have a pinnacle." "All right, let one be got." "But it can't be made out of green wood; we ought to have a pinnacle which had been cut some time ago, and fashioned, and bored, and laid by." "Well, what is to be done now 1 " "Why, have a look round to see if anybody has got such a thing in his house as a readymade pinnacle for sale." As they looked round accordingly, they found one in the house of Goodness, but could not buy it of her for any money. " If you will make me a partner in the good work," said she, " I will give it you for nothing."

" No," was the reply, " we do not let women have a share in the good work." Then said the carpenter to them, " My masters, what is this you say? Save the Realm of Brahma, there is no place from which women are excluded. Take the pinnacle, and our work will be complete." Consenting, they took the pinnacle and completed their hall. They had benches put up, and jars of water set inside, providing also a constant supply of boiled rice. Round the hall they built a wall with a gate, strewing the space inside the wall with sand and planting a row of fan-palms outside. Thoughtful too caused a pleasaunce to be laid out at this spot, and not a flowering or fruit-bearing tree could be named which did not grow there. Joy, too, caused a water-tank to be dug in the same place, covered over with the five kinds of lotuses, beautiful to V)ehold. Highborn did nothing at all. 80 The Jdtaka. Book I. The Bodhisatta fulfilled these seven injunctions, — to cherish one's mothei", to cherish one's father, to honour one's elders, to speak ti-uth, [202] ta avoid harsh speech, to eschew slander, and to shun niggardliness : —

Whoso supports his parents, honours age, Is gentle, friendly-spoken, slandering not, Unchurlish, truthful, lord — not slave — of wrath, — Him e'en the Thirty Three ^ shall hail as Good. Such was the praiseworthy state to which he grew, and at his life's close he passed away to be reborn in the Realm of the Thirty-three as Sakka, king of Devas ; and there too were his friends reborn. In those days there were Asuras dwelling in the Realm of the Thirtythree. Said Sakka, King of Devas, " What good to us is a kingdom which others share?" So he made the Asuras drink the liquor of the Devas, and when they were drunken, he had them hurled by the feet on to the steeps of Mount Sineru. They tumbled right down to ' The Asura Realm,' as it is called, ^ — a region on the lowest level of Mount Sineru, equal in extent to the Realm of the Thirty-three. Here grows a tree, resembling the Coral Tree of the Devas, which lasts for an aeon and is called the Pied Trumpet-flower. The blossoms of this tree shewed them at once that this was not the Realm of Devas, for there the Coral Tree blooms. So they cried, " Old Sakka has made us drunk and cast us into the great deep, seizing on our heavenly city." "Come," they shouted, "let us win back our own realm from him by force of arms." And uj) the sides of Sineru they climbed, like ants up a pillar.

Hearing the alarm given that the Asuras were up, Sakka went out into the great deep to give them battle, but being worsted in the fight turned and fled away along crest after crest of the southern deep in his ' Chariot of Victory,' which was a hundred and fifty leagues long. Now as his chai-iot sped along the deep, it came to the Foiest of the Silk-Cotton Trees. Along the track of the chariot these mighty trees were mowed down like so many ])alms, and fell into the deep. And as the young of the Garujas hurtled through the deep, loud were their shrieks. Said Sakka to Matali, his charioteer, " Matali, my friend, what manner of noise is this? [203] How heartrending it sounds." "Sire, it is the united cry of the young Garulas in the agony of their fear, as their foi'CvSt is uprooted by the rush of your chariot." Said the Great Being, " Let them not be troubled because of me, friend Matali. Let us not, for ' One of the clevalokas, or angelic realms, of Buddhist cosmogony, was the Tdvatir'asa-bhavanam, or 'Eealm of the Thirty-three,' so called because its denizens were subject to thirty-three Devas headed by Sakka, the Indra of the pre-buddhist faith. Every world-system, it may liere be added, had a Sakka of its own, as is indicated infra.

empire's sake, so act as to destroy life. Eather will I, for their sake, give my life as a sacrifice to the Asuras, Turn the car back," And so saying, he repeated this stanza : — Let all the forest's nestlings, Matali, Escape our all-devouring chariot. I offer up, a willing sacrifice. My life to yonder Asuras ; these poor birds Shall not, through me, from out their nests be torn. At the word, Matali, the charioteer, turned the chariot round, and made for the Realm of Devas by another route. But the moment the Asuras saw him begin to turn his chariot round, they cried out that the Sakkas of other worlds were surely coming up; "it must be his reinforcements which make him turn his chariot back again." Trembling for their lives, they all ran away and never stopped till they came to the Asura Realm. And Sakka entering heaven, stood in the midst of his city, girt round by an angelic host of his own and of Brahma's angels. And at that moment through the riven earth there rose up the ' Palace of Victory,' some thousand leagues high, — so-called because it arose in the hour of victory. Then, to prevent the Asuras from coming back again, Sakka had guards set in five places, — concerning which it has been said : —

[204] Impregnable both cities stand ! between. In fivefold guard, watch Nagas, Garulas, Kumbhandas, Goblins, and the Four Great Kings ! But when Sakka was enjoying as king of Devas the glory of heaven, safely warded by his sentinels at these five posts. Goodness died and was reborn as a handmaiden of Sakka once more. And the effect of her gift of the pinnacle was that there arose for her a mansion — named 'Goodness' — studded with heavenly jewels, five hundred leagues high, where, under a white heavenly canopy of royal state, sat Sakka, king of Devas, ruling men and Devas. Thoughtful, too, died, and was once more born as a handmaiden of Sakka ; and the effect of her action in respect of the pleasaunce was such that there arose a pleasaunce called ' Though tful's Creeper-Grove.' Joy, too, died and was reborn once more as one of Sakka's handmaidens ; and the fruit of her tank was that there arose a tank called 'Joy ' after her. But Highborn, [205] having performed no act of merit, was reborn as a crane in a grotto in the forest. ''There's no sign of Highborn," said Sakka to himself; "I wonder where she has been reborn." And as he considered the matter, he discovered her whereabouts. So he paid her a visit, and bringing her back with him to heaven shewed her the delightful city of the Devas, the Hall of Goodness, Thoughtful's Creeper-Grove, and the Tank called Joy. " These three," said Sakka, " have been reborn as my handmaidens by reason of

82 The Jcitaka. Book I. the good works they did ; but you, having done no good work, have been reborn in the brute creation. Henceforth keep the Commandments." And having exhorted her thus, and confirmed her in the Five Commandments, he took her back and let her go free. And thenceforth she did keep the Commandments. A short time afterwards, being curious to know whether she really was able to keep the Commandments, Sakka went and lay down before her in the shape of a fish. Thinking the fish was dead, the crane seized it by the head. The fish wagged its tail. "Why, I do believe it's alive," said the crane, and let the fish go. " Veiy good, very good," said Sakka; "you will be able to keep the Commandments," And so saying he went away. Dying as a crane. Highborn was reborn into the family of a potter in Benares. Wondering where she had got to, and at last discovering her whereabouts, Sakka, disguised as an old man, filled a cart with cucumbers of solid gold and sat in the middle of the village, crying, " Buy my cucumbers ! buy my cucumbei's !" Folk came to him and asked for them. " I only jjart with them to such as keep the Commandments," said he, "do you keep them?" "We don't know what you mean by your 'Commandments ' ; sell us the cucumbers." " No ;

I don't want money for my cucumbers. I give them away, — but only to those that keep the Commandments." " Who is this wag 1 " said the folk as they turned away. Hearing of this, Highborn thought to herself that the cucumbers must have been brought for her, and accordingly went and asked for some. " Do you keep the Commandments, madam 1 " said he. " Yes, I do," was the reply. " It was for you alone that I brought these here," said he, and leaving cucumbers, cart and all at her door he departed.

Continuing all her life long to keep the Commandments, Highborn after her death was reborn the daughter of the Asura king Vepacittiya, and for her goodness was rewarded with the gift of great beauty. When she grew up, her father mustered the Asuras together to give his daughter her pick of them for a husband. [206] And Sakka, who had searched and found out her whereabouts, donned the shape of an Asura, and came down, saying to himself, " If Highborn chooses a husband really after her own heart, I shall be he." Highborn was arrayed and brought forth to the place of assembly, where she was bidden to select a husband after her own heart. Looking round and observing Sakka, she was moved by her love for him in a bygone existence to choose him for her husband. Sakka carried her oflT to the city of the devas and made her the chief of twenty-five millions of dancing-girls. And when his term of life ended, he passed away to fare according to his deserts. His lesson ended, the Master rebuked that Brother in these words, "Thus, Brethren, the wise and good of bygone days when they were rulers of the Devas, forbore, even at the sacrifice of their own lives, to be guilty of slaughter. And can you, who have devoted yourself to so saving a creed, drink unstrained water with all the living creatures it contains 1" And he shewed the connexion and identified the Birth, by saying, "Ananda was then Matali the charioteer, and I Sakka."

[JVote. Compare the commentary on Dhammapada, pp. 184 et seqq.; and CuUa-vagga v. 13 in vol. ii. of Oldenberg's Vinaya (translated at page 100 of vol. XX. of the Sacred Books of the East) for the incidents of the Introductory Story. For the incident of Sakka and the Asuras in the Story of the Past, see Jataka-mCda, No. 11 (J. R. A. S. 1893, page 315).]