Once upon a time king of Kasi named Kalabu reigned at Benares. At that time the Bodhisatta came to life in a brahmin family endowed with eighty crores of treasure, in the form of a youth named Kundakakumara And when he was of age, he acquired a knowledge of all the sciences at Takkasila and afterwards settled down as a householder.

On the death of his parents, looking at his pile of treasure he thought: “My kinsmen who amassed this treasure are all gone without taking it with them. Now, it is for me to own it and is my turn to depart.” Then he carefully selected persons, who by virtue of their alms-giving deserved it, and gave all his wealth to them, and entering the Himalayas he adopted the ascetic life.

There he lived for a long time, eating wild fruits. And descending to the inhabited parts for the sake of procuring salt and vinegar he gradually made his way to Benares, where he took up his abode in the royal park. Next day he went round the city for alms, till he came to the door of the commander-in-chief. And he being pleased with the ascetic for the propriety of his department brought him into the house and fed him with the food prepared for himself. And having gained his consent he got him to take up his abode in the royal park.

Now one day king Kalabu being inflamed with strong drink came into the park in great pomp, surrounded by a company of dancers. Then he had a couch spread on the royal seat of stone, and lay with his head on the lap of a favourite of the harem, while the nautch girls who were skilful in vocal and instrumental music and in dancing provided a musical entertainment. And the king fell asleep. Then the women said, “He for whose sake we are providing music is gone to sleep. What need is there for us to sing?” Then they cast aside their lutes and other musical instruments hither, and set out for the garden, where tempted on by the flowers and fruit-bearing shrubs they were soon disporting themselves. At this moment the Bodhisatta was seated in this garden at the foot of a flowering Sal tree, enjoying the bliss of retirement from the world. So these women in wandering about came upon him and said, “Come here, ladies, and let us sit down and hear somewhat form the priest who is resting at the foot of this tree, until the king awakes.” Then they went and saluted him and sitting in a circle round about him, they said, “Tell us something worth hearing.” So the Bodhisatta preached the doctrine to them.

Meanwhile the royal favourite with a movement of her body woke up the king. And the king on waking up, and not seeing the women asked, “Where are those wretches gone?”

She said, “Your Highness! They are listening to the ascetic.” The king in a rage seized his sword and went in haste, saying, “ I will give this false ascetic a lesson.” Then those women saw king the coming in a rage, went and took the sword from the king’s hand and pacified him. Then he came and stood by the Bodhisatta and asked, “What doctrine are you preaching, Monk?”

“The doctrine of patience, Your Majesty,” he replied.

“What is this patience?” said the king.

“Not getting angry, when men abuse you and strike you and revile you.”

The king said, “I will see now the reality of your patience,” and he summoned his executioner. And he came with an axe and accessories. The king ordered him, “Give the false ascetic two thousand lashes with your thorns. This was done. And the Bodhisatta’s outer and inner skins were cut through to the flesh and the blood flowed. The king again asked, “What doctrine do you preach, Monk?” He replied, “The doctrine of patience, Your Highness. You think that my patience is only skin deep. But is fixed deep within my heart, where it cannot be seen by you, Sir!”

The king ordered the executioner, “Cut off both the hands and legs of this false ascetic.” He did so. Blood was pouring from the body of the ascetic.

Again the king asked what doctrine he preached. He replied, “The doctrine of patience, Your Highness. You imagine Sir! that my patience lives in the extremities of my hands and feet. It is not there, but it is deep seated somewhere else.”

The king said, “Cut off his nose and ears.” The executioner did so. His whole boby was now covered with blood. Again the king asked of his doctrine. And the asetic said, “Don’t think that my patience is in the tips of my nose and ears; my patience is deep seated within my heart.”

The king said, “Lie down, false Monk! and then exalt your patience.” And so saying he struck the Bodhisatta above the heart with his foot, and went.

When he was gone, the commander-in-chief wiped off the blood from the body of the Bodhisatta, putting bandages on the extremities of his hands, feet, ears and nose, and then having gently placed him on a seat, and said, “If Reverend Sir! you would be angry with one who has sinned against you, be angry with the king but with no one else.”

The Bodhisatta on hearing this uttered:-

Long live the king, whose cruel hand my body thus has marred, pure

Souls like such deeds as these with anger never regard.

The king left the garden and at the very moment when he passed out of the range of the Bodhisatt’s vision, the earth split into two and gulped the king and he went to hell. And the Bodhisatta died on that same day. And the king’ servants and the citizens performed the Bodhisatta’s obsequies in a grand manner. And some said that the Bodhisatta had gone straight back to the Himalayas.