Once upon a time, in the reign of Brahmadatta king of Benares, the Bodhisatta was born in a Brahmin family, which had wealth to the amount of eight hundred millions of money. He grew up, and received his education at Takkasila and returned to Benares. There he married a wife; and on his parents’ death, he performed their obsequies. Then, as he inspected his treasure, he thought: “The treasure is still here, but they who gathered it are here no more! He was overcome with grief.”

He lived a long time at home, and gave much in alms; he mastered his passions; then he left his weeping friends, and went into the Himalayas, where he built a hut in delightful spot, and lived on the wild fruits and roots of the forest. He cultivated the Faculties and the Attainments, and lived awhile in the bliss of joyous meditation.

Then a the Bodhisatta wanted to come to Benares to buy salt and seasoning. He thought, “People of Benares will greet me with respect.” So down he came from Himalayas, and reached Benares at the time of the sun-setting. He looked for a place to bide in, and spied the royal park. He said, “Here! is a place fit retirement; here will I stay.” So he entered the park, and sat at the foot of a tree, and spent the night in the joy of meditation.

Next day morning, he took up his alms-bowl. He entered the city, and begged from door to door, till he came to the king’s palace.

Now the king saw the Bodhisatta through a window. He was pleased with his appearance and sent one of his courtiers, asking him to fetch the ascetic. The man came up with a greeting, saying, “The king sends for you, Sir.”

The Bodhisatta said, “Noble friend! the king does not know me!”

“Then, Sir, please remain here until I return.” So he told the king what the ascetic had said. Then said the king, “We have no confidential priest; go, fetch him;” and at the same time he beckoned out of the window, calling him” Here! come in Sir!”

The Bodhisatta gave up his alms-bowl to the courtier , and mounted upon the terrace. Then the king greeted him, and offered a seat and gave him all the foods and meats prepared for himself. When he had eaten, the king put a few questions to the Bodhisatta. The king asked, “Good Sir! where do you live ? when did you come here?”

“The king asked, “Why ?”

The Bodhisatta replied, “I live in Himalayas. In the rainy season, we must seek a fixed abode.”

The king said, “Then, you can live here in my royal park, and I will look after your needs.”

The king went with the Bodhisatta into the park and constructed a hut with everything an ascetic needs for comfortable stay and ordered the park-keeper to look after him. For twelve years, the Bodhisatta lived in that place.

Once it so happened that frontier district rose in rebellion. The king desired to go himself to quell it. Calling his queen, he said” Lady! either you or I must stay behind.”

“Why do you say that, my lord?” she asked.

“For the sake of the good ascetic.”

She said, “I will not neglect him. I will look after the holy father; go to the border without anxiety.”

So the king departed ; and then the queen waited attentively upon the Bodhisatta.

One day, the queen bathed and dressed with a clean robe thrown loosely over her, she was lying, waiting for the Bodhisatta to come. Now the Bodhisatta noted the time of day; he took up his alms-bowl, and passing through the air, came through the window. She heard his bark robes rustle, and as she rose hastily, her upper robe slipped. The Bodhisatta let this unusual sight penetrate his senses, and looked upon her with desire. Then the evil passion that had been calmed by the power of his ecstasy, rose as a cobra rises spreading his hood. As his passion gained force, his ecstatic calm gave way, his senses lost their purity. He could not sit down as before, and take his meal. So the queen placed all the food together in his alms-bowl; and he went to the grove.

When he came there, he could eat nothing. He set down the food at the foot of his bench, murmuring, “What a woman! Lovely hands, lovely feet! What a waist, what thighs! and so forth. Thus he lay for seven days. The food all went bad, and was covered with a cloud of black flies.

Then the king returned, having reduced his frontier to order. The city was all decorated; he went round it in solemn procession, and then proceeded to the palace. Next he entered the grove, wishing to see the Bodhisatta. He noticed the dirt and rubbish about the hermitage, and thinking he must be gone, he pushed back the hut door, and stepped in. There lay the anchorite. The king thought, “He must be ill.” So the king ordered to clean the place and then asked, “Sir! What is the matter?”

“Sir! I am wounded!”

Then the king thought, “I suppose my enemies must have done this. They could not get a chance at me, so they determined to do a mischief to what I love,” So he turned him over, looking for the wound; but no wound could he see. Then he asked, “Where’s the place, Sir?”

the Bodhisatta replied, “No one has hurt me. only I have wounded my own heart.” And he rose, and sat upon a seat, and explained matters to the king. Then he made the king retire from the hut, and induced the mystic trance; and so he recovered his interrupted ecstasy. Then he left the hut, and sitting in the air, told the king that he is going to Himalayas. The king requested him to stay, but he said, “O king! see what humiliation has come upon me while I lived here! I cannot live here.” And although the king entreated him, he rose up in the air, departed to Himalayas, where he abode his life long, and then went to Brahma,s world.