Once upon a time, when Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares, the Bodhisatta was born in a musician’s family. His name was Master Guttila. When he grew up, he mastered all the branches of music, and under the name of Guttila the Musician he became the chief of his kind in all India. He did not marry, but maintained his blind parents.

At that time traders of Benares made a journey to Ujjeni for trade. A holiday was proclaimed; they all clubbed together and celebrated. They cried, “Pay the hire, and fetch a musician!”

It happened that at that time Musila was the chief musician in Ujjeni. They sent for him, and made him their musician. Musila was a player on the lute; and he tuned his lute up to the highest key, to play upon. But they knew the playing of Guttila the Musician, and Musila’s music seemed to them ordinary. So none of them showed pleasure. When Musila tried everything he knew in music could make merchants happy. Then Musila asked them, “Good merchants, why do you not like my playing?”

“What! Are you playing?” cried they. “We imagined that you must be tuning up.”

He asked, “Why, do you know any better musician? Or are you too ignorant to like my playing?”

The merchants said, “We have heard the music of Guttila the Musician, at Benares; and yours sounds like women crooning to soothe their babies.”

He said, “Take your money back and while going to Benares, please take me with you.”

They agreed, and took him back to Benares with them; they pointed out the house of Guttila, and went to their homes.

Musila entered the Bodhisatta’s house; he saw his beautiful lute where it stood, tied up; he took it down, and played upon it. At this the old parents, who could not see him because they were blind, cried out.

“The mice are gnawing at the lute! Shoo! Shoo! The rats are biting the lute to pieces!”

At once Musila put down the lute, and greeted the old folks.

“Where do you come from and what for?” asked they.

He replied, “I come from Ujjeni to learn at the feet of the teacher.”

“Oh, all right,” said they. At that time Guttila came; then after some friendly words, he told his wish. Now the Bodhisatta was skilled in divining from the lineaments of the body. He perceived that this was not a good man; so he refused. He said, “Go! my son! this art is not for you.” Musila clasped the feet of the Bodhisatta’s parents, to help his suit, and prayed them. “Make him teach me!” Again and again his parents insisted and the Bodhisatta conceded.

Now the Bodhisatta did not stint his knowledge, but taught his pupil everything which he knew himself. This done, he said, “Your knowledge is now perfect.”

Thought Musila, “I have now mastered my art. This city of Benares is the chief city in all India. My teacher is old; therefore I will stay here.” So he said to his teacher, “Sir! I would serve the king.”

“Good, my son,” replied he, “I will tell the king of it.”

He came before the king, and said, “My pupil wishes to serve your Highness. Fix what his fee shall be.”

The king answered, “His fee shall be the half of yours.” And he came and told it to Musila. Musila said, “If I receive the same as you, I will serve; but if not, then I will not serve him.”

“I know everything you know. Then why does he offer me the half?”

The Bodhisatta informed the king what had happened. The king said, “If he is as perfect in his art as you, he shall receive the same as you do.” The Bodhisatta told to his pupil, “You must compete with me to proove that you are equally competent. If you succeed you will have equal pay.”. The pupil consented to the bargain. And the king, being informed of this, called Musila, “there should never be rivalry between master and pupil.”

“Hold, O king!” cried he “yes, let there be a meeting between me and my teacher; we shall know which of us is master of his art.”

So the king agreed; and he sent the drum beating round the city with this notice:- “In seven days, Guttila the Teacher, and Musila the Pupil, will meet at the door of the royal place, to show their skill. Let the people assemble from the city, and see their skill!”

The Bodhisatta thought within himself, “This Musila is young and fresh, I am old and my strength is gone. What an old man does will not prosper. If my pupil is beaten, there is no great credit in that. If he beats me, death in the woods is better than the shame which will be my portion.” So he went to the woods.

At that time, Sakka’s throne became hot. Sakka meditated, and perceived what had happened. “Guttila the Musician is suffering much sorrow in the forest by reason of his pupil. I must help him!” So he appeared before the Bodhisatta. “Master,” said he, “why have you come to the woods?”

“Who are you?” asked the other.

“I am Sakka.”

Then said the Bodhisatta, “O king of the gods! I was in fear of being worsted by my pupil, and therefore did I ran to the woods.”

Sakka said, “Fear not. I am your defence and refuge.”

“As you play, you shall break one of the strings of your lute, and play upon six; and the music shall be as good as before. Musila too shall break a string, and he shall not be able to make music with his lute; then he will be defeated. And when you see that he is defeated, you shall break the second string of your lute, and the third, even unto the seventh, and you shall go on playing with nothing but the body; and from the ends of the broken strings the sound shall come, and fill all the land of Benares.

With these words he gave the Bodhisatta three playing dice, and went on: “When the sound of the lute has filled all the city, you must throw one of these dice into the air; and three hundred nymphs shall descend and dance before you. While they dance throw up the second, and three hundred shall dance in front of your lute; then the third, and then three hundred more shall come down and dance within the arena. I too will come with them; go on, and fear not!”

In the morning the Bodhisatta returned home. At the palace door a pavilion was set up, and a throne was set apart for the king. He came down from the palace, and took his seat upon the divan in the gay pavilion. All the people of the town had come together. The Bodhisatta was waiting in his appointed place. Sakka was there, invisible, poised in the air, surrounded by a great company. However, the Bodhisatta saw him. Musila too was there, and sat in his own seat. .

First the two played each the same piece. When they played, both the same, the multitude was delighted, and gave abundant applause. Sakka spoke to the Bodhisatta, from his place in the air: “Break one of the strings!” said he. Then the Bodhisatta broke the bee string; and the string, though broken, gave out a sound from its broken end; it seemed like music divine. Musila too broke a string; but after that no sound came out of it. His teacher broke the second, and so on to the seventh string; he played upon the body alone, and the sound continued, and filled the town; the multitude in thousands waved and waved their kerchiefs in the air, and gave applause. The Bodhisatta threw up one of the dice into the air, and three hundred nymphs descended and began to dance. And when he had thrown the second and third in the same manner, there were nine hundred nymphs a dancing as Sakka had said. Then the king made a sign to the multitude. The people cried, “You made a great mistake in matching yourself against Musila.” They beat Musila to death.

The king in his delight showered gifts upon the Bodhisatta. Sakka said, “Wise Sir! I will send my charioteer Matali with a car drawn by a thousand horses, and you shall mount upon my divine car, and travel to heaven” and he departed.

When Sakka was returned, and sat upon his throne. The daughters of the gods asked him, “Where have you been, O king?” Sakka told them in full all that had happened, and praised the virtues and good parts of the Bodhisatta. Then said the daughters of the gods,

“O king, we long to look upon this teacher; fetch him here!”

Sakka summoned Matali and said to him. “The nymphs of heaven desire to look upon Guttila the Musician. Go, seat him in my divine car, and bring him here.” The charioteer went and brought the Bodhisatta. Sakka, after greeting the Bodhisatta said, “Master! The maidens of the gods wish to hear your music.”

“O! great king! We musicians live by practice of our art. For a recompense I will play. I care for no other recompense but this. Let these daughters of the gods tell me what acts of virtue brought them here; then will I play.”

“Play on, and I will recompense you.”

Then said the daughters of the gods, “Gladly will we tell you after of the virtues that we have practiced; but first do you play the music, Master.”

For one week, the Bodhisatta played to them, and his music surpassed the music of heaven. On the seventh day he asked the daughters of the gods of their virtuous lives, beginning from the first.

One of them, in the time of the Buddha Kassapa, had given an upper garment to a Brother in charity; and having renewed existence as an attendant of Sakka, had become chief among the daughters of the gods, with a retinue of a thousand nymphs; of her the Bodhisatta asked “What did you do in a previous existence, that has brought you here?”

Another had given flowers for worship to a Brother who craved an alms. Another had been asked for a scented wreath of five sprays for the shrine, and gave it. Another had given sweet fruits. Another had given fine essences. Another had given a scented five spray to the shrine of the Buddha Kassapa. Another had heard the discourse of Brethren or Sisters. Another had stood in the water, and given water to a Brother who had eaten his meal on a boat. Another had done her duty to mother in law and father in law, never losing her temper. Another had divided even the share that she received, and so did eat, and was virtuous. Another, who had been a slave in some household, without anger and without pride had given away a share of her own portion, and had been born again as an attendant upon the king of the gods. So also all those thirty seven daughters of the gods, were asked by the Bodhisatta what each had done to come there, and they too told what they had done in the same way.

On hearing all this, the Bodhisatta exclaimed; “It is good for me; I heard how very small a merit great glory has been attained. Henceforward, when I return to the world of men, I will give all manner of gifts, and perform good deeds.”

Full of sweet peace, and generosity,

Of temperance, and truth my life shall be,

Till I come there where no more sorrows are.”

Then after seven days, the Sakka ordered Matali the charioteer to take Guttila to Benares.

And when he came to Benares, he told the people what he had seen with his own eyes in heaven. From that time the people resolved to do good deeds with all their might.