Category Archives: INDIA
121. The Bodhisatta And Doctrine Of Patience
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.
120. The Bodhisatta And Charity
One upon a time, when Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares the Bodhisatta was born in a rich man’s family; and coming of age, he acquired a property, and at his father’s death received his father’s station as merchant.
One day, as he reviewed his wealth and thought “My wealth is here; but where are those who gathered it? I must disperse my wealth, and give alms.” So he built an almonry, and lived distributing much alms; and when his days were drawing to a close charging his son not to discontinue the practice of alms-giving he was born again as Sakka in the Heaven. And the son gave alms as his father, and with the like charge to his son was born as Canda, the Moon, among the gods. And his son became Suriya, the Sun, who begot another that became Matali the Charioteer and his son was born again as Pancasikha, one of the Gandhabbas, or celestial musicians. But the sixth of the line was without faith, hard-hearted, loveless, niggardly; and he demolished the almonry, burnt it, beat the beggars and sent them about their business; gave no one so much as an oil drop on the end of a blade of grass.
119. The Bodhisatta And Change Of Name
Once upon a time the Bodhisatta was a teacher of world wide fame at Takkasila and five hundred young Brahmins learn the Vedas from his lips. One of these young men was named Base. And from continually hearing his fellows say, “Go, Base” and “Come, Base,” he longed to get rid of his name and to take a good name. So he went to his master and asked that a new name of a respectable character might be given to him. The master said, “Go! my son, and travel through the land till you have found a name you fancy. Then come back and I will change your name.”
118. The Bodhisatta And Asanka
Once upon a time when Brahmadatta was king in Benares, the Bodhisatta was born in a Brahmin family at a village of that country. When he grew up, he learned the arts at Takkasila, became an ascetic and reaching the Faculties and Attainments lived on roots and fruits in the Himalaya.
At that time a star fell from the Heaven and was conceived as a girl inside a lotus in a pool; and when the other lotuses grew old and fell, that one grew great and stood. The ascetic coming to bathe saw it and thought, “The other lotuses fall, but this one is grown great and stands; why is this?” So he opened the lotus and saw the girl. He took her to his hut and tended her as his daughter. Now the Bodhisatta had given the maiden the name Asanka. When she came to sixteen years, she was beautiful. Sakka came to see the Bodhisatta and gave a crystal palace with all facilities for her dwelling.
