Monthly Archives: January 2014
4. Ending Battle Without Fight
Once upon a time when Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares, the Bodhisatta was born as Prince. He grew up and was educated at Takkasila, and at his father’s death became king and ruled righteously. Now in those days the King of Kosala came up with a great force against Benares and killed the king and bore off his queen to be his own wife.
3. Eating A Sword
Once upon a time when the great king Maddava was reigning in Benares, the Bodhisatta was born in a brahmin household. They called his name young Senaka. When he grew up he learned all the sciences at Takkasila, and coming back to Benares he became king Maddava’s counselor in things temporal and spiritual, and being called wise Senaka he was looked upon in all the city as the sun or the moon.
2. Brammadatta And The Park-Keeper
Once on a time when Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares, the Bodhisatta was born as the son of his chief queen. When he grew up, he became king on his father’s death and gave abundant alms. He had a park-keeper named Sumangala. A certain paccekabuddha left the Nandamula cave on a pilgrimage for alms, and coming to Benares stayed in the park. Next day he went into the town to beg. The king saw him with favour, invited into the palace and gave him with various delicate food, both hard and soft, and received his thanks: being pleased that the paccekabuddha should stay in his park, he exacted a promise and sent him back; after his morning meal he went there in person, arranged the places for his habitation by night and day, gave him the park-keeper Sumangal as attendant, and went back to the town.
1. A Partridge, A Monkey, and An Elephant
Once upon a time, under a great banyan-tree on the slopes of the Himalayas, there dwelt three friends, a partridge, a monkey, and an elephant. And they came to lack respect and subordination one to another, and had no ordering of their common life. And the thought came to them that it was not seemly for them to live in this way, and that they ought to find out which of their number was the senior and to honor him.
