Monthly Archives: January 2014
136. Paths Leading To Spiritual Welfare
Once on a time when Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares, the Bodhisatta was a very wealthy Treasurer; and he had a son who, when only seven years old, manifested great intelligence and anxiety for his spiritual welfare. One day the child came to his father to ask what were the Paths leading to spiritual welfare. And his father answered him:
Seek Health, the supreme good; be virtuous;
Hearken to elders; from the scriptures learn;
Conform to Truth; and burst Attachment’s bonds.
For chiefly these six Paths lead to Welfare.
135. The Bodhisatta And His Slave
Once upon a time when Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares, the Bodhisatta was a rich Treasurer, and they had a son. And the same day a female slave in his house gave birth to a boy, and the two children grew up together. And when the rich man’s son was being taught to write, the young slave used to go with his young master’s tablets and so learned at the same time to write himself. Next he learned two or three handicrafts, and grew up to be a fair spoken and handsome young man; and his name was Katahaka. Being employed as private secretary, he thought to himself, “I shall not stick on to this work. If a slightest fault happens, and I will be beaten, imprisoned, branded. On the border, there lives a merchant who is a friend of my master. I must go to him with a letter purporting to come from my master which identifies me as his son. I will marry the merchant’s daughter and live happily ever afterwards.”
134. The Bodhisatta And His Six Brothers
Once upon a time, when Brahmadatta was king in Benares, the Bodhisatta was born as the son of a great brahmin magnifico who owned a fortune of eighty crores of money. The name they gave him was my lord Maha-Kancana, the Greater Lord of Gold. At the time when he could but just go upon his feet, another son was born to the brahmin, and they called him my lord Upa-Kancana, the Lesser Lord of Gold. Thus in succession seven sons came, and youngest of all came a daughter, whom they named Kancana-devi, the Lady of Gold.
133. The Bodhisatta And His Sacrifice
Once upon a time when Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares, the Bodhisatta was reborn in the womb of the Queen. When he was born, he was named as Prince Brahmadatta. By sixteen years of age he had been well educated at Takkasila, had learned the Three Vedas by heart, and was versed in the Eighteen Branches of Knowledge. And his father made him a Viceroy.
In those days the Benares folk used to show honour to ‘gods’ and celebrated festivals. They killed number of sheeps, goats, poultry etc., and perform their rites. The Bodhisatta thought to himself, “Led by superstition, men now wantonly sacrifice life; When I succeed my throne, I will find means to end such destruction of life. I will devise some clever stratagem whereby the evil shall be stopped without harming a single human being.”