Monthly Archives: January 2014
132. The Bodhisatta And His Pupil
Once on a time, while Brahmadatta was king of Benares, the Bodhisatta was born as the son of an elephant trainer. When he grew up, he was taught all the art of managing the elephant.
And there came a young villager from Kasi who wanted to learn elephant training. The Bodhisatta taught everything according to their own knowledge of thepupil. So this youth learnt all the branches of knowledge from the Bodhisatta, without omission; and when he had learnt, he said to his master: “Master, I will serve the king and please get me one.”
131. The Bodhisatta And His Passion
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.
130. The Bodhisatta And His Grandfather
Once upon a time when Brahamadatta was reigning in Benares, there was a landowner and he had a son, namely Sujata. The Bodhisatta came to life as the son of Sujata. And they called him young Sujata. When he was grown up, his grand father died. Then his father from the day of the old mans death was filled with sorrow, and taking his bones from the place of cremation he erected an earth-mound in his pleasure-garden, and depositing the remains there, whenever he visited the place, adorned it with flowers and studiously lamented, neither bathing nor eating. Neither did he attend to his business. The Bodhisatta, on observing this, thought, “My father ever since the death of my grandfather goes about overwhelmed with grief. And no one, I am sure, except myself has power to console him. I will find a way to deliver him from his sorrow.”
129. The Bodhisatta And His Friendship
Once upon a time, when a king of Magadha was reigning in Rajagaha, the Bodhisatta was his Treasurer, worth eighty crores, and known as the ‘Millionaire.’ In Benares there lived a Treasurer also worth eighty crores, who was named Piliya, and was a great friend of the Millionaire. For some reason or other Piliya of Benares got into difficulties, and lost all his property, and was made a beggar. He left Benares with his wife and went on foot to Rajagaha, to see the Millionaire, the last hope left him. And the Millionaire embraced his friend and treated him as an honored guest, asking, in due course, the reason of the visit. Piliya answered, “I am a ruined man. I have lost everything, and have come to ask you to help me.”
