98. The Bodhisatta – Desert Voyage
Once a time when Brahmadatta was king in Benares in Kasi the Bodhisatta was born into a trader’s family. When he was grown up, he used to travel about trading with 500 carts. On one occasion he came to a sandy wilderness sixty leagues across, the send of which was so fine that, when grasped, it slipped through the fingers of the closed fist. As soon as the sun got up, it grew as hot as a bed of charcoal-embers and nobody could walk upon it. Accordingly, those traversing it used to take fire-wood, water, oil, rice and so forth on their carts, and only trevelled by night. At dawn they used to range their carts in a circle to form a laager, with an – awning spread overhead, and after an early meal used to sit in the shade all the day long. When the sun went down, they had their evening meal; and, so soon as the ground became cool, they used to yoke their carts and move forward. Travelling on this desert was like voyaging over the sea; a ‘desert-pilot,’ as he was called, had to convoy them over by knowledge of the stars. And this was the way in which our merchant was now traveling that wilderness.
97. The Bodhisatta – Deer’s Tactics
Once upon a time when Brahmadatta ruled Benares, the Bodhisatta was born a deer and dwelled in the forest as the head of deers. His sister brought her son to him, saying, “Brother, this is your nephew; teach him deer’s tactics.” And thus she placed her son under the Bodhisatta’s care. The Bodhisatta said nephew,“Come at such and such a time and I will give you a lesson” but the nephew made no appearance at the time appointed. And for the next seven days, he skipped his lesson and fail to learn the tactics of deer. At last as he was roaming about he was caught in a gin. His mother came and said to the Bodhisatta, ”Brother! was not your nephew taught deer’s tactics?”
96. The Bodhisatta – As Trained White Elephant
Once upon a time when King Magadha was ruling in Rajagaha in Magadha, the Bodhisatta was born an elephant. He was white all over and graced with all the beauty. And because of his beauty the king made him his state elephant.
One festal day the king adorned the city like a city of the devas and, mounted on the elephant in all its trappings, made a solemn procession round the city attended by a great retinue. And all along the route the people were moved by the sight of that peerless elephant to exclaim, “Oh what a stately gait! What proportions! What beauty! What grace! Such a white elephant is worthy of an universal monarch.” All this praise of his elephant awoke the king’s jealousy and decided to kill the elephant. So he summoned the mahout and asked whether it is a trained elephant.
95. The Bodhisatta – As The White Elephant
Once upon a time when Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares, the Bodhisatta was conceived by an elephant in the Himalayas. When born, he was white all over, like a mighty mass of silver. His eyes were like diamond balls, and his mouth was red; his legs were like a pillars as if polished with lac. When he grew up, all the elephants of the Himalayas followed him as their leader. Whilst he was leading his life thus, he became aware that there was sin in the herd. So, detaching himself from the rest, he lived in solitude in the forest, and the goodness of his life won him the name of Good King Elephant.
