Jataka 406
Gandhāra Jātaka
The King of Gandhāra
as told by Eric Van Horn
originally translated by H.T. Francis and R.A. Neil, Cambridge University
originally edited by Professor Edward Byles Cowell, Cambridge University
This is another story in which an important point is made about Right Speech. It is a common misunderstanding that Right Speech means that you never speak harshly. Sometimes harsh speech is appropriate. Now of course, this has to be done with care. You should never speak from animosity. On the other hand, as Buddhism has made its way in the West, I have seen so many instances where the Dharma is distorted. In fact, I think this is the rule and not the exception. In cases like that people have to be held accountable for misrepresenting the Buddha’s Dharma.
“Villages full sixteen thousand.” The Master told this story when he was living at Jetavana. It is about the monastic rule about storing medicines. (This rule is in the Sixth Khandhaka of the Mahāvagga in the monastic code, the Vinaya [6.15.10]: “Whatsoever kinds of medicine are [needed] for the use of sick Bhikkhus,—that is to say, ghee, butter, oil, honey, and molasses,—when such are received, they must be used within a period of seven days during which they may be stored. Whosoever goes beyond that limit shall be dealt with according to law.” And I think in this story, the storage of food is also implied.)
The occasion arose in Rājagaha. When the venerable Pilindiyavaccha went to the King’s residence to free the park keeper's family, he made the palace gold by his magic power*, and the people—in their delight—brought to that elder the five kinds of medicine (as listed above). He, in turn, gave them to the Saṇgha. The monastics abounded in medicines. They filled pots and jars and bags and set them aside.
Seeing this, the people murmured, saying, “Those greedy monks are hoarding in their houses.” The Master heard about this, and he declared the precept, “Whatever medicines for sick monastics are received must be used within seven days.”
Then he said, “Brothers, wise men of old, before the Buddha appeared, only kept the Five Precepts. But they would ridicule those who laid aside even salt and sugar for the next day. But you, though ordained in the rules of the Path, hoard for a second and even a third day.” And then he told this story from the past.
(*This story also appears in the Vinaya [6.15.1-8]. King Bimbisara assigns a park keeper to venerable Pilindiyavaccha. Out of compassion for the park keeper’s daughter—who was very poor—Pilindiyavaccha turned a grass garland into gold. The King assumed the gold must have been stolen and had the park keeper and his family thrown into prison. But Pilindiyavaccha tells King Bimbisara what happened, thus freeing the park keeper and his family.)
Once upon a time, the Bodhisatta was the son of the King of Gandhāra. When his father died, he became King, and he ruled with righteousness. In the Central Region, in the kingdom of Videha, a King named Videha was ruling at the same time. These two kings had never seen each other, but they were friends and had great trust in one another.
At that time men lived very long lives. (This is a theme in the suttas, i.e., that the lifespans of humans were at times very short, and at other times they were extremely long.) On average they lived for 30,000 years. Then one day, on the fast day of the full moon, the King of Gandhāra took the Five Precepts. Then he sat on the dais in the middle of a royal throne, looking through an open window on the eastern quarter. He gave a discourse to his ministers on the Dharma. At that same moment Rāhu was covering the moon’s orb which was full and spreading over the sky. (This was an eclipse. According to Indian mythology, an eclipse occurs when the god Rahu obstructs the moon.) The moon’s light vanished. The ministers, not seeing the moon’s light, told the King that the moon had been seized by Rāhu. The King, observing the moon, thought, “That moon has lost its light because of some trouble from outside. Now my royal retinue is a trouble, and it is not appropriate that I should lose my light like the moon seized by Rāhu. I will leave my kingdom like the moon shining in a clear sky and become a spiritual seeker. Why should I admonish another? I will go about, detached from family and people, admonishing only myself. That is what I should do.”
So he said, “Do as you wish.” He gave his kingdom over to the ministers. He took up the holy life. He attained the transcendent states (jhāna). He passed the rains retreat (vassa) in the Himālaya region, devoted to the delight of meditation. Meanwhile, the King of Videha, asked of merchants, “Is it well with my friend?” They told him that he had taken up the holy life. The King thought, “When my friend has taken up the holy life, why would I want a kingdom?” So he, too, gave up the rule in his city of Mithila—seven leagues in extent—and his kingdom of Videha—300 leagues in extent. In this kingdom there were 16,000 villages, full storehouses, and 16,000 dancing girls. And without thinking of his sons and daughters, he went to the Himālaya region and took up the holy life. There he lived on fruits only, living in a state of serenity.
Both of them followed this tranquil life. They soon met, but they did not recognize each other. Yet they lived together in this serene way as friends. The recluse of Videha waited upon the recluse of Gandhāra.
One day during a full moon, they were sitting at the root of a tree and talking about the Dharma. Rāhu covered the moon’s orb as it was shining in the sky. The recluse of Videha looked up, saying, “Why has the moon’s light vanished?” And seeing that it was seized by Rāhu, he asked, “Master, why has he covered the moon and made it dark?” “Scholar, that is the moon’s one trouble. Rāhu is its name. He prevents it from shining. Once when I saw the moon’s orb obscured by Rāhu, I thought, ‘The moon’s pure orb has become dark because of trouble from the outside. Now this kingdom is a burden to me. I will take up the holy life so that the kingdom does not make me dark as Rāhu does the moon’s orb.’ And so taking the moon’s orb seized by Rāhu as my example, I forsook my great kingdom and took up the holy life.”
“Master, were you the King of Gandhāra?”
“Yes, I was.”
“Master, I was the King Videha in the kingdom of Videha and city of Mithila. Were we not friends though we never saw each other?”
“What happened to you?”
“I heard that you had taken up the holy life. So I thought, ‘Surely he has seen the good of that life.’ So I took you as my inspiration. I left my kingdom and also took up the holy life.” From that time on they were exceedingly intimate and friendly, and they both lived exclusively on fruits.
After a long time passed they went down from the Himālaya for salt and vinegar. They came to a frontier village. The people, being pleased with their demeanor, gave them alms. They built huts for them, and they built a place by the road in a pleasant watered spot for eating their meals. After going on their alms rounds in the frontier village, they sat and ate the alms in that hut of leaves, and afterwards they would go to their huts. On one day the people gave them food with salt on a leaf. On the next day they gave them saltless food. One day they gave them a great deal of salt in a leaf basket. The recluse of Videha took the salt. He gave some to the Bodhisatta at the meal time and took some for himself. Then he put the rest into a leaf basket. He put that in a roll of grass, saying, “This will do for a saltless day.”
Then one day when they received saltless food, the man of Videha gave the alms food to the man of Gandhāra. He took the salt from the roll of grass and said, “Master, take salt.” “The people did not give us any salt today. Where did you get it?” “Master, the people gave much salt one day before. So I kept the extra, saying, ‘This will do for a saltless day.’” Then the Bodhisatta chided him, saying, “O foolish man, you forsook the kingdom of Videha, 300 leagues in extent, took up the holy life and attained freedom from sense desires, and now you have a desire for salt and sugar.” And so admonishing him, he spoke the first stanza:
Villages full sixteen thousand with their wealth you threw away,
Treasuries with wealth in plenty, and you’re hoarding here today!
Videha did not like being chided. They became estranged. He said, “Master, you do not see your own fault, though you see mine. Did you not leave your kingdom and become religious, saying, ‘Why should I admonish another? I will admonish myself alone?’ So why then are you now admonishing me?” So he spoke the second stanza:
Candahar and all its province, all its wealth, you threw away,
Giving no more royal orders, and you're ordering me today!
Hearing him the Bodhisatta spoke the third stanza:
It is righteousness I’m speaking, for I hate unrighteousness.
Righteousness when I am speaking, defilement leaves no impress.
Figure: “It is righteousness I’m speaking.”
The recluse of Videha, hearing the Bodhisatta’s words, said, “Master, it is not appropriate for one to speak after annoying and angering another, even though he speaks to the point. You are speaking very harshly to me, as if shaving me with blunt steel.” And so he spoke the fourth stanza:
Whatsoever words, if spoken, would to others cause offence,
Wise men leave those words unspoken, though of mighty consequence.
Then the Bodhisatta spoke the fifth stanza:
Let my hearer scatter chaff, or let him take offence or not,
Righteousness when I am speaking, defilement can leave no spot.
Having so said, he went on, “I will not work with you, O Ānanda, as a potter with raw clay only. I will speak chiding again and again. What is truth, that I will respect.” (Note that here the Bodhisatta refers to him as “Ānanda” which will be his name in a future life.) And so being steadfast in conduct suitable to that admonition of the Blessed One, as a potter among his vessels, after beating them often, does not take the raw clay, but takes the baked vessel only, so preaching and chiding again and again he takes a man like a good vessel, and preaching to show him this, he spoke this pair of stanzas:
Were not wisdom and good conduct trained in some men’s lives to grow,
Many would go wandering idly like the blinded buffalo.
But since some are wisely trained in moral conduct fair to grow,
Thus it is that disciplined in paths of virtue others go.
Hearing this, the Videha recluse said, “Master, from this time forward admonish me. I spoke to you with peevish natural temper. Pardon me.” And so paying respect, he gained the Bodhisatta’s pardon. So once again they lived together in peace, and they returned to the Himālaya. There the Bodhisatta taught the Videha recluse how to attain to mystic meditation (jhāna). He did so and reached the higher Faculties (1) faith/confidence, 2) energy, 3) mindfulness, 4) concentration/samadhi and 5) wisdom/insight) and the Attainments (jhānas). So both, never abandoning meditation, became destined for the Brahma world.
After the lesson, the Master identified the birth: “At that time Ānanda was the Videha recluse, and I was the Gandhāra King.”
