Jataka 494
Sādhīna Jātaka
The Story of King Sādhīna
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
The Buddha often taught about the importance of generosity. But perhaps more importantly is the joy that comes from a kind, open, and generous heart. This doesn’t come without training and practice. In the beginning it is a conscious effort. But as time goes by, generosity becomes instinctive, and gradually the difference between the giver and the recipient disappears. The generosity does not come from you; it comes through you. I know a teacher who says that progress on the path is measured by “a feeling of gratitude and wanting to do things for others without expecting anything in return.” It is very liberating, and it is incredibly joyful.
There are a couple of technical notes worth mentioning. First, the story references both the Five Precepts and the Eight Precepts. The Eight Precepts are also the novice precepts for nuns and monks. The story also mentions the “Heaven of the Thirty-Three.” This is an important realm in the Buddhist cosmology. It is also called the Trāyastriṃśa (Sanskrit) or the Tāvatiṃsa heaven (Pāli). It is ruled by Śakra/Sakka (Sanskrit/Pāli), also known as Indra, the lord of the gods.
“A wonder in the world.” The Master told this story while he was living in Jetavana. It is about a layman who took on the fast-day vows. (The eight novice precepts are often taken by lay people on Uposatha Days.) On that occasion the Master said, “Lay brother, wise men of old, because they kept the fast-day vows, went to heaven, and there they lived for a long time.” Then at their request, he told them this story from the past.
Once upon a time, there was a King Sādhīna in Mithilā who reigned in righteousness. At the four city gates, and in the middle of it, and at his own palace door he ordered the building of six alms-halls. And with his almsgiving, he created a great stir throughout all India. Every day 600,000 gold coins were spent in alms. He kept the Five Virtues (Precepts). He observed the fast-day vows (Eight Precepts). And those who lived in the city followed his example. They gave alms and did good deeds, and when they died, they were reborn in the city of the gods.
The princes of heaven (devas), sitting in full assembly in Sakka’s justice hall, praised Sādhīna’s virtuous life and his goodness. The report of him made all the other gods want to meet him. Sakka, king of the gods, perceived their thoughts and asked, “Do you wish to see King Sādhīna?” They replied, “Yes, we do.” Then he commanded Mātali, “Go to my palace Vejayanta. Yoke my chariot and bring Sādhīna here. “He obeyed the command and yoked the chariot, and he went off to the kingdom of Videha.
It was the day of the full moon. At the time when people had finished their evening meal and were sitting by their doors at their ease, Mātali drove his chariot side by side with the moon’s disk. All the people called out, “Look! There are two moons in the sky!” But when they saw the chariot pass by the moon and come towards them, then they cried, “This is no moon, it is a chariot, a son of the gods, it would seem. For whom is he bringing this divine car with his team of thoroughbreds, creatures of the imagination? Will it not be for our King? Yes, our King is a righteous and good King!” In their delight they joined hands with reverence, and standing, they repeated the first stanza:
“A wonder in the world was seen, that made the hair uprise,
For great Videha’s King is sent a chariot from the skies!”
Mātali brought the car close, and then—while the people worshipped with flowers and perfumes—he drove it around the city clockwise three times. Then he proceeded to the King’s door. There he stopped the chariot. He stood still before the western window, making a sign that he should ascend.
Now on that day the King himself had inspected his alms-halls. He had given directions about how they were to distribute the alms. When that was done, he undertook the fast-day vows, and in this way he spent the day. Just then he was seated on a gorgeous dais, facing the eastern window. He had his courtiers all around. They were discussing rights and justice. At that moment Mātali invited the King to enter the chariot, and having done this, he went off with him.
To explain this, the Master repeated the following stanzas:
“The god most mighty, Mātali, the charioteer, did bring
A summons to Vedeha, who in Mithilā was King.
“O mighty monarch, noble King, mount in this car with me.
Indra would see you, and the gods, the glorious Thirty-three,
And now they sit in gathering all, they all thinking of thee.”
“Then King Sādhīna turned his face, and mounted in the car,
Which with its thousand steeds then bore him to the gods afar.
“The gods saw the noble King arrive, and then, their guest to greet
Cried, ‘Welcome mighty monarch, whom we are so glad to meet!
O King! beside the king of gods we pray you take a seat.’
“And Sakka welcomed Vedeha, the King of Mithilā town,
Ay, Vāsava offered him all joys and prayed him to sit down.
“Amid the rulers of the world, O welcome to our land,
Live with the gods, O King! who have all wishes at command,
Enjoy immortal pleasures, where the Three-and-thirty stand.”
(Vāsava is another name for Indra.)
Sakka king of the gods gave him the half of the city of the gods, 10,000 leagues in extent, and of twenty-five millions of nymphs and of the palace Vejayanta. And there he lived for seven hundred years by man’s reckoning, enjoying bliss. But then his merit was exhausted in that character in heaven; dissatisfaction arose in him, and so he spoke to Sakka in these words, repeating a stanza:
“I joyed, when here to heaven I came,
In dances, song, and music clear.
Now I no longer feel the same.
Is my life done, does death draw near,
Or is it folly, King, that I must fear?”
Then Sakka said to him:
“Your life's not done, and death is far,
Nor are you foolish, mighty one.
But your good deeds exhausted are
And now your merit is all done.
“Still here abide, O mighty King, by my divine command,
Enjoy immortal pleasures, where the Three-and-thirty stand.”
But the Great Being refused, and he said to him:
“As when a chariot, or when goods are given on demand,
So is it to enjoy a bliss given by another’s hand.
“I care not to receive blessings given by another’s hand,
My goods are mine and mine alone when on my deeds I stand.
“I’ll go and do much good to men, give alms throughout the land,
Will follow virtue, exercise control and self-command.
He that so acts is happy and fears no remorse at hand.”
On hearing this, Sakka gave orders to Mātali: “Go now. Convey King Sādhīna to Mithilā and set him down in his own park.” This he did.
The King walked back and forth in his park. The park keeper saw him, and—after asking him who he was—he went to King Nārada with the news. When he learned of the King’s arrival, he sent the keeper back with these words: “You go on and prepare two seats, one for him and one for me.” This he did. Then the King asked him, “For whom do you prepare these two seats?” He replied, “One is for you, and one is for our King. Then the King said, “Who else will sit in my presence?” He sat on one seat and put his feet on the other. King Nārada came up, and having saluted his feet, sat down on one side.
Figure: The two great Kings
Now it is said he was the seventh descendent from the King, and at that time a lifespan was five score (100) years. So the Great Being had lived a long time by the might of his goodness. He took Nārada by the hands, and, going up and down in happiness, he recited three stanzas:
“Here are the lands, the conduit round through which the waters go,
The green grass clothing it about, the rivulets that flow.
“The lovely lakes, that listen when the ruddy geese give call,
Where lotus white and lotus blue and trees like coral grow,
—But those who loved this place with me, O say, where are they all?”
“These are the acres, this the place,
The pleasure and the fields are here,
But seeing no familiar face,
To me it seems a desert drear?
Hereupon Nārada said to him, “My lord, since you departed to the world of the gods, 700 years have gone by. I am the seventh in line from you. Your attendants have all gone down into the jaws of death. But this is your own rightful realm, and I beg you to receive it.” The King answered, “My dear Nārada, I came here not to be King. I came here to do good, and this is what I will do.” He then said the following:
“Celestial mansions I have seen, shining in every place,
The Thirty-three good devas, and their monarch, face to face.
“Joys more than human I have felt, a heavenly home was mine,
With all that heart could wish, among the Thirty-three divine.
“This I have seen, and to do deeds of virtue I came down,
And I will live a holy life, I want no royal crown.
“The Path that never leads to woe, the Path the Buddhas show,
Upon that Path I enter now by which the holy go.”
So spoke the Great Being, and by his wisdom he compressed all into these stanzas. Then Nārada said to him again, “Take the rule of the kingdom upon you.” And he replied, “My dear son, I want no kingdom. But for seven days I want to distribute—once again—all of the alms given during these 700 years.” Nārada was willing, and doing as he had been requested, he prepared an enormous gift for distribution. For seven days the King gave alms. And on the seventh day he died, and he was reborn in the heaven of the Thirty-three.
When the Master had ended this discourse, he said, “Such is the power of the holy-day vows which it is our duty to keep.” He then taught the Four Noble Truths. At the conclusion of the teaching, some of the lay people entered on the fruition of the First Path (stream-entry) and some of the Second (once-returner). Then he identified the birth: “At that time Ānanda was King Nārada, Anuruddha was Sakka, and I was the King Sādhīna.”
