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B0102051407sattakanipāto (chapter seven)

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He acts for the welfare of both, his own and that of others. 67. Therefore, one should weigh oneself, as if with virtue, wisdom, and learning; A steadfast one should protect the group, or wander alone. The Ninth, the Kapi Jātaka. 405. The Baka Jā Seventy-two, Gotama, are the meritorious deeds, Masters of themselves, transcending birth and old age; This is the final, the knower of the Vedas, the attainment of Brahma, Many people yearn for us. Indeed, this is short, not a long life, That which you, Baka, consider a long life; Hundreds of thousands of *nirabbudas*, I know your life-span, O Brahma. I am the Blessed One, seeing the endless, Having transcended birth, old age, and sorrow; What were my former vows and virtuous practices? Tell me that, so I may know. That you gave drink to many people, Thirsty, overcome by heat; That was your former vow and virtuous practice, I recall it as if awakened from sleep. That you freed people caught on the deer-bank, Being carried away by a current; That was your former vow and virtuous practice, I recall it as if awakened from sleep. A boat caught in the current of the Ganges, By a fierce nāga, with human passengers; You freed it by force, by might, That was your former vow and virtuous practice; I recall it as if awakened from sleep. And a kappa you were a bound ascetic, Considering yourself a wise and disciplined one; That was your former vow and virtuous practice, I recall it as if awakened from sleep. Indeed, you know my life-span, And you know other things, for you are a Buddha; Thus, with such blazing power, He stands illuminating the Brahma-world. The Tenth, the Baka Jātaka. The First Chapter, Kukkuva. Its summary – Varakaṇṇika, Cāpavara, Sutana, Then Gijjha, Sarohita, Macchavara; Again Paṇṇaka, Senaka, Yācanaka, Then Veri, and Sabrahmabaka. He does not give. 2. The Chapter on Gandhāra 406. The Gandhāra Birth Story (7-2-1) 76. Having abandoned sixteen Full thousands of villages, And prosperous storehouses, Now you make a hoard. 77. Having abandoned the Gandhāra country, Rich in much wealth and grain; Having departed from the rule, Now you rule here. 78. I speak the Dhamma, O Vedeha, The unrighteous does not please me; To me speaking the Dhamma, No evil clings. 79. By whatever word Another is made to suffer; Even if it be a weighty word, A wise person should not speak it. 80. Let him suffer or not suffer, Let him be scattered like chaff; To me speaking the Dhamma, No evil clings. 81. If there were no one's own wisdom, Or well-trained discipline; Many people would wander Like a blind buffalo in the forest. 82. But because some here Are well-trained in conduct; Therefore, disciplined in discipline, They wander well-composed. The Gandhāra Birth Story, the first. 407. The Great Monkey Birth Story (7-2-2) 83. Having made yourself a bridge, You brought them safely across; What are they to you, What are these to you, O Great Monkey? 84. I am their king, their lord, The protector of the troop; For them, overcome by sorrow, And fearful, O destroyer of foes. 85. Having leaped over myself, A hundred bow-lengths; Then on my hind legs, I tightly bound a creeper. 86. Like a broken cloud by the wind, I was driven to a tree; Being powerless there, I grasped a branch with my hands. 87. While I was stretched out, By the branch and the creeper; The tree-dwelling animals, Stepping over my feet, went safely across. 88. That bond does not torment me, My death does not torment me. mindfulness; Happiness was brought to them, for whom I ruled the kingdom. 89. This is your simile, O king, hear it, O subduer of foes; By the king, for the kingdom, for the suitable, for the army and for the town; Happiness should be sought for all, by the Khattiya who understands. The Great Monkey Jātaka, the second. 408. The Potter Jātaka (7-2-3) 90. I saw a mango tree in the forest, dark-shining, laden with fruit, well-grown; I saw it broken for the sake of its fruit, seeing that, I wander for alms. 91. A smooth stone, well-finished by a hero, a woman carried a yoke silently; And coming to a second, there was a sound, seeing that, I wander for alms. 92. Birds bringing a carcass to a bird, many gathered around one; They made it fall for the sake of food, seeing that, I wander for alms. 93. I saw a bull in the midst of the herd, with a swaying hump, endowed with beauty and strength; I saw it overcome for the sake of desire, seeing that, I wander for alms. 94. Karaṇḍu of the Kalingas, and Naggaji of the Gandharas; King Nimi of the Videhas, and Dummukha of the Pañcālas; These, having abandoned their kingdoms, went forth as renunciants, owning nothing. 95. All these, like gods, have gathered, like a blazing fire, so are these; I too will wander alone, O Bhaggavi, having abandoned desires as they are. 96. This is the time, there is no other, my teacher may not be later; I too will wander alone, O Bhaggava, like a bird freed from a man's hand. 97. They know the raw and the ripe, and the salty and the unsalty; Seeing that, I went forth, you may wander, we too wander. The Potter Jātaka, the third. 409. The Daḷhadhamma Jātaka (7-2-4) 98. If I, of firm resolve, did not please the bearer; Bearing a dart in her breast, acting valiantly in battle. 99. Surely the king does not know a king knows my valor and might; my deeds well done in battle, and messages sent by envoys. 100. Surely I shall die, friendless and without refuge; for then I was given to the potter as a dung-gatherer. 101. As long as a man has hope, so long does he thrive; when his purpose fails, they abandon him, like a king with a lip-disease. 102. He who, having been helped before, does not appreciate the favor done; his desired aims will all be ruined. 103. He who, having been helped before, appreciates the favor done; his desired aims will all prosper. 104. Therefore I tell you, good sirs, as many as are gathered here; all be grateful, and you will long abide in heaven. The Daḷhadhamma Jātaka, the fourth. 410. The Somadatta Jātaka (7-2-5) 105. He who formerly greeted me, coming from afar in the forest; that elephant is not seen, where has Somadatta gone? 106. Either he lies dead, like a calf with wet horns; he lies fallen on the ground, alas, the elephant is immortal. 107. For you, having gone forth from home, being released and mindful; it is not proper for a recluse to mourn the dead. 108. Indeed, Sakka, by living together, whether with a human or an animal; love arises in the heart, it is not possible not to mourn it. 109. Those who weep and lament, they mourn the dead who will die; therefore, sage, do not weep, the good say weeping is in vain. 110. Indeed, brahmin, if the dead could rise by weeping; we would all gather and weep for each other's relatives. 111. You, as if with water, extinguish all my sorrow, who am burning like a fire fed with ghee. 112. Indeed, you have drawn out the dart that was lodged in my heart; you who, when I was overcome with sorrow, removed the sorrow for my son. He replied. 113. I am one with the dart extracted, Sorrowless, untroubled. I do not grieve, I do not weep, Having heard you, O Vāsava. The Somadatta Jātaka, the fifth. 411. The Susīma Jātaka (7-2-6) 114. Black hairs formerly were, Grown on the head in their proper place. Seeing them white today, Susīma, Practice the Dhamma, it is time for the holy life. 115. Mine alone, O king, is the grey hair, not yours, Mine is the head, my supreme limb. "I will do good" - falsely I spoke, Forgive this one offense, O best of kings. 116. You are young, O king, and handsome, Like a young kalīra tree just sprouted. Rule the kingdom and look after me, Do not pursue a seasonal pleasure, O lord of men. 117. And I see a young maiden, With well-formed sides, a beautiful body, a slender waist. Like a black coral swaying, She walks among men, as if enticing. 118. Then I see another woman, Eighty or ninety years old by birth. Holding a stick, trembling, Walking like a bent rafter. 119. As I reflect on that very thing, I lie alone in the middle of my bed. Seeing "I too will be like this," I do not delight in the household life, it is time for the holy life. 120. And this, like a rope for hanging, Is the delight of one living in a house. Even cutting this, the wise go forth, Abandoning sensual pleasures, without attachment. The Susīma Jātaka, the sixth. 412. The Koṭasimbali Jātaka (7-2-7) 121. I, a thousand fathoms long, Came carrying a snake. That one and me, of great body, You held without trembling. 122. But this small bird, With less flesh than me, Holding it, you tremble, frightened, For what reason, O Koṭasimbali? 123. You are a flesh-eater, O king, This bird is a fruit-eater; It will eat the seeds of banyan, pilakkha, and udumbara trees; And also assattha trees, and drop them on my trunk. 124. Those trees will sprout, growing near me in the sheltered spots; They will surround me, they will make me treeless. 125. There are other trees, rooted and trunked, which have been destroyed by the seeds brought by this bird species. 126. Creepers grow over and thrive, even on a great forest tree; Therefore, O king, I tremble, seeing the coming danger. 127. One should suspect what is to be suspected, one should guard against future danger; The wise one, fearing future danger, looks to both worlds. The Koṭasimbali Jātaka, the seventh. 413. The Dhūmakāri Jātaka (7-2-8) 128. The king, Yudhiṭṭhila, who loved the Dhamma, asked Vidhura: "O brahmin, do you know who is the one who grieves much?" 129. A brahmin, living in the forest with a flock of goats, made much smoke, the Vāseṭṭha, tireless day and night. 130. By the smell of that smoke, the sarabha deer, troubled by mosquitoes, came to take shelter for the rainy season near Dhūmakāri. 131. Having set his mind on the sarabha deer, he did not notice his goats; Whether they came or went, those goats of his perished.