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For sixty thousand years have I stood, and all have worshipped me, and though they have built many a house, and many a town, no violence has been done to me. Spare thou me, also, O King." Then the King made answer and said : " Never have I seen so mighty a trunk, so thick and strong a tree ; but I will build me a palace, and thou shalt be the only column on which it shall rest, and thou shalt dwell there for ever." And the Tree said : " Since thou art resolved to tear my body from me, I pray thee cut me down gently, one branch after another — the root last of all." And the King said: "O Woodland Tree! what is this thou askest of me ? It were a painful death to die. One stroke at the A 3&q33 100 THE BUDDHA (TO BE) AS TREE-SPIRIT root would fell thee to the ground. Why wouldst thou die piecemeal ? " And the Tree made answer : " O King ! My children, the young Sal trees, all grow at my feet : they are prosperous and well sheltered. If I should fall with one mighty crash, behold these young children of the forest would perish also ! " And the King was greatly moved by this spirit of sacrifice, and said : " O great and glorious Tree ! I set thee free from thy fear, and because thou wouldst willingly die to save thy kindred, thou shalt not be cut down. Return to thy home in the Ancient Forest." OUR DUTY TOWARDS THE WORTHY OLD OF THE COMMUNITY THE BUDDHA (TO BE) AS WISE MINISTER : ILLUSTRATING OUR DUTY TOWARDS THE WORTHY OLD OF THE COMMUNITY And the Buddha as Prime Minister served the King. Now there was a certain She- Elephant endowed with great might which enabled her to go a hundred leagues a day. She did the duties of messenger to the King, and in battle she fought and crushed the enemy. The King said : " She is very service- able to me." He gave her ornaments, and caused all honour to be shown her. Then, when she was weak from age, the King took away all the honour he had bestowed. From that time she was unprotected, and lived by eating grass and leaves in the forest. And one day the chief Potter had not enough oxen to yoke to the carts which 103 104 BUDDHA (TO BE) AS WISE MINISTER carried the material for making clay. And the King said : " Where is our She-Elephant ? " " O King ! she is wandering at her will in the forest." And the King said : " Do thou yoke her to the cart." And the Potter said: "Good, O King!" And he did even as the King commanded. But when this insult was offered to the Elephant, she came to the Prime Minister and said : " O Wise Being ! I pray you listen to my tale. When I was young, great strength was mine ; and 1 did walk a hundred leagues to bear the King's messages, and, with weapons bound upon my body, I did take part in battle, crushing the enemy beneath my feet. And now I am old, and the King hath with- drawn all the honours he bestowed upon me, and not content with allowing me to wander and feed on grass, unprotected in my old age, he has even caused me to be yoked to the Potter's cart as are the oxen." Then the Buddha promised that he would plead her cause, and appearing before the King, he asked : " Great King, did not a She- Elephant covered with weapons do battle for OUR DUTY TOWARDS THE OLD 105 thee ; and on such and such a day, with a writing upon her neck, did she not go a hundred leagues on a message ? Thou didst bestow upon her great honour. I pray thee tell me, where is she now ? " And the King, in some confusion, made answer: "Behold, she is yoked to a cart." Then did the Buddha speak in sorrowful anger to the King, and rebuked him, saying : " Thou hast yoked this Elephant to a cart after all the services she has rendered. Then was the honour only bestowed because of more services expected ? " And all who heard him received his instruc- tion, and the King restored the She-Elephant to her former place of honour. THE STRENGTH WHICH COMES WITH FIXITY OF PURPOSE THE BUDDHA (TO BE) AS HORSE : ILLUSTRATING THE STRENGTH WHICH COMES WITH FIXITY OF PURPOSE And it came to pass that the Buddha (to be) came to life in the shape of a Horse — a thoroughbred small horse, and he was made the King's Destrier, surrounded by pomp and state. He was fed on exquisite three-year- old rice which was always served up to him in a golden dish worth a hundred thousand pieces of money, and the ground of his stall was per- fumed with the four odours. Round his stall were hung crimson curtains, while overhead was a canopy studded with stars of gold. On the wall were festooned wreaths and garlands of fragrant flowers, and a lamp fed with scented oil was always burning there. Now all the kings round coveted the kingdom of Benares. Once seven kings 109 110 THE BUDDHA (TO BE) AS HORSE passed Benares and sent a missive to the King, saying : " Either yield up your kingdom to us or give battle." Assembling his ministers, the King of Benares laid the matter before them and asked what he was to do. Said they : " You ought not to go out to battle in person, Sire. in the first instance. Despatch such and such a Knight out first to fight him, and, later on, if he fall, we will decide what to do." Then the King sent for that Knight and said to him : " Can you fight the seven kings, my dear Knight ? " Said he : " Give me but your noble Destrier, and then I could fight not only seven kings but all the kings in India." " My dear Knight, take my Destrier or any horse you please, and do battle." " Very good, my Sovereign Lord," said the Knight, and with a bow he passed down from the upper chambers of the palace. Then he had the noble Destrier led out and sheathed in mail, arming himself too and girding on his sword. Mounted on his noble steed he passed out of the City Gate, and with a lightning charge broke down the first camp, taking one king FIXITY OF PURPOSE 111 alone, and bringing him back a prisoner to the soldiers' custody. ... And this went on until six kings had been made prisoner. Then the noble Horse received a wound which streamed with blood and caused him much pain. Perceiving that the Horse was wounded, the Knight made it lie down at the King's gate, loosened its mail, and set about arming another horse. But the Horse perceiving this, said : " The other horse will not be able to break down the seventh camp and capture the seventh king : he will lose all that I have accom- plished. The peerless Knight will be slain, and the King will fall into the hands of the foe. I alone and no other horse can break down the seventh camp and capture the seventh king." So he called to the Knight and repeated these words, and added : " I will not throw away what I have already done. Only have me set upon my feet, and clad again in my armour, and I will accomplish my work." The Knight had the Horse set upon his feet, bound up his wound, and armed him 112 THE BUDDHA (TO BE) AS HORSE again in proof. Mounted on the Destrier, he broke down the seventh camp, and brought back alive the seventh king. They led the Horse to the King's gate, and the King came up to look at him. Then said the Great Being : " Great King, slay not these seven kings : bind them by an oath, and let them go. Let the Knight enjoy the honour due to us both. As for you, exercise charity, keep the Ornaments, and rule your kingdom in righteousness and justice." When the Horse had thus exhorted the King, they took off his mail, but as they were taking it off piecemeal, he passed away. The King had the body buried with due respect, bestowed great honours on the Knight, and sent the kings to their homes, after exacting from each an oath never to war upon him any more. And he ruled his kingdom in righteousness and justice, passing away when his life closed, to fare thereafter according to his deserts. The story was told by the Master about a brother who gave up persevering. " Brethren, in bygone days the wise and FIXITY OF PURPOSE 113 good persevered even in hostile surroundings, and even when they were wounded they did not give in. Whereas you who have devoted yourself to so saving a doctrine, how comes it that you give up persevering ?