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A Manual of Budhism, In Its Modern Development, K. Spence Hardy, 1880 - Complete Book

English

When Up&li returned to his own house, he told the porter that he was to give food to the tirttakas as before, but not to iBbllow them to enter the dwelling ; to the priests of Budha, however, he might grant this permis- sion. The disciple Dirggha thought much about the visit of Up&li to the wihi,ra, as he knew well the power of Budha's words ; and when he heard that he had taken refuge in the three VU. LEGENDS OF CKSTAMA BUDHA. 279 gems, he 'went at onoe and informed Niganthandtha ; tlie tirttaka, however, said that Upali might have gained over Odtama, bnt it was impossible that GtStama conld have gained over nx>dli. To know the tmth of the matter, Dirggha went himself to the house ; bnt the porker wonld not let him enter, though willing to give him food in the place where he then stood, as he said that his master had embraced the doctrines of Bndha. The disciple returned to the dwelling of Nigantha- ndtha, and informed him of what had taken place ; bnt still he would not believe what he heard, and went himself to the house. On his arrival the porter would not allow him to enter, so the tirttaka requested him to inform his master that he wished to see him ; and when ITp^li was made aware of his request, he gave permission that he should be admitted. There were seven walls and seven gates to the dwelling, at each of which there was a separate porter. Up&li seated himself on a high throne, near the seventh door. As the tirttaka proceeded, he became more and more sorrowful ; it had been customary for Upili to meet him at the fourth door, where taking him respectfully by the hand, he led him to the principal seat, upon which he placed him with all care, as a man would put down a vessel full of very precious oil ; now there was no one to meet him, and Up&li himself occupied the most honorable seat. Niganthan&tha asked him the meaning of this ; and he replied, ^* I have em- braced the doctrines of Budha, and I would that all my relatives, all d^was, brahmas, and men, would do the same.*' He then related a parable, by which he set forth the folly of those who trust in the tirttakas. " There was an old brahman," said he, " who had a young wife. One day she told him to go into the bazaar, to such a shop, where all kinds of things were sold for the amusement of children, and purchase a monkey that it might be a plaything for her son. The old man replied that they had better wait until the child was bom ; if it were a son he would buy a male monkey, if a daughter, a female ; but as she urged him continually, he complied with her request. When, the monkey was brought, she told him to take it to the dyer, and order him to make its skin perfectly sleek, and dye it of a golden colour ; but the dyer, on receiving this strange order said that it was not possible to execute it, as the monkey would have to undergo all kinds of operations to receive the dye, by 280 A MANUAL OF BUDHISM. whicb its flesh, and brain, and other internal parts would be bmised, and the hair wonld be spoiled, without saying anything of its death. Now this is just like the teaching of the tirttakas, a thing without benefit, as useless as the tales called Bhadita, and Rama, like the seeking for hard wood in the plantain, or rice in mere chaff. Afterwards the brahman took sundry pieces of doth, and told the dyer to dye them of a golden colour, with a beautiful gloss ; and the dyer said, that these were proper things to bring, as he could beat them, and pound them, and squeeze them without doing them any injury. Now this is like the teaching of Budha ; you may examine them, and sift them even for a hundred years ; but their full meaning it is difficult to acquire ; they are deep, like the sea." When TJpali had con- cluded this discourse, Niganthandtha asked him whose disciple he was ; upon which he descended from his seat, and reverently looking towards the place where Budha resided, said that he was the disciple of him whose praises he would now repeat, at the same time beginning to set forth the virtues of the teacher of the three worlds. Niganthandtha said that he had soon learnt his lesson ; and he replied, " When there are beautiful flowers of many colours, it is an easy matter for the florist to form a nosegay ; so also, the virtues of Budha are so many that it requires no skill to be able to recount them.*' In consequence of these things the tirttaka declared that his rice-bowl was broken, his subsistence gone ; and he went to the city of Pawa, and there died. (Aindwatura). 27. Tlie Brahman Kutadanta embraces Badhism. It was one day perceived by Budha that the brahman Ktita- danta would be caught in his net; and that he and his 500 disciples would embrace the faith of the dharmma. The sage, therefore, went to the village of Khanumat, in which Kdtadanta at that time resided. A great ofEering had been prepared, in order that it might be presented to the brahman, consisting of seven hundred of each of the following animals : — ^buUs, cows, calves, goats, kids, deer, and minors. They were all tied ready in the hall of sacrifice. The brahmans who had assembled to partake of the offering, when they heard of the arrival of Budha, went to the mapgo grove in which he then was, that VII. LEGENDS OF g6tAMA BUD HA. 281 they miglit see him. This was observed by Kdtadanta, who enqaired where they were going ; and when he was told that it was to see Bndha, he also thought that he would go, and enquire from the sage what were the sixteen requisites of a proper sacrifice. His disciples, on learning his intention, tried to dissuade him from going, as he was older than Gotama ; and it would be a disgrace to his own profession, as he had been made the chief of the brahnutns by Bimsara. Bat Kritadanta said, that in many ways Budha was his superior ; and that as he had arrived in the village a stranger, it was right that he should go and welcome him. When the disciples heard their master in this manner praise Budha, they resolved that they would accompany him to the mango grove. Kdtadanta did homage to Budha on approaching him ; but the rest of the brahmans did not properly salute him ; they did it in such a way that they might either say that they had saluted him or that they had not. Then Kdtadanta said to him, '* I have heard that you have perfect understanding of the three ydgas (modes of sacrifice) and the sixteen piriwaras ; will you explain to me what they are P" In reply, Budha related the history of Maja Wijita, who reigned over all Jambudwipa in a former age. This monarch was exceedingly rich in all treasures ; and one day, on seeing a great number of vessels filled with gold, and enquiring of his treasurer who had collected them ; he was told that they had been collected by his forefathers in seven previous generations. The king asked, " Where are they now ?*' The treasurer said, " They are dead ; they are gone to the other world." ** Did not they take their treasures with them ?'' enquired the king ; and the treasurer replied, " What is it that you ask ; how can a man at his death take his treasures to the other world ?'' On hearing this the king lay down on his couch and reflected, '* I have received in this world great possessions ; in order that I may have possessions in the future world as well, I will celebrate a great y^ga." In this place the word yaga means an alms- offering. In order that the y4ga might be given in the most effectual manner, he consulted his prdhita respecting it, who gave him such advices as were necessary. When this recital was concluded, the brahmans praised Budha, but Kdtadanta was silent. This excited the curiosity of the other brahmans, and they enquired the reason, when he said that it was not 282 A MANUAL OF BUDHISM. because he was in any way displeased ; bat that he was thinking that either the king or his prdhita must have been BcSdhisat. Budha told him that his oonjectore was right, and that it was the prdhita ; and when he ftirther enquired what was the most meritorious mode in which alms could be given, the sage in* straoted him npon this subject ; and in such a manner, that Kutadanta, after ordering all the animals that had been prepared for the sacrifice to be released, took refuge in the three gems, and entered the path 8ow4a. (AmdwcUura.) 28.