by Andy Rotman
“You may have some doubt or uncertainty, monks, as to the identity of the king named Candraprabha at that time and at that juncture. Ponder no further. Why is that? Because at that time and at that juncture I myself was King Candraprabha.
“You may have some doubt or uncertainty, monks, as to the identity of the brahman named Raudrākṣa at that time and at that juncture. Ponder no further. Why is that? Because at that time and at that juncture Devadatta himself was [the brahman Raudrākṣa].340
“You may have some doubt or uncertainty, monks, as to the identity of the chief ministers Mahācandra and Mahīdhara at that time and at that juncture. Ponder no further. Why is that? Because the chief ministers Mahācandra and Mahīdhara were themselves Śāriputra and Maudgalyāyana. Back then, too, they died without waiting for the death of their [spiritual] father.”341
This was said by the Blessed One. With their minds uplifted, the monks and others—gods, nāgas, yakṣas, antigods, heavenly birds, celestial musicians, kinnaras, great snakes, and so forth—rejoiced at the words of the Blessed One.
So ends the Candraprabhabodhisattvacaryā-avadāna, the twenty-second chapter in the glorious Divyāvadāna.
Addendum342
And so in the past, King Candraprabha had a wealth of jewels, gold, silver, beryl, sapphires, and the like; he had clothes, vehicles, food, and ornaments; and he also had a kingdom made up of marketplaces, villages, towns, and regions.343 The stream of King Candraprabha’s praise abounded in virtues; it was made great by his consecration as lord of the entire earth; and it was powerful because he offered protection to those people who were struck by the fear of sorrows falling upon them—sorrows such as344 rebirth in a lower realm of existence, death, or old age; having deformed hands, feet, or sense organs; and encountering undesirable things or being separated from desirable ones.345 Such a stream of praise could never be attained unless one had sacrificed everything—one’s royal chariots, one’s offspring, one’s wife, one’s flesh and blood, hands and feet, head, eyes, neck, and so on.
And so, when King Candraprabha—whose footrest was glowing with the rays of light from the crest gems of all the feudal kings who had bowed down before him, and who himself had fulfilled the desires of absolutely all the people of Jambudvīpa by giving away his horses, elephants, chariots, clothes, ornaments, and so on—resolved to pacify the suffering of the entire world out of his compassion, he sacrificed his head, which had been capturing everyone’s thoughts and attention. If one should ask, “How?” this is the way the story goes.
23. The Story of Saṅgharakṣita, part 1
SAṄGHARAKṢITA-AVADĀNA346
Stories 23–25 constitute a cycle of stories about the monk Saṅgharakṣita, but their ordering and relation to each other require some explanation.347 Each of these stories has close parallels in the Mūlasarvāstivāda-vinaya, which can offer some context. Only some of the original Sanskrit for these materials is extant,348 but Tibetan and Chinese translations are available.349 Story 23 begins abruptly, including some of the frame story that precedes it in theMūlasarvāstivāda-vinaya. Likewise in theMūlasarvāstivāda-vinaya, story 23 is followed immediately by story 25, and story 24, which is a continuation of the framestory that preceded story 23, appears immediately after that.350
THOSE NĀGAS of the great ocean, in the guise of brahmans and householders, assembled there, and (another nāga, in the guise of a monk,) taught them the dharma. When they had heard the dharma from him, they gave all the necessities to those monks who had just arrived and those who were preparing to depart.
Then (some of) the group of six monks questioned (two of its members): “Nanda and Upananda,]351 [329] what does this monastic latecomer352 know?”
“The Gradual Sayings (Ekottarikā),” Nanda and Upananda said.
“But he uses a Gradual Sayings that is faulty353 to teach the dharma,” the other monks said. “These monks [that come and go] know the [entire] Tripiṭaka, they can discourse on the dharma, and they are gifted with eloquence that is inspired yet controlled.354 Why doesn’t he ask them [to teach]?”355
“Hey, latecomer, what do you know?” those monks asked the old monk.
“The Gradual Sayings,” he said.
“Latecomer,” they said, “you use a Gradual Sayings that is faulty to teach the dharma. These monks [that come and go] know the Tripiṭaka, they can discourse on the dharma, and they are gifted with eloquence that is inspired yet controlled. Why don’t you ask them [to teach]?”
“Noble ones,” the old monk said, “why don’t you teach? Do I prevent you?”
“Nanda and Upananda,” they said, “this latecomer speaks against us. You should suspend him from the order!”
“If they suspend me from the order,” the old monk reflected, “I won’t even be received in the nāga realm.” So, while they were sleeping, he made their monastery disappear and entered the great ocean. They remained asleep on the sandy shore.
“Nanda and Upananda,” the six monks said, “get up! Prepare a lion throne. We will teach the dharma.” Then they said, “That must have been a god, a nāga,or a yakṣa, full of faith in the Blessed One. While he was serving the Buddha, the dharma, and the community, we harassed him.”
The monks related this incident to the Blessed One, and the Blessed One said, “Monks, if that being who magically appeared [in the guise of a monk]356 had not been harassed by the group of six monks, he would have gone on to serve the Buddha, the dharma, and the community as someone able to explain the full extent of the teachings.”357 And the Buddha said,358 “It is a dangerous mistake, monks, for anyone to teach the dharma without being requested to do so. Therefore, unless requested, a monk is not to teach the dharma. [330] If a monk teaches the dharma without being requested to do so, he commits a transgression. But those monks invited into his presence [for a teaching of the dharma] depart without incurring an offense.”359
Saṅgharakṣita Sets Sail in the Great Ocean
In Śrāvastī there lived a householder named Buddharakṣita (Protected by the Buddha) who was rich, wealthy, and prosperous. He brought home a girl from an appropriate family as his wife, and with her he fooled around, enjoyed himself, and made love. From fooling around, enjoying himself, and making love, his wife became pregnant.
At this time, the venerable Śāriputra approached their household in search of a new disciple. There he established the householder along with his wife in the taking of the refuges as well as in the precepts.
After some time, the householder’s wife became pregnant [again].360 The venerable Śāriputra, knowing that it was now time to get a new disciple, approached the household all alone.
“Doesn’t the venerable Śāriputra have an attending disciple?” the householder asked.
“Householder,” he said, “do you think that our attending disciples simply emerge from shoots of kāśa grass or kuśagrass?361 It is those individuals we receive from people like you who become our attending disciples.”
“Noble one,” the householder Buddharakṣita said, “my wife is pregnant. If she gives birth to a son, I will offer him as an attending disciple to the noble one.”
“Householder,” he said, “that would be good.”
[After]362 eight or nine months, the householder’s wife gave birth. A boy was born who was beautiful, good-looking, and attractive, radiant with a golden complexion, who had a parasol-shaped head, lengthy arms, a broad forehead, joined eyebrows, and a prominent nose.
Then his relatives came together and assembled. For three weeks— that is, twenty-one days—they celebrated the occasion of his birth in full, and then they selected a name for him.
“What should this boy’s name be?”
“This boy is the son of the householder Buddharakṣita, so let the boy’s name be Saṅgharakṣita (Protected by the Community).”
On the very day that Saṅgharakṣita was born, five hundred sons were also born to five hundred merchants. They were also given names that were appropriate to
their families.
The boy Saṅgharakṣita was raised and nourished with milk, yogurt, fresh butter, clarified butter, buttercream, and other special provisions that were very pure. He grew quickly [331] like a lotus in a lake.
When the boy had grown up, the venerable Śāriputra, knowing that it was time to get a new disciple, approached their household all alone [without an attending disciple] and gave a sign of his presence.
“Son,” the householder Buddharakṣita said to Saṅgharakṣita, “before you were born I offered you as an attending disciple to the noble Śāriputra.”
That being, who was in his final existence, followed behind the venerable Śāriputra continuously.363 The venerable Śāriputra initiated and ordained him and taught him the four Āgamas.
After some time, those [sons of the] five hundred merchants gathered up goods for export across the great ocean. Wanting to cross the great ocean, they said, “Friends, we need to get some young noble one to set sail with us who will teach us the dharma while we’re crossing the great ocean.”
“Gentlemen,” they said, “the noble Saṅgharakṣita is our friend, brother, and childhood companion. Let’s get him to set sail with us.” So they approached him.
“Noble Saṅgharakṣita, you are our friend, brother, and childhood companion. We are setting out for the great ocean. You should set sail with us. While we’re crossing the ocean, you can teach us the dharma.”
“It is not mine to say. Ask my instructor for permission.”
So they approached the noble Śāriputra. Having approached, they said, “Noble Śāriputra, the noble Saṅgharakṣita is our friend, brother, and childhood companion. We are setting out for the great ocean. Let him set sail with us. While we’re crossing the great ocean, he can teach us the dharma.”
“Ask the Blessed One for permission,” he said.
So they approached the Blessed One. “Blessed One, we are setting out for the great ocean. The noble Saṅgharakṣita is our friend, brother, and childhood companion. Let him set sail in the great ocean with us. While we’re crossing the great ocean, he can teach us the dharma.”
Then the Blessed One reflected, “Do they have any roots of virtue? Yes, they do. Are they connected with someone? Yes—the monk Saṅgharakṣita.” [332]
Considering this, the Blessed One addressed Saṅgharakṣita, “Go, Saṅgharakṣita, although you will have to withstand fear and dread.”364
The venerable Saṅgharakṣita accepted the Blessed One’s request with his silence.
Those five hundred merchants performed auspicious rituals and benedictions for a safe journey, loaded many goods in carts, carriers, containers, and baskets, and on camels, bulls, and donkeys, and then set out for the great ocean. They passed through marketplaces, hamlets, villages, towns, and trading centers, one after another, until they arrived at the seashore. Then they carefully outfitted an ocean-going ship365 and set sail in the great ocean to find their fortune.
When they were crossing the great ocean, nāgas seized their ship. The merchants began to implore the guardian deity: “Whoever presides over this great ocean, whether god, nāga, or yakṣa, should tell us what he seeks.”
Then a voice emerged from the great ocean: “Give us the noble Saṅgharakṣita!”
“The noble Saṅgharakṣita is our friend, brother, and childhood companion,” they said. “He has been entrusted to us by Bhadanta Śāriputra, handed over to us by the Blessed One. It is better that we die with Saṅgharakṣita than that we abandon him.”
The venerable Saṅgharakṣita heard what they were saying, and said, “Gentlemen, what are you saying?”
“Noble Saṅgharakṣita,” they said, “a voice has emerged from the ocean saying, ‘Give us the noble Saṅgharakṣita!’”
“So why don’t you give me to them?” he said.
“Noble one,” they said, “you are our friend, brother, and childhood companion. You were entrusted to us by Bhadanta Śāriputra and by the Blessed One. It is better that we die with you, noble Saṅgharakṣita, than that we abandon you.”
The venerable Saṅgharakṣita reflected, “The Blessed One has said that I must withstand fear and dread. This must be that.” Then he took his bowl and robe and began to lower himself into the great ocean.
The merchants saw him and said, “Noble Saṅgharakṣita, what are you doing? [333] Noble Saṅgharakṣita, what are you doing!” While they were crying out, he jumped into the great ocean. Then their boat was released.
Meanwhile the nāgas took the noble Saṅgharakṣita and led him to the nāga realm.366 “Noble Saṅgharakṣita, this is the perfumed chamber of the perfectly awakened Vipaśyin. This is the perfumed chamber of Śikhin, and this of Viśvabhū, this of Krakucchanda, this of Kanakamuni, this of Kāśyapa, and this of the Blessed One. Noble Saṅgharakṣita, the sūtras and the mātṛkās of the Blessed One have been established among gods and humans. We nāgas are debased creatures that have fallen [into a lower karmic realm].367 How excellent it would be if the noble Saṅgharakṣita would establish the four Āgamas here as well.”
“And so it shall be,” he said.
He encouraged three young nāgas. “You read the Connected Sayings (Saṃyuktaka),” he said to the first. “You read the Middle-Length Sayings (Madhyama),” he said to the second. “And you read the Longer Sayings (Dīrghāgama),” he said to the third.
[Then a fourth nāga, who had previously appeared by magic in the guise of an old man,] said,368 “I will recite and make clear the Gradual Sayings, for its form has become obscured.”
And so the nāgas began to study. The first closed his eyes while receiving instruction.369 The second turned his face away while receiving instruction. And the third sat at a distance while receiving instruction. Only that [fourth] one among them was respectful and courteous, and always ready to perform his duties.
“Noble one, get up!” [he would say to the others]. “Put aside that dental stick!370 Clear a spot for the Blessed One!371 Venerate his shrine! Eat! Prepare your bed!”
Meanwhile all the nāgas studied the Āgamas.
“Noble one,” [the fourth nāga]372 said [to the noble Saṅgharakṣita], “they have studied the Āgamas. Will they remember them or not?”
“They are gifted with memory, so they will remember them. But there is a common fault among them.”
“Noble one,” he said, “what fault?”
“All of them lack respect and courtesy. The first one closes his eyes while receiving instruction. The second one turns his face away while receiving instruction. And the third one sits at a distance while receiving instruction. Only you are respectful and courteous, and always first to perform your duties.”
“Noble one,” he said, “it isn’t that they lack respect and courtesy. The one who receives instruction with his eyes shut has a poisonous glance. The one who receives instruction with his face turned away has poisonous breath. And the one who receives instruction from a distance has a poisonous touch. As for me, I have poisonous fangs.” [334]
The noble one was afraid. He became extremely pale and drawn, and he felt weak, faint, and unsteady.
“Noble one,” he said, “why are you so pale and drawn? Why do you look weak, faint, and unsteady?”
“Friend,” he said, “I am living among enemies. If one of you gets angry at another, I’ll end up dead.”
“We won’t injure a noble one,” he said. “Nevertheless, do you want to go back to Jambudvīpa (Black Plum Island)?”
“Friend, that is what I desire.”
The boat arrived again, and they raised him to the surface.
The merchants saw him and said, “Welcome, noble Saṅgharakṣita!”
“Gentlemen, rejoice!” he said. “I have established the four Āgamas among the nāgas.”
“Noble Saṅgharakṣita,” they said, “we are delighted.”
They then brought him on board and set out. Eventually they reached the seashore, and then all the merchants went to sleep.
The venerable Saṅgharakṣita began to look out at the great ocean.
The Blessed One has said that there are five things one never tires of seeing:
A mighty elephant and a king,
an ocean and a tall mountain—
one never tires from seeing these,
or a buddha, the best of blessed ones.373
The venerable Saṅgharakṣita remained awake for a long time looking out at the great ocean. Then, in the last watch of the night, he became very tired, lay down, and fell asleep. The merchants got up while it was still night, loaded their cargo, and set off. When night turned into dawn they asked each other, “Where is the noble Saṅgharakṣita?”374
“He travels up front,” some of them said.
“He brings up the rear,” others said.
“He travels in the middle of the caravan,” still others said.
“We’ve left the noble Saṅgharakṣita behind!” they said. “This isn’t a good thing that we’ve done. We should turn back.”
“Gentlemen,” others said, “the noble Saṅgharakṣita has such great magic and great power that he didn’t die crossing the ocean. How could he die now? He must have gone ahead. Come, let’s go.” So they continued on their way.
Saṅgharakṣita Learns the Deeds of Misbehaving Monks
At sunrise the venerable Saṅgharakṣita was struck by the sun’s rays, woke up, and saw nothing around him. The merchants had left. [335] So he took up a narrow path and set out. After a while, in a particular forest of śāla trees, he saw a monastery that was adorned with raised benches on platforms,375 railings, latticed windows, and vents shaped like bulls’ eyes. He also saw monks properly clothed and covered who remained calm in their comportment. He approached them, and they said to him, “Welcome, venerable Saṅgharakṣita!” Then they had him rest, and after he was rested, they brought him into the monastery. There he saw that an excellent bed and place to sit had been specially prepared for him and that fine foods had been served.