by Andy Rotman
an arhat monk who has destroyed the corruptions,
a kṣatriya king who has been duly consecrated,
an elder of the monastic community,
a monastic official,
a teacher,
and an instructor.”
Then the Blessed One, with the desire to establish a rule, offered praise—and so on as it has been said before, up until—the previous regulation.938 “And this regulation,” [he said,] “is established as a rule.939 In this way my disciples should offer instruction in the precepts of the monastic discipline:
Whatever monk—when night has not yet departed, dawn not yet arisen, and treasures or those considered as treasures not put away—crosses the threshold or [comes] near the threshold of a kṣatriya king who has been duly consecrated commits a serious offense, except if there is a valid reason [as in the case of Śāriputra].”940
Commentary:
•By “whatever monk” is meant “Udāyin, or someone of the same [virtuous] character.”
•By “when night has not yet departed” is meant “before daybreak.”
•By “not yet arisen” is meant “not yet appeared.”941
•By “dawn” is meant “[the successive stages of] dawn: twilight blue dawn, yellow dawn, red dawn.” In this sense, “twilight blue dawn” is characterized by twilight blue light; “yellow dawn” is characterized by yellow light; and “red dawn” is characterized by red light. But here “red dawn” is intended.
•Regarding “treasures,” the treasures indicated are gems, pearls, beryl, [conch, quartz, and coral, silver and gold, emeralds, sapphires, red pearls,]942 and right-spiraling conch shells. [544]
•Regarding “or those things considered as treasures”—those things considered as treasures means all weapons used in battle and all musical instruments used by celestial musicians.
•Regarding “a kṣatriya king who has been duly consecrated,”943 even a woman consecrated on the throne in accordance with the royal coronation ceremony is [to be considered] a kṣatriya king who has been duly consecrated. Even a kṣatriya, brahman, vaiśya, or śūdra, if consecrated in accordance with a royal coronation ceremony, is [to be considered] “a kṣatriya king who has been duly consecrated.”
•By “threshold” is meant three different thresholds: the threshold to a city, the threshold to a palace, and the threshold to a women’s quarters.
•By “or near the threshold” is meant “in the vicinity of it.”
•By “crosses” is meant “goes beyond.”
•By “except if there is a valid reason” means “excluding a valid reason.”
•By “serious offense” is meant [a deed whose karmic consequences] burn, cook, [and cause the downfall of beings into the lower realms—those of hell beings, animals, and hungry ghosts. And as long as the offense is not confessed, it obscures virtuous dharmas. Therefore it is said to be a “serious offense.”]944
Considering this, how does an offense occur?
If a monk, thinking it is after daybreak, crosses the threshold to a city before daybreak, he commits a minor offense.
If he is in doubt that it is before daybreak, he commits a minor offense.
If it is after daybreak but he thinks that it is before daybreak, he commits a minor offense.
If he is in doubt that it is after daybreak, he commits a minor offense.
If a monk, thinking it is after daybreak,945 crosses the threshold to a women’s quarters before daybreak, he commits a serious offense.
[If he is in doubt that it is before daybreak, he commits a serious offense.]946
If it is after daybreak but he thinks that it is before daybreak, he commits a minor offense.
If he is in doubt that it is after daybreak, he commits a minor offense.
There is no offense, however, when the king calls out, “Queens! Princes! Ministers! One or another of the eight dangers has appeared!” That is, the danger of kings, robbers, humans, nonhumans, wild animals, fire, water, [and serpents].947 For the first [monk] ever to do it—and so on as before—there is no offense.948
So ends the Mākandika-avadāna, [the thirty-sixth chapter] in the glorious Divyāvadāna.
37. The Story of Rudrāyaṇa
RUDRĀYAṆA-AVADĀNA949
King Rudrāyaṇa, King Bimbisāra, and the Gift of a Buddha Image
THE LORD BUDDHA was residing in Rājagṛha in the bamboo grove at Kalandakanivāpa (Squirrel Feeding Place).
Once there were two great cities, Pāṭaliputra and Roruka.950 When Pāṭaliputra would prosper, Roruka would fall on hard times.951
In the great city of Roruka, [545] a king named Rudrāyaṇa ruled a kingdom that was thriving, prosperous, and safe, with plenty of food and throngs of people, and where the trees were always full of flowers and fruit. There the [rain] god would offer showers of rain in just the right amount at the appropriate times, and the harvest was exceedingly rich. His [favorite] queen was named Candraprabhā (Moon Glow); his son, the prince Śikhaṇḍin (Topknot); and his chief ministers, Hiru (Modest) and Bhiru (Pious).952
In Rājagṛha, King Bimbisāra (Precious as Gold) likewise ruled a kingdom that was thriving, prosperous, and safe, with plenty of food and throngs of people. His principal queen was named Vaidehī (Resident of Videha);953 his son, the prince Ajātaśatru (Without Enemies); and his chief minister, the great minister from Magadha, the brahman Varṣakāra (Controlling).954 There the trees were always full of flowers and fruit, the [rain] god would offer showers of rain in just the right amount at the appropriate times, and the harvest was exceedingly rich.
One day some merchants from Rājagṛha brought their goods to Roruka.
King Rudrāyaṇa, surrounded by his cabinet of ministers, addressed them:955 “Gentlemen, does any other king have such lands that are thriving, prosperous, and safe, with plenty of food and throngs of people, where the trees are always full of flowers and fruit, where the [rain] god offers showers of rain in just the right amount at the appropriate times, and where the harvest is also exceedingly rich?”
“My lord,” the merchants said, “there is the city of Rājagṛha in the lands to the east. There King Bimbisāra rules a kingdom that is thriving, prosperous, and safe, with plenty of food and throngs of people, where the trees are always full of flowers and fruit, where the [rain] god offers showers of rain in just the right amount at the appropriate times, and where there is an exceedingly rich harvest.”
As soon as King Rudrāyaṇa heard this, he felt a fondness for King Bimbisāra [and wished to win him over]. He addressed his ministers: “Gentlemen, what is difficult for this king to obtain?”
“My lord, you own jewels, that king owns fine clothing. For him, jewels are rare.”
So King Rudrāyaṇa filled a basket with jewels and sent it to him as a gift along with a letter. “Dear friend,” it said, “you are my unseen ally. If there is anything you need done in the city of Roruka, you should write to me. I can get you anything.”
The ministers took the gift and set out for Rājagṛha, and in due course they arrived there. They presented King Bimbisāra with the basket of jewels as well as the letter. [546] King Bimbisāra read out the letter and then addressed his ministers: “Gentlemen, what is difficult for that king to obtain?”
“My lord,” the ministers said, “you own fine clothing, that king owns jewels. For him, fine clothing is rare.”
So King Bimbisāra filled a basket with clothing that was precious and sent it to him as gift along with a letter. “Dear friend,” it said, “you are my unseen ally. If there is anything you need in Rājagṛha, you should write to me. I can [likewise] get you anything.”
The ministers took the gift and set out for Roruka, and in due course they arrived there. They presented King Rudrāyaṇa with the basket of garments as well as the letter.956
One day,957 while King Rudrāyaṇa was surrounded by his cabinet of ministers, he addressed them: “Gentlemen, what958 is that king’s height and build?”
&
nbsp; “Just like my lord’s,” they said. “But [in battle] that king is the first to attack.”
“So how is it that he does battle with neighboring kings?” [King Rudrāyaṇa reflected].959
Now King Rudrāyaṇa had jeweled [body] armor that was endowed with five special qualities—it would remain cool when touched with heat and warm when touched with cold, it was difficult to cut, it was difficult to pierce, it would ward off poison, and it was naturally luminous. King Rudrāyaṇa sent King Bimbisāra this jeweled armor as a gift along with a letter. “Dear friend,” it said, “I have sent this jeweled armor to you as a gift. It is endowed with five special qualities—it remains cool when touched with heat and warm when touched with cold, it is difficult to cut, it is difficult to pierce, it wards off poison, and it is naturally luminous. Please don’t give it to anyone else.”
A messenger took that jeweled armor and the letter and set off for Rājagṛha, and in due course he arrived there. He gave King Bimbisāra the jeweled armor as well as the letter. When King Bimbisāra saw the jeweled armor, he was stunned. He summoned some jewel experts.
“Figure out the value of this jeweled armor,” he said.
“My lord,” they said, “each and every jewel here is priceless.”
As a rule, each and every one of those things whose value cannot be calculated must be worth millions.960
King Bimbisāra was distressed and said, “What should I offer him as a gift in return?” Then he reflected, “There is the Lord Buddha. His knowledge is unsurpassed, and he has power over a king, even one who gives away everything. I’ll go and ask him.”961
So King Bimbisāra took the jeweled armor and approached the Lord Buddha. [547] Having approached, he placed his head in veneration at the Blessed One’s feet and then sat down at a respectful distance. Then King Bimbisāra said this to the Blessed One: “Bhadanta, in the city of Roruka lives a king named Rudrāyaṇa. He is my unseen ally. As a gift he sent me this jeweled armor that is endowed with five special qualities. What gift should I send him in return?”
“Have an image of the Taghāgata inscribed on a piece of cloth and send it to him as a gift,” the Blessed One said.
King Bimbisāra summoned some painters and said, “Paint an image of the Tathāgata on a piece of cloth.”
Lord buddhas, however, are imposing,962 and the painters couldn’t apprehend the Blessed One’s appearance.963
“If my lord would feed the Blessed One in his home,” they said, “then we can964 apprehend the Blessed One’s appearance.”
King Bimbisāra invited the Blessed One to his home for a meal and fed him.
Now lord buddhas are sights one never tires of seeing. The painters remained staring at whatever part of the Blessed One they happened to look at, and they just couldn’t get enough.965 They couldn’t apprehend the Blessed One’s [full] appearance.
“Your majesty,” the Blessed One said, “these painters will just exhaust themselves. They can’t apprehend the appearance of the Tathāgatha. Instead, bring a piece of cloth here.”
The king brought a piece of cloth. The Blessed One cast his shadow on it and said [to the painters], “Now fill it in with various colors. And underneath the image write the [vows for] taking refuge and the precepts. Then depict the twelve links of interdependent arising, both forward and backward. And then write these two verses:
Strive! Go forth!
Apply yourselves to the teachings of the Buddha!
Destroy the army of death
as an elephant would a house of reeds.
Whoever diligently follows
this dharma and monastic discipline
will abandon the endless cycle of rebirth
and put an end to suffering.
If King Rudrāyaṇa says, ‘What is this?’ you should reply:
This is who you go to for protection.966
This is the precepts.
This is the cycle of being in the world.967
This is the encouragement.968
The painters drew everything as they were instructed.
“Your majesty,” the Blessed One said to King Bimbisāra, “offer this in writing to Rudrāyaṇa: ‘Dear friend, I have sent you a gift unsurpassed in the three worlds. [548] On its behalf, beautify the road [into the city] for two and half leagues. Then, together with your fourfold army, personally go out and receive it. You should then place it in a large open space, honor it with great ceremony, and unveil it. Doing so, you will gain great merit.”
King Bimbisāra wrote the letter as he was instructed and sent it off. When the letter was presented to King Rudrāyaṇa, he had it read it out loud and was enraged.969
“Gentlemen,” he said to his ministers, “what sort of gift has he sent to me that I should honor it in this way? Prepare the four branches of the military for battle! I will crush his kingdom.”
“My lord,” his ministers said, “that king, it is heard, is a great being. He certainly wouldn’t send just anything as a return gift.970 Let’s proceed accordingly.971 If my lord is not fully satisfied, we’ll know what to do.”
“Do as you wish.”
The king beautified the road [into the city] for two and a half leagues. Then, together with his fourfold army, he personally went out and received the gift and ushered it in. He then placed it in a large open space, honored it with great ceremony, and unveiled it.
Merchants from the Middle Country, who had brought their goods to the city, saw the image of the Buddha and cried out in one voice: “Praise to the Buddha!” Hearing this cry of “Buddha” for the first time, the king felt goosebumps all over.
“Gentlemen,” he said, “who is this person named Buddha?”
“My lord,” they said, “he was born a prince of the Śākyas on the slopes of the Himālayas, on the banks of Bhāgīrathī River, not far from the hermitage of the seer Kapila. And it was foretold by brahmans, astrologers, and soothsayers:972
If he will cling to his home as a householder, then he will be a wheel-turning king, a victor with a fourfold army,973 a just and virtuous ruler, and a possessor of the seven treasures. These seven treasures of his will have the form of the most-treasured wheel, the most-treasured elephant, the most-treasured horse, the most-treasured jewel, the most-treasured woman, the most-treasured householder, and the most-treasured counselor. And he will have a full one thousand sons who are brave, heroic, in excellent physical condition, and who destroy enemy armies. He will conquer the sea-bound earth without violence and without weapons [549] and then rule there justly and peacefully,974 so that it will be entirely fertile, without enemies, and without oppression. But if he shaves off his hair and beard, puts on ochre robes, and with right belief, goes forth from home to homelessness, he will be a tathāgata, an arhat, a perfectly awakened one, acclaimed in the world.
“He is the one named Buddha. And this is his image.”
“What is this?” asked the king.
“Who you go to for protection.”
“What is this?”
“The precepts.”
“What is this?”
“How the world comes into being and passes away.”975
“What is this?”
“The encouragement.”976
The king clearly grasped interdependent arising, both forward and backward.
At dawn the next day, King Rudrāyaṇa, surrounded by his ministers, put aside977 all his work and all his duties. He then sat down, crossing his legs and holding his body upright, and made his mindfulness fully present. He carefully examined, both forward and backward, the twelve links of interdependent arising—namely, when this is, that is. From the arising of this comes the arising of that—namely, with ignorance as a condition, formations come to be . . . from their arising to their cessation.978 Carefully examining, both forward and backward, those twelve links of interdependent arising, with his thunderbolt of knowledge he broke through that mountain, which is the false view of individuality that arises with its twenty peaks of incorrect vie
ws, and directly experienced the reward of the stream-enterer. Having seen the truth, he recited this verse:
The Buddha, jewel of the earth,979
has purified my eye of knowledge!
Praise to him, the excellent doctor,
whose medicine is like this!
Then King Rudrāyaṇa sent this message to King Bimbisāra: “Dear friend, thanks to you, I have lifted up my feet from the realms of hell beings, animals, and hungry ghosts! I have been established among gods and humans! Oceans of blood and tears have dried up! Mountains of bones have been scaled! With the thunderbolt of knowledge I have broken through that mountain, which is the false view of individuality that has accumulated since time immemorial, and directly experienced the reward of the stream-enterer. I want to see a monk! Please send a monk.”
King Bimbisāra approached the Blessed One and, having approached, placed his head in veneration at the Blessed One’s feet and then sat down at a respectful distance. Sitting down at a respectful distance, he said this to the Blessed One: “Bhadanta, King Rudrāyaṇa has seen the [four noble] truths. He has sent me a message that he wants to see a monk.”
The Blessed One reflected, [550] “Which monk should train King Rudrāyaṇa, his retinue, and the residents of Roruka? The monk Kātyāyana.”
Then the Blessed One addressed the venerable Mahākātyāyana: “Kātyāyana, turn your attention to King Rudrāyaṇa in the city of Roruka, his retinue, and the residents of Roruka.”
The venerable Mahākātyāyana consented to the Blessed One’s request. Then he placed his head in veneration at the Blessed One’s feet and left the Blessed One’s presence.
The very next morning the venerable Mahākātyāyana got dressed, took his bowl and robe, and entered Rājagṛha for alms. After wandering through Rājagṛha for alms, he ate his meal, and after eating, he returned from his almsround.980 He then put away the bedding that he had used,981 collected his bowl and robe, and with five hundred followers set off toward Roruka.
King Bimbisāra sent a letter to King Rudrāyaṇa: “Dear friend, I have sent to you a monk, a great disciple who is like the Teacher. On his behalf, beautify the road [into the city] for two and half leagues and beautify the city as well. Then, together with your fourfold army, personally go out and receive him. You should also commission five hundred monastic dwellings; give out982 five hundred chairs, seats, cushions, woolen blankets,983 pillows, and shawls; and distribute five hundred meals. Doing so, you will gain great merit.”984