根本說一切有部毘奈耶雜事

Volume Twenty-Three

Internal summary verse:

Ngưu Hộ, the hunter, and the lion,

The released bow, the celestial lifespan, and the tortoise,

Mãnh Quang goes toward the yaksha,

Killing a man, the sound of the bowl, and the dream.

One day, just after awakening, King Mãnh Quang thought: “After I die, will Crown Prince Ngưu Hộ possess sufficient wisdom and ability to inherit the throne? I should test his resourcefulness.”

Summoning Ngưu Hộ, the king said:

– There are some matters in the palace that I must attend to for seven days. For the time being, you may govern the kingdom in my stead.

Obeying the king’s command, the crown prince governed the realm, appropriately rewarding and punishing beneficial and harmful conduct. A man and a woman who had committed adultery were brought before him by the officials. Upon seeing them, the crown prince asked them both:

– Do you love one another?

They replied:

– We love one another.

Having heard this, the crown prince said to the officials:

– Since they love one another, why should I not accommodate their wishes?

The crown prince told his attendants:

– From this day onward, adultery shall not be prohibited.

When people heard this, they freely committed transgressions as they pleased. In matters of state, however, the crown prince exercised very strict oversight. After seven days, the king emerged from the palace and asked Tăng Dưỡng:

– After I die, will Crown Prince Ngưu Hộ be capable of succeeding to the throne?

He replied:

– He is capable of succeeding to the throne, but regarding adultery, he permits people to behave immorally without restraint.

The king asked:

– Why is that?

Tăng Dưỡng then related the entire matter in full.

The king thought: “He feels no jealousy concerning other men’s women, but can it be that Ngưu Hộ would likewise feel no jealousy concerning his own wives and concubines? I shall test him.”

At that time, a visitor from Gandhara in the north was staying in the city. Hearing that this man was clever, the king said to him:

– Can you engage in illicit relations with Ngưu Hộ’s chief consort?

Upon hearing this, the man covered his ears and said:

– If I were to commit such an unlawful act, there would be no way for me to remain alive.

The king said:

– This is something the king requires, so there is no offense in it. If you do not do it, you will instead be disobeying the king’s command.

He replied:

– Great King, I must certainly obey your command, but this cannot be done hastily. I must proceed gradually before it can be accomplished.

The king said:

– Do whatever must be done step by step, as you see fit.

He replied:

– Great King, first you must provide me with the expenses to build a large shop near the crown prince’s residence, as a means by which I may find an opportunity to become close to them.

In accordance with his words, the king provided him with money and building materials. The man erected a shop and displayed many counters selling aromatic goods.

A maidservant of the crown prince’s mother-in-law came to that shop to purchase incense. The Gandharan asked:

– Young lady, for whom are you buying this?

She replied:

– Crown Prince Ngưu Hộ’s mother-in-law sent me to buy it.

He asked:

– What is her name?

She replied:

– Her given name is... and her family name is...

The shopkeeper said:

– She bears the same family name as my mother, so I regard her as my own mother.

Having said this, the shopkeeper accepted little money but gave her a great quantity of incense.

When the maidservant returned home, the mother asked:

– Why did the same amount of money formerly purchase only a few things, whereas today it has purchased so many?

After the maidservant related the entire matter in full, the mother said:

– Excellent! That man is my son.

This happened three times, and on seeing so many goods, the woman was delighted.

Then one day, the shopkeeper told the maidservant:

– Please tell Mother that I wish to visit her.

When the maidservant conveyed this, the mother said:

– Let him come.

The maidservant went and informed him, and the shopkeeper took many aromatic goods with him to the woman’s house. When they met, he embraced the mother and wept. She asked:

– Why are you weeping?

He replied:

– Mother, because you look exactly like my own mother, my heart was deeply moved and so I wept.

The mother said:

– I am your mother. Do not weep anymore.

The man caused profound affection to arise between them. Ngưu Hộ’s wife was standing nearby, and her mother called to her:

– Daughter, come here. Embrace his feet and respectfully attend upon your elder brother with sincere reverence.

After the woman had done as her mother instructed, the shopkeeper asked:

– What is this elder sister’s name?

She replied:

– Her name is...

The shopkeeper said:

– My elder brother’s wife at home has the same name and even resembles her in appearance. Therefore, she is my elder brother’s wife as well.

The mother said:

– Excellent!

From that time onward, they became increasingly intimate.

After returning home, the shopkeeper devised a wicked scheme and pretended to be ill, lying down to rest. When he saw the maidservant come to buy scented ointment, he said:

– Young lady, I am gravely ill. Why has Mother not come to visit me even once?

She replied:

– She does not know that you are ill. I shall return and tell her.

After the maidservant informed her, the mother came to visit and asked:

– My beloved son, what illness afflicts you?

He replied:

– I am gravely ill.

The mother said:

– You should consult a physician and take medicine appropriate to the illness.

He replied:

– Mother, medicine cannot cure this illness. Having contracted this illness, I shall certainly die.

The mother replied:

– Son, do not grieve. What must be done to cure your illness?

He replied:

– There is a remedy for this illness, but it cannot possibly be obtained.

The mother said:

– So long as it exists, I shall arrange everything.

He replied:

– Mother, if Ngưu Hộ’s chief consort would secretly bestow her love upon me, my illness would be cured.

On hearing this, the mother became furious and said:

– You are a wretched pauper. If you seek to possess a royal consort, how could you possibly preserve your life?

Having said this, she shook out her robe and departed.

The shopkeeper then carried out his wicked scheme. He drew up a deed declaring that after his death, his house and all his possessions would be given to the crown prince’s mother-in-law, and then sent the document to her. After reading the document, her anger subsided, and she thought: “I became angry and turned my back on him, leaving him behind. Yet he still shows me such profound gratitude, and his affection and loyalty have not diminished. A person like this is difficult to find. On account of this matter, I shall ask my daughter and not allow him to lose his life because of it.”

She summoned her daughter and said:

– The shopkeeper has long treated us with kindness. He is your husband’s younger brother. Since he is ill, why do you not visit him even once?

– Mother, are there no physicians who can treat him?

She replied:

– That illness is difficult to cure, and he may die. I heard him say that if his elder brother’s wife would bestow her love upon him, his illness would be cured.

The young woman angrily said:

– He is a wretched pauper who wishes to commit an illicit act with a royal consort. How could he not lose his life today?

The mother said:

– High and low status are not fixed. How can you know what the future holds? Do you know to whom the sovereign was originally born?

She replied:

– I do not know.

The mother said:

– He was born of a scorpion, yet now he has become king and commands many soldiers. Your husband was born to a merchant’s wife and will also become king. You should bestow your love upon this man. If you bear a son, he will become king; what harm would there be in that?

Persuaded by her mother, the young woman agreed to the illicit liaison. The mother informed the Gandharan:

– Seeing how earnest you are, my daughter has consented. You should choose an appropriate time to meet her.

Upon receiving this news, the shopkeeper informed the king:

– The affair is about to succeed. Cause Ngưu Hộ to leave his house for a while.

The king thought:

– After I die, Ngưu Hộ will become king, and Ngưu Hộ’s son will inherit the imperial succession. If the Gandharan fathers a son with the royal consort and that son becomes king, my lineage will be extinguished. Therefore, he should be made to take medicine that will prevent conception.

The king gave medicine to the Gandharan and said:

– Before you commit the illicit act with her, take this medicine.

The king told Ngưu Hộ:

– Leave your house for a short while. I have a particular matter to arrange.

Ngưu Hộ did not return home. After taking the medicine, the Gandharan committed adultery with the woman, and the two lay down and slept together in the same place.

Thinking that the matter had surely been completed, the king told Ngưu Hộ:

– You may return home.

When he returned home and saw the Gandharan and his wife sleeping together in the same place with their arms hanging loose, the crown prince lifted their arms and covered them both with a robe.

They slept together throughout the night until dawn. Thinking that no one had seen them, the man returned to his shop.

The next day, the king said to the crown prince:

– Last night, I dreamed that my wife was secretly having relations with another man.

He replied:

– Great King, you saw it in a dream, whereas I saw it with my own eyes.

The king asked:

– What did you see?

The prince recounted everything in full. The king asked:

– Did you not feel jealous of her?

He replied:

– I was not jealous.

The king asked:

– Why was that?

He replied:

– Great King, please listen. From the time of my birth until now, I have possessed knowledge of my former lives. Recalling a previous life, I remember that I was the wife of a merchant. My husband took merchandise to trade in a distant region. I said to him:

– I wish to go with you.

My husband said:

– Who would attend upon and serve you? The journey is so arduous that you cannot accompany me.

Seeing the wife weeping, another person said to the merchant:

– Your wife is weeping because she wishes to accompany you.

After hearing the merchant explain the hardships, they said:

– Let her come with us; I will provide for her.

The merchant allowed his wife to accompany him. When they reached a dangerous stretch of road, five hundred bandits came, plundered the caravan, killed the merchant, and then all engaged in illicit relations with the merchant’s wife. When the bandits raided another caravan, they captured a young woman, and all of them became enamored of her. Seeing this, the first woman became jealous and thought, “Why should this woman compete with me for my husbands?” She therefore ordered someone to cast the young woman into a well, where she died.

Great King, that woman of former times is now myself. I reflected that in the past, even relations with five hundred men did not satisfy me; how then could one man ever suffice for a woman from day to day? Recalling that event, I felt no jealousy toward women. Thus one should know that foolish people in the world commonly install women within the palace and have them guard one another. In principle, men ought to guard against women; why should women be made to guard against men?

The king said:

– It is just as you say. To relinquish jealousy is difficult in this world. Although this principle is correct, I have not yet been able to put it into practice.

At that time, there was a hunter in the city of Ôn-Thệ-Ny. His wife was exceedingly beautiful, and he loved her deeply. When he wished to go hunting, he thought, “If I go into the forest and leave my wife at home, I fear she may engage in illicit relations with another man. Yet if I do not go, I have no other livelihood by which to sustain us. Therefore, I should take her with me into the forest.”

They went together into the forest and lived in a leaf hut. He hunted and killed birds and beasts, selling them in exchange for provisions.

One day, while hunting, King Mãnh Quang spurred his horse forward. The king’s horse was startled and bolted until it reached the hunter’s dwelling. Recognizing the king, the hunter called out a welcome. The king dismounted and rested in the shade of a tree.

The hunter then thought, “How could I offer yesterday’s meat to a consecrated king? I should obtain fresh meat to serve him.” Taking his bow and arrows, the hunter entered the wilderness.

The king looked all around and saw that the hunter’s wife had a lovely form, and desire arose in him. Bound by lust, the two engaged in illicit relations. Meanwhile, the hunter caught fresh game and returned. Seeing the king engaged in an immoral act with his wife, he became enraged and thought, “This king has acted unlawfully; I should kill him.” But then he reconsidered, “How could I harm the great king over a mere woman?”

Suddenly, a lion came and killed the hunter. As he was dying, he harbored a compassionate mind toward the king, and he was therefore reborn in the Heaven of the Four Great Kings.

Seeing that her husband was dead, the king thought, “This young woman had relations with me; I should not abandon her.”

The king then comforted her and kept her at his side.

The king’s ministers searched everywhere and eventually came to the king. They asked:

– To whom does this woman belong?

He replied:

– Within my domain, how could everything be entirely free of such matters? Take her back and install her in the inner palace.

The king called off the hunt and returned to the city. There were many palace women in his inner quarters. The king thought, “That hunter had only one young wife and lived alone with her in a deserted forest, yet even he could not keep her faithful. How then could I keep watch over so many palace women?”

The king immediately had bells rung, conches blown, and drums beaten, proclaiming throughout the city and surrounding villages:

– Let everyone know! Whether you are local inhabitants or travelers from afar, listen to what I declare. I grant all the women in the palace their freedom. According to their own inclinations, they may freely engage in relations with men outside the palace, and I shall not regard it as an offense.

The king also announced to the women in the palace:

– I grant you freedom. At night you may leave the palace and seek pleasure as you wish, but when you hear the sound of the drum, you must return. Whoever disobeys this command will be put to death.

All women are fond of men, how much more so those confined within the deep recesses of a palace. Thus, at night, all the palace women went outside to seek men, coming and going wherever they pleased. Only Queen An-lạc, the mother of Ngưu Hộ, and Tinh Quang did not go out, because they remained devoted to the king.

The king said to An Lạc:

– You may go out and seek another man.

She replied:

– I truly cannot leave the king and go outside to seek another.

The king then said to Tinh Quang:

– Why do you not go and seek a man outside?

Tinh Quang was young and beautiful and found it difficult to restrain her sensual desires. She had often longed for other men; although she lived within the palace, she wished to go outside. Hearing the king’s words, she silently assented. At night, she entered the marketplace and approached a handsome young incense seller, saying:

– Come and make love with me.

He replied:

– Hold the lamp for a while. Wait until I have finished calculating my accounts and expenses; then we may do as we please.

The young man had accumulated far too many accounts to calculate easily, so he continued reckoning them throughout the night until dawn. Hearing the drum, Tinh Quang could remain no longer. She cast the lamp to the ground and was about to step through the door. The young man said:

– Stay a little while longer, and let us make love.

– I cannot stay. The king has commanded that when the drum sounds, anyone who has not returned to the palace will be beheaded. I do not have two heads; how could I remain any longer?

Having said this, she left. When they met, the king asked:

– Tinh Quang, did you enjoy yourself with a man outside?

She replied:

– There was not even a moment to spare.

– Why not?

She recounted the whole affair to the king. The king remained silent, and then once again issued the same proclamation as before, allowing all the palace women to go out freely at night and engage in relations as they pleased. News of this spread even to other lands.

King Xuất Quang of Kiêu-Thiểm-Tỳ heard that King Mãnh Quang had issued an edict allowing all the palace women to go out at night and attend to their private affairs. He therefore asked his minister Du-Kiện-Na:

– I have heard that King Mãnh Quang allows the palace women to act freely according to their own desires. I wish to go there and enjoy myself with them for a while.

The minister replied:

– King Mãnh Quang and Your Majesty have often been at odds. If your enemy hears that you have come there in person, he will surely do you harm.

– When a man undertakes something, whether the outcome be good or bad, he must act resolutely. You remain here; I shall go there.

The minister replied:

– Since Your Majesty is determined, who would dare detain you? I only pray that you will be cautious on your journey.

King Xuất Quang was exceedingly fond of women and paid no heed to his minister’s attempt to dissuade him. He went to the city of Ôn-Thệ-Ny and met Tinh Quang at night. After learning who she was and seeing that her beauty was unequaled in the world, he said:

– Beautiful Tinh Quang, maiden of the kshatriya lineage, come here and enjoy yourself with me.

She replied:

– As you wish. Spread out the mat.

The king said:

– You spread it out.

Both were proud, and they argued back and forth, neither willing to spread out the mat, until dawn arrived. When the drum sounded, the young woman wished to leave. The king said:

– Stay and enjoy yourself with me.

She replied:

– The king has commanded that when the drum sounds, anyone who has not returned to the palace will be put to death. I have no time to remain any longer.

Tinh Quang immediately slipped the gold ring from the king’s hand and carried it back to the palace. King Udayana also returned to his own realm.

King Chandapradyota asked:

“Did you enjoy pleasure with any man?”

She replied:

“No, I did not.”

When the king asked why, she recounted the entire affair and produced the ring:

“This belonged to that man. I slipped it from his finger and brought it back here.”

After examining the seal on the ring, the king said to Bharata:

“King Udayana brought his entire great army into the city without anyone knowing, secretly sought pleasure with one of my palace women, and yet you allowed him to escape. How could this happen?”

He replied:

“Great King, he came in secret, and I had not anticipated it. If he returns, I shall certainly not allow him to escape.”

After returning home, King Udayana learned of this, yet he spoke to his minister Yaugandharayana as before. The minister remonstrated:

“Previously, Your Majesty went there secretly, and they knew nothing of it; hence you were able to return safely to your realm. Now that king has established strict defenses. If you go again, you will certainly not return unharmed. It would be better not to go.”

Although the minister tried his utmost to dissuade him, the king would not listen and still set out, so the minister had to accompany him. When they reached the city of Ujjayini, they lodged in a house.

Upon learning of this, Bharata sent many strong men with drawn swords to guard the house on every side and ordered:

“If anyone in this house is a woman, let her leave; if anyone is a man, detain him.”

Realizing that they had fallen into such a predicament, Yaugandharayana thought:

“Seeing the king in danger, I must not secretly abandon him. I must find some means for him to escape!”

He immediately had the king put on the clothes of a female servant and carry a water jar on his head. He then ordered someone to stand behind him with a staff, drive him along, and say, “Go quickly and fetch water. The king is waiting to bathe.”

At that time, the guards assumed that he was a female servant and did not stop him. Upon reaching the bank of a pond, the king threw away the jar and fled.

Bharata entered the house but could not find the king. Finding only Yaugandharayana, he brought him before his own king and reported that it was because of this man that King Udayana had escaped.

Before the king, Yaugandharayana said:

“I owe the preservation of my life to my king; therefore, helping him escape was truly in accord with righteousness. These ministers receive salaries from Your Majesty, yet allowed my king to escape. Was that in accord with righteousness?”

The king severely rebuked Bharata:

“How could the wicked king of an enemy realm come here to commit an illicit act, while you openly allowed him to escape? It would be best if you could find another means of capturing him. If you fail to capture him, you shall suffer severe punishment.”

On hearing this decree, Bharata became terrified and pondered a means to accomplish it.

A craftsman skilled in mechanical devices had recently arrived from the south. Bharata asked him:

“Do you possess the ingenuity to construct such and such a mechanical device?”

He replied:

“I have studied the craft and hope that I can succeed.”

Bharata then took the identifying marks of the king’s great elephant Vissana and proclaimed throughout the city that the great elephant Vissana had escaped and that no one knew where it was. Once the news had spread both near and far, Bharata said to the craftsman:

“You must construct an image of the elephant Vissana according to its former appearance.”

Obeying the command, the craftsman made a mechanical elephant. Within this mechanical elephant there was room for fifty men, together with a large quantity of elephant dung and water. Bharata ordered:

“You must operate the mechanism and cause this elephant to travel near the realm of Kausambi and remain there. If the king comes to see it accompanied by the fourfold army, make the elephant flee back. But if the king comes alone, seize him, confine him within the elephant, and hasten back to our realm.”

On receiving these instructions, the craftsman acted accordingly and caused the elephant to stand not far from Kausambi.

At that time, cowherds, shepherds, and laborers saw the strange elephant and gathered to examine it. Some said that the elephant had come from the forested mountains. Others said that it was King Chandapradyota’s lost great elephant, which had wandered far and arrived there. Someone went to report the matter to the king, saying that he had heard King Chandapradyota possessed the great elephant Vissana, unsurpassed in the world, and that through the king’s meritorious power it had come there of its own accord. From near and far, hundreds of millions of people gathered to see it.

On hearing this, the king was greatly delighted. He ordered Yaugandharayana to beat the drum and announce the matter throughout the capital, marshal the fourfold army, take many nets and ropes, and go forth from the city with the people to see and capture the great elephant.

In accordance with the king’s command, the officials carried out their duties in due order, and everyone streamed forth together like clouds gathering over the fields.

Seeing the king’s army approaching, the men concealed inside caused the elephant to flee into the distance.

The minister reported:

“Your Majesty was formerly exceedingly skilled at capturing elephants. How can we entice it to draw near?”

The king ordered:

“Let the fourfold army withdraw, and I alone shall go and see.”

The troops withdrew, and the king advanced alone, carrying a vina that produced wondrous sounds. When the men inside the elephant saw that the king was approaching alone, they caused the elephant to stand still. As soon as he came beside it, those men emerged, seized the king, brought him into its belly, and operated the mechanism so that it sped like the wind back to their own realm.

When King Udayana was captured, the entire great army cried aloud, “The king has been captured by the enemy! The king has been captured by the enemy!” Reinforcements were then sent in pursuit as far as the border. The minister said:

“We have reached their territory and must proceed no farther, but should return. The king has already been taken captive; we must devise some other means.”

King Udayana was taken captive and brought to the city of Ujjayini. The minister Bharata brought King Udayana before King Chandapradyota and reported:

“Great King, this is King Udayana.”

Upon seeing him, the king was greatly delighted and ordered bells rung and drums beaten. The people hastened to assemble, hundreds of millions of them filling every road. The king ordered Bharata:

“In accordance with the law of the realm, put Udayana to death.”

The minister reported:

“King Udayana possesses consummate knowledge of the methods for training elephants. If Your Majesty kills him, this method will be lost. You should send someone to study under him. Once that person has mastered this wondrous art, killing him will not be difficult.”

The king said:

“If so, you should study it.”

He replied:

“If I do so, he will become my teacher. How then could I kill him? To act thus would truly violate the ways of the world.”

The king asked:

“Who could study it?”

He replied:

“Princess Vasavadatta is diligent by nature, intelligent, and perceptive, as everyone knows. If the princess is made to study it, she will certainly master all its subtleties.”

Following this counsel, the king said to the princess:

“There is a man endowed with eighteen ugly features. He has excellent knowledge of treatises on training elephants. With a curtain placed between you, you may go and study under him. Later, I shall learn from you. But you must not look upon the face of that ugly man. Anyone who sees it will certainly die.”

The princess studied the treatises on elephant training from behind the curtain.

In Kausambi, Yaugandharayana thought, “I must seek news of the king. If he is still alive, I shall find a way to rescue him. If he is no longer alive, I shall find another person to succeed him.”

Yaugandharayana said to his younger sister, named Golden Garland, who was astute, resourceful, and possessed wisdom many times greater than his own:

“Younger sister, go to the city of Ujjayini and inquire after the king. If he is still alive, find a way to rescue him. If he has passed away, install another person as his successor.”

After hearing this, Golden Garland silently considered the matter. She changed her clothing, disguised herself as a female non-Buddhist mendicant, put on filthy garments, and gradually made her way to the city of Ujjayini. Upon arriving, she asked the gatekeeper:

“Is King Udayana still alive?”

He asked:

“What enmity do you have with that king?”

She replied:

“He killed my husband and child and seized my property.”

“That king is not yet dead. He is teaching the princess the treatises on elephant training.”

They went in turn to inquire at the four gates of the royal city, and at each gate they received the same reply. Golden Garland tried every possible means to seek help from others, concealing her identity and secretly obtaining an audience with King Udayana. After carefully looking all around, she lowered her voice and asked:

“Great King, are you still alive?”

The king, too, looked all around in alarm and replied:

“My dear, I am still alive.”

She then found a way to approach Datta and asked:

“Young lady, from whom are you learning the art of training elephants?”

She replied:

“Mother, there is a man possessing all eighteen ugly features. I am learning from him from behind a curtain.”

“What man could possibly possess all eighteen ugly features? That is none other than King Udayana, whose bearing is majestic and handsome and who is endowed with excellent marks rarely seen in the world. Who deceived you by speaking such malicious words? If you do not believe me, raise the curtain and see for yourself,” she said.

Upon hearing this, the princess’s heart overflowed with joy. She immediately lifted the curtain and beheld the king’s countenance, and a passion of love arose in her like the sudden onset of a violent wind. She said:

“Mother, it is exactly as you said. Is there any way to enable the king to enter into a secret union with me?”

“Now I shall tell you: although this is a distant hope and such an opportunity is difficult to encounter, since you yourself love him, the time is truly right. He is a properly consecrated Kshatriya king. I shall devise a way to fulfill your desire.”

When they learned of this, both parties were delighted and in complete accord, and Datta and the king came to love each other deeply.

At that time, Golden Garland sent word to her elder brother:

“Please set your mind at ease and do not worry. Princess Datta is learning the art of training elephants from King Udayana.”

Upon receiving the news, her elder brother concealed five kinds of jeweled ornaments beneath his clothes and wore a garment of grass over them. Calling himself Spring Blossom, he feigned madness and went to the city of Ujjayini. He lay and sat along the spacious streets, uttering wild words in song:

In spring one should roam in play,

In spring one should take delight.

I myself am Spring Blossom;

Come, let us go sightseeing together.

If anyone recognized him and said that he was Yaugandharayana, he would secretly give that person gold and jewels at once. If those who did not know him said he was a madman, he would not open his mouth to answer. When he went to such places as the residences of royalty and ministers and received clothing and food, he gave them all to the hungry. Gradually, he secretly made his way to King Udayana and discussed their stratagem.

One day, Princess Datta said to Udayana:

“If my father learns of this, he will certainly put you to death. We must devise a way to flee; that would be the best course.”

Udayana replied:

“If so, you should say to your royal father, ‘I have learned elephant handling only from books and have never personally seen an elephant driven back and forth. I ask the king to grant me the female elephant Bhadravati so that I may ride her as I please and see whether her movements accord with the scriptures.’”

When the princess reported this matter, the king instructed the keeper of the elephants:

“Give the female elephant Bhadravati to Datta for her unrestricted use.”

The princess would ride the elephant out in the morning and return at noon, or depart late in the day and return at dusk. Sometimes she went out and returned at irregular times during the early or late watches of the night, or departed at night and returned at dawn.

At that time, as part of Yaugandharayana’s plan for their escape, he carried elephant dung out through the city gate. The gatekeepers asked:

“Spring Blossom, what are you going to do with that dung?”

He replied:

“The king is holding a banquet throughout the Joyful Garden.”

Taking these as the words of a madman, no one paid any attention.

He mixed the dung with grass and hung it from branches along both sides of the road to Kaushambi. When he carried out jars filled with elephant urine, the gatekeepers saw him and asked about them. He replied:

“The king is holding a banquet and will use this as drink.”

Everyone laughed, and in the end they did not inspect the jars. He returned to the road along which they planned to escape and hung the jars from tree branches.

Then King Udayana, the minister, Golden Garland, and Datta agreed upon a time and place. At the appointed time, King Udayana and Datta rode the female elephant to the meeting place, where they joined the minister and Golden Garland. With a vina of wondrous sound, they joyfully set out together. The king played the instrument while the minister sang:

Together riding Bhadravati,

To the fine music in harmony,

Datta and Spring Blossom

Wave their hands and return together.

The king himself is the caravan leader,

Returning safely to Kaushambi.

My wish has now been fulfilled;

How joyful is our singing!

After they had departed, much time passed without their entering the palace. King Pradyota asked the elephant keeper:

“Why has Datta not entered the palace for so long?”

After searching for them, the elephant keeper learned that they had escaped and reported:

“King Udayana has ridden away on the elephant Bhadravati, taking Datta with him, and has fled the city.”

Upon hearing this report, the king became furious and ordered:

“Mount the great elephant Vishana, pursue those villains, and bring them back before me.”

The elephant keeper immediately mounted the great elephant and set off. Seeing the great elephant running swiftly and about to overtake them, Yaugandharayana took the elephant dung hanging from a tree branch and cast it onto the ground as they fled. Encountering the foul stench, the great elephant would go no farther. While the elephant drew back, the female elephant ran far ahead. After they had traveled many yojanas, the great elephant again caught up with them. Yaugandharayana threw a jar of elephant urine onto the ground. The great elephant was repelled by the stench, and they once more gained the lead. Only when they reached their own border were they free from fear.

“This is their frontier; I should return. Otherwise, this great elephant may also be captured.” Thinking thus, the elephant keeper, disappointed at having failed in his purpose, returned to his country.

When he reached the city, the king asked:

“Is there any news?”

He replied, “They have reached their own country and can no longer be apprehended.”

Upon hearing this report, the king was filled with sorrow and rested his cheek upon his hand.

After returning to his country, King Udayana seemed as one restored from death to life. He invited shramanas, brahmins, eminent merchants, relatives, acquaintances, the poor, and others. People from near and far came in throngs before the king. The king convened a great assembly, established an altar for giving, and enjoyed himself freely with Lady Datta.

One day, while they were together in an upper chamber, the king said in jest:

“Through a fabricated stratagem, I managed to bring you here.”

The lady replied:

“My father also used a deceptive stratagem to hold the king captive, leaving you with only your life.”

The king said:

“If I cannot bring your father to the city of Kaushambi and make him learn the weaver’s craft, I am not worthy to be called King Udayana.”

The lady became angry and remained silent.

King Udayana said to Yaugandharayana:

“Can you dispel my sorrow?”

He replied:

“What do you wish to do?”

“Tie a long rope around King Pradyota’s neck, drag him here, and compel him to learn the weaver’s craft.”

He replied:

“I brought Bhadravati and Datta here safely, and now matters have turned out just as the king has said, yet you say I have not dispelled your sorrow. I shall consider whether this can be done.”

After devising a plan, he informed the king that it was possible. He then gathered the necessary merchandise in the city of Ujjayini and found a capable caravan leader and a beautiful woman. He adorned the woman fully with jeweled ornaments and had her pose as the caravan leader’s wife. When all preparations were complete, the caravan set out and eventually arrived at the city of Ujjayini.

Hearing that a large caravan had arrived in his city, King Pradyota personally went to inspect the collection of taxes from them. Entering the encampment, the king asked:

“Where is the caravan leader?”

Someone guided him and pointed out the place. The king went there, opened the door, and entered. In the central chamber he encountered the caravan leader’s wife, whose exceptional beauty was unlike anything he had ever seen. She was surpassingly beautiful, and no one in that city could compare with her.

A mind of passionate attachment arose in him, and the king asked:

“Fair lady, come and take pleasure with me.”

The woman replied:

“Here is the bed and bedding. If you wish, do as you please.”

Already bound by sensual desire, there was nothing he would not do. The king lay down and coupled with her. While the king’s mind was clouded and he knew neither what came before nor what came after, the caravan leader covered him completely with cloth and ordered four men to carry away the entire bed. Everyone called out that they should leave the city of Ujjayini through the rear gate, and thus they all departed together. Some among the retinue rang bells and sang:

In this world, a mosquito devours the moon,

King Vaisravana is pressed for payment,

The earth and trees fly up to heaven,

A courtesan carries off Fierce Radiance.

Seeing this merriment, all the merchants in the city said that the caravan was about to depart, and so they followed it.

The people in the city did not know where the king had gone. Tăng Dưỡng was terrified and searched everywhere for him.

The caravan then brought King Fierce Radiance back to the kingdom of Kausambi. The ministers rejoiced and said:

“Great King, the kingdom flourishes, and all your wishes have been fulfilled.”

When King Fierce Radiance was brought before him, King Udayana said:

“Put him in fetters and have him learn the craft of weaving, but do not let anyone inform Thiên Thọ.”

One day, the king and Thiên Thọ ascended a high tower to enjoy the view.

At that time, on account of some minor business, King Fierce Radiance came out of the weavers’ quarters. Seeing him from the high tower, King Udayana asked Thiên Thọ:

“Do you know that man?”

The king naturally had a broad forehead. The princess looked carefully, immediately recognized him, and wept until her robe was wet, thinking:

“At present this wicked king has imprisoned my father and reduced him to such suffering. If I do not kill this wicked king, I shall no longer be worthy of the name Thiên Thọ. Though I shall kill him with my own hands, I must do so without letting him know.”

Being naturally intelligent, the king knew that the princess harbored resentment, so he said to a minister:

“I have now finished exacting vengeance upon Fierce Radiance. Have him bathed, give him fragrant and delicious food, adorn him properly, and then release him to return to his kingdom.”

They obeyed the king’s command, carried out each task in due order, and released that king to return to his country.

Thiên Thọ thought:

“If I devise a way to kill him immediately, his cunning mind will surely make him suspicious. I should let some time pass and wait for another day.” She forced herself to smile and speak cheerfully, thereby dispelling the appearance of sorrow.

One day, Thiên Thọ put on filthy clothes and lay upon a broken bed. Seeing this, Udayana asked:

“What is the matter?”

She replied:

“A heavenly deity is angry with me.”

He asked:

“What do you lack? Have you made a vow but failed to present the promised offering?”

She replied:

“What I formerly promised cannot be fulfilled.”

He asked:

“What did you promise that has caused you such sorrow? Whatever you require, I shall provide in full.”

She replied:

“Formerly, when my father imprisoned you, I made a supplication to a heavenly deity:

“‘If the king and I return safely to Kausambi, I shall fast together with the king for seven days and nights. When the seven days are complete, I shall wind beautiful garlands around him from his toes to his head, have him carried to the top of the city wall, hold a great almsgiving assembly for the king, and invite a full complement of one thousand brahmins to receive magnificent offerings.’ Now the Great King has many consorts. How could he still favor me? Having reflected thus, I am certain to die.”

The king said:

“Thus, it was for my sake that you prayed to heaven. Be sorrowful no longer; I shall do everything.”

From that time onward, Thiên Thọ prepared the means to kill the king. She tethered two dogs below the city wall and fed them fine meat every day, raising them until they grew so large that they could consume an amount of flesh equal to a human body. She and the king then sincerely fasted for seven days, but at night she secretly ate and drank her fill.

The king was determined to fast for seven days, and so his body became so weak that he could neither walk nor stand.

When the seven days were complete, Thiên Thọ told the garland maker to use coarse cords to make many fragrant garlands and bring them quickly. She then commanded Du-Kiện-Na:

“Today the Great King has completed the appointed period of observance. Adorn the royal city for a great almsgiving assembly and make offerings to more than one thousand brahmins. All the ministers must work quickly, and they must not be allowed to know of the secret matter within the palace.”

Du-Kiện-Na obeyed her command. The roads were swept and sprinkled with scented water; incense was burned, parasols were raised, and all kinds of flowers were scattered everywhere. The scene was as delightful as the Garden of Joy. Drums were beaten and music played throughout the city, the sounds resounded everywhere, and dancers whirled about.

Amid this commotion, Thiên Thọ brought the king to the top of the city wall and made him lie upon the ground. She wound the garland cords around him from his feet to his head without leaving any part exposed, and then pushed him down to the foot of the wall. The two dogs fought over him and devoured all his blood and flesh, leaving only his bones. Then flesh-eating birds and beasts such as hawks, eagles, vultures, and wolves came and gnawed and pecked at the remaining bones.

Seeing this, the people in the city were horrified and shaken. Word spread among them that the Great King had personally stood upon the city wall to watch the great assembly, had fallen from a corner of the wall and died, and had then been devoured by dogs.

On hearing this, everyone wailed loudly, tore out their hair, and beat their breasts, filling the entire city with their cries.

The bhiksus all dispersed, some going elsewhere and others returning to Anathapindika’s Grove.

The ministers assembled and deliberated together: “Why did the Great King personally ascend the city wall? And how did dogs happen to be beneath the wall and come to devour the king?”

After investigating, they discovered the garlands and then realized that Thiên Thọ had deliberately devised the wicked scheme to murder the king. In their fury, they built a house of red copper, confined Thiên Thọ inside it, and set it on fire, causing her to suffer until she died. Thus it should be understood: when will vengeance repaid with vengeance ever come to an end?

The bhiksus had doubts and asked the Blessed One:

“Venerable Sir, what karma did King Udayana formerly commit, through the power of which he was devoured by dogs in this life?”

The Buddha said:

“Bhiksus, King Udayana formerly committed karma, and now, when the causes and conditions converged, its result manifested. Just as the forceful current of a river cannot be stopped, no one else could undergo the karma that king had performed in his stead. Bhiksus, the results of performed karma do not ripen outside the four great elements; rather, within one’s own skandhas, dhatus, and ayatanas, one experiences the results of suffering and happiness. As a verse says:

Though even a hundred kalpas pass,

Karma performed does not perish;

When causes and conditions are complete,

One personally undergoes its result.

“Bhiksus, in the past, in a certain capital city, there lived a brahmin minister. At that time no Buddha was present; only pratyekabuddhas appeared in the world. They cherished the poor and destitute and delighted in dwelling in tranquil places. In that world, they alone were fields of merit. One such Pratyekabuddha journeyed among the people, came to that city, and spent the night resting in a quiet forest. Early the next morning, he put on his robe, took up his bowl, and entered the city to seek alms.

“At that time, the minister was leading a pack of dogs out of the city to hunt. When he saw this faultless Pratyekabuddha, who bore the marks of a great person, he released the dogs to devour him.

“Bhiksus, what do you think? Do not think that the minister was some other person. He was none other than the present King Udayana. He released dogs to devour an innocent noble being, and because of the power of that karma, for five hundred lifetimes he was continually devoured by dogs and died. Bhiksus, you should know that if one performs purely dark karma, one receives a purely dark result; if one performs purely white karma, one enjoys a purely white result; and if one performs mixed karma, one undergoes a mixed result. For this reason, you should abandon both dark and mixed karma and cultivate white karma. Thus should you bhiksus train.”

After King Udayana of Kausambi died, King Fierce Radiance of Ujjayini no longer had an enemy and therefore lived in peace and happiness. One day, while in the lofty palace hall, the king engaged in an improper conversation with his ministers and asked them:

– In which city or village is there a beautiful courtesan?

Someone said:

– Great King! In the city of Takshashila, within the realm of King Viên Thắng, there is a young and beautiful courtesan skilled in the sixty-four arts. Throughout the whole human world upon this earth, no man has ever beheld her without becoming infatuated.

As soon as the king heard of her beauty and intelligence, desire arose in him, and he said to Tăng Dưỡng:

– Even if one searched in distant places, it would truly be difficult to find such a woman. I should go to her and enjoy pleasure with her.

He replied:

– Great King, King Viên Thắng has long been your enemy. He ordinarily resides in the city of Takshashila. If you go there alone and he learns of it, surely nothing good will come of it.

The king said:

– My mind is made up and cannot be changed. You remain here; I shall set out.

He replied:

– Your command is difficult to oppose. Please depart as you wish, but you must be cautious.

The king mounted his great elephant Vi Sơn and journeyed toward that city. Along the way, he left the elephant at Mount Thạch Chữ and entered the city alone. Upon arriving, the king removed from his neck a most beautiful jeweled necklace worth tens of millions and gave it to the courtesan so that they might take their pleasure together.

At that time, the ministers, the people, and the brahmins were all astonished when they could not find the king and did not know where he had gone. They discussed the matter among themselves: “The king is no ordinary man; wherever he has gone, someone must know.”

Someone said:

– The king already has everything in his palace. Where else could he be seeking anything?

Another said:

– We should go together and ask Tăng Dưỡng.

When they arrived, they asked:

– At present, we do not know where the Great King has gone.

He replied:

– Why are you all in such haste to see the king? Restrain yourselves; before long, you will see him.

They asked:

– When shall we see him?

He replied:

– After a full twenty years.

The people angrily said:

– You have killed the king and are plotting to establish yourself in his place; therefore, you utter such unrighteous words. If we see the king within seven days, all will be well. If we do not see him, we shall enthrone another king and put you to death.

Hearing this, Tăng Dưỡng remained silent, his heart filled with sorrow.

At that time, the Queen Mother, the Great Lady who was Ngưu Hộ’s mother, saw that Tăng Dưỡng was distressed. She summoned him and asked:

– What matter now causes you such sorrow?

He replied:

– Lady, the eminent brahmins and all the ministers have said this... He then related everything as above. How, then, could my heart not be grieved?

The Lady said:

– You may mix honey with clarified butter, blend it into rice bran, fill a golden tray with it, and take it to the horse stable. Kneel down before the horses and say:

– Whichever of you is able to reach the kingdom of Takshashila within this very day, eat this bran mixed with clarified butter and honey from the golden tray.

Although they heard these words, none of the horses ate. At that time, there was an old, feeble horse standing alone to one side with drooping ears. He approached that horse, holding the golden tray in his hands, and spoke as before. After hearing him, the horse came to the tray and ate everything.

When he reported this matter to the Lady, she said:

– Go and saddle it. If you see it assume a strange form, do not be afraid. Stand before it and display heroic courage and majesty. When a man possesses courage, even creatures will not treat him with contempt.

He went to where the horse was. As he was about to place the saddle upon its back, the horse suddenly reared up, transformed its appearance, and said:

– Good sir, have you ever seen a horse like this?

He drew his sword and said:

– Intelligent yaksha horse, have you ever seen a horseman like this?

It replied:

– Never.

He said:

– Intelligent yaksha horse, it would be best for you to return to your former form and set off. If you do not go, your head will be cut off and your blood will flow upon the ground.

The horse said:

– Good sir, let us make an agreement: never bring me back to this place, and I shall go.

He replied:

– If you agree to travel with me, I shall not betray your trust.

Tăng Dưỡng then mounted the horse and journeyed to the city of Takshashila.

THE MŪLASARVĀSTIVĀDA

VINAYA MISCELLANY

Here ends Fascicle Twenty-Three.