佛本行集經

Chapter 17: KING SUDDHODANA SEES OMINOUS DREAMS

At that time, the deva Tác Bình, wishing to inspire the Crown Prince to resolve upon leaving the household life, used his spiritual power one night to cause King Suddhodana to see seven dreams.

While King Suddhodana was sleeping soundly upon his royal couch, he dreamed of the following signs:

-The first dream: He saw a great parasol belonging to Lord Indra, surrounded and borne by countless people, departing through the eastern gate of Kapilavastu.

-The second dream: He saw the Crown Prince riding in a carriage drawn by ten great elephants, departing through the southern gate of Kapilavastu.

-The third dream: He saw the Crown Prince seated upright in a four-horse carriage, departing through the western gate of Kapilavastu.

-The fourth dream: He saw a wheel adorned with precious jewels departing through the northern gate of Kapilavastu.

-The fifth dream: He saw the Crown Prince standing at the crossroads of the great avenues in Kapilavastu, holding a mallet and striking a great drum.

-The sixth dream: He saw the Crown Prince seated atop a high tower in the center of Kapilavastu, scattering precious objects from all four sides of the tower, while countless people came to gather them and carry them away.

-The seventh dream: He saw six men not far outside the city crying aloud and shedding tears, tearing at their hair with both hands and rolling upon the ground.

When the Great King saw these signs in his dream, his heart was utterly bewildered and afraid. His hair stood on end at their strangeness, and his whole body trembled. Starting awake, he immediately summoned the ministers who were in the palace and said:

“Ministers, while I slept soundly tonight, I suddenly saw things of the utmost terror.”

The king then related in order the seven dreams described above. The Great King further instructed them: “You must remember these dreams clearly and not allow yourselves to forget them. Early tomorrow morning, when I hold court among all the civil and military officials, you shall recount them to me.”

Having heard the dreams and the Great King’s instructions, the ministers replied:

“Your Majesty, we shall obey your command and do our utmost to remember them. We truly dare not forget.”

Early the next morning, when the Great King held court among all the civil and military officials, the ministers reported the king’s dreams back to him in detail.

After hearing their report, King Suddhodana summoned all the brahmins in the kingdom who were skilled in interpreting dreams and said:

“You are men of great wisdom and should be able to understand my dreams. From what I have just related, what consequences do you discern?”

Obeying the king’s command, each of those learned brahmins reflected, yet they could find no answer. They then reported to the king:

“May Your Majesty understand that we have never before heard of dreams such as these. Now that we have heard them, our minds are obscured and confused, and we do not know what consequences these dreams portend.”

When King Suddhodana heard the brahmin physiognomists speak thus, his heart again became sorrowful, and he thought:

“Could it be that the Crown Prince will no longer become a wheel-turning sage-king? Surely it cannot be that, after becoming a wheel-turning sage-king, he will then lose his throne! My heart is exceedingly troubled. I do not know who can resolve this doubt for me!”

At that time, from his palace in the Heaven of the Pure Abodes, the deva Tác Bình saw from afar that King Suddhodana was sorrowful and joyless. Concealing his celestial form, he came to Kapilavastu and transformed himself into a brahmin ascetic. His hair was tied in a topknot crowned with a diadem woven from many kinds of flowers. He was handsome and youthful, wore a black deerskin garment, and had the bearing of an intelligent and wise man. Standing outside the gate of King Suddhodana’s palace, he proclaimed:

“I know King Suddhodana’s dreams clearly and with certainty, without any doubt.”

When the gatekeeper heard the brahmin say this, he hurried before the royal throne, prostrated himself, and reported to the Great King:

“Your Majesty should know that a brahmin is now outside the palace gate proclaiming, ‘I clearly understand King Suddhodana’s dreams.’”

The Great King immediately ordered that the brahmin be invited directly into the inner palace and warmly asked him:

“Great Brahmin, you possess lucid wisdom. Know that at midnight last night I saw seven dreams. In the first, immeasurable and boundless multitudes surrounded and supported a great parasol belonging to Lord Indra as it departed through the eastern gate of Kapilavastu... and in the seventh, I saw six men not far outside the city crying loudly and tearing at their hair. I am now frightened and bewildered, not knowing whether such dreams are auspicious or inauspicious. Can you interpret each detail for me?”

Having spoken thus, the king remained still and waited to hear the brahmin’s explanation.

The deva Tác Bình reported to the Great King:

“May Your Majesty listen to the interpretation of the dreams you saw.

“In the first dream, Your Majesty saw immeasurable and boundless beings gathered together around a great parasol belonging to Lord Indra, supporting it as it departed through the eastern gate of Kapilavastu. This means that Your Majesty’s Crown Prince Siddhartha will be attended and surrounded by immeasurable hundreds of thousands of devas. The Crown Prince will leave this palace, cross beyond the city, and renounce the household life. This is the auspicious meaning of that dream.

“In the second dream, the Great King saw the Crown Prince riding in a carriage drawn by ten noble elephants and departing through the southern gate of Kapilavastu. This means that after renouncing the household life, the Crown Prince will realize omniscience and attain the ten powers. This is the auspicious meaning of that dream.

“In the third dream, the Great King saw the Crown Prince seated in a four-horse carriage and departing through the western gate of Kapilavastu. This means that after renouncing the household life, the Crown Prince will realize omniscience and fully possess the four fearlessnesses. This is the auspicious meaning of that dream.

“In the fourth dream, the Great King saw a wheel adorned with precious jewels departing through the northern gate of Kapilavastu. This means that after renouncing the household life, the Crown Prince will attain unsurpassed, complete and perfect enlightenment and thereafter turn the wondrous Dharma wheel among devas and humans throughout the three realms. This is the auspicious meaning of that dream.

“In the fifth dream, the Great King saw the Crown Prince at the crossroads of the great avenues in Kapilavastu, holding a mallet and striking a great drum. This means that after renouncing the household life and attaining the fruit of bodhi, when he turns the Dharma wheel, the devas will raise their voices in praise. Their voices will reach the Brahma heavens, and the proclamation will resound throughout the entire form realm so that all may know. This is the auspicious meaning of that dream.

“In the sixth dream, the Great King saw the Crown Prince seated atop a tower in the center of Kapilavastu, scattering precious objects from all four sides. This means that after attaining unsurpassed, complete and perfect enlightenment, the Crown Prince will bestow wondrous teachings upon the eight classes of beings, including devas and humans. These teachings are the four foundations of mindfulness, the four right efforts, the four bases of spiritual power, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven factors of enlightenment, the Noble Eightfold Path, and so forth. This is the auspicious meaning of that dream.

“In the seventh dream, the Great King saw six men not far outside the city crying loudly and tearing at their hair. This means that after the Crown Prince renounces the household life and attains unsurpassed, complete and perfect enlightenment, the six heterodox teachers will become distressed when he realizes the fruit of bodhi. Those six teachers are Pūrṇa Kāśyapa, Maskarin Gośālīputra, Ajita Keśakambala, Kakuda Kātyāyana, Sañjaya Vairaṭīputra, and Nirgrantha Jñātiputra. This is the auspicious meaning of that dream.”

Having manifested in the form of a brahmin and interpreted the Great King’s dreams, the deva Tác Bình further said:

“The Great King should give rise to joy and should not grieve, fear, or be unhappy. Why is this? These are auspicious dreams that will bring blessed consequences. You should rejoice in them and not be troubled.”

After speaking these words of consolation, the deva immediately vanished.

When King Suddhodana heard the brahmin physiognomist explain that the dreams portended such blessed consequences, he further increased the Crown Prince’s enjoyment of the five sensual pleasures, hoping to keep him so infatuated and intoxicated that he would not renounce the household life. Thus the Crown Prince remained in the palace, freely enjoying every pleasure.

Chapter 18: SEEING A SICK MAN ALONG THE ROAD

At that time, the deva Tác Bình again reflected concerning the bodhisattva Hộ Minh: “This Great Being has long remained heedless in the palace, intoxicated by the five sensual pleasures. The world is impermanent and youth does not endure. The bodhisattva Hộ Minh should soon leave the inner palace and renounce the household life. I can now devise a means to exhort him, awaken him, and cause him swiftly to abandon the five sensual pleasures.”

After Tác Bình had reflected in this way, through the deva’s spiritual power and also through the causes and conditions of the bodhisattva’s merit from former lives, the Crown Prince, while seated in the palace, suddenly conceived the wish to leave the city and visit the pleasure grove.

The Crown Prince summoned his charioteer and said:

“Skilled charioteer, quickly prepare and adorn a fine carriage. Today I wish to go out and enjoy the scenery in the flower garden.”

The charioteer replied:

“I shall obey the Crown Prince’s command and dare not act contrary to your wishes.”

After receiving the Crown Prince’s command, the charioteer went to King Suddhodana and reported:

“May the Great King know that the Crown Prince now wishes to leave the city and proceed to the beautiful Flower Grove to enjoy that delightful place.”

The Great King immediately ordered all the inhabitants of the city to clear away every weed, piece of refuse, pebble, thorn, rotten tree, mound, excrement, and foul-smelling object. Every place was to be leveled, sprinkled with water, swept clean, and beautifully adorned throughout Kapilavastu. Even the trees in the flower garden bearing feminine or masculine names were decorated with jeweled necklaces appropriate to each kind. No old or sick person was to appear along the Crown Prince’s route, lest the sight of them cause him to become disenchanted.

When the charioteer had finished adorning the carriage and horses, he reported to the Crown Prince:

“Your carriage has been fully prepared. May the Crown Prince depart whenever he wishes.”

Then the Crown Prince, bearing himself like a Great King, sat in the precious carriage, majestic in spiritual power and august virtue. He departed through the southern gate of Kapilavastu and slowly proceeded toward the flower garden to view its scenery.

At that time, the deva Tác Bình went ahead upon the road the Crown Prince was traveling and transformed himself into a sick man. His body was nothing but skin and bones and he suffered intensely. His belly was greatly swollen and fluid seeped from it. His body was emaciated, his arms and legs like hollow reeds, and all healthy color had left him. His skin was yellow, withered, and wrinkled; his breath was foul, and only moments remained of his life. He lay groaning, writhing, and rolling painfully amid his own excrement and spittle. He wished to sit up but had no strength, and, smacking his lips, he whispered:

“Please help me sit up.”

When the Crown Prince saw the sick man in this state, down to hearing his plea to be helped upright, he asked the charioteer:

“Skilled charioteer, what kind of man is this? His belly is enormous like a great cauldron; when he breathes, his entire body shakes. His arms and legs resemble hollow reeds, his body is emaciated, and his yellow, withered, wrinkled skin has lost all healthy color. Why must another person support him when he sits up?”

The Crown Prince then sighed deeply:

“Alas! This is a heartrending sorrow, unbearable to see or hear.”

Through his spiritual power, the deva Tác Bình caused the charioteer to reply:

“Holy Prince, please listen. This is called a sick man.”

The Crown Prince asked again:

“Why is this man called sick?”

The charioteer answered:

“Holy Prince, this man’s body is no longer peaceful or healthy. He has lost all vigor and dignity, is emaciated and tormented, and has no strength left. The hour of his death draws near. His parents have died; he has neither family nor friends and has nowhere to turn for support. Because he has no refuge, his life will soon end, and it is exceedingly difficult for him to survive. If no one tends him, yet he hopes one day to recover from his illness, such a thing will certainly not occur. He can only await death. Holy Prince, for these reasons he is called a sick man.”

There is a verse:

The Crown Prince asked again:

“Does only this man undergo this law, or must all beings in the world undergo the law of sickness?”

The charioteer replied:

“The law of sickness applies not merely to one person; no kind of sentient being can escape it.”

The Crown Prince then said:

“I too have not escaped this law, and shall become ill just like this man. Alas, how dreadful!”

The Crown Prince immediately told the charioteer:

“If this body of mine cannot escape the law of sickness, and cannot transcend the many kinds of disease, what need is there now to visit the pleasure grove and enjoy its delights? Turn the carriage back to the inner palace, where I shall contemplate this law.”

Obeying the Crown Prince’s command, the charioteer turned the carriage back toward the inner palace. Upon arriving, the Crown Prince sat quietly and reflected: “I too shall fall ill. Since illnesses have not yet arisen, why should I live heedlessly?”

King Suddhodana asked the charioteer:

“Did the Crown Prince enjoy his excursion to the flower garden?”

The charioteer replied:

“Great King, you should know that the Crown Prince wished to leave the royal city and proceed to the flower garden to view its ponds and other sights. But along the way he encountered a sick man... who pleaded, ‘Please help me sit up.’ Upon seeing this, the Crown Prince ordered me to turn the carriage back. He is now seated quietly in the palace, absorbed in contemplation.”

When the Great King heard this account, he remembered that the prediction of the seer Asita was certainly true. He further thought: “How could I allow the Crown Prince to abandon worldly life and go forth? I shall now increase his enjoyment of the five sensual pleasures, causing him to become still more infatuated with them so that he will not abandon worldly life and renounce the household.” Having thought thus, the Great King doubled the Crown Prince’s five sensual pleasures. There is a verse:

Long did the Crown Prince dwell within the guarded palace,
Then wished to visit the grove and enjoy its pleasures.
Along the road he met an emaciated sick man,
And, giving rise to dispassion, returned.
Sitting silently, he pondered the source of age and sickness:
“I have not escaped them; what joy can there be?”
Forms, sounds, scents, flavors, and tangible objects,
Supremely exquisite, he had not yet abandoned.
In former times he cultivated wholesome karma;
Now none could equal the blissful merit he enjoyed.

Thus, at that time, the Crown Prince remained in the palace and successively enjoyed all the pleasures of the five senses.

Chapter 19: ENCOUNTERING A CORPSE ON THE ROAD

At that time, the deva Tác Bình one day thought: “The bodhisattva Hộ Minh is enjoying unsurpassed pleasures in the palace. The time has now come for the bodhisattva to renounce the household life. I shall deliberately exhort him, causing the Crown Prince to abandon the pleasures of the five senses, relinquish worldly life, and go forth.” The deva Tác Bình caused the bodhisattva Hộ Minh to conceive the wish to leave the inner palace, go beyond the city, and visit the pleasure grove to enjoy its exquisite scenery.

The Crown Prince then told the charioteer:

“Skilled charioteer, prepare and adorn the precious four-horse carriage. I now wish to leave the city and visit the pleasure grove.”

Upon receiving the Crown Prince’s command, the charioteer went to the Great King and reported:

“May the Great King know that the Crown Prince now wishes to leave the palace city and visit the pleasure grove.”

King Suddhodana immediately ordered Kapilavastu to be adorned and all its great and small roads to be cleared. Thorns, pebbles, bricks, stones, rotten trees, mounds, and excrement were all swept away, leaving the roads clean and level. Even the trees in the flower garden bearing feminine or masculine names were decorated with jeweled necklaces appropriate to each kind. Then people rang bells, beat drums, and proclaimed:

“The elderly, infirm, and sick must not appear upon the road the Crown Prince will travel, lest seeing them cause him to become disenchanted.”

The charioteer prepared and adorned the carriage and horses thoroughly and beautifully, then reported to the Crown Prince:

“May the Crown Prince hear: I have now finished preparing your carriage. Please depart whenever the time is suitable.”

The Crown Prince sat in the carriage, majestic in spiritual power and august virtue. He departed through the western gate of Kapilavastu and proceeded toward the flower garden to enjoy its sights.

At that time, the deva Tác Bình appeared ahead of the Crown Prince in the form of a corpse lying upon a bier borne by many people. He further made a small canopy from many beautiful, multicolored cloths and spread it over the corpse. Countless relatives from both the father’s and mother’s families surrounded it before, behind, and on either side, crying aloud. Some tore at their hair, some beat their breasts, some struck their heads or clasped their hands, while others scooped up mud with both hands and smeared it over their heads and faces. Some uttered broken words of sorrow and choked with grief. Tears poured down like rain as they wailed and wept until they could no longer speak. Seeing this scene, the Crown Prince became deeply sorrowful and asked the charioteer:

“What kind of person is this lying upon a bier, adorned all around with flowers... and covered with a small canopy made of many colorful hempen cloths? Why is he being borne away, surrounded by countless people lamenting so bitterly?”

The verse says:

The young and handsome Crown Prince, noble in form,
Asked the charioteer, “Who is this,
Lying motionless on a bier borne by four,
While his relatives surround him, wailing and weeping?”

Then the deva Tác Bình used his spiritual power to cause the charioteer to answer:

“Great and Holy Crown Prince, this is called a corpse.”

The Crown Prince asked again:

“What does ‘corpse’ mean?”

The charioteer replied:

“Great and Holy Crown Prince, this man has relinquished his life in the world and no longer possesses vigor or dignity. He is now no different from wood or stone. He has no sensation, being no better or worse than a wall. He has forever departed from his relatives and friends, and only his consciousness has gone ahead to take birth in another realm. From now on, he will no longer see his parents, siblings, wife, children, or relatives. The realms of the living and the dead are utterly different; they will never meet again. Therefore, this is called a corpse.”

The charioteer then spoke a verse before the Crown Prince:

The Crown Prince again asked the charioteer:

“Skilled charioteer, must I also undergo this law of death? Have I transcended this law or not?”

The charioteer replied:

“Great and Holy Crown Prince, although your body is noble, you too have not escaped this law of death. All who dwell in the world, whether devas or humans, and however many relatives and friends they may have, must each undergo such separation. That person will not see this one, nor will this one see that person.”

He then spoke a verse:

After hearing this explanation, the Crown Prince told the charioteer:

“If this body of mine must also undergo the law of death, and I have not transcended that law, then in the future I shall no longer see the devas and my relatives, nor will the devas and my relatives see me. What need is there to visit the pleasure grove and enjoy its sights? Quickly turn the carriage back to the inner palace so that I may contemplate this.”

Obeying the Crown Prince’s command, the charioteer immediately turned the carriage back toward the inner palace. Upon returning, the Crown Prince sat and reflected: “This body of mine will certainly die. I do not yet possess the power to transcend the law of death.” He silently concentrated and reflected in this way, knowing that all worldly retribution ultimately returns to impermanence.

Yet as the Crown Prince was about to enter the palace, a foolish and ignorant physiognomist standing outside the Great King’s palace gate carefully examined the Crown Prince’s appearance from head to foot. Seeing the marks of a great man, he proclaimed loudly: “Everyone, know this! Within seven days from today, the Crown Prince will fully possess seven kinds of treasures that will appear spontaneously.”

King Suddhodana asked the charioteer:

“Skilled charioteer, today you took the Crown Prince to the pleasure grove. Was he pleased and happy?”

The charioteer knelt and respectfully replied:

“May the Great King know that today the Crown Prince set out but did not reach the pleasure grove.”

King Suddhodana asked again:

“Why did the Crown Prince not reach the pleasure grove?”

The charioteer reported:

“May the Great King listen. After the Crown Prince left the palace, on the road to the pleasure grove he saw a corpse lying upon a bier borne by four men... surrounded by relatives who wailed and wept. Upon seeing this, the Crown Prince immediately ordered the carriage turned back toward the inner palace. He is now sitting in contemplation and is not joyful.”

When King Suddhodana heard this account, he became troubled and recalled that the seer Asita’s prediction was certainly true. “How could I allow the Crown Prince to abandon me and go forth? Today I shall increase the Crown Prince’s five sensual pleasures, causing him to become so infatuated that he will not think of renouncing the household life.” Having thought thus, the king increased the Crown Prince’s beautiful garments and provided him with every pleasure of the five senses.

A verse says:

An ocean of merit cultivated through immeasurable kalpas—
Because the Crown Prince saw one whose life had ended,
His heart grew deeply sorrowful and distressed.
He returned to the inner palace to contemplate death.
Within this city stood magnificent palaces;
The handsome Crown Prince was youthful and full of vitality.
How delightfully he enjoyed the five sensual pleasures,
Like Lord Indra sporting in his celestial garden.

As the days and months passed, the Crown Prince remained in the palace, amusing himself and enjoying every kind of pleasure.

Chapter 20: YAŚODHARĀ SEES OMINOUS DREAMS

(Part 1)

The deva Tác Bình saw that the Crown Prince had left the city for the pleasure grove, encountered a corpse along the way, become disenchanted with the worldly pleasures of the five senses, returned to the inner palace, and sat quietly in contemplation. Six days later, the deva Tác Bình again thought and said: “The bodhisattva Hộ Minh, this Great Being, is now infatuated with the five sensual pleasures. His mind has become heedless, and he refuses to leave them behind. I shall now create causes and conditions to exhort the Crown Prince.”

Having reflected in this way, the deva Tác Bình again created conditions for the Crown Prince to renounce the household life. He stirred the causes and conditions from the Crown Prince’s former lives, naturally causing him to wish to visit the pleasure grove. The Crown Prince summoned the charioteer and said:

“Skilled charioteer, quickly prepare the carriage properly. Today I wish to visit the flower garden.”

Upon receiving the command, the charioteer immediately went to King Suddhodana and reported:

“May the Great King know that today the Crown Prince wishes to visit the pleasure grove.”

King Suddhodana immediately issued a decree commanding the inhabitants of inner Kapilavastu to clean and decorate it properly, just as they had done on previous occasions. Bells were rung to announce throughout the inner city: “No elderly, sick, dead, disabled, or otherwise afflicted person may appear upon the road the Crown Prince will travel, lest seeing them cause him to become disenchanted with the world.”

Receiving the order, the charioteer beautifully adorned the carriage and horses, then went before the Crown Prince and reported:

“Crown Prince, the time for departure has arrived.”

The Crown Prince sat in the carriage, majestic in power and august virtue, departed through the northern gate of Kapilavastu, and proceeded directly toward the pleasure grove.

At that time, the deva Tác Bình used his spiritual power to transform himself into a śramaṇa not far ahead of the Crown Prince’s carriage. His beard and hair were shaved, his body was draped in a great kāṣāya robe that left his right shoulder bare, his right hand held a khakkhara staff, and his left hand carried an alms bowl as he walked along the roadside.

Upon seeing him, the Crown Prince asked the charioteer:

“What kind of person is this, so dignified in manner and orderly in deportment, walking calmly and leisurely before us? His eyes look steadily ahead by one fathom, never glancing to either side. He walks with focused attention, unlike other travelers. His head is shaved smooth, without beard or hair. His garments are all of one dark red color dyed with tree bark, unlike the white clothing of worldly people. His orange-colored bowl appears to be made of smoked stone.”

The deva Tác Bình used his spiritual power to cause the charioteer to reply:

“Great and Holy Crown Prince, this person is called one who has gone forth.”

The Crown Prince asked again:

“What does it mean to be one who has gone forth? What does such a person do?”

The charioteer replied:

“Great and Holy Crown Prince, this person constantly performs wholesome deeds and abandons evil deeds. He treats everyone with an impartial mind, delights in generosity, skillfully disciplines his faculties, and is capable of subduing himself. He brings peace and happiness to all, constantly gives rise to great loving-kindness and compassion for every sentient being, and never causes any being fear or distress. He never kills living beings and is always willing to help them. Crown Prince, because of such conduct, he is called one who has gone forth.”

The Crown Prince asked again:

“Skilled charioteer, what has caused this person to possess such a wholesome mind and perform such deeds, from practicing good... to never taking the life of any sentient being? Drive the carriage beside that renunciant.”

Obeying the command, the charioteer replied:

“Crown Prince, I shall follow your command.”

The charioteer then directed the carriage toward the renunciant.

When the Crown Prince drew alongside him, he asked:

“Venerable Great Being, what kind of person are you?”

At that time, the deva Tác Bình used his spiritual power to cause the renunciant with shaved beard and hair to reply:

“Crown Prince, today people call me one who has gone forth.”

The Crown Prince asked again:

“Worthy sir, why are you called one who has gone forth?”

The renunciant replied:

“Crown Prince, I saw that all things in the world are entirely impermanent. Having contemplated them in this way, I abandoned all worldly occupations, left my relatives behind, and renounced the household life solely to seek liberation. I further thought: ‘What skillful means should I employ to rescue sentient beings? In the world I must live contentedly, perform wholesome deeds... and never take the life of any sentient being.’ Crown Prince, for these reasons I am called one who has gone forth.”

The Crown Prince then said:

“Worthy sir, your conduct is exceedingly good. You have contemplated and understood that all worldly things are impermanent. Knowing this, you further bestow peace and happiness upon all sentient beings... never giving rise to an intention to kill, but instead granting life and bestowing safety upon beings.”

He then spoke a verse:

Out of reverence for the Dharma, the Crown Prince stepped down from his carriage and walked toward the renunciant. He bowed with his head and face to the ground and circumambulated him three times. The Crown Prince then reentered the carriage and ordered the charioteer to return to the palace.

At that time, a palace maiden named Lộc Nữ saw the Crown Prince entering the palace from afar. Moved by sensual desire, she spoke this verse aloud:

When the Crown Prince heard this verse, his entire body trembled with fear and his tears fell like rain. In his heart, he cherished only the realm of nirvana; his purified faculties inclined toward nirvana, and he said:

“I must pursue the realm of nirvana. I must now realize nirvana. I must now reach nirvana, and I must now abide in nirvana.”

One day, when King Suddhodana and all his civil and military officials had assembled around the palace, the Crown Prince suddenly came and stood beside the Great King. Joining his palms and bowing his head, he said:

“I now wish to renounce the household life. May the Great King permit me to fulfill my aspiration and seek the fruit of nirvana. Royal Father should know that all sentient beings will ultimately be separated.”

When King Suddhodana heard the Crown Prince’s words, his entire body trembled and his arms and legs became weak, like a tree whose roots are shaken by a great elephant. His eyes filled with tears, and he choked with emotion as he told the Crown Prince:

“My beloved Crown Prince, you should abandon this intention. Now is not yet the time for you to renounce the household life. I too passed through youth, when my faculties ran heedlessly after pleasures. I did not cultivate the practices of the Dharma, nor had I ever undergone the sufferings of the world. Moreover, I neither practiced austerities nor perceived the faults of sensual desire. For you to conceive such an intention is truly something exceedingly difficult to endure. Young Prince, you are in the prime of youth. Your mind is not yet settled and your faculties are not yet subdued. If you wish to dwell in remote and solitary places, you will be unable to endure the austerities there.

“Young Prince, wait until I have grown old. Then, if I wish to renounce the household life and practice austerities, I shall transmit the throne and entrust the kingdom to you before entering the remote depths of the mountains to cultivate ascetic practices. Young Prince, you must not disobey me.

If you go forth to practice austerities against your father’s wishes, you will presently be condemned in the world as unfilial for defying the instructions of your elder. Therefore, you should apply this diligent mind while remaining in the palace. Do not hastily renounce the household life.

Remain peacefully at home and fulfill worldly duties. Young Prince, one who lives in the world should first enjoy the five sensual pleasures and only afterward consider giving rise to the resolve to renounce the household life.”

The Crown Prince replied:

“Royal Father, today you should not obstruct my resolve to go forth. Why? Suppose a man were inside a house engulfed in towering flames and wished to escape from the burning house. At that moment, he would be exceedingly courageous, and no power could prevent him. Royal Father, whatever is born must perish, and whatever comes together must disperse. If someone knows that all worldly dharmas are subject to separation yet does not abandon that which leads to separation, such a person does not obtain great benefit. Likewise, if a man has unfinished business when death draws near yet does not hasten to complete it, he is not a person of lucid wisdom.”

The Crown Prince then spoke a verse for his royal father:

King Suddhodana again earnestly said to the Crown Prince:

“Young Prince, my beloved son, you must certainly not abandon me and go forth.”

Drawing upon their own understanding of the scriptures handed down from ancient times, the great ministers also remonstrated with the Crown Prince:

“Revered Crown Prince, have you not heard it said in the Vedic treatises that from the beginning of the kalpa until now, the kings of ancient times each governed his own kingdom while still young and instructed the people? When they reached old age and had legitimate descendants to succeed them, those kings entrusted the throne to their crown princes and only thereafter entered the mountains to cultivate the practices of the Dharma. For this reason, the Crown Prince must not now act alone in contravention of the customs of the former kings.”

Hearing the great ministers speak in this way, the Great King shed tears like rain. Without blinking, he stared intently at the Crown Prince’s face.

At that time, the Crown Prince became hesitant and sorrowful. With a joyless countenance, he returned to the inner palace. When the Crown Prince reached his residence, all the palace maidens saw him from afar and rejoiced. They immediately rose from their seats. Some joined their palms and bowed in greeting; some displayed their charms; some sang and danced; and others came forward to attend him. Once the Crown Prince was seated, they were driven by the blazing fire of sensual desire. Surrounding him, they laughed and frolicked together. The Crown Prince’s august virtue shone brilliantly and his excellent marks were clearly manifest. Together they joyfully enjoyed sensual pleasures as though in the palace of the Īśvara Heaven.

At that time, all the Crown Prince’s excellent marks and beauty appeared together, and he was perpetually radiant. By day and night the Crown Prince passed his time in recreation. When the palace maidens saw his excellent marks displayed so beautifully, they conceived a thought of unprecedented wonder: “Could he be the Moon Deva descended into the human world?” Seeing the Crown Prince’s handsome appearance, they became still more passionately attached. Some cast amorous glances, some gazed without blinking, some murmured admiringly, and others beckoned with their hands. Yet through the Crown Prince’s spiritual power, sensual desire did not arise in his mind, nor did he join in their laughter and play.

After the Crown Prince had left his royal father and returned to the inner palace, King Suddhodana immediately summoned the charioteer and asked:

“Skilled charioteer, did the Crown Prince reach the pleasure grove?”

The charioteer replied:

“May the Great King know that the Crown Prince intended to visit the pleasure grove, but along the road he saw a man whose beard and hair had been shaved, whose body was draped in a robe dyed a muted color, and whose hand carried an alms bowl. After seeing this person, the Crown Prince immediately ordered the carriage turned back. He returned to the palace and sat in contemplation.”

Upon hearing this, the Great King thought: “The seer Asita’s prediction was indeed not mistaken. I fear the Crown Prince will abandon worldly life and go forth. I must now increase his five sensual pleasures, causing him to become infatuated so that he will not think of renouncing the household life.” Having thought thus, the Great King ordered that the five sensual pleasures be increased and commanded the palace maidens to delight the Crown Prince’s mind so that he would no longer think of going forth.

This is reiterated in verse:

Along the road, the Crown Prince met a śramaṇa,
His body draped in a coarse robe dyed with tree bark.
Joyfully resolving to seek the unsurpassed path,
His deepest heart delighted only in the renunciant life.

Seeing birth, aging, and sickness as boundless suffering,
He saw the śramaṇa bearing his bowl for alms.
Disenchanted with the world, abandoning the three poisons,
He yearned for the unconditioned and sought liberation.

Birth, aging, sickness, and death are forms of pain;
The Crown Prince wished to leave all these sufferings.
Along the road, he encountered one who had gone forth;
On meeting the truly sincere one, his heart rejoiced.

Wishing to abandon craving, anger, and all afflictions,
“I should shave my head and enter the mountain forest.”
The Crown Prince aspired to seek the true Dharma;
Encountering the śramaṇa, he greatly rejoiced.

Seated in a skillfully driven four-horse carriage,
He wished to leave the three realms while going sightseeing.
Along the road, he met one clad in a coarse robe;
His aspiration toward bodhi was now fulfilled.

The Great King then arranged many further pleasures of the five senses for the Crown Prince. Everything already provided was increased. The city walls surrounding the Crown Prince’s old palace were placed under strict guard.

Furthermore, the Great King ordered the construction of additional high fortifications and had a deep moat dug around the Crown Prince’s palace. Nets made of the seven precious substances were installed atop the walls, and ringing bells were suspended in the openings of the nets. The palace gates were placed under increased guard; whenever they were opened morning or evening, the sound reverberated as far as all four outer city gates.

Countless chariots, elephants, cavalry, and armored soldiers were deployed shoulder to shoulder, all organized into orderly and tightly arrayed ranks.

Outside the palace, at both the inner and outer city gates, hundreds of thousands of handsome, imposing, and exceedingly courageous warriors were stationed. All were capable of routing enemy armies. Clad in battle dress, they held tridents, clubs, long swords, spears, lances, bows, arrows, and other weapons, all for the purpose of guarding the Crown Prince. A further decree commanded the palace maidens to perform music, songs, and dances day and night without interruption, displaying every kind of pleasure. The maidens skilled in enchantment were always to remain close beside the Crown Prince and bind him with sensual desire, causing him to become infatuated and cease thinking of abandoning worldly life and renouncing the household.