149. The Story of One Leaf (The Story of Shining Forth) [EkapaÏÏa-Jātaka (Virocana-Jātaka)]
When the Buddha was living in the city of Vesāli, he lived in the mansion called, “The Gabled House”. At that time, the city of Vesāli was surrounded by three walls each the distance of sixteen Gāvuta-s21 one from the other, and each having gates and watchtowers. In addition there were 7,707 crowned kings to rule the country, with an equal number of viceroys, generals, and treasurers. Among these there was one bad prince, who was known as Wicked [Duææha]. He was aggressive, rough, and if one would speak something to him, he would use insulting words toward that one. Everyday he was like a snake that had been beaten with a stick. He was consumed with anger, and this shone forth to others. When people came to see him, they did not get a chance to speak more than two or three words. Parents, younger brothers, other relatives, and even his own children were uncomfortable in his presence. His wife and all his friends were afraid of him as if he were a snake that bit off flesh little piece by little piece, or as if they had come to a forest in which there were thieves, or as if they had seen a demon. Every time they saw him, they were in fear.
On hearing of this from someone, the Buddha went to see him and advised him: “A man who behaves fiercely like you, no doubt will be reborn in the fourfold hell and suffer from birth to birth. When people get angry, their face is unpleasant looking even though it had been beautiful like a lotus. It looks like a golden mirror covered with filth. In such anger, men hit themselves, or die by hanging themselves with a rope around the neck, or die falling down off a high precipice. By whatever way he dies, in his next birth he will be reborn in hell. After suffering a lot in hell, whenever he gets a human birth, he will suffer from the day of his birth with eye diseases, ear diseases, and so forth, endlessly. If he lives with loving kindness toward living beings, or with gentleness, compassion, and kindness, then he will not be confronted with such situations. He will be able to enjoy all kinds of happiness without such sufferings.”
From the time the prince heard this, he gave up his pride and anger. He became gentle and restrained like a cobra whose venom had been extracted, like a crab whose claw had been broken, and like a bull with cut horns. If someone hit him, or hurt him, or verbally abused him, he kept silent, not even asking whom it was who did this. If someone behind him mocked him or laughed at him, he did not even turn his head to see who it was. He behaved in this way from that point on.
One day the monks assembled in the preaching hall were talking about this. One monk said, “It is amazing that even his parents constantly advising the prince could not change him. But the Buddha tamed him with a single admonition as a mahout tames an elephant.” Then another monk said, “It is commendable, of course, that a horse trainer breaking in his horse guides his horse from east to west, and south to north, according to his will. Just so an elephant trainer and an ox trainer. Also, in the same way, the Buddha goes to wherever there are beings, whether in the human world, heaven, or the Brahma world, and guides them aright. Who can do like that except the Buddha?” Then the Buddha entered, and said, “Oh monks, what were you talking about before I came?” The monks told him they were talking about the taming of the prince. The Buddha said, “Not only today, even in the past I tamed him with a single admonition.” And the monks invited the Buddha to disclose the hidden story.
The Buddha disclosed the story:
At one time King Brahmadatta was ruling the city of Benares. At that time the Enlightenment Being was born in a well-known Brahmin family. After his parents’ death, he renounced their wealth and went to the Himalayan Mountains to become an ascetic. After a while, he returned to Benares in search of salt and sours.22 He wandered the streets of Benares for alms.
The king saw him walking on the street and sent one of his ministers to bring him. The minister went to him and told him of the king’s invitation. The ascetic said to the minister, “Sir, I have no previous acquaintance with the king. I live in the Himalayan Mountains as an ascetic. Further, since I am an ascetic, I have no close association with him. Therefore, why should he invite me to his palace?”
Hearing this, the minister returned to the palace and said to the king, “Your lordship, he will not come!” Then the king said, “Tell him that I have no close association with any ascetic. Further, up to now, I have not seen an ascetic. Therefore, please come.” Saying so, he sent the minister for the second time.
The ascetic, on hearing this, came to the palace. The king paid him obeisance and asked, “Where do you go, and where do you live?” The ascetic said, “Your lordship, I live in the Himalayan forest. And as it is time to observe the rainy season retreat, I am searching now for a place to live.” The king, hearing him, said, “Please live in my pleasure garden.” Saying so, he gave him food to eat.
After that, the king led the ascetic to his pleasure garden. He requested the watchman to make arrangements for the ascetic to stay there, and told him to look after the ascetic very carefully. Giving the watchman this responsibility, the king returned to his palace. Since then, the king would go two or three times a day to see the ascetic.
At this time, the king had a son called Wicked [Duææha]. The young prince was very rough and arrogant, and always acted with anger as if he were a snake hit with a stick. He paid no attention to the words of his parents, his relatives, his friends, or others. The king, worried about this situation, took the prince one day to see the ascetic. He said, “Reverend sir, my son is very rough and arrogant. Kindly tame him.” Saying so, the king handed over the prince to the ascetic’s care, and he went away.
The ascetic became friendly with the prince. Holding his hand while walking in the pleasure garden, he showed him a young neem tree shoot that had only two leaves on it. He said, “Look at this neem tree shoot. Take one of its leaves and taste it.” The prince did so, and as the leaf was very bitter, he spit it out with saliva. He then uprooted the young tree with one hand, and said, “If this is bitter like this now, when it becomes a big tree no doubt it will cause unhappiness for many.”
The ascetic said, “Look at this. The neem tree was bitter so you uprooted it. In the same way, your father’s ministers think of you that you are very rough and arrogant, and that if you become the king no doubt you will do many disastrous things. Thinking so, they too will kill you. Therefore, you must decide not to be rough, arrogant, and bad to people, and must live in a righteous and gentle way.” The ascetic advised the prince to be tame in this way.
On hearing this advice, the prince started to lead a life that was not rough and arrogant. After the death of his father, the king, he passed a very righteous and peaceful life and the people of the country prospered. In the end, he passed away leading a righteous life.
“At that time, the wicked prince was the wicked prince of today. The king at that time was the Venerable Ānanda. And the ascetic was I who am today the Buddha who is supreme in the whole world.” Saying this, the Buddha ended this Jātaka story.
The moral: “Wise advice can help one change.”
21 1 Gāvuta = ¼ Yojana, or a little less than 2 miles.
22 Salt and sours are not obtainable in the forest. In ancient times it was believed that these things were necessary to maintain one’s bodily health.
149. The Story of One Leaf (The Story of Shining Forth) [EkapaÏÏa-Jātaka (Virocana-Jātaka)]
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頂禮 H.H. 第三世多杰羌佛- 眾善奉行 