Buddhist birth stories; or, Jataka tales, Volume 1
Religion
Buddhist birth stories; or, Jataka tales, Volume 1
Jataka stories, English
“By this you ruin me,” exclaimed the rāja; “quickly get ready concerts
and plays to be performed before my son. So long as he continues in the
enjoyment of pleasure, he will not turn his thoughts to forsaking the
world!” Then increasing the guards, he placed them at each point of the
compass, at intervals of half a league.
Again, one day, when the future Buddha, as he was going to his pleasure
ground, saw a sick man represented by the gods, he made the same
inquiry as before; and then, with agitated heart, turned back and
re-entered his palace. The king also made the same inquiry, and gave
the same orders as before; and again increasing the guard, placed them
all round at a distance of three-quarters of a league.
Once more, when the future Buddha, as he was going to his pleasure
ground, saw a dead man represented by the gods, he made the same
inquiry as before; and then, with agitated heart, turned back and
re-entered his palace. The king also made the same inquiry, and gave
the same orders as before; and again increasing the guard, placed them
all round at a distance of a league.
Once again, when the future Buddha, as he was going to his pleasure
ground, saw one who had abandoned the world, carefully and decently
clad, he asked his charioteer, “Friend, what kind of man is that?”
As at that time there was no Buddha at all in the world, the
charioteer understood neither what a mendicant was nor what were his
distinguishing characteristics; but nevertheless, inspired by the gods,
he said, “That is a mendicant friar;” and described the advantages of
renouncing the world. And that day the future Buddha, cherishing the
thought of renouncing the world, went on to his pleasure ground.
The repeaters of the Dīgha Nikāya,[190] however, say that he saw all
the four Omens on the same day, and then went to his pleasure ground.
There he enjoyed himself during the day and bathed in the beautiful
lake; and at sunset seated himself on the royal resting stone to be
robed. Now his attendants brought robes of different colours, and
various kinds of ornaments, and garlands, and perfumes, and ointments,
and stood around him.
At that moment the throne on which Sakka was seated became warm.[191]
And thinking to himself, “Who is it now who wants me to descend from
hence?” he perceived that the time for the adornment of the future
Buddha had come. And he said to Vissakamma, “Friend Vissakamma, the
young noble Siddhattha, to-day, at midnight, will carry out the Great
Renunciation. This is the last time he will be clad in splendour. Go to
the pleasure ground and adorn him with heavenly array.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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