“Leave communication with the bad,
Make acquaintance with the worthy.
The bad one will push you to hell,
The worthy one will bring you closer to heaven.”
The Great Jataka on false teachings and the bodhisattva Narada
(Maha-Narada-Kassapa-Jātaka)
Jataka from the Pali Canon, Book 22 Maha-Nipata
On this page you can listen to the Great Jataka in audio format or read it yourself – the text is below.
We also invite you to listen to our comments in this Jataka:
00:19 – what is Jataka
02:11 – true and false knowledge – how to distinguish
09:03 – asceticism – what is it and what are they?
10:00 – magic of the new moon and full moon
11:47 – the magic of number 7 in our lives
13:00 – relativity of time – it’s like
14:20 – is there reincarnation?
15:18 – How the law of karma works
20:40 – how to live in order to be reborn well
Listen to Jataka in audio format and join our conversation about its meaning:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrzP2qarLDEhttps://youtu.be/KieWE8ZNHH4
Once reigned in Videha…” – this was said by the Teacher, while staying in Yashtivan Park, regarding the pacification of the ascetic Kashyapa from Urubilva. Soon after the Teacher set the wheel of his preaching of the best of teachings in motion, he came to Urubilva and tamed the shaggy ascetics who lived there in led by Kashyapa, and then, in order to fulfill the promise he had once given to the king of Magadha, he, surrounded by two thousand now former shaggy ascetics, came to Yashtivan Park. The king of Magadha also appeared there; he was accompanied by a retinue of one hundred and twenty thousand people. He approached the Ten-Powered One, bowed to him and sat down. And then a dispute arose among the Brahmin householders: “Which of these two is whose disciple: is Kashyapa of Urubilva the disciple of the great Sramana, or, on the contrary, the great Sramana his disciple?” decided to show them that he was the teacher, and Kashyapa from Urubilva was his apprentice, and therefore asked him:
“Listen, Kashyapa from Urubilva!
(You are otherwise called the Skinny):
You, they say, renounced sacrifices to fire?
Can you tell me why you did this?”
Thera understood what the Teacher was getting at and replied:
“I understood why sacrifices are made:
For prosperity in the future life,
To enjoy sight and hearing,
Beauties, food, drinks, –
And I saw pollution in this,
Therefore, I lost interest in sacrifices.”
And so that there would be no doubt about who was whose disciple, he bowed to the Tathagata, placed his feet on his head, and then soared above the ground to the height of one palm tree, then two and three, rising higher and higher until he reached the height of seven palm trees, and then went down, once again bowed to the Awakened One and sat down. Having seen such miracles, the crowd began to glorify the Teacher: “How wonderful is the great power of the Awakened One! After all, he was able to tame, cleanse from wrong views even this mighty ascetic – Kashyapa from Urubilva, who imagined himself to be a saint!” “It is not surprising,” the Teacher noted, “that I was able to tame him now, already possessing omniscience. After all, even before, when I was called Brahma Narada – and then I was not free from passions – I was able to break through the network of his erroneous views and tame him.” And at the request of those present, the Teacher spoke about the past.
“Once upon a time in the kingdom of Videhe, in its capital Mithila, a king named Angatiy ruled, and he was righteous and devoted to dharma. He had one and only daughter, her name was Ruja, beautiful and well-behaved; such a one is found only once in a hundred thousand centuries , it is impossible to wish for anything more perfect than her. She was born to the king by his main wife, and the other sixteen thousand wives of the king were barren. The king loved and cherished her very much. Every day he sent her jewelry and outfits made of fine fabrics and twenty-five baskets filled to the brim with fresh flowers , and also – a thousand coins each, so that she, without sparing either food or drink, could treat all the poor on full moons and new moons. And the king also had three advisers: Vijaya, Sunama and Alata. The holiday came – the full moon of the autumn month of Karttika. The city and the palace were decorated as if it were the abode of the gods. The king washed himself, rubbed himself with incense, put on his festive precious attire and, surrounded by many associates, sat on the open terrace, looked at the cloudless night sky, illuminated by the lunar disk, and suddenly turned to his advisers: “ What a wonderful night! What can we do for fun today?”
Once upon a time,
Angatiy, a valiant warrior, reigned in Videha.
He was rich in treasury and army,
and had plenty of chariots.
And then one bright night
(Then the autumn holiday came
and the full moon was celebrated),
He convenes those close to him –
Scientists, knowledgeable, skillful
and courteous in their behavior.
Alata the governor was here,
and with him were Sunama and Vijaya.
The king turned to them with a question:
“Tell me, what should we do?
Today is the full moon holiday,
The moon is shining in the clear sky.
How can we amuse ourselves,
Take advantage of this night?”
Then the Alata-voivode
was the first to answer the Tsar:
“It’s time for the wars to gather:
Let’s raise the army on alert
And with all our countless military strength
Let’s go on a campaign, O Kshatriya .
We haven’t defeated everyone yet,
But we would like to defeat everyone.
Therefore, I propose
to measure ourselves against our enemies .” force.”
Hearing this proposal,
Sunama did not agree with him:
“All your enemies, warrior,
have gathered in the capital today
And are no longer malicious,
But they recognize your supremacy.
Today is a holiday, don’t forget.
I don’t see the point in going on a campaign!
Isn’t it better for us to quickly
Send servants for a treat,
call the singers and musicians
and indulge in pleasures?
Hearing this proposal,
Vijaya did not agree with him:
“Pleasures, sir, are not new,
You will always give them to yourself.
Pleasures are familiar to us,
But there is little joy from them.
We need a Brahmana or a Sramana,
a Mentor and teacher of the dharma!
He will save us from doubts
and will give good instructions.”
Hearing this proposal,
the King exclaimed with approval:
“Vijaya proposes a matter,
His intention is successful!
We need a brahmana or sramana,
a Mentor and teacher of dharma.
He will relieve us of doubts
and give us good instructions.”
Hearing the speeches of the sovereign,
Alata the governor said:
“Living in our deer park
is an ascetic from the Kashyapa family
named Worthy – Guna;
He preaches skillfully
and is surrounded by disciples,
He walks naked, without clothes.
People consider him wise.”
Hearing the governor’s speeches,
Angatiy sent for the charioteer:
“Prepare, charioteer, the chariot,
We will go to the park immediately.”
He quickly brought a chariot
with an ivory seat.
With a silver border
She shone and sparkled,
Like the full moon in the sky;
Four trotters in a harness,
As if chosen, all of a white color,
And when running, they are as fast as the wind,
Moreover, they are not at all restive.
Everything was white: the body, the horses,
and the royal umbrella and fan.
Accompanied by his entourage,
the King rode out in a chariot
and was as beautiful as Chandra.
The horsemen galloped after them
and held their sabers drawn.
The king rode like this for no more than an hour;
Then he got off the chariot
and with his entourage
came to where the ascetic lived. The disciples and brahmins
sat around , the conversation flowed. The king did not bother anyone: He could not give orders here.
So, surrounded by all sorts of people, the king sat down nearby and warmly addressed the ascetic.
Not far away, the king sat down
on soft stuffed pillows,
made himself comfortable
and began a polite conversation:
“Do you have enough of everything?
Are you in good health now?
How do you get food
? Isn’t it difficult for you to live, venerable one?
Are you sick with any disease?
Do you complain? by sight?”
To Vedeha, a devotee of the dharma,
the Ascetic answered politely:
“Everything is fine with me.
Illnesses do not bother me.
Are you healthy, King Videhi?
Are you not bothered by riots? Are
your trotters healthy ? Is your
chariot broken?
Are you not tormented by illnesses?
They often happen.” They’re ruining the body!”
So King Videhi and the hermit
exchanged greetings.
The king did not waste time,
He immediately began asking questions
about what he should adhere to,
about the meaning of dharma and benefits:
“How to honor, according to dharma,
Father and mother? Answer, ascetic!
And what should we do with teachers?
What is our duty before the family?
How should one treat elders?
And how should one treat hermits, monks?
How should one treat an army?
What should one keep in control?
How to correctly fulfill the dharma,
To be happy after death?
Do they go to hell after death?”
Such questions would best be asked by the Truly Awakened One himself; if it is not there, then to the awakened-for-itself; if even that is not there, then to the disciple of the awakened one; and if there is no student, then to the Bodhisattva. And the king asked such important questions to the unknown, naked, lost Ajivika! It is clear that he could not give a decent answer. And, without thinking that it was about driving the bulls or taking out the trash after dinner, he declared: “Listen, sir,” and began to expound his false teaching.
And to the question of King Videha,
Kashyapa the ascetic answered:
“I will tell the true truth.
Listen to me, sir, diligently:
Whether you follow or do not follow the dharma,
there will be no fruit.
That world does not exist:
No one has returned from there,
No, sir, deceased ancestors,
Parents do not exist.
The teacher is useless in life:
The one who is violent by nature
cannot be pacified by the teacher.
All beings are equal to each other,
And there is no need to honor elders .
There is no point in work, in diligence,
And courage is always aimless.
All beings are drawn by fate,
Like a boat drawn by a towline.
What is destined is what you will receive.
There are no fruits of giving,
And offerings are useless.
There is no power, no effort.
Whoever is stupid brings gifts,
Whoever is smarter receives them.
And all fools are in self-deception
Involuntarily gift the smart.
There are only seven essences.
They are indecomposable, eternal:
Earth, water, fire and air,
Then – misfortune and happiness;
The soul is considered the seventh.
No one can decompose them,
These essences are indestructible,
And it is impossible to destroy them:
After all, the sword passes between them.
Whoever chops off a head on the chopping block
does not touch these essences.
How can you see murder here?
Let eighty kalpas pass,
Then four more kalpas –
Then all souls will be pure.
There is no deliverance before the deadline,
No matter what vows you keep.
And no matter how much good you do,
you will not speed up liberation;
But if you sin beyond measure,
you won’t slow down your liberation.
We will be purified gradually
Over eighty kalpas and longer.
You can’t overcome necessity –
After all, the sea won’t come ashore!”
Having listened to Guna’s teachings,
Alata the governor said:
“I confess, this teaching
seems plausible to me.
I remember a past birth,
Before this life:
I was a cattle slaughterer in it
And was known as Pingala.
In Varanasi, the great city,
I committed many sins, I
slaughtered livestock for meat without counting:
Pigs, sheep, goats, rams…
But after death I was born
Rich, the son of a commander.
This means there are no fruits of villainy,
Otherwise I would be in complete darkness!”
Алата заблуждался! Некогда он почтил цветами чайтью с останками десятисильного Кашьяпы. Потом, когда ему пришла пора умирать, сильнее своими последствиями оказались другие его поступки, и его странствие в мирском круговороте продолжалось по-всякому. Из-за какого-то дурного деяния он и родился забойщиком скота и натворил в той своей жизни много зла. Но потом, когда он умирал, давняя его заслуга – подношение чайтье – пересилила всё остальное – так огонь, что тлеет под золою, внезапно вырывается наружу. И получилось, что родился он сыном воеводы. А дальше своей предыдущей жизни он ничего не был в силах вспомнить, и потому решил, что нет плодов злодейства, и поддержал учение Гуны.
Сидел там раб неподалёку,
Что Биджакою прозывался.
Он Кашьяпу пришёл послушать,
Хоть и постился в полнолунье.
Услышал он ученье Гуны
И сказанное воеводой
И, тяжко-тяжко воздыхая,
Заплакал горькими слезами.
Его окликнул царь Видехи:
“Скажи, любезный, что ты плачешь?
Ты удручён какой-то вестью?
Что тяготит тебя? Откройся!”
Вопросу царскому внимая,
Ответил Биджака правдиво:
“Ничто не тяготит мне душу.
Послушай, царь, что расскажу я.
Я помню прошлое рожденье:
Там жизнь моя была счастливой.
Ведь был я в городе Сакете
Купцом и прозывался Бхава,
Был предан дхарме, уважаем;
Подвижникам и неимущим
Я неизменно был опорой;
Ни одного греха в той жизни
Я за собою не припомню.
Но после смерти я родился
Здесь сыном женщины несчастной
– Ведь я, Ведеха, сын рабыни, –
Теперь я неимущ и жалок.
Но, несмотря на свою бедность,
Я добродетели привержен,
Готов обедом поделиться
Со всеми, кто меня беднее.
По полнолуньям, новолуньям
Пост соблюдаю непреложно,
Зла никому не причиняю,
Не зарюсь на добро чужое.
А вот теперь, как оказалось,
Мои старанья бесполезны!
Ведь правильно сказал Алата –
От благочестия нет проку!
Мне просто выпало злосчастье –
Бросок костей был неудачен.
Игрок я, видно, никудышный.
Алата – вот игрок умелый,
Его бросок удачным вышел,
И выпало на долю счастье.
Врата небес теперь закрылись!
Что делать мне? Не понимаю!
Вот потому я и рыдаю,
Ученью Кашьяпы поверив”.
Bijaka didn’t know everything either. Once upon a time, during the time of ten-strong Kashyapa, he was looking for a missing ox in the forest. There he met a monk who was lost in the forest. He asked Bijaka how to get onto the road. Bijaka remained silent. The monk asked again, and he suddenly got angry and scolded him: “You are a slave, not a monk! Look, so persistent!” In that life, this act did not have time to affect itself, for other things were stronger, but it smoldered like coals under the ashes. Later, Bijaka, for his previous merits, was indeed born a merchant and was righteous in that life. Now he had to pay for a long-standing insult.
King Bijaki heard the story
and said the following word:
“It is impossible to achieve bliss,
We are unable to change fate. She alone sends us
any happiness or misfortune . The change of lives will cleanse us all, You can’t bring liberation closer. Until now, I have leaned towards the good, Ascetics and the poor I always helped with hunting, I cared about the good of the state – It turns out that I was just wasting time! “
“Venerable Kashyapa!” the king turned to the ascetic. “It turns out that I have wasted many years. Finally, I have a teacher! From now on I will indulge in only pleasures. And now I have no need to listen to your instructions – there is no need to hesitate any longer. You stay here while we head back.
Perhaps we’ll see each other, venerable one,
if fate wants it.”
King Videhi said this
and set off on his return journey.
Arriving at Guna, the king first greeted him, and only then started a conversation. Now he didn’t say goodbye – apparently Guna wasn’t even worthy of that. Well, there was no talk of treats or gifts. The king somehow passed the rest of the night, and the next morning he called his courtiers and announced:
“Let in Chandaka, my palace,
I will enjoy life,
From now on I don’t know anything!
Let advisers decide everything.
All state secrets
And daily worries
I trust those close to me!”
King Videhi said this
and plunged into pleasure;
I forgot the ascetics and the poor
and became indifferent to them.
So two weeks flew by,
and on the eve of the new moon,
my father’s favorite, the princess,
called her nurse to her.
And this is what happened during this time. It was the custom of the princess to visit her father every Full and New Moon. Surrounded by five hundred of her girlfriends, nannies and mothers, she, charming and lovely, came out of her seven-story palace of Rativaddhana, which means “Cultivator of Joys,” and headed towards her father’s palace Chandaka. The king greeted her with constant joy, received her cordially, and at parting gave her a thousand coins to give to those in need. The princess returned to her home, and the next day she certainly fasted, performed all the proper rituals and distributed generous gifts to the homeless, the poor, the destitute and the wretched. After all, for her usual expenses she had income from the whole district, which the king gave her to manage, and she managed with it without her father’s money. But this has been the case until now, and now an alarming rumor has spread throughout the city that the king had listened to enough of the speeches of the Ajivika and followed the false teaching.
That rumor reached the princess’s mothers, and they came to her with the news: “We heard, madam, that your father listened to the speeches of the Ajivika and accepted his false teaching. He ordered all four sheds at the city gates, where alms were previously distributed, to be destroyed. The servants “They grab married women and girls on the streets and drag him to him; he has completely abandoned running the state. In a word, he is obsessed with the pleasures of the flesh!”
The princess was saddened by such news and thought: “And how did it come into my father’s head to ask advice from the shameless, naked and beggarly Ajivika, who had lost all dignity! Why didn’t he go to a sramana or brahmana full of virtue, one of those who teach about deeds? and reward for them? That’s who we needed to learn wisdom from! And now, except me, there is no one to dissuade my father. I’ll have to do it myself. I’ll try to turn him on the right path. After all, I remember my seven past births and know what lies ahead for me in seven future ones. I will tell him about my past bad deeds and what they led to. Maybe then my father will come to his senses? Just don’t go to him today. It’s clear that he will ask: “Why did you come so soon? You always came to me once every two weeks.” And if I then answer him directly: “Father, I heard that you joined the wrong teaching, so you came,” he will ignore my words. Therefore, today go early. We have to wait for the new moon. I’ll come to him as usual, as if I’ve never heard of anything, and when I start getting ready to go back home, I’ll ask him for a thousand to give to the disadvantaged, he’ll tell me about his new views. Then I’ll try my best. I can, if only I can convince him.”
That’s what she decided on. And on the eve of the new moon, the princess called her nurse and said:
“Hurry up to decorate me,
dress up my girlfriends!
After all, tomorrow will be a new moon,
It’s time for me to visit my father.”
The maids brought garlands,
anointed Ruja with sandalwood
, and put on jewelry
made from gems and corals,
from jahonts and pearl beads.
Dressed in the best outfits,
She
went on a golden stretcher to visit the king.
Shining with her own beauty,
She became even more beautiful
Among her young girlfriends.
So, surrounded by her confidantes,
Shining with her festive attire,
the princess entered Chandaka
and illuminated everything with a sparkle,
like blinding lightning.
She approached Vedeha,
greeted him courteously
, and sat down next to him on a seat
with shiny gold trim. King Videhi warmly received
her, and with her her girlfriends,
like heavenly apsaras, and said the following word: “Are you satisfied with your life? Do you spend time in fun? Do you swim in the pond, as before? Are the dishes varied? What kind of ideas do you have? Do you weave arbors from flowers? And if something is missing, Tell me – I will give orders! It seems to me that you have rubbed yourself with not the best rubbing. Perhaps you need sandalwood?” So Vedekha asked his daughter. The princess answered him: “I, sir, have enough of everything, I don’t know of being denied anything. But tomorrow is a new moon, a holiday. I need a thousand karshapans to give to the poor – I, as always, help them.” To this speech of Princess Ruja, King Angatiy answered Her like this: “You are wasting a lot of money in vain: Gifts have no meaning! For some reason you keep fasts; Probably, this is fate, And you fast involuntarily. But I don’t see any good in fasting. About Bijaka “Did you hear the slave? He, too, was committed to fasting, and when he listened to Guna’s speech, he cried bitter tears. Live while you live, Ruja! You shouldn’t deny yourself. There is no other world, Why torture yourself in vain?” Having listened to the speech of King Videha, the beautiful princess Ruja, knowing about the future and the past, uttered the following word: “I used to know by hearsay, Now I saw with my own eyes: Whoever deals with a fool will certainly become stupid. strengthened in error. Neither Bijaka, nor below Alata surprises me at all. But you have always been so intelligent, So experienced and mature in judgment – How could you, along with the fools, Succumb to a false view? And if the course of things itself cleanses us, Why then is asceticism Guna? In delusion, he torments himself in vain, Like a moth flying to a lamp. Whoever believes that efforts are fruitless, Will not stop before an evil deed, And it is difficult to get rid of the consequences,
Like being hooked by a fish that swallowed it.
I will give you a comparison,
listen to me carefully!
It happens that a reasonable person
grasps the essence of the matter immediately
when he hears a comparison.
Imagine a merchant ship,
Overloaded with goods:
It will sink under an exorbitant load
in ocean waters.
So a person, little by little
accumulating atrocities,
under their immeasurable burden
, will drown in hell, as if in the abyss.
As for Alata the governor,
So far he is only accumulating sins,
But in the future he will have to
experience bad births.
Alata too, the king of Videha,
Once accumulated merit,
So now he is happy.
But this good is not for long:
He bowed to the unworthy,
left the right path
and moves along the bad path.
Now – another comparison.
Take two cups with a rocker
and load one of the cups:
The cup free from the load
will rise on the rocker.
So, if a person of merit
Accumulates little by little,
They will lift him to the sky,
And this will happen to Bijaka.
And those misfortunes and hardships
that he is experiencing now are
the consequences of the bad deeds
he committed in a past life.
But all the bad things will soon blow away,
For now he is well-behaved.
Don’t listen to Kashyapa, lord!
Don’t follow false teaching!
You fall under the influence
of the One with whom you spend time together,
whether he is a righteous person or a sinner.
Whoever a person makes friends with,
Whom he often visits,
He will become like that one.
When two things lie next to each other,
Touch each other –
One will stain the other.
An arrow poisoned with poison
will leave some of it in the quiver.
A reasonable husband will beware of
communication with an ignoble person –
it will not take long for him to become infected with sin.
After all, if you
touch a rotten fish with the end of a blade of grass,
the blade of grass will smell of rot.
This is what communicating with a fool is like!
And if
you bring a leaf from a tree to the fragrant tagara,
it will also become fragrant –
This is what communication with the wise is like!
Consider that your mind is a basket,
and in it are the fruits of your deeds.
Be reasonable, lord!
Leave communication with the bad,
make acquaintance with the worthy.
The bad one pushes you towards hell,
the worthy one brings you closer to heaven.”
So the princess tried to persuade her father to do good. And then she told about her previous sin and how she paid for it:
“I remember my seven births,
Preceding this life,
And I know about the seven future ones.
In the seventh birth ago,
I was a man, lord. I
lived in Magadha, in Rajagriha, I
was engaged in blacksmithing . Having met a
bad comrade,
I committed a lot of sins, I
got mired in adultery.
It seemed to me that I was immortal.
The bad deed was preserved,
Like fire under a layer of ashes,
And after that I was born
Thanks to other deeds
In the capital of Vatsa, in Kaushambi,
In the family of a rich merchant
As their only heir,
And everyone there pleased me.
I I met a good friend,
He was smart and educated,
He set me on the right path.
All new moons and full moons
I fasted as expected.
A good deed was preserved,
Like a treasure near a reservoir,
But the fruit of past bad deeds,
Once committed in Magadha,
Has now ripened and it manifested itself,
Like a poison, and did not act immediately.
I was born in the “hell of lamentations”
And I was roasted there for a long time,
It’s hard to even remember about it!
After all, for countless years I
endured severe suffering.
Then I was born in Bhennakata –
I was a emasculated goat there;
Carrying dignitaries in carts,
She paid for her debauchery.
And after death I was born
in a dense forest as a monkey.
The leader bit off my scrotum:
I continued, King of Videhi,
to pay for my debauchery.
Then I was born in Dasharna,
I was a bullock there,
I paid for my debauchery.
And after that, Vedeha,
I was reborn as a human,
But when I was born I was asexual –
My retribution continued.
And after that I became
a Heavenly maiden in Indra’s retinue,
wore bright clothes
and expensive jewelry, and delighted the King of the gods
with skillful singing and dancing . Here are my seven past births. I also know the ones to come. Now the good that I accomplished in Kaushambi will manifest itself, And in the next seven lives I will again be a man, and then an inhabitant of the sky. I will be happy all the time, But for the first six of my births I will have to remain a woman. But in the seventh existence I will finally become a man – Not on earth, but in the heavenly world. They are already preparing garlands of Divine Santana flowers for me. I know the agile celestial Java will put them on me . What for the gods is only one hour,
Sixteen full years for mortals,
And day and night in the heavenly world is
a century of earthly counting.
Countless births
entail actions,
and neither good nor bad
deeds disappear.
Whoever wants to always be a man
must beware of fornication,
Like a man who has washed his feet,
avoids puddles.
And if a woman wants
to become a man in future lives,
let her wife honor him
like an apsara, the ruler of the gods.
And whoever desires good things in heaven
And a long life in the heavenly world,
Let him avoid sins
And in thoughts, and in speeches, and in deeds,
Let him follow the Dharma diligently,
There is always benefit from this,
Whether you are a woman or a man.
All those who in our world, sir,
Live in splendor, in abundance,
Once lived righteously, believe me:
We are all heirs of our actions.
What do you think, King Videhi:
Why do you bring the dancers closer to you,
and give them outfits and jewelry?
Perhaps they deserve it?”
So the good-natured princess
consoled her father with a story,
trying to dissuade him.
Beginning in the morning, their conversation lasted all day and all night. At the end, the princess once again prayed: “Don’t listen, sir, to the harmful speeches of this naked ascetic! Listen to me, I’m your friend and I don’t wish you anything but good. Remember: there is this light, there is that light, there are fruits in the world good and bad deeds! Don’t drink from a dirty source!” And yet she failed to dissuade her father. He held tightly to his destructive delusion. This often happens to parents: they are always pleased to hear how well their beloved child speaks, but they are not inclined to delve into the essence of his speeches. And at that hour the news had already spread throughout the city: “They say that Princess Ruja is teaching the king the dharma, trying to dissuade him,” and all the townspeople rejoiced and hoped: “Our princess is smart, she will be able to save her father from harmful views and will benefit us all! ” But the princess failed to reason with her father. However, she did not lose heart. “In any way I need to heal the king from delusion!” – she decided, bowed to all ten cardinal directions, folded her hands prayerfully above her head, and offered up a prayer: “After all, there are still those in the world on whom the light stands – there are shramanas and brahmans devoted to the dharma, there are celestials – the guardians of the cardinal directions, there are Great Brahmas! Let one of them come to the rescue and with their strength free the king from harmful views! Even if he himself does not deserve it – may they come for the sake of my strength, my virtues, my truth, may they deliver him from harmful views for the good to the whole world!”
The Bodhisattva was then the Great Brahma; his name was Narada. And it is known that bodhisattvas, out of their great compassion and mercy, look around the whole world from time to time and check which of the beings is following the righteous path and which is unrighteous. And on that very day, the Bodhisattva, looking around the world, saw the king’s daughter and heard her prayer. “No one but me is able to save her father from harmful views. Today I must show her mercy; I will appear there, enlighten and benefit the king and his entourage. But what form should I take?” – thought the bodhisattva. And he decided this: “People respect and honor ascetics. Perhaps I will turn into an ascetic.” At that same moment he took on a handsome human form – he turned into a light-skinned ascetic. His neat hermit’s braid was secured with a gold hairpin; he was dressed in matting, painted red on the outside and inside; A silver antelope skin, colored with golden images of luminaries, was thrown over the shoulder, and it was fastened with a string of pearls. In his hand the ascetic held a golden bowl for collecting alms, and on his shoulder lay a yoke, also of red gold, from the end of which hung a coral jug in the shape of a gourd on a pearl thread. In this guise of a seer-hermit, Narada flew through the air, showing off like a moon in the sky, and, hovering above the floor, appeared on the terrace of Chandaka’s palace before the royal gaze.
Narada himself from the world of Brahma,
surveying Jambudvipa,
noticed King Angatiya
and descended to him on earth.
When he appeared in the guise of
a seer before the king of Videha,
Princess Ruja
bowed gratefully and reverently before him.
And the king, in great amazement,
immediately descended from the throne
and asked the guest in confusion:
“Where did you come from, godlike,
Shining like Chandra on a cloudless night?
Who are you from and what is your name?”
“This king imagines that the other world does not exist, and I will deliberately immediately remind him of it,” thought Narada and replied:
“I came here from the heavenly world,
shining like Chandra on a cloudless night.
Know, sir, that I am Kashyapa by birth,
known in the world under the name of Narada.”
“I’ll still have time to ask about that world,” the king thought. “I’ll find out first where he got his supernatural abilities.” And he asked:
“O Narada, I am amazed at this miracle:
How can you soar without touching the ground?
Why did you get such an ability?”
Narada replied:
“I have long been devoted to dharma and truth.
I humbled my passions, I was always generous.
Because of this, I became faster than thought,
I instantly find myself in any worlds.”
This answer did not dispel the king’s delusions; he stubbornly adhered to his false views. He did not believe in the existence of that world and said doubtfully:
“Что ты рассказал мне – поистине, чудо:
Заслуги, выходит, отнюдь не бесплодны
(Вот только не знаю я, верно ли это).
Позволишь ли порасспросить тебя дальше?
Но только я жду непритворных ответов”
Нарада ответил:
“Спроси, о чём хочешь, владыка Видехи.
Я тут же рассею любые сомненья,
Скажу о причинах, примеры напомню,
В моих рассужденьях не будет изъяна”.
Тогда царь задал свой вопрос:
“Нарада, ответь нелицемерно:
Есть ли в мире боги? Есть ли предки?
Существует ли на самом деле
То, что называется “тем светом”?”
Нарада ответил:
“Есть и боги в мире, есть и предки,
И на самом деле существует
То, что называется “тем светом”.
Глупые и чувственные люди –
Лишь они не знают о том свете,
Ибо держатся превратных взглядов”.
Тут царь с насмешкой предложил:
“Если, Нарада, ты тоже веришь,
Что умершие на этом свете
Просто на тот свет переселились,
Одолжи мне здесь пятьсот каршапан –
На том свете тысячу получишь!”
Но Нарада его при людях осадил:
“Будь ты добронравен и надёжен –
Дал бы я тебе пятьсот каршапан,
Но теперь ссужать тебя опасно:
Как очутишься ты в преисподней,
Долг с тебя взыскать никто не сможет.
Кто бездельничает в этой жизни,
Ленится, бесчинствует, буянит,
Тот от умных не получит ссуды,
Ведь возврата будет не дождаться.
А тому, кто может заработать,
Добронравен, опытен, надёжен,
Люди сами в долг дают охотно:
На такого можно положиться”.
Царь прикусил язык, а люди обрадовались и преисполнились надежды: “Этот божественный провидец и впрямь могуч умом. Уж он-то заставит нашего царя отказаться от пагубных воззрений!” И столь велика была волшебная сила бодхисаттвы, что во всей Митхиле, протянувшейся на семь йоджан, люди, затая дыхание, внимали его проповеди дхармы. “Царь упрямо цепляется за свои взгляды, – подумал Великий. – Надо бы его сначала припугнуть, рассказать об адских муках, чтобы он скорей отрёкся от своих пагубных воззрений. Зато после я его утешу напоминанием о счастливых небожителях”. И он промолвил: “Если ты, царь, останешься при своих взглядах, ты непременно угодишь в ад и будешь мучиться бесконечно.
После смерти встретишься в кромешной
С жадным вороньём, исчадьем ада.
Грифы, коршуны, орлы, вороны
Исклюют тебя и растерзают.
Будешь ты, разодранный на части,
Окровавленный, в грязи валяться –
Позабудешь, что кому-то должен!
Там не светят ни Луна, ни Солнце,
Жутью дышит беспросветный сумрак,
Не бывает там ни дня, ни ночи;
Всяк махнёт рукой на свои деньги,
Только бы в аду не очутиться.
Двое кобелей могучих, рослых:
Первый – Светлый, а второй – Пятнистый,
Там железными клыками гложут
Всех, кто очутился в преисподней.
Хищники когда в тебя вгрызутся,
По кускам растащат твоё тело,
Будешь ты, разодранный на части,
Окровавленный, в грязи валяться –
Позабудешь, что кому-то должен!
Навостривши копья, пики, дроты,
Слуги ада, копоти чернее,
Колют и пронзают, стервенея,
Грешников, в кромешную попавших.
Не ищи от них спасенья в бегстве,
Всё равно ты будешь весь истерзан,
Вспорют тебе брюхо, кишки вынут,
Так забудешь, что кому-то должен!
Там с небес дождём летят секиры,
Стрелы, копья, топоры, кинжалы,
Люто накалённые, как угли;
Там из туч валится град каменьев,
Знойный ветер дует нестерпимо,
Нет ни малого отдохновенья.
Как начнёшь, измучившись, метаться,
Позабудешь, что кому-то должен!
Запрягут тебя в телегу бесы
Да начнут стрекалом тыкать в спину –
Побежишь по раскалённой лаве,
Позабудешь, что кому-то должен!
Вздумаешь ли на гору взобраться,
Бритвами утыканную плотно,
Источающую зной и ужас –
Бритвы рассекут тебя на части,
Будешь в собственной крови купаться
И забудешь, что кому-то должен!
Станешь ползать по горящим грудам,
Где трещат пылающие угли:
Как обуглишься да накричишься –
Позабудешь, что кому-то должен!
Растут там адские деревья,
Касаясь облаков вершиной;
На них железные колючки
Набухли человечьей кровью.
На эти страшные деревья
Служители судьи умерших
Мужчин и женщин загоняют,
Что предавались любострастью.
Тебя там то же ожидает,
И будешь лезть, окровавленный,
Пока всю кожу не оставишь
И не исколешь свои члены
На ужасающих колючках.
Тогда ты горько будешь плакать,
Раскаиваясь в прегрешеньях!
Ты даже кожи там лишишься,
Откуда же возьмутся деньги
С заимодавцем расплатиться!
Другие там растут деревья:
Мечи на ветках вместо листьев.
И будешь ты на них взбираться,
На ветках оставляя части
Обезображенного тела!
Едва ты вырвешься из леса –
В Вайтарани падёшь немедля;
Откуда же возьмешь ты деньги
С заимодавцем расплатиться!
Клокочет щёлочной водою,
Дымится адское теченье
Реки Вайтарани ужасной,
А в ней – железные кувшинки
И остро режущие листья!
Тебя, забрызганного кровью,
Река немедленно подхватит
И понесёт на эти листья;
Откуда же возьмешь ты деньги
С заимодавцем расплатиться!”
Услышав из уст Великого этот рассказ об адских муках, царь ужаснулся и с мольбой воззвал к нему:
“Как дерево под топором, я весь дрожу от страха.
Что делать мне? Куда идти? Я заблудился в мире!
Я в ужасе от дел своих, раскаиваюсь горько!
Одна надежда на тебя, провидец!
Дай мне воды напиться в знойный полдень,
Будь островом среди морской пучины,
Стань светочем средь темноты кромешной!
Дай наставление о дхарме и о пользе.
Увы! Я в прошлом тяжко провинился.
Скажи, как мне очиститься, провидец?
Как избежать паденья в бездну ада?”
Отвечая ему, Великий упомянул о славных царях былых времён:
“Живи теперь, как Дхритараштра,
Как Вишвамитра, Джамадагни,
Как Ушинара и царь Шиби.
Во всём отныне следуй дхарме,
И обретёшь обитель Шакры.
Пусть в Чандаке, твоём дворце,
И Митхиле, столице царства,
Отныне возглашают слуги:
“Кто жаждет? Кто проголодался?
Кому нужны цветов гирлянды?
А кто нуждается в одежде?
Кому-то, может, для прогулок
Нужны сандалии и зонтик?”
Пусть дважды в день так возглашают.
Тех, кто состарился в работе,
Не заставляй трудиться больше,
Но содержать ты их обязан,
Будь это люди иль скотина:
Они заботу заслужили”.
Так Нарада дал царю наставление, восхвалив щедрость и нравственное поведение. А заключил он речь сравнением царя с колесницей, ибо знал, что Ангатию такое сравнение должно непременно понравиться:
“We will call the body a chariot,
And the charioteer will be a skillful mind,
The axle will be the non-infliction of evil,
And the shields will be distribution to the poor.
We will represent the legs as rims, And
the arms will be the rim.
Lubrication is abstinence from gluttony;
If there is no creak, you are restrained in speech.
Solid body – this is fidelity to the word;
The gentleness of speech is the smoothness of its progress;
A pole with a banner over the chariot is
Modesty, worship with prayer; Lack
of arrogance is a straight pole;
And the reins are self-restraint;
Its smooth movement is non-anger,
On top flaunts a shiny
Umbrella – it means loyalty to the dharma. The
handrail will be your knowledge.
And the seat will be equanimity of spirit.
The spokes will be knowledge of circumstances,
Humility is called the yoke,
And the bedding will be vivacity of thought.
Memory is the goad of the driver,
Courage and yoga are the bridle ,
If the mind is humble, it rides straight,
Avoiding the whims-potholes.
Suddenly the trotter bends down to the side of the road
(This means that something is seen or heard,
Something tastes and smells pleasant,
diverting attention to the side) –
Then the trotter is the charioteer – your essence –
Drives on with wisdom mercilessly.
The one who firmly drives the chariot,
rides on a smooth and straight road,
will fulfill his desires
and will forever escape the pitch black road.
You asked me, sir, to teach you a righteous life and show you the path to salvation from hellish torment, so all this is set out in detail and clearly!” So Narada taught the king the dharma, saved him from harmful delusions and encouraged him to take vows of good morals. “Henceforth “Avoid bad friends and look for good ones, and don’t let yourself go!” he finally instructed Angatiya, praised the princess, gave good advice to the royal wives and those close to him, and in full view of everyone, he set off, resplendent in splendor, back to the world of Brahma.” “As you see, monks,” the Teacher repeated, “not only now, but also before, I was able to break the network of harmful views and tame Kashyapa of Urubilva.” And he identified the rebirths: “Alata then was Devadatta, Sunama was Bhadrajyt, Vijaya was Shariputra, Bijaka was Maudgalyayana, the naked ascetic Guna was Sunakshatra from the Lichchhava tribe, princess Ruja was Ananda, king Angatiya was Kashyapa from Urubilva, and the Great Brahma Narada was me myself.”
