T2043 The Biographical Scripture of King Aśoka

THE BIOGRAPHICAL SCRIPTURE OF KING ASOKA dBET Alpha PDF Version © 2017 All Rights Reserved

Title Page

BDK English Tripitaka 76-11 THE BIOGRAPHICAL SCRIPTURE OF KING ASOKA

Translated from the Chinese of Samghapala (Taishö, Volume 50, Number 2043) by

Li Rongxi

Numata Center

for Buddhist Translation and Research 1993

Copyright

© 1993 by Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai and Numata Center for Buddhist Translation and Research All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transcribed in any form or by any means— electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise— without the prior written permission of he publisher. First Printing, 1993

ISBN: 0-9625618-4-3

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 92-082067 Published by

Numata Center for Buddhist Translation and Research 2620 Warring Street

Berkeley, California 94704

Printed in the United States of merica

A Message on the Publication of

the English Tripitaka

The Buddhist canon is said to contain eighty-four thousand different teachings. I believe that this is because the Buddha's basic approach was to prescribe a different treatment for every spiritual ailment, much as a doctor prescribes a different medicine for every medical ailment. Thus his teachings were always appropriate for the particular suffering individual and for the time at which the teaching was given, and over the ages not one of his prescriptions has failed to relieve the suffering to which it was addressed.

Ever since the Buddha's Great Demise over twenty-five hundred years ago, his message of wisdom and compassion has spread throughout the world. Yet no one has ever attempted to translate the entire Buddhist canon into English throughout the history of Japan. It is my greatest wish to see this done and to make the translations available to the many English-speaking people who have never had the opportunity to learn about the Buddha's teachings.

Of course, it would be impossible to translate all of the Buddha's eighty-four thousand teachings in a few years. I have, therefore, had one hundred thirty-nine of the scriptural texts in the prodigious Taisho edition of the Chinese Buddhist canon selected for inclusion in the First Series of this translation project.

It is in the nature of this undertaking that the results are bound to be criticized. Nonetheless, I am convinced that unless someone takes it upon himself or herself o initiate this project, it will never be done. At the same time, I hope that an improved, revised edition will appear in the future.

It is most gratifying that, thanks to the efforts of more than a hundred Buddhist scholars from the East and the West,

Editorial Foreword

Message

this monumental project has finally gotten off he ground. May the rays of the Wisdom of the Compassionate One reach each and every person in the world. August 7, 1991 NUMATAYehan

Founder of he English Tripitaka Project vi

Editorial Foreword

In January, 1982, Mr. NUMATA Yehan, the founder of the Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai (Society for the Promotion of uddhism), decided to begin the monumental task of the complete translation of the Taisho edition of the Chinese Buddhist canon into the English language. Under his leadership, a special preparatory committee was organized in April, 1982, and by July of the same year the Translation Committee of the English Tripitaka (Scriptures) was officially convened.

The initial Committee consisted of he following thirteen members: HANAYAMA Shoyu (Chairman); Band5 Shojun; ISHIGAMI Zenno; KAMATA Shigeo; KANAOKA Shuyu; MAYEDA Sengaku; NARA Yasuaki; SAYEKI Shinko; (late) SHIOIRI Ryotatsu; TAMARU Noriyoshi; (late)TAMURA Kwansei; URYUZU Ryushin; and YUYAMA Akira. Assistant members of the Committee were as follows: KANAZAWA Atsushi; Watanabe Shogo; Rolf Giebel of ew Zealand; and Rudy Smet of Belgium.

Holding planning meetings on a monthly basis, the Committee has selected one hundred thirty-nine scriptures and texts for the First Series of translations, an estimated one hundred printed volumes in all. Scriptures and texts selected are not necessarily limited to those originally written in India but also include works written or composed in China or Japan. All the volumes in the First Series are scheduled for publication within the twentieth century. While the publication of he First Series proceeds, the scriptures and texts for the Second Series, which is expected to be published in the following ten- or twenty-year period, will be selected from among the remaining works; this process will continue until all the scriptures and texts, in Japanese as well as in Chinese, have been published. Frankly speaking, it will take perhaps one hundred years or more to accomplish the English translation of the complete vii

Publisher’s Foreword

Editorial Foreword

Chinese and Japanese scriptures and texts, which consist of housands of orks. Nevertheless, as Mr. NUMATA wished, it is the sincere hope of the Committee that this project will continue unto completion, even after all its present members have passed away. It must be mentioned here that the final object of this project is not academic fulfillment but the transmission of he teaching of the Buddha to the whole world in order to create harmony and peace among mankind.

More than eighty Buddhist scholars in the West and in the East, all well qualified to be translators of the Chinese and Japanese scriptures and texts, have agreed to translate certain selected works. It is really a great pleasure for the Committee to announce that more than forty-five translations have already een received as of the end of September, 1992. The present members of the Translation Committee of the BDK English Tripitaka are HANAYAMA Shoyu (Chairman); BANDO Shojun; ISHIGAMI Zenno; ICHISHIMA Shoshin; KAMATA Shigeo; KANAOKA Shuyu; MAYEDA Sengaku; NARA Yasuaki; SAYEKI Shinko; TAMARU Noriyoshi; URYUZU Ryushin; and YUYAMA Akira. Assistant members are WATANABE Shogo and SUZUKI Koshin. Commemorating the ninety-fourth birthday of Mr. NUMATA Yehan, the Committee published the following three texts in a limited edition in April, 1991:

(1) The Lotus Sutra (Taisho No. 262)

(2) The Sutra on Upasaka Precepts (Taisho No. 1488) (3) The Summary of he Great Vehicle (Taisho No. 1593) In December, 1991, the Publication Committee headed by Prof. Philip Yampolsky was organized. New editions of the above volumes and the remaining texts will be published under the supervision of his Committee.

September 10, 1992 HANAYAMA Shdyu

Chairman

Translation Committee of

the BDK English Tripitaka

Publisher's Foreword

It was in December, 1991, at the Numata Center for Buddhist Translation and Research in Berkeley, California, that a publication committee was established for the purpose of seeing into print the translations of the Chinese and Japanese Buddhist works in the BDK English Tripitaka Series. This committee will perform the duties of copyediting, formatting, proofreading, indexing, consulting with the translators on questionable passages, and so on—the routine duties of any publishing house. Represented on the committee are specialists in Sanskrit, Chinese, and Japanese, who will attempt to ensure that fidelity to the texts is maintained.

This Publication Committee is dedicated to the production of lucid and readable works that will do justice to the vision of Mr. NUMATA Yehan in his desire to make available to Western readers the major works of the Chinese and Japanese Buddhist canon.

"Taisho" refers to the Taisho Shinshu Daizokyo (Newly Revised Tripitaka Inaugurated in the Taisho Era), which was published during the period from 1924 to 1934. This consists of one hundred volumes, in which as many as 3,360 scriptures in both Chinese and Japanese are included. This edition is acknowledged to be the most complete Tripitaka of the Northern tradition of Buddhism ever published in the Chinese and Japanese languages. The series number on the spine and title page of each volume will correspond to the number assigned to the work by the Translation Committee of the BDK English Tripitaka in Tokyo. A list of the volume numbers is appended at the end of the text. For the convenience of scholars who may wish to turn to the original texts, Taisho page and column numbers are provided in the left-hand margins of each volume. No attempt will be made to standardize IX

Table of Contents

Publisher's Foreword

the English translations of uddhist technical terms; these are left to the discretion of he individual translators. Those participating in the work of this committee are Diane Ames, William Ames, Brian Galloway, David Hall, Nobuo Haneda, and Rev. Seishin Yamashita.

Philip Yampolsky

Chairman

September 10, 1992 Publication Committee

Contents

A Message on the Publication of he English Tripitaka Numata Yehan v

Editorial Foreword HANAYAMA Shôyü vii Publisher's Foreword Philip Yampolsky ix Translator's Introduction Li Rongxi 1 Chapter I The Causes of is Birth 3 Chapter II The Causes of Seeing Upagupta 21 Chapter III The Causes of Making Offerings to the Bodhi Tree 39

The Causes of itasoka

Chapter IV The Causes of Kunàla 63 Chapter V The Causes of Offering Half an Amra Fruit to the Sangha 81

Chapter VI The Causes of he Buddha's Prediction Concerning Upagupta 91

Chapter VII The Causes of he Transmission of the Dharma-pitaka by the Five Disciples of the Buddha 107

The Causes of Kâsyapa; The Causes of Ânanda; The Causes of adhyàntika; The Causes of Sânakavâsin; The Causes of Upagupta; The Causes of Sànakavâsin's Attainment of he Way Chapter VIII The Causes of Upagupta's Disciples 147 The Causes of the Son of a Tigress; The Causes of Gorasa; The Causes of a Southern Indian; The Causes of a Northern Indian; The Causes of Devaraksita; The Causes of he Brahman with the View That the Ego Is Real; The Causes of leepiness; The Causes of the Provisor; The Causes of xi

Translator’s Introduction

Contents

the Artisan; The Causes of Food and Drink; The Causes of Contentment with Few Desires; The Causes of he Ràksasas; The Causes of he Tree; The Causes of a Miser; The Causes of the Ghost; The Causes of Being Bitten by Vermin; The Causes of Contemplation on a Skeleton; The Causes of varice; The Causes of a Bamboo Brush; The Causes of Parental Sentiment; The Causes of the River; The Causes of a Whim in Meditation; The Causes of the Cowherds; The Causes of the Transformed Person; The Causes of Taking No Delight in the Dwelling Place; The Causes of a Monk's Pewter Staff; The Causes of udarsana; The Causes of the Fief or a Monastery; The Causes of Dhitika

Glossary

Index

A List of he Volumes of he BDK English Tripitaka (First Series)

185

189

195

xii

Translator's Introduction

In the Chinese Tripitaka there are two texts giving legendary accounts of he life of ing Asoka (reigned ca. 265-238 B.C.E. or ca. 273-232 B.C.E.), the third Maurya ruler of Magadha. He was the grandson of Candragupta, the founder of the Maurya dynasty (321-184 B.C.E.), which had its capital at Pataliputra. The first of the texts is the A-yu-wang-zhuan (Asokavadana) or Biography of King Asoka (Taisho No. 2042), translated into Chinese in seven fascicles by An Faqin, a monk from Anxi (Parthia), who came to Luo-yang in the second year of ai-kang (281 C.E.) during the reign of Emperor Wu of the Western Jin dynasty. The second text is Samghapala's Chinese translation (512 C.E.) of he A-yu-wang-jing (Asokarajasutra) or Sutra of King Asoka (T. No. 2043) in ten fascicles, upon which the present English translation is based. In spite of the legendary style of the presentation, this biographical work, of hich the original Sanskrit text is little known, gives accounts of the major events in the life of King Asoka that are historically verifiable through comparative studies of reliable written records and archaeological findings. Although the exact date of the original text is unascertainable, it may be said that it was composed no earlier than 184 B.C.E., when the Maurya dynasty collapsed, because this event is mentioned in the work. In this work the last king of the Maurya dynasty is given as Pusyamitra, but according to Brahmanical accounts Pusyamitra was the name of general of ing Brhaddhanus, the last monarch of hat dynasty. This general Pusyamitra is said to have killed the king, usurped the throne, and founded the Sunga dynasty in 184 B.C.E.

Besides recounting the major events in the life of ing Asoka, this work devotes half of its space to stories concerning the six patriarchs who succeeded the Buddha in transmitting the Dharma: 1

Contents

Translator's Introduction

Mahakasyapa, Ananda, Madhyantika, Sanakavasin, Upagupta, and Dhitika. It also includes some other stories for the elucidation of the Dharma. Dhitika is unknown to Southern Buddhism and may be looked upon as a hint of the Mahayanist tendency of this work; this hint is enhanced by a sort of hort dharani (incantation) in Chinese transliteration in Chapter VIII (which has been restored to the nearest possible romanized Sanskrit by my friend Professor Wu Baihui of he Institute of Philosophy of he Chinese Academy of Social Sciences).

Samghapala (459-524 C.E.), the translator of the Chinese version of the A-yu-wang-jing, was a monk from the kingdom of Funan (in the eastern part of resent-day Thailand), who came to China during the Qi dynasty (479-501 C.E.) and stayed at Zhengguan Monastery in the capital, where he studied Mahayana texts under the Indian monk Gunabhadra and "mastered the languages of several countries" (see Continued Biographies of Eminent Monks, Fasc. I, T. No. 2060). When Emperor Wu of the Liang dynasty came to power, he invited Samghapala in the fifth year of Tian-jian (506 C.E.) to translate Buddhist texts into Chinese. In the course of the subsequent seventeen years, he translated eleven Buddhist texts into Chinese, making a total of orty-eight fascicles, including the A-yu-wang-jing and the Vimuktimarga, with the assistance of Chinese Buddhist monks and lay scholars under imperial patronage. In the fifth year of Pu-tong (524 C.E.), he died of llness at the age of sixty-five at Zheng-guan Monastery. Li Rongxi

Beijing

June 5, 1987

2

Chapter I

The Causes of His Birth

131b The Buddha was once staying at Bamboo Grove Monastery in Kalandaka's garden near Rajagrha. One day he rose early, dressed himself in his robe, and, with a group of bhiksus (mendicants), carried his alms bowl to the city of ajagrha to collect alms. At that moment, a gatha (stanza) was heard in the air: The Buddha's body is like a golden mountain,

Walking with the gait of an elephant king.

So serene and dignified are his features,

His face resembles the full moon.

Surrounded by a group of bhiksus,

He is proceeding to the city.

When the World-honored One had ust stepped on the threshold of the gate while he was entering the city, there occurred various miraculous events: the blind recovered their sight, the deaf ained their hearing, the dumb could speak, and the paralyzed could walk; those who were confined in prisons gained liberty and those who bore grudges and hatred became merciful; calves were released spontaneously from their tethers and returned to their mothers; all animals—elephants, horses, cows, and so on—trumpeted, neighed, and mooed aloud with great delight; all birds—parrots, mynas, cuckoos, peacocks, and the like—caroled merrily in concord; all ornaments—rings, bracelets, hairpins, earrings, and all kinds of precious things—clinked melodiously of themselves in their cases; and all musical instruments sounded naturally. At that moment, the earth became clean of itself, free of all sorts of filth, debris, rubble, brambles, and poisonous plants; and it 3

-Chapter I

quaked in six ways—when the east rose up the west sank down, when the west rose up the east sank down, when the south rose up the north sank down, when the north rose up the south sank down, when the center rose up the four sides sank down, when the four sides rose up the center sank down, and it all rolled round and round. Such were the wonderful and extraordinary events that happened then. At that moment, another stanza was heard from the air:

The whole earth depends

On the four seas,

With the countries, cities, and mountains As its ornaments.

When the World-honored One trod on the earth, It quaked in six ways,

Like a boat upon the seas

Blown by a blast of ind.

When the Buddha entered the city, his divine powers caused i3ic all the people to dance with delight, like water in the great sea agitated by the wind. All the people uttered the following stanza:

Of all pleasures in this world, None surpasses that of the Buddha entering the country. When the earth quakes in six ways, All rubble is removed without remnant. Those who are imperfect in sense organs Become perfect and complete.

All sorts of usical instruments Produce lovely songs by themselves. The Buddha's light shines upon all lands Like a thousand suns illuminating the world. Fragrant water is sprinkled over the ground, Which is anointed with powdered sandalwood. This city of his country at this moment Is the best in decoration and adornment. 4

The Causes of His Birth

At that time the World-honored One walked to the main road, where there were two children, one of whom was the son of an agrakulika (one of prominent family) and the other the son of a kulika (one of good family). These two children were playing on a heap of sand. The first one was named Jaya and the second one Vijaya. When the two of hem saw the Buddha marked on his body with the thirty-two characteristics, the first child put a handful of sand, as if t were cooked rice, into the Buddha's alms bowl. While the second one was rejoicing at this good act with his hands joined palm to palm, the first one uttered the following stanza: Endowed with great compassion by nature

Is this person adorned with a round light

Who is free from birth and death.

Now I remember him with one heart.

As I remember the Buddha in my mind,

I offer him this handful of sand.

When Jaya had offered the sand, he made a vow, saying, "May I become a cakravartin (universal monarch) by the merit of this good root, so that I can make extensive offerings to the Buddhadharma." The Buddha knew his mind and saw that his right vow would give rise to a superior and wonderful fruit in a future life. As the Buddha, the Tathagata, was the field of blessedness, he accepted the sand with a mind of compassion. With a smile, he emitted rays of different colors, blue, yellow, red, and white, either from the top of his head or from below his knees. The rays issuing from below his knees radiated to the eight hells. Those who were suffering in the cold hells felt warmth, and those in the hot ones enjoyed coolness. When the light shone upon their bodies, they were freed from all pains and afflictions. These beings had doubts in their minds: "Now we are free from suffering, but shall we stay here or be born somewhere else?"

At that moment the World-honored One, wishing to arouse good thoughts in them, produced a metamorphic figure and sent it to those beings. Upon seeing the metamorphic figure, they thought 5

Chapter I

132a in their minds, "Now we shall not be bom in other places but are simply liberated from suffering by the power of this person." But the figure made them understand that their retribution in the hells had been dissolved and that they would be bom, at the termination of their existence in the hells, in the world of men or in the heavens, where they could realize right views. The rays issuing from the top of he Buddha's head radiated to the Four Heavenly Kings and up to the highest Akanistha heaven. In the rays the Buddha expounded the Dharma of suffering, impermanence, voidness, and non-ego, and he also uttered the following stanza:

Be strenuous to become a homeless recluse,

To tally with the Buddha-dharma.

Destroy the army of ebirth

As an elephant shatters a dwelling house.

If a man practices the Buddha-dharma

Diligently and without indolence,

He will be free from birth and death

And gain the cessation of all pain.

The Buddha's light was able to shine upon the whole great chiliocosm and then return to his body. If the Buddha wished to recall past deeds, the light would enter his back; if he wished to predict future events, it would enter his front; if e wished to predict birth in the hells, it would enter his feet; if he wished to predict birth among animals, it would enter his ankles; if he wished to predict birth among the hungry ghosts, it would enter his toes; if he wished to predict birth among mankind, it would enter his knees; if he wished to predict the birth of an iron cakravartin king, it would enter his left palm; if he wished to predict the birth of a golden cakravartin king, it would enter his right palm; if e wished to predict birth in the heavens, it would enter his navel; if he wished to predict the enlightenment of sravaka (a direct disciple of the Buddha), it would enter his mouth; if he wished to predict the enlightenment of pratyekabuddha (a self-enlightened Buddha), it would enter the white curl between his eyebrows; and if he 6

132b The Causes of His Birth

wished to predict the enlightenment of a bodhisattva (a being destined for full Buddhahood), it would enter the protuberance on his head. Each time the light returned from the great chiliocosm, it would first encircle the Buddha three times before it entered the appropriate spots of his body according to circumstances. Now as the Buddha smiled, the light, not without reason, entered his left palm after having encircled him three times. On seeing this event, Ananda, with his hands put palm to palm, uttered the following stanza: Being free from unrest and arrogance, The Buddha turns evils into superior causes. He never smiles without a reason,

Exposing his snow white teeth.

He knows by his wisdom

What others are delighted to hear.

With his supreme, brilliant light,

He can dissolve others' doubts.

The Buddha's voice is like thunder; His eyes are those of a bull king.

Being the superior field of lessedness for gods and men, He should predict the reward for offering sand. The Buddha said, "Ananda, I am not smiling without a reason. There is cause for the Tathagata, the Worthy and Omniscient One, to wear a smile. Ananda, did you see the child putting a handful of sand into my alms bowl?" Ananda said in reply, "Yes, I did." The World-honored One said again, "A undred years after my nirvana, this child will be born in the city of Pataliputra with the name of Asoka. He shall be a cakravartin king ruling over one of the four continents and take delight ip elieving the right Dharma. He will build eighty-four thousand stupas to enshrine the Buddha's relic bones for the benefit of any people." The Tathagata then uttered the following stanza:

After I have entered nirvana,

There will be born to the Maurya family A king of en named Asoka,

7

Chapter I

Enjoying wide fame for taking delight in the Dharma. With stupas containing my relic bones

He will adorn Jambudvipa.

Such will be the reward of he merit

Gained by offering sand to the Buddha.

The Buddha then took the sand and handed it to Ananda, saying, "Mix this sand with cow's dung and spread it over the place where the Buddha used to walk in meditation." Ananda then daubed the ground with the mixture as he was told.

Now in the city of ataliputra there was a king by the name of Candragupta whose son was Bindusara; and Bindusara's eldest son was Susima.

At that time, a daughter of ost elegant features, the best ever known in the country, was born to a Brahman in the city of ampa. A physiognomist said in prediction, "This girl will become a queen and give birth to two sons. The first son will become a cakravartin king ruling over one of he four continents, and the second one will be a recluse and attain enlightenment." The Brahman was greatly delighted to hear this prediction.

With a desire to gain wealth and nobility, the Brahman took his daughter to the country of Pataliputra, adorned her with all kinds of rnaments, and sent word to King Bindusara, "My daughter is most elegant in features, the best ever known in the country. I offer her to the king to be his consort." The king accepted his offer and kept the girl in his harem. His other consorts in the harem, however, considered the matter among themselves, saying, "This girl is the most elegant in the country. If the king sees her, he will certainly be attracted by her beauty and will love us no more." Thinking in this way, the royal consorts ordered the girl to serve the king as his barber.

Once the king ordered a shave, and while the girl was shaving him he fell asleep. When he woke up he was pleased with the girl and said to her, 'Whatever you wish to have, you may declare it." Then the girl said to the king, "I wish to have enjoyment with Your Majesty." The king said, "As you are a barber and I am a king, how 8

132c

The Causes of His Birth

can I enjoy you?" The girl replied to the king, "I am the daughter of a Brahman and not a barber. My father, a Brahman, intended me to be the king's consort." The king inquired, "Who has made you a barber?" "The royal consorts," was the reply. The king said again, "You need not do this job any more." And he took the girl to be his consort.

Shortly afterwards she became pregnant, and ten months later she gave birth to a son. As the king thought that he had no sorrow, he named his son Asoka (No Sorrow). As his second son was born at a time when he was without sorrow, he named the child Vitasoka (Without Sorrow). Asoka was rough and coarse in appearance, and his father did not like him.

At that time, King Bindusara wished to know through physiognomy which of his sons was competent to succeed him on the throne. So he summoned a heretical physiognomist named Pingalavatsajiva, to whom he said, "Venerable teacher, I wish to know through physiognomy which of my sons is competent to succeed me as king after my death." Pingalavatsajiva said in reply, "If our Majesty wishes to read the future of he princes, we should go to the Golden Palace." King Bindusara then took the princes to the Golden Palace.

Asoka's mother said to him, "Today His Majesty wishes to read the future of he princes. You may go to oin them." Asoka said, "As the king does not like me, why should I go?" His mother said, "Just go." soka said in reply, "I shall go as you order me. But please ask somebody to send my food to that place."

When soka was leaving the city of ataliputra, he met a minister of the court by the name of Radhagupta, who asked Asoka, "Where do you intend to go?" Asoka said in reply, "Today the king is at the Golden Palace in order to read the future of he princes. I am going there." Radhagupta then handed his good old elephant to Asoka so that he could ride to the Golden Palace. After arriving at that place, Asoka sat down on the ground among the other princes, who all had various kinds of food and drink contained in golden and silver vessels. Asoka's mother prepared rice and cream, which she put in an earthenware vessel and sent to him. 9

i33a Chapter I

King Bindusara said to the physiognomist, "You should read the future of the princes one by one to see who is competent to be king after my death." The physiognomist pondered over the matter in his mind, thinking, "If I say Asoka is competent to be king, the king will certainly kill me, because he does not value him." Having considered the matter in this way, the physiognomist said to the king, "For certain reasons I shall not mention any name in my physiognomic reading." The king said, "Good." Then the physiognomist said, "The prince who has the best animal for riding will be competent to be king." The king said, "Go on with your prediction." The physiognomist said again, "The prince who is sitting on the best seat will be competent to be king." The king said again, "Go on with your prediction." The physiognomist said again, "The prince who has the best food and drink contained in the best vessels will be competent to be king."

When the princes heard these words, each of them thought that he had the best animal for riding, the best seat, and the best food and drink contained in the best vessels, and that he should be king. But Asoka thought in his mind, "Now this physiognomist refuses to mention any name in his physiognomic reading. If the one who has the best riding animal will be competent to be king, then I have the best riding animal. I have the great earth as my seat; and I eat rice and cream, the best of oods. My vessel is made of earth, and what I drink is water. So far as I can see, I shall be king."

The physiognomist paid a visit to [Asoka's] mother, who asked him, "Who will become king after the demise of His Majesty?" He said in reply, "Asoka." [Asoka's] mother then said to the physiognomist, "If the king inquires any more about who is competent to be king, you should go to a distant place and not stay here. But you may come back when Asoka becomes king." So the physiognomist went far away to some other country.

At that time, a country named Taksas'ila, which was under the rule of ing Bindusara, attempted to rebel against his suzerainty. King Bindusara said to Asoka, 'You may assemble the four divisions of troops and march to that country." But no weapons or 10

The Causes of His Birth

provisions were given to him. When Asoka was leaving the city of Pataliputra with the four divisions of troops under his command, they asked him, "Now as we have no weapons or provisions, how can we go to subdue that country?" Asoka said, "If am meritorious and deserve to be king, weapons and provisions should come out by themselves." No sooner had he uttered these words than a gap opened in the earth, from which weapons and provisions emerged. Thus Asoka, commanding the four divisions of troops, went to punish Taksasila.

Upon hearing that Asoka was coming, the people of Taksasila came out half yojana [one yojana is a day's ourney in an ox cart] to decorate the road and sprinkle scented water over the ground to receive Asoka, to whom they said, "We come to welcome you, O Prince, not to fight with you, nor do we harbor any enmity against His Majesty the great king. But the minister sent by the king is governing our country in a bad way, and we wish that he be recalled." Then the people offered various gifts to Asoka and welcomed him to their country, as has been extensively related.

Asoka was again sent by the king as an envoy to the country of Kasi. In the country of Kasi there were two warriors, who said to their king, "We two are strong enough to level a mountain. When Asoka comes we need not serve him as his subjects." At that moment, the heavenly beings voiced a warning, saying, "Asoka will be a cakravartin king to rule over one of the four continents. You should not go against him."

Now Susima, the eldest son of ing Bindusara, was returning from the royal gardens to the city of Pataliputra when he met on the way the king's prime minister, who was bald, coming out of he city. To joke with him, Susima patted him on his bald crown. The prime minister thought, "Even now he dared to pat me on the head. Should he become king, he would certainly hurt me with a sword. It befits me to take measures to prevent him from becoming king." Thus he ordered five hundred ministers to leave Susima, and he announced that Asoka would be a cakravartin king ruling over one of the four continents and that all of them should serve 11

Chapter I

i33b him together. He even agitated the people of Taksasila to rebel against the king, refusing to be his subjects any more. King Bindusara dispatched Susima to subjugate the rebels, but when he reached that country he could not suppress the revolt. At that time Asoka returned home, and King Bindusara, who was seriously ill and on his deathbed, ordered a messenger to instruct Asoka to go back to Taksasila, while asking Susima to return home speedily, saying, "I intend to hand over state affairs to him." The ministers smeared Asoka's body with the yellow juice of ginger to make him look as if he were sick, and they also boiled laksa (red dye) and kept the juice in a bowl, which they put someplace, while announcing that Asoka was ill. When King Bindusara was approaching his end, the ministers dressed Asoka and took him to the king, to whom they said, "This is a prince. Your Majesty ought to give him the throne. When Susima returns, we shall restore the throne to him." Upon hearing these words, the king was greatly enraged. Asoka said, "If I am the legal king, let the heavenly beings crown me right now." When he had said so, the heavenly beings immediately put a celestial crown on his head. At this sight, the king was all the more furious and died with hot blood oozing from his mouth. Then Asoka ascended the throne; and after ascending the throne he appointed Radhagupta as his prime minister Susima was very angry to hear that Asoka had ascended the throne after the death of the king, and he wished to punish Asoka with his troops. Asoka, in his city, mobilized a great number of soldiers to guard the four gates of the city. He ordered two strong and valorous generals with groups of soldiers to guard the southern and western gates; he ordered his prime minister Radhagupta with a group of soldiers to guard the northern gate; and he himself, commanding a group of soldiers, guarded the eastern gate. Radhagupta made by different expedients various kinds of devices at the eastern gate of the city; he had figures of Asoka and his soldiers carved out of ood and had ditches dug in the ground in which smokeless fires were kept burning under coverings that were camouflaged by dry earth scattered over them. 12

The Causes of His Birth

Susima and his troops intended to attack the northern gate, but Radhagupta said to him, "Don't attack me. You should attack the eastern gate. If you can kill King Asoka, I will surrender to you." Listening to his suggestion, Susima directed his army to attack the eastern gate, where, seeing that none of the wooden figures was moving, he marched straight forward, fell into the fire pits, and burned to death.

After Susima's death, his army commander, Bhadrayudha by i33c name, a brave and powerful man, led his army of more than a thousand soldiers to become Buddhist monks to practice the Way; and they attained arhatship (sainthood).

King Asoka administered state affairs, but his five hundred ministers disdained him. Once he said to his ministers, "Pull up flower and fruit trees to protect thorns and brambles." The ministers said in reply, "No! We should pull up thorns and brambles to protect flower and fruit trees." But Asoka repeated that they should pull up flower and fruit trees to protect thorns and brambles. Three times his ministers disobeyed him. In a fit of anger, Asoka drew his sword and beheaded the five hundred ministers.

Another time, King Asoka took five hundred maids of onor to j the rear garden, where there was a tree with profuse flowers and foliage called an asoka tree. On seeing this tree, King Asoka said, "I am glad that this tree bears the same name as I." As Asoka was physically rough and coarse, the maids did not wish to go near him. While he was sleeping in the garden, the maids, intending to displease him, plucked all the flowers and leaves of the tree, leaving it bare. When Asoka woke up and saw the bare tree, he asked the maids, "Who stripped this tree so completely?" The maids said in reply, 'We did it." In a fit of anger, King soka wrapped all the maids in bamboo screens and burned them to death. As he was so wicked, the people of the time called him Candasoka (Cruel Asoka).

The prime minister Radhagupta told King Candasoka that he should not personally beat or kill but should order somebody else to do it. Thus the king recruited an executioner. There lived then 13

i34a Chapter I

in a village in the mountains a man good at weaving clothes, who had a son called by his father Girika. This young man was so fearsome that he was capable of doing unrighteous deeds and always scolded his parents. He beat everyone, male or female, in the household and would kill or hurt all living creatures. His trade was fishing and hunting, and as he did so much slaughtering, he was also called by the people Candagirika.

When the king was searching for a cruel person, [his messenger] came upon this man. The messenger said to him, "The king wishes to govern the people by means of killing. Can you do the job?" The man answered, "I could kill everybody in the whole of Jambudvipa, if I were asked to do so." The messenger reported to the king what the man had said, and the king ordered that he be brought to his presence. By order of the king, the messenger went to the man's place and told him, "The king has asked you to come." The man said to the messenger, "Just wait a moment. I must go to see my parents." Then he went to inform his parents that King As'oka wished to govern the people by means of killing, that he had asked him to do the job, and that he was willing to go. But his parents would not permit him to go; and so in a fit of rage, he murdered his parents. Then he returned to the messenger, who asked him, "Why are you so late?" The man said in reply, "Because my parents would not allow me to go, I finished them off."

When the man came to the palace, he told the king that if he wished to punish people, he should build a prison with a gate well decorated to look most magnificent, so that anybody who saw it would be delighted with it. He also asked the king to issue a strict order that nobody should be allowed to come out once he had entered the prison. The king said, "Very good." Candagirika then went to Kukkuta Monastery, where a bhiksu was reciting a scripture in which the events in the hells were related, such as cauldrons with boiling water, furnaces with burning charcoal, mountains planted with knives, trees bearing swords, and other painful implements of punishment. Those who were bom in the hells were punished according to the sins they had 14

134b The Causes of His Birth

committed. Such hellish things were extensively related in the Scripture of the Five Divine Lictors. Upon hearing these words, Candagirika made all the implements of orture that were used in the hells.

In the country of Sravasti, there was a merchant who went to sea with his wife; a son was bom to them while they were at sea, and the child was thus named Sagara (Sea). After voyaging to and fro for twelve years, they encountered five hundred pirates, who killed the merchant and seized his property. His son alone escaped death. Later he became a Buddhist monk, and on his wanderings he reached the country of Pataliputra. One day he got up early, dressed himself properly, and went into the country with alms bowl in hand to collect food. As he did not know the place, he entered the prison to beg for alms, because he saw that its gate was so nicely decorated. Inside the prison he saw all kinds of implements of torture and intended to withdraw. But Candagirika got hold of him and said, "You shall suffer death and cannot go out." Being frightened, the monk cried and wept with tears flowing down. Candagirika said to him, "Why are you crying like a child?" The monk replied, "It is not because I value my body, but because it is difficult to attain emancipation. It is difficult to renounce one's home, but this I did. It is difficult to live during the time of Sakyamuni Buddha, but I am living in it. I have not gained the true Dharma of all Dharmas, and that is why I am anxious and worried." Candagirika said to the monk, "I have been instructed by the great king that nobody should be allowed to leave this prison once he has come into it." The monk said with tears, 'You must allow me one month's extension." "Not one month, but seven days may be allowed," was the reply. Considering that e was approaching his death, the monk zealously practiced the Dharma with great energy for the full seven days.

At that time, a prince had a talk with a palace maid, and King Asoka, being irritated by the sight, had the two of hem sent to the prison for punishment. Candagirika put them in an iron mortar and pounded them with a pestle. Greatly terrified by the sight, the monk uttered the following stanza:

15

Chapter I

The Great Master, the Buddha compassionate, The Leading Recluse, has rightly said that

This material form is like a bubble,

Unsubstantial and not ever-abiding.

This fair and graceful body—

Where is it after its destruction?

Thus one should give up

What the ignorant take pleasure in.

I should realize that on this occasion.

I shall gain liberation in this prison.

With its aid I shall cross

The sea of he three realms of eing.

In that one night the monk meditated with full energy and attained arhatship after cutting off is passions. Candagirika said to him, "The night is over and the day is dawning. You should know that the time of suffering is approaching." The monk said in reply, I do not know what you mean by saying that the night is over and the day is dawning. But I do realize that the night of gnorance is over and the sun of isdom is appearing. By the light of he sun of wisdom, I see that nothing has reality in this world. Thus I intend to edify the world with the Dharma of the Buddha." He also told Candagirika, "Now you may do whatever you please with this body of ine."

At that time, the warden of he prison, being a merciless man and having seen nothing of the world, relentlessly put the monk into an iron cauldron, poured pus, blood, feces, urine, and other filthy things into it, and built a big fire with much fuel to boil the monk in the cauldron. But when the fuel was exhausted, the body of the monk was not damaged at all. On seeing that the monk's shape was not changed, the warden beat and scolded the jailors angrily, 'Why don't you add more fuel to the fire?" The warden then personally added fuel to the fire, but it would not burn. Meanwhile he saw that the monk was sitting cross-legged on a lotus flower in the cauldron. After seeing this phenomenon, the warden immediately went to report to the king. 16

134c The Causes of His Birth

Upon hearing this matter, the king, followed by his people, went to see it. At that moment the monk instantly came out of he iron cauldron by his supernatural powers and rose up into the air like a king goose hovering in the air in eighteen different ways. King soka was delighted to see the monk as conspicuous as a mountain appearing in the air, and he uttered the following stanza: Your body is similar to that of an ordinary man, But your divine powers surpass the ability of men. I do not know about this:

Who are you in fact?

You should tell me the truth

And let me know you now.

If I know the truth,

I shall be a disciple of yours.

The monk then thought in his mind, "This king is now capable of accepting the Buddha's words. He will build many stupas to enshrine the Buddha's relics, so that all people can gain the benefit of the Dharma." Having thought so, he wished to reveal the Buddha's merits and uttered the following stanza: The Buddha has cut off all passions; His great compassion is incomparable. I am a disciple

Of the best debater of he highest grade. The inexhaustible power of he right Dharma Regards nothing as a real being.

The Buddha is a bull king among men

Who can control himself and regulate others. It is he who has liberated me

From the prison of the three realms of eing. [And he said,] "The king was also predicted by the Buddha, A hundred years after my nirvana, there will be a king by the name of soka in the city of Pataliputra. He will be a cakravartin king and rule over one of the four continents, and he will construct eighty-four thousand stupas for the enshrinement of my relics. 17

Chapter I

i35a The prison to be built by the king, in which numerous people will be killed, will be like the hells. He will finally demolish it and impart freedom from fear to all living beings.' The great king should now comply with the Buddha's wishes." He then uttered the following stanza:

Thus the great king of men

Should have a mind of pity

For all living beings

And grant them freedom from fear. Complying with the wishes of the World-honored One, He should erect numerous stupas for his relics. King soka, fixing his mind on the Buddha and putting his hands palm to palm, uttered the following stanza in penitence: I take refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma, And his disciples in the Sangha (Buddhist Order). May you, the son of the ten powers, Treat me with patience.

All the evils that I have done

I shall confess to you.

Now I shall cultivate my mind with diligence And with a mind of deep veneration. I shall decorate this earth

With many types of Buddha-stupas

As white as snow and jade,

To conform with the Buddha's augury. The monk exclaimed in reply, "Excellent!" and then returned by supernatural powers to his own place. When King Asoka was about to leave the prison, Candagirika said to him, with his hands joined palm to palm, "Your Majesty is aware that I have been instructed not to allow anybody to go out of his prison once he has entered it." The king said to him, "Do you intend to kill me?" 'Yes," was the reply. The king asked him, "Which of us came in first?" Candagirika said in reply, "I came in first." Then the king told the ailors to arrest Candagirika, put him 18

The Causes of His Birth

in the lakuca (glue) house, and set it on fire. He also ordered people to demolish the prison so as to impart freedom from fear to all living beings.

With the intention of building numerous Buddha-stupas, the king arrayed his four divisions of troops and went to the Drona Stupa constructed by King jatasatru. Upon arriving at the stupa, he ordered his men to pull it down and take out the relics buried in it. In this way he took out the relics from seven stupas one after another. Then he went to a village named Ramagrama, where stood the first stupa ever built. He intended to break it also and take out the relics.

The Naga king then invited Asoka to the Naga palace and said to him, "This is the stupa to which I always make offerings. May Your Majesty preserve it." King Asoka consented, and then the Naga king sent him back to Ramagrama. Considering that the Naga king protected that stupa with twice the usual attention because it was the first one ever built in the world, Asoka realized that he could not obtain the relics contained therein and returned to his own country.

King soka made eighty-four thousand precious cases and put the relics in all of hem. He also made eighty-four thousand vases, banners, and canopies and gave them to the Yaksas (devils), ordering them to erect stupas at all places on earth and even over the great seas. He also announced that if any country in one of he three categories—the small, the medium, or the large ones—paid the sum of ne crore of aels of old, one royal stupa would be built there. Now as the country of Taksasila paid thirty-six crores of taels of old, its people said to King Asoka, "May our Majesty give us thirty-six cases."

Upon hearing these words, the king wondered how, since he intended to build numerous stupas at all places, this country could be allowed to obtain so many cases of relics. Thus he said expediently to the people of hat country, "Now I shall exempt you from thirty-five crores of aels of old." And he also declared, "From now onwards, all countries, whether they have more or fewer stupas, will not have to pay me any more gold."

19

Chapter II: The Causes of Seeing Upagupta

135b

Chapter I

King As'oka then went to the great virtuous arhat Yasas, to whom he said, "I wish to complete the construction of all of the eighty-four thousand stupas in one moment in one day." And he uttered the following stanza:

I took from the first seven stupas The relics of he World-honored One. A king of he Maurya family am I, Constructing stupas in one day, Eighty-four thousand in number, As brilliant as white clouds.

Having erected eighty-four thousand stupas, King As'oka supported and protected the Buddha-dharma, so much so that the people of the time called him Dharmasoka. All the people uttered the following stanza:

The great holy king of the Maurya family, Knowing that the Dharma is of great benefit, Dotted the world with many stupas And gave up his ill fame on earth. Having gained the good name of a Dharma King, By the Dharma he has achieved happiness. End of Fascicle One

of he Biographical Scripture ofKingAsoka The above was translated by Samghapala, a sramana (Buddhist monk) of Funan, on the twentieth day of the sixth month in the eleventh year of Tian-jian (512 C.E.) of the Liang dynasty at the Shou-guang Hall in Yang-du. See Baochang's New Catalogue of Chinese Buddhist Texts.

20

Chapter II

The Causes of Seeing Upagupta

When King Asoka had constructed eighty-four thousand relic stupas, he was very glad, and together with his ministers he went to Kukkuta Monastery. Upon arriving at the monastery, he went to the abbot to salute him with his hands joined palm to palm and said, "The Buddha, who was the All-seer, predicted that I would receive my present reward as a result of my offering a handful of sand to him. Was there any other person to whom the Buddha said anything in prediction?" The chief bhiksu of the time was named Yasas, who answered King Asoka in the affirmative. Before the World-honored One entered nirvana, there were a Naga king named Apalala and a potter as well as a candala (wicked) Naga king. After having converted them, the Buddha came to the country of athura. In Mathura he told the Elder Ananda, "A hundred years after the nirvana of the Tathagata, there will be in this country of Mathura a perfumer by the name of Gupta, who will have a son named Upagupta. Being a Buddha without the characteristic marks on his body, Upagupta will edify the people in a most excellent way and perform a Buddha's functions after my nirvana." He also said to Ananda, "Do you see yonder green forest?" Ananda replied, 'Yes, I see it." The Buddha said, "There is a mountain over there called Urumanda. A hundred years after the nirvana of the Tathagata, a monastery with the name Natabhatika will be built on the mountain; it will be the best place for meditation." The World-honored One then uttered the following stanza:

Among all the learned disciples,

The best in wisdom,

21

Chapter II

As the World-honored One prophesied, Is the one named Upagupta.

This great virtuous one in this world Will widely perform the Buddha's functions. i35c King soka inquired of he abbot Yasas, "Has Upagupta been born or not?" The great virtuous Yasas said in reply, "He has been born and is now on Urumanda Mountain. He is free from all passions, and various arhats are following him to gather up and save all suffering beings in the world. Thus he is preaching the Dharma, as the All-wise One, to Devas, human beings, and Asuras as well as Nagas and divine beings."

At that time, the Elder Upagupta, surrounded by eighteen thousand arhats, was at Natabhatika Monastery. King Asoka uttered the following stanza to his ministers: Quickly make arrangements to mobilize My army of elephants, horses, chariots, and footmen. I intend to go to that country

Where stands the mountain Urumanda, To see the Great Virtuous One

With the name of Upagupta.

Through diligent cultivation to end his passions, He has reached the stage of an arhat in perfection. The ministers said to King Asoka, "Let Your Majesty just send a messenger to tell the people there to ask Upagupta to come to the king." But the king said in reply, "He is an arhat. We should not despise or humiliate him but should go in person to salute him." And he uttered the following stanza: Living in the world like a Tathagata Is the one whose name is Upagupta. If one receives not his commands,

His heart is made of adamant.

King soka then sent a messenger to Upagupta to inform him, "We wish to come to the Great Virtuous One." Upon hearing this message, Upagupta thought, "If King Asoka comes here, he will 1

22

136a The Causes of Seeing Upagupta

certainly bring with him a large retinue that would cause much loss to this country." Then he said to the messenger, "I will go to him. There is no need for the king to come here." Thus the king built ships to welcome Upagupta and repaired all the roads leading to the country of Mathura. At that time, Upagupta and his eighteen thousand arhats embarked for Pataliputra with the intention of onverting the king to the teachings of he Buddha.

A subject of King Asoka said to him, "It is for the sake of converting Your Majesty that Upagupta is coming to this country. It befits Your Majesty to know that the Buddha-dharma is comparable to a ship, by which you will be able, as you have cultivated goodness, to ferry across the sea of the three realms of existence and reach the other shore of on-action. Early tomorrow morning, Upagupta will walk to Your Majesty."

Being delighted to hear these words, the king untied his string of earls, worth a crore of aels of old, and awarded it to the man. He also ordered the man to make an announcement with the beating of a drum, so that all people in Pataliputra might know that Upagupta was coming on the following day. The man was also instructed to utter the following stanza:

Those who wish to enjoy the bliss of iches,

Be born in the heavens, or achieve the causes of iberation, Should all go to see

That person Upagupta.

One who did not see the Buddha—

The most honored one among bipedal beings,

Who was compassionate by intrinsic nature,

The great master free from passions—

Should go with offerings

To see the person named Upagupta.

King Asoka made all his people hear this stanza and also ordered them to mend and decorate the roads. He went out of the city to a distance of half a yojana, together with his subjects, holding flowers and playing various musical instruments, to welcome 23

Chapter II

Upagupta. On seeing that Upagupta had already come ashore at a distance, surrounded by eighteen thousand arhats standing in a group shaped like a crescent moon, King Asoka alighted from his elephant and walked to Upagupta. With one foot on board the ship and the other one on land, he carried Upagupta in his hands onto the ship, where he prostrated himself, with his knees, elbows, and head touching the floor, at the feet of the monk, like a big tree collapsing on the earth. After kissing the monk's feet, he knelt before him, put his hands palm to palm, and gazed at him with admiration while he uttered the following stanza: The earth has the sea as its garment With mountains as canopies for its adornment. Being rid of my foes I obtained this earth, Which makes me feel delighted. More am I delighted today

To meet you, the Most Virtuous One. As I see you today,

I feel doubly happy in my mind. It is like seeing the World-honored One. This is why I am happy in my mind. Though the Buddha has entered nirvana, You, the Most Virtuous One, are performing his functions. In the darkness of the world,

You are the light of the sun and moon. You adorn the world with wisdom, As the Great Master has done.

The best person for the edification of men, You are the shelter for all living beings. May you give me instruction and I shall act according to your teachings. Upagupta, the Most Virtuous One, stroked Asoka's head with his right hand and uttered the following stanza: Although Your Majesty is now free from obstacles, You should still practice non-slackness. It is rare to meet the Three Treasures, 24

136b

The Causes of Seeing Upagupta To which offerings should always be made. The World-honored One transmitted the Dharma-pitaka To you, to me, and to others. The Buddha-dharma you should constantly guard, In order to convert all living beings. King Asoka said in reply, "I have done what the World-honored One predicted." And he also uttered the following stanza: Offerings have I made to the relics Of the World-honored One and to his statues. Stupas have been built at all places, Decorated with gems and jewels. The only thing I cannot do is to renounce My home for the pure life of a recluse. Upagupta said, "It is excellent, really excellent that Your Majesty has done such things, which are worthy of being done by a king. And why?"

Your Majesty should practice reality With your body, life, and property. If ou are reborn in another world, You will not suffer pains in that world. Offering a large amount of ifts to Upagupta, King Asoka brought him to the city and carried the Most Virtuous One to a high seat. Upagupta's body was as soft and smooth as cotton; and the king, having touched his body, uttered the following stanza with his hands joined palm to palm:

Your body is soft and smooth, Like silk and cotton.

My rough and coarse body

Has touched Your Reverence. Upagupta then uttered the following stanza: I have offered the best gift To the Buddha, the World-honored One. 25

i36c Chapter II

It was unlike the sand

You presented to the Tathagata. King soka again uttered the following stanza: I had the mind of a child,

To offer sand to the World-honored One Who was the field of blessedness. Thus I have become a king.

In order to please Asoka, Upagupta uttered the following stanza: Your Majesty met the field of blessedness In which grew the seeds of iving alms. Hence you gained the reward

Of wonderful happiness.

Having heard this stanza, the king felt greatly pleased and uttered the following stanza:

Formerly I offered sand to the World-honored One, The field of great blessedness. Now I have gained incomparable happiness, Being a quarter of a cakravartin king Who, upon hearing of this event, Will not make offerings to the Tathagata? At that time, King Asoka worshipped at Upagupta's feet and said, "Most Virtuous One, I wish to make offerings to all the places where the Buddha walked, stood, sat, or lay. I also wish to mark the places to let the people of he future know where the Buddha, the Tathagata, walked, stood, sat, or lay, so that they may be converted to the teachings of the Buddha." Then he uttered the following stanza:

I intend to make offerings

To all places where the Tathagata Walked, stood, sat, or lay,

So that I may be free from the pains of rebirth. I also wish to make images of he Tathagata 26

The Causes of Seeing Upagupta

Walking, standing, sitting, or lying, To provide people of he future

With a chance of seeing the Buddha.

Upagupta said in reply, "It is excellent, Your Majesty, really excellent! This intention of ours is most difficult to realize. Now I shall show you the places of the four postures of the Tathagata, the World-honored One, so that you can make images for the purpose of converting all living beings."

At that time, King Asoka arrayed his four divisions of troops, holding flowers and playing music, and went with Upagupta to those places. Upagupta took King Asoka to the Buddha's birthplace in the wood of umbini, and said with is right hand pointing to the place, "King Asoka, this is the Buddha's birthplace." And then he uttered the following stanza: This is the first place of the World-honored One, Where he walked seven steps after he was born. With pure eyes he observed the four quarters And made a Lion's Roar, saying,

"This is my last birth

From a mother's womb."

King soka prostrated himself on the ground to worship the place where the Tathagata was born and uttered the following stanza with his hands joined palm to palm:

One who has seen the Buddha

Possesses great merits.

If one has heard the Lion's Roar,

He gains the same merits.

In order to engender a mind of eep faith in King Asoka, Upagupta asked him, "Do you wish to see a heavenly being who saw the Buddha walking seven steps after he was born and heard the Lion's Roar?" The king said in reply, "Most Virtuous One, I do wish to see him." Upagupta said, "The heavenly being is residing on the branch that Mahamaya was holding when the Tathagata was 27

137a Chapter II

bom." Then he pointed to the place and uttered the following stanza:

If there is any heavenly being Residing in this wood,

Who has seen the World-honored One And heard his Lion's Roar, May he appear in person

To engender Asoka's conviction. The heavenly being then appeared in person and stood with hands joined palm to palm before Upagupta, to whom he said, "Most Virtuous One, what do you wish me to do?" Upagupta said to King Asoka, "This heavenly being saw the Buddha at the time of is birth." With his hands oined palm to palm, King Asoka uttered the following stanza to the heavenly being: You saw the Buddha when he was born With a dignified body of a hundred blisses. His features resembled a lotus flower, Loved and admired by the whole world. You also heard the Lion's Roar Right in this great wood. The heavenly being uttered the following stanza in reply: I have seen the Buddha's body, Brilliant with golden hues, Walking seven steps in air, The supreme one among all bipeds. The Lion's Roar I also heard, Honored by heavenly beings and mankind. The king inquired, 'What were the auspicious signs when the Tathagata was born?" The heavenly being answered, "It is not possible for me to relate all the wonderful things in full. I can tell only a few things briefly." Then he uttered the following stanza: Emitting a light of golden color, Shining upon this blind world, 28

The Causes of Seeing Upagupta

He was adored by men and beings in heavens,

And the earth quaked with the sea and mountains. King Asoka offered a hundred thousand taels of gold to the birthplace of the Tathagata, where he constructed a stupa. Then he went to the other places.

Upagupta took King Asoka to the abode of a recluse in Kapilavastu and pointed to the place to show the king. It was at this place that the Bodhisattva, as an infant with a lovely body well adorned with the thirty-two physical marks, was shown to / King Suklodana. On seeing that place, King Asoka prostrated himself on the ground to worship it. Sakyavardhana was a place of divine beings. When the Bodhisattva went there to pay homage to the divine beings, they declined to accept his worship but /

saluted him. When King Suklodana witnessed this event, he remarked, "This son of mine is the Deva of Devas." Thus he was called Devatideva.

Upagupta said again, "This is the place where the Brahman physiognomist read the features of he Bodhisattva." He also said, "This is the place where a recluse predicted the Bodhisattva's future, saying that the child would become a Buddha." He also said, "This is the place where Mahaprajapatl fostered the Bodhisattva." He also said, "This is the place where the Bodhisattva studied books." He also said, "This is the place where the Bodhisattva learned the arts of riding an elephant, a chariot, and a horse." He also said, "This is the place where the Bodhisattva fully mastered different arts and crafts." He also said, "This 137b is the place where the Bodhisattva turned the Wheel of the Dharma." He also said, "This is the place where he amused himself with sixty thousand maids of honor." He also said, "This is the place where the Bodhisattva felt sorry at the sight of an aged man, a sick person, and a corpse." He also said, "This is the place where the Bodhisattva practiced meditation and other methods for getting rid of desire and evils under a jambu tree. Here he gained enlightenment and insight and entered the first stage of dhyana (trance), in which he was freed from rebirth 29

Chapter II

and enjoyed bliss. While the Bodhisattva was sitting in meditation the sun passed the meridian, but the shadow of the tree under which he was sitting did not move, whereas the shadows of other trees shifted as the sun moved. At this sight, King / Suklodana prostrated himself on the ground to worship at the Bodhisattva's feet. Ten thousand heavenly beings of that place attended the Bodhisattva and followed him going out of the city of Kapilavastu at midnight." Again, there was the place where the Bodhisattva took off his precious crown and sent his horse and the groom Chandaka back home. The following stanza was uttered:

His precious crown and pearls were forsaken, Together with his horse and Chandaka, Whom he sent back to his homeland. Proceeding alone without a guard, To cultivate himself ith effort, He entered the mountains to learn the Way. At this place the Bodhisattva gave his silk garment to a hunter in exchange for his robe and became a homeless recluse. This was the place where Bhargava invited the Bodhisattva. This was the place where King Bimbisara offered half of his kingdom to the Bodhisattva. This was the place where he studied under Udraka Ramaputra. The following stanza was then uttered:

At this place there was a recluse, Whose name was Udraka Ramaputra. Going away after hearing his dharma, The King of Men had no more teachers. At this place he practiced asceticism for six years. The following stanza was also uttered:

For six years of ascetic life,

I did what was hard to do.

Knowing that austerity was not the Way, I gave up the recluse's practice. 30

i37c The Causes of eeing Upagupta This was the place where the Bodhisattva accepted the mill? congee prepared with milk collected from sixteen cows and offered by the two maids Nanda and Nandabala. The following stanza was uttered:

It was at this place that the Bodhisattva Took Nanda's offering of milk congee. The Great Hero, whose words were supreme, From here went to the Bodhi tree. At this place the Naga king Kalika eulogized the Bodhisattva, as was stated in the following stanza: The Naga king named Kalika

Said in commendation:

"By this way he will go

To the Bodhi tree."

At that time, King Asoka worshipped at the feet of pagupta and, with his hands joined palm to palm, said to him, "I wish to see the Naga king who has formerly seen the Tathagata walking like an elephant king, going by this way to the Bodhi tree." Upagupta then went to the abode of alika and uttered the following stanza while he pointed at the Naga king:

The most eminent of all Naga kings, May you appear in your true form, As you saw the Bodhisattva

Going from here to the Bodhi tree. Then the Naga king Kalika appeared in his physical form, stood before Upagupta with his hands joined palm to palm, and said, "Most Virtuous One, what do you wish me to do?" Upagupta said to King Asoka, "This is the Naga king Kalika, who praised the Bodhisattva when he was going by this way to the Bodhi tree." King Asoka put his hands palm to palm and uttered the following stanza to the Naga king Kalika: You have seen the Buddha, the World-honored One, Whose light was of a golden hue. 31

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None was comparable to him in this world. His face was like the full moon in autumn. Of the great merits of is ten powers Please say just one portion.

How did he go from here,

The Buddha who possessed divine powers? The Naga king Kalika said in reply, "It is impossible for me to relate all this in full, but I will tell you briefly. May Your Majesty listen to me." Then he uttered the following stanza: When the Bodhisattva walked on the earth, It quaked in six ways.

The great sea and mountains

Issued a light brighter than the sun. After having constructed a stupa at the place of the Naga king, King Asoka went away to other places. Upagupta then took King Asoka to the Bodhi tree and pointed to it, saying, 'Your Majesty, this is the place where the Bodhisattva, accompanied by compassion, conquered the army of Mara and attained the supreme perfect enlightenment." He also uttered the following stanza:

It was here that the Lord of Full Completion Vanquished the army of the King of Destruction, Tasted the ghee without compare, and attained The supreme enlightenment of perfection. King Asoka offered a hundred thousand taels of gold to the Bodhi tree, and, after constructing a stupa at the spot, went away to other places.

Upagupta again spoke to the king, saying, "This is the place where the Buddha received from the Four Heavenly Kings four alms bowls, which he merged into one." He said at another place, "This is the place where the Buddha accepted food offered by the two merchants Trapusa and Bhallika. From here the Buddha went to the country of Varanasi." There was also the place where the heretic named Upajeta praised the Tathagata. 32

The Causes of Seeing Upagupta

138a Upagupta also took King Asoka to Mrgadava, the park of recluses, and pointed to it, saying, "This is the place where the World-honored One turned thrice the Wheel of the Dharma of he twelve nidanas (links of ausality)." And he also uttered he following stanza:

At this place he turned three times

The Wheel of he Dharma of the twelve nidanas, Created by the Dharma of truth,

To save all beings from the pains of ebirth. This was the place where one thousand heretics became Buddhist monks.

There was another place where the Buddha preached the Dharma to King Bimbisara, who thereupon realized correct views. At another place the Buddha preached the Dharma to eighty thousand heavenly beings and numerous Brahmans and householders of he country of agadha, who thereupon realized correct views. There was another place where the Buddha preached the Dharma to the heavenly king Sakra together with eighty thousand heavenly beings, who thereupon realized correct views. There was another place where the World-honored One returned to earth with numerous heavenly beings after having preached the Dharma to his mother and spent the summer retreat at her abode in heaven. There were many more places, as has been extensively recorded.

Upagupta then took King Asoka to Kusinagara, where the Buddha entered nirvana. He raised his hand to show the king, saying, "Your Majesty, this is the place where the Tathagata entered complete nirvana after having done what ought to be done." And he also uttered the following stanza: Heavenly beings and Asuras,

Yaksas, Nagas, and other deities,

And all beings in the world

Having been fully edified,

The great zealous one of compassion

Entered nirvana, the state of completion. 33

i38b Chapter II

Upon hearing these words, King Asoka fainted and fell to the ground. When cold water was sprinkled on his face, he recovered his senses and stood up from the ground. After offering a hundred thousand taels of gold to the place of the Tathagata's nirvana for the construction of a stupa, he worshipped at the feet of pagupta and said to him, "As it has been predicted by the World-honored One that I should be his great disciple, I intend to make offerings to his relics." Upagupta said in reply, "Excellent! Excellent! The king's mind is very good!"

Upagupta then took King soka to the Jeta Grove and pointed to it with his right hand, saying, "Your Majesty, this is the stupa of Sariputra, to which you should make offerings." King Asoka inquired of Upagupta, 'What were the merits and wisdom of Sariputra?" Upagupta answered that Sariputra, being second only to the Buddha, was a general of he Dharma who always followed the Tathagata to turn the Wheel of he Dharma. He was the foremost in wisdom among all disciples of he Buddha. The wisdom of ll people in the world, the Tathagata excepted, was less than one-sixteenth of is wisdom. Then Upagupta uttered the following stanza: The unequalled Wheel of he Right Dharma

Was turned for the world by the Buddha.

Sariputra followed him to turn the Wheel

For the world's benefit.

Who can talk about this person

And about the sea of is wisdom and merit?

Greatly pleased, King As'oka offered a hundred thousand taels of gold to the stupa of Sariputra and uttered the following stanza with his hands joined palm to palm:

/

I worship Sariputra

With a mind of eneration.

Great wisdom removes distress

And gives the world illumination.

Upagupta then showed King Asoka the stupa of Maudgalyayana and said, 'Your Majesty, this is the stupa of Maudgalyayana, to 34

The Causes of eeing Upagupta which you should make offerings." The king inquired what the merits and divine powers of his person were. The elder monk said in reply, "The Buddha said that he was the foremost in possessing supernatural powers among all his disciples. He could agitate with his toe the supreme Dharma hall of the heavenly king Sakra, and he could subdue the Naga kings Nanda and Upananda." Then he uttered the following stanza: In divine powers Maudgalyayana Was the foremost, as the Buddha said. He could shake with his toe

/

The supreme hall of Sakra.

Two Naga kings he subdued,

Nanda and Upananda.

His merits and divine powers Were a sea that was fathomless. Ring Asoka offered a hundred thousand taels of gold to the stupa of audgalyayana and uttered the following stanza with his hands joined palm to palm:

Supreme divine powers

Save one from the distress of rebirth. I am worshipping now

The renowned Maudgalyayana.

Upagupta pointed to another place and said, "This is the stupa of Mahakasyapa, to which offerings should be made." King Asoka inquired about the merits of this person, and the elder said in reply, "The Buddha said that he was the foremost in contentment with few desires and in the practice of eight kinds of asceticism. The Buddha once shared his seat with him and covered him with the Buddha's own robe. He converted suffering beings and upheld the Dharma-pitaka." [Upagupta] also uttered the following stanza:

The supreme field of great blessedness Practiced contentment with few desires And upheld the Buddha's Dh&rma-pitaka 35

138c

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To save all suffering beings. The Buddha shared his seat with him And covered him with his robes. Nobody could relate in full The great sea of is merits. King Asoka again offered a hundred thousand taels of gold to the stupa of Mahakasyapa and uttered the following stanza with his hands joined palm to palm: He always stayed in caves, In contentment, with few desires, Free from distress and enmity, Having gained the fruit of iberation. For his power of eerless merits, I pay him homage.

Upagupta then showed King Asoka the stupa of akula and said, "Your Majesty, this is the stupa of Vakula, to which you should make offerings." King Asoka inquired, "What were the merits of this person?" Upagupta replied, "Among the Buddha's disciples, he was foremost in keeping himself free from illness, but he never taught the Dharma to others even in one or two sentences." Then the king ordered his men to offer twenty cowries to the stupa. A minister asked King Asoka, "Vakula was also an arhat like the others. Why did you offer only twenty cowries to his stupa, whereas you offered gold to the other stupas?" King Asoka said, 'You should listen to me."

The lamp of wisdom

Can dispel darkness.

Caring about one's own corporality Does little benefit to the world. Thus cowries I present

As an offering to this stupa. At that moment, the twenty cowries moved from the stupa to the feet of King As'oka. The minister was greatly surprised at the sight, and he said, "As this arhat had the mental power to 36

139a

The Causes of eeing Upagupta live with few desires, he refused to accept alms even after his nirvana."

Upagupta then took Ring Asoka to the stupa of Ananda and said, 'Tour Majesty, this is the stupa of nanda, to which offerings should be made. He was the attendant disciple of the Tathagata and could remember the Buddha's sayings. The Buddha said that among his disciples Ananda was the foremost in hearing his sayings." Then he uttered the following stanza: This elder Ananda,

Honored by men and heavenly beings, Always keeping the Buddha's bowl, Possessed the mind of ntelligence. He heard as much as the great sea; What he spoke were words of subtlety. Understanding the Buddha's meanings, Comprehending all the Dharma, Being the storehouse of merits, He was praised by the World-honored Buddha. King Asoka offered one crore of taels of gold to the stupa of Ananda, and his minister asked him, "Why did you present the largest offering to this stupa?" Ring Asoka replied, "Listen to me." The Dharmakaya (Body of ruth) of he World-honored Buddha

Is pure without parallel.

This he could accept and uphold. Thus I offer the best gift to him. He lit the lamp of the Buddha's teaching To dispel the darkness of distress. By his power the Dharma is abiding; Thus I offer the best gift to him. As the water in an ox track Is not comparable to the great sea, The water of the wisdom of nanda Is not comparable to the sea of he Buddha's wisdom. In the Sutras the Buddha ascended the throne 37