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Chapter Five

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One Thousand Buddhas

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9. Marriage

(This part has six sections:) (1) Introduction, (2) The Royal Consecration Ceremony, (3) The Marriage Proposal, (4) Slanderous Rumors, (5) The Long and Difficult Pregnancy, and (6) Miracles.

1. Introduction

The dharmakāya is formless, yet it manifests itself in different forms appropriate to various circumstances. Since the capacities of sentient beings and their karmic conditions differ in numerous ways, the Buddha's teaching takes more than one concrete form. Sometimes he rejects desires and receives the Way; sometimes he places himself in the midst of defilement and conducts himself in ways considered appropriate for the world. If he did not take a queen ordinary people might say that he was not of human origins. Even though he placed himself in the middle of the five desires he did not lose his original singleminded determination. Therefore, when he visited the four gates of the royal city and saw the eight kinds of suffering, such as physical decline, old age, illness, and death, he lamented, "Life is like this. How can one bear to stay in this world?" His act of renouncing the world in search of the truth began with this event. Therefore, the Weimo jing (Vimalakīrtinir deśa-sūtra, T.475:550b7) says, "First the Bodhisattva draws people using desire as means, and they are then led into the Way of the Buddha." 2. The Royal Consecration Ceremony

The Yinguo jing (T.189:629a8-13) says:

When the Prince became older, his father, the king, sent messages to other countries: "On the eighth day of the second month we will consecrate the 103

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Crown Prince in an abhiṣeka ceremony. All of you should attend; gather together in order to appoint him as the Crown Prince." The royal message reached its numerous destinations, and when the time arrived the kings and ministers of other countries gathered together in great numbers to witness the appointment of the crown prince, an act in which great benefit was conferred upon him.

Vinaya Master Daoxuan of Ximingsi Temple in Chang'an possessed numinous virtue that worked mysteriously. His practice was lofty yet simple. All his life he engaged in difficult practices diligently and with sincerity. He found a teacher early in his life and for over fifty years sought the Way with great dedication. His intention was to uphold the Way and he paid attention only to this one thing. In this manner he contributed to the cause of the Three Jewels (i.e., Buddhism). He compiled ritual works totaling over one hundred fascicles; the lofty models he gathered carried profound implications. In mid-spring of the second year of the Qianfeng period (667) Daoxuan was staying in the Qinggong Residence at the former Jingyesi Temple [on Zhong nan shan], south of the capital city. There he sought quietude and cultivated the Way. As he was already in his old age his vital power was in decline. He thus meditated singlemindedly on the four kinds of living beings that are born in different ways and reflected on the three assemblies of Maitreya Buddha's preaching. Suddenly, he achieved contact with mysterious spirits by virtue of his previous karmic conditions. His illness was gradually alleviated and he diligently practiced devotion; he obtained mysterious communication. At that time a subordinate of the four heavenly kings appeared at the entrance of Vinaya Master Daoxuan's residence. [The heavenly being] behaved like a human being, walking in short steps and speaking. The Vinaya master asked him, "Who are you?" He answered, "I am Zhang Qiong, a disciple of the Buddha." The Vinaya master asked again, "Where do you live?" He answered, "I am the fifteenth son of the king of the southern heaven in the first realm of desire. The king has ninety-one sons, all of whom are extraordinary strategists and warriors. They rule over kingdoms and cities; in the realm that they rule, both land and sea, the monks and laypeople are distinguished and those who uphold the Buddhist teaching and those who don't are separated. These sons of the rulers all accept the Buddhist teaching themselves 104

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and maintain the proper treatment of good and evil conduct, thus permitting the transmitted teaching to prosper while they themselves accumulate their own merit. According to the names mentioned in the scripture, I am the son of the vaiḍūrya king of the southern realm. I am on guard constantly; my office is not in name only." The Vinaya master asked again, "You hold a respectable position. You have not come to see me because your inherited virtue is inferior. Why don't you enter through the front gate?" The apparition answered, "I, as a disciple of the Buddha, do not dare to enter unless I am invited to do so by you, a master." The Vinaya master said, "Please come in and take a seat." [The spirit] came in, and having paid respect, sat down with his head lowered. The Vinaya master asked again, "You believe in the Three Jewels and are protected by the word of the Buddha. It is good that you have come to see me. Why don't you show your true form?" The apparition answered, "My retribution body is different from that of others. The light that shines from it is also unusual. It may disturb ordinary people. It is sufficient to discuss matters with the master. I need not bother with showing my true form." Vinaya Master Daoxuan asked again, "Since this spring my vitality has been declining. Medicine has no effect. I do not know whether the end of my life, determined by karmic conditions, is near or far." The apparition answered, "The life of the Vinaya master is about to end. Do not trouble yourself with medicine." Daoxuan asked again, "When is the time predetermined by my karma for the end of my life?" The apparition answered, "How would I be able to tell the time? I only know that your life will end soon. You will be reborn in the fourth heaven where Maitreya Buddha dwells." The Vinaya master asked again, "Who will accompany me?" The apparition said, "My third brother, Zhang Yu. He is very intelligent and has achieved superior enlightenment. He has faith in the Buddhist teaching and is the compiler of the Zhihuan tu jing (Diagram and Scripture on the Jetavana Temple) in over one hundred fascicles. The work describes the rows of tall heavenly palace buildings and the earthly government offices that have never been heard of before." When Vinaya Master Daoxuan heard this, he was delighted and requested the apparition to describe all of this in detail so that he could instruct the monks and laypeople.

There was also the god Wei Kun, one of the eight generals of the king of southern heaven. The four heavenly kings have thirty-two generals altogether. 105

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This god was the head general among them. Intelligent by nature, he had renounced the impurities of desire early in his life. He practices the pure disciplines of a Buddhist monk and performs the duties of a youthful disciple who attends a buddha. Having received directly from the Buddha his last order before leaving this world, Wei Kun has made the protection of the Dharma everywhere his dominant concern. Throughout the three continents he is foremost in upholding the right Dharma. Free from selfishness and any flaw, he is deeply concerned about the Buddhist community, consisting of the four groups (monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen). Serving as a bridge between the people on the one hand and the Dharma on the other, he achieves great salvation by means of the five vehicles (i.e., the paths of the hearers, pratyekabuddhas, bodhisattvas, gods, and humans). Because of him, the teaching of the Buddha has been preserved for the four groups of the Buddhist community. When the principles become compromised from interaction with the outside world, or when the model of the monastic community (sangha) is threatened, Wei Kun is always there to protect the community. He frequently offers the means for dealing with a difficult situation and explains the auspicious strategies in detail. Wei Kun admired Vinaya Master Daoxuan's compositions and, preserving other records of the Holy One's teaching, he compiled a collection of these matters. When the Vinaya master heard about this, he accepted it as sacred responsibility that he should make a copy of the collection. Rising from his sickbed, he took up his pen and wrote down what was dictated to him, producing a record consisting of ten fascicles. The Vinaya master was anxious either that his life might end or that the deity would return to heaven before the task was completed, as there was a large amount of material to be copied. He concentrated on the task, neglecting everything else, and wrote in a simplified style, reaching for the holy intention behind the message and not following formal conventions. All essential points were preserved. When he was not sure about a point in the teaching, he always asked the deity to remove his doubts. Altogether there were three thousand eight hundred items, distributed into ten chapters: the first chapter described the ceremonies concerning the compilation of the Buddhist scripture; the second chapter described the verses of the heavenly maidens; the third chapter described the circumstances under which the Buddha's relics had been entrusted; the fourth chapter 106

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described the circumstances under which the Buddha's robe and bowl were entrusted; the fifth chapter described the circumstances under which the scripture and images were entrusted; the sixth chapter described the circumstances under which the Buddha's possessions were entrusted; the seventh chapter described the circumstances that preceded the compilation of the scripture and the consequences of this event; (Note: The eighth and ninth chapters are incomplete and lacked titles.) and the tenth chapter described the miraculous events that happened to those who steadfastly upheld the Dharma. Vinaya Master Daoxuan received the mysterious transmission personally, and as he received these instructions left behind by the deity he was delighted at each revelation. Even though his eyes and ears were fatigued he did not feel weary. He regretted only that if he had learned these things earlier he might have been able to make a more complete record. What the god said at that time did not contradict the teaching of the scriptures, so he recorded all of it. Though he had received these teachings from a god, it was identical with what the Buddha taught. From the second month until the sixth month, the deity came everyday to confer the information, and there was no time passed in idleness.

On the third day of the tenth month, Vinaya Master Daoxuan's vitality slowly declined. Fragrances and banners filled the sky. A holy congregation of gods said simultaneously, "We have come from Tuṣita Heaven to welcome the Vinaya master." The Vinaya master sat upright in proper form and concentrated his mind, with his palms joined. Maintaining this reverent attitude, he passed away. At the time of his death over one hundred monks and laypeople saw fragrant flowers welcome him and accompany him as he went up into the sky. Vinaya Master Daoxuan and myself, [Daoshi, compiler of the Fayuan zhulin], were formerly fellow students. On the day we ascended the ordination platform we received instruction from the same teacher. Though his conduct was particularly virtuous, he also enjoyed collecting records more than anyone else. He gathered a variety of records that he had seen or heard, some on abstract matters of principles of the teaching and others on matters of practice and historical facts. He summarized the essential points and organized them into sections and chapters. In this way he contributed to the preservation and upholding of the transmitted teaching.

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Daoxuan:

When the Tathāgata was about to enter final nirvana he was staying with a large congregation of humans and gods at Oxhead Temple, south of Anavatapta Pond on top of Mount Gandhamādana. He said to Mahā kāśyapa, "Have Subhūti blow a great conch shell on top of Mount Sumeru to assemble the bodhisattvas and hearer (śrāvaka) monks from the ten directions and the ten realms, as well as a billion Brahmā and Indra gods and the kings of the four heavenly realms. Also call the buddhas of the ten directions to gather at Mount Gandhamādana." Kāśyapa followed this instruction and the great congregation gathered like a cloud. Then the Buddha sat in the cross-legged position and entered the vajra samādhi. The great earth shook in six different ways and light emitted from the Buddha's brow illuminated throughout the three thousand great chiliocosms. After seven days had passed, everyone in the great congregation began to wonder why the gathering had been called. The Worldhonored One rose from his samādhi and, smiling happily, said to the great congregation:

"When I first left my father's city and departed through the palace gate, there was a gandharva king outside, accompanied by his followers performing thousands of pieces of heavenly music. He approached me and asked, 'Where do you wish to go?' I answered, 'I wish to seek enlightenment.' He told me, 'You will definitely attain supreme enlightenment. When Krakucchanda Buddha (the first buddha of the present world age) was about to enter final nirvana he entrusted me with a golden jar. Inside the jar was a jeweled stupa containing seven-jeweled seals. There were also two (three?) gold seals and five silver seals. He ordered me to give the jar to Siddhārtha. He also ordered me to guard you constantly. Now you are destined to attain supreme enlightenment, so I came looking for you.' I accepted the jar as I was instructed, and shortly thereafter I attained enlightenment. "The great Brahmā king and the earth deity, who holds the earth firmly, built a vajra platform to the south of the bodhi tree [where I was to attain] enlightenment. They built it out of gold and silver and decorated it with numerous jewels. At that time the gandharva king said to the buddhas of 108

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the ten directions, 'I have seen that the past buddhas , when they attained enlightenment, all ascended a vajra platform. A golden jar filled with water is then be poured over the head of the Buddha and he attains to the king's rank according to the law (abhiṣeka). I now see that Śākyamuni is about to achieve enlightenment and is ascending the vajra platform, just as previous buddhas did. I heard that there are seven layers of clear ocean under Mount Sumeru and that the water of eight merits is found in this ocean. I went and collected that water myself and I am now about to pour it over the head of Śākyamuni.' The gandharva king opened the jar, removed the stupa of seals from it, and collected the water in the jar. "The buddhas of the ten directions then ordered me to ascend the platform, and I walked around the platform three times. From the top of the platform on the southern side, I turned to the west and then went northward until I reached the center of the platform. Then I laid out the square mat myself and venerated the buddhas of the ten directions. The buddhas ordered me to sit and enter the vajra samādhi.

"The buddhas of the ten directions also instructed the dragon king Sāgara, 'Go to the top of Mount Pinjialuo on the continent of King Baoma ("Jewel Horse") at the bottom of the great ocean. There is a rock cave there called the vajra storehouse, where the pots used for [anointing] a universal monarch and the pots for the Dharma King are kept. These pots are made of gold and decorated with white jewels. When a buddha appears in the world, water is poured over the top of his head from one thousand of these pots. When universal monarchs appear in the world, water is also poured from one thousand pots. Go and bring the pots for the Buddha; do not use the pots for universal monarchs. We will fill the Buddha's pots with the water of eight kinds of merit and anoint Śākya muni with the water.' The dragon king accepted the buddhas' instruction and brought the golden pots and handed them over to the buddhas of the ten directions. Receiving the pots, the buddhas ordered the gandharva king, 'Bring the water and fill these pots.'

"When the buddhas received the pots filled with water the earth shook in six different ways; each of the buddhas of the ten directions emitted light from the white hair between their eyebrows and while encompassed in that light they praised the merits of the buddhas. I arose from samādhi 109

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and also emitted light from my brow. The light from all the buddhas together formed a jeweled canopy that covered the three thousand great chiliocosms. The sun, moon, and stars, the oceans and mountains, and the karmic retributions of sentient beings were all manifested exhaustively within that light. Trillions of buddha lands could also be seen inside the jeweled canopy.

"The buddhas ordered me to stand on the golden (vajra?) platform and pay respect to the buddhas of the ten directions. At that time the buddhas of the ten directions also instructed the dragon king Vāsuki, 'Go to the top of Mount Pinjia[luo]. There is a cave there, where the seats for the buddhas and for the universal monarchs are kept. They are both made of gold to look like Mount Sumeru; the seat of the Buddha is surrounded by nine dragons, and the seat of the universal monarch is surrounded by five dragons. The former is used when the Dharma King rises to the rank.' At that time the buddhas of the ten directions also ordered the great king Māra and the great king Brahmā together to carry the Buddha's seat to the vajra platform. "The buddhas ordered me to sit upon the seat; I obeyed and sat down. Then the buddhas of the ten directions filled the golden pots with water and poured it over the top of my head. After the buddhas had anointed me with the water, the kings of the four heavenly realms, the gods Indra, Māra, and Brahmā all poured water on my head, one by one. After that I achieved the samādhi of purity. An infinite number of the buddhadharmas were realized simultaneously, and the earth also shook. Thousands of trillions of māras came to surrender themselves. The Brahmā kings in the ten directions all performed heavenly music meant for the occasion when a buddha completes the path. From each of the instruments light appeared and the light taught the six perfections.

"At that time the gandharva king brought the seven-jeweled seals mentioned above and handed them over to the buddhas of the ten directions. Accepting these seals, the buddhas stamped my face [with the seals], which resulted in seven holes. The buddhas then said to me, 'We have now made seven holes with the seals. You are now endowed with the sevenfold practices of awakening.' They first put the [marks of the] seals on my face to enable me to examine different delusions and categories of knowledge. In this way they marked my ears, eyes, and nose, one by one, 110

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with the seals. Then the gandharva king handed over the golden seals to the buddhas of the ten directions. Accepting these seals, the buddhas stamped three places on my chest. 'Because you have received the three seals of the Dharma, you have attained the threefold wisdom of emptiness and understand the Buddha-Dharma completely.' The gandharva king then handed over the silver seals to the buddhas of the ten directions. Accepting these seals, the buddhas stamped the top of my head and my hands and feet. 'Having received these seals, you have attained pure wisdom. You are endowed with the five attributes of the spiritual body (dharma kāya) of the Tathāgata.' When the buddhas had finished stamping me with the seals, each placed a golden hand on top of my head and rubbed it. When they rubbed their hands against the top of my head I attained one hundred thousand samādhis and attained the wisdom of the one thousand kinds of dharmas. "It has been a long time since I realized these teachings of the buddhas. For the sake of sentient beings I appeared bearing the marks of the universal monarch. I also appeared bearing rare and auspicious marks. From the top of my head, my hands, and my feet, five-colored light issues forth. In each ray of light a hundred thousand buildings appear. All my different bodies are found in these buildings, and each of them has received the seal and attained the great spiritual rank in the same way as I did. After completing my path of spiritual cultivation I have been constantly carrying this jar stupa but I have never before shown it to you. Now it has been revealed."

The Buddha also said to the mahāsattva Samantabhadra, "Open the jar and bring out the jeweled stupa." Samantabhadra obeyed and brought out the stupa in front of the Buddha. When the World-honored One rose and paid respect to the stupa, the door of the stupa opened by itself. Inside were pavilions of pearls, altogether one hundred and thirty thousand in number. Each pavilion contained a seal and a beautifully decorated copy of the Vinaya. Again, there were one hundred and thirty thousand of these altogether. Inside the stupa were five monks who had entered the samādhi of cessation. The Buddha said to Mañjuśrī, "Take my Dharma horn decorated with golden rims, go to the monks and play the music 'Renouncing the Householder's Life' and 'Entering Deep Samādhi.'

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When the monks heard these tunes, they immediately came out of samādhi and asked Mañjuśrī, "What buddha age are we in presently?" Mañjuśrī answered, "It is the age of Śākyamuni Buddha, the fourth in the age of the wise." The monks said, "We are the great hearer (śrāvaka) disciples of Kra kucchanda Buddha. When that buddha entered nirvana he ordered us to guard the seals inside this stupa until the time of Ruci Buddha, the last of the one thousand buddhas of the age of the wise, enters nirvana." Then the monks rose from their seats, greeted the World-honored One from a distance, and enquired into his welfare. Then the monks told Mañjuśrī, "That past buddha Krakucchanda instructed us, 'When Śākyamuni is about to enter nirvana you should choose twenty-three seals from the many seals and give them to him. After Śākyamuni Buddha has [entered nirvana] the teachings he leaves behind will be neglected. Sentient beings of that time will be heavily burdened with the defilement of heretical views and they will not uphold the precepts. The gods, dragons, and other [supernatural] beings will not offer protection and the fourfold congregation (monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen) will be powerless. I leave these seals with Śākyamuni Buddha so that a great bodhisattva will be able to inscribe the teachings he leaves all over with the twenty-three seals. He will inscribe the fourfold congregation so that there will be no infraction of any rules. If there is someone who takes pleasure in reading and reciting scripture, he will stamp the mouth of that person with a seal so that he will not forget the words of the scripture. If there is someone who cultivates meditation to tame his mind, he will also stamp that person so that after his death his body will not decay and may glow with light. When evil sentient beings see these miracles they will all give rise to the intention of seeking salvation.'" After the monks spoke these words, the door of the stupa closed by itself. 3. The Marriage Proposal

The Fobenxing jing (Fobenxing ji jing, T.190:707a19-708b18) says: When the Prince grew up and was nineteen years old, King Śuddhodana built him three palaces for the three different seasons: the first was a warm palace for mid-winter; the second was a cool palace for the heat of summer; and the third was a middle palace to be used in spring and fall. Many ponds and pavilions were constructed in the back garden, and trees that 112

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bloom and bear fruit were planted. Many people performed music for the Prince, who was constantly guarded. The detailed description of all this will be abbreviated here. King Śuddhodana also remembered that when the prince was born the fortune-teller Asita had noted that the Prince would either become a universal monarch or achieve enlightenment. The king therefore asked the members of his clan how he could prevent his son from renouncing the householder's life so that he would instead succeed to the king's throne. They answered, "Quickly build another wing onto the palace and have many court ladies perform and entertain there. Then the Prince will not renounce the householder's life." They then said in verse: The prediction made by Asita indeed cannot be changed. Members of the Śākya clan recommend the construction of palace buildings,

And hope that this will prevent the prince from renouncing the householder's life.

The king then told the members of the Śākya clan, "All of you look around to see which woman deserves to be the Prince's consort." Thereupon, each of the five hundred Śākya clanspeople said, "My daughter deserves to be the prince's consort!" The king thought, "Suppose I were to examine all of their daughters but if I then found that they are not adequate, it will lead to conflict in the clan. This would be no different from causing conflict by forbidding the Prince to seek the spiritual path." The king then came up with another idea: "I will have articles made decorated with miscellaneous jewels that make a person forget worries. I will take these things to the Prince and allow him to give them to the court ladies. I will secretly observe the Prince as he gives the vases away, paying attention to his eyes. If his glance stays longer with one of the ladies, I will invite her to become the Prince's consort." Then the king rang a bell and announced, "For a period of seven days starting from now, our Prince wishes to see all the ladies and confer articles decorated with miscellaneous jewels and used in a variety of pleasurable entertainments that cause people to forget their worries." The ladies all decorated themselves and came to the gate of the palace, wishing to see the Prince, but because the Prince was so powerful they dared not look at him directly. Each simply 113

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accepted the jeweled articles and passed by him quickly with her head lowered. All the jeweled articles were given away.

There was one lady left, the daughter of the minister Mahānāma of the Hastā branch of the Śākya clan. Her name was Yaśodharā. She came accompanied by attendants both before and behind her. When she saw the Prince from a distance she stood up tall and directed her glance at him. She walked toward him slowly and elegantly, and looked straight into the Prince's eyes without averting her gaze or avoiding his. Approaching slowly to greet the Prince, she seemed like an old acquaintance of his, not at all shy or embarrassed. She said to the Prince, "Give me a jeweled article." The Prince replied, "You came too late. They have all been given away." She then said to him, "What did I do wrong to cause you to cheat me and not give me a jeweled article?" The Prince answered, "I did not cheat you; you did not arrive in time." At the time the Prince was wearing a large signet ring of great value. He removed it from his finger and offered the ring to Yaśodharā. She said, "As soon as I come to you, do you give to me whatever pleases you [as if I were one of your attendant ladies]?" The Prince answered, "You can have any other jewels that I am wearing." Yaśodharā said again, "How could I take things that the Prince is wearing? I should instead be adorning the Prince!" With these words she showed her displeasure, and she turned around and departed.

After the World-honored One had attained buddhahood, the noble one Udāyin said to the him, "The Tathāgata wears no jewels on his body. How is it that even if he were to have given all the jewels he wore on his body to Yaśodharā, she would not be happy?" The Buddha said to Udāyin, "Listen carefully. I will speak to you about this matter." Udāyin said, "Please preach to me about it." Then the Buddha told Udāyin the following story: "I recall a time an infinite number of ages ago. In the city of Vārāṇasī in the kingdom of Kāśi there was a king who governed the kingdom on the basis of heterodox teaching and held wrong views. That king had a prince who committed a minor offense. His father, the king, exiled him and sent him outside of the kingdom's borders. The prince, walking slowly, reached a temple of a deity. He stayed in this temple with his wife, who had accompanied him. When they ran out of food the prince hunted and killed various animals in order to survive. In the hunting ground the prince 114

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found a crocodile. He chased and killed it. After removing its skin, he threw the carcass in water and boiled it. The meat had not quite fully cooked but all the juice had completely evaporated. At that time the prince told his wife, "The meat is not fully cooked. Go and get some water." The prince's wife then went to get water.

After his wife had gone, the prince felt extremely hungry and could not wait. So he ate all of the crocodile meat, leaving nothing behind. When the prince's wife returned with the water, she asked her husband, "Where is the crocodile meat ?" The prince answered, "The crocodile suddenly came back to life and has now gone away." In disbelief the wife said, "How can such a thing just happen all of a sudden? The meat of the crocodile was already cooked. How could the animal come to life and walk away?" The wife did not believe the prince's words and thought to herself, "My husband must have felt very hungry and eaten all of the meat. He is trying to deceive me by saying that the crocodile walked away." She felt miserable and angry, and after this incident she was depressed all the time. Several years later, the prince's father, the king, died and the minister welcomed the prince back to the kingdom and anointed him as king. After he became the king the prince gave all the jewels he obtained to the queen, but she was still not pleased. The king asked her, "How is it that you still have an unhappy expression on your face?" His consort said the following verses to answer the king:

Most superior king, please listen.

When you hunted a long time ago,

You took your arrow and sword,

And shot and killed a wild crocodile.

Having removed its skin, and when the meat was almost finished cooking,

You sent me away to get more water to add to the pot, Then you ate all of the meat,

And lied to me, saying that the crocodile had walked away. The Buddha told Udāyin, "You should know the following. The one who was the king at that time is none other than myself. The one who was the queen is none other than Yaśodharā. At that time I committed a 115

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The Fobenxing jing (Fobenxing ji jing, T.190:712c4-16, 715a6-b22) further records: When the minister Mahānāma saw that the Prince had expertise and was well informed in all branches of the arts, with better skills than anyone else, he said to him, "Please accept my repentance. Earlier I said that the prince had no understanding of many arts, and allowed doubt to arise in my mind. Because of this I would not allow my daughter to be married to you. I now know better. Please accept my daughter and make her your consort." The Prince chose an auspicious day and time and, following proper convention, he provided the proper means for the wedding to his own family. Relying on the powers and authorities of a great king, he welcomed the daughter into his house as his consort. Yaśodharā, adorned with many jewels, entered the palace accompanied by five hundred attendant ladies. The couple was happy and enjoyed the pleasures of the five senses. Therefore, a verse says:

Yaśodharā was the daughter of a minister.

Her reputation spread throughout the kingdom and everyone far and near knew about her.

Choosing an auspicious day through an oracle, the Prince took her as his consort,

And went to her house to welcome her into his palace. The Prince and his consort enjoyed many sense pleasures. They indulged in these pleasures, never tiring of them. Just as the heavenly king Kauśika (Indra) had pursued pleasure with his consort Śacī.

When the World-honored One first attained buddhahood, Udāyin said to him, "I do not understand fully. How, and by what circumstances, could the World-honored One a long time ago make the woman of the Gautamī clan reject many other men and take the Tathāgata as her husband? She was happy in her heart. How could this have been achieved?" The Buddha 116

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said to Udāyin, "You, Udāyin! Listen carefully. It is not only in this world that the woman of the Gautamī clan rejected other men and found happiness with me. It was just like this in another world in the past. In that world she also rejected others and took me as her husband. As I remember that past world, at the foot of the Himalayas many kinds of creatures lived. Innumerable numbers of animals roamed there, and each of these animals had its place among others in the food chain. At that time among the animals there was a female tiger, and she was uniquely beautiful and incomparable among all the animals. That tiger's fur was very lustrous. When a mate was to be chosen for the tiger from the innumerable number of animals, each of them said, 'Come to me! Come to me!' Some animals told the others, 'Wait a minute—don't fight with each other! Let the female tiger herself choose a mate. Whatever animal she chooses will become the king among us.' Among the animals at that time was an ox king, and he said to the female tiger in verse:

People of the world all take my excrement And paint the ground with it for the purpose of purification. For this reason, the beautiful female tiger Should take me as her mate.

The female tiger answered the king of oxen in verse: Your neck is large and high.

All it is good for is to pull a carriage or drag a plow. How is it that with your ugly body,

You suddenly wish to become my husband and master? At that time there was also a large white elephant, who said to the female tiger in verse:

I am the great elephant king of the Himalayas. You cannot win a battle without using me. Since I am endowed with such great powers, Why don't you now become my wife?

The female tiger answered the white elephant in verse: 117

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A Forest of Pearls from the Dharma Garden, Volume II If you were to see the lion king,

You would be frightened out of your wits and run away as fast as you can,

Dropping excrement and urinating as you flee in great confusion. How could you deserve to be my husband? Among the animals was a lion, king of all the animals. He said to the female tiger in verse:

Gaze now upon my body and see how it looks. The front half is large and expansive, and the back is finely tapered. I live as freely as I please in the mountains, And I can also bring comfort to other sentient beings. I am the king of all animals;

There is no other animal that can beat me in battle. If they catch a glance of me or hear my voice, All the animals run away.

I am ferocious and powerful,

And my authority is great and undisputed. Thus, wise tiger, you should know about me, And you may become my wife.

The female tiger said to the lion king in verse: You are powerful, ferocious, and authoritative, And your body is very beautiful in appearance. I have now found my husband.

I greet you respectfully and will obey you. Then the Buddha said to Udāyin, "You, Udāyin, must understand the following. The lion who was the king of all animals at that time is none other than I myself. The female tiger at that time is none other than the present Śākya woman of the Gautamī clan. The innumerable animals at that time are none other than the present five hundred young men of the Śākya clan. At that time the Gautamī woman disliked the animals and therefore was not willing to choose any of them as her mate. As soon as she heard my verses she become my wife. Today the situation is the same. 118

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The reason she rejected the five hundred young men of the Śākya clan was because she disliked and despised them, so she chose me as her husband. The Yinguo jing (T.189:629b12-b17, c1-2) says:

When the Prince became seventeen years old, the ministers gathered to discuss the matter of his marriage. One brahman, whose name was Mahānāma, had a daughter called Yaśodharā. She was beautiful in appearance and her intelligence and wisdom was unsurpassed by others. She possessed all of the graceful feminine manners. Due to these virtues, she was asked to become the Prince's consort. The Prince received her as his consort and she accompanied him constantly in his daily life, but the Prince never entertained worldly thoughts and cultivated only the practice of meditation.

The Puyao jing (ref. T.186:500a5-c25) says:

At that time the warriors and elders of the Śākya clan said to the king, "If the Prince becomes a buddha, the lineage of the holy king will end." The king answered, "Where is a jadelike woman whom we should give to the prince as his consort? Let us use skillful means to see whether we can find her." The king ordered his artisans to construct a standing golden image with an inscription that read: "If there is a woman whose virtue is as I describe here, she should answer this invitation to come to the palace.' The king told the brahmans attending him, "Go all around the kingdom of Kapilavastu to search for such a woman." They found a woman, pure as a lotus flower and comparable to the best of the jadelike women. They chose this woman, who was of the Śākya clan with the name Gopī. She demonstrated her extraordinary talents to the Prince, and he took her as the consort of the Bodhisattva. Again, elsewhere in the same text it says that when the prince was seventeen years old, the king found a consort for him. Out of thousands of candidates the one left at the end was called Gopī. She was the most attractive and her conduct was impeccable, but she was a girl [from a lower class] who sold flowers. When she was brought to the palace to become the prince's consort he would not touch her. The woman wished to approach him, but the prince said, "As a woman you are polluted. You will defile my bed." So Gopī did not dare to approach 119

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A Forest of Pearls from the Dharma Garden, Volume II the Prince. The other ladies of the court suspected that the Prince was impotent. The Prince then pointed at the woman's torso with his finger and said, "In six years you will give birth to a boy." The woman thus became pregnant.

The Wumeng jing says:

The Prince had three consorts. The first had the surname Gautama. She was the daughter of Elder Sheyi, whose personal name was Shuiguang ("Water Light"). The name of his wife was Yuming ("Remaining Light"). The wife lived near the capital city. When their daughter was born the sun was setting, but the fading light illuminated the interior of the house clearly. For this reason she was given the name Gopī (Note: This means "Bright Woman.") She was the Prince's first consort. The second consort, whose name was Yetan or Yashu (Yaśodharā), gave birth to Rāhula. Her father was Elder Yishi. (Note: The Ruiying benqi, Shanquan, as well as the Zhidu lun, say that Rāhula was born to the second consort, Yaśodharā. The Wumeng [jing] and the Shieryou jing say that it was the first consort who gave birth to him. The Shieryou jing did not say this originally but the earlier version of the text later disappeared. [The extant version] might have been compiled [later] by arhats in the West (India). This work was mentioned in the preceding fascicle.) The third consort was called Luye ("Deer Field"). Her father was Elder Śākya. Because the Prince had three consorts, King Śuddhodana built palaces for the three seasons for him. (Note: In the West [i.e., India] a year is divided into the three seasons of spring, summer, and winter; there is no period designated as autumn. Each season consists of four months. This explains the expression "palaces for the three seasons.") In each of the palaces there were twenty thousand court ladies who served to entertain the Prince. When the Prince did not renounce the householder's life he became a universal monarch, or cakravartin (Note: This word means "flying emperor.") 4. Slanderous Rumors

The Zhidu lun (ref. T.1509:182b13-c4) says:

The Bodhisattva had two wives. One was called Gopikā. She was a jade woman and was barren. The second was called Yaśodharā. After the 120

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Bodhisattva had renounced the householder's life, some people plotted at night, "Since the Prince has renounced the householder's life how could she have gotten pregnant? She will defile the blood of the Śākya clan. We should throw the mother and son into a burning pit and slaughter them." Yaśodharā resented this because there was no substance to this charge. She made a great vow, "If the child I am carrying came into being through immoral conduct, let both mother and child be burned and destroyed!" After making this vow, Yaśodharā threw herself into a burning pit but the fire went out and both mother and child survived. The fire turned into a pond filled with lotus flowers, and the mother sat upon a lotus flower throne. People realized that [what Yaśodhara said was] true and not false. Later, a child was born who resembled the Bodhisattva physically. The father [of the Bodhisattva], the king, was delighted and prepared cakes of one hundred different tastes and presented them to the Buddha. [To test him] the Buddha transformed himself into five hundred monks, each of whom had the body of the Buddha. Rāhula took the cakes and put them into the [real] Buddha's almsbowl. In this way he demonstrated that he was truly the son of the Buddha.

The Dashanquan jing (T.345:161b15-19) says:

Some doubted that the Prince might be impotent and incapable of fathering a son. So the king brought Gopī, the daughter of a man who belonged to the Śākya clan. Rāhula was born miraculously; he was not born from intercourse between his parents.

The Fobenxing jing (Fobenxing ji jing, T.190:889a29-c8) says: At that time Mahāprajāpatī and the daughter of the Śākya clan, Yaśodharā, brought various objects of offering they had prepared and went to the shrine of a god. The name of the god was Lutiluojia, and the garden in which the shrine was located was also called Lutiluojia, from the name of the god. When the Bodhisattva was still living the householder's life he often played athletic games in this garden.

There was a large rock in the garden, and in the past the Bodhisattva used to sit on that rock. At that time, when Yaśodharā, the daughter of the Śākya clan, brought [her son] Rāhula to the garden, she sat him down to 121

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rest behind the rock, and then she took the rock and threw it into the water. She vowed, "I now vow that what I say is true and not false. Except for the Prince I have never been with another man. The child to whom I have given birth is his descendant, and he carries the Prince's blood. If this is not false, let the large rock float on the surface of the water and not sink." As she had requested in her vow the large rock stayed on the water's surface, just as a banana leaf floats on water. It did not sink or drop down, again just like a banana leaf. When the large crowd saw and heard everything that had happened, they marveled and expressed their joy out loud; they could not stop themselves from dancing, shouting, jumping, and singing, their robes and sleeves swirling around. They also played various kinds of music.

As for the choice of the date of Rāhula's birth, at the time when Yaśo dharā lived, Rāhula was the king of the asuras. He once grasped the moon in eclipse, held it for a moment, and then let it go. For this reason he is called by the name Rāhula.

He was pleasingly handsome, and everyone who saw him became happy. The skin of his body was yellowish-white in color and looked like pure gold. The top of his head was like a parasol. His nose was high and prominent, like a parrot's beak. His arms reached down to his knees. Nothing was amiss with his limbs and joints; all his sense organs were perfect. 5. The Long and Difficult Pregnancy

The Fobenxing jing (Fobenxing ji jing, T.190:906b26-28) says: Rāhula came out of his mother's womb after six years had passed from the time the Tathāgata renounced the householder's life. When the Tathāgata returned to his father's house [his son Rāhula] he had just turned six years old.

Question: Why did Rāhula stay in his mother's womb for six years before being born?

Answer: Rāhula was a king in a past life. A sage [whom he had met in that life] went into a garden and did not come out for six days. Because of this Rāhula stayed in his mother's womb for six years. The basic idea is the same. Question: Why did his mother Yaśodharā remain pregnant for six years? 122

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Answer: The old Benxing jing (Fobenxing ji jing, T.190:908a16-29) relates the following story:

The Buddha said, "Monks, I recall that in a world an infinite number of years ago there was a herd of cows in a pasture. The wife of the cows' owner took her daughter and went to the herd to milk them. The two milk containers they brought were soon both full. The wife made the daughter carry the bigger container and she carried the smaller container herself. Midway as they were carrying the full containers back, the mother said to her daughter, "Go quickly. The road around here is dangerous." The daughter said to her mother, "This container is very heavy. How can I go quickly?" In this way the mother told her daughter again and again that she must hurry because there were frightening things on the road. The daughter then entertained the following thought: 'Why should I have to carry the heavier container and have to listen to her tell me to go quickly, too?" This angered the daughter and she said to her mother, "Mother, will you carry this container, too? I must relieve myself." So the mother took the larger container and carried it. The daughter followed behind her slowly. At that time the mother carried the heavy burden for six miles." The Buddha said to the monks, "Have no doubt that that daughter became angry and made her mother walk six miles carrying the heavy burden; do not entertain any contradictory thought. The woman of the Śākya clan Yaśodharā is that daughter. Because of the fault she committed at that time, deceiving her mother into carrying a heavy burden for six miles on the dangerous road, she received an infinite amount of suffering in this life filled with defilements. The remaining karmic effect of this fault caused her to carry the fetus in her womb for six years in this life. (Note: Another scripture says that because in a previous life Rāhula had covered over a mouse's hole and the mouse was unable to come out for six days, he remained in the womb for six years.)

6. Miracles

686c5-21) says:

The Guanfo sanmei jing (T.643:683b7-c2, 685a20-b17, 686a26-b3, Yaśodharā and five hundred court ladies entertained the following thought: 123

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"Since the Prince been born in this world, his life has been accompanied by many extraordinary things. There is one thing, however, about which we have some doubt." One woman among the court ladies, called Xiumanna, said to the prince's consort, "The Prince is a divine person. I have been serving him for many years but I have never seen his male organ. I certainly have not seen him engage in any worldly [sexual] activities." Another woman, Jingyi, said, "Queen, I have served the Prince for eighteen years but I have never seen him troubled by such things as urinating or defecating. I certainly have not seen him show any sexual desire." At that time each of the court ladies said various things like this, and they all said that the Prince must be impotent.

The Prince was taking a nap but he heard everything that the court ladies had said, expressing their desire to get a glimpse of his penis. Lotus flowers appeared at the place of the Prince's male organ. They were red and white in color, and two or three flowers were connected together vertically. When the ladies saw the flowers, they said to each other, "Divine people have such lotus flowers. The mind of this person is definitely free from anything defiled." Having said this, they were overcome by emotion and unable to speak. Then the Prince's male sexual organ appeared in the middle of the lotus flowers. It looked like [the organ of] a boy. The ladies saw it and said to each other, "The Prince is now going to cause a miracle to happen!" Suddenly the organ changed its shape to that of a man. The ladies were overjoyed when they saw this. When this miraculous vision occurred, Rāhula's mother saw the male organ. Flowers appeared one after the other, and massed together they all resembled the kind of cotton trees that grow in heaven. On top of each flower were an infinite number of large bodhisattvas, who held in their hands white flowers that covered their bodies. This vision appeared and then disappeared, just as the previous day's sun had risen and disappeared. This vision is called "The Vision of the Bodhisattva's Male Organ." At that time some other court ladies gossiped that Gautama lacked a male organ. When the Buddha heard this, the Prince's [penis] slowly appeared. When it first appeared it looked like [the penis of] an eightyear-old boy but it grew gradually and began to look like [that of] a youth. The ladies were delighted. Then it grew even more and came to look like a flag formed of lotus flowers. Each of the layers consisted of millions of 124

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lotus flowers. Each of the lotus flowers was constituted by millions of colors representing different shades of jewels. Each of these colors contained millions of manifestations of the Buddha. Inside each of the manifestations of the Buddha were millions of bodhisattvas and an infinite number of people who all served as the Buddha's attendants. At that time the manifested buddhas spoke simultaneously, condemning the women's evil desires and faults. They said in verse:

Even if there were young men,

All aged fifteen or sixteen,

At the peak of their vigor,

As numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges River, And they were presented to these women,

They would be unable to satisfy them even for a single instant. When the women heard these words they felt ashamed and distressed. They fell to the ground, raising their hands and hitting their heads, and said, "Alas, we were possessed by evil desires and caused the buddhas to utter these disparaging words; we harbored evil thoughts and were attached to defiled desires, and failed to recognize them as wrong. The buddhas heard this and condemned our evil desires. Each of us detests our female body." Four thousand women then gave rise to the intention to seek the path of salvation. Two thousand women freed themselves from defilement and purified their Dharma eyes. Two thousand women were [predicted] to achieve the path of the pratyekabuddha.

The Buddha said to Ānanda, "When I first achieved enlightenment on the bank of the Nairañjanā River, there were five ascetics, each accompanied by five hundred and fifty disciples. They claimed to have achieved enlightenment and came to me. The male organs of each of these ascetics was twisted around his body, going around it seven times. They came to the place where I had spread out some grass for a seat and was sitting there. They said, 'Because we are free from desire our bodies are like this. We are just like the gods in the highest heaven in the realm of desire. Our supernatural powers are billions of times greater than the monks' powers.' "At that time the World-honored One said to the ascetics, 'You have no knowledge of the Tathāgata's organ. Any of you who wishes to see it 125

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should come and have a look at it, as you wish. For a period of many world ages the Tathāgata has been engaged in spiritual practice. Even while I was still living the life of a householder I entertained no thoughts of desire and my mind was never defiled. That is why I attained this reward. My organ is like that of a horse, made of jewels. It is sometimes hidden and sometimes visible, going back and forth between these states in an entirely unpredictable fashion. For your benefit I will now reveal my male organ for a short while.'

"Then the World-honored One came down from the sky and made manifest four bodies of water that looked like four oceans. Mount Sumeru was located in the middle of the four oceans, and the Buddha resided on Mount Sumeru. He laid down with his back on the ground and emitted golden light. This bright light illuminated the bodies of the gods. Slowly his penis appeared and wrapped around the mountain seven times. It looked like golden lotus flowers had appeared, one flower on top of another, reaching all the way up to the realm of the god Brahmā. From the Buddha's body there appeared billions of lotus flowers made of miscellaneous jewels. It looked as if a flag made of flowers covered the Buddha's penis. These lotus flowers formed millions of layers, and in each of these layers were hundreds of thousands of manifestations of the Buddha. Each of these manifestations of the Buddha was accompanied by billions of bodhisattvas and an innumerable number of monks who served as his attendants. The manifestations of the Buddha sent forth light and illuminated all the worlds of the ten directions.

"The [five] ascetics were amazed and overcome with awe. They said, 'The vision that results from the Buddha's pure practices is beyond the reach of human understanding. [His male organ] is not ugly in form but as beautiful as lotus flowers. We will now pay respect to the Buddha's merits that are as vast as the ocean.' They asked the Buddha to allow them to follow the life of the renunciants under him, and they all achieved the fruit of their spiritual quest."

10. Recognition of Suffering

(Note: This has four parts:) (1) Introduction, (2) Observing Planting in the Field, (3) Excursions, and (4) Aversion to the Life of Desires. 126

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1. Introduction

There are fine distinctions among the three realms of existence; each of the four kinds of living beings is endowed with its own nature. Beings in each of these categories roam around inside this burning house and they all drown in the ocean of desires. They wriggle and squirm, showing signs of life; being small creatures they look upward and open their mouths as if seeking something. For this reason the Dharma King, who brings enlightenment to these lands, chooses the right occasion for bringing vehicles of salvation and leads the playing children to the superior realm. He has compassion for the creatures caught in worldly entanglements, and affectionately delights in those who have renounced the world. Therefore, when the Prince saw the dancing girls asleep, lying around like dead corpses in the palace, he realized that the queen's quarters in the palace were no different than a graveyard in ruins. He deplored the fact that life means growing old and suffering from illness, and aspired to the eternal happiness that results from renunciation of this world. For this reason, the Prince abandoned the kingdom and its capital city to seek loftiness and purity outside of this world. When he succeeded in conquering the māras, the Prince achieved enlightenment [and became the Buddha].

2. Observing Planting in the Field

The Fobenxing jing (Fobenxing ji jing, T.190:705c20-707a17) says: The king and many members of the Śākya clan took the Prince outside the city on an excursion to observe the planting in the fields. The laborers in the king's territory worked naked [under the sun] and toiled hard to break the ground and plant. Birds were flying, eating insects in flight and harming these creatures, while at the same time singing, "Alas! Alas! Sentient beings in the world suffer extreme pain of many kinds, such as birth, old age, illness, and death. They also suffer other agonies and revolve in the cycle of rebirth, unable to escape from this world. Why don't they seek release from these numerous kinds of suffering?"

When King Śuddhodana had finished observing the fields, he went with many youths into a garden. At this time the Prince slowly glanced about and walked around, looking for a quiet place. Suddenly he saw a jambu tree in one spot. The tree brought pleasure to those who saw it, 127

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with its thick foliage of leaves and its branches that spread widely in all directions. When the Prince saw the tree he said to his attendants, "You should now leave me and go far away. I wish to walk around by myself." At the time the prince sent his attendants away and, having dismissed the group of his followers, he slowly approached the spot under the tree. He then sat down cross-legged on the grass and meditated. Sentient beings suffer from a variety of painful conditions, such as birth, old age, illness, and death. He then gave rise to compassion and was able to concentrate his mind. Cutting himself off from desire and abandoning all things that are not good, the Prince stopped the karmic flow of the realm of desire and attained the first trance state (dhyāna). All the heavenly deities, such as the god Indra, saw the Prince sitting in the tree's shadow and came flying to the place to pay respect to him, praised him in verses, and then departed.

Whenever King Śuddhodana lost sight of the Prince, even briefly, he became unhappy. He asked the others, "Where is the Prince now? He has suddenly disappeared." The ministers ran around in all the four directions, to the east, west, south, and north, passing each other as they went in different directions. They looked everywhere for the prince but they could not find him. Then one minister saw the Prince from a distance, sitting under the jambu tree meditating. He also saw that the shadows of all the other trees had shifted away so that only the shadow of the jambu tree shaded the Prince. When the minister saw that the Prince had caused this extraordinary phenomenon, beyond normal human understanding, he was delighted and uncontrollably began to dance around. He quickly ran to the king, kneeled down before him, and reported what he had seen. He said in verse: The Prince of the great king is now

Under the jambu tree. He is sitting under its shadow. With his legs crossed, he has entered a trance.

Light shines all around him as if the sun has come out. This man is truly a great person.

Only the jambu tree now casts a shadow and the shadow does not move.

Please, Great King, come and observe him yourself.

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How could we describe the appearance of the Prince? He is like the ruler of the heavenly realm of the Brahmā gods. He is also like the god Indra in the Heaven of the Thirty-three Gods. He is awesome, standing tall and alone; clear and bright light Shines everywhere in the forest of trees around him. When King Śuddhodana heard this, he immediately went to the location of the jambu tree and from a distance saw the Prince sitting cross-legged under the tree. The sight may be compared to a brightly burning fire on top of a mountain in the middle of a pitch-black night: the flames of the fire rise up ferociously, making manifest its awesome power and casting light everywhere from the lofty spot. The sight may also be compared to a bright moon in the sky emerging from behind a bank of dark clouds, or when one takes a large bright light inside a dark room. When the king saw the Prince he was amazed, his body began to tremble all over in fear, and all the hair on his body stood on end. He then bowed his head to the Prince's feet and paid respect. Dancing around in delight, he uttered the following words: "How wonderful! How wonderful! The Prince is endowed with great powerful virtue." Words of praise expressed in verses followed: Like a massive fire on top of a mountain,

Or a bright autumn moon emerging between clouds that cover the sky, I now see the Prince sitting in meditation.

Without even knowing it my hair stood on end and my body trembled in fear.

After uttering these verses, King Śuddhodana again paid respect by bowing to the Prince's feet, and said again in verse: Again I bow down with my entire body,

And pay respect to the most wonderful feet, which are marked Like the feet of the Buddha with the pattern of a spoked wheel. I have been with you from birth until now,

And suddenly I see you sitting in meditation.

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Even though the light of the sun is extremely bright, and its heat is also fierce,

It cannot affect the coolness of that tree's shade. There is also another kind of light that is extraordinarily wonderful. Its awesome power is unparalleled in this world. Sitting straight in meditation under the tree, Unmoving and not swaying, like Mount Sumeru, Prince Siddhārtha has gone deep within his mind. He finds pleasure in the shade of this tree and he will not give it up. The Fobenxing jing (Fobenxing ji jing, T.190:750a7-8) says: The Bodhisattva said to King Śuddhodana in verse: [Sense] pleasures are like a house of gold that is ablaze in fire, Or delicious food mixed with poison,

Or a flower-filled pond where dragons live.

The one who sits upon a king's throne enjoys such pleasures First and suffers great pain later.

3. Excursions

The Fobenxing jing (Fobenxing ji jing, T.190:719c13-720c28, 722b10c5, 723a21-b23. 724a12-b4, b16-26) says: At that time the god Ghaṭikāra-kumbhakāra wished to cause the prince to leave the garden so that he would see both desirable and detestable things, give rise to aversion to worldly things, and consequently eventually renounce the world. When the Prince heard the god say this, he immediately ordered his charioteer, "Go quickly and put the chariot in order. I now wish to go to the garden for sightseeing." When King Śuddhodana learned that the prince wanted to go out, he ordered that everywhere in the city of Kapilavastu be swept clean, and to put incense and flowers here and there. Everyone who was walking around in the city was to be 130

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adorned appropriately. Anyone who had the signs of old age, illness, death, or was defective in any of the six sense organs was expelled from the city. At that time the charioteer decorated the chariot and placed the horses under tight control, and when everything was ready he said to the Prince, "Let me inform the holy son that the chariot is ready." The Prince left by way of the eastern gate and was on his way to the garden. At that point the god Ghaṭikāra-kumbhakāra met the Prince in front of a narrow alley. He transformed himself into a shabby old man. When the Prince saw him, he asked the charioteer, "What kind of person is this? His body is covered with wrinkles. He has little muscle and his skin is flaccid and loose. His eyes are red and tears flow from them. He is extraordinarily ugly, unlike anyone else [I have seen]." Then the Prince said to the charioteer in verse: Listen carefully now, charioteer who drives well,

What sort of person is this who is in front of me?

His body is not quite right and his hair is thin.

Was he like this from birth, or did he become like this with old age? The charioteer answered the Prince in verse:

The time of old age is called great suffering,

It destroys beauty and pleasure.

All the sense organs are ruined and lose their objects. The limbs no longer move as the mind wishes them to.

The Prince asked the charioteer, "Did this happen to this man as an exception, or does this happen to everyone?" The charioteer answered, "It is not an exception. This happens to everything in this world. Whether noble or humble, no one escapes growing old." The Prince said, "If I cannot escape old age, take me quickly back to the palace. Since I cannot escape old age, how can I engage in indulgences?"

King Śuddhodana asked the charioteer what had happened, and the charioteer answered in detail. The king said, "How extraordinary is it that this sight appeared! I fear that the Prince will renounce the householder's life." So the king increased the number of pleasurable objects of the five senses available to the prince, but the Prince found these objects repugnant and contemplated only the vision of old age and suffering. Later, on a different 131

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occasion, the Prince was again leaving the royal city from the southern gate on his way to the garden. The king had ordered the roads to be decorated and cleaned to an even greater degree than before. At that time the god Ghaṭikāra-kumbhakāra appeared in front of the Prince, having transformed himself into an ill person whose body was reduced to a skeleton from excessive suffering, and who was about to die. He was lying in excrement, rolling around and groaning, unable to raise himself up. The man cried out, hitting his head on the ground and begging someone to help him sit up. When the Prince saw this, he asked the charioteer, "What sort of person is this? His abdomen is so bloated it looks like a large pot. When he breathes loudly, his entire body trembles. His suffering is so extreme that no one can bear to see him or listen to him." The charioteer explained in verse:

The Prince asked the charioteer, saying,

"Why is this man suffering this pain?"

The charioteer answers the Prince,

"When the four elements are not in order, illness arises." Later, on another occasion, the Prince was leaving the city from the western gate on his way to the garden. At that time the god Ghaṭikārakumbhakāra appeared in front of the Prince in the form of a corpse laid out on a bier. Many people were carrying the bier and countless relatives were crying aloud around it, hitting their chests and heads. They shed tears like rain and cried aloud, and their choked agony was sharp and difficult to hear. When the Prince saw this, he felt great sadness and asked the charioteer, "What sort of person is this man, carried around by people who weep aloud all around him?" He asked in verse: The Prince was wonderful in appearance, his body handsome and upright.

He asked a question to the charioteer, "Who is this? Laid out on a bier carried by four people,

His relatives are all around him, loudly weeping." The charioteer answered the Prince in verse: 132

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Having lost his mind and all the other senses,

The corpse has no consciousness and is now like wood or stone. His relatives cry aloud and gather around it for awhile. Having loved him, they are here to bid him a long farewell. The Prince asked again, "Am I also to die like this?" The answer came in verse:

All sentient beings end their lives like this.

Whether gods or humans, noble or humble, we are all equal in this regard.

We may be located in better or worse places among the many realms, But nothing is permanent and when the time arrives, there is no difference in our fate of death.

Later, on another occasion, the Prince was leaving the city from the northern gate. At that time the god Ghaṭikāra-kumbhakāra, using his supernatural powers, at a point not far from the chariot and before the prince transformed himself into a man whose hair and beard had been shaved, wearing a monk's robe with his right shoulder bared. Carrying a zinc staff in his right hand and holding an almsbowl in his left hand, the man was walking on the road. When the Prince saw him, he asked the charioteer, "What sort of person is this? Before me he holds himself in a dignified posture and walks slowly. He looks straight ahead and does not look to either the right or left. He walks with his mind in control, unlike anyone else [I have seen]. His hair and beard have been shaved off, the color of his robe is bright red rather than white, the color of ordinary people's robes. His bowl shines with a dark reddish-blue color, like the color of the paint used to paint one's eyebrows."

The charioteer said to the Prince, "This man is called a renunciant of the householder's life. He constantly performs good deeds and avoids evil deeds. Skillful in controlling all his sense organs, fearless, he is compassionate toward all sentient beings. He never kills or harms sentient beings and keeps the protection of all beings in his mind." When the Prince heard this, he asked the charioteer, "Drive the chariot toward that renunciant of the householder's life." The charioteer obeyed 360a

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A Forest of Pearls from the Dharma Garden, Volume II the Prince's order and led him toward the renunciant. The Prince asked the man, "Who are you?" The renunciant replied in verse: Having observed that the world is an entity bound to disappear, I sought nirvana, which is inexhaustible.

I have rejected my parents in order to achieve a mind of equanimity. I do not engage in worldly activities that involve desires. I stay in the mountains, forests, or under a tree,

Or directly on the ground in cemeteries.

Having renounced all conditioned things,

And having seen truthfully absolute reality, I live by Begging alms from others.

The Prince, respectful of the teaching, then descended from the chariot and approached the renunciant on foot. He paid respect to him in the timehonored way, kneeling down and gently placing the renunciant's foot on top of his head. He circumambulated the renunciant three times and then mounted the chariot again. He then immediately ordered the charioteer to return to the palace. At that time there was a lady at the palace whose name was Kṛśāgautamī. She saw the Prince returning to the palace from far away and felt desire for him. She said in verse: King Śuddhodana enjoys great pleasure.

Mahāprajāpatī is free from worries.

The ladies in the palace are extremely beautiful.

Who will be able to join this holy son at his place? The Dashanquan jing and the Yinguo jing (T.189:632b1-7) give the following account: The Prince slowly grew up and the time for his renunciation arrived. He took leave of his father and went on four excursions from the four gates of the city. On the first three occasions he encountered sights that caused him to feel aversion to worldly life. He was only pleased on the fourth excursion when he saw a man who had renounced the householder's life. All the great masters of prognostication knew that if the Prince did not renounce the householder's life after seven days he would attain the throne of the universal 134

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monarch. He would then rule over the entire world and the seven kinds of treasures possessed by a universal monarch would appear spontaneously. Each of these masters separately related what he had learned to the king. The king placed one thousand soldiers at each of the four gates in order to guard them. He also placed soldiers everywhere in a one-yojana radius outside of the city to make sure that the Prince would not be able to depart. [Chinese fu verses on the four gates from the Guang hongming ji (T.2103: 354c17-355a15) say:]

The verse on old age at the eastern gate: A hollow plantain is easily violated. The precarious ivy can also be nibbled on. Even following the stalk in hiding [to survive], This indeed is the year of long parting. Even if you leave on a white horse, In the end you experience the heat of red flowers. One day and the beautiful appearance disappears. A lone lamp stands fruitlessly by itself. The verse on illness at the southern gate: Lying with our heads on a pillow, we are attached to the precarious light of this life.

In illness, our entanglement with life is easily broken. The grasses grow the side of the snowbank for no certain cause. My thought returns to the hole of Mount Mang. Skin, intestines, and other organs are reduced to nothing. Pain troubles us and binds our limbs. Why are we in such a hurry to accumulate age in ourselves? No being is free from suffering and distress. The verse on death at the western gate: Even though we have relaxed our mind in order to let it accommodate different uses,

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A Forest of Pearls from the Dharma Garden, Volume II Can we determine which of the disappearing shadows is better? Following the wind of karma, everything disappears in the end. And in the end is shown to be illusory constructions. The five aggregates are truly unreal.

It would be better to cut off rebirth in the six realms. Declining, we all return to the same source. Anxious thoughts are formed by empty manifestations. The verse on the renunciant at the northern gate: The shadows produced by the illusions of this world are empty. The anxious mind is covered by the dust of desire. Thus, he rejects the four kinds of defilements, And, having renounced the householder's life, he seeks the three gates of liberation.

Beginners go against the natural flow of the mind, But he departs from the dark and profound truth. Having painfully realized that the appearances of worldly things are empty,

He then reduces the pond to emptiness.

4. Aversion to the Life of Desires

The Fobenxing jing (Fobenxing ji jing, T.190:724b27-29, 725b25-27, 726a8-29, 726c26-727a25, 728c26-729a11) says: When the Prince heard the verse, his body trembled all over and his tears fell like raindrops. Loving the pleasure of nirvana and purifying his senses, he sought only to renounce the world and did not enjoy being a part of this world. The king, the wise ministers, the courtiers, and the court ladies all tempted the Prince with various tricks and illusions. At that time the son of the court priest Udāyin was serving the prince as his attendant, and he taught the court ladies the arts of enchantment. He said in verse: Court ladies, you are greatly endowed with the power of skillful means.

You can cleverly delude and enchant others, And expertly project the visions of your fantasy world. 136

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Even the one who has distanced himself from desire, Such as the true and authentic spiritual adept, If he happens to see you he will surely feel desire. It is impossible that this Prince,

If he observes how you enjoy these pleasures, Will fail to indulge in the five kinds of [sense] desires And in the end he will reject this wonderful place. Desire is the foundation of the emotional life of love and attachment. The female body can be valued and enjoyed only by men. If the mind has no attachment, glory and beauty have difficulty in materializing. Verses say: Women enjoy the attention that men pay to them. Attention is the greatest of their pleasures. If no attention is paid to them, all that remains is their physical form. They are then like a tree that does not produce flowers. The Prince answered in verse:

Though worldly honor is pleasurable,

Birth, old age, illness, and death exist. Since these four kinds of suffering exist, My mind distances itself and does not take pleasure in The realities of birth, old age, illness, and death. If you live in the midst of these, birth, old age, and illness, Yet your mind enjoys life,

Then you are no different from the birds and beasts. The Prince, Udāyin, and the others exchanged verses back and forth until sunset. When the Prince saw that the sun had already gone down, he went into the palace and engaged in the pleasures of the five desires with the court ladies. They gathered in a circle. That night the Prince's consort Yaśodharā became pregnant.

Later, on another occasion, the Prince felt strong aversion to the five desires and sought the path of renouncing the householder's life. He said in verse:

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A Forest of Pearls from the Dharma Garden, Volume II Nothing among the impurities, delusions, and evil things in the world Surpasses the nature of [desire for] a woman's body. Because it is decorated with clothes and jewels,

Ignorant men desire and yearn for it.

If a person is capable of observing in this way,

As he observes illusions, dreams, and things that are not true, Quickly removes ignorance, and does not indulge his whims, He can certainly achieve liberation in a body of merit. The Ruiying jing (T.185:474b24) says, "When the Prince turned fourteen years old, he spoke to the king about going out on an excursion." The Yinguo jing (T.189:631a26-b13) says:

A son of a brahman, called Udāyin, was very intelligent and wise. The king ordered him to befriend the Prince, saying "Entertain him. Do not let him renounce the householder's life." Udāyin went to the Prince as he had been ordered by the king and said, "The king ordered me to befriend you. There are three important things in friendship: (1) if your friend does something wrong you will immediately reproach him; (2) if you find something good in your friend, take profound delight in it; and (3) if your friend is in difficulty never abandon him. I now offer some advice. Please do not blame me for it. Kings in ancient times all enjoyed the life of the five desires and later they renounced the householder's life. Why does the Prince wish to abandon this world so urgently?" The Prince answered, "None of those kings escaped suffering, and that is how I differ from them." 11. Renunciation

(Note: This has ten parts:) (1) Introduction, (2) Leaving the World, (3) Shaving the Hair, (4) Obtaining the Robe, (5) Sending Back Chanda the Charioteer and Kaṇṭhaka the Horse, (6) The King's Admonishment to the Son, (7) Choosing the Attendants, (8) The Buddha's Hair, (9) The Age of the Prince When He Achieved Renunciation, and (10) Harmonizing Differences. 1. Introduction

Causes and conditions exist provisionally and sentient beings' senses become attached to them. Fundamental reality, which is the wondrous principle 138

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obtained by adepts, differs from this. Therefore, in the three realms constituting this world and the six destinies of rebirth, sentient beings commit evil deeds that obstruct their progress on the path and they are led astray. The Buddha guides sentient beings back to the correct path and to the insight of emptiness through the eightfold method of meditation and the ten kinds of wisdom. For this reason, Great Master Śākyamuni joined the world of conditioned things to spread the teaching. He felt compassion for those trapped in the burning house and deplored the incessant torrential flow of desires. He took human form as a prince in King Śuddhodana's palace and illuminated it with the golden color of his body. Dwelling amid the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance, he showed that the world of the palace, which is like a painted box, does not represent true reality. He went on excursions out of the city from its four gates and developed aversion to the world that is as transitory as floating clouds, deploring it. Thereupon, a heavenly deity presented him with a white horse that the Prince rode as he left the palace; the deity served the Prince by taking his jeweled crown back to the palace. Here is an example of a person who abandoned everything to seek true salvation. Similar examples [from China] include Xiao Shi, who lived at the time of the Qin dynasty, and Zi Jin, who lived during the age of Zhou. Xu You rinsed out his ears at Mount Ji, [feeling that the sound of the sage king Yao's voice, who had offered to make him the head of the nine continents, had polluted his ears]. Zhuang Zhou preferred to be a living turtle and dragged his tail in the Pu River. Thus, how can we belittle the [practice of] renouncing worldly life? Those who admire its virtue put an end to evil deeds and begin a life of proper conduct. Those who esteem its influence purify themselves and cultivate good deeds. Renunciants alter their appearance, abandoning the good looks of hair and beards, in order to realize their intentions. They differentiate themselves from worldly ways in order to live according to the Way. Thus, they eschew the beautiful clothing of a universal monarch and while in appearance they do not seem to serve and honor their parents perfectly, internally they cherish the virtue of filial piety. Though they do not follow the ordinary rules of decorum by means of which others serve the ruler, in their hearts they are grateful for the ruler's love bestowed on their subjects. Cosmic benefits fall both to those who are hostile and those who are friendly, and in this manner great harmony is achieved. Cosmic fortunes 361a

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are conferred both on the hidden and the manifest, so why should we be troubled by minor digressions from accepted norms of the world? The wise base themselves on the Buddha's words and they therefore receive benefits. The inferior disparage holy words and suffer losses. If we adopt the policy that emphasizes punishing evil people, paradoxically more of those who disobey the norms appear anew. If we follow a more positive policy that promotes good deeds, then everyone is affected by the moral influences of these words. These are the reasons why the prince pulled out his hairpin [and cut off his hair] in the forest of spiritual adepts and began his austerities on the banks of the Nairañjanā River. He bathed his golden body in pure water and went to the auspicious tree that marked the place of his meditation. He took the rice gruel offered to him and sat down on the grass placed for his seat. Thereupon the Buddha, with his wisdom consisting of the ten powers and equipped with six supernatural powers, scattered Māra's soldiers and achieved great enlightenment.

2. Leaving the World

The Yinguo jing (T.189:632b21-c15) says:

The Prince thought to himself, "I am already nineteen years old. This is the seventh day of the second month. I should go out. I have been thinking about renouncing the householder's life. Now is the right time for it." When he entertained this thought his body emitted light that illuminated the palace of the ruler of the four heavens as well as the palace of the deity Śuddhāvāsa. [Ordinary] people could not see this light but when deities saw it they all realized that the time for the Prince to renounce the householder's life had come. They immediately came down to the place where the Prince was and paid respect to him, bowing their heads and touching the Prince's feet. With joined palms they said, "The vow that we have been cultivating for an infinite number of world ages is now about to come to fruition." The Prince answered, "Just as you have said, now is precisely the time. However, my father, the king, has ordered his officials both inside and outside the palace to keep close watch over me. Even though I wish to leave, I have no attendant to come with me." The deities answered, "We will skillfully arrange a way for the Prince to depart without letting anyone know." Thereupon, with their supernatural powers 140

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the deities caused all the palace officials to take to their beds. While sleeping Yaśo dharā had three dreams: first, she dreamed of the moon falling to the ground; second, she dreamed that her teeth had fallen out; and third, she dreamed of losing her right arm. While she was asleep and having these dreams she was startled and woke up. She felt frightened and reported the three dreams to the Prince in detail. The Prince said, "The moon is still in the sky, your teeth have not fallen out, and your arm is still attached to your body. You should know that these dreams are false and not true. Do not succumb to unreasonable fear." Yaśodharā then said to the Prince, "I am afraid the dreams must be a sign that you are about to renounce the householder's life." The Prince answered again, "Sleep in peace. Don't be bothered by such worries." When she heard this Yaśodharā went back to sleep. The Puyao jing (T.186:504c15-507a12) says:

At this time the Prince observed the dancing girls lying around in the middle of the night. Their many limbs, all akimbo, lacked the appeal they had presented earlier; there was no appealing substance to them, just as wild plants are hollow inside; their nine orifices were impure and there was nothing [about them] that brought pleasure to the Prince. As soon as the morning star appeared the Prince ordered Chanda to put the saddle on the horse Kaṇṭhaka. The instant he uttered these words the deities of the four heavens, demons, and dragons, all wearing armor, appeared from all directions. They bowed before the Bodhisattva and said, "The people in the city are all exhausted and the peacock and other birds are also asleep." The Benqi jing (T.184:467c14-26) says, "All the deities said, 'The Prince should go now. We fear that he might stay. He should distance himself from this world, which is like a massive fire.'"

[The Guoqu xianzai yinguo jing, T.189:632c27-633b22 says:] When he finished his reflection it was after midnight. Śuddhāvāsa and the other deities of the heavens of the realm of desire filled the sky, and in unison said to the Prince, "Everyone both inside and outside of the palace is fast asleep. This is precisely the moment for leaving the householder's life." Then the Prince immediately went to Chanda; the deities' power caused Chanda to wake up on his own. The Prince told him, "Bring Kaṇṭhaka to 141

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me." When Chanda heard these words he trembled in fear and felt hesitant in his heart; on the one hand he did not wish to disobey the Prince's order, but [on the other] he feared [going against] the king's strict orders. Having thought for a while, he wept and said, "We are familiar with the kindly order of the great king. Furthermore, it is not the time for going on an excursion for pleasure, nor is it the moment for us to go out to conquer a hostile enemy. Why do you suddenly wish to have the horse [Kaṇṭhaka] brought to you like this, after midnight? Where do you want to go?" The Prince again said to Chanda, "I wish to conquer the enemy of the defilements for the benefit of all sentient beings. You should not now obstruct my intention." Chanda wept loudly, hoping to wake up Yaśodharā and all the others so that they would know that the Prince was about to leave. Yet due to the gods' power they all remained asleep.

Chanda then brought the horse. The Prince stepped forward slowly and said to Chanda and Kaṇṭhaka, "All affectionate relations end in separation. Worldly things are easily accomplished but the conditions for renouncing the householder's life are very difficult to achieve." When Chanda heard these words, he fell silent and did not say a word, and neither did the horse Kaṇṭhaka neigh. The Prince then manifested his luminous appearance. Light shot forth from his body, illuminating in all directions. He uttered a lion's roar, saying, "Following the way of the past buddhas who renounced the householder's life, I now also renounce the householder's life." Thereupon, the deities held up the horse Kaṇṭhaka's four legs and led it, while Indra holding the umbrella [over the Prince], followed them. The deities then caused the northern gate of the city to open spontaneously without making a sound. Chanda's sorrow was doubled. The gate had been closed and locked up. Who would open it? At that time the gods and demons caused the gate to open spontaneously. The Prince then went out through the gate. Gods in the sky sang praises and followed him. By the time the [dawn] light appeared in the sky, he had traveled three miles down the road. Then the heavenly beings who had been following the prince to that place to ensure that the task was accomplished, suddenly disappeared. The Prince went to the forest in which the adept Bhārgava was practicing austerities. He dismounted from the horse Kaṇṭhaka and, patting 142

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its back, said, "You have now accomplished the difficult task." He told Chanda, "Only you were able to accompany me. This was an extremely rare event. I have now reached a quiet spot. You may now take Kaṇṭhaka and return to the palace." When Chanda heard these words, he wept and cried out loudly, dropping to the ground on his knees in distress and losing control of himself. Having heard that he was to be sent away, Kaṇṭhaka bent his knees and licked the Prince's feet, his tears falling like rain. [Chanda said,] "How can I now abandon the Prince and return to the palace alone?" The Prince answered, "The law of this world is that you are born alone and die alone. You have no companion in these events. I now wish to destroy all the defilements that cause suffering. That is why I have come here. When suffering has been completely terminated, I will then be a companion for all sentient beings."

The Fobenxing jing (Fobenxing ji jing, T.190:729c3-730b22, 732a29b10, 735a13-28, b26-27, 736b5-8, c2-22) says: When the rulers of the four heavens who protect the world and the deity Indra learned that the time had come for the Prince's renunciation of the householder's life, they each decorated themselves with the means available to them and went out, accompanied by millions of their followers, in front and behind them, making a variety of music. They came from all four directions and surrounded the city of Kapilavastu in three circles. Each of the deities, with palms joined, bowed their bodies and lowered their heads. Facing the Prince, they filled the sky.

The Gui (Puṣya) lunar station appeared and when it came together with the moon, the deities shouted loudly, "O Prince, you who are a great holy man, the Gui lunar station has now come together with the moon. Now is the time. If you wish to seek the superior teaching do not remain in this world." The Prince heard this, and observed all the court ladies, polluted and impure, who were asleep and unconscious. The Prince pulled on their hair to wake them up, and he also stepped on their bodies, but they remained unconscious. (Note: The rest of this passage is the same as the one given above.)

When the Prince got outside of the city he uttered a lion's roar, saying, "I vow that I will first achieve enlightenment of the truth of suchness and 143

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A Forest of Pearls from the Dharma Garden, Volume II only then will I return to the city to teach." The deity of a massive fig tree happened to be there at that place and said to the prince in verse: If a someone wishes to cut down a tree he must cut it at the root. You must put an end to the world of ordinary beings. By crossing the water you can reach to the other side. Once you utter these word they cannot be in vain. Hatred will also be erased; everyone will be joyous. Then the Prince answered the tree deity with a verse: The location of the Himalayas can be moved. The water of the ocean can become dried up. Heavenly deities may fall from the sky to the ground. But the words that I utter cannot be in vain. The Prince removed the jeweled crown from his head and gave it to Chanda, to be taken back to the king, and said the following in verse; Even those who love each other and remain together in the same place for a long time,

Will have to part with each other when the time comes. I have seen into the reality of momentary transitoriness. And therefore now seek liberation.

When Chanda heard these words, he replied in verse: Even those whose hearts are made of steel, If they hear these vows,

Who among them will not experience sharp pain? How much harder is it for myself, who loves the prince With whom I share the same birthdate!

The Prince responded to Chanda in verse: Even if it takes as long as the blood and flesh of my present body, As well as the joints, muscles, vessels, and skin, To become worn out and disappear;

Even if it means that I will not be able to preserve my life; 144

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I will persevere. I will not see you again until I throw away The heavy burden of life in this world,

And traverse all suffering to reach the ultimate source. Not before I have achieved liberation and sit in the place of meditation, Will I ever see you again.

At that time Chanda wept loudly and said to the Buddha, "Even though this horse is only an animal still he is saddened. Weeping tears and crying, kneeling down he licks the Prince's feet with his tongue. What disaster could those who are close to you see in this?" Then the Prince patted the head of the king of horses, Kaṇṭhaka, and said in verse:

In the webbed fingers of the right hand of the Prince, The pattern of the wheel with a thousand spokes appeared. With his soft and pure hand,

He patted the head of the king of horses, Kaṇṭhaka. The two spoke to each other as if they were two people, "You, king of horses Kaṇṭhaka, born on the same day as I was, Do not cry in excessive sorrow, or be distressed. You have now finished your work as a horse. If I realize the absolutely subtle state,

The profound truth of distinction and the mysterious teaching, To you, the one who can carry me on his back, I will report this truth back to you without fail. 3. Shaving the Hair

The Fobenxing jing (Fobenxing ji jing, T.190:737c3-21) says: The Prince took up a seven-jeweled dagger decorated with maṇi jewels from somewhere near Chanda and, holding the dagger in his right hand, pulled it from its sheath. Then he grasped his hair bound in a topknot that curled clockwise, the color of a dark blue lotus flower, and cut it off with the dagger he held in his right hand. Holding up the topknot with his right hand, he threw it into the sky.

The deity Indra marveled and was filled with joy. He held up the Prince's topknot so that it did not fall down and placed it in a beautiful heavenly 145

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cloth. The deities worshiped it, making offerings to it of the best items for worship that exist in the heavens.

The large crowd of deities in Śuddhāvāsa Heaven stood at a distance from the Prince, neither too far nor too close. Under a flower garland called sumanā a barber appeared, holding a sharp sword. The Prince said to the barber, "Can you dress my hair?" The barber answered, "I certainly can," and immediately shaved the Prince's head with his sharp sword. At that time the deity Indra marveled at this and did not allow even one strand of the hair removed from the Prince's head to drop to the ground. Instead he caught each strand of the hair in a heavenly cloth and took it to the Heaven of the Thirty-three Gods, where he worshiped it. The Bodhisattva's topknot, crown, and comb have been preserved until the present day. The Daoxuan lüshi ganying ji says:

The god answered the Vinaya master, "In the thirteenth year after the Tathāgata first achieved enlightenment, he was at the Jetavana residence. At that time the great deity Brahmā requested the Buddha to turn the wheel of the Dharma. Buddhas in billions of buddha lands in all directions gathered like a cloud. Bodhisattvas, hearers, and the eight divisons of dragons and supernatural beings of the great chiliocosm also gathered at the Jetavana Garden. Then the deity Śakra said to the Buddha, "World-honored One, I see that the great deity Brahmā requested the Buddha to turn the wheel of the Dharma. I now wish to wash the Buddha's body. Please grant this request." The Buddha granted the request and a temporary palace made of seven jewels as well as perfumed hot water were brought, and the deity prepared to bathe the Buddha's body. The Buddha said to Ānanda, "Go to the stupa to the west of the vajra seat under the tree of enlightenment and get my seven-jeweled shaving sword and the vajra bowl. I wish to dress my hair." Ānanda obeyed this command and brought the objects to the seat of the World-honored One.

After accepting the sword, the Buddha said to the congregation, "Since I have achieved enlightenment I have not told you the story about this sword. You must now listen carefully. When I first left the city and reached a point sixty miles from the palace of my father, the king, Chanda said to 146

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me, 'I am a little tired. Let us please take a short rest.' As soon as I heard this I stopped. At the place where we rested there was a large dragon pond, forty miles in circumference. In the pond there were many lotus flowers of five colors. Around the pond on four sides were flowering trees that gave pleasure to people. I went to the pond and washed my face with water from it.

"Suddenly two youths came to the place where I was and asked where I was going. I answered that I was seeking enlightenment. The younger one said, 'I am the dragon king of this pond. I have books and the canonical writings of the Vedas. In the present world age of the wise one thousand buddhas are to appear. I have lived through ten world ages since having taken a dragon's body, and I have seen several World-honored Ones achieve enlightenment and enter final extinction (parinirvāṇa). When Kraku cchanda Buddha was about to enter final extinction he entrusted me with a golden vajra bowl. Inside was a shaving sword. Since then three earlier buddhas of the world age of the wise have appeared; this shaving sword and vajra bowl have been passed on from one buddha to the next. I now wish to invite the Benevolent One to come to my palace so that I can present modest offerings to him. Would you allow this?'

"I then followed him to his palace and accepted his offerings. He also presented the seven-jeweled sword to me. The dragon then said to me, 'When you cultivate the path you will be frequently troubled by māras. When you meditate, place this sword securely on your right knee. This sword will emit light that will cover your body and enlarge it into an image a billion yards tall. The light of this sword will project a curtain that covers your body. On the curtain projected by the sword will be [images of] thousands of warriors, each holding a sword. They will line up facing out. When the māras see the images of the warriors they will be frightened, and they will refrain from entertaining evil thoughts. I will wait until you are about to achieve enlightenment and you are going to shave your hair and beard. Then I will take the vajra bowl and appear at the place where you are.' When I achieved enlightenment [thirteen years ago] I went to the river to bathe. That dragon brought the bowl to me." The Buddha said to the Brahmā king, "Take the treasure sword and go up to Brahmā's palace. Tell the deity of the great earth, 'From the vajra 362c

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realm construct a vajra platform, seven thousand miles in height, and have the Tathāgata sit upon it.' Tell the dragon king Sāgara, 'Transform yourself into eighty-four thousand golden dragons with heads made of seven jewels and bodies made from gold. From the top of Mount Sumeru pour water of the eight superior qualities over the top of the World-honored One's head.' Also tell the heavenly Māra, 'Wash the World-honored One's hair.' Instruct the god Śakra, 'Take the vajra bowl to receive the Worldhonored One's hair.' The king of the Nirmāṇarati deities of the fifth heaven of the realm of desire will produce a white silver canopy to shade the Bodhisattva's head. All the buddhas of the ten directions will arrive at the place where I am, each seated on a vajra platform and holding a sevenjeweled sword. The buddhas of the ten directions will rub my head with their golden hands. After they have done this I will obtain one hundred thousand kinds of samādhis."

The World-honored Ones who arrived instructed the king of Brahmā Heaven, "Take the sword and shave the Tathāgata's hair." When the king of Brahmā Heaven took the sword and tried to shave the Tathāgata's hair the top of the Tathāgata's head could not be seen. They all looked higher for the top of his head, but they still could not see it." The Buddha said to the Brahmā king, "I have seen that the past buddhas all shaved their own hair. The reason why all beings, both those who are ignorant or those who are advanced in the path, fail to see the top of my head is because I have already shaved my hair; my beard and hair are both gone. There are only two strands of mustache left, which did not fall even after I had shaved." "Having shaved I went into the river. The kings of the deities, such as Brahmā, Indra, and the dragon king, came rushing to take hold of my hair." The buddhas said to the large crowd. "We will give a little bit of the Buddha's hair and beard to each of these gods Brahmā, Indra, and the dragon king. We will also give pieces of the beard to King Śuddhodana." The buddhas of the ten directions again told me, "The king of the deities in Brahmā Heaven is your great devotee. You should make the top of your head visible and let him take up the sword to shave your beard and hair." When I heard these words, I made the top of my head visible to him and handed the sword to the Brahmā king. The great earth shook in six kinds of ways, and the sword emitted light that illuminated billions of buddha 148

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lands. My head that I had made visible reached upward to the top of the realm of form. The Brahmā king went up to the top of my head and started shaving my hair, and then shaved the two strands of my mustache. When the mustache was shaven it emitted great light; when that light reached this world of Jambudvīpa, it formed two jeweled stupas. The stupas were very tall and were richly decorated. After achieving buddhahood I was the first to come to these stupas.

The buddhas of the ten directions said to me in unison, "Give these mustache stupas to the Brahmā king and have him protect them. Make the deity of the firm earth build a small vajra stupa and place the shaving sword and the golden [vajra] bowl in it. We have seen that when past buddhas ascended to the rank of Enlightened One, they first bring salvation to five people. They take this treasure sword and shave their hair with their own hands. Even though they use the sword to shave, just before the sword actually touches the hair [of the five people] they chant 'Welcome!' and the hair drops off by itself. World-honored One, now that you have achieved the goal of the path, you can take this sword, go to the Deer Park, and save five people, in the same way that the past buddhas saved five people." I obeyed these words and went to the Deer Garden. I shaved the hair of five people at Koṭigāma. I used the command "Welcome!" and later taught them the rules of a monk's conduct.

He also instructed Subhūti, "You should come out from the ordination platform and light a fire to illuminate hundreds of billions of buddhas, so that all the buddhas who are other manifestations of myself will gather together at the ordination platform." Subhūti upheld my order and they all assembled.

The Tathāgata came from the lecture hall with the shaving sword in his hand. Ānanda was holding the golden bowl. Accompanied by a large congregation of humans and gods, they arrived at the ordination platform and circumambulated it three times. [The Tathāgata] ascended the platform from the northern side and told the Brahmā king, "I will make shaving swords with the artisans and the gold and steel in heaven that you have offered to me." He also told the deity of the firm earth, "With the vajra you have offered to me I wish to make small stupas and enshrine these treasure swords in them." He also told the dragon king Sāgara, "Your 149

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dragon artisans are most skillful. The Tathāgata may make boxes for the treasure swords for me." The gods and humans followed these instructions, and because the Tathāgata used his supernatural powers, the three types of objects were all completed in the span of time it takes to eat just one meal. The shaving swords that were made numbered eighty-four thousand. They were all placed in inner boxes and then placed inside the vajra stupas. The Tathāgata spoke to the buddhas of the ten directions, requesting them to offer sword stupas. The sword stupas offered by the buddhas numbered eight billion. He entrusted them all to Mañjuśrī and Samantabhadra. "After I enter nirvana, take these stupas everywhere throughout the eight billion great kingdoms in the great chiliocosm. Place one stupa in each of the kingdoms. In each of the many worlds of Jambudvīpa there are eighty-four thousand gates of defilements. Sentient beings there all wish to be liberated. These stupas will cause them to renounce the householder's life and become liberated from the cycle of birth and death. The numerous kinds of benefits these stupas bring cannot be described in detail." The Buddha told Mañjuśrī, "After the end of this year, take this sword stupa of mine to Vajra Cave on Mount Qingliang in China and place it safely there."

The Buddha told Ānanda, "Go to the palace of my father, the king. Get the hair I cut off there and give it to the god Śakra (Indra)." Ānanda obeyed the command and gave the hair to the god.

The Buddha then asked Śakra (Indra), "How many stupas are you going to build for my hair?" Śakra answered, "I will take each strand of the Tathāgata's curling hair and make a stupa for it." The Buddha told the dragon king, "Prepare agate jars and golden boxes and give them to Śakra so that he can place the strands of curled hair in them." At that time, the work of constructing these stupas would have required a period of threetimes-seven days if Śakra had made his workers carry it out. Due to the Tathāgata's supernatural power, however, the hair stupas were all completed in the span of time required to eat one meal. They numbered roughly two hundred and sixty thousand.

The Buddha said to the ruler of heaven, "Keep three hundred stupas here, and have them protect the heavenly realm above. As for the other stupas, after I enter nirvana Mañjuśrī will be entrusted with eighty-four 150

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thousand stupas, which will freely bring benefit to all the places where my teaching prevails in the abovementioned kingdoms of Jambudvīpa." The Buddha again said to Ānanda, "Go to my father, the king, and bring my beard [that I shaved off there]. There were sixty-four strands of hair all together but I already gave two strands to the Brahmā king. Bring the rest here; I wish to build stupas." Ānanda obeyed the command to bring the beard hair and gave it to the World-honored One. The Buddha said to the rākṣasa demons, "I will give you two strands of my beard. Build boxes decorated with seven jewels and stupas made of sandalwood. Place these strands of beard in them and worship them. Because of the beard's power you will be able to eat and drink." The demons said to the Buddha, "We are very grateful for your kind offer of the strands of your beard and allowing us to build stupas, but we do not know how tall the stupas should be." The Buddha answered the rākṣasa demons, "They should be over forty yojanas in height. You should also prepare boxes and stupas for the other sixty strands of the beard. The stupas for these should be about three zhang in height." The demons obeyed the command and built the stupas, and they were all exceedingly happy. The Buddha also said to the demons, "You should protect these stupas; do not let the evil followers of heterodox teachings, demons, ghosts, or poisonous dragons maliciously destroy my stupas. These stupas are the source of your life. If you protect them, you will be provided with abundant food and drink. The stupas will emit light on three separate occasions during the year and illuminate your bodies. Due to the power of this light the seasonal rains, grain, rock sugar, and a variety of fruits and vegetables will be provided for you in sufficient quantity. If you entertain evil thoughts the light will not appear and food and drink will disappear spontaneously. If you see this evil sign you should gather all the rākṣasa demons, go to the location of the stupas, and express your deeply felt remorse. The stupas will again emit light and sufficient food and drink will again appear." As for these beard hair stupas, when the World-honored One entered nirvana he entrusted the sixty beard stupas to the silent bodhisattvas and ordered them to protect them so that evil kings could not damage them. In the world of Jambudvīpa there are sixty kingdoms where the practice of writing exists. One stupa was placed in each of these kingdoms, and 151

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A Forest of Pearls from the Dharma Garden, Volume II the god of the firm earth was ordered to build a vajra stupa, three zhang in height, where the box containing the beard hair was placed. Famous mountains of these sixty kingdoms were selected, in which rock caves were carved to place the stupa inside them. The gates of the caves were sealed firmly so that evil kings could not later open them and damage the stupas. Thus, the stupas were preserved for a long time. 4. Obtaining the Robe

The Fobenxing jing (Fobenxing ji jing, T.190:737c26-738a22) says: When the Buddha had shaved his hair the god changed his appearance once again and this time took on the form of a hunter. He put on a robe made of dyed cloth and took up a bow and some arrows. When the Prince saw the hunter, he said, "Would you give your robe to me? I will give you in return my robe, made of Kāśi cloth, worth billions of pieces of gold. It has also been perfumed with numerous kinds of sandalwood incense." Then he said in verse:

This is the robe of a holy person who has achieved liberation. Anyone who wields a bow and arrow should not wear it. In delight, offer the robe to me.

Do not begrudge passing the heavenly robe on to me. The hunter answered, "Good! Indeed I do not begrudge this gift." The god Śuddhāvāsa then gave the robe that he had manifested and took from the Bodhisattva his wonderful robe of Kāśi cloth, and flew up into the sky in an instant to Brahmā Heaven. This was because the deities there wanted to worship the beautiful robe. When the Bodhisattva saw this he was delighted.

The Bodhisattva, having shaven his hair and put on the monk's robe, now looked very different. Now dressed in an austere and correct manner, he uttered the great vow: "I am now to be called a true renunciant of the householder's life."

5. Sending Back Chanda the Charioteer and Kaṇṭhaka the Horse The Fobenxing jing (Fobenxing ji jing, T.190:738b22-c15, 739b4-10, 741c25-742a1, 743b20-23, 744b16-17) says:

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Then Chanda and the king of horses [Kaṇṭhaka] wept in sorrow and took leave of the Prince. A verse says:

The Bodhisattva left and traveled all through the second half of the night.

Chanda took his leave and led Kaṇṭhaka away.

Because of their pressing sorrow they lost their proper manners, And after eight days returned to the palace.

When Chanda and the horse returned to the city it appeared empty and deserted; weeping tears like rain, they entered the city. While still outside the palace gate, the horse Kaṇṭhaka tried to look inside to see where the Prince used to sit. Failing to see the Prince there, the horse wept tears like a stream. All the people and those who had been close to the Prince saw only Chanda and the horse walking toward the palace. They raised their hands and cried out loudly, and the tears they wept streamed down their faces. A verse says:

The court ladies suffered severe pain in their hearts. Desperately longing to see the prince return,

They suddenly saw Chanda and the horse, returning alone. With tears falling and covering their faces, they wept loudly. Tearing off their jeweled necklaces and rending their beautiful clothing,

Letting their hair fall, scattered all over their thin bodies, Each raised her two hands aloft, unwilling to accept what had befallen them.

Crying aloud, they did not fall asleep throughout the night, Until dawn arrived.

The distress among those in the palace who were close to the Prince cannot be described in detail. The great consort Yaśodharā said to Chanda, "I am a wife who has lost her husband. I have seen the course of events that occurred spontaneously—he has left the house and walked into the mountain forests. If I were to stay alone in an empty room, how could I keep my heart from breaking in sorrow? Then she said in verse: 153

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A Forest of Pearls from the Dharma Garden, Volume II My body and heart are now very strong.

As strong as steel and stone.

My lord has abandoned his householder's life and entered the mountains;

The palace is empty inside.

How is it that my heart does not break now? Then King Śuddhodana thought about the Prince, and the pain and suffering cut him sharply. Lost in distress, he fell to the ground and remained unconscious. A verse says:

When the king heard that the Bodhisattva's vow was serious, And he saw Chanda and Kaṇṭhaka return,

He was suddenly lost in distress and his body fell, no longer in his control.

It was as if Indra had taken delight in breaking the king's flag. When the king regained consciousness, he said in verse: Kaṇṭhaka, you are a horse that runs fast. Take me back to the place where my son is. Because I have lost him I am having difficulty To keep on living.

I am like a very ill person who does not have a doctor. The Puyao jing (T.186:508a2-509b3) says:

When the Bodhisattva went out of the city gate, all living beings in the city of Kapilavastu knew that the Prince had left. They said so to each other and rejoiced.

When Gopī, the consort of the Prince, rose from her bed the next morning and heard people talking at a distance, she realized that the Prince had already departed. She heard loud voices and did not see the Bodhisattva, or the horse [Kaṇṭhaka], or Chanda. The king was greatly distressed and threw himself to the ground. In his grief he was shouting at the top of his lungs, "I have lost my hope forever. On whom am I now supposed to rely?" Gopī rose from her bed and rolled over onto the ground, pulling her hair and tearing off the jeweled necklace from her body. Why was she 154

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suffering such pain? "He was my teacher; I relied on him as if he were a god. Yet he left me and went away. How can I go on living anymore? We had not lived very long together as affectionate husband and wife, and now we are again separated." Her tears streamed down like rain, uncontrollably. Everyone was disheartened at not seeing the Bodhisattva. All the trees in the land suddenly lost their vitality and stopped blooming and bearing fruit. All the clean places were filled with dust. The king heard about this and surrounded by his ministers and attendants he went to the garden to see for himself. He too was in sorrow and pain. Gopī wished in her heart that the Bodhisattva would return.

Chanda said, "The Bodhisattva has told the king and Gopī that he will return to see them after he has achieved the Buddha's path." The king observed that the treasure robe, Chanda, and the white horse had returned but he did not see the Prince. He threw himself to the ground, "Alas! My child, well versed in the scriptures and expert in all extraordinary skills, has now abandoned the kingdom and the ten thousand people who live in it. Please, Chanda, explain this to me. Why did my son, the Bodhisattva, choose the life of a wandering monk? Who opened the city gate? How did the heavenly beings worship him?"

Chanda said, "King, please listen to me. I was peacefully sleeping in my usual place. The gates of the city were closed. At that time the Bodhisattva instructed me to saddle the horse [Kaṇṭhaka]. The ten thousand people inside the city were all asleep. The ruler of heaven opened the gate and four heavenly kings ordered four deities to hold up the legs of the horse. Hundreds of thousands of deities of the heavens of Indra and Brahmā accompanied the Bodhisattva and sent him off. They sternly guarded the road and illuminated the path with a great light. They scattered flowers and burned incense. Many deities performed music all at once and danced up in the sky. Deities surrounded the Prince and sent him off. Having gone a very long distance, the Bodhisattva took off his robe and treasure necklace and he sent me back along with the white horse to report to the king and apologize to his consort: "Only after I have attained buddhahood will I return to see you again. Please do not be distressed." When Gopī heard Chanda's words, [recounting what the Prince had said], her grief deepened. Embracing the white horse's head she said sorrowfully, 155

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"The Prince went out riding on you. Why did you come back alone? The Prince's face was extremely beautiful, just like a full moon, and adorned with the features of those who are to become buddhas. Now he has taken leave of us. People, both near and far, grieve for this deeply and all are greatly saddened. Why did he go away by himself? Who will go after him? Chanda looks miserable and just stares into my eyes defiantly." When Chanda saw the pain and suffering of the king and Gopī, as has been described here, he was even more saddened and weeping, he uttered the painful reprimand mentioned above: "What the Prince did was all in accord with the path. None should be saddened by it anymore." 6. The King's Admonishment to the Son

The Fobenxing jing (Fobenxing ji jing, T.190:744c4-9, 750c18-19) says: King Śuddhodana sent his messengers to the mountains to admonish the Prince to return. They said in verse:

The tip of the thorn is sharp and pointed—but who has ground and sharpened it?

The colors of the birds and animals form complex patterns— but who has drawn them?

Each, following his karmic conditions, evolves and changes. There is no creator of this world who created it in all its details according to their whim.

The Prince replied to these messengers, and his reply convinced the king deeply of the doctrine of causes and conditions (pratītyasamutpāda). So the king rejected his earlier view of what is natural, according to which the Prince should not have done anything unnatural like renouncing the householder's life. This is a long story and I will not reproduce it in detail here. The Puyao jing (T.186:503c17-25) says:

His father, the king, heard that the Prince had renounced the householder's life. He cried in sorrow and wept tears. He then asked, "What are your wishes? When will you return? You must make a vow with me. I am growing old and there is no one else who can inherit the family and the kingdom from me."

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The Prince answered in verse:

If I can obtain four wishes I will not renounce the householder's life. First, not to grow old; second, to be forever free of illness; Third, not to die; and fourth, never to part from anyone. Gods and immortals who possess the five supernatural powers may stay in this world for the duration of one world age but even they are not free from death. When the king heard [the Prince's wishes] his sorrow deepened. Nobody, either past or present, has ever obtained these four wishes. Who could be an exception to this rule?

7. Choosing the Attendants

The Fobenxing jing (Fobenxing ji jing, T.190:900b9-15) says: At that time King Śuddhodana told other members of the Śākya clan, "Members of the Śākya clan, if you understand the meaning of the present time, each branch of the family must allow one person to renounce the householder's life. If a particular branch family of the Śākya clan has five brothers, let three of them renounce, while two remain as householders. If there are four, let two renounce and two stay. If three, let two renounce and one stay. If two, let one renounce and one stay. If there is only one then you must not let him renounce the world. The reason for this is that we must not let any of the lineages of our Śākya clan be terminated. 8. The Buddha's Hair

The Guanfo sanmei jing (T.643:649a18-b6) says:

There are eighty-four thousand strands of hair on the Tathāgata's head. They grow toward both sides of his head and curl clockwise. The pattern in which these hairs are set apart from each other in an orderly fashion was clearly visible, and the four corners of this pattern are also clear. From each of the hair pores five-colored light emits in a spiral and this light merged with the above-mentioned light of fourteen colors. In the past, when I was in the palace my nurse washed my hair. At that time, Mahāprajāpatī came to me. [The king said the following:] "When Siddhārtha was born many miraculous things happened. If someone were 157

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to ask me how long is of my child's hair, how am I to answer? I should now measure the length of his hair so that I will know its measure." Then the king issued an order for me to stretch out my hair, and my mother measured it. It was one zhang, three chi, and five cun long. As soon as they let go of the locks of hair it curled clockwise, forming a spiral pattern. When I was to receive my consort, they again measured the length of my hair. It was one zhang, three chi, and five cun long. When I renounced the householder's life, heavenly deities took my hair away. It was again one zhang, three chi, and five cun long. Now the father, the king, looked at the Tathāgata's hair and stretched it out with his hands. It stretched from the Nyagrodhārāma residence to the father's palace, like a ribbon of dark blue lapis lazuli. It went around the city seven times. Such was the length of the Buddha's hair. Everyone in the congregation saw a light, indescribable in detail. When the hair was rolled back, the light spiraled over and over in a clockwise direction and then, going back to the top of the Buddha's head, it formed a spiral pattern there. The Sengzhi lü (T.1425:463b12) says, "When the Buddha was in this world he shaved his hair once every fourth month."

The Sapoduo lun (T.1440:553b9-11) says:

Though [it is written that] the Buddha shaved his hair once every fourth month, he looked look like ordinary people who had shaved their hair seven days earlier.

The Wenshushili wen jing (T.468:492c16-19) says:

Ordinary people should shave their hair when it reaches the length of two fingers. Some shave after two months even if their hair is still short. These are the bodhisattvas who have learned everything there is to learn. Those who let their hair grow beyond the length of two fingers are also bodhisattvas who have learned everything there is to learn. The fingernails should not be allowed to grow to the length of the shorter diameter of a grain. The reason is because one's nails are used to scratch itchy spots. The Sifen lü (T.1428:945c18-946a4) says:

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cut them before your nails reach the length of one grain of wheat. Shave your hair once every half-month. Let the hair to grow to the length of two fingers at the longest. If you shave only once every two months, your hair will grow exceedingly long. (Note: The term "two months" here means a set of white and black months, each of which is fifteen days in duration. A period of thirty days is treated as two months.)

The Binimu jing (T.1463:816c17-22) says:

The Buddha said to the people, "The [cut] hair cannot be placed in an old cloth or an old vessel. You must use new things." The prince of King Juboluo begged the World-honored One for his hair. The Buddha said, "Place it in a vessel of seven jewels and worship it." The Sifen lü (T.1428:957b6-958a7) says:

At that time Ānanda brought an old vessel in which to put the World-honored One's hair. The Buddha said, "You should not use an old vessel for the Tathāgata's hair. You should use a new vessel and a new cloth, embroidered like an almsbowl cloth, and place the hair in them." Then a prince, General Juboli, who was about to embark on a journey of conquest throghout the four directions, came asking for the World-honored One's hair. The Buddha said, "He may have the hair." The prince did not know how to put it in a safe place. The Buddha said, "You may place it in a golden stupa, or a silver stupa, or a jeweled stupa, or inside a cloth embroidered with a complex pattern." The prince did not know how to hold it. The Buddha said, "You may ride on a carriage drawn by elephants or horses and carry it on your head or your shoulder." Then the prince departed, holding the World-honored One's hair. Everywhere he went in his journey of conquest he achieved victory. He returned to his kingdom and built a stupa for the World-honored One's hair.

The Buddha also permitted monks to take the World-honored One's hair and place it safely in the abovementioned manner. A monk who had attended to the Buddha's bodily needs and had not washed himself took hold of the World-honored One's stupa. The Buddha said, "Do not do that. Let only a clean person hold it." A monk placed the Tathāgata's stupa safely in an unpleasant room; the monk himself went upstairs and spent 159

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the night in a nicer room. The Buddha said, "Do not do that. You should place the Tathāgata's stupa safely in the nicer room upstairs, and spend the night in the unpleasant room." A monk placed the Tathāgata's stupa in a room downstairs while he himself spent the night in a room upstairs. The Buddha said, "Do not do this. You should place the Tathāgata's stupa in the upstairs room and spend the night in the downstairs room." A monk spent the night in the same room. The Buddha had said, "Do not do that." The monk wanted to provide strong protection but he was fearful and reverent, so he would not spend the night in the same place as the Tathāgata's stupa. The Buddha said, "Place it safely on a post. If you place it on a post, this is as good as sleeping with it near your head. If it is for the sake of providing protection to the stupa, I permit you to spend the night in the stupa. Furthermore, because it is for the purpose of protecting what is inside the stupa, I also permit you to spend the night there." A monk who was wearing leather sandals, or holding them, entered the stupa. The Buddha said, "Do not do that." The Buddha said, "I permit sitting down under the stupa for eating but will not allow littering the place with unclean things. If you have unclean things, gather them near your feet and after eating take them away."

(Note: To mention a similar case, suppose there is someone who is about to embark on a journey of conquest. He has not seen the Buddha's hair but possesses a small image made by a well-intentioned layperson, a piece of a relic, and a copy of a roll of a small scripture. He places all of these inside his hair. I do not know whether this is permitted. Answer: There is no statement in the holy teaching on this point. However, if someone with good intentions wishes to take a scripture, an image, or a piece of relic, then, following the abovementioned instruction to those who take the World-honored One's hair on a journey of conquest, he is permitted to place the object in a small stupa for safekeeping. Place the precious object inside the stupa and do not put anything else in it. It is also permitted to wrap the object in a clean piece of embroidered silk and take it on the journey. When you reach your destination you should place it on a good post, putting it there safely as described above. If you want to place the object in your hair, I fear that your hair may be dirty, smelly, and impure. Furthermore, on the road at some point in the military 160

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expedition you may suddenly need to defecate or urinate. At that time there may not be enough time to undo your hair and take the object out from there. As in the case of the Buddha's hair mentioned above, it is not permitted to take such objects and place them near a latrine. Permission to carry scriptures and images is given according to the instruction mentioned above.) 9. The Age of the Prince When He Achieved Renunciation The Shieryou jing (T.195:146c29), the Zengyi ahan jing (T.125:609c24), and the Chang ahan jing (T.1:25b3) all say that the Prince renounced the householder's life at the age twenty-nine.

The Zengyi ahan jing says, "The Prince remained among the teachers of heterodox teachings for twenty years."

To give a broad outline of the Buddha's life, the Tathāgata stayed in this world for seventy-nine years. If he renounced the householder's life at the age of twenty-nine, he would have achieved enlightenment at the age of thirtyfive. His teaching career would have spanned a period of forty-five years. The Chanyao jing says, "In his lifetime Śākyamuni taught sentient beings for thirty-nine years."

Many scriptures say that the Prince renounced the householder's life at the age of nineteen. We should take this as the correct information. The Weizengyou jing (T.754:575c23) says, "Yaśodharā said, 'The Tathāgata was with me for less than three years.'"

The Ruiying jing (T.185:475a9) says, "The Prince took his consort at the age of seventeen," which proves that the view that he renounced the world at the age of nineteen is the correct one. The view that the Prince renounced the householder's life at the age of twenty-nine and achieved enlightenment at the age of thirty-five appears only in a few scriptural passages. Furthermore, if we take into account the passage that states that the Prince studied among teachers of heterodox teachings for twenty years, he would have achieved enlightenment at the age of fifty. This would be absurd. Different views appear because the capacities of sentient beings differ. 10. Harmonizing Differences

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A Forest of Pearls from the Dharma Garden, Volume II

the words and names received through them also differ. Even though we wish to harmonize these different stories, in the end there is no fixed standard. The books regarding the lifetime of Śākyamuni Buddha have been transmitted and copied over and over, and mistakes due to similarities in the characters have crept in. There are furthermore differences between things that come from outside the country and those that developed within. These books in their original forms are thus as distant from us as birds flying in the clouds above. Even if we seek them from here it is difficult to get them in their unambiguously original forms.

There are furthermore such stories as that the Yellow Emperor had three faces or that Duke Yuechen was one-legged. Even where there is no problem of bridging the gap between China and foreign places, there are regional differences in China, such as the proverbial contrast between Chu and Yue. Heterodox practices are easier to understand; the correct teaching is difficult to grasp completely. Where there are differences in words between those that are central and those that are peripheral, sometimes these are copied in the wrong order. When we look into the matter in detail, how could it not be that different versions of the original stories appear in the sources? 162