108 Buddhist Parables and Stories. Olga Gutsol
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Название: 108 Buddhist Parables and Stories
Автор: Olga Gutsol
Издательство: Издательские решения
Жанр: Мифы. Легенды. Эпос
isbn: 9785449659613
isbn:
I burst the rafters, roof and wall,
And dwell in the Peace beyond them all.
Blessed is he who understood the Dharma. Blessed is he who does no harm to his fellow-beings and conquered all selfishness and vanity.
Thus Siddhartha has become the Buddha, the Enlightened One, the Blessed One and uttered, “I have recognized the deepest truth, which is sublime and peace-giving, but difficult to understand; as most men move in a sphere of worldly interests and find their delight in worldly desires. There is self and there is truth. Where self is, truth is not. Where truth is, self is not. The attainment of truth is possible only when self is recognized as an illusion. Righteousness can be practiced only when the mind is freed from passions. Perfect peace can dwell only where all vanity has disappeared.The task is impossible for the ones who search happiness in selfhood only. The bliss that lies in a complete surrender to truth. The truth remains hidden from the ones who are blinded by craving and aversion. Liberation remains incomprehensible and mysterious to the vulgar whose minds are clouded with worldly interests. Should I preach the doctrine of Dharma and mankind not comprehend it, it would bring me trouble.”
On hearing these words of the Blessed One, Mara, the Evil One, approached and said, “Be greeted, the Enlightened One. You have attained the highest bliss and it is time for you to enter into the final stage of liberation.”
Suddenly, Brahma Sahampati descended from the heavens and said, “Alas! The world must perish, should the Blessed One decide not to teach the Dharma. Be merciful to those that struggle; have compassion upon the sufferers; pity the creatures who are hopelessly entangled in the snares of sorrow. There are some beings that are almost free from the dust of worldliness. If they do not hear the doctrine preached, they will be lost.”
The Blessed One, full of compassion, looked upon all sentient creatures with his spiritual eye, and saw among them beings whose minds were but scarcely covered by the dust of worldliness. He saw some who were conscious of the dangers of lust and wrong doing, and replied to Brahma Sahampati, “Wide open be the door of immortality to all who have ears to hear. May they receive the Dharma.”
Then the Buddha turned to Mara, saying, “I shall not pass into the final stage of liberation, O Evil One, until the knowledge of truth shall have become successful, prosperous, widespread, and popular among men!”
Brahma Sahampati understood that the Blessed One had granted his request and would preach the doctrine.
11. FIRST CONVERTS
The Blessed One stayed in solitude for seven days, enjoying the bliss of liberation.
At that time Tapussa and Bhallika, two merchants, came traveling on the road near by. When they saw the great monk, majestic and full of peace, they approached him respectfully and offered him rice cakes and honey.
This was the first food that the Blessed One ate after he became Buddha.
And the Buddha addressed them and pointed out to them the path of liberation. The two merchants, conceiving in their minds the holiness of the conqueror of Mara, bowed down in reverence and said, “We take our refuge, O Master, in the Blessed One and in the Dharma.”
Tapussa and Bhallika were the first followers of the Buddha and they were lay disciples.
Then Buddha had decided to go and pay homage to the hermits, his former teachers, for sharing their knowledge. But these ascetics were jealous of the Buddha’s enlightenment and had conspired to ignore his presence when he arrived.
And even though they decided not to welcome him, when the Buddha approached, they all stood up and fell to his feet. His persona was such that it just brought it out in them.
12. THE KING’S GIFT
King Bimbisara, having taken his refuge in the Buddha, invited the Blessed One with his monks to his palace for a meal.
The Blessed One having donned his robes, took his alms-bowl and, together with a great number of disciples, entered the city of Rajagraha. Sakka, the king of the Devas, assuming the appearance of a young brahmin, walked in front and said, “He who teaches self-control with those who have learned self-control; the redeemer with those whom he has redeemed; the Blessed One with those to whom he has given peace, is entering Rajagraha! Hail to the Buddha! Honor to his name and blessings to all who take refuge in him.” Sakka intoned this verse:
Blessed is the place in which the Buddha walks,
And blessed the ears which hear his talks;
Blessed his disciples, for they are
The tellers of his truth both near and far.
If all could hear this truth so good
Then all men’s minds would eat rich food,
And strong would grow men’s brotherhood.
When the Blessed One had finished his meal, the king sat down near him and thought, “Where may I find a place for the Blessed One to live in, not too far from the town and not too near, suitable for going and coming, easily accessible to all people who want to see him, a place that is by day not too crowded and by night not exposed to noise, wholesome and well fitted for a retired life? There is my garden, the bamboo grove Veluvana, fulfilling all these conditions. I shall offer it to the order of monks, to the Sangha, led by the Buddha.”
Thus the king dedicated his garden to the order of monks.
13. THE RETURN
After nearly seven years of having heard nothing of his son, Suddhodana came to know that Siddhartha was staying at Rajagraha, and that he was claiming to be enlightened. Overjoyed to know that his son was still alive, Suddhodana sent a messenger to ask him to return home.
The messenger met the Buddha at the Bamboo Grove in Rajagraha. He was so enthralled on hearing the words of Dharma that there and then the messenger decided to become a monk, completely forgetting to pass Suddhodana’s message. More messengers were sent and the same thing happened.
Finally, in exasperation, Suddhodana commissioned his close adviser to take the message, but only permitted him to become a monk on condition that he passed the message to the Buddha.
And so the Buddha came to know of his father’s desire to see him. The Blessed One consented to the request of his father and set out on his journey to Kapilavatthu. Soon the news spread in the native country of the Buddha that Prince Siddhartha, the one who wandered forth from home into homelessness to obtain enlightenment, is coming back.
Shortly after, the Buddha set out for Kapilavatthu, accompanied by a large number of monks. Upon arrival, they stayed outside the town in a park and in the morning entered the town to beg for alms. Only then Suddhodana learned that the Buddha had arrived and was shocked that his son would sleep under a tree rather than in the palace, and beg in the streets rather than feast at the banquet table.
Suddhodana went out with his relatives and ministers to meet the prince. When the king saw Siddhartha, he was struck with his son’s СКАЧАТЬ