 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
Then after crossing the Ganges river, the Blessed One looked intently to his right at the Ganges River, with the gaze of an elephant. The monks asked the Buddha, the Blessed One, “Sir, for what reason did the Blessed One turn back to look intently at the Ganges River?”
The Blessed One said, “Monks, do you
wish to hear of the origin of the Ganges river?”
“Blessed One, it is the time for that. Sugata, it is the moment for that. Should the Blessed One explain the origin of the Ganges River, the monks will listen.”
“Long ago, Monks, there was a king by the name of Pindavamśa. He was righteous, a Dharma king, who reigned through the Dharma. His villages were thriving, flourishing, safe, with a surplus of food and bustling with many people. There were always trees in bloom and bearing fruit. There was a god who gave timely rains and the land was endowed with grain. Strife and quarrels had been pacified and it was free of riots, tumult and thievery. The people always had Dharma as their highest aim.
“On one occasion, when springtime had arrived, the trees were in full bloom and the forest groves were resounding with the calls of swans, cranes, peacocks, parrots, śārikā birds, cuckoos and partridges. The king set out for his garden grounds, surrounded by the women of the palace. Meanwhile, there was a person going along, with grey hair, a wrinkled face and decrepit limbs and body, his sense faculties failing, emaciated and of meager strength and walking very slowly, leaning on a cane. At that, the king asked his advisers, ‘Sirs, who is this person going along, with grey hair, a wrinkled face, and leaning on a cane?’
“They reported, ‘Your Majesty, due to the wasting away of his conditioning factors, this is what is called an old person.’
“The king said, ‘Sirs, I too will come to be of such a sort.’
“They said, “Your Majesty, this is a common feature.”
“Then the king went on, his mind troubled. He saw another person, terribly pale, his body covered with rough, chapped skin, his stomach distended like a mountain, with long strips of cloth arranged as bandages on his major and minor limbs and seeped with pus from his wounds. Panting and leaning on a cane, he was moving forward with a limp. After seeing him, the king again addressed his advisers, ‘Sirs, who is this terribly pale person moving forward with a limp?’
“They said, ‘Your Majesty, this is called a diseased person.’
“The king said, 'Sirs, I too will come to be of such a sort.’
“The advisers said, “Your Majesty, this feature is common for doers of actions that were wrong. It comes about on account of the faults of their previous actions.”
“The king reflected, ‘In no way is wickedness to be done.’ Having decided this, he started off. Again, he saw a bier decorated with blue, yellow, red and white cloth, surrounded by umbrellas, flagpoles and pennants, with the sounding of conches and beating of drums, and accompanied by women, men, girls and boys. It was held up by four men, and was led in front by torches, and followed in back by people clutching kindling wood in their arms. He heard, ‘Oh, Dear Father! Oh, Brother! Oh, Father! Oh, Husband!’ and on all sides the sounds of weeping. Having heard this, he again addressed his advisers, ‘Sirs, what is this bier, decorated with blue, yellow, red and white cloth, and with these sounds of weeping?’
“The advisers said, ‘This, Your Majesty, is called a dead person.’
“The king said, ‘Sirs, I too will come to be of such a feature.’
“They said, “Your Majesty, this too is a common feature.”
“Then because of the sight of the old person, sick person and dead person, the king’s mind was troubled. Thinking, ‘such experiences must be abandoned,’ he turned back. He entered his room of grief, and remained there.
“In his territory there was a brahmin by the name of Velāma, wealthy, with great riches and vast possessions, a master of the Vedas and ancillary Vedic studies. He heard that the king had been troubled by the sight of an old person, a sick person and a dead person, and that he had entered his room of grief* and remained there. And after hearing of this, in the company of several hundred thousand brahmins, he mounted a chariot that was drawn by mares that were all white, and holding his golden staff and water pot, he went to where the king was. The advisers informed the king, ‘Your Majesty, Velāma the brahmin is waiting at the gate.’
“Then the king left and seated himself in his court. After Velāma the brahmin had bestowed blessings for his victory and long life, he sat down and said, ‘Why did Your Majesty enter the room of grief and remain there?’
“The king presented everything that had occured, in detail, to the brahmin Velāma.
“He said, ‘Your Majesty is an enjoyer of the fruit of his own actions. There is no cause for grief here. There are beings who are doers of good actions. There are beings who are doers of wrong actions. And there are beings who are doers of both. But wheel-turning kings are always doers of good actions, and are reborn among the devas. Your Majesty is also a wheel-turning king. After enjoying the happiness that is particular to humans, you will experience the happiness of devas. However, Your Majesty, a sacrifice would be desirable, as a staircase to heaven.’
“Then the king gave an order to his advisers, ‘Sirs, have a public proclamation made through the entire kingdom: “The king is offering an unlimited sacrifice.* Please come and enjoy.”’
“Then a donation hall was prepared. Food was given to those wanting food, and drink to those wanting drink. In that place, the flowing of the water in which the rice was boiled created a crater, where what was heated became cool. It became known as Anavatapta (Unheated). As it was filled for twelve years with the rice water and the water from washing the rice, it grew. Then a river overflowed through an opening. This became known as the River of Rice Water.”*
- From the Mūlasarvāstivāda-Vinayavastu. Translated from the Sanskrit by Damchö Diana Finnegan (translator of the Sanghata Sutra into English) in Visakhapatnam, India, in September, 2006.