Divine Stories

by Andy Rotman

  Now some non-Buddhist renunciants got up very early the next morning and went to take their ritual baths in sacred waters.163 They saw the bowl full of jewels, and upon seeing it, they spoke to the householder Jyotiṣka.

  “Householder, what is this?”

  He explained the situation to them in detail.

  “Householder,” they said, “you have faith in the followers of that ascetic from the Śākya clan. Let them retrieve it in this way.” With that said, they departed.

  Just then some very senior monks entered Rājagṛha for alms. [275] They saw the bowl full of jewels, and they too asked the householder Jyotiṣka, “What is this?”

  He explained the situation to them in detail as well.

  “Householder,” they said, “why should we expose ourselves just for a bowl? The Blessed One has said that monks should live with their virtues concealed and their sins cleansed.”164 And with that said, they departed.

  Meanwhile the venerable Daśabala (Possessing the Ten Powers) Kāśyapa arrived there.165 “Householder, what is this?” he asked.

  Jyotiṣka explained to him just what had happened.

  The venerable Daśabala Kāśyapa reflected, “I have spewed up, spit out, abandoned, and driven away a mass of defilements collected from time immemorial, and yet the householder challenges166 a person such as myself to make use of a magical power common even among heretics.167 I will fulfill this desire of his.” Stretching out his arm like the trunk of an elephant, he took the bowl. Having taken it, he went to the monastery. There he was addressed by the monks.

  “Elder, where did you get this bowl made of gośīrṣa sandalwood?”

  He explained to them what had happened.

  “Elder,” the monks asked, “is it permissible for you to display your magical powers just for a bowl?”

  “Venerable ones,” he said, “it may be permissible and it may not. What’s done is done. What is there to do now?”

  The monks related this incident to the Blessed One. The Blessed One said, “A monk is not to display magical power in front of a lay person. Whoever does so commits a transgression. Furthermore, there are four bowls to be considered—those of gold, silver, beryl, and crystal. And there are four other bowls as well—those of brass, copper, bronze, and camphor.168 Regarding those first four bowls, if they haven’t yet been presented as an offering, then they shouldn’t be presented. And if they’ve already been presented, then they should be discarded. Regarding those latter four bowls, if these haven’t yet been presented as an offering, then they shouldn’t be presented. And if they’ve already been presented, then they should be used as containers for medicine. However, as for those that are most desirable,169 there are two kinds of bowls—those made of iron and clay.”

  Divine-Like Glory Appears

  One day, divine-like glory appeared to the householder Jyotiṣka.

  Now on the way between Rājagṛha and Campā there is a customs house, and in it the customs officer had died. Thereafter he was reborn among the serpent yakṣas.170 He then appeared to his sons in a dream saying, “Sons, in this place build a yakṣa abode for me, [276] and in it hang a bell. Whenever someone goes through without paying customs tax on his goods, the bell will clang until he is made to come back and pay up.”171 The sons told their relatives and relations about the dream, and at the right day, date, and time, they built a yakṣa abode in that place and in it hung a bell.

  Meanwhile, in Campā there lived a certain brahman. He brought home a girl from an appropriate family as his wife. The brahman girl reflected, “My husband earns a living by doing this and that. I only eat. It isn’t right that I should be without a job.” So she went to the marketplace and bought some cotton. She worked it until it was soft, and then she spun it into thread. From that thread, a skilled weaver wove twin pieces of cloth that were worth thousands of kārṣāpaṇa coins. She then said to her husband, “Brahman, these twin pieces of cloth are worth thousands of kārṣāpaṇa coins. Take them and go to the marketplace. If anyone inquires, they should be sold for thousands of kārṣāpaṇa coins. If not, you should declare, ‘This isn’t a real trading center!’ and then go somewhere else.”

  He took the twin pieces of cloth and went to the marketplace. No one was willing to spend thousands of kārṣāpaṇa coins for them. “This isn’t a real trading center!” he declared. Then he placed the twin pieces of cloth inside the handle of his umbrella and set out with a caravan for Rājagṛha.

  Eventually he arrived at the customs house. A customs officer taxed the caravan. The caravan paid its customs tax and set off. The bell began to ring. “Gentlemen,” the customs officers said, “since the bell is ringing, the caravan must not have been taxed correctly. Let’s tax it again.” They made the caravan return and once again they taxed it.

  “Nothing is left untaxed,” they thought, and yet the bell still rang. They had the caravan return once more and they inspected it. “There’s absolutely nothing!”

  The merchants from the caravan began to complain: “Do you want to rob us, making us return again and again?” The customs officers divided the caravan into two groups, and let one group go through. Those whom the brahman wasn’t among went ahead, but as the others went through, the bell began to ring as it had before. The customs officers examined them once again. They divided them into two groups, again and again, following the same procedure, until just the brahman remained. Then they grabbed him.

  “Look and see if I have anything,” he said. The customs officers examined everything and then released him. [277] The bell continued to ring. They then had the brahman return and said, “Hey brahman, speak up! We won’t force you to pay any customs tax, but the deity [in the yakṣa abode] has made his presence known.”

  “Truthfully,” he said, “you won’t force me to pay?”

  “No, we won’t force you to pay.”

  He then took out the twin pieces of cloth from the handle of his umbrella and showed them to the customs officers. They were in awe.

  “Friend, something like this belongs to the deity!” Then they unfolded one of the pieces of cloth and cloaked the deity with it.

  “You told me that you wouldn’t force me to pay any customs tax,” the brahman said, “and now you take away all my possessions!”

  “Brahman, we didn’t take anything,” they said. “This is a divine possession, so we have used it to cloak the deity. Now you can take it and go.”

  He took it back, once again placed it in the shaft of his umbrella, and set off. Eventually he arrived at Rājagṛha. In the marketplace, he spread out those pieces of cloth and waited. There too no one who was willing to spend thousands of kārṣāpaṇa coins for the pair inquired about them. “Rājagṛha isn’t a real trading center either!” he declared.

  Just then Jyotiṣka,172 who had left the palace mounted on the back of an elephant, was going through the middle of the marketplace on his way back home. He heard what the brahman had declared and said, “Gentlemen, why does this brahman declare that this isn’t a real trading center? Summon him. I shall ask him.”

  They summoned him.

  “Brahman,” Jyotiṣka said, “why do you declare that this isn’t a real trading center?”

  “Householder, these twin pieces of cloth are worth thousands of kārṣāpaṇa coins, but no one inquires about them.”

  “Bring them here,” he said. “Let me see them.”

  The brahman showed him the two pieces of cloth.

  “It’s just as you say,” Jyotiṣka said. “But one piece of material is used and one is unused. The value of the unused one is five hundred kārṣāpaṇa coins. The used one is worth only two hundred and fifty.”

  “Why is that?” the brahman asked.

  “Brahman,” Jyotiṣka said, “I’ll let you see it with your own eyes. Look here.”

  He threw the unused one high into the air. It remained there like a canopy. Then he threw the used one. Right after it was thrown, it fell down.

 
The brahman saw this and was in awe. “Householder,” he said, “you possess great magic and great power.”

  “Brahman,” Jyotiṣka said, “show me the unused one again.” [278] Jyotiṣka then took the unused piece of cloth and threw it on top of a thorny hedge. It passed over without getting caught. He threw the other, and it got stuck on a thorn.

  The brahman was even more inspired and said, “Householder, you possess great magic and great power. Offer what you wish for the two pieces of cloth.”

  “Brahman, you are a guest,” he said. “You yourself are to be honored. I’ll offer you exactly one thousand.” He gave him one thousand kārṣāpaṇa coins. The brahman took the coins and departed. Jyotiṣka gave the used cloth to a boy, and the unused one he made into a bathing garment.

  Now one day King Bimbisāra went out on the roof of his palace and stood there surrounded by his cabinet of ministers. Jyotiṣka’s bathing garment was on top of his house drying in the open air when it was carried off by the wind. It then fell on top of King Bimbisāra.

  “Gentlemen,” the king said, “this garment is worthy of a king! Where is it from?”

  “My lord,” they said, “it’s been heard that for a week, a rain of gold fell for King Māndhātā.173 And now for my lord, a rain of fine garments has begun to fall. Soon there will be a rain of gold.”

  “Gentlemen,” the king said, “the Blessed One predicted that the householder Jyotiṣka would experience divine-like glory as a result of his actions. And now this divine garment has fallen from the sky. Put it aside. When he comes in person, I’ll give it to him.”

  As they were talking, Jyotiṣka arrived.

  “Young man,” the king said, “the Blessed One predicted that you would experience divine-like glory as a result of your actions. And now I have here this divine garment that has fallen from the sky. Take it.”

  Jyotiṣka stretched out his hand and said, “My lord, allow me to see it.” He began to examine it and found that it was his bathing garment. Astonished,174 he said, “My lord, this is my bathing garment! The wind must have carried it away and brought it here.”

  “Young man, has divine-like glory appeared to you?”

  “Yes, my lord, it has appeared to me.”

  “Young man, if that’s the case, why didn’t you invite me over?”

  “My lord, consider yourself invited.”

  “Go then. And have food prepared.”

  “My lord, what does someone to whom divine-like glory has appeared need to prepare?”

  “Of course! It’s already prepared. Let’s go.”175

  Jyotiṣka’s Home

  The king went to Jyotiṣka’s home, and when he saw the outdoor attendants, he averted his eyes.

  “My lord, why do you avert your eyes?”

  “Young man,” he said, “these are the women of the house.” [279]

  “My lord, these aren’t the women of the house. They are only outdoor attendants.”

  The king was in awe. Further along, when he saw some indoor attendants, he once again began to avert his eyes. Jyotiṣka questioned him as before, and the king replied as before. Jyotiṣka then said, “My lord, these aren’t the women of the house either. They are indoor attendants.” The king was in even greater awe.

  Now in the interior entrance hall of Jyotiṣka’s home a jeweled floor had been constructed. Fish could be seen moving about on the surface of the floor by means of a mechanical device, as though the floor were filled with water.176 Thinking it was a pool, the king wanted to enter it, so he began to take off his sandals.

  “My lord,” Jyotiṣka said, “why are you taking off your sandals?”

  “Young man,” he said, “for entering the water.”

  “My lord, this isn’t water,” Jyotiṣka said. “It’s a jeweled floor.”

  “Young man,” he said, “there are fish clearly visible moving about on the surface.”177

  “My lord, they move about by means of a mechanical device.”

  The king didn’t believe him, so he dropped his seal ring. It fell to the ground with a clink. In awe, he then entered the hall and sat on the lion throne. The women of the house approached to venerate his feet. Tears began to fall from their eyes.

  “Young man,” the king said, “why do the women of the house cry?”

  “My lord, they aren’t crying. Garments were made fragrant for my lord with wood smoke, and from this they shed tears.”

  Served there with divine-like glory, the king lost his senses and didn’t leave. Royal functions and royal duties were neglected. The ministers prevailed upon Prince Ajātaśatru (Without Enemies).178

  “Prince,” they told him, “my lord has entered Jyotiṣka’s home and lost his senses. Go and inform him of the situation.”

  Prince Ajātaśatru went there and said, “My lord, how is it that you’ve come here and stayed on? The ministers say that the royal functions and royal duties are being neglected.”

  “Prince,” he asked, “can’t you rule for a single day?”

  “Does my lord think that only one day has passed since he’s come here? Today is the seventh day that my lord stays here.”

  The king scanned Jyotiṣka’s face and said, “Young man, is this true?”

  “It’s true, my lord. It’s been a full seven days.”

  “Young man, how do you know whether it’s day or night?”

  “My lord, from the flowers as they bloom and wither, from the jewels as they glow and dim, and from the birds as they chirp and fall silent. Aren’t there flowers that bloom at night and wither by day? [280] Aren’t there those that bloom by day and wither at night? Aren’t there jewels that glow at night and not by day? Aren’t there those that glow by day and not at night? Aren’t there birds that chirp at night and not by day? And those that chirp by day and not at night?”

  In awe, the king said, “Young man, the Blessed One tells the truth. Exactly what the Blessed One predicted for you has happened and nothing else.” With that said, he left Jyotiṣka’s home.

  Jyotiṣka and Prince Ajātaśatru

  Meanwhile Prince Ajātaśatru stole a jewel that belonged to Jyotiṣka and placed it in the hands of a boy. The jewel magically returned to the place from where he took it.

  “Boy,” Ajātaśatru said, “bring me the jewel so I can see it.”

  The boy opened his fists and said, “Prince, I don’t know where it went.”

  Prince Ajātaśatru began to beat him.

  “Prince, why are you beating him?” Jyotiṣka asked.

  “Householder, I’m a thief, but he’s a bigger thief. I stole a jewel from you, and then he stole it from me!”

  “Prince,” he said, “you didn’t steal it, and neither did he. It has come right back to where you took it from. Nevertheless, Prince, this is your home. Take as many jewels as you like or whatever else you need.”

  Humiliated, the prince reflected, “When my father dies and I become king, then I’ll take what I want.”

  Ajātaśatru, under the evil influences of Devadatta, eventually killed his father, a just and virtuous king, and then crowned himself and put himself on the throne. Then he said to Jyotiṣka, “Householder, you are my brother. Let’s divide up your house.”179

  Jyotiṣka reflected, “Why would someone who kills his father, a just and virtuous king, have mercy on me? He’ll come to my house, for sure. I’ll offer him whatever he likes.” With this in mind, he said, “My lord, it’s already been divided up. What’s left to be divided? You come to my house, and I’ll come to your house.”

  “Very well,” Ajātaśatru said. “Do as you wish.” He then went to Jyotiṣka’s house, and Jyotiṣka went to Ajātaśatru’s house. The glory from Jyotiṣka’s house disappeared and followed Jyotiṣka wherever he went. It went on like this until that glory had disappeared and reappeared seven times.

  Then Ajātaśatru reflected, “Even switching houses like this, I can’t180 steal Jyotiṣka’s jewels! I’ll try something else.”181 He then hired
[281] some thieves and told them, “Go and steal the jewels from Jyotiṣka’s house.” They began to climb into his house using ladders and hooks.

  One of the women of the house was standing on the roof and saw them. “Thief! Thief!” she screamed.

  Jyotiṣka heard this and called out from his bedroom, “Stop! Thieves!”

  They stopped instantly, right where they were, and stayed there until night became dawn. Then many people saw them and said, “Friends, this evil king killed his father, a just and virtuous king. Now he even gets thieves to rob people’s homes for him. Why wouldn’t he get someone to rob my home?” There was a lot of agitation.

  Ajātaśatru sent a messenger to Jyotiṣka to say, “Stop making me out to be a villain!”

  Jyotiṣka called out from his bedroom, “Get lost, thieves!” And they left. Jyotiṣka then reflected, “Why wouldn’t someone who kills his father kill me as well? The Blessed One has predicted that I will definitely go forth in his order, where by ridding myself of all defilements, I will directly experience arhatship. I’m leaving. I’m going forth as a monk.”

  Jyotiṣka gave away whatever riches he had to the poor, the orphaned, and the destitute, making the unwealthy wealthy. The householder Jyotiṣka then said farewell to his friends, relations, and relatives and approached the Blessed One. Having approached the Blessed One, he placed his head in veneration at the Blessed One’s feet and then sat down at a respectful distance. Sitting down at a respectful distance, the householder Jyotiṣka then said this to the Blessed One: “Bhadanta, may I renounce, take ordination, and become a monk according to the dharma and monastic discipline that have been so well expressed. May I follow the religious life in the presence of the Blessed One.”

  Then the Blessed One addressed him, uttering the “Come, O monk” formula for ordination: “Come, O monk! Follow the religious life!” As soon as the Blessed One finished speaking, there Jyotiṣka stood—head shaved, garbed in monastic robes, bowl and water pot in hand,182 with a week’s growth of hair and beard and the disciplined deportment of a monk who had been ordained for one hundred years.