by Andy Rotman
King Rudrāyaṇa beautified the road for two and a half leagues and beautified the city as well.985 Then he personally went out to receive the venerable Mahākātyāyana, along with many hundreds and thousands of followers,986 and with great honor ushered him into the city of Roruka. He also commissioned five hundred monastic dwellings outside of the city; gave out five hundred chairs, seats, cushions, woolen blankets, pillows, and shawls; distributed five hundred meals; and had a seat specially prepared for the venerable Mahākātyāyana in a wide-open tract of land.
The venerable Mahākātyāyana sat down in front of the community of monks in that seat specially prepared for him. Many hundreds and thousands of beings gathered around, some out of curiosity, others impelled by former roots of virtue.
Then the venerable Mahākātyāyana, knowing the inclinations, propensities, makeup, and nature of that assembly, gave them a discourse on the dharma such that when they heard it, many hundreds and thousands of beings attained great distinction. [551] Some directly experienced the reward of the stream-enterer;987 some the reward of the nonreturner; and some went forth as monks and, by ridding themselves of all defilements, directly experienced arhatship. Some set their minds on attaining awakening as a disciple, some awakening as a solitary buddha, and some unsurpassed perfect awakening. Almost the entire assembly was affected and became favorably inclined toward the Buddha, drawn toward the dharma, and well disposed toward the community.
Rudrāyaṇa, Candraprabhā, and Śikhaṇḍin
In the city of Roruka lived two householders, Tiṣya and Puṣya. They approached the venerable Mahākātyāyana and, having approached, placed their heads in veneration at the venerable Mahākātyāyana’s feet and then sat down at a respectful distance. Then they said this to him: “Noble Mahākātyāyana, may we renounce, take ordination, and become monks according to the dharma and the monastic discipline that have been so well expressed. Noble Mahākātyāyana, may we follow the religious life in your presence.”988
And so the venerable Mahākātyāyana initiated and ordained them and offered them instruction. After striving, struggling, and straining, they came to understand that ever-turning five-spoked wheel of saṃsāra; they dealt a final blow to rebirth with all its conditioning factors,989 since such things are subject to decay and decline, scattering and destruction; and by ridding themselves of all defilements, they directly experienced arhatship. Becoming arhats,
they were free from attachment in the three realms;
they regarded clods of earth and gold as equal in value;
they possessed equanimity toward the sky and the palms of their hands;
they didn’t distinguish between being cut by a blade and being anointed with sandalwood paste;
the eggshell [of their ignorance] was broken by knowledge;
they obtained the special knowledges, superhuman faculties, and analytic insights;
and they were averse to worldly attainments, temptations, and honors.
They became worthy of respect, honor, and obeisance from the gods, including Indra and Upendra.
Then they performed the miraculous deeds of causing fire and heat, making rain and lightning, and then passed into the realm of remainderless nirvāṇa. Their relatives performed funeral ceremonies for their bodies and constructed two stūpas, one for Tiṣya, the other for Puṣya.
Every day King Rudrāyaṇa would listen to the dharma from the venerable Mahākātyāyana and announce to the women of the palace, “The dharma that the noble Mahākātyāyana teaches is so sweet. What he propounds990 is sweet like honey!”
“The appearance of the Buddha has been benefical for my lord,” they said [one day].
“How is that?”
“For you can listen to the dharma.”
“If that’s the case, why don’t you listen as well?” [552]
“My lord, we are modest. How can we go there to listen to the dharma? But if the noble Mahākātyāyana would come here and teach the dharma, then we could listen as well.”
King Rudrāyaṇa spoke to the venerable Mahākātyāyana: “Noble one, the women of my palace want to listen to the dharma.”991
“Your majesty,” he said, “monks are not permitted to enter women’s quarters and teach the dharma. Entering women’s quarters has been prohibited by the Blessed One.”
“Noble one, in that case who teaches the dharma to palace women?”
“Your majesty, it is the nuns.”
So King Rudrāyaṇa sent a letter to King Bimbisāra: “Dear friend, the women of my palace want to listen to the dharma. Please send a nun.”
King Bimbisāra read out the letter and then approached the Blessed One. Having approached, 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, King Bimbisāra said this to the Blessed One: “Blessed One, King Rudrāyaṇa sent a letter saying, ‘The women of my palace want to hear the dharma. Please send a nun.’ How is it best to proceed in this case?”
The Blessed One reflected, “Which nun should train the women of King Rudrāyaṇa’s palace992 as well as the female residents of Roruka?” He saw that it was the nun Śailā.
So the Blessed One addressed the nun Śailā: “Śailā, turn your attention to the women of King Rudrāyaṇa’s palace in the city of Roruka as well as the female residents of Roruka.”
“Yes, Bhadanta,” the nun Śailā replied, consenting to the Blessed One’s request. Then she placed her head in veneration at the Blessed One’s feet and departed from the Blessed One’s presence.
The very next morning, the nun Śailā got dressed, took her bowl and robe, [and entered] Rājagṛha for alms. After wandering through [Rājagṛha for alms,]993 she ate her meal, and after eating, she returned from her almsround.994 She then put away the bedding and seat that she had used,995 collected her bowl and robe, and with five hundred followers set off toward the city of Roruka.
King Bimbisāra sent a letter to King Rudrāyaṇa: “Dear friend, I have sent to you a great disciple who is like the Teacher996 accompanied by five hundred followers. On her behalf, beautify the road [into the city] for two and half leagues and beautify the city as well. Then, together with your fourfold army, personally go out and receive her. [553] You should also commission five hundred monastic dwellings within the city; give out five hundred chairs and seats as well as five hundred cushions, woolen blankets,997 pillows, and shawls; and distribute five hundred meals. Doing so, you will gain [great]998 merit.”
King Rudrāyaṇa read out the letter, and with feelings of joy he beautified the road [into the city] for two and half leagues and [beautified the city as well].999 Then he personally went out to receive her, along with many [hundreds and]1000 thousands of followers, and with great honor ushered her into the city of Roruka. He also commissioned five hundred monastic dwellings within the city; gave out five hundred chairs, seats, cushions, woolen blankets, pillows, and shawls; and distributed five hundred meals.
Every day the nun Śailā entered the women’s quarters of King Rudrāyaṇa’s palace and taught the dharma.
Now King Rudrāyaṇa was an expert veena player and Queen Candraprabhā an expert dancer. One day King Rudrāyaṇa was playing the veena, and Queen Candraprabhā was dancing, and while she was dancing, the king saw a sign indicating her impending death. Looking at her closely, up and down, he reflected, “After a week she will die.” The veena slipped from his hand and fell to the ground.
“My lord,” Queen Candraprabhā said, “I hope I’m not dancing badly.”1001
“Queen, you aren’t dancing badly. It’s just that, as you were dancing, I saw a sign indicating your impending death. After seven days you will die.”
Queen Candraprabhā fell prostrate at the king’s feet and said, “My lord, if that is so, since I have already served my lord, if my lord permits, I shall go forth as a nun.”
“Candraprabhā,” the king said, “I give you my permission on one condition. If you go
forth as a nun and, by ridding yourself of all defilements, directly experience arhatship, this itself will be an end to your suffering. But if you die with some bonds to existence still remaining and are reborn among the gods, being a god you should show yourself to me.”
“Yes, my lord,” she said. “As you wish.”
King Rudrāyaṇa handed her over to the nun Śāilā: “Noble one, Queen Candraprabhā1002 wants to renounce, take ordination, and become a nun according to the dharma and monasic discipline that have been so well expressed. Please initiate and ordain her.” [554]
“As you wish,” said the nun Śailā. “I will initiate her.” So the nun Śailā initiated and ordained Queen Candraprabhā. Then, after focusing her attention,1003 she offered this instruction: “Cultivate a consciousness of death.”
Queen Candraprabhā began to cultivate a consciousness of death, and on the seventh day, she died and was reborn among the gods of Cāturmahārājika (Four Groups of the Great Kings).
It is a law of nature that three thoughts arise in divinely born sons and daughters who have recently taken rebirth—“From where did I die and pass away? Where have I been reborn? As a result of what deed?”
The goddess Candraprabhā reflected, “From where did I die and pass away? From among humans. Where have I been reborn? Among the Cāturmahārājika gods. As a result of what deed? Following the religious life in the Blessed One’s order.” Then it occurred to her, “It wouldn’t be right for me to wait until my time here [in heaven] is finished1004 before I went to see the Blessed One. I really should go to see the Blessed One even before my time here is done.”
That very night the divinely born Candraprabhā put on earrings that were flawless and dangling1005 and adorned her body with strings and necklaces of pearls. Then she filled her arms1006 with divine blue1007 and white waterlilies, white lotuses, and coral-tree flowers,1008 and illuminating the entire bamboo grove in Kalandakanivāpa1009 with a great blaze of light, showered the Blessed One with flowers and then sat down in front of him to listen to the dharma.
Then the Blessed One, knowing her inclinations, propensities, makeup, and nature, gave her a discourse on the dharma that elucidated the four noble truths. When the divinely born Candraprabhā heard this, with her thunderbolt of knowledge she broke through that mountain, which is the false view of individuality that arises with its twenty peaks of incorrect views, and directly experienced the reward of the stream-enterer. Having seen the truth, three times she uttered this inspired utterance:
What the Blessed One has done for the likes of me, Bhadanta,
neither my mother nor my father have done,
nor any king,
nor any deities or dear ones,
nor any kinsmen, relatives, or deceased ancestors,
nor ascetics or brahmans.
Oceans of blood and tears have dried up!
Mountains of bones have been scaled!
The doors to the lower realms of existence have been closed!
The doors to heaven and liberation have been opened!
[I]1010 have been established among gods and humans!
And she said,
Because of your power,
closed is the truly terrifying path
to the lower realms of existence,
bound up as it is with suffering.1011 [555]
Open is the realm of heaven,
which is filled with merit.1012
I have found the path to nirvāṇa!
From taking refuge in you,
today I have obtained
freedom from sin and a
pure and fully purified vision.
I have attained that beloved state
so beloved to the noble ones
and crossed to the far shore1013
of the sea of suffering.
O you who are honored in this world
by demons, humans, and gods,
and freed from birth,
old age, sickness, and death,
even in a thousand lives
seeing you is very rare.
O Sage, seeing you today
brings great results!
Then she bowed down,
her necklaces of pearls drooping,
venerated his two feet,
and was filled with joy.
Respectfully circumabulating1014
the Conqueror of the Enemy,1015
she faced the realm of the gods
and went off to heaven.
Then the divinely born Candraprabhā, like a merchant with fortune found, like a farmer with a rich harvest,1016 like a warrior victorious in battle, and like a patient released from every illness, by the very same power that enabled her to come before the Blessed One, set off for her home in heaven.1017 Then it occurred to her, “I promised King Rudrāyaṇa that I would show myself to him.”
And so the divinely born Candraprabhā approached King Rudrāyaṇa. At that time King Rudrāyaṇa was asleep all by himself on the top floor of his palace. Candraprabhā created a great blaze of light, snapped her fingers, and woke up the king.
Disoriented, his eyes still stuck in sleep, and not thinking clearly,1018 he said, “Who are you?”
“I am Candraprabhā,” she said.
“Come here,” the king said. “Let’s make love.”
“My lord,” she said, “I have died and passed away [from this realm] and been reborn among the Cāturmahārājika gods. If you want to have sex with me, then go forth as a monk in the presence of the Blessed One. If, as it happens, you rid yourself of all defilements and thereby directly experience arhatship in this lifetime,1019 this itself will be an end to your suffering. If you die with some bonds to existence still remaining, you will be reborn among the Cāturmahārājika gods. There you can have sex with me.” With that said, she vanished on the spot.
King Rudrāyaṇa spent the whole night thinking about renouncing, [556] then early the next morning he got up and addressed his ministers: “Look here gentlemen. Where does Queen Candraprabhā reside?”
“My lord,” they said. “She has died.”
King Rudrāyaṇa reflected, “It wouldn’t be appropriate, now that I’ve been urged by a deity to renounce, to remain a householder, clinging to my home, hoarding wealth and enjoying sensual pleasure.1020 I really should consecrate Prince Śikhaṇḍin as king, shave off my hair and beard, put on ochre robes, and with right belief, go forth from home to homelessness.”
He sent a messenger to summon his two chief ministers, Hiru and Bhiru. “Gentlemen,” he said, “inasmuch as Prince Śikhaṇḍin is my son, he is yours as well. You two should keep him from doing wrong and guide him toward what is right. I will go forth as a monk according to the dharma and monastic discipline that have been so well expressed.”
The two of them stood there choked up with tears.
“Son,” he said to Prince Śikhaṇḍin, “just as you would listen to my words and mind what I say to do, you should listen to the words of the chief ministers Hiru and Bhiru and mind what they say to do. I am going forth as a monk according to the dharma and monastic discipline that have been so well expressed.”
Hearing this, he too was choked up with tears.
Then King Rudrāyaṇa had the bells rung in the city of Roruka for the following proclamation: “Residents of Roruka and visitors from other countries, please listen! I am going to shave off my hair and beard, put on ochre robes, and with right belief, go forth from home to homelessness. If I have caused anyone the slightest harm while ruling the kingdom, please forgive me.”1021
The townspeople and villagers were very devoted to the king, and when they heard this, all of the residents of Roruka as well as those visiting from other countries were choked up with tears. Then King Rudrāyaṇa installed Prince Śikhaṇḍin as king, took leave of his relatives, made offerings and performed meritorious deeds for ascetics and brahmans, for the destitute and for beggars, and with only a single man as an attendant, [set off]1022 toward Rajagṛha.
Śikhaṇḍin, who was now king, along with the palace women,1023 ministers, townspeople, and villagers, as well as those visiting from other countries, gathered close behind Rudrāyaṇa. Followed by these many hundreds and thousands of beings, Rudrāyaṇa walked out of the city of Roruka and stood for a moment in a park that was adorned with various thickets of trees, [557] filled with various flowers and ponds, and that resounded with the calls of geese, herons, peacocks, parrots, mynahs, cuckoos, and peacock pheasants. Then he looked at the city of Roruka and addressed King Śikhaṇḍin: “Son, I have ruled according to dharma. That is why these hundreds and thousands of beings have followed behind me. You too should rule according to dharma.”
Having comforted that crowd of people, he said, “Friends, this is who I have appointed as your king. Turn back and live happily!” And with that said, he set off.
King Śikhaṇḍin, accompanied by the palace women, princes, ministers, townspeople, and villagers, gazed for a few moments with tear-filled eyes and then turned back and returned to the city of Roruka.
In due course King Rudrāyaṇa arrived in the city of Rājagṛha. Standing in the park [outside of town,] he addressed his servant: “Go, my friend. Go and inform King Bimbisāra that one named Rudrāyaṇa is staying in the park.”
His servant went and informed King Bimbisāra, “My lord, King Rudrāyaṇa is staying in the park.”
When the king heard this, he immediately got up and addressed his men:1024 “Gentlemen, a king with a great army has arrived here unannounced. Why didn’t any of you know this?”
“My lord,” they said,1025 “where is this army of his? He has come by himself.”
King Bimbisāra reflected, “It wouldn’t be right for me to simply usher in a duly consecrated kṣatriya king. I should usher him in with great honor.” With this in mind, he beautified the road and the city and went out to meet him with his fourfold army. King Bimbisāra embraced him, had him seated on the back of an elephant, and led him into the great city of Rājagṛha. There he was bathed in water infused with various scents, adorned with clothes, scents, garlands, and creams worthy of a king, and then fed.
