Jataka Tales 31: Kulavaka

Kulavaka Jataka When he was residing at Jetavana the Buddha told this story about a monk who drank water without straining it. According to tradition two young monks from Savatthi who were friends went to a pleasant spot in the country and stayed there.

After they had stayed there for a period they left for Jetavana to meet the Blessed One. One had a strainer and the other none but they shared it till one day they fell out. As the other was not allowed the strainer, and not able to endure thirst, he drank water without filtering it. After they arrived they greeted the Buddha respectfully and sat to one side. Then the Buddha asked them where they were from.

They replied: "Venerable Sir, we were friends from a district in Kosala and have come to see you.”

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The Buddha said: "I trust you arrived as friends."

The monk without the strainer said: "We had a disagreement and he would not lend me his strainer." Said the one with the strainer: "He did not strain his water and knowingly drank it with all the living things therein." "Is this true you drank water with all the living things in it?" "Yes, Venerable Sir, I did drink unfiltered water."

The Buddha admonished him: "Brother the wise and good in bygone days even when flying away in defeat refused to kill living creatures to secure their power. Instead they turned back, to sacrifice great glory, so as to save the lives of the young Garudas." So saying the Buddha told this story of the past.

Story of the past Once in times past in the kingdom of Magadha, Sakka was born in one of his previous lives, in the village of Macala in this land.

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In this same hamlet the Bodhisatta was born in those days as a young nobleman. When the naming-ceremony day came he was given the name of 'Prince Magha,' but after he grew up he was known as 'Magha the young Brahmin'.

His parents chose a wife of their equal status for him. Eventually he had a family of sons and daughters growing up around him. He also excelled in charity and kept the Five Precepts.

Just thirty families lived in that village. One day, thirty men of these households stood in the middle of the village arranging the affairs of their village.

The Bodhisatta had made a clean spot and was standing comfortably when another took his stand there. So he made another spot but another came and took the spot. Finally he had made a comfortable standing spot for every one there.

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Another time he built a pavilion. This he pulled down and replaced it with a hall with benches and water-jars inside. He also inspired the thirty to think like him so that he was able to establish them in the Five Precept, and they used to do good works together.

And one of their good works was to get up early with tools to remove stones and trees along the four roads that led to their village; rough spots they made smooth; bridges were built; they dug water-reservoirs and built a hall; they showed charity to others and lived a virtuous life.

The headman of the village thought to himself: "These men used to get drunk and commit evil deeds. I used to make money by selling drinks and from the fines they paid. Now this young brahmin Magha has put a stop to their drunken activities. I'll make them keep the Five Precrepts Precepts." He went to make a false report to the king.

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He said: "Your majesty, a band of robbers is going about committing crimes and villanies."

When the king heard this he ordered the headman to bring the men before him and soon the thirty men were brought in as prisoners.

Without further ado he ordered that they be trampled to death by an elephant.

So they were made to lie down to wait for the elephant to be brought out. The Bodhisatta earnestly reminded them to keep the Precepts in their minds, and to generate love for the king and the elephant as themselves." This they did so.

When the elephant was brought out to trample them to death it would not approach them but fled away, trumpeting loudly. Elephant after elephant was brought in, but they all fled away like the first. Thinking that the men had drugs on their persons that prevented the elephants from getting near to them, he had them searched.

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But nothing was found and so they told the king about this. "Then it has to be some spell," said the king. When the men were asked about this the Bodhisatta replied: "Yes, they have got a spell." The king was told about this and he had them brought back to him. "Tell me your spell," the king ordered.

The Bodhisatta then said: "Your majesty, we have no other spell than this one. Not a man among us destroys life or takes what is not given, or misconduct himself or lies; nor do we take strong drink.

We abound in loving-kindness; we show charity; we level the roads, dig tanks to store water, and build a public hall. This is our spell, our protection, our strength."

Very pleased with all this, the king rewarded them with wealth. The slanderer was made their slave. He also gave them the elephant and the village too. From then on they did more good works happily.

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They engaged a carpenter to build a large public hall at the meeting of four roads; but no woman participated in the good work because they had lost all desire for women.

At that time there were four women in the Bodhisatta's house. They were Sadharma (Goodness), Chitra (Beautiful), Nanda (Joy) and Sujata (Highborn). Of these, Sadharma finding herself alone with the carpenter gave him a douceur, and said: "Brother contrive to make me the principal person involved with this hall."

The carpenter agreed and started fashioning a pinnacle for the roof with a piece of dried pinnacle wood. Then he wrapped it and put it aside. When the hall was finished and it was time to put the pinnacle he exclaimed to his employers: "Alas, there is one thing still not made." "What's that?" "Oh, we need a pinnacle."

"All right, let one be obtained." "But it can't be made of green wood; it has to be cut, dried, fashioned, bored and be ready for use."

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"Why then, go and find whether there's anyone with a pinnacle for sale." So they looked around, found that Goodness has such a pinnacle but they could not buy it. She said: "Give me a share in your good work and I'll give it to you."

"No," the reply came, "we do not let women share in this good work."

Then the carpenter said to them: "Masters, other than the Realm of Brahma there is no place that excludes women. Take the pinnacle. Then our work will be finished."

Finally consenting they took it and the work was completed. They had benches placed in it and water-jars, too, and a constant supply of boiled rice was made available. It was surrounded by a wall with a gate. Fine sand was laid on the ground inside and fan-palms were planted outside.

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Chitra did her part by laying a beautiful park planted with known flowering and fruit trees.

Nanda had a small lake dug and filled with water and five kinds of lotuses that delight the eye.

Sujata did nothing at all.

The Bodhisatta had fulfilled seven important and necessary functions: to cherish one's mother, to cherish one's father, to honour one's elders, to speak the truth, to avoid harsh speech, to shun slander, and refrain from stinginess: "Gods praise those who support parents, honour age, are gentle, friendly, refrain from slander, not churlish, truthful, and have anger under control."

Such was the praiseworthy state he cultivated that at his life's end he was reborn as Sakka, king of this realm; and his friends too were reborn there.

In those days there were Asuras dwelling in this realm. Said Sakka: "What good is a kingdom which others share?"

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So he gave Asuras the liquor of devas, and when drunken, he had them thrown to the foot of Mount Sineru, with steep sides all round, a region equal in size to the Realm of the Thirty Three.

Here a tree that looked like the Coral Tree of the devas grew, with a lifespan of an aeon. It is called the Pied Trumpet and its flowers showed the Asuras this was not the Realms of the Thirty Three devas the only place where the Coral Tree blooms. Then they cried out: "Old Sakka has made us drunk, cast us into the great deep, and taken our heavenly city. Let us win back our own realm by force of arms."

Up the steep sides of Mt. Sineru they climbed, like ants climbing a pillar. Hearing the alarm given, Sakka marshalled his forces and went to give battle in the deep. He lost and fled along the crests of the deep in his "Chariot of Victory" that was 150 leagues long.

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Then he came to a forest of Silk Cotton trees.

The track of the chariot mowed down the trees and these fell into the deep. But the trees sheltered the young of Garulas and as they fell they uttered loud shrieks.

Sakka asked Matali, his charioteer: "What kind of noise is that? How heart rending it is." "Sire, it is the cry of young Garulas, agonizing in fear in the uprooted trees that are falling in the deep."

"Let them not be troubled because of me, Matali, my friend. Let us not for the sake of empire destroy innocent life. I will rather for their sake give my life as sacrifice to the Asuras. Turn the chariot back."

Then he spoke this way:" I will rather sacrifice my life than deprive the young birds of their nests.” At the word, Matali turned the chariot and returned to the devas' realm by another way.

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When the Asuras saw the turning chariot they thought that Sakkas of other worlds were coming to help Sakka. Trembling for their lives it was their turn to flee and they did not stop till they were back in the Asura Realm. And Sakka returned safely and stood in his city surrounded by a deva host from his own and Brahma's realm. At that moment the Chariot of Victory rose a thousand leagues high, so named because it arose in the hour of victory. To guard against the Asuras returning he set guards at five places.

Thus as Sakka was enjoying his glory as king of Devas in Heaven safely watched over by sentinels at five guarded places, Goodness died and she was reborn in Sakka's heaven as his handmaiden once more. The effect of her gift of the pinnacle caused the arising of a mansion, named 'Goodness', covered with heavenly jewels, five hundred leagues high, wherein under a white heavenly canopy of royalty sat Sakka, ruling Devas and men.

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Thoughtful, also died, and was born in the same heaven as Sakka's handmaiden. The effect of the leisure park caused the arising of a heavenly leisure park called 'Thoughtful's Creeper Grove'.

Joy, too died, and was reborn as Sakka's handmaiden. The effect of her lake caused a heavenly lake named 'Joy' to arise. But Highborn who did not perform any act of merit was reborn as a crane in a cave in a forest.

"Where is Highborn?" thought Sakka to himself.

"I wonder where she has been reborn." Thus considering the matter he discovered where it was. And he paid her a visit. He brought her back with him and showed the effects of the actions of Goodness, Thoughtful and Joy. He told her how these came about and enjoined her to keep the Five Precrepts Precepts. And from that day on she did so.

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One day Sakka decided to test her. He went to lie in front of her in the shape of a fish. The crane thought the fish was dead and seized it in its beak. Just then the fish wriggled its tail. "Why I believe it's still alive," said the crane and it let it go. Sakka appeared and said: "Very good. You'll be able to keep the commandments." Then he left.

Upon dying as a crane Highborn was born into the household of a potter-family in Benares.

Wondering where she had got to and eventually finding her, Sakka, disguised as an old man, filled a cart with cucumbers of solid gold sat in the middle of the village crying out: "Buy my cucumbers. Buy my cucumbers."

Folk came to buy but he said he would sell only to those who keep the Precepts. "Do you keep them? I give them away only to those who keep the Precepts." "Who is this strange fellow," they said and turned away.

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Highborn came to hear about him and came to ask him for some. He asked: "Do you keep the Precepts, madam?" "Yes, I do," she replied.

Knowing she spoke the truth he said: "It was for you alone that I brought these," and leaving all the cucumbers at her door he left.

All her life long she kept the Precepts and after her life passed away she was born as the daughter of the Asura king Vepacittiya, and due to her virtues she was rewarded with great beauty. When she grew up her father gathered the Asuras to let his daughter have her pick from them as her husband. And Sakka who had found her again took the shape of an Asura and came down among them. He said to himself: "If Highborn chooses a man after her own heart I shall be the one."

Highborn attired richly as befitting her position was brought forth to meet the assembled Asuras where she was bidden to select the husband after her own heart.

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Going round she discovered Sakka and moved by her love for him in a bygone existence chose him as her husband. So Sakka carried her off to the city of the devas to be made chief of twenty-five million dancing girls. And when his term of life ended in this paradise he passed away to fare according to his kamma.

End of story of the past After the lesson ended the Blessed One admonished that monk saying: "In this way, O monks, the wise and good of bygone days, when they were rulers of devas shun the guilt of slaughter, even to be willing to sacrifice their lives. And can you really having devoted yourself to the only way that saves, drink unfiltered water with all the living creatures in it?"

Then he showed the connection and identified the Birth. He said: "Ananda was Matali the charioteer and I myself was Sakka.

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