Chapter VIII

The past life of Ananda

-ooOoo-

The past nanoparticle summaries of Nanas are rare in the past when he gave birth to the devil, god. He is rarely reincarnated as an animal, but is often reincarnated as a human. Many scriptures also assert that Ananda was born as a human, while Anuruddha, his brother gave birth to gods, and Devadatta (Devadatta) as an animal.

The close relationship between the ananda and the Buddha has been repeated several times in previous lives. Often when he and the Buddha's reincarnation are reborn as brothers.

The anecdotes of the past lives of the Nanas and the Buddha were selected and presented for the purpose of making clear that: In the pre-existence reincarnation of the two have always tried to cultivate virtue.

Jàtaka (No. 498) says: One life of A Nan and the Bodhisattva (*) born as two uncles in a down grade.Their job is to disinfect dirty places. In order to avoid being scorned, the two were transformed into young Brahmins, who had just entered Takkasila University to continue their studies.

[* The Buddha's name is also known as the Bodhisattva and only the Bodhisattva is still reborn. Buddha can not be reincarnated again.]

The camouflage of the two lower class brothers was later discovered. Both were brutally beaten by some classmates. There is a professor who is a wise philosopher who intervenes in a timely manner so that brave students of Brahmanism continue to torment these two unfortunate brothers and advise them to become monks.

Both obedient and happy to take the life of the Taoist to live the rest of life. Knowing longevity, because of "bad camouflage to deceive" made them born as two rabbits. These two animals have never separated, even when they die also die.

In one place, by the same arrow of a hunter's hand.

In the next life, the ancestors of Ananda and the Bodhisattva born again as two seagulls, then once again died together by the hunters.

The seagulls are the last of their fallen beings.

Then Prince Nananda Prince and Bodhisattva born son of a National Teacher. As Ananda reborn in high status, enjoy all kinds of pleasures, the Bodhisattva born sage, has the law of wisdom through many issues of the past, the future. Just see a creature is the Bodhisattva can see at least three previous life. And Nan Nan as human, although wisdom and cultivation diligently to where, just remember a past life only! Especially his birth as a lowly (Candala), transformed into Brahmin students, then beaten. So after he went to the monastery he tried meditation to attain the knowledge of karmic suffering as before said.

At the precursor A Nan Da Prince was 16 years old to the throne, the Bodhisattva has become a very spiritual practitioner. One day a man visited the king, praised the purity of the virtuous life and pointed out the unsatisfactoriness of a pleasurable scene in life. Cast the king (precursor A Nan Da) after listening to see what the Taoist analysis is very correct. But the animal king could not ignore the pleasures. He was buried on the throne like an elephant in the middle of the swamp.

Bodhisattva (the Buddha's predecessor) taught the king that "a king who, while still sitting on the throne, can cultivate his virtue by ruling all peoples in a benevolent way, taxation and maintenance of practitioners as well as pedagogues.

One day, suddenly remembered the model, the king (precursor Ananda) suddenly thought: "When he was born in the cradle as a helpless helpless, useless. Never be a mediocre person, let alone a noble king. "

Considering this, the king wanted to respond to the mother's nourishment to the mother by way of ordained as a priest to dedicate merit to the two birth. In that life, at the end of life, he was accompanied by the Bodhisattva (predecessor Buddha) co-born in the heaven Brahma.

According to Túc Sinh story 421 (Jàtaka 421), there is a previous life of the Buddha (Bodhisattva) birth as a poor farmer, but often keep the Eightfold Path with the soul of the future will be released poverty, progress up to higher realms. By virtue of this, the Bodhisattva (or the Buddha's body) at the end of life have reborn as kings.

The birth of A Nan Da birth before birth as a king, but because too easy to bear, so born as a bear family country love the wife.

The treasures of the water bear only a very precious coin, buried under a large rock at a remote mountain foot.

One day in the country there is a flower festival jubilantly happy. His wife asked the husband to take her to the capital to see the Assembly. The wife said to her husband,

- I have saved a small amount of money, if he has to save a little more then we will have enough money to attend.

The respondent answered:

- You save a penny a day, and gradually contribute to a copper. But he was afraid that the house would be exhausted, so he buried it in a place 12 miles away.

The wife was happy, just encouraged her husband to get money, as well as the calculator:

- His big money plus the small amount that he saved us can buy corolla, perfume and drinks for the festival.

He heard the words of his wife, immediately went to collect money, although at that time for noon, the sun shining on the top of the head, the air is very hot.

When the bearer of the water walked in front of the king, he sang a very special song. The sound of the song in the wind to the ears of the king, who was sitting in the garden garden. And the king wondered, and sent to the soldiers, and took him by the water, and said unto him,

- It's so hot, why do people go in the sun, sing like spring dance?

- Your Majesty! Because people are too happy to feel hot.

The king asked:

- What are you happy for?

- Your Majesty! People are about to recover a sum of money by the tears of the untouchables made, and is kept in a secret place.

He told the king about the story he had discussed with his wife.

And when the king was about to collect the money, the king thought, "It must have been a great vault."I wonder if it is a silver coin.

At the mercy of nature, the king did not want to carry water diving under the sun chang to dig for a silver coin, celebrate the coronation. He laughed and said,

- You do not go to get buried money, I will give you a coin to celebrate.

The bearer immediately excited, bowed down that:

- Your Majesty! So it is untouchable to get two coins! The feast of the couple will certainly be full.

The king excitedly said,

- The sun burns like fire, like burning you from the mountain to get money. I will give you two.

The bearer of water once again rejoiced, and honestly said:

- So the husband and wife will have three people to celebrate the coronation. And your Majesty!Because the wife love very much. If you can find just one penny for your wife's delight, the locals are also willing to do, let alone the mountain to get a coin!

So the king was even more excited. The king immediately "auction" the wife's compassionate wife by increasing from two to four copper. Then up from eight to eight dong ... etc ... up to a hundred dong ... Finally one million dong ...?

Though the water bearer did not deny the king's great benevolence, he insisted on going for a silver buried in the mountain.

The king was too surprised, asked the reason why listen to the burden of the message that:

- Your Majesty! The pleasure that the people want to bring to his wife must be due to the sweat of tears created by the people. If you just take the money to bring your wife to celebrate the holiday, the happiness that he gave you, rather than the convenience of bringing his wife.

The king was so touched, he gave room for the burden of water (precursor A Nan Da) as Vice King.

But the bearer still refuses, and cites: "The burden of labor is hard, but free, and the spouses are not responsible for it." Vice king ... that freedom will go away! ".

Then the bearer of the glass of water shook his head to retreat. But the king ordered him to stay to fulfill his will.

As described in the previous paragraph: The king is the precursor of the Buddha, so the power (the power of the will) is very solid. After a noble smile, the king did not hesitate to give the half-gibberish to the king, so that he could be king like himself without fear of being responsible to the superior or not afraid of being commanded.

Then the burden of the new acceptance. And since then the kingdom has been divided into two small nations. One of the two kings of the two kingdoms is called "King of a Silver".

One day the king went hunting. When tired, the first king (the Buddha's predecessor) lying on his head on the thigh of the second king (the original water bearer) to rest and fell asleep. The second king (his predecessor A Nan rebirth as a water bearer and lucky enough to be king), in a moment of rebellious ambition, suddenly thought: "I killed this king to rule both sub Are you happy?

When the king drew his sword to kill his friend, another thought suddenly flashed in his head: "I am suffering in the old days, thanks to this one that I was tall. Thanks to that I have not had the opportunity to pay, then why? Can we act despicable, despicable, evil like that? " Then he plunged his sword into the shell.

But a second time, the will to rule both kingdoms arose again and also the king (who was the bearer of the water) oppressed.

After two times of satisfying the desire, the king has the nickname "A silverware" suddenly thought that: "We must find ways to destroy this lust, lest it rise again. I have no means to do evil. "

At the thought, the king, "a silver coin," hurled his sword very far away, and the sound made the first king awake.

The remorse caused the king to nearly sin, immediately kneeling at the feet of his benefactor to apologize. The king escaped death (ie the Buddha's predecessor), when the self-understanding was happy to forgive. And he said,

- Fortunately you have awakened, lest you would have killed me in vain, because I was not as eager for my little kingdom. I just want to be less busy, less constrained as well, to wait one day to find a way out of this life of nuisance. In order to "thank you" for awakening your sword, I would like to leave you as the reigning ruler of both countries and I am the vicar.

But the king's remorse, a very strong "silver one," he quickly refused, saying:

- Sir! Greed and rage have emerged within me. I see how it begins to rise, and then obscures reason, then I will also find the means to suppress and eliminate it like that. Now I just want to be a Taoist to live a happy life. I had to throw away this little kingdom, just as I threw away the evil sword, and I avoided doing evil.

From then on, there was a very serious monk in the Himalayas, who called him a monk, Sa'mon, a former monarch.

The king, who nearly killed himself (the predecessor of the Buddha), continued to be the king of the other monk.  (There is a copy that causes the king the name of "a coin" near the crime of killing the benefactor. It was his wife, who, from the wife of a water bearer, was soon to be queen, so the demand for luxury and power increased. benevolence (formerly the great king regards both countries ...) treated very intimate with her husband, as if the couple, she has repeatedly urged her husband to bring troops to capture, or find ways to kill the king of the he went. But she is always rejected by her husband. Last time: before the king went hunting, she called her husband into the secret said: "If this king can not kill the gentle king from the other, do not return to the palace again." For that reason, the king named "a silver coin" after awakening was devoted to ordained immediately after the last hunt.The story of this greedy woman is very long, can be written into a logical novel. (The translator is allowed here to summarize the contents of this book of Ananda's book from dilution).

The birth of story No. 282 also said that: the Buddha Bodhisattva (birth of the Buddha) birth as King of the country. This is an army, always keep the ten virtues of a gentle king, especially the dharmas and keep the Eightfold Path. Unfortunately, in the court of the king, there was an evil deity. This name has been with many royalty in the forbidden. When he reached the king's ear, he did not despise the goddess, but ordered him to leave a border area.

On the occasion of generous King, the name of the gods to collect all the wealth, bring the family to escape to another country.

Then by tongue clever flattery that he was the king of the country next to the use of, to do to the defensive position, always on the side of the king. And his neighbor is none other than the precursor of Ananda was born simultaneously with the Bodhisattva.

One day, the bad guy advised the king to send troops through the capture of Benares. According to him, the most appropriate reason is that Benares is the capital of a benevolent king who does not like war, if the invasion will eat solid. But before the accusation, the king was afraid to think that: The people of Benares are very healthy, united and their king very much. When they were defending the capital, the invading army could not enter.

The ruthless guess of the king's thought, he cautiously said:

- Your Majesty! If your Majesty is afraid, then the army troops in the royal palace. I only ask for the spirit of an army to lower the god to try.

The king approved the sending of troops to test it. But when the battle was over, the bad guy's anti-invader was so strong, he could not win, he escaped before escaping, hid in a nearby area. Before he ran away and his base of troops should do "like this ... like this! If caught!"

The result of the whole invasion was captured, and led to the sin in front of the king of Benares.

The King of Ba Na (predecessor Buddha) asked the prisoners:

Why do you dare to fight in the city?

Your Majesty! They are just poor people. Too hungry to get into the bandits, not the rebels. Please generous generosity.

The king hears that he is mortal, then let money go home to live.

This news of the king of the state (the precursor of Ananda Da) so the king began to believe the words of the wrong guy. He thought, "The brave King is like that, he does not like to kill, I go straight to the king and win the battle without having to occupy other places in the capital."

As the invaders rushed to the gate of the city, the General of the Imperial Guard was still in the position of overpowering the enemy, but he was stopped by the king because he did not want to see bloodshed. .

Final: Ba Na Nai has fallen into the hands of the invaders, while the king and the officer are taken prisoners.

When faced with the king to rob the city, King Ba Na said:

If the ruler wants to rule both countries, keep talking to me. I will yield to the territory, what must be warriors, almost killing the scene for the people innocent!

Finally, the king calmly let the enemy lead him into prison. When in jail, the gentle king entered the temple, and then compassionate heart to the king hysteric invasion, making this king naturally feel sadness, regret and resentment.

In the king's virtuous grace, the more the more compassionate, the more sadness, regret of the king won the battle increased. So much so that he could no longer bear it, had to go into prison to apologize to King Banyan himself, and return the kingdom as it was.

Then the learned king (Ananda Da-forerunner) committed all his life to be a loyal ally of King Sri Lankan, and absolutely will not fight anyone. Then he chased the gods out of the ministry, then dragged his troops back.

King Ba Na Nai (predecessor of the Buddha) after recovering giang painting, then ceded the throne to the Prince, then became a priest. Before leaving the jade palace, to enter the jungle, the king advised the mandarins:

- Hey! In life only the strength of the virtue is the most solid! Only the power of compassion is the weapon to protect one of the safest kingdoms. Because when you use compassion to deal with the enemy, blood will not fall, and victory will be the most glorious victory.

The story concludes that: After that, the previous Buddha, after taking the throne, meditated in the forest, at the end of life was born in the Brahma. The ancestor of Ananda Da continues to be king, and becomes a very righteous king. END=NAM MO SAKYAMUNI BUDDHA.( 3 TIMES ).VIETNAMESE TRANSLATE ENGLISH BY=THICH CHAN TANH.THE MIND OF ENLIGHTENMENT.VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST NUN=GOLDEN LOTUS MONASTERY=AUSTRALIA,SYDNEY.16/10/2018.