THE BIRTH SUTRA. (The Story of the Buddha's predecessor) Jàtaka 21. THE STORY OF THE SON (Kurunga's predecessor) The deer knew well…, This story, while staying at Truc Lam, was told about Devadatta by the Master. . At one time, in the Dharma hall, the bhikkhus gathered together and criticized Devadatta: - Dear friends, Devadatta has hired me to kill the Tathagata for the purpose of killing the Tathagata. the archers, pushed the rock down, and let loose the elephant Danapalaka, using all means to kill the Blessed One. Then the Teacher came, sat down on the prepared seat and asked: - Hey, monks, what story are you sitting here talking about? "World-Honored One, we are sitting here talking about the unethical things Devadatta did to kill the Blessed One!" "Monks, it is not only now that Devadatta is trying to kill me. In the past, Devad also did the same, but she was unable to kill Me. Having said this, the Master told the story of the past. * Once upon a time, when King Brahmadatta reigned in the city of Ba-la-complaint, the Bodhisatta was born as a deer, ate fruit, and lived in the forest. Once, the Bodhisatta ate Sepanni fruits from fruitful Sepanni trees. There was a hunter in the village, one day, finding deer footprints under that fruit tree, he set up a scaffold on the tree, sat there, and threw his spear at the deer to eat the fruit. Such a man lives by hunting and selling venison. One day, seeing the bodhisattva's footprints under a tree, he ate early, took a spear, entered the forest, climbed the tree, and sat on the platform. The Bodhisatta came out in the morning from his hiding place in the forest, with the intention of eating the Sepanni fruit. The Bodhisatta did not rush to the tree, but walked around and stood around thinking: "Sometimes hunters set up and set up staging on trees. There can be such danger here.” The hunter, knowing that the Bodhisatta was not coming, was still sitting on the pedestal tossing the sepanni fruits, which fell in front of the Bodhisatta. He thought: "These fruits fall in front of me, maybe there is a hunter above." The Bodhisatta looked around, saw the hunter, pretended not to see it, and said loudly: - Hey, precious tree, in the past, you made fruits fall straight down, like vines hanging down, but Now you give up the tree character. Since you give up the tree characteristic, I will go to another tree to find food for myself. Having finished speaking, the Bodhisatta read the verse: The deer knows the fruit you drop, I go to another tree, I don't like your fruit. The hunter sat on the platform, threw down his spear and said: – Go! Now I've missed you! The bodhisattva jumped in a circle, stopped and said: - Hey, man, although you missed me, you didn't miss the results of your actions. ie eight great hells, sixteen sub-hells and five forms of bondage and punishment… Having said that, the Bodhisatta immediately ran away to find food. And the hunter climbed down and went where he wanted. * The Teacher said: - The Male-stilts, not only now Devadatta tried to kill me. In the past, Devad also did the same, but could not do it. Having delivered this discourse, the Master combined the two stories, and identified the predecessor. - At that time, the hunter who built the rig was Devadatta, and the elk was Me. -ooOoo- 22. THE DOG STORY (Kukkura forerunner) Dogs grow up…, This story, while staying at Ky Vien, the Blessed One told about doing benefits for people. The story will be told in Chapter twelfth, Bhaddasala Predecessor (No. 465). To confirm this teaching, the Master told a story of the past. * Once upon a time, When King Brahamadatta was reigning in Benares, the Bodhisatta, by virtue of acting for the benefit of his relatives, was born as a very intelligent leading dog, living in a large cemetery with hundreds of dogs. surrounded by children. One day the king rode in a beautifully decorated chariot, drawn by precious Sindh horses, went to the garden, spent the whole day playing there, and when the sun went down he returned to the city. The saddle of the chariot was still attached to the carriage, and the servants left the carriage in the courtyard of the palace all night. At night, it rained, the saddle was wet. The king dogs of good breed came down from upstairs, chewing on the leather and bridle of that carriage. The next day, they reported to the king: - Dear Thien Son, from the manholes, the dogs have eaten the skin and the reins of the carriage. The king was angry and ordered to kill all the dogs they could see. From then on, a great disaster for dogs arose. They fled into the cemetery and came to the side of the Bodhisatta. The Bodhisatta asked: - Why are you gathered here in large numbers? They replied: - In the inner city, the leather and reins of the king's chariot were eaten by dogs. The king was angry and ordered us to be slaughtered. Many brothers and sisters were killed. The great terror has begun. The bodhisattva thought, "In such a protected place, the dogs outside have no chance to enter. This is the work of the good breed dogs in the inner palace. Now the guilty ones are fine, and the innocent ones are killed. Let's show the king those guilty dogs and save the lives of my innocent relatives. Bodhisatta comforted: - Don't be afraid, I will make you fearless. Wait here until I see the king. Then he turned his mind to the perfections, put compassion first, he vowed: "No one dares to throw stones or sticks to harm me." Then the Bodhisatta went into the city alone. After ordering the dogs to be killed, the king sat alone in the court. The Bodhisatta came here, jumped directly under the king's seat. The king's servants tried their best to push them out, but the king stopped them. The bodhisattva rested for a while, came out from under the chair, bowed to the king and asked: - Did the Great King order to kill dogs? - Yes, it's me. - What is their fault, my lord? - They chew on spare parts and bridles in my car! "Do you know which ones have eaten leather?" - I don't know. - I don't know which dogs have eaten leather and ordered to be killed, that's not right, Great King. "Since the dogs have eaten the leather in my car, I order the slaughter of all the dogs that can be seen." - Do your people kill all dogs or spare some dogs? - The good-breed dogs in my palace are spared death! - Dear Great King, just now you said you ordered all the dogs they could see to be killed because they ate the hide from your car. But now you say that the good-breed dogs in your palace will not die! That's it, he practiced according to the four absurdities: partiality, hatred, ignorance, and fear. Such unreasonable action is not justified, not the king's permission. For the king, while adjudicating a case, should be like a balance. Now good-breed dogs are spared death, but weak dogs are killed. Such a thing, then this is not the impartial killing of all dogs but only the killing of weak dogs! Having said that, the Great Being, with a sweet voice, told the king: - New Great King, your practice is not justice. Then, preaching the Dharma to the king, the Bodhisatta recited this verse: Dogs grow up In the king's palace, Of a good race, Having a rich color, strength, They will not be slain. Only we were killed. This does not kill them all; Only kill the weak. Hearing the Bodhisatta's words, the king asked: - O wise dog, do you know who ate the skin in my car? – Yes, I know – Who ate? – It is the good-breed dogs in your palace! – How do you know they have eaten? – I will state that they themselves ate. - Hey, wise dog, make it clear. - Call the good-breed dogs in your palace, bring some milk and dabba grass here. King did as requested. Then the Great Being said: - Let this grass be crushed in milky water and give it to the dogs to drink. The king did the same. While drinking, the dogs vomited pieces of skin. - Oh! It's like an omniscient Buddha! The king cheered, and immediately paid homage to the Bodhisatta by offering a white umbrella. But the Bodhisatta preached the Dharma to the king with ten verses about the practice of Tesakuna Predecessor (No. 521), opening with the sentence: – Practice the Dharma! Dear Great King of the line of Shad-di, from now on, Great King do not be distracted! After advising the king to keep the Five Precepts, the Bodhisatta returned the white umbrella to the king. Listening to the Great Being's preaching, the king spared all living beings from dying, and then ordered to provide all dogs, starting with the bodhisattva, with regular meals like the king's food. Obeying the bodhisattva's instructions for the rest of his life, the king did good deeds such as giving alms, etc., so after his death, he was reborn in heaven. The word “Teaching of the Dog” lasts for ten thousand years. The bodhisattva lives to the end of his life, and then follows his karma. * The Master said: - The Male-stilts, it is not only now that the Tathagata acts for the benefit of his relatives, have done the same in the past. After giving this sermon, and combining the two stories together, the Master concluded with the identification of the Predecessor: - At that time, the king was Ànanda, the Buddha's assembly was a herd of gentle dogs, and the dog was Wisdom is I. -ooOoo- 23. THE STORY OF THE PURE-BREAKED HORSE (Bhojanìya predecessor) Although lying on one side…, This story, while in Ky Vien, the Master told about a Male-stilts giving up diligence. At that time, the Teacher called that bhikkhu and said: - Bhikkhus, in the past, the sages, in difficult circumstances, still persevered in their efforts, even though they were injured, they did not fail. Having said this, the Master told the story of the past: * Once upon a time, when King Brahamadatta was reigning in the city of Ba-la-complaint, the Bodhisatta was born as a horse of good breed Sindh, the king's treasure horse, lavishly adorned. It eats rice cooked with three years old rice, full of special flavors, contained in a golden plate, worth one hundred thousand gold coins. The stables were built on earth scented with four kinds of incense. Around the barn hung red curtains, from the ceiling hung a cloth canopy, decorated with golden stars. On the wall hung strings of fragrant flowers, wreaths and an scented oil lamp that was always burning red. There is no king who does not covet the kingdom of Benares. Once, seven kings surrounded the city of Benares, sent an ultimatum to King Benares, saying: - Give us the kingdom, let's fight. The king invited the great ministers to meet, report the news and ask: - Hey guys, what to do now? - Dear Heavenly Son, you should not fight yourself first. Send a horseman to fight first. If he fails, we will calculate later. Then the king invited him to come and asked: Can Khanh fight the seven kings? - Dear Son, if I have a good breed of Sindh horse, no matter what the seven kings, I can fight with the kings of the whole Jambudvipa (India). - Sir, a good breed Sindh horse, or any other horse, as you like, take that horse and go to war. - Well done, my lord! He bowed down to the king, came down from upstairs, brought back a good-breed Sindh horse, dressed it well in armor, fully armed himself, put on his sword, and mounted on Sindh's horse, went out of the city and quick as lightning, defeated the first army, captured a king alive, and sent him back to the army in the city. Then he went too, defeated the second army, also the third, fourth, and fifth armies and captured the five kings alive. But when he defeated the sixth army, and captured the sixth king, the fine stallion Sindh was wounded, bleed and feel a lot of pain. Knowing that the horse was wounded, the horseman laid it down in front of the king's palace, stripped him of his armor, and sent his soldiers to gird another horse. The Bodhisattva, lying on one side very comfortably, opened his eyes and saw the horseman, thinking to himself: "The horseman is harnessing another horse, will not be able to defeat the seventh army, will not be able to capture you seventh king. Thus it will consume my merits, and this unparalleled horseman will be slain, and the king will fall into the hands of the enemy! Besides me, no other horse can defeat the seventh army, and capture the seventh king!" Lying like that, the Bodhisatta called the horseman and said: - My friend, besides me, there is no other horse that can defeat the seventh army and capture the seventh king. I won't let anyone ruin what I've done. Help me up and dress me up! After saying this, the Bodhisattva recited this verse: Now lying on one side, Being shot by an arrow, A horse of a good breed, Conquering another horse, O horseman, harness for me The horseman supports me. The horse got up, bandaged its wound, and put on its armor, and jumped on the horse to fight the seventh army, capture the seventh king alive, and bring him back to his army. The horseman led the Bodhisatta to the city gate, and the king went out to see the Bodhisattva. The Great Being said to the king: - Dear Great King, do not kill those seven kings. Make them swear allegiance to you and release them. Give the horseman a life worthy of his merit. It is unethical to let a soldier who has captured seven of them suffer losses! Great king, give alms, keep the precepts, and rule the country with justice and righteousness. When the Bodhisatta finished teaching the king like this, people take off the bodhisattva's armor. But when he was stripped of his armor, the Bodhisatta died. The king took care of the cremation of the horse very solemnly, gave the horseman great fame, and asked the other seven kings to swear by themselves no more treason to wage war, and bring them back to their homes. The king reigns over the country with justice and dharma and, after his death, follows his own karma. * The teacher said: - The Male-stilts, so in the past, the wise in difficult circumstances still persisted in their efforts, even though they were injured, they still did not fail. And you are living in such liberating teachings, why are you so rotten? Having finished speaking, the Blessed One expounded the Four Truths. At the end of that lecture, the Male-stilts rotted and tried to prove Arahantship. After telling this Dharma talk, the Master combined the two stories, and concluded with the identification of the Predecessor: – At that time, The king is Ànanda, the rider is Sāriputta, and so is the good-breed Sindh horse. -ooOoo- 24. STORY OF GOOD PORLS (Ajanna's predecessor) Whatever time, place... This story, while in Ky Vien, the master told about a rotten Male-stilts who lost their effort. The Teacher called that bhikkhu and said: - Bhikkhu-stilts, in the past, the sages, in difficult circumstances, still persevered in their efforts, even though they were injured, they did not fail. Having said this, the Master told the story of the past. * Once upon a time, when King Brahmadatta ruled the city of Ba-la-complaint, there were seven kings besieging the city. A warrior mounted a chariot, put two Sindh brothers in the chariot, went out of the city, defeated six armies, and captured six kings alive. In that moment, his horse was injured. The charioteer, driving the chariot to the gate of his king's city, untied his brother's horse, took off its armor, and laid the horse on one side, and started buckling another horse. Seeing this, the Bodhisattva thought as he had thought in the previous story, then called the rider, and while lying down, said this verse: Anytime, any place, No matter where, No matter where, The breed horse good Still eager to fight And weak horse There, surrender. The charioteer lifted the Bodhisatta, put the horse in the chariot, defeated the seventh army, captured the seventh king alive, then drove the chariot to the king's door, and untied the horse from the chariot. The bodhisattva lay comfortably on one side, spoke to the king as in the previous story, and then died. The king cremated the horse very solemnly, rewarded much fame to the charioteer, and after ruling the country according to the Dharma, the king followed his karma. * After telling the story, the Master presented the four Truths. At the end of that lecture, the rotten-stilts-stilts lost their effort to attain Arahantship. The Teacher identified the Forerunner as follows: - At that time, the king was the elder Ànanda, his horse was the Chief Enlightened One. -ooOoo- 25. STORY OF THE BATH (Tittha's predecessor) Let's change the water wharf..., This story, while staying at Ky Vien, the Master told about a Male-stilt, disciple of the Dharma general, Formerly a goldsmith. Only the Buddhas have the wisdom to know the mind and direction of sentient beings, no one else. Therefore, the General of the Dharma, himself, without knowing the mind of his disciple, gave a subject of meditation on impurity. The subject is not suitable for the disciple. Why? According to legend, that disciple spent five hundred years being born in a goldsmith's family for a long time, only seeing pure gold for a long time. After four months, the disciple could not arouse a single thought of Vipassana. The righteous Dharma General could not bring arahantship to his disciples, thinking to himself: "This person can only be subdued by the Buddha, I will bring him to meet the Tathagata." Early in the morning, the Dharma General took the disciple to meet the Teacher. He asked: - Hey Sariputra, why did you come here to bring a Male-stilts? "World-Honored One, I gave my disciple a subject of Vipassana, but after four months he did not give rise to a single thought of Vipassana. Thinking that this person could only be taught by the Buddha, I took him to the Blessed One. "Sariputra, what subject of meditation do you teach your disciples?" “World-Honored One, I teach the subject of meditation on impurity. "Sariputra, you do not understand the mind of a disciple. Go back, and leave the disciple here, come back in the afternoon and bring your disciple back. After telling the Elder to go home, The Master clothed that monk in fine lower and upper robes, followed him into the village for alms, and made him receive excellent food of all kinds, both hard and soft. Going back to the monastery again, surrounded by monks, during the day the Master went to rest in the incense room, and in the afternoon took that monk with him. He walked in the monastery, manifested a lake in the mango garden, with many lotus flowers and a large lotus appeared. The Blessed One told that bhikkhu to sit and look at the lotus, and then he went into the incense room. That bhikkhu continuously looked at the lotus. The Blessed One caused that flower to wither. While that bhikkhu was looking, the lotus flower faded, faded, and lost its color. Starting from the outermost ring, the petals fall, and in a short time all the petals fall off. Then the pistils fell, gradually falling, leaving only the lotus mirror. When that bhikkhu saw this, he immediately thought: “This lotus is so beautiful, but soon the flower color fades, the petals and pistil fall off, leaving only the lotus mirror. Such lotus has gone to wither. My body also went to such a scene. Actions are impermanent!” With that thought, the Male-stilts attained meditation. The Master knew that the monk's mind had attained Vipassana meditation, still sitting in the incense room, releasing light from his golden body, and uttered this stanza: Cut the ropes of craving yourself, Like a hand breaking a lotus in autumn, Cultivate the path of serenity. , Nirvana, Thien The taught. At the end of this verse, that bhikkhu-stilts attained Arahantship. With the thought: "I have escaped all beings", he spoke inspired words with a few verses: Who has lived the life, The mind is complete, The gonorrhea or has been cut, Bring the body in the end; Virtue is pure, The senses are well-settled, Like the moon is freed From the mouth of the god Ra-hu. The great darkness of ignorance Covers us all, I cleanse, cleanse, All defilements are gone. I shine, I shine, I shine bright, Like the sun in the sky Shining a thousand rays of light. Having said the words of inspiration, that bhikkhu went to pay homage to the Blessed One. The elder also came to pay homage to the Master, and brought his disciples back. When this news spread among the bhikkhus, the bhikkhus sat at a meeting in the Dharma hall, praising the virtues of the Dharma King: - sages, the elder Sariputra for not understanding the mind the direction of sentient beings should not understand the mind towards his disciples. As for the Master, knowing that, in just one day, he brought the fruit of Arahantship with unimpeded arguments. Oh, how great is the mighty virtue of the Buddha! Then the Teacher came to sit on the prepared seat and asked: - Hey, monks, what are you sitting here talking about now? - Nothing else, venerable sir, In addition to the story, only the World-Honored One has knowledge of the disciple-oriented mind of the Chief Justice of the Dharma. The Master said: - Hey, the Male-stilts, this is not a miracle. It is not now that I am the Buddha that I know the direction of that Male-stilts mind. In the past, I also knew the direction of his mind. Having said this, the Master told the story of the past. * Once upon a time, when King Brahmadatta reigned in Ba-la-complaint. The bodhisattva acted as the king's guide in world affairs and holy affairs. At that time, at the wharf, the usual bathing place for a precious horse, a man was bathing an ordinary and weak horse. When the keeper led the precious horse to the bathing dock, it was disgusted with the common horse, so it refused to go down. The horse-keeper presented to the king: - Dear Thien Tu, the precious horse refused to go down to the wharf. The king called for the Bodhisatta: - Wise man, go out and find out why the horse won't get off when the horse comes to the waterfront. Obeying the order of the Son of Heaven, the Bodhisatta went to the riverbank, looked at the horse, knew that the horse was not sick, he tried to find out why this horse did not go down to the waterfront. The Bodhisatta thought, "Perhaps another horse has been bathed here first, because it is disgusted with that horse, so it doesn't go down to the waterfront." Thinking so, the Bodhisatta asked the horse-keeper: - Is there any other horse that can be bathed first at this wharf? “Sir, there is another ordinary horse. The Bodhisatta thought, "This horse is hurt by self-love and doesn't want to bathe here. Then take it to a bath in another wharf.” Knowing its direction, the Bodhisatta said: - Hey, you keep the horse, a person who eats delicious dishes like rice, milk, butter, honey, sugar etc. This horse has bathed many times at the waterfront here. Take it down to another pier, give it a bath and a drink. Having said this, the Bodhisatta read this verse: Change the wharf, O charioteer, Give the horses a drink. When one pier, another. People who are too close to milk rice, Also bored of that dish! After listening to the Bodhisatta, they led the horse down to another wharf, gave it water to drink, and bathed. Meanwhile the Bodhisatta went to see the king. King asked: - Hey, the horse is bathed and can drink water, right? - Yes, my Lord. – For what reason, before it did not want to do so? - For this reason... The Bodhisatta reported the matter to the king, and the king said: - Oh, how wise he knows the mind and direction of this whole animal. The king rewarded the Bodhisattva with great fame. And at the end of life, the Bodhisatta and the king followed their own karma. * The Teacher said: - The Male-stilts, not only now I know the direction of his mind, the past I also know. After giving this talk, and putting the two stories together, The Master identified the Forerunner as follows: - At that time, the treasure horse was this Male-stilt, the king was Ànanda, and the great wise man was I. -ooOoo- 26. STORY OF THE ELEPHANT MAHILAMUKHA (Predecessor Mahilamukha) Before listening to the thief..., This story when in Truc Lam, the Master told about Devadatta. Devadatta won the trust of Prince Ajàtasattu (Asa-the) so he was benefited and famous. Prince Asathe built a monastery in Gayàsisa for Devadatta and brought him every day five hundred rice cooked with fragrant rice for three years with excellent taste. Based on gain and fame, Devadatta's assembly became crowded. Devadatta lived only in the monastery with the assembly, never leaving the monastery. At that time, there were two friends living in the royal residence. One left home with the Teacher, the other with Devadatta. They visit each other, here and there, or at the monastery. One day, his friend, pointing to Devadatta, said to the other: - Hey, sage, why do you have to go begging for alms every day, with sweat pouring out like that? Devadatta, on the other hand, just sat in the monastery at Gayàsisa, eating delicious food with a special taste. Is there no other means of transport? Why are you suffering? Why don't you come in the morning at Gayàsisa, drink porridge with flavor, then eat eighteen solid dishes, and excellent soft dishes with special flavors? The other person heard it said over and over, so he wanted to go and start from there, often go to Gayàsisa, eat and drink, and then return to Truc Lam on time. However, he can't always hide it. Soon it was known that the man went to Gayàsisa to eat the dishes that Devadatta had arranged for him. His friends asked him: - Hey, sage, is it true? The sage eats the dishes that Devadatta arranges for him? - Who said that? - This person, this person! - It is true, sage, that I went to Gayàsisa to eat. But Devadatta did not feed me. It was other people who fed me. "Friend, Devadatta is an enemy of the Buddha. Devadatta followed the evil precepts, won the trust of Asathea, and illegally obtained for himself gain and fame. The sage, who, in such a way, in the Dharma of liberation, ate food illegally received by Devadatta. Go, we will take the Sage to meet the Teacher. Then they took that bhikkhu to the Dharma hall. When the Master saw this, he asked: - O Male-stilts, why did you bring here a Male-stilts against his will? "World-Honored One, this bhikkhu, having left home with the Blessed One, ate food illegally received by Devadatta! - Is it true, bhikkhu-stilts? did you eat food illegally received by Devadatta? - Venerable Sir, it is not Devadatta for me. It was other people who gave me that food! - O Male-stilts, do not lie around here! Devadatta had no right conduct, followed the evil precepts. Why are you here, following my teachings, eating Devadatta's food? He is often drawn, whenever he meets someone, follow him! Having said this, the Master told the story of the past. * In the past, when King Brahmadatta reigned in Ba-la-complaint, the Bodhisatta was a great minister for that king. At that time, the king had a precious elephant named Mahilamukha (beautiful face), who was virtuous and virtuous, and did not harm anyone. One day, the thieves, in the middle of the night, approached the elephant stable, sat not far from the elephant, and calculated as follows: – This is the tunnel to be dug. This is the hole in the wall that needs to be punched. Tunnels and wall holes need to be opened and widened like a road or like a wharf, and then you can carry your belongings. Kill people to carry things away, if necessary. As such, no one can resist. Thieves have no virtue, are very cruel, cruel, violent. After discussing and teaching each other like that, they left. With such means, the next day and many more days, they also arrived at the same place and discussed among themselves. The elephant listens to them, thinking they teach him to be cruel, cruel, violent. Then the elephant did the same. In the morning, when the beggar came, it caught it with its trunk, threw it to the ground, and killed the beggar. Also, it killed another person, and then another. The elephant kills anyone who comes near it. It was presented to the king: – The elephant Mahilamukha has become crazy. It kills everyone it sees! The king called for the Bodhisatta and said: - Go, sage, and find out why it became evil. The Bodhisatta came, knew that the elephant was healthy, and then inquired into the reason why the elephant became cruel, and concluded: The elephant must have heard people talking near him, thinking they taught him to become poisonous. evil. The Bodhisatta asked the elephant keeper: - At night, does anyone come near the elephant stables to talk? - Yes sir! Thieves come and talk. The Bodhisatta went to the king and reported: - Dear God, the elephant's body has not changed. Because listening to thieves talk, it becomes cruel. - So what needs to be done now? - Let the ascetics and brahmins who are virtuous come to sit near the elephant stables, and just talk about virtues and virtues. Hey buddy, please do so. The bodhisattva brought the recluses, The virtuous brahmin sat near the elephant stall and talked about virtuous stories. They sat not far from the elephant and told good stories: – Do not torture anyone! Don't kill anyone! Be a person of morality, patience, kindness and compassion! When the elephant heard this, he thought to himself, "These people want to teach me. From now on, I need to be virtuous!”. And the elephant became gentle. The king asked the Bodhisatta: - Sir, why has the animal become good? The bodhisattva replied: - Dear God, it has become good! Such a wicked elephant, thanks to the wise, has abided in the Dharma as before. Having said this, the Bodhisatta reads this verse: First hearing the words of a thief, this treasure elephant kills, After listening to the words of the wise, Remaining in good nature, Doing good deeds. The king said: - This person knows the direction of the animal's mind. The king immediately bestowed great fame on the Bodhisattva. After living a full life, The king and the bodhisattva followed their own karma. * The Master said: - This Male-stilts, in the past, whenever he met someone, he followed that person. Listening to the thieves, he followed the thieves. Listening to those who practice the Dharma, he practices the Dharma. After retelling this Dharma talk and combining the two stories together, the Master identified the Forefather as follows: - At that time, Mahimuamukha was a traitor-stilt, the king was Ananda, and the great minister was Ta. . -ooOoo- 27. STORY OF FRIENDLY FRIENDS (Abhinha Forerunner) One piece, he didn't eat…, This story, while staying at Ky Vien, the Master told about a male layman and an elderly elder. According to legend, there were two friends at Savatthi. One person goes home, every day goes to the other's house. The other gave food, ate it himself, then followed his friend to the monastery, and when the sun went down, They sat and talked to each other before entering the city. The Male-stilts often see you to the gate of the city and then return. The closeness between the two was well known to the bhikkhus. One day, the bhikkhus were sitting in the Dharma hall, talking about the closeness between the two. The Teacher came and asked: - The Male-stilts, what are you discussing? The Male-stilts said: - World-Honored One, we talk about this. The Master said: - The Male-stilts, not these people are now close to each other. In the past, they were close to each other. Having said this, the Master told the story of the past. * Once upon a time, when King Brahmadatta reigned in Ba-la-complaint, the Bodhisatta was the great deity. At that time, a dog went to the cage of the treasured elephant and ate the rice that fell where the precious elephant ate. The dog came for the food, became close to the treasured elephant, and ate near the elephant. Both cannot live without each other. The dog often grabs the elephant's trunk, and plays by swinging it back and forth. One day, a villager gave money to the beggar, and brought the dog back to his village. Since then, not seeing the dog, the elephant stopped eating, quit bathing. The petitioner reported it to the king clearly. The king called for the bodhisattva to come: - Wise man, go and find out why the elephant does so. The bodhisattva went to the elephant stable, saw that the elephant was very depressed, and thought to himself, "This animal's body does not show any disease. Maybe it has a close friendship with someone, and because it can't see you, it becomes sad. The bodhisattva asked the beggar: - Is this elephant close to anyone? – Sir, yes. It has a close friendship with the dog. - Where is that dog? - Someone took it away. - Do you know his whereabouts? - Sir, I don't know. The Bodhisatta went to the king and said: - Dear God, the elephant is not sick. But it has a deep friendship with the dog. Now it can't see you, so it won't eat. I think so. Having said this, the Bodhisatta recited the verse: One piece, he does not eat, Does not swallow rice and grass, I think because elephants often see you, the dog, So he is attached to that dog, his friend. The king listened to the words of the Bodhisatta and asked: - Wise man, what to do now? - Son of Heaven, let the man beat the drum and declare as follows: The dog, the king's precious elephant friend, has been taken away. The house that has that dog, that house will be punished! King followed this advice. Hearing the news, the man immediately released the dog. The dog immediately ran as fast as possible to the elephant. The elephant put the dog on top of his forehead with his trunk, cried with joy, and put it down from the forehead, let the dog eat first, then we eat later. - Even the mind of animals, he knows! The king said so and gave the bodhisattva great fame. * The Master said: - The Male-stilts, not these new people are now close to each other. In the past, they were close to each other. After recounting this Dharma talk, and teaching the Four Truths, the Master combined the two stories and identified the Forefather: - At that time, the dog was a layman, and the elephant was the elder Elder. , and the great god of Wisdom is Ta. -ooOoo- 28. STORY OF THE GREAT CHILDREN (Nandivisàla's predecessor) Only spoke words of peace..., This story, when in Ky Vien, the Master told about the insults of the group of Six Male-stilts. At that time, the group of Male-stilts, when quarreling with good monks, often provoked, scolded, satirized and insulted them. The bhikkhus reported to the Blessed One. He called the group of Six Male-stilts, asked if it was true, and when the answer was true, he reproached them: - The Male-stilts, cruel words make even animals hateful. Once upon a time, an animal cost a man of evil a thousand gold coins. Having said this, the Master told the story of the past. * In the past, in the country of Gandhara, there was a king who reigned in Takkasila, and the Bodhisattva born as a cow was named Nandivisàla (Great Joy). A brahmin went to the people who used to offer cows and asked for a Nandivisala when he was still a calf. The Brahmins treated him like his own son, lovingly feeding him rice and porridge and nurturing him very carefully. When he was growing up, the Bodhisatta thought, "I was brought up by this brahmin with a lot of trouble. In all Jambudvipa (India), there is no other cow that can carry as much weight as I do. So let's show our strength and give the brahmin money to feed." One day, the Bodhisattva said to the Brahmin: - Hey, brahmin, go to a rich millionaire with a herd of cows and say, 'My cow, if it is fastened to a hundred chariots, , can also pull away! And bet with him a thousand gold coins. The Brahmin went to a millionaire and suggested: - In this city, whose cow has strength? The millionaire replied: – This house, my house! And he continued, “There is not one in the whole city who has an ox like ours. The Brahmin said: - One ox of mine can pull a hundred carts tied up! The millionaire asked: - Where is the cow like that? The Brahmin said: - At my house. - Then let's go fishing. - Very well, I agree. And the brahmin fished a thousand gold coins. Then the brahmin filled a hundred chariots with sand, gravel, and stones, put them one after another, tied them all together, stretched them out with their axles, bathed Nandivisala, fed him a measure of fragrant rice, garland jewelry on the head carriage. The Brahmin, himself, sat on the handle of the cart, raised his stick to push the cow and said: - Hi, hi, hi go, you brat! Pull, you scoundrel! The bodhisattva thought, "I am not a child, but this person calls me by the name brat"! and the bodhisattva stood upright like pillars, not moving at all. At that moment, the millionaire forced the brahmin to bring in a thousand dong. The brahmin lost a thousand dong, opened the cow, and went home to lie down, with a sad mind. Nandivisala entered the house, saw the Brahmin sad, immediately asked: - Hey Brahmin, is he sleeping? - How can I sleep when I lose a thousand dong! "Brahmin, while I was living in your house, Do we ever break any dishes, or trample someone, or defecate in the wrong place? - Hey, dear, never. Then why do you call me a scoundrel? This is your fault, not mine. Go and bet the other two thousand gold coins. But I'm not a kid, can't be called a kid! The brahmin, hearing the Bodhisatta, immediately went to the millionaire's house and fished two thousand dong. He tied a hundred chariots as before, dressed Nandivisala, and tied it to the wooden stretcher of the first cart. How do you force? Fasten the yoke to the stretcher, then tie the Nandivisala ox to one side of the yoke, and fasten the other side with a piece of smooth wood from the yoke to the axle, so that the yoke is straight, not tilted to one side. Thus, only one ox can pull a cart made for both oxen. Then the brahmin sat on the stretcher, while rubbing Nandivisal's back, he said: – Hi, hi, good friend! Pull, good friend! The Bodhisatta was fastened to a hundred chariots, and with a strong pull of a hundred chariots, caused the last chariot to stand where the first had moved. The rich millionaire with cows lost and had to pay two thousand dong. Others also gave the Bodhisattva a lot of money. All belong to the Brahmin. Thus, thanks to the Bodhisattva, the Brahmin gained a lot of money. The master said, having reprimanded the Six Male-stilts. - Monks, cruel speech does not please anyone. And he instituted the study of the Dharma. Then the Perfectly Enlightened One then spoke in verse: Speak only of peace, Not of peace, of speech. Whoever speaks peace, Takes away the burden, Makes it a fortune. Therefore, it is preferred * After the teacher told this Dharma talk, he identified the Forerunner as follows: - At that time Brahmin was Ànanda, and Nandivisala is Me! -ooOoo- 29. THE STORY OF THE BLACK CAF (Kanha forerunner) With the burden to carry…, This story, while staying at Ky Vien, the Master told about the parallel supernatural powers. This story and the story that came down from heaven will be presented in Chapter thirteen, Predecessor Sarabhamiga (No. 483). After showing the parallel miracles, charity precepts, the Perfectly Enlightened One went down to Sankassa city. On the great day of Tu Tu, with a large entourage, he entered Ky Vien. The Male-stilts were sitting in a meeting in the Dharma hall, praising the virtue of the Master, saying: - Hey, sages, the Tathagata has no equal. No one else can carry the burden like the Tathagata. The six external masters said: We will show miracles, we will show miracles! Even so, they did not display any magical powers. Oh, the true Master is incomparable! The Teacher came and asked: - The Male-stilts, now you sit here to discuss what? "World-Honored One, there is nothing but praise for the Blessed One's virtue. The Master said: - Now, the Male-stilts, who will carry the burden I carry? In the past, when I was born as an animal, no one could compare with me. Having said this, the Master told the story of the past. * Once upon a time, when King Brahamadatta reigned in Ba-la-complaint, the Bodhisatta was born as a cow. When the cows were still calves, the owners lived in an old woman's house, bringing the Bodhisatta to her to pay for the lodging. She raised the Bodhisatta as her own son, feeding him porridge and rice. The bodhisattva is called the old woman's black cow. Growing up, the Bodhisatta had shiny black hair, often walking with the gentle cows in the village. Children in the village often hold the horns, ears, necks, and tails of the ox to play and sit on the cow's back. One day, the Bodhisatta thought: “My mother lived a miserable life, treating me like her own child, raising me was very difficult. So let's make money to free the old woman from this miserable life." From then on, the Bodhisatta tried to find money. One day the young owner of a caravan with five hundred carriages came to a very rough ford. His oxen could not pull the carts through. Even the oxen of five hundred chariots, tied to each other on a stretcher, could not pull a chariot through. At that time the Bodhisatta was walking with the oxen of the village, near the dry river. The young owner of the caravan, who knew how to judge cows, was searching among them for a good breed that could pull his carts through. Seeing the Bodhisattva, knowing that this good-breed cow would be able to pull carts, he asked the cowherds: - Hey, friend, who owns this cow? If I tie it to the wagons and it pulls over, I will pay the rent! The cowherds said: – Catch him and tie him up! In this place, no one owns the animal! The young owner tied a rope to the ox's nose and pulled it away, but the cow didn't move. According to legend, the bodhisattva does not go until the price is paid. The young owner of the caravan, knowing the ox's intentions, said: - O herd owner, I will pay you a thousand dong, the rent to pull five hundred carts, each cart will pay two dong! Only then did the Bodhisattva accept to leave. People tied cows to carts. With a strong tug, the cow pulled the first cart and put it on the other shore. With such a method, the ox pulls all the carts through. The young owner of the caravan paid only one copper for each vehicle, and tied a packet of five hundred copper coins to hang around the Bodhisatta's neck. The bodhisattva thought, "This person is not paying me the rent as determined. Now we won't let it go!". Then the Bodhisatta stood in front of the chariot, and although the caravan tried to lead it, it could not. The young owner of the caravan thought: "Seems like he knows I'm underpaying!" Then he wrapped a thousand dong in a sack, tied it around the Bodhisatta's neck and said: - This is the rent of the person who pulled over. The bodhisattva brought the bundle of money and went to his mother. The children in the village saw something worn by the old woman's cow's neck, and ran to the Bodhisatta. But the Bodhisatta chased them away, then approached the mother. Having pulled over five hundred chariots, the Bodhisatta was very tired with his red eyes. The old woman saw the package of a thousand dong at the Bo-slap's neck, and immediately cried out: - Hey, dear, where did you get this money? Then asked the cowherd children, and learned the story, she said loudly: - Hey dear, I don't want to live off the wages you can make. Why am I suffering so much? After saying this, she took hot water to bathe the animal, Apply oil all over the body, give water to drink and feed the cows with a variety of suitable foods. She lived with the Bodhisattva until her death and then followed her karma. * The Master said: - The Male-stilts, not only now Tathagata has no equal. In the past, there was no equal. After giving this discourse, the Perfectly Enlightened One recited the verse: With the burden to carry, With the river to cross, They tie the black ox, The cow goes to pull the burden! Thus, he stated: - The Male-stilts, at that time, only the black ox could pull the burden. The Blessed One combined the two stories and identified the Forerunner as follows: - At that time, the old woman was Uppalavanna (Lotus of Form), and her black cow was I. -ooOoo- 30. THE STORY OF MUNIKA POR (Munika predecessor) Don't be greedy for Munika…, This story, while staying in Ky Vien, the Blessed One told about the temptation of a fat woman. This story will be presented in Chapter thirteen, in Cullanarada-Kassapa Predecession (No. 477). The Master asked that bhikkhu. - Monk, is it true that you are being dominated by lust? - Yes, sir, World-Honored One. - For what fate? - World-Honored One, because of the temptation of a fat woman! The Master said: - Male-stilts, this young woman creates unhappiness for you. In the past, on her wedding day, he was killed and became a delicacy for many people! Having said this, the Master told the story of the past. * Once upon a time, when King Brahmadatta reigned in Brahmin, in a certain village, the Bodhisatta was born as a cow named Mahalohita (Big Red) in the house of a rich man. The Bodhisatta had a younger brother named Cullalohita (Little Red). In the family, these two cows do all the transportation work. That family has a daughter. She was engaged to a boy from the same village. With the purpose of serving delicious food to guests attending their daughter's wedding, the girl's parents raised a pig named Munika, and fed it rice porridge. Seeing this, Lohita the younger brother said to his cow: – In this family, the heavy loads are carried by our two brothers, but they only let us eat grass, leaves, etc., and they feed the pig with porridge and rice. For what reason is it so? The Bodhisatta said: - Hey Lohita, dear, don't be greedy for that food! This pig eats delicious food to wait to die. With the purpose of serving delicious dishes to guests attending the girl's wedding, they raised this pig. In a few days, those people will come, they will tie the pig's legs, drag it out of the barn, end its life, and will make curry for guests! Having said this, the Bodhisatta recited this stanza: Don't be greedy for Munika, It eats to wait for death, Having little desire, eat straw, Therefore, its life span is long. And soon, those people arrived. They killed Munika and cooked it into many dishes. The Bodhisatta said to her Lohita: - Hey dear, watch Munika! – Sir, I have seen the results of Munika's dish. A hundred times a thousand times better than our straw, the ultimate food, without harm, the sign of long life. * The Master said: - This Male-stilts, in the past, because of this young woman, he died and made food for many people! After giving this discourse, the Teacher expounded the Truths. At the end of that lecture, the Male-stilts were dominated by desire for the fruit of Stream-entry. The Master combined the two stories together, and identified the Forerunner: - At that time, Munika the pig was a Male-stilt dominated by desire, the young woman in the two stories was one. Lohita you are Ananda, Lohita you are Ta. End of Kurunga (Kurunga).END= NAM MO SHAKYAMUNI BUDDHA.( 3 TIMES ).WORLD VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST ORDER=BUDDHIST DHARMA WHEEL GOLDEN ZEN BUDDHIST MONASTERY=VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST NUN=THE WOMEN OF THE SAKYA CLAN CHAN TANH.AUSTRALIA,SYDNEY.17/3/2023.VIETNAMESE TRANSLATE ENGLISH BY=VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST NUN=THE WOMEN OF THE SAKYA CLAN CHAN TANH.