[106]
9.
[The brahmin merchant:]
"That for the sake of which we journey to Kamboja as gatherers of wealth —
this yakkha (spirit) here is a granter of all that one desires:
let us take this yakkha along.
Seizing this yakkha, whether by fair means or by force,
and setting him upon the carriage,
let us go quickly to Dvārakā."
[Aṅkura, restraining him:]
"Of the tree in whose shade one would sit or lie,
one should not break even a branch;
for a betrayer of friends is an evil man."
[The brahmin merchant:]
"Of the tree in whose shade one would sit or lie,
one might cut even the trunk,
if such should be one's need."
[Aṅkura:]
"Of the tree in whose shade one would sit or lie,
one should not tear off even a leaf;
for a betrayer of friends is an evil man."
[The brahmin merchant:]
"Of the tree in whose shade one would sit or lie,
one might pull it up root and all,
if even such should be one's need."
[Aṅkura:]
"In whose house a man should stay but a single night,
and where he should receive food and drink,
against him let him not conceive evil even in mind:
gratitude (kataññutā) is praised by the good.
In whose house one should stay even a single night,
attended there with food and with drink,
against him let him not conceive evil even in mind:
a hand that harms not burns the betrayer of friends.
Whoever, after good has first been done to him, later injures with evil —
that man, smitten for [betraying] the hand still moist [with kindness],
does not behold blessings.
Whoever offends against an inoffensive man,
a pure person without blemish,
upon that very fool the evil recoils,
like fine dust thrown against the wind."
[The tree-devatā, angered:]
"By no deva, nor by a human being,
nor by any lordly power am I easily to be overborne:
I am a yakkha attained to supreme psychic power (iddhi),
a far-goer, endowed with beauty and strength."
[Aṅkura:]
"Your hand is comely on every side — five-streamed, flowing with honey;
juices of many kinds stream forth from it:
I think that you are Purindada."
[The devatā:]
"I am no deva, no gandhabba, nor Sakka Purindada:
know me, Aṅkura, as a peta (departed spirit), come here from Roruva."
[Aṅkura:]
"Of what virtue were you, of what conduct, formerly in Roruva?
Through what holy life (brahmacariya) of yours does merit take effect in your hand?"
[The peta:]
"Formerly, then, I was a weaver in Roruva,
of most toilsome livelihood, a wretched man; I had nothing to give.
And my workshop stood near the house of Asayha —
a man of faith, a master of giving (dānapati), a doer of merit, possessed of moral shame.
There beggars would resort, wayfaring mendicants of many different clans,
and there they would ask me for Asayha's dwelling:
'Which way do we go — blessings upon you! — where is the gift being given?'
Asked by them, I would point out Asayha's dwelling,
stretching forth my right arm:
'Go this way — blessings upon you! — there the gift is being given.'
Thereby my hand grants what is desired, thereby my hand flows with honey:
through that holy life of mine merit takes effect in my hand."
[Aṅkura:]
"So then you gave no gift to anyone with your own hands;
rejoicing in another's gift, you stretched forth your hand and told the way."
[The peta:]
"Thereby this hand grants what is desired, thereby this hand flows with honey:
through that holy life of mine merit takes effect in my hand."
[Aṅkura:]
"He who, full of confidence, gave the gift with his own hands, venerable sir —
he, having left the human body, to what quarter has he gone?"
[The peta:]
"I do not know the going or the coming of Asayha the Aṅgīrasa,
bearer of what others cannot bear;
but I have heard in the presence of Vessavaṇa
that Asayha has gone to the companionship of Sakka."
[Aṅkura:]
"It is fitting indeed to do good, to give gifts according to one's means:
who, having seen a hand that grants what is desired, will not make merit?
Surely, when I have gone from here and reached Dvārakā,
I shall set on foot a giving that will bring me happiness:
I shall give food and drink, clothing and lodgings (senāsana),
water-sheds and wells, and bridges in places hard to pass."
[Seeing another peta, Aṅkura asked:]
"Why are your fingers crooked, your mouth twisted awry,
and your eyes oozing? What evil have you done?"
[That peta:]
"In the alms-dispensing of the householder Aṅgīrasa,
the man of faith who kept the household life,
I was set in charge over the giving;
and there, when I saw beggars arrived in want of food,
I would step off to one side and make a wry mouth at them.
Thereby my fingers are crooked, my mouth is twisted awry,
and my eyes ooze: that evil was done by me."
[Aṅkura:]
"Justly, wretched man, is your mouth twisted awry
and are your eyes oozing,
since at another's giving you made a wry mouth.
How indeed could one who is giving a gift
leave it to another's charge —
the food and drink, the solid fare, the clothing and the lodgings?
Surely, when I have gone from here and reached Dvārakā,
I shall set on foot a giving that will bring me happiness:
I shall give food and drink, clothing and lodgings,
water-sheds and wells, and bridges in places hard to pass."
Then, turning back and reaching Dvārakā,
Aṅkura set on foot the giving that would bring him happiness:
he gave food and drink, clothing and lodgings,
water-sheds and wells, with a mind full of clear confidence.
"Who is hungry? And who is thirsty? Who will put on clothing?
Whose draught-teams are weary? Let them yoke a carriage from here!
Who wishes for a parasol, who for perfume, who for a garland, who for sandals?"
— thus do barbers, cooks, and Māgadha bards cry aloud there,
always, evening and morning, at the dwelling of Aṅkura.
[Aṅkura:]
"'Aṅkura sleeps in ease' — so the people know me;
I sleep in misery, Sindhuka, in that I see no beggars.
'Aṅkura sleeps in ease' — so the people know me;
I sleep in misery, Sindhuka, when wayfaring mendicants are few."
[Sindhuka:]
"If Sakka, lord of the Tāvatiṃsa, should grant you a boon,
what boon of all the world would you, in choosing, choose?"
[Aṅkura:]
"If Sakka, lord of the Tāvatiṃsa, should grant me a boon —
may it be that when I have risen at dawn, toward the rising of the sun,
heavenly food may appear, and virtuous beggars;
that while I give, it may not run dry;
that having given, I may not repent afterwards;
that while giving, I may make the mind clear with confidence:
thus, O Sakka, would I choose the boon."
[The man Soṇaka:]
"One should not make over all one's possessions to others;
one should give gifts, and one should also guard one's wealth;
therefore wealth itself is better than giving:
by excessive giving families come to naught.
Neither non-giving nor excessive giving do the wise praise;
therefore wealth itself is better than giving:
one should proceed evenly — that is the way of the wise."
[Aṅkura:]
"Ah, sirs, truly! It is I who shall give;
and may the good, true men, keep company with me.
Like the rain-cloud filling the hollows,
may I satisfy all wayfaring mendicants.
He whose countenance brightens at the sight of beggars,
and who, having given, is glad of heart —
that is happiness for one who dwells in a house.
He whose countenance brightens at the sight of beggars,
and who, having given, is glad of heart —
this is the accomplishment (sampadā) of the offering (yañña).
Before the gift, glad at heart; while giving, let him make the mind clear with confidence;
having given, he is glad of heart: this is the accomplishment of the offering."
[The redactors:]
Sixty thousand cartloads of food are given continually
in the dwelling of Aṅkura, a man who looks for merit.
Three thousand cooks, wearing jewelled earrings,
live in dependence on Aṅkura, busied with the giving of the offering.
Sixty thousand young men, wearing jewelled earrings,
split firewood at Aṅkura's great giving.
Sixteen thousand women, adorned with every ornament,
knead the condiments at Aṅkura's great giving.
Sixteen thousand women, adorned with every ornament,
stand in attendance, ladles in hand, at Aṅkura's great giving.
Much he gave to many, and long did the khattiya [Aṅkura] give,
with respect and with his own hand, finding joy therein again and again.
Through many months and fortnights, through seasons and through years,
Aṅkura kept the great giving going through a long stretch of time.
Having thus given and made offering through a long stretch of time,
he, abandoning the human body, arose in the Tāvatiṃsa.
Indaka, having given a ladleful of alms-food to Anuruddha,
abandoning the human body, arose in the Tāvatiṃsa;
and in ten respects Indaka outshines Aṅkura:
in delightful forms, sounds, tastes, smells, and tangible objects,
in life-span and in fame, in beauty, in happiness,
and in dominion Indaka outshines Aṅkura.
[The Blessed One:]
"A great giving was given by you, Aṅkura, through a long stretch of time;
you sit too far away: come into my presence."
When the Buddha, supreme among men, was dwelling in the Tāvatiṃsa,
upon the Paṇḍukambala stone at the foot of the Pāricchattaka tree,
the devatās in the ten world-systems, having assembled,
attended upon the Fully Awakened One as he dwelt upon the mountain's crest.
No deva outshines the Fully Awakened One in radiance:
surpassing all the devas, the Fully Awakened One alone shines forth.
At that time this Aṅkura was full ten yojanas away,
while Indaka, close by the Buddha, shone surpassingly.
The Fully Awakened One, looking upon Aṅkura and upon Indaka,
and exalting him who is worthy of offerings (dakkhiṇeyya), spoke this word:
"A great giving was given by you, Aṅkura, through a long stretch of time;
you sit too far away: come into my presence."
Urged by the One of developed self (bhāvitatta), Aṅkura said this:
"What is that giving to me, being empty of one worthy of offerings?
This Indaka here, a yakkha, gave but a slight gift,
yet he outshines us, as the moon the host of stars."
[Indaka:]
"Just as, though much seed be sown in a barren field,
the fruit is not abundant, nor does it delight the farmer,
even so a giving, though plentiful, established among the immoral,
is not abundant in fruit, nor does it delight the giver.
But just as, though little seed be sown in a good field,
when the rain bestows its stream in due measure,
the fruit delights the farmer,
even so, when toward the virtuous, the possessed of good qualities, the steadfast (tādī),
even a small service is done, the merit is of great fruit.
A gift should be given with discrimination — where what is given bears great fruit;
having given gifts with discrimination, givers go to heaven (sagga).
Giving with discrimination is praised by the Well-Farer (Sugata):
those worthy of offerings here in the world of the living —
what is given to these bears great fruit,
as do seeds sown in a good field."
The Aṅkura Peta-story, the ninth.
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.