The Valahassa Jataka and the Story of Maitrakanyaka

05/04/2009 14:33

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The Valahassa Jataka - Ib51 ~ Ib54

"They who will neglect the Buddha's words when he tells them what to do, Just as the she-goblins ate the merchants, likewise they shall perish too. Those who hearken to the Buddha when he tells them what to do, Just as the cloub-horse saved the merchants, they shall win salvation too."
AVADANA/JATAKA TABLE OF CONTENTS:

--The Vallahassa Jataka

Sigala Jataka Mati Posaka Jataka Story of King Sivi Vidhura Jataka Story of King Surupa Story of Bhuridatta Kaccapavadana Cula Nandiya Jataka Kancanakkhanda Jataka King Padmaka Jataka Story of Manohara Story of Mandhatar Samuddavanija Jataka Story of the Sibi King Story of the Dharma Seeker Story of Sambula Story of Rudrayana Story of Bhallatiya Valahassa Jataka Story of Maitrakanyaka

In one relief panel series located in the lower register of the walls of the first gallery, the architect has returned to the familiar theme of the perils of ocean voyages. A series of four panels illustrates episodes from the Cloudhorse (Valahassa) Jataka of the Pali Canon, which describes how the life of the Bodhisattva as a sea captain and how he and his sailors had been shipwrecked on the island inhabited by female ogres (rakshasis). "They who will neglect the Buddha when he tells them what to do, As the goblins ate the merchants, likewise they shall perish too. They who hearken to the Buddha when he tells them what to do, As the cloub-horse saved the merchants, they shall win salvation too." This story the Master told While staying in the Jetavana, the Master told the following story about a Brother who had become a backslider. When the Master asked him if it was really true that he was a backslider, the Brother replied that it was true. Being questioned for the reason, he replied that his passion had been aroused by seeing a finely dressed woman. The Master addressed him in the following manner: "Brother, these women tempt men by means of figure and voice, scents, perfumes, and touch, and by their wiles and dalliance. This is how they bring men under their power. And as soon as they perceive that this has been accomplished, their evil ways lead to the ruin of good character, wealth and the rest. In former days, a troop of she-goblins tempted a caravan of traders. And after they had established their power over those traders, when a second group of men came into view, they devoured every one of the first, crunching their bones with their teeth as the blood ran down over both their cheeks." The Buddha then told the following story:

Once upon a time, there was on the island of Lanka a goblin town called Sirisavatthu that was the home of she-goblins. Whenever a ship was wrecked, they would adorn themselves and, accompanied by trains of slaves and with children on their hips, they would approach the shipwrecked merchants to offer them rice and gruel. In order to make ose merchants imagine that theirs was a city of human beings, they would cause them to see men ploughing,

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tending herds of cattle, and the like here and there. Then they would invite the merchants to partake of the gruel, rice, and other food which they had brought. "Where do you live? Where do you come from? Whither are you going and what errand brought you here?" the she-goblins would ask them.

"We were shipwrecked here!" they replied. "Very good, noble sirs," the she-goblins would answer. "It was three years ago since our own husbands set sail on-board their ships As they have surely perished, and as you are merchants as well, we shall be your wives." Having thus been lead astray by the women's wiles, tricks and dalliance, the merchants were led back to the goblin city. Then, if the she-goblins had already caught any others, they would bind them with magic chains, and then cast them into the house of torment. And if they could find no shipwrecked men near the place where they lived, then they would scour the coast as far as the river Kalyani on one side and as far as the island of Nagadipa on the other. This is their way.

One time a group of five hundred shipwrecked traders came ashore near the she-goblin city. Coming up the the traders and endevouring to entice them, the she-goblins brought those men to their city. Those whom they had caught before, they bound with magic chains and cast them into the house of torment. Then the chief goblin took the chief of the traders, while the others took the rest to the men their husbands. During the night while her man was asleep, the chief she-goblin rose and made her way to the house of death, where she slew some of the men and then ate their flesh. Moreover, the other she-goblins did the very same thing. When the eldest goblin returned from eating men's flesh, the eldest merchant embraced her. Noticing that her body was cold, he realized that she must be a goblin. "All five hundred of them must be goblins!" he thought to himself. "We must make our escape!" In early morning when he went to wash his face, he spoke these words to the other merchants: "These women are she-goblins, not human beings! As soon as other shipwrecked men can be found, they will make them their husbands, and will eat us. Come--let us escape!" Two hundred and fifty of the men replied, "We cannot leave our wives. Go if you must but we shall not flee." Then the chief trader, accompanied by the other 250 men, fled in fear of the she-goblins.

Now at that time, the Bodhisatta had come into the world as a flying horse. White all over and beaked like a crow, he had hair that was like munja grass. Possessing supernatural power, he was able to fly through the air.

From Himalaya he flew across the sky until he came to the island of Lanka. There he passed over the island's ponds and tanks and ate the grains that grew wild there. As he passed on by, he uttered the following cry three times in the human speech: "Who wants to go home? Who wants to go home? Who wants to go home?" "We want to go home, Master!" answered the traders as they joined their hands together and raised them respectfully to their foreheads. "Then climb up on my back," replied the Bodhisatta. Some of them climbed up, some laid hold of his tail, and some remained standing, with a respectful salute. Then the Bodhisatta took up even those who stood saluting him, and conveyed all of them, even two hundred and fifty, to their own country, and set down each in his own place; then he went back to his place of dwelling. When some other men eventually came to that place, the she-goblins slew those hundred and fifty who had stayed behind and devoured their bodies. The Master now said, Addressing the Brethren, the Master said:

"Brethren, just as some of those traders perished by falling into the hands of she-goblins, those who neglect the advice of the Buddhas, lay Brethren and Sisters come to great misery in the four hells, where they are punished under the five fetters and so forth. But just as the otherother traders were able to return home safely by obeying the behest of that wonderful horse, those who abide by the advice of the Buddhas, lay Brethren and Sisters come unto the three kinds of fortunate birth, the six heavens of sense, and the twenty worlds of Brahma. And reaching the state of imperishable Nirvana they attain great blessedness." Then, becoming perfectly enlightened, the Buddha recited the following verses: "They who will neglect the Buddha when he tells them what to do, As the goblins ate the merchants, likewise they shall perish too. They who hearken to the Buddha when he tells them what to do, As the bird-horse saved the merchants, they shall win salvation too."

After the Master had ended this discourse and following the conclusion of the Truths, the backsliding Brother entered on the Fruit of the First Path, and many others entered on the Fruit of the First, Second, Third or Fourth. Identifying the birth, the Master said: "The Buddha's followers were the two hundred and fifty who followed the advice of the horse, and I myself was the horse." (1)

The Story of Maitrakanyaka Ib108 ~ Ib112

From the Avadanasataka, No. 36. The rendition of the tale that appears below is based on the translation by N. J. Krom that appears in Barabudur: An Archaeological Description . In the city of Benares lived a merchant and leader of a caravan, whose wife was about to give birth to a child. His friends advised him, in case a son should be born, that the father should give te boy a girl's name, which is exactly what he did. 106. Maitrakanyaka gives his mother the money he has earned. The son, having received the name of Maitrakanyaka, grew up without mishap. While he was still young, his father died on a voyage. When Maitrakanyaka became a man, he asked his mother what trade his father had followed, intending to take up the same work. Fearing that her son too might face the perils of life at sea, his mother said that the boy's father had been a shopkeeper. So Maitrakanyaka set up a shop and earned four karsapan on the first day. He gave the money to his mother spend on charitible activities. Then someone told Maitrakanyaka that his father had been a dealer in perfumes, so immediately the young man closed his shop,

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started selling perfume and earned eight karsapanas, which he disposed of in the same way as before. 107. Maitrakanyaka as a goldsmith; his departure.

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He was told by someone else that his father had been a goldsmith and so naturally he started that trade at once. The first day he earned sixteen karsapanas and the second thirty-two. Both sums he gave to his mother for charity.

His successes made other merchants jealous. In order to get rid of a tiresome rival, they told Maitrakanyaka that he followed a trade unsuited to him, for his father had been a great merchant and a caravan-leader. When Maitrakanyaka asked his mother if this indeed had been the case she was unable to deny it. Although she begged him to stay with her, he refused, saying that he was about to fit up a caravan for a trading voyage overseas in the company of five hundred merchants. Throwing herself in despair at his feet, she pleaded with him not to depart. Furious at her opposition, he kicked his mother in the head and departed. 108. The voyage and arrival at Ramanaka. His sea jounrey in the company of five hundred merchants came to an unfortunate end when a sea-monster upset and sank the vessel. However, Maitrakanyaka had to good fortune to be able to climb aboard a raft that was eventually washed onto the shores of an island. 109. Arrival at Sadamatta Heading inland, he eventually reached a city called Ramanaka, where four beautiful apsaras met him at the gate and bade him welcome. In their company he pursureda life of pleasure for several years before the longing to travel returned and drove him further South. There he came to the city of Sadamatta, where eight apsaras welcomed him in the same manner. 110. Arrival at Nandana. 111. Arrival at Brahmottara. After passing several pleasant among at the gate. These too he eventually where thirty-two ladies were waiting leaving this pleasure-city behind he these beauties, he departed and came to Nandana, where there were sixteen apsaras waiting forsook in the same manner. Travelling still farther South to the palace Brahmottara, to receive him. But here again the longing to depart laid hold on his heart and after came at last to Ayomaya.

No sooner had he entered this city than the gates closed behind him. When he came into the middle of the place, he saw a man of lofty stature, who carried a revolving iron wheel on his head. This wheel, all in flames, tore open his head and the unhappy man was forced to feed upon the blood and matter that dripped down from the open wound. Maitrakanyaka inquired of the identity of the man with the iron wheel was and received the following reply. "A man who has ill-treated his mother." Then, remembering his evil past behavior towards his own mother, Maitrakanyaka heard a voice say: "Those who are bound, are free and those who are free are now bound."

Immediately the wheel sprang off the man's head and fastened itself onto the Maitrakanyaka's head, causing him unimaginable and most horrible pain. 112. Maitrakanyaka with the man of the wheel and in the Tusita-heaven.

When he asked how long this torture would last he was told sixty thousand and sixty hundred years. And when he asked if another would come to undergo the same torment, the man with the iron wheel replied: "One who has committed the same sin as yourself." Though overcome by the pain, Maitrakanyaka did not lose sight of his compassion for human kind.

"I am willing to wear this wheel for ever on my head for the sake of my fellow-creatures," said Maitrakanyaka. "May there never come another who has committed such sin." No sooner had he uttered these words than the wheel was lifted from his head and remained floating in the air. And at the same moment the Bodhisattva Maitrakanyaka died and was born again into the heaven of the Tusita gods. 113-120 not identified.

FOOTNOTES
FOOTNOTES

(1) After the version [No. 196] presented in The Jataka: Stories of the Buddha's Former Births , edited by E. B. Cowell, volumes 1 - 3. First published 1895 - 1907. Borobudur's architect may have based the reliefs that illustrate the Valahassa Jataka on a Mahayana text that dealt with the same subject matter. It is difficult to tell if this is indeed the case as the horse incarnation of the Bodhisattva does not appear in any of the reliefs that portray this story.

In the Karandavyuha Sutra, the horse is presented as an incarnation of the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara. Although the horse Balaha attempted to carry the shipwrecked traders to safety, the tale takes a turn for the worse. The ogres spy their fleeing victims and call out for them to return. When the traders look back at their female companions they are unable to resist their siren-like calls and so return to their doom. Only the leader Simhala succeeds in resisting their calls and makes

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it back to the other shore. The story of the horse Balaha was immortalized in stone at the Angkor monument of Neak Pean during the 12th century CE. See Khmer Mythology by Vittorio Roveda, p. 65. copyright 2002 borobudur.tv. All Rights Reserved.

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