Translator’s Note: The “Parable Sūtras” (譬喻經 / Apadāna) is a general name for a series of Buddhist scriptures. Sometimes their form is closer to that of a fable. In the Chinese translations of the Buddhist canon, the Parable Sūtras are categorized under “Birth Stories.” The following scriptures explicitly contain the character “譬” or “喻” (parable) in their titles.
Please note that although T0204, T0205, T0207, and T0217 share the same name, their dates of translation, translators, and contents are all different.
T0029 Parable of Salty Water / 鹹水喻經
T0094 Parable of the Arrow / 箭喻經
T0095 Parable of Ants (corresponding to the Pali Canon’s Vammīka Sutta) / 蟻喻經
T0105 Parable for Five Aggregates / 五陰譬喻經
T0115 Eight States of a Horse as a Parable for People / 佛說馬有八態譬人經
T0121 Parable of the Moon / 月喻經
T0204 Various Parables / 雜譬喻經
T0205 Various Parables / 雜譬喻經
T0206 Old Various Parables / 舊雜譬喻經
T0207 Various Parables / 雜譬喻經
T0208 Compilation of Various Parables from Other Sūtras / 眾經撰雜譬喻
T0209 Hundred Parables / 百喻經 (https://www.cttbusa.org/100parables/content.html)
T0211 Dharma Path Parables / 法句譬喻經
（https://www.bdkamerica.org/product/the-scriptural-text-verses-of-the-doctrine-with-parables/）
T0215 Parable of the Herd / 群牛譬經
T0217 Parable Sūtra / 譬喻經
T0218 Parable of King’s Abhiṣeka / 灌頂王喻經
T0219 Parable of Doctors / 醫喻經
T0422 The Great Collection of the King of Parables / 大集譬喻王經
T0710 Parable of Stalk of Rice to Teach The Mahāyāna Dependent Origination, Spoken by Maitreya Bodhisattva / 慈氏菩薩所說大乘緣生稻杆喻經
T0715 Parable of the Old City / 舊城喻經
There are also Parable Sūtras in the Pali Canon (http://apadanatranslation.com/).
Among the above scriptures, some stories appear in multiple texts, though with different details. Not all of these stories should be taken as historical accounts of the Buddha and his disciples; rather, they are teaching devices used by teachers to convey certain principles. In fact, some stories do not conform to the “orthodox” image of the Buddha and his disciples, and in some cases the moral message seems rather forced. Certain stories also reveal a strong disdain toward women and lower-caste groups, reflecting the attitudes of the teachers in the regions where these texts circulated.
Translated by the Tripiṭaka Master Kang Senghui from Sindhu of the Wu Country
(One)
Countless times ago, there was a merchant named Sārthavāha. Once, he traveled to another country for trade and lodged at the house of a disciple of the Buddha nearby. That day happened to coincide with their family holding a Dharma assembly for great auspicious peace and bestowal. Numerous eminent monks and great virtuous ones expounded the Dharma, discoursing on karma and retribution, how good and evil arise from the actions of the mind, body, and speech, as well as teachings on the Four Noble Truths, impermanence, suffering, and emptiness. The visiting merchant listened in and instantly awakened, generating faith and delight in his heart. He received the Five Precepts and became a lay follower. The great virtuous monks exhorted him with the Dharma: “Virtuous man, you should guard body, speech, and mind, and you should cultivate the ten wholesome actions. For each precept upheld, there are five deities who offer protection; for the five precepts, there are twenty-five deities. These deities can in this life prevent false accusations and calamities, and in future lives, can aid one in achieving Buddhahood.” The merchant heard the Dharma and returned to his country in great joy. Since there was no Dharma in his homeland, he began to teach the Dharma himself. Fearing that others would not accept it, he first preached it to his parents, brothers, wife, and relatives, guiding them to believe in the Buddha. Three hundred miles away from the merchant’s homeland was a country whose people were wealthy and whose resources were abundant. The two countries had been isolated from each other for over a hundred years. The reason was that a yakṣa resided in the middle of the path between them and devoured anyone he encountered; the number of people he had eaten over time was beyond count. The merchant thought: If I uphold the Buddha’s precepts as taught, I will surely be protected by the twenty-five deities. It is said that there is only one demon—if I go to subdue him, I will surely succeed.
At the time, there were over five hundred people engaged in business with him. So he said to them: “I have divine power and can subdue ghosts and spirits. Do you wish to go to that country? If we reach that country, we will certainly make great profits.” The group discussed and said: “The two countries have had no contact for a long time. If we go to that land, we will indeed obtain great benefit.” They agreed to set out together. When they reached halfway, they saw remains of bodies, bones, and scattered hair—what was left from the demon devouring people. Sārthavāha thought: It is said that the demon eats people, and now this has been confirmed. If I die in combat, it will frighten everyone. So he said to the others: “You all wait here. I will go alone. If I defeat the demon, I will return to call you. If I do not return, it means I have been killed; you should then go home and not proceed further.” Thus he went alone to confront the demon.
After walking a few more miles, he encountered the demon approaching. He kept his mind focused on the Buddha and felt no fear. The demon asked him: “Who are you?” He replied, “I am a guide opening the path.” The demon laughed and said: “Have you heard of my great name, and you still wish to open a road?” He answered: “I know you are here, and I have come specifically to see you and engage you in combat. If you win, you may eat me. If I win, the road will be opened for all people, and benefit will come to the whole world. How about it?” The demon asked, “Who strikes first?” The merchant said: “I challenge you, so I shall strike first.” The demon agreed. He first thrust his right hand into the demon’s belly, and it was sucked in and stuck there, unable to be pulled out. He then struck with his left hand, with the same result. His legs and head were also sucked into the demon’s belly, leaving him unable to move. Then the yakṣa recited a verse to the merchant:
“Hands, feet, and head, all five limbs are bound.
Clearly headed to death—Why still resist and struggle?”
“Hands, feet, and head, though all five limbs are bound,
My mind is firm as vajia—I shall never be your captive!”
“I am king among spirits, my strength boundless and vast.
Those I have devoured are uncountable.
Death now stands before you—Why waste words any longer?”
“The body is impermanent, long have I wished to abandon it.
Demon, now you fulfill my wish—I offer it as a gift.
To die and gain true awakening—This fulfills the wisdom of the Buddha.”
“Great monks and bodhisattvas, truly rare in the world.
Ultimately they are guides of beings, their virtue complete and perfect.
I now offer my body in refuge, bowing with head to the ground!”
Thus, the yakṣa came forward to receive the Five Precepts, treated all beings with compassion, paid homage to Sārthavāha, and withdrew into the deep mountains. Sārthavāha returned to summon the others, and they proceeded to that land. The people of both countries all came to know that Sārthavāha had subdued the yakṣa and opened the road through upholding the Five Precepts and practicing the Ten Wholesome Deeds. They felt the boundless power of the Dharma and also upheld the precepts, revered the Buddha, and venerated the Saṅgha. The nations became peaceful. Later, Sārthavāha attained the path and was reborn in the heavens. This was the meritorious power and wondrous effect brought about by a virtuous one devoutly upholding the Five Precepts. The Buddha said to the bhikṣus: “At that time, Sārthavāha was me. A bodhisattva cultivates sīla-pāramitā in just this way, to deliver all beings.”
(Two)
Countless kalpas ago, there was a Peacock King, accompanied by five hundred peahen consorts. Flying over many mountains, he saw a green peacock of elegant appearance. He abandoned the five hundred consorts to pursue the green peacock. This green peacock drank only sweet dew and ate the finest fruits. At that time, there was a certain king whose queen fell ill. One night, she dreamed of the Peacock King. Upon waking, she said to the king: “Great King, please offer a heavy reward—I want to obtain the Peacock King.” The king issued an order to the archers: “Whoever captures the Peacock King shall be rewarded with one hundred jin of gold and shall be given my daughter in marriage.”
The archers spread out across the mountains and saw the peacock, with the green peacock following beside him. They smeared roasted rice flour mixed with honey onto trees in various places. The Peacock King daily brought food for the green peacock. He became accustomed to the roasted rice flour mixed with honey on the trees. The archers then smeared the same mixture onto themselves. When the Peacock King came to take the rice flour, the archers captured him. The Peacock King said to the archers: “I will give you a mountain of gold—release me.” The archers said: “The king will grant us gold and women, which is enough for a lifetime.” So they seized the Peacock King and reported to the king.
The Peacock King said to the king: “O King, you love your queen deeply, so you have captured me. Please bring water, and I will recite a mantra over it. Let your queen drink and bathe in it. If her illness is not cured, it won’t be too late to kill me then.” The king agreed and ordered water to be brought. The Peacock King recited the mantra; the queen drank the water, and indeed her illness was healed. All those within the palace, and outside, who were suffering from various illnesses, also recovered after drinking the water. The king’s subjects came to fetch this water—so many that they could not be counted.
The Peacock King said to the king: “Please tie my feet to a wooden post and let me move freely upon the lake; I will then recite the mantra. The people may draw water at will.” The king said: “Very well.” So he had the Peacock King tied securely to the wooden post and placed on the surface of the lake. The Peacock King did his utmost to control himself using the wooden pole and began to recite the mantra. Those who drank the mantra-blessed water—those who were deaf could hear, the blind could see, and old women with aching legs could straighten their legs. The Peacock King said to the king: “All kinds of dreadful illnesses have been eliminated. The people offer me worship as if to a deity. I no longer wish to leave. Please release me. By day I will fly above the lake, and at night I will roost on the roof beams.” The king issued an order and released the Peacock King.
Several months passed. The Peacock King laughed loudly upon the rafters. The king asked: “Why are you laughing?” The Peacock King replied: “I laugh at the three kinds of foolishness in the world. One is my foolishness, two is the foolishness of the archer, three is the foolishness of the king. I had five hundred consorts following me, yet I abandoned them to pursue the green peacock; due to greed, I was captured by the archer—this is my foolishness. That archer—I offered him a mountain of gold, yet he refused it, saying the king would give him gold and a woman—this is the archer’s foolishness. The king—he obtained a divine physician, had his queen, prince, and people cured of their illnesses, their appearances became more radiant, yet he did not tightly hold onto the divine physician and instead let him go—this is the king’s foolishness.”Having spoken, the Peacock King gracefully flew away.
The Buddha said to Śāriputra: “That Peacock King was me. That king was you. That queen is now the wife of Devadatta. That hunter was Devadatta.”
(Three)
Once, there was a king who went hunting and came to a wild plain near a marsh. Hungry and thirsty, he looked into the distance and saw lush greenery with houses and trees, so he walked in that direction. He saw a woman, and the king asked her for food and fruit. Whatever he requested, he received. The king wished to see the woman, but his attendants told him: “This woman is naked and not wearing any clothes.” The king took off his own clothes to give to her to wear, but at that moment, the clothes spontaneously caught fire and burned. He gave more clothes, and they burned again—this happened three times.
The king was puzzled and asked the woman: “What is the reason for this?” The woman replied: “In a past life, I was your queen. You were making offerings of food and clothing to ascetics. At that time, I said: ‘It’s enough to offer food; there’s no need to give clothing.’ Because of that, I received this punishment. If Your Majesty pities me, then make clothing and offer it to the ascetics or to those who understand the Buddhist scriptures in the city. Ask them to pray so that I may be liberated from this suffering.”
Hearing this, the king returned to the city and had clothing made. Once finished, he went looking for ascetics, but could not find any—at that time, there were none in the city who understood the Buddhist scriptures. The king thought: Let me ask the ferryman; he may have a way. The ferryman said: “In the past, someone boarded my boat and had no money, so he gave me the Sūtra on the Five Precepts. I have read that sūtra.” The king said: “So you understand the Buddhist scriptures.” He gave the clothes to the ferryman and asked him to pray that the naked woman might receive boundless merit and be freed from suffering. Because of this, the woman then had new clothes to wear. Her existence as a ghost came to an end, and she was reborn in the first heaven.
(Four)
Once, a certain king was hunting by the seashore and met a śramaṇa, whom he made into an entertainer. This śramaṇa would chant sūtras and intone Brahmā hymns during the night. The king said: “This entertainer is truly skilled at singing.” Whenever guests came, he would have him sing.
At that time, a foreign merchant upāsaka came to the kingdom. The king had the entertainer sing for the merchant upāsaka. The upāsaka listened to the entertainer explain profound principles of the Buddha’s teachings and left full of joy and excitement. He wished to redeem the śramaṇa, and only when the price was raised to thirty million did the king hand over the śramaṇa.
The merchant bowed to the śramaṇa and said: “I paid thirty million coins to redeem you.” The ascetic snapped his fingers, jumped up, and said: “You have redeemed yourself, not me. Why do I say this? In a past life, the king was a seller of scallions. You bought his scallions and owed him three coins. At that time, I allowed you not to repay the debt, and you indeed did not. Now, with interest added to the principal, the total amounts exactly to thirty million coins. You should have repaid the original three coins.”
Upon hearing this, the king was suddenly awakened, resolved to repent, received the Five Precepts, and became a lay follower. The teacher said: “Debts, no matter how small, should not be left unpaid. Nor should one allow others to leave them unpaid.”
(Five)
When the Buddha was in the world, there was a child who lived with his elder brother and sister-in-law. Every day, the child went to the Buddha to listen to teachings on the sūtras and the precepts. The elder brother and sister-in-law could not stop him and eventually caught the child, beat him with sticks, and threatened: “Let’s see if the Buddha and the bhikṣus will come to save you!”
The child cried and screamed, overwhelmed by fear. He took refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Saṅgha, and attained the fruit of srotaāpanna. Through the supernatural power of the Buddha, the child held onto a wooden log, and together with the log, ascended into the air, broke through the wall, entered the earth, and roamed freely wherever he wished.
The elder brother and sister-in-law were shocked and frightened, immediately bowed in repentance. The child explained to them the nature of wholesome and unwholesome actions and took them to the Buddha to receive the precepts. The Buddha revealed to them the past-life causes and present-life results. The elder brother and sister-in-law became joyful, the door of wisdom opened, afflictions vanished, and both attained the fruit of srotaāpanna.
(Six)
In ancient times, there was an arhat and a śrāmaṇera cultivating the path together in the mountains. Every day, the śrāmaṇera would go to monks’ homes to receive alms. On the way, he would pass by a dike and walk along it. The dike was rugged and uneven, extremely dangerous, so he would often stumble and fall, spilling the food onto the ground, where it would be stained with dirt. The śrāmaṇera would place the clean food into the teacher’s bowl and wash the soiled food to eat himself. This happened every day, not just once. One day, the teacher asked: “Why do you wash the soiled food?” The śrāmaṇera replied: “It’s clear when I leave, but it rains on my way back. I fall on the dike and the food spills on the ground.” The teacher remained silent and entered meditative contemplation. He came to know that it was a nāga disturbing the śrāmaṇera. So he rose and went to the dike, struck it with his staff.
The nāga transformed into an old man, appeared before him, and prostrated to apologize. The teacher asked: “Why do you disturb my śrāmaṇera?”
The nāga replied: “I do not dare to disturb him. It is only because I am enamored by his appearance!”
The nāga then asked: “Why does the śrāmaṇera walk this path every day?”
The teacher said: “To beg for alms.”
The nāga said: “From this day forward, please have him take meals at my home every day, until the end of my life.”
The śramaṇa silently accepted the invitation and returned to tell the śrāmaṇera: “When you go to beg for food, eat where you are. Do not bring anything back again.” So the śrāmaṇera ate his meals outside every day.
Later, he saw a few grains of rice in the teacher’s bowl, with an aroma that entered his nose, unlike any food of the human world. He asked his teacher: “Do you eat in heaven?” The teacher said nothing in response.
The śrāmaṇera wished to know where the teacher ate, so he secretly followed his movements. He crawled beneath the teacher’s bed and held onto one of its legs. The teacher entered meditation while seated in dhyāna, and both he and the bed flew together to the Nāga King’s jeweled palace. The nāga, his queen, and palace maidens first bowed to the teacher, then also to the śrāmaṇera. Only then did the teacher realize that the śrāmaṇera had come, and said to him: “You must compose your thoughts properly and do not give rise to impure desires. This is not an ordinary place. Why give rise to defilement?”
After eating the meal, the teacher brought the śrāmaṇera back. He said to him: “Though the nāga has palaces, seven treasures, wives, and lovely maidens, he is still a beast. You, though not yet enlightened as a śrāmaṇera, will certainly be reborn in the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven, surpassing him a hundredfold. Do not defile your own heart!”
He further said: “This food of a hundred flavors—when the nāga eats it, it turns into toads in his mouth. He loathes it, spits it out, and refuses to eat again. That is one. Second, the palace maidens of the nāga are incomparably beautiful, but to become their mate is to transform into two snakes mating. That is two. Third, on the back of the nāga grow reversed scales, and in those scales, sand and stones grow, causing deep and piercing pain. These are the three sufferings of the nāga—do you still envy him?”
The śrāmaṇera did not respond. But day and night he longed for the nāga’s life, neglected food and drink, and eventually fell ill and died. He was reborn into a nāga’s womb and became the nāga prince, possessing majesty, divine power, and fierce might. His father nāga, upon death, was reborn as a human.
The teacher said: “When someone has not attained the path, he must not be allowed to see the life within palaces.”
(Seven)
Long ago, there was a king who, together with his queen, had a daughter named Moon Maiden. The girl grew up with an upright and beautiful appearance. The king gave her clothing and precious jewels, but she always said: “Naturally so!” When she turned sixteen, her father grew angry and said: “All these things were given to you by me—how can you say they came naturally?” Later, a beggar came to the palace begging for alms. The king said: “This is your husband!”Moon Maiden said: “Yes, naturally so!” And with that, she went off with the beggar. The beggar was flustered and at a loss, afraid to take her as his wife. Moon Maiden said: “You live by begging and often go hungry. Now the king has given you a wife—why not accept?” So they left the city together.
They traveled by day in hiding and by night in motion, until they arrived at a great kingdom. As it happened, the king of that land had just passed away and left behind no crown prince. The beggar and his wife sat outside the city. People passing in and out of the city gates asked them: “Who are you? What’s your surname and given name? From which country do you come?” They answered: “Naturally.”
More than ten days passed. At that time, the chief ministers sent eight ascetics to guard the city gates, watching the faces of all who entered and exited, evaluating each one. Of all the people, only this beggar couple matched the facial characteristics they sought. Then, the entire nation together welcomed the beggar as their new king.
The king and queen ruled the kingdom in accordance with the true Dharma. The people lived in peace and contentment. The kings of all the neighboring small states came to offer tribute. Among them was Moon Maiden’s father, the former king.
After the banquet, Moon Maiden deliberately kept her father behind. She used the seven treasures to create a fish-shaped mechanism for a curtain. When one fish was pulled, a hundred and twenty fish would appear; when another fish was touched, the jeweled curtain would open. Moon Maiden descended from her seat, bowed to her father, and said: “Now, I have obtained what is truly natural.” The king said: “Madam, you have indeed followed the way of nature—this old minister cannot compare.”
The teacher said: “Moon Maiden and the beggar were husband and wife in a former life. They worked together in the fields. The husband once asked the wife to return home and bring food. From afar, the husband saw his wife on the riverbank, meeting a renunciant, who had stopped to ask her for food. She took some of the food and gave it to the renunciant, who then began to eat. The husband watched from afar and suspected wrongdoing. Grabbing a stick, he approached. The śramaṇa, seeing him come, ascended into the air and departed. The wife said: ‘Your portion of the food is still here, don’t be angry.’ The husband said: ‘Then divide it again—we’ll share it together.’” The teacher said: “The husband in a past life once gave rise to malicious thoughts, so he was later reborn into a poor household. But seeing the renunciant again, he gave rise to faith and repented in his heart—thus he came to share this good karmic reward together with his wife.”
(Eight)
Once, the Buddha was walking together with a group of bhikṣus, when they encountered three intoxicated men. One of them ran off into the grass to escape. One sat upright on the ground, slapping his own mouth, saying: “My behavior is improper; I have violated the precepts.” One danced and waved his arms and feet, saying: “I didn’t drink the Buddha’s wine—what is there to fear?”
The Buddha said to Ānanda: “The one who ran into the grass to escape—when Maitreya becomes Buddha in the future, he will attain arhatship and liberation. The one who sat upright and slap his mouth—after thousand Buddhas appear in the world, he will attain arhatship and liberation. The one who danced and waved his limbs—he shall never attain liberation.”
(Nine)
Once, there was a śramaṇa who recited sūtras day and night. A dog lay beneath his bed, listening intently to the recitations, not thinking about food. This continued for several years. After the dog died, it was reborn as a human, as a woman in Śrāvastī. As she grew up, whenever she saw śramaṇas begging for food, she would joyfully run to offer them food. Later, she followed the śramaṇas, became a bhikṣuṇī, diligently cultivated the path, and attained arhatship.
(Ten)
Once, during the time when Vipaśyin Buddha was in the world, many noble households throughout the country simultaneously made offerings to the Buddha and the community of bhikṣus. At that time, one noble family was poor and had little to offer. He said: “I vow that if any of the bhikṣus needs medicine, I will provide it.” At that time, there was indeed a sick bhikṣu. This nobleman gave him a sweet fruit, and after eating it, the bhikṣu recovered from his illness. After the nobleman died, he was reborn in the heavens and, in five aspects, surpassed other devas: First, he had no illness; Second, he had a pleasing appearance; Third, he had long life; Fourth, he had great wealth; Fifth, he had wisdom.
In this way, throughout ninety-one kalpas, whenever he was reborn above, he became a deva; when reborn below, he was born into noble households—never once falling into the three evil destinies. When Śākyamuni Buddha appeared in the world, he was reborn into a house of one of the four castes as a son, named Many Treasures. When he saw the Buddha, he was filled with joy, became a śramaṇa, diligently cultivated the path, and attained arhatship.
Giving is a noble act. But when a śramaṇa violates a Pācittiya precept, it may bring harm to the entire nation.
(Eleven)
Once, there was a couple who jointly upheld the Five Precepts and respectfully served śramaṇas. One day, a newly ordained bhikṣu, who had not yet learned the sūtras, came to their home seeking alms. The couple invited him to sit. After the meal, they both stood and bowed, saying: “From a young age, we have served renunciants, but we have never heard them speak the Buddha’s teachings. Would you please teach us, so we may dispel our ignorance?”
The bhikṣu lowered his head, unable to answer, and said: “Suffering, suffering.”
The couple heard this and understood, saying: “The world truly is suffering.”
At once, they comprehended the Dharma. Seeing their joy, the bhikṣu himself also awakened to the Dharma.
The teacher said: “In a past life, these three were brothers, all of them wishing to study the Buddha’s teachings. They cultivated the path together, and so now they together have realized the Dharma.”
(Twelve)
Once, there was a king who went out hunting. Upon returning, he circumambulated a stūpa and made offerings to a śramaṇa as if to a Buddha. His ministers and officials all laughed at him. The king noticed and asked the ministers: “If there is gold in a pot, and the water in the pot is boiling, can one reach in and retrieve the gold?”
The ministers replied: “It cannot be retrieved.”
The king then said: “If cold water is poured into it, can it then be retrieved?”
The ministers replied to the king: “It can be retrieved.”
The king said: “Fulfilling my royal duties and going out hunting is like the boiling water in the pot. Offering incense, lighting lamps, and circumambulating the stūpa is like pouring cold water into the boiling pot. As a king, I perform both wholesome and unwholesome actions—how can there be only unwholesome actions and no wholesome ones?”
(Thirteen)
Once, there was a bhikṣu who arrived in another country. Unable to enter the city at night, he sat in the grass outside the city to rest. Late into the night, a yakṣa appeared, seized him, and said, “I will eat you.” The bhikṣu replied, “Then let us part ways!” The yakṣa asked, “How can we part ways?” The bhikṣu said, “You harm me, and I will be reborn in Trayastriṃśa heaven, while you will fall into hell. Isn’t that quite a long distance apart?” Upon hearing this, the yakṣa repeatedly apologized, bowed, and left.
(Fourteen)
Once, there was a king who sent someone to call a virtuous teacher. The teacher responded to the king, saying, “I am digging the earth, making a pit, and burying seven treasures.” The king was greatly astonished upon hearing this, and sent someone again to call the teacher. The teacher said, “Now, I am burying the seven treasures in the pit.” The king sent for the teacher once more. The teacher then reported to the king, “I am now leveling the ground. Once the ground is leveled, I will come.” When the king met the teacher, he asked, “How foolish you are! Why tell others about burying treasures?” The teacher replied, “Just now, I was preparing a delicious meal to serve the Buddha and the bhikṣus, which is like digging the earth and making a pit. Serving soup and dividing the meal is like placing the treasures in the pit. Sweeping the ground, preparing water for bathing, and teaching the Dharma are like leveling the ground.” He also told the king, “These treasures cannot be harmed by the five kinds of power.” The king said, “Excellent, Excellent! Why didn’t you say so earlier? If I had known, I too would have buried treasures many times.” Then the king opened his treasury, gave great charity, and offered food to the Buddha and the bhikṣu assembly. The Buddha taught the king the way of the heart toward the Buddha, and the king developed the desire to seek the path.
(Fifteen)
Once, there was a family of castes who invited the Buddha for a meal. At that time, a man selling milk was invited to eat by a wealthy family. This man observed the precepts and refrained from eating, instead staying to listen to the Dharma. When he returned home, his wife said to him, “I have been waiting for you since morning, and you still haven’t eaten.” She forcefully made him eat, thus breaking his vow to observe the precepts. Despite this, he received good karmic rewards: he was reborn in heaven seven times and as a human seven times. The teacher said, “By observing the precepts for one day, one can obtain enough food for sixty thousand years. There are also five other blessings: First, less illness; second, physical safety; third, less desire; fourth, less sleep; and fifth, the ability to be reborn in heaven and to understand one’s past deeds.”
(Sixteen)
The Buddha and the bhikṣu assembly were invited to a meal, and a bhikṣu and a young sāmaṇera came late. On the way, they encountered a woman of lustful desire who seized the bhikṣu. The bhikṣu engaged in sexual activity with her, and after satisfying his desire, they went to the home of the meal donor. The Buddha called to the sāmaṇera, “Go to the foot of Mount Sumeru and fetch some fresh water.” The sāmaṇera, already enlightened, took his alms bowl in front of him, placed his palms together in reverence, and retreated. In no time, he returned with the water. Meanwhile, his teacher felt ashamed and uncomfortable. Due to his repentance and self-blame, he attained the state of an Arhat. The woman was the result of the bhikṣu’s past karma. The karmic retribution manifested, resolving the sin, and he attained the realization of the Dharma.
(Seventeen)
Once, King Aśoka offered food daily to one thousand Arhats. Later, a young śramaṇa came with one thousand monks into the palace. The young śramaṇa sat down, looked around the palace, and then stared at the queen. The king became somewhat angry. After the meal, everyone left. The king kept three senior monks and asked, “Where does this young man come from? What is his family name and given name? Whom did he study under? He is not a śramaṇa, so why did you bring him into the palace, and why did he stare at the queen?” The senior monks replied, “This person comes from India, his teacher is so-and-so, and his name is so-and-so. He is wise and intelligent, well-versed in the Buddha’s teachings, so we brought him into the palace. He was examining the palace and then gazing upward at Trayastriṃśa heaven, without any distracting thoughts. King, in your past life, you placed sand in the Buddha’s alms bowl , so now you have a very honorable status. Now, you offer food daily to one thousand Arhats, and the merit you accumulate is immeasurable. The reason this young man stared at the queen is that she is beyond compare in beauty and dignity, standing above sixteen thousand others, but her life will end in seven days, and she will fall into hell. All things in the world are impermanent; that is why he stared at the queen.” The king was greatly astonished and called for the queen to come and take refuge with the three senior monks. The senior monks said, “Although the king offers food daily to one thousand people, these one thousand cannot alleviate the queen’s mental afflictions. Therefore, we should seek that young śramaṇa and have him teach the queen the Dharma; this will quickly lead her to understand the Buddha’s teachings.” The king sent someone to bring the young śramaṇa. When the young śramaṇa arrived, the king and queen both paid their respects to him and took refuge in the Buddha’s teachings to reduce their past karmic sins. The young śramaṇa spoke to them about their past lives and showed the essence of the Buddha’s teachings. The queen was both shocked and delighted, and her hair stood on end. Immediately, she attained Sotāpanna. Five hundred years ago, the queen had been the sister of the young monk, and they had made a vow together: the one who attains the path first will help the other cross over. The teacher said, “Without past karmic connections, there is no way for mutual liberation; one cannot meet or converse harmoniously. Everyone has their original teacher.”
(Eighteen)
Once, there was a person of the castes named “Iliśa”, whose wealth was immeasurable, yet he was miserly and greedy, unwilling to eat or wear anything good. At that time, an old, poor man lived nearby and every day he ate and drank abundantly, feasting on fish and meat with no lack of guests. The man of the four castes thought, “I have countless riches, yet I am not as fortunate as this old man!” So he killed a chicken, cooked a liter of white rice, placed it on his cart, and went to a remote place to have his meal. Just as he was about to eat, the Heavenly King Indra appeared in the form of a dog and looked him up and down. The man said to the dog, “If you cannot suspend yourself in the air, how can I feed you?” The dog then suspended itself in the air. The man, terrified, asked, “If you cannot drop your eyes to the ground, how can I feed you?” Just as he spoke, the dog’s two eyes fell to the ground. The man hurriedly left. The Heavenly King transformed into the body of the man and mimicked his tone of speech, driving his cart back and instructing his servants outside, “If anyone pretends to be your lord, use a stick to drive them away!” That evening, the man returned and the gatekeeper scolded him, driving him out. The Heavenly King distributed his wealth to others. The man was left homeless, with nothing—his home and wealth were gone. In his desperation, he went mad. The Heavenly King appeared in the form of a person and asked the man, “Why are you so troubled?” The man replied, “I have lost all my wealth.” The Heavenly King said, “Wealth causes much sorrow. When five kinds of disasters come, there is no chance to accumulate wealth. If one does not eat or give charity, one will become a hungry ghost after death, eternally lacking food and clothing. If one is reborn as a human, it will be difficult to avoid a low and degraded existence. You do not understand that the world is impermanent. Rich yet miserly, greedy yet unwilling to eat, what do you expect?” The Heavenly King then explained to him the Four Noble Truths, suffering, emptiness, and the doctrine of no-self. The man understood deeply and was overjoyed. Only then did the Heavenly King depart. The man returned, repented, and began to practice generosity, giving freely, and ultimately attained the Buddha’s teachings.
(Nineteen)
Once, there was a young man from a wealthy family, who was of handsome appearance. He made a golden image of a woman and told his parents, “If there is a woman who looks like this, I will marry her.” At the same time, in another country, there was a woman of similar beauty who made a golden image of a man and said to her parents, “If there is a man who looks like this, I will marry him.” The parents of both individuals heard about this and traveled a great distance to arrange the marriage between the two. One day, the king held up a mirror and asked his ministers, “Is there anyone in the world who can match my appearance?”” The ministers replied, “We have heard that in such-and-such a country, there is a man whose appearance is beyond comparison.”” The king then sent messengers to summon him. When the messenger met the man, he conveyed the king’s message, saying, “The king wishes to see the virtuous man.” The man prepared to set out with his cart and horses. On the way, he thought to himself, “The king wants to see me because I am wise and insightful.” So, he returned to fetch his books. However, upon returning, he saw his wife in an affair with a guest. He was filled with sorrow and a knot formed in his heart, causing his face to wither and his appearance to become worn and disfigured. The messenger saw his changed appearance and thought that he had grown pale and thin due to the hardships of the journey. He arranged a separate room for him in the stable. That night, the man saw the queen secretly meeting with the stableman. He immediately realized: “If the queen behaves this way, how can I trust my wife?” With this realization, the knot in his heart was unraveled, and his face returned to its original appearance. He went to meet the king, who asked, “Why did you stay outside for three days?” He replied, “Your messenger welcomed me, but I forgot to bring something, so I went back to fetch it. I saw my wife with a guest, which caused me great anger and sorrow, and my appearance became disfigured. I stayed in the stable for three days. Yesterday, I saw the queen with the stableman. Upon seeing this, I realized: If the queen behaves like this, how can I trust my wife?” The king said, “If my queen behaves like this, how can common women be trusted?” Together, the two went to the mountains, shaved their heads, and became bhikṣus, contemplating that women are unreliable and unworthy of trust. They both diligently practiced and attained Pratyekabuddha.
(Twenty)
Once, there was a woman who gave birth to a daughter of unparalleled beauty. When the girl was three years old, she was summoned by the king to be looked at. The king ordered an ascetic to examine her fortune to see if she could become his queen. The ascetic said, “This girl will have a husband; the king can only marry her after her husband.” The king thought, “I must hide her away,” and called for a swan, asking, “Where do you live?” The swan replied, “I live halfway up the mountain, where there is a tree that no person or animal can reach; below it is a whirlpool where no boat can navigate.” The king said, “Then this girl will be entrusted to you.” The swan took her and flew away, bringing food from the king every day for the girl. This continued for a long time. Later, a village upstream was suddenly washed away by a flood. A tree fell into the creek and was carried away by the water. A man clung to the tree and was swept into the whirlpool, unable to escape. Both the man and the tree were carried by the water and stopped when the tree was caught on the mountainside. The man climbed up to the swan’s tree and had sexual relations with the girl, who then hid him. The swan weighed the girl every day, noting that she was growing heavier. One day, the swan searched around and found the man, then cast both of them away before flying to the king to report the incident truthfully. The king said, “The ascetic’s prediction was truly accurate.” The ascetic said, “People have destined partners, which cannot be controlled by human effort. When one meets their past-life partner, they will give themselves to them. Even animals follow this fate.”
Dharma Torch 