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Now in the middle of the ocean there is a country, named 膧谤诲谤补办补, which resembles a palace in 笔腻迟腻濒补. In it there is a city, 膧谤诲谤补办补. The king there was named 膧谤诲谤补办补, resplendent with beauty, delighting the eyes like the moon. His chief-queen was 膧rdrak膩. They had a son, 膧谤诲谤补办补kum膩ra, gentle-minded, who, having reached manhood, was enjoying pleasures as he liked.

Between King 膧谤诲谤补办补 and 艢谤别峁噄办补 there was a traditional friendship that was like a bond for their hearts. One day 艢谤别峁噄办补 sent his minister to 膧谤诲谤补办补 to deliver numerous gifts鈥攖he pregnancy-whim of the plant of affection. The minister as soon as he arrived was treated by King 膧谤诲谤补办补 with respect like 艢谤别峁噄办补鈥檚 friendship embodied. The king accepted the gifts of various kinds鈥攕ochal salt, nimba-leaves, blankets, et cetera brought by the minister. King 膧谤诲谤补办补 honored him with great courtesy and asked, 鈥淗ow fares my brother, the King of Magadha?鈥� The moon of a minister gave delight to the lotus of his mind by favorable news of his master鈥檚 welfare like moonlight.

膧谤诲谤补办补kum膩ra asked: 鈥淔ather, who is this King of Magadha who has such affection for you like Spring for Manobhu?鈥� The king said: 鈥淭he King of Magadha is 艢谤别峁噄办补 and there is traditional friendship between his family and mine.鈥� 膧谤诲谤补办补kum膩ra, of whom a shoot of love had shot up quickly, looking at the minister with a glance filled with nectar, said: 鈥淢inister, does your lord have a son whose good qualities are not deficient? I wish to make him the recipient of courtesy.鈥�

The minister said: 鈥淭here is a son of King 艢谤别峁噄办补, named Abhaya, a house of intelligence, the chief of five hundred ministers, munificent, an ocean with the water of extra-ordinary compassion, clever, appreciative of favors, who has crossed the ocean of all the arts. Prince, do you not know Abhaya, endowed with wit and strength, pious, devoid of fear, known to all? There are no good qualities that do not have a home in Abhaya, like the soul-forms in the ocean Svyambh奴rama峁嘺.鈥�^[1]

King 膧谤诲谤补办补 said to his son who was seeking friendship with Abhaya: 鈥淵ou are my son, following my path, nobly-born. Friendship, like the marriage-bond, is suitable between persons of equal qualities and of equal birth and wealth, son.鈥� After receiving his father鈥檚 advice which was in accordance with his own wish, 膧rdrak膩鈥檚 son said to the minister aside: 鈥淒o not go without letting me know. When you go, you must listen to a message resembling seed of the tree of affection from me for Abhaya.鈥�

The gentle-voiced minister said, 鈥淰ery well,鈥� to the prince and, dismissed by the king, went to the house shown by a door-keeper. The next day King 膧谤诲谤补办补 had his servant deliver gifts of pearls, et cetera and dismissed the minister. 膧谤诲谤补办补kum膩ra sent valuable objects, coral, pearls, et cetera, to the hand of the minister himself for Abhaya. The man went with the minister to 搁腻箩补驳峁沨补 and delivered the gifts to 艢谤别峁噄办补 and Abhaya. The chief-minister delivered the message to Abhaya, 鈥溎�谤诲谤补办补kum膩ra desires brotherly friendship with you.鈥�

Abhaya, expert in Jain doctrine, thought to himself: 鈥淗e was surely born in the 础苍腻谤测补蝉 because of injured mendicancy. Now he, a king鈥檚 son, noble-minded, is near being capable of emancipation. I do not wish friendship with persons not capable of emancipation nor with those whose capability is remote. Friendship is usually between persons of equal merit and demerit. They would have the same character. Friendship arises from the sameness of character. Having made him a follower of the Jina by some device, I am a friend and he is a friend who goes forward on the road of dharma. Perhaps from the sight by 膧谤诲谤补办补kum膩ra of a T墨rthak峁泃-statue, the best recollection of former births will arise. So under pretext of a gift, I shall send a fine Arhat-statue, made of jewels, that has been consecrated by a great 腻肠腻谤测补.鈥�

With this idea, he himself put such an unequaled statue of the god 膧din膩tha, a cow of plenty of good fortune, in a box inside a basket. Then he put before it all the apparatus of a 辫奴箩腻 to the god鈥攁n incense-burner, little bells, et cetera. After he had put a lock on the opening, King 艢谤别峁噄办补鈥檚 son sealed the basket with his own seal. The King of Magadha dismissed King 膧谤诲谤补办补鈥檚 servant with wonderful gifts and friendly talk. Abhaya put the basket into his hand and, after rewarding him, said in a voice of nectar: 鈥淧resent this basket to 膧谤诲谤补办补kum膩ra and tell this message of mine to him, my brother: 鈥楢fter unsealing this basket yourself alone in secret, the object to be seen inside must not be shown to anyone.鈥欌�� Saying, 鈥淚t will be done so,鈥� the man went to his own city and delivered the presents to his master and his master鈥檚 son.

He told 膧谤诲谤补办补kum膩ra Abhaya鈥檚 message. Then he opened the basket in secret. He saw inside it 膧din膩tha鈥檚 statue creating light in darkness as if it had been wrought of light. He thought: 鈥淲hat is this? Is it some fine ornament for the person? Should it be put on the head, the neck, the breast, or somewhere else? This looks to me like something seen before somewhere, but it does not reach the path of memory, like a treatise in the case of a person of little diligence.鈥�

While 膧谤诲谤补办补kum膩ra was reflecting seriously to this effect, a very deep swoon, the mother of recollection of former births, took place. He, with the recollection of former births having been produced, consciousness being regained by himself alone, reflected on his own story of former births.

鈥淚n the next to the last birth from this, I was a householder, named 厂腻尘腻测颈办补 in Vasantapura in the country of Magadha. I had a wife, Bandhumat墨, and with her I listened duly to the dharma of the Arhats in the presence of Susthita 膧c腻谤测补. After I had listened with my wife to dharma, I was enlightened in his presence. Disgusted with householding, I became a mendicant.

Wandering with my guru, I went to a certain town and Bandhumat墨 went there too, belonging to a group of s膩dhv墨s. Seeing her one day and remembering former pleasures, I became infatuated with her and told another 蝉腻诲丑耻 about it. He told the head-s膩dhv墨 and she in turn told Bandhumat墨. Depressed, Bandhumat墨 said to the head-s膩dhv墨: 鈥榃hat condition of existence would there be if he, though an ascetic, should cross the bounds of propriety? Even the ocean, observing the boundary, does not violate the earth. So long as he hears of me, even though I went to another country, he, though having strong resolution, will not give up his love for me. Therefore, blessed lady, I shall surely resort to death, so that breaking the vow may not happen either on his part or mine.鈥�

Accordingly, she fasted and hanged herself with ease. She abandoned life like spittle and became a god. When I heard that she had died in this way, I thought: 鈥楽he, having a strong resolution, died from fear of breaking her vow. I, on the other hand, have broken the vow. So, enough of life for me.鈥� According I fasted, died, and became a god.

Then I fell and was born a non-腻谤测补 devoid of dharma. Whoever enlightens me is my brother; he is my guru. I have been enlightened by the minister Abhaya because of some maturing of good fortune. Even now I am unfortunate since I am unable to see him. Either with or without my father鈥檚 consent, I shall go to the land of the 膧谤测补蝉 where my guru Abhaya is.鈥�

Thus forming his desire, worshipping the statue of the first Arhat, 膧rdrak膩鈥檚 son passed the days. One day, 膧rdra-k膩鈥檚 son said to the king, 鈥淔ather, I long for a meeting with 础产丑补测补办耻尘腻谤补.鈥� King 膧谤诲谤补办补 said: 鈥淚ndeed, you must not go. Son, the friendship of us occupying a high place is with 艢谤别峁噄办补.鈥� Restrained by his father鈥檚 command, longing for Abhaya, then 膧谤诲谤补办补kum膩ra did not stay (still) and did not go.

Shedding tears constantly like a cloud in Bh膩drapada, his eyes down-cast, he continued to long for Abhaya. Whether engaged in sitting, lying, walking, eating, or other actions, he kept before his eyes the direction adorned by Abhaya. Wishing to go to Abhaya like a pigeon that has flown up, 膧谤诲谤补办补kum膩ra did not experience pleasure, like a poor man who is sick.

鈥淲hat sort of country is Magadha? What sort of city is 搁腻箩补驳峁沨补? Which is the road for going there?鈥� he asked the attendants.

King 膧谤诲谤补办补 thought: 鈥淭his son of mine will certainly go sometime to Abhaya without even telling it.鈥� Then 膧谤诲谤补办补 ordered five hundred vassals: 鈥溎�谤诲谤补办补kum膩ra, intending to go to a foreign country, must be guarded.鈥� The vassals did not leave his side, like the shadow of the body; and the prince considered himself like one held a prisoner. 膧rdraki, intelligent, as he had set his heart on going to Abhaya, began to ride daily on the bridle-path. The vassal-bodyguards horseback stayed at his side. The prince, riding his horse, went some distance and returned. So riding his horse, he went further and further and again turned and came back, and they had confidence in him.

One day 膧rdrak膩鈥檚 son had his own confidential agents make ready a boat on the ocean. 膧rdraki had the boat filled with jewels and had the statue of the Arhat mounted on its bow. At the same time, riding his horse, he went out of sight as before and, embarking in that boat, went to the Aryan country. Disembarking from the boat, he sent the statue to Abhaya, sowed his wealth in the seven fields,^[2] and put on the dress of an ascetic. When he began to pronounce the s膩m膩yika, a deity standing in the air addressed him aloud:

鈥淓ven if you are noble in character, nevertheless do not take initiation. You still have karma with the fruit of pleasure. So be patient. When you have consumed the karma with the fruit of pleasure, take the vow at the proper time. Most certainly that which is to be enjoyed must be enjoyed even by the T墨rthak峁泃s. Noble sir, enough of the vow, since it will be abandoned, if taken. What is the use in eating when what has been eaten is vomited?鈥�

膧谤诲谤补办补kum膩ra, having assumed strength of character, did not heed the deity鈥檚 speech and himself became a mendicant. Enlightened by himself, observing a severe vow, one day the muni came to the town Vasantapura, in his wandering. He stood in a statuesque posture in some temple outside and achieved concentrated meditation by abandonment of all anxieties.

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

The outside ocean of the universe. It is one of 3 oceans that contain life. I, p. 398.

[2]:

Statues of the Jinas, shrines of the Jinas, Jain Scriptures, and the fourfold congregation. R膩jendra, 5. v, sattakhett墨.