(Continued from issue #286)
Instructional talk given by Venerable Master Hua
In the past, Shakyamuni Buddha had made a vow, “If I become a Buddha, I will first save the people who have slandered me, who have killed me, and treated me the worst.” Who treated the Buddha the worst? As mentioned in the Vajra Sutra, it’s the King of Kalinga. When Shakyamuni Buddha was cultivating as the Patient Immortal in the causal ground, the King of Kalinga dismembered that old cultivator’s body. Why did he do that?
In the past, Shakyamuni Buddha dwelled in the mountains cultivating the Way. He never went down the mountains. His body was covered with a thick layer of dust. He remained there working hard, cultivating ascetic practices. One day the King of Kalinga took his concubines and the pretty palace maidens with him on his hunting spree in the mountains. The concubines loved to have fun. Instead of accompanying the King hunting, they went to play in the mountains. When the King returned from hunting, he went looking for his women. He saw them surrounding a spot, talking with a very strange-looking person. Some were touching his hands; some were touching his feet. It looked so improper. Ah! The king was overwhelmed with jealousy. He listened to what the man was saying. When he heard the man talking about cultivating the Way, he bellowed in fury, “Don’t you be cheating my women! Just what kind of Way are you cultivating?” The old cultivator said, “I’m cultivating patience.” “What do you mean by patience?” “Patience means that no matter who curses me or beats me, I don’t get angry.” “You say you can be patient? Is that for real or not?” “Of course, it’s for real.” “All right, then let me test you out.” The King of Kalinga drew his precious sword and sliced off the cultivator’s hand. Then he asked, “I’ve cut your hand off. Are you angry?” The old cultivator said, “No, I’m not angry.”
“Fine! You’re not angry? Then you’ve really got skills. But actually, you’re just lying. You’re angry inside, but you say you’re not. Are you trying to deceive me! I’m a very intelligent person. Do you really think you can fool me? All right, since you say you can be patient, and not get angry, I’ll cut off your other hand, too.” The King cut the cultivator’s other hand off, and then asked, “Are you angry now?” The old cultivator said, “I’m still not angry.” Then the King of Kalinga raised his jeweled sword and sliced off the cultivator’s two feet. Having cut off his four limbs, he asked, “Aren’t you angry?” The old cultivator said, “I’m still not angry. How can I prove it? If I’m angry with you, my limbs will not grow back. If I am not angry, then my hands and feet will grow back, and I will be just as I was before. That will be proof that I have no anger.” After the old cultivator (Shakyamuni Buddha in the stage of cultivation) spoke these words, his hands and feet actually did grow back.
When the gods, dragons, and the rest of the eight divisions of Dharma-protecting good spirits saw how the King of Kalinga had viciously cut off the old cultivator’s limbs, they manifested their spiritual might and sent down hailstones to pelt the King. Seeing the severity of his situation and witnessing the old cultivator’s spiritual prowess, the King knelt before the cultivator and begged to repent. The old cultivator then made a vow, “If I don’t become a Buddha, then there’s nothing to be said. But if one day I do attain Buddhahood, then I will first come and teach you to become a Buddha. If you don’t get enlightened and become a Buddha, then I won’t become a Buddha either.” Therefore, after the Buddha attained Buddhahood, he went to Deer Park to save Ajnatakaundinya first. The old cultivator was a former incarnation of Shakyamuni Buddha, and the King of Kalinga was a former incarnation of Ajnatakaundinya.
After hearing this story, we should make a vow that when we have attained Buddhahood, we will save those who have mistreated us. Don’t think, “You’ve been so mean to me. When I become a Buddha, I’m going to make you fall into the hells.” Don’t make that kind of a vow.
(To be continued …)