🧚 Opening, part 15

Thereupon the merchant, rising from his seat, saluted and applauded the Exalted One.1 And joining his hands and pressing them to his head in token of reverent salutation, he spoke as follows: “Reverend Sir, it is clear to us that these laymen just now burst asunder the Supreme Refuge and chose instead speculation.2 But the fact that in former times, in a wilderness haunted by demons, men who chose speculation were destroyed, while men who chose Absolute Truth were saved,--that fact is hidden from us and clear to you alone.3 It were indeed well were the Exalted One, as it were making the full moon rise in the heavens, to make this fact clear to us.”4

Then the Exalted One aroused the attention of the merchant by saying: “I, O householder, fulfilled the Ten Perfections during a period of time which cannot be measured, and penetrated Omniscience, for the sole purpose of rending asunder the doubt of the world.5 Lend ear and listen as attentively as though you were filling a golden tube with lion-marrow.”6 Thereupon, as it were cleaving the Vault of the Snow and releasing the full moon, he revealed circumstances hidden by rebirth:7

In times past, in the kingdom of Kāsi, in the city of Benāres, there was a king named Brahmadatta.8 At that time the Future Buddha was reborn in the household of a caravan-leader.9 In the course of time he grew to manhood, and went about trading with five hundred carts.10 Sometimes he went from east to west, sometimes from west to east.11 In the same city of Benāres there was another caravan-leader besides, a foolish, short-sighted, resourceless fellow.12

At that time the Future Buddha took a valuable lot of goods from Benāres, filled five hundred carts, made preparations for the journey, and was all ready to start.13 Likewise that foolish caravan-leader also filled five hundred carts, made preparations for the journey, and was all ready to start.14

The Future Buddha thought: “If this foolish caravan-leader goes at the same time I go, and a thousand carts travel along the road together, even the road will not be big enough.15 It will be difficult for the men to find firewood and water, and difficult for the oxen to find grass.16 Either he or I should go first.”17 So he had the man summoned, told him the situation, and said: “It is out of the question for both of us to go at the same time.18 Will you go first, or follow after?”19

Thought the foolish caravan-leader: “There are many advantages in my going first.20 There will not be a single rut in the road over which I travel; my oxen will eat grass which has not been touched; my men will have leaves for curry which have not been touched; the water will be clear; I can sell my goods at whatever price I choose to set.”21 So he said: “I, sir, will go first.”22

As for the Future Buddha, he saw many advantages in going second, for the following considerations presented themselves to his mind: “Those who go first will make smooth the rough spots on the road; I shall go by the same road they have gone; the oxen that go first will eat the old tough grass, and my oxen will eat the fresh grass which will have sprung up in the meantime; wherever they pluck leaves, fresh leaves for curry will have sprung up and will be at the disposal of my men; in places where there is no water, they will dig wells and obtain a supply, and we shall drink water from wells dug by others.23 Moreover, price-fixing is like depriving men of life!24 If I go second, I can sell my goods for whatever price they have fixed.”25 Accordingly, seeing all these advantages in going second, he said: “You, sir, go first.”26 “Very well, sir,” said the foolish caravan-leader.27 So harnessing his carts, he set out, and in due course passing beyond the habitations of men, he reached the mouth of the wilderness.28

(Wildernesses are of five kinds: robber-wildernesses, beast-wildernesses, waterless wildernesses, demon-wildernesses, famine-wildernesses.29 Where the road is infested with robbers, it is called a robber-wilderness.30 Where the road is infested with lions and other beasts of prey, it is called a beast-wilderness.31 Where there is no water for bathing or drinking, it is called a waterless wilderness.32 If it is infested with demons, it is called a demon-wilderness.33 If it lacks roots and hard food and soft food, it is called a famine-wilderness.34 Of these five kinds of wildernesses, this wilderness was both a waterless wilderness and a demon-wilderness.)35

Therefore that caravan-leader set many huge chatties in the carts and had them filled with water before he struck into the sixty-league wilderness.36 Now when he reached the middle of the wilderness, the ogre who lived in the wilderness, thinking, “I will make these men throw away the water they took,” created a car to delight the heart, drawn by pure white young oxen; and surrounded by ten or twelve demons bearing in their hands bow, quiver, shield, and weapon, decked with water-lilies both blue and white, head wet, garments wet, seated in that car like a very lord, the wheels of the car smeared with mud, came down that road from the opposite direction.37

Both before him and behind him marched the demons who formed his retinue, heads wet, garments wet, decked with garlands of water-lilies both blue and white, carrying in their hands clusters of lotus-flowers both red and white, chewing the fibrous stalks of water-lilies, streaming with drops of water and mud.38

Now caravan-leaders, when the wind is ahead, to avoid the dust, ride in front, sitting in their cars, surrounded by their attendants.39 When it blows from behind, they ride behind in precisely the same way.40 But at this time the wind was ahead; therefore that caravan-leader rode in front.41

When the ogre saw him approaching, he caused his own car to turn out of the road and greeted him in a friendly manner, saying: “Where are you going?”42 The caravan-leader also caused his own car to turn out of the road, allowing room for the carts to pass, and standing aside, said to that ogre: “We, sir, are just approaching from Benāres.43 But you are approaching decked with water-lilies both blue and white, with lotus-flowers both red and white in your hands, chewing the fibrous stalks of water-lilies, smeared with mud, with drops of water streaming from you.44 Is it raining along the road by which you came?45 Are the lakes completely covered with water-lilies both blue and white, and lotus-flowers both red and white?”46

When the ogre heard his words, he said: “Friend, what’s this you’re saying?47 Do you see that dark green streak of woods?48 Beyond that point the entire forest is one mass of water; it rains all the time; the hollows are full of water; in this place and in that are lakes completely covered with lotus-flowers both red and white.”49 As the carts passed, one after another, he inquired: “Where are you going with these carts?”50 “To such-and-such a country.”51 “What are the goods you have in this cart,--and in that?”52 “Such-and-such.”53

“The cart that approaches last moves as though it were excessively heavy; what goods have you in that?”54 “There is water in that.”55 “In bringing water thus far, of course, you have acted wisely.56 But beyond this point you have no occasion to carry water.57 Ahead of you water is abundant.58 Break the chatties to pieces, throw away the water, travel at ease.”59 And having so said, he added: “You continue your journey; we have some business that detains us.”60 The ogre went a little way, and when he was out of their sight, went back again to his own city of ogres.61

Now that foolish caravan-leader, out of his own foolishness, took the advice of the ogre, broke the chatties to pieces, threw away all of the water, leaving not so much as a dribble, and caused the carts to move forward.62 Ahead there was not the slightest particle of water.63 For lack of water to drink the men grew weary.64 They traveled until sundown, and then unharnessed the carts, drew them up in a contracted circle, and tied the oxen to the wheels.65 There was neither water for the oxen nor gruel and boiled rice for the men.66 The weakened men lay down here and there and went to sleep.67 At midnight the ogres approached from the city of ogres, slew both oxen and men, every one, devoured their flesh, leaving only the bare bones, and having so done, departed.68 Thus, by reason of a single foolish caravan-leader, they all met destruction.69 The bones of their hands and all their other bones lay scattered about in the four directions and the four intermediate directions; five hundred carts stood as full as ever.70