Toh 346 — The Exemplary Tale of Sumāgadhā

F.291.b Homage to all buddhas and bodhisattvas.

Thus did I hear at one time. The blessed Buddha was dwelling in Śrāvastī, in Prince Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park.

At that time, a daughter of Anāthapiṇḍada known as Sumāgadhā, who was faithful, good-natured, virtuous in her thoughts, and engaged in benefiting herself and others, was dwelling in Śrāvastī.

Meanwhile, in a city known as Puṇḍravardhana, there lived another merchant, whose son was known as Vṛṣabhadatta. By associating with the heterodox non-Buddhists, he had come to believe in the nirgranthas.^[1] Whenever the Blessed One performed miraculous displays, the non-Buddhists would remain in the outlying districts—some in the city called Bhadrika,^[2] some in the area known as Mudgirika,^[3] and some in the city known as Puṇḍravardhana.

At that time, Vṛṣabhadatta had not yet established a household. Concerning that, the nirgranthas said, “There is a daughter of Anāthapiṇḍada called Sumāgadhā, who is beautiful, pleasing to behold, and graceful, the most beautiful woman in the land.”^[4]

As soon as he heard that, Vṛṣabhadatta assumed the guise of a nirgrantha mendicant and traveled to Śrāvastī. He entered the home of the householder Anāthapiṇḍada to collect alms, and there he saw the girl. He was enamored the moment he saw her, and when he received the alms, he took them in his hat.^[5] The girl saw his improper behavior and laughingly said, “This one is absentmindedly accepting alms!”

Vṛṣabhadatta was ashamed and returned to the city of Puṇḍravardhana. There he spoke to his father, who accepted the girl.

Anāthapiṇḍada F.292.a asked the Blessed One about this, and the Blessed One replied, “Actually, if Sumāgadhā goes to Puṇḍravardhana, she will perform the activity of renunciants and the activity of a buddha.”

So the householder Anāthapiṇḍada informed her relatives and she was betrothed and conveyed to the city of Puṇḍravardhana.

Shortly thereafter, when the nirgranthas were eating at home, Sumāgadhā’s mother-in-law said, “Today, the venerable ones will come to our home for an offering of food. Come and see the venerable ones.”

On hearing this Sumāgadhā was happy, pleased, gladdened, and cheered. Thinking, “Surely it is the reverend Śāriputra, Mahāmaudgalyāyana, and the other great śrāvakas who have come!” she was greatly pleased and went without hesitation.

But as soon as she saw the nirgranthas, who were like naked wild buffalo, with plucked hair like pigeon squabs, Sumāgadhā was embarrassed and averted her face. Her mother-in-law asked, “Daughter, why are you displeased?”

She replied, “If ones such as these are objects of veneration, who would not be considered a venerable one?”

Her mother-in-law asked her, “Do you have teachers who are superior to these?”

The girl replied, “In my father’s monastery, Prince Jeta’s Grove, there is a teacher known as the Buddha. He is the object of veneration of the entire animate and inanimate world.”

“What is your teacher like?” she asked.

The girl replied:

Upon hearing this, her mother-in-law was overjoyed, and she asked, “Daughter, can you show us that Blessed One tomorrow?”

Sumāgadhā replied, “Prepare offerings of food, F.292.b and tomorrow I will invite the Blessed One.”

Sometime later they said, “The offerings of food have been prepared, so you should invite the Blessed One tomorrow.”

Then Sumāgadhā climbed to the very top of the house. She folded her hands and paid homage in the direction of the Blessed One, recalled the good qualities of the Blessed One, and strewed flowers and made offerings^[7] of incense. In order to invite the Blessed One, she sprinkled water from a golden vase.^[8]

Then she spoke these piteous words: “O Blessed One possessed of great compassion, like a wild animal I have come to this frontier, separated from the Three Jewels. Please care for me, and with your saṅgha of monks please come to this place!”

And she spoke these words:

Just then the flowers, incense, and water from the golden vase rose into the sky, and at that moment the Blessed One arose from his deep absorption and taught the Dharma to the fourfold assembly. The water from the golden vase came to rest before the Blessed One like a staff of beryl, the flowers rested like a pinnacled temple in the sky above the Blessed One, and the fragrant incense came to rest like heaps of clouds.

Seeing this, the venerable Ānanda inquired of the Blessed One, “Blessed One, from whence does this invitation come?”

The Blessed One replied, “Ānanda, it came 163 yojanas from the city of Puṇḍravardhana. Ānanda, as that city is held by non-Buddhists, we must go there with an extraordinary display of miraculous power. F.293.a Therefore, distribute the tally sticks to the monks.”

Right away, the venerable Ānanda distributed the tally sticks, starting with the most senior monk. He said, “Tomorrow we will go to the city of Puṇḍravardhana. As that city is completely held by non-Buddhists, those among you who have attained miraculous power must take these tally sticks.” Then the process of taking the tally sticks began, starting with the most senior monk.

Among them was the elder known as Pūrṇa.^[9] Although he had not attained miraculous power, he reached out his hand to take a tally stick. The venerable Ānanda said to him, “Elder, we are not going to the home of Anāthapiṇḍada, but we must travel to a place 163 yojanas from here known as Puṇḍravardhana.”

The elder thought, “I have abandoned the defilements to which I had been habituated since beginningless time, so what could be difficult about such miraculous power, which is common even to non-Buddhists? I will not produce it.” Due to that thought, however, at that very moment the miraculous power was produced. As the second tally stick had not yet been distributed, the elder reached out his hand like an elephant’s trunk and took the tally stick.

Meanwhile, Venerable Ānanda, sitting at the head of the elders, said, “Those who have attained miraculous power must go to the city of Puṇḍravardhana.”

Then on the second day, at daybreak, the monks prepared by perfecting their displays of miraculous power. The Four Great Kings also set out in the direction of Śrāvastī. As they did so, the one known as Ājñātakauṇḍinya, mounted on a horse chariot, displayed a flash of lightning and brought down a gentle rain. Thus demonstrating his miraculous power, he made his entrance.

Sumāgadhā’s master^[10] saw this and asked, “Sumāgadhā, is this your teacher?”

She replied, F.293.b “This one is known as Ājñātakauṇḍinya. He is arriving first since he was the first to realize that there is no self after the Blessed One first turned the wheel of Dharma.”^[11]

Then the elder Mahākāśyapa made his entrance from the sky above, having magically created a great rocky mountain covered with hundreds of variegated trees and various forms of birds, lushly carpeted with a diversity of flowers, and beautified by manifold rivulets.

The master of the house saw that and asked, “Sumāgadhā, is this your teacher?”

She replied, “This one who now arrives is known as Mahākāśyapa. The Blessed One pronounced him chief among the preachers for his abiding in ascetic practices. He gave up nine hundred ninety-nine pairs of oxen and abandoned, like spittle in the dust, Kapilabhadrā, the most beautiful woman in the land,^[12] and great wealth and much gold, and went forth and became a renunciant.”

Next, the venerable Śāriputra, having magically created a lion chariot, made his entrance in the sky above using his miraculous power.

The master of the house saw that and asked, “Sumāgadhā, is this one who arrives in a lion chariot your teacher?”

She replied, “This is the monk known as Śāriputra. The Blessed One pronounced him chief among those endowed with wisdom. As soon as he entered his mother’s womb, he was victorious over all those who engage in of debate throughout the entire world. He who arrives in the lion chariot is the second teacher, the second supreme one, the Dharma chief who subsequently turns the wheel of Dharma.”

Right after that, the venerable Mahāmaudgalyāyana, having magically created a king of elephants that was like the elephant Airāvaṇa, made his entrance in the sky above using his miraculous power.

The master of the house saw that and asked Sumāgadhā, “Is this one who arrives on an elephant that is like Airāvaṇa, the king of elephants, your teacher?”

She replied, “This is the monk known as Mahāmaudgalyāyana. The Blessed One F.294.a pronounced him chief among those with miraculous power. With his miraculous power, he shook Vaijayanta, the mansion of Śakra, the lord of the gods, with his big toe, and he tamed the nāga kings Nanda and Upananda. It is he who arrives on an elephant chariot.”

Next, the venerable Aniruddha made his entrance from the sky using his miraculous power, having magically created a lotus the size of a chariot wheel and made entirely of gold, with a stem of beryl and a stamen of silver.

Seeing that, the master of the house asked, “Sumāgadhā, is this your teacher?”

She replied, “This one is the monk known as Aniruddha. The Blessed One pronounced him chief among those possessed of the divine eye. He conducts himself such that by the power of his merit five hundred vessels filled with cooked food arrive at his door by merely thinking of them. At the slightest thought, robes, alms, food, bedding, medicines for illness, and all necessities arise. It is he who arrives on a lotus chariot.”

Then the venerable Pūrṇa^[13] made his entrance from the sky above, having magically created a garuḍa chariot.

The master of the house asked, “Sumāgadhā, is the one arriving on a garuḍa chariot your teacher?”

She replied, “This one is the monk known as Pūrṇa. The Blessed One pronounced him chief among the teachers of Dharma. It is he who arrives on a garuḍa chariot.”

Next, the venerable Aśvajit made his entrance in an extremely peaceful manner.

The master of the house asked, “Sumāgadhā, is this one who arrives in such a tranquil manner, holding an alms bowl, your teacher?”

She replied, “This is the monk known as Aśvajit. With his tranquil manner, he tamed a mad elephant. Seeing his tranquil manner, the noble Śāriputra saw the truth, went forth and became a renunciant in the teaching of the Blessed One, and, having become a renunciant, attained arhathood. F.294.b It is he who arrives in a tranquil manner.”

Then the venerable Upāli made his entrance from the sky above using his miraculous power, having magically created a forest of golden palm trees.

The master of the house asked, “Sumāgadhā, is this one who arrives in a forest of golden palm trees your teacher?”

She replied, “This is the monk known as Upāli. The Blessed One pronounced him chief among the holders of the Vinaya. As many as five hundred Śākya renunciants placed a great heap of ornaments such as necklaces, bracelets, armlets, golden parasols, and garments in front of him. When he saw them, he felt a great revulsion. Understanding them all to be impermanent, he became a renunciant in the teaching of the Buddha, and, having become a renunciant, he realized the state of an arhat. It is he who arrives in a forest of golden palm trees.”

Next, the venerable Mahākātyāyanaputra made his entrance from the sky using his miraculous power, having magically created a pinnacled temple made of beryl.

The master of the house asked, “Sumāgadhā, is this one who arrives seated in a pinnacled temple made of beryl your teacher?”

She replied, “This is the monk known as Mahākātyāyanaputra. The Blessed One pronounced him chief among the Sautrāntika and Vaibhāṣika teachers. It is he who arrives seated in a pinnacled temple made of beryl.

Next, the venerable Kauṣṭhila made his entrance from the sky above using his miraculous power, having magically created a bull chariot.

The master of the house asked, “Sumāgadhā, is this one who arrives riding on a bull chariot your teacher?”

She replied, “This is the monk known as Kauṣṭhila. The Blessed One pronounced him chief among those who have attained analytical knowledge. It is he who arrives seated on a bull chariot.”

Then the venerable Pilindavatsa, by means of a swan chariot, made his entrance from the sky above using his miraculous power. F.295.a

The master of the house asked, “Sumāgadhā, is this one who arrives riding a swan chariot your teacher?”

She replied, “This is the monk known as Pilindavatsa. The Blessed One pronounced him chief among those who abide in compassion. When he wished to cross the Ganges River, he commanded, ‘Stay, servant woman!’ As soon as he spoke those words, she remained like a mountain peak, not flowing at all. It is he who arrives on a swan chariot.”

Next, the venerable Koṭīviṃśakarṇa made his entrance on foot, walking in a mountain forest.

The master of the house asked, “Sumāgadhā, is this one who arrives walking in a forest that is filled with hundreds of trees your teacher?”

She replied, “This is the monk known as Karṇika. The Blessed One pronounced him chief among those who exert themselves in diligence. As soon as he was born, he possessed a worth of two hundred million chaffed grains,^[14] and from the soles of his feet sprouted golden hair four finger-breadths in length. He is the one on whom five hundred karṣāpaṇa coins were spent for his first cooked meal, and when the Blessed One was ill and Mahāmaudgalyāyana brought it as a food offering for him, its aroma filled the whole of the Veṇuvana, so that King Bimbisāra smelled it and was greatly amazed. He is the one who, merely setting down his two feet, caused this earth to quake. He is the one, after he became a renunciant and stepped onto the meditation walkway, from whose two feet blood^[15] flowed and was drunk by crows.

It is he who arrives on foot.”

Then the venerable Rāhula made his entrance, having magically created the appearance of a universal monarch.

The master of the house asked, “Sumāgadhā, is this one who arrives in the image of a universal monarch your teacher?”

She replied, “This is the son of the Blessed One. The Blessed One pronounced him chief among those who hold the precepts. He gloriously demonstrates what was relinquished by his father, and in the appearance of a universal monarch he is F.295.b possessed of the seven treasures and surrounded by thousands of youths. He is the one who arrives like the moon surrounded by a host of planets, constellations, and stars; like a lord of humans who has entered the royal road; like an ocean filled by the cascading of a thousand rivers; like a great protector of beings who dispels fear, illness, and misery; like a lion among beasts; like a garuḍa among birds; like the all-clearing sun; and like a universal monarch ruling the four continents. It is he who arrives like the thousand-eyed protector of the Dharma in the assembly hall of Sudharma.”^[16]

Likewise, the others made their entrances demonstrating a variety of miraculous displays—some displaying a blaze of fire, some a shower of rain. Some rose up from the earth, some rested on the foundation of the sky, and some created seats. Behold the might of those possessing miraculous power!^[17] This is how the disciples of the Blessed One went.

Then the Blessed One emitted a light by which all of Jambudvīpa was filled with light the color of refined gold. By sending forth a great mass of light from Śrāvastī all the way to Puṇḍravardhana, nowhere was there anything that could not be seen by the eyes; thus was there total visibility. The Blessed One too proceeded through the sky, with Vajrapāṇi following^[18] behind him, the residents of Śuddhāvāsa above, the gods of the desire realm below, Śakra on the left, and Brahmā on the right.

Likewise, gandharvas such as Pañcaśikha, Supriya, and Eye Gift traveled in great numbers, playing pleasant, diverse melodies on lutes, flutes, paṇava drums,^[19] clay drums, and the like, and strewing flowers, incense, perfumes, and garlands.

Meanwhile, the Blessed One established seventy-seven thousand beings in the truth for the first time and, having done so, he arrived at the city of Puṇḍravardhana. The city had eighteen gates, at which the Blessed One emanated eighteen buddhas, F.296.a a buddha appearing at each of the gates. Then the Blessed One arrived at Sumāgadhā’s house.

Since they could not see the blessed Buddha, the great crowd of people became angry and started to break down the house. So, the Blessed One used his intention to transform the entire city into crystal, so that the body of the Buddha could be seen seated within each and every house.

Sumāgadhā and many hundreds of thousands of other beings in Puṇḍravardhana then offered flowers, perfumes, garlands, and incense to the Blessed One. The Blessed One taught the Dharma to Sumāgadhā and the rest of the great gathering of people in such a way that those who heard it—Sumāgadhā and the many hundreds and thousands of other beings—obtained the direct vision of the truth. The entire assembly became inclined toward the Buddha, disposed to the Dharma, and favorable toward the Saṅgha.

Yet, the monks were perplexed, and to ease all their uncertainty, they addressed the Blessed One: “Blessed One, it is wondrous how by Sumāgadhā’s going to the other side, many hundreds of thousands of beings have become inclined toward the higher realms and toward liberation, and that by this she has accomplished buddha activity.”

The Blessed One replied, “Listen to how she accomplished buddha activity, not only at present but in the past, too. Monks, in ancient times, long ago, when the lifespan of humans was twenty thousand years, the perfectly complete buddha known as Kāśyapa, one endowed with perfect knowledge and conduct, a well-gone one, a knower of the world, an unsurpassed charioteer who tames beings, a teacher of gods and humans, a blessed buddha, emerged in the world. At that time, a king known as Kṛkin ruled the city of Vārāṇasī. His daughter was born with a golden garland, and so they named her Kāñcanamālā.

“Later, when the girl had grown up, she went together with a retinue of young ladies, in all five hundred young girls of the same age, F.296.b to pay her respects to the perfectly complete Buddha Kāśyapa. Because they had faith in him, for as long as they lived they continued to serve that perfectly complete buddha, the blessed Kāśyapa, providing him with robes, alms, food, bedding, medicines for curing illness, and other necessities.

“During that time, one night, King Kṛkin dreamed ten dreams. As he recalled, ‘I dreamed of a king of elephants who, emerging from a window, was caught by its thin tail; I dreamed of hastening to a well when no longer thirsty; I saw the sale of a measure of pearls for a measure of flour; I saw sandalwood and ordinary wood being given equal value; I saw thieves stealing sumptuous fruits from a garden; I saw an elephant calf scaring a rutting elephant; I saw a dirty monkey smearing others with filth; I saw a monkey who was consecrated as king; I saw a piece of cloth not being torn though it was pulled^[20] by eighteen men; and I saw a great crowd of people assembled together who passed the time^[21] quarreling, arguing, fighting, and criticizing one another.’

“Then the king awoke, distraught with fear and apprehension, thinking, ‘Has my life been threatened, or am I to fall from power?’ So he gathered some brahmins who were learned in the interpretation of dream signs, and he described his dreams to them.

“However, because the brahmins despised Kāñcanamālā, they said, ‘Your Majesty, you must make a sacrificial offering to the fire with the heart of the one who is most dear to you of all.’

“In despair, the king thought, ‘The one who is to me the sweetest of all is my Kāñcanamālā!’

“Kāñcanamālā heard about this, and since she was learned, she approached the king. ‘Your Majesty, when the sun is shining, what need is there for the flame of a lamp? The perfectly complete Buddha, the blessed Kāśyapa, is dwelling at the Ṛṣivadana in Deer Park—you should go there and ask him. That blessed one will give you an accurate prophecy, to which you should adhere.’

“Then King Kṛkin sounded a great gong and announced, ‘Now I will go to the city of Vārāṇasī, to the presence of that blessed one,’ and together with Kāñcanamālā and a retinue of many hundreds of thousands, he went to where the Blessed One was. There, they bowed their heads to the feet of the Blessed One F.297.a and sat before the Blessed One in order to listen to the Dharma.

“After some time, King Kṛkin rose from his seat and approached the Blessed One. He bowed with his hands folded and told the Blessed One, ‘O Blessed One, in a single night I witnessed ten dreams. An elephant, emerging from a window, was caught by its tail…’ and so forth as before.^[22] ‘Please, Blessed One, tell me the portent of these dreams.’

“The Blessed One replied, ‘Be not afraid, Great King. Your kingdom will not decline, and your life is not in danger. On the contrary, Great King, in the future, when the lifespan of humans is one hundred years, a perfectly complete buddha known as Śākyamuni will appear, and in the latter part of that time there will emerge śrāvakas whose bodies are unrestrained, whose minds are unrestrained, whose moral discipline is unrestrained, and whose wisdom is unrestrained. They will abandon their kin and become renunciants, yet by engaging the notion of the household while in monasteries, they will still be attached. The elephant being caught by its tail when emerging from a window is a premonition of that.

“ ‘Great King, your dream of hastening to a well when no longer thirsty is a premonition that although the Dharma will be taught to those who assemble together in a monastery, they will not desire to listen, nor will they keep those teachings in mind.

“ ‘Great King, your dream of the sale of a measure of pearls for a measure of flour is a premonition that there will emerge śrāvakas who will correctly teach the faculties, powers, and precious branches of awakening merely for the sake of food.

“ ‘Great King, your dream of sandalwood and ordinary wood being given equal value is a premonition that there will emerge śrāvakas who, apprehending the words of non-Buddhists, will equate them with the words of the Buddha.

“ ‘Great King, your dream of thieves stealing sumptuous fruits from a garden F.297.b is a premonition that there will emerge śrāvakas whose bodies are unrestrained, whose minds are unrestrained, whose moral discipline is unrestrained, and whose wisdom is unrestrained, and that they will take the best flowers and fruits of the saṅgha and give them to householders for the purpose of their livelihood.

“ ‘Great King, your dream of an elephant calf scaring a rutting elephant is a premonition that śrāvakas who have faulty moral discipline and are possessed of sinful propensities will overpower monks who possess moral discipline and virtuous propensities.

“ ‘Great King, your dream of a dirty monkey smearing others with filth is a premonition that there will emerge śrāvakas who have faulty moral discipline and are possessed of sinful propensities and that they will deprecate those who possess moral discipline.

“ ‘Great King, your dream of a monkey who was consecrated as king is a premonition that at that time deluded ones will be consecrated as kings.

“ ‘Great King, your dream of a piece of cloth not being torn though it was pulled^[23] by eighteen men is a premonition that although the teaching on reality will be split into eighteen factions, the cloth of liberation cannot be torn.

“ ‘Great King, your dream of a great crowd of people assembled together quarreling, arguing, fighting, and criticizing one another other is a premonition that the teaching on reality will fade away through dispute.

“ ‘Great King, such unbearable things will come to pass in the future.’

“And with these words, King Kṛkin and Kāñcanamālā generated roots of virtue toward the perfectly and completely awakened Buddha Kāśyapa that made them conducive to liberation.

“Monks, what do you think? The one known at that time as Kāñcanamālā was this Sumāgadhā herself. At that time she F.298.a performed buddha activity, and likewise she has come here and once again performed buddha activity.”

Then the monks, with doubts arising, inquired of the blessed Buddha, “Reverend One, due to what former action was Kāñcanamālā born tied with a golden garland?”

The Blessed One replied, “Monks, it was due to this action: Long ago, the wife of some farmer or other made garlands of variously colored flowers and tied them up at the caitya of a pratyekabuddha. By the ripening of that action, she was born tied with a golden garland. Therefore, monks, the ripening of purely dark actions is purely dark, the ripening of those that are purely white is purely white, and the ripening of those that are mixed is mixed. Therefore, monks, you should abandon purely dark and mixed actions and exert yourselves in purely white actions. Monks, you should train in this way.”

Thus spoke the Blessed One, and the monks thoroughly praised the words of the Blessed One.