Story The Heaven of 33 ( 31 )

31

The Heaven of 33

[Chapter 1. Co-operation]

Once upon a time, there was a young noble called ‘Magha the Good’ who lived in a remote village of 30 families. When he was young, his parents married him to a girl who was similar to him in character. They were very happy together, and she gave birth to several children.

The villagers respected Magha the Good because he was always trying to help improve the village, for the good of all. And because they respected him, he was able to teach them the Five Precepts, to purify their thoughts, words and deeds. Magha taught by setting an example himself. For instance, once, when the villagers gathered to do handicraft work, Magha the Good had cleaned a place for himself to sit. But before he could sit down, someone else sat there. So he patiently cleaned another spot. Again, a neighbour sat in that position.

This happened over and over again, until he had patiently cleaned sitting places for all those present. Only then could he himself sit in the last place. Through such examples of demonstrating patience, Magha the Good taught his fellow villagers how to co-operate with one other, without quarrelling. Working together in this way, they constructed several buildings and made other improvements that benefited the whole village. Seeing the worthwhile results of patience and co-operation, based on following the gentle ways of the Five Precepts, all in the village became calmer and more peaceful. And because the villagers observed the Five Precepts, eventually, all criminal activities and wrong-doings ceased to exist! You would think this would make everybody happy. But, there was one man who did not like the new situation at all. He was the head of the village and a politician who cared only about his own interest.

When there were murders and thefts, he meted out punishments. When spouses were adulterous, reputations were damaged by lies, or contracts not fulfilled, he collected fines. The authority and power he had caused the villagers to fear him. And as he received tax money from the profits of selling strong liquor, he did not mind that many of the crimes were committed when the people were in a drunken state. It was easy to see why the headman was upset. With the villagers living peacefully together, he had lost much of his authority, power and money. One day, he went to the king and lied:

“My lord, some of the remote villages are being robbed and looted by bandits. We need your help.” “Bring the criminals to me,” replied the king. The dishonest headman rounded up all the members of the 30 families and brought them as prisoners to the king. Without investigating, the king ordered all to be trampled to death by elephants. When they were ordered to lie down in the palace courtyard and the elephants were brought in, they realised what was happening. “Remember and concentrate on the peacefulness and purity that come from following the Five Precepts. Feel loving-kindness towards all. Do not get angry at the unjust king, the lying headman, or the unfortunate elephants,” said Magha the Good to the villagers. The first elephant was brought in by its mahout. But when he tried to force it to trample the innocent villagers, the elephant refused. It trumpeted and went away. Amazingly, this

happened with each of the king’s elephants. None would step on them. The mahouts complained to the king that this was not their fault. “It must be,” they said, “these men possess some drug which confuses the elephants.”

The king had the villagers searched, but they found nothing. Then his advisers suggested: “These men must be magicians who have cast an evil spell on your mighty elephants!” “Do you have such a spell?” asked the king’s guards to the villagers. “Yes we do,” replied Magha. This made the king very curious. “What is this spell and how does it work?” asked the king.

Magha the Good replied: “My king, we do not cast the same kind of spells that others cast. We cast the spell of loving-kindness with our minds purified by following the Five Precepts.” “What are the Five Precepts?” asked the king. “They are no killing, no stealing, no sexual misconduct, no lying and no taking of intoxications,” replied Magha the Good. “As we have given up the unwholesome actions of killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying and taking of alcohol, we have become pure and harmless, and are able to radiate loving-kindness to all. Therefore, the elephants lost their fear of the mahouts, and did not wish to harm us. They departed, trumpeting triumphantly. This is our protection, which

you have called a ‘spell’.” Seeing that these were wholesome and wise people, the king questioned them and learned the truth. He decided to confiscate all the wealth of the dishonest headman and divide it

among the villagers. After the villagers were freed, they undertook even more projects that would benefit the whole village. They soon started building a huge roadside inn, right next to the highway crossroads.

By far the biggest project they had undertaken, the men were confident as they had learned well how to co-operate with one other for a common goal. But they had yet to learn how to co-operate with the women of the village. At that time, Magha the Good had four wives named Good-doer, Beauty, Happy and Well- born. Of these, the first wife, Good-doer, was the wisest. She wanted to pave the way for the women to benefit from co-operating in doing community and charitable work. So she gradually became friendly with the person-in-charge of the roadside inn project. Because she wanted to help and contribute in a big way, she gave a present to the foreman. “Can you think of a way so that I may become the most important contributor to this good work you are doing here?” she asked him.  “I know just the way!” he said. He secretly constructed the most important part of the building, the roof beam which would hold the roof together, wrapped it up and passed it to Good-doer. She was to hide it and allow it to dry so that in time the beam would become rigid and strong.

Meanwhile, the men of the village continued happily working on the building project. At last they got to the point of installing the roof beam. They began to make one, but the foreman interrupted them. He said: “My friends, we cannot use fresh green wood to make the roof beam. It will bend and sag. We must have an aged dry roof beam. Go find one!” When they searched the village, they found that Good-doer just happened to have the perfect roof beam. It was even the right size! When they asked if they could buy it from her, she said: “This beam is not for sale at any price. I wish to contribute the roof beam for free, but only if you let me participate in building the inn.” Afraid and resistant to change, they replied: “Women have never been part of such project. This is impossible.”

Then they returned to the construction site and told the foreman what had happened. After listening, he answered: “Why do you keep the women away? Women are part of everything in this world. Let us be generous and share the harmony and wholesomeness of this work with the women. Then the project and our village will be even more successful.” So they accepted the roof beam from Good-doer, and she helped to finish the building of the inn. Then Beauty had a wonderful garden built next to the inn, which she donated. It had flowers and fruit trees of all types and colours. Happy, too, contributed by having a lovely pond dug, and grew beautiful lotuses in it. But Well-born, being the youngest and a little pampered, did nothing for the inn. In the evenings, Magha the Good held meetings in the roadside inn. He taught the people to assist their parents and elders, and to refrain from using harsh words, accusing others behind their backs, and being stingy. It was said that the gods of the four directions, North, East, South and West, lived in the lowest heavenly world. Because he did what he preached, Magha the Good died with happiness in his heart. He was reborn as Sakka, king of the second lowest heaven. In time, the heads of all other families of the village, as well as Good-doer, Beauty and Happy, also passed away. They were reborn as gods under King Sakka, and this heavenly world was known as the “Heaven of 33”.

[Chapter 2. Compassion]

Some unfortunate, ugly-looking demi-gods also lived in that heaven. They were known as ‘Asuras’. Magha the Good, now Sakka, King of the Heaven of 33 thought: “Why should we share our heaven with these ugly-looking Asuras? Since this is our world, let us live happily by ourselves.” With such a thought, he invited the Asuras to a party, gave them strong liquor and got them drunk. It seemed King Sakka had forgotten some of his own teachings when he was Magha the Good. After getting the Asuras drunk, he sent them to a lower world, one that was just as big as the Heaven of 33. When the Asuras were sober, they realised they had been tricked. Fuming mad, they rose up and waged war against King Sakka. They won the war, and King Sakka was forced to beat a hasty retreat. While fleeing in his mighty war chariot, he came to the vast forest of the Garudas. Garudas were gods who, unfortunately, had no super powers. Instead, they were forced to get around by flapping their huge heavy wings.

When King Sakka’s chariot drove through their forest, it upset the nests of the Garudas and made their babies fall. They cried in fear and agony. Hearing this, Sakka asked his charioteer where these sad cries were coming from. “These shrieks of terror are coming from the baby Garudas, whose nests and trees are being destroyed by your powerful war chariot,” he answered.

At this moment, King Sakka realised that all lives, including his own, are only temporary. Hearing the suffering of the baby Garudas, compassion arose within this Bodhisattva and so he said: “Let the little ones have no more fear. The first precept must not be broken. There can be no exception. I will not destroy even one life for the sake of a heavenly kingdom that must some day end. Instead I will offer my life to the victorious Asuras. Turn back the chariot!”

When the Asuras saw King Sakka return, they thought he must have brought reinforcements from other worlds. So they ran, without looking back, and returned to their lower heavenly world.

[Chapter 3. Merits]

Victorious, King Sakka returned to his palace in the Heaven of 33. Next to his palace stood the mansion of his first wife, the reborn Good-doer. Outside the mansion was the garden of his second wife, the reborn Beauty. And there was the heavenly pond of his third wife, the reborn Happy. However, Well-born had been reborn as a slender crane in the forest. Since he missed her, Sakka found her and brought her up to the Heaven of 33 for a visit. He showed her the mansion, the garden and the pond of his three wives. He told her that, by doing charitable work, the other three had gained merits. These merits had brought them happiness, both in their previous lives and in their rebirths. “You, my dear crane, in your previous life as Well-born, did no such good work.

 So you gain neither merit nor happiness, and were reborn as a forest crane. I advise you to embark on the path of purity by following the Five Precepts,” added King Sakka. After learning the Five Precepts, the lovely crane decided to follow them, and returned to the forest. Shortly after, King Sakka wondered how the crane was doing. He transformed himself into a fish and lay down in front of her to test her. The crane picked him up by the head. She was about to swallow the fish when he wiggled his tail.

“This fish is alive!” thought the crane immediately. Bearing in mind the first precept, she released the fish back into the stream. King Sakka returned to his godly form and rose from the water. “It is very good, my dear crane, that you are abiding by the Five Precepts.” Then he returned to his heavenly abode. In time, the crane passed away. As she had followed the Five Precepts, it brought her both merits and a peaceful mind. So she was reborn as a human. Interested in knowing where the crane had been reborn, King Sakka found her in a potter’s family in Benares, in northern India. As he wanted to help her gain merits and happiness, he disguised himself as an old man and created a cart full of golden cucumbers. He went into Benares and shouted: “Cucumbers! Cucumbers! I have cucumbers!”

When people came to buy these amazing cucumbers, he said: “These golden cucumbers are not for sale. I will give them away, but only to one who is wholesome, and practises the Five Precepts.” “We have never heard of the Five Precepts. But we will buy your golden cucumbers. Name your price!” answered the people. “My cucumbers are not for sale. I have brought them as gifts for the person who practises the Five Precepts,” he repeated. “This man has come here only to play tricks on us,” said the people, and so they left him alone. Soon, Well-born heard about this unusual man. Even though she had been reborn, she still had the habit of following the Five Precepts. “This man must be here for me,” she thought. She went to him and asked for the golden cucumbers. “Do you follow the Five Precepts? Have you given up destroying life, taking what is not given, doing wrong in sexual ways, speaking falsely, and losing your mind from alcohol?” “Yes sir, I do follow them, and I am peaceful and happy,” she answered. “I brought these cucumbers especially for you, to encourage you to gain more merits and future happiness,” continued the old man. With 

that, he left the cart of golden cucumbers with her, and returned to the Heaven of 33.

Throughout the rest of her life, the woman was very generous with all this gold. Spreading her happiness to others, she gained merits. After she died, she was reborn as the daughter of the King of Asuras. She grew up to be a goddess of great beauty. To the Asuras this seemed like a miracle, since the rest of them were the ugliest of all the gods. The Asura king was pleased with his daughter’s goodness, as well as her famous beauty. He gathered all the Asuras together and gave her the freedom to choose a husband. Sakka, King of the Heaven of 33, knew of his previous wife’s latest rebirth. He came to the lower heaven world and took the shape of an ordinary ugly Asura. “If Well-born chooses a husband whose inner qualities of wholesomeness are the same as hers, we will be reunited at last!” he thought.

Because of her past associations with Magha the Good and King Sakka, even though he was now disguised as an ordinary Asura, the beautiful princess was still drawn to him, and chose him from among all the Asuras. King Sakka took her to the Heaven of 33, made her his fourth wife, and they lived happily ever after.

The moral is ✏ The Five Precepts creates wholesomeness. Wholesomeness is the foundation of peace and happiness.

Posted by irawan

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