King Fruitful and Queen Sivali (52)

King Fruitful and Queen Sivali

(Chapter 1. Rebirth of the Bodhisattva)

Once upon a time, in the city of Mithila, there lived a king who had two sons. The older son was named “Badfruit”, and his younger brother was called “Poorfruit”. While they were still fairly young, the king made his eldest son the crown prince. He was second in command and next in line to the throne. Prince Poorfruit became the commander of the army. Eventually, the old king died and Prince Badfruit became the new king. His brother, in turn, became the crown prince. Before long, one of the servants took a dislike to Crown Prince Poorfruit. He went to King Badfruit and told a fib — that his brother was planning to kill him. At first the king did not believe him. But the servant repeated the lie so many times that the king eventually took it for real and became frightened. So he had Prince Poorfruit put in chains and locked up in the palace dungeon.

“I am a righteous man who does not deserve these chains. I never wanted to kill my brother. I wasn’t even angry with him. So now I shall invoke the power of Truth. If what I say is true, may these chains fall off and the dungeon doors be opened!” thought the prince to himself. Miraculously, the chains broke into pieces, the door opened, and the prince fled to a village on the outskirts. The villagers there recognised him. As they respected him, they helped him, and the king was unable to recapture his younger brother. Though the crown prince lived in hiding, he became the master of the entire remote region and soon had the command of a large army. “Although I wasn’t an enemy to my brother at first, I must be an enemy to him now,” he thought. So he took his army and surrounded the city of Mithila, and sent a message to his brother: “I was not your enemy, but you have made me so. Now I have come to wage war against you. You have two choices — either surrender your kingdom or fight.” King Badfruit decided to go to war. He would do anything to keep his power. Before leaving with his army for the battlefields, he bade farewell to his queen who was pregnant with his child. “My love, no one knows who will win this war. Therefore, if I die, you must protect the child inside you,” he said to her. Then, he bravely went off to war and was quickly slain by the soldiers of his enemy brother. News of the king’s death spread through the city. The queen disguised herself as a poor, dirty and homeless person. She put on old rags for clothes and smeared herself with dirt. She put some of the king’s gold and her own most precious jewellery into a basket, and covered these with dirty rice that no one would want to steal. Then, she left the palace before sunrise carrying the basket on her head. Nobody recognised her in this attire, and so she left the city by the northern gate. Since she had always lived inside the city, the queen had no idea where to go. She had heard of a city called Campa, thought it might be a good place to settle down, and so sat down at the side of the road and began asking if anyone was going to Campa. It so happened that the the unborn child the queen was carrying was no ordinary baby.

This was not his first life nor his first birth. Millions of years before, he had been a follower of the teachings of a long-forgotten one — a “Buddha”, a fully “Enlightened One”. He had wished with all his heart then to become a Buddha just like his beloved master. He had been reborn many times — sometimes as poor animals, sometimes as longliving gods and sometimes as human beings. He always tried to learn from his mistakes and develop the “Ten Perfections”, so that he could purify his mind and remove the three root causes of suffering — the poisons of craving, anger and the delusion of a separate self. By practising the Perfections, he would someday be able to replace the poisons with the three purities — non-attachment, loving-kindness and wisdom.

This ‘Great Being’ had been a humble follower of the forgotten Buddha. His goal was to gain the same enlightenment as the Buddha — the experience of complete Truth. People call him a ‘Bodhisattva’, which means ‘Being who seeks Enlightenment for oneself and others’. No one really knows about the millions of lives lived by this great hero. But many stories have been told — including this one about a pregnant queen who was about to give birth to him. After many more rebirths, he became the Buddha who is remembered and loved by all in the world today.

At the time of our story, the Bodhisattva had already achieved the Ten Perfections. So the glory of his coming birth caused a trembling in all the heavenly worlds, including the Heaven of 33 ruled by King Sakka. When he felt the trembling, being a god, he knew it was caused by the unborn baby inside the Queen of Mithila who was in disguise. And he knew this must be a being of great merit, so he decided to go and help out. King Sakka made a covered carriage with a bed in it, and appeared at the roadside in front of the pregnant queen. He looked just like an ordinary old man. “Does anyone need a ride to Campa?” he called out.

The homeless queen answered, “I wish to go there, kind sir.” “Come with me then,” said the old man. Since the queen was about to be due, she was quite large. “I cannot climb up into your carriage. Why don’t you just carry my basket and I will walk behind,” she said. The old man, the king of the gods, replied, “Never mind! Never mind! I am the cleverest driver around. So don’t worry. Just step into my cart!” Lo and behold, as she lifted her foot, King Sakka magically caused the ground under her to elevate, and she stepped into the carriage easily. Immediately, she knew this must be a god, and fell fast asleep.

King Sakka drove the cart until he came to a river. He woke the queen up and said, “Wake up, daughter, and bathe in this river. Dress yourself in these fine clothes that I have brought you. Then have some food.” She obeyed him, and then lay down and continued to rest. When she woke up in the evening, she saw tall houses and walls. “Which city are we in, father?” she asked. “We are in Campa,” he answered. “In so short a time? I heard it was a long way to Campa,” she asked again. “I took a short cut,” replied King Sakka. “You may enter safely through the southern gate of the city. I must continue with my journey,” he replied. So they parted and King Sakka disappeared in the distance, back to his heavenly world. The queen entered the city and went to an inn. It happened that there was a wise man who lived in Campa. He recited spells and gave advice to help people who were sick or unfortunate. He saw the beautiful queen from a distance when he was on his way to bathe in the river with 500 followers. The great goodness of the unborn one within her gave her a soft, warm glow that only the wise man noticed. At once he took a gentle liking for her, as if she were his own youngest sister. He left his followers outside and went into the inn. “Sister, which village are you from?” he asked. “I am the queen of King Badfruit of Mithila,” she answered. “Then why did you come here?” “My husband was killed by the army of his brother, Prince Poorfruit. I was afraid, so I ran away to protect my unborn baby.” “Do you have any relatives in this city?” asked the wise man. “No sir,” she answered. “Don’t worry. I come from a rich family and I myself am rich too. I will take care of you just as I would for my own younger sister. Now you must touch my feet and call me ‘brother’.”

When she had done this, the followers came inside. The wise man explained to them that she was his long lost youngest sister. He instructed his closest followers to take her to his home in a covered cart, and to inform his wife to look after her. The followers did exactly as they were told. The wise man’s wife welcomed her, gave her a hot bath, and made her rest in bed. After bathing in the river, the wise man returned home. At dinner time, he asked his sister to join them and invited her to stay in his house. A few days later, the queen gave birth to a wonderful little baby boy. She named him “Fruitful”. She told the wise man this was the name of the boy’s grandfather, who had once been the King of Mithila.

(Chapter 2. Gaining Power )

The baby soon grew up into a fine young boy. As his friends often made fun of him for being fatherless, he asked his mother who his father was. She told him to pay no heed to what the other children said, and revealed to him that his father was the dead King Badfruit of Mithila, and how the King’s brother, Prince Poorfruit, had stolen the throne. After that, it didn’t bother him when others called him “son of a widow”. Before he turned 16, bright young Fruitful had already mastered all there was to know about religion, literature and the skills of a warrior. He also grew and became a very handsome young man.

One day, he decided it was time to regain his rightful crown, which had been stolen by his uncle. So he went up to his mother and asked, “Do you have anything precious that belongs to my father?” “Of course! I did not escape empty-handed. I brought pearls, jewels and diamonds so there is no need for you to work. Go directly and take back your kingdom!” she exclaimed.

“No, mother, I will take only half. I will use that money, sail to Burma, the land of gold, and make my fortune there.” “No, my son, it is too dangerous to sail abroad. There is plenty of fortune here!” Being a filial son, he answered, “No, mother, I must leave half with you so that you can live in comfort as a queen should.” Soon after, he departed for Burma. On the same day that Prince Fruitful set sail, his uncle King Poorfruit became very ill. He was so sick that he could no longer leave his bed. Meanwhile, on the ship bound for Burma there were some 350 people. It sailed for seven days before a violent storm blew suddenly and damaged the ship. All except the prince cried out in fear and prayed for help to their various gods. But the Bodhisattva did not cry out in fear or pray to any god for help. Instead he helped himself. First, he filled his belly with concentrated butter mixed with sugar, since he didn’t know when he could take his next meal again. Next, he soaked his clothes in oil to protect himself from the cold ocean water and help him stay afloat. When the ship began to sink, he clung onto the tallest part of the ship, the mast, for dear life. As the deck went underwater, he climbed up the mast. Meanwhile, his trembling, frightened shipmates were sucked underwater and gobbled up by hungry fishes and huge turtles. The seawater all around turned a bloody red.

As the ship sank, Prince Fruitful reached the top of the mast, and jumped far out into the sea to avoid being devoured by the marine animals that had collected near the wrecked ship. It was said that the very same moment Prince Fruitful escaped the snapping jaws of the fishes and turtles, King Poorfruit died in his bed. After his mighty leap from the top of the mast, the prince fell into the emerald-coloured sea. For seven days and seven nights, he swam tirelessly. On the eighth day, as usual, even in the deep sea, he observed the fasting day of the full moon by washing his mouth with salt water and practising the “Eight Precepts” to purify himself.

Long ago in the very distant past, the gods of the four directions had appointed a goddess to be the protector of all oceans. Her duty was to protect the good, especially those who honour and respect their mothers and elders. Prince Fruitful was one such person who deserved the protection of the ocean goddess. Unfortunately, the goddess had neglected her duties as she was too busy indulging herself in heavenly pleasures. When she finally remembered to watch over the oceans, she saw the prince struggling for his life after swimming for seven days and seven nights in the emerald sea. “I will lose favour with the other gods if I let Prince Fruitful die in the ocean,” she thought. So she appeared before him in all her splendour and beauty. Wishing to learn from the Bodhisattva, the goddess tested him by saying that he was only making a foolish attempt in swimming so zealously with no shore in sight. “Oh lovely goddess, I know that effort is the way of the world. So long as I’m in this world with an ounce of strength left, I will try and try, even in mid-ocean with no shore to be seen,” came the reply of the prince when he saw the goddess. To test him further, the goddess said discouragingly, “This vast ocean stretches much farther than you can see, with nary a shore in sight. Your effort is useless — for here you must die!”

Undeterred, the prince replied, “Dear goddess, how can effort be useless? There is nothing disgraceful in making an attempt even if one might fail. Only time will tell if one can succeed or not, but the value is in the effort itself in the present moment. Disgrace lies in making no effort at all through laziness. One who stops trying only causes his own downfall!” Pleased with his lofty principles and perseverance, the goddess saved him from a watery grave and safely led him to Mithila. Meanwhile in Mithila, the dead King Poorfruit had left behind an only daughter called Princess Sivali. She was well-educated and wise.

When the king was dying, the ministers asked, “Who will be the next king, my lord?” “Whoever can satisfy my daughter Sivali, whoever recognises the head of the royal square bed, whoever can string the bow that only a thousand men can string, or whoever can find the 16 hidden treasures will be the next king,” he answered and took in his last breath. After the funeral of the king, the ministers began their search for a new king. First, they looked for someone who could satisfy the princess, and so called for the general of the army.

Princess Sivali wished that Mithila could be ruled by a strong leader, so she decided to test him. She told him to come to her, and immediately he ran up the royal staircase to look for her. She said, “To prove your strength, run back and forth in the palace.” Thinking only of pleasing her, the general ran back and forth until she motioned for him to stop. Then she demanded, “Now jump up and down.” Again, the general did as he was told without a second thought. Finally, the princess asked him to massage her feet, and he sat in front of her and began rubbing her feet obediently. When he did that, she kicked him down the royal staircase. “This fool has no common sense. He follows orders blindly without a second thought. He has no strength of character and definitely lacks the will power needed to rule a kingdom. So throw him out of here at once,” said the princess to her ladies-in-waiting.

The same thing happened with the treasurer, the cashier, the keeper of the royal seal and the royal swordsman. The princess found them all to be unworthy fools. The ministers decided to give up on the princess and find someone who could string the bow that only a thousand men can string. But again they could find no one. Similarly, they couldn’t locate anybody who knew the head of the royal square bed, or who could find the 16 treasures. Worried that they would not find a suitable king, the ministers consulted the royal family priest. “Calm down, my friends. We will send out the royal festival carriage. The one it stops for will be able to rule over all India,” assured the priest. They decorated the carriage and yoked the four most beautiful royal horses to it. The high priest sprinkled the carriage with holy water from a sacred golden pitcher. “Now go forth, riderless carriage, and find the worthy one with enough merit to rule the kingdom,” he proclaimed. The horses pulled the carriage around the palace and then down the main avenue of Mithila. They were followed by the four armies — the elephants, chariots, cavalry and foot soldiers. The most powerful politicians of the city expected the procession to stop in front of their houses. But instead it left the city by the eastern gate and went straight to the mango garden. Then it stopped in front of the sacred stone where Prince Fruitful was sleeping. “Let us test this sleeping man to see if he is worthy to be the king. If he is the one, he will not be frightened by the noise of the drums and instruments of all four armies,” suggested the chief priest. And what a lot of noise they made, but the prince just turned over on his other side and remained fast asleep. So they tried again, creating a din even louder than the first. Still, the prince simply rolled over from side to side in slumber.

The head priest examined the soles of the sleeping prince and exclaimed, “This man can rule not only Mithila, but the whole world in all four directions.” So he woke the prince up and said, “My lord, arise, we beg you to be our king.” Prince Fruitful replied, “What happened to your king?” “He died,” said the priest. “Did he have any children?” asked the prince. “Only a daughter, Princess Sivali,” answered the priest. Then Prince Fruitful agreed to be their new king.

The chief priest spread jewels on the sacred stone. After bathing, the prince sat among the jewels. He was sprinkled with perfumed water from the gold anointing bowl. Then he was crowned as King Fruitful. The new king rode in the royal chariot, followed by a magnificent procession, back to the city of Mithila and the palace. Princess Sivali still wished to test the new king. So she sent a man to tell him she wished for him to come at once. But King Fruitful simply ignored the messenger and continued to inspect the palace with its furnishings and works of art. The messenger reported this to the princess and she sent him back two more times with the same results. “This is a man who knows his own mind and is not easily swayed,” he said to the princess. “He paid scant attention to your words as we pay to the grass when we step on it!” Soon the new king arrived at the throne room, where the princess was waiting. He walked steadily up the royal staircase — not hurrying, not slowing down, but dignified like a strong young lion. The princess was so impressed by his attitude that she went to him, respectfully give him her hand, and led him to the throne. He then gracefully sat on the throne.

“Did the previous king leave behind any advice for testing the next king?” he asked the royal ministers.

“Yes, my lord,” they said, “Whoever can satisfy his daughter, Princess Sivali, will be the next king.”

The young king responded, “You have seen the princess give me her hand. Are there any more tests?” “Whoever recognises the head of the royal square bed will be the next king, my lord,” they said. The king took a golden hairpin from his head and gave it to Princess Sivali.

“Put this away for me,” he said to her.

Without thinking, she put it on the head of the bed. As if he had not heard it the first time, King Fruitful asked the ministers to repeat the question. When they did, he pointed to the golden hairpin.

“Is there another test?” asked the king again.

“Yes, my lord,” replied the ministers. “Whoever can string the bow 

that only a thousand men can string will be the next king.” When they brought the bow, the king strung it without even getting up from the throne. He did it as easily as a weaver woman who bends the rod that untangles cotton for spinning.

“Are there any more tests?” the king asked yet again.

“Whoever can find the 16 hidden treasures will be the next king. This is the last test, my lord.” replied the ministers.

“What is the first on the list?” he asked. They said, “The first is the treasure of the rising sun.” King Fruitful realised that there must be some clues to help locate each treasure. He knew that a Silent Buddha is often compared to the glory of the sun. So he asked, “Where did the old king go to meet and offer food to the Silent Buddhas?” When they showed him the place, he had them dig up the first treasure.

The second was locating the treasure of the setting sun. King Fruitful realised this must be where the old king had said goodbye to the Silent Buddhas. In the same manner he found all the hidden treasures. The people were happy that their new king had passed all the tests. As his first official act, he had houses of charity built, one in the centre of the city and one at each of the four gates. He donated the entire 16 treasures to the poor and needy. He also sent for his mother and the kind, wise man of Campa, giving both of them the honour which they deserved. A great celebration was held, and all the people of the kingdom came to Mithila to celebrate the restoration of the royal line. They decorated the city with fragrant flower garlands and incense, and provided cushioned seats for visitors. There were fruits, sweets, drinks and cooked food everywhere. Musicians and dancing girls were hired by the ministers and the wealthy to entertain the new king. And there were also beautiful poems recited by wise men, and blessings chanted by holy men. Seated on his throne under the royal white umbrella, King Fruitful appeared as majestic as the heavenly god King Sakka in the midst of the grand celebration. He remembered his great effort while struggling in the ocean against all odds. He was rewarded for his perseverance, self-reliance and indomitable energy; while those who merely prayed perished miserably. This filled him with such joy that he spoke this rhyme,

“Things happen unexpectedly, and prayers may not come true, But effort brings results that neither thoughts nor prayers can do.” After the wonderful celebration, King Fruitful ruled Mithila with perfect righteousness. He also humbly gave honour and alms food to the Silent Buddhas — the Enlightened Ones who lived in a time when their teachings could not be understood. In time, Queen Sivali gave birth to a son. He was named Prince Longlife, as the wise men of the court saw signs of a long and glorious life ahead of him. When he grew up, King Fruitful appointed him second-in-command.

(Chapter 3. Giving Up Power )

Long, long ago when this story took place, it happened at a time when people led extremely long lives, even as long as 10,000 years! In this story, King Fruitful had ruled for about 7,000 years when one day the royal gardener brought him an especially wonderful collection of fruits and flowers. He enjoyed them so much that he wanted to visit the garden. So the gardener arranged and decorated the garden with care, and invited him to tour it.

The king set out on a royal elephant, followed by his entire court and many of the ordinary people of Mithila. When he entered through the garden gate, he saw two beautiful mango trees. One tree was laden with luscious perfectly ripe mangoes, while the other was completely empty of fruits. He took one of the fruits and enjoyed its delectable sweet taste. He decided to savour more of the delicious mangoes on his return trip. When the people noticed that the king had eaten the first fruit, they knew the mangoes were safe and edible. They scrambled for the fruits and in a flash all mangoes had been eaten. Greedy for the taste of the mangoes, some even broke the twigs and stripped the leaves, searching for more when the fruits were gone.

When King Fruitful returned, he was surprised to see the tree stripped bare and nearly destroyed. The fruitless tree, however, remained as beautiful as before, its bright green leaves shining in the sunlight.

“What happened here?” the king asked his ministers.

“Since your majesty had eaten the first fruit, the people felt free to devour the rest.

Searching for more when all the mangoes had been eaten, they destroyed the leaves and twigs. The fruitless tree was spared as it had no fruits in the first place,” they explained. This saddened the king. He thought, “This fruitful tree was destroyed, but the fruitless one was spared. My kingship is like the fruitful tree — with greater power and possessions, the fear of losing them is also greater. The holy life of a simple monk, on the other hand, is like the fruitless tree — giving up power and possessions leads to freedom from fear.” After that, the Bodhisattva decided to give up all his wealth and power, to leave the glory of kingship behind and abandon the constant task of protecting his position. He decided it would be better to channel all his effort into leading the pure life of a simple monk.

Only then could he discover deep lasting happiness, which would spread to others as well. He returned to the city. Standing next to the palace gate, he called for the commander of the army and said, “From today onwards, no one is to see my face except a servant to bring me my food and another one for my water and toothbrush. You and the ministers will continue to rule according to the old law, and I will live as a simple monk on the top floor of the palace.”

After some time, his people began to wonder about the change in him. “Our king has changed. He no longer speaks to us, or watches bull fights and elephant fights, or visits his garden to admire the swans in the ponds. Why does he not speak to us?” they asked the servants who brought the king his food and water. “Did he mention anything to you?”

“He is trying to keep his mind from thinking about desirable things, so it will be peaceful and wholesome like the minds of his old friends, the Silent Buddhas. He is trying to develop the purity of the ones who own nothing but good qualities. Once we even heard him say out loud, “I can think only of the Silent Buddhas, who are free from chasing ordinary pleasures. Their freedom makes them truly happy — who will take me to where they live?” replied the servants to the crowd that had gathered in the palace courtyard.

Time flew by, and soon four months had passed. At that point, King Fruitful realized there were too many distractions in the beautiful kingdom of Mithila that prevented him from finding inner peace and Truth. So he decided to give up everything once and for all, become a forest monk and live in the Himalayan Mountains. He had the yellow robes and begging bowl of a monk brought to him. Then he ordered the royal barber to shave his head and beard. He planned to leave the palace early the next day. Meanwhile, Queen Sivali had heard about his plans. She gathered 700 of his most beautiful queens and took them to see him. They passed by King Fruitful while he was coming down the stairs, but didn’t recognise him dressed as a monk. When they got to the top floor, Queen Sivali found it empty, with only the king’s shaven hair and beard still there. Instantly, she realised that the unknown monk she had seen earlier was her husband. All 701 queens, in their lovely veils and richest finery, ran down the stairs to the palace courtyard and followed the king-turned-monk on his trail. Upon Queen Sivali’s instructions, they all let down their hair and tried to entice the king to stay. They sobbed and pleaded. All the people of the city also became very upset and started following the king around when they heard of his intention to renounce his throne. “We heard that our king wants to live the life of a simple monk. How can we ever find such a good and fair ruler again?” they wept. But all the crying and begging from his queens and people did not change the mind of the Bodhisattva, for he had decided and was determined to stick to it. Finally, Queen Sivali stopped crying. Seeing that the beautiful queens from the harem did not stop her husband, she went to the commander of the army and instructed him to set fire to the slum houses and abandoned buildings that were in the king’s path, and to all the bushes and wet leaves in different parts of the city. She was hoping that this would create alot of smoke and stop the king from leaving.

“All Mithila is burning, my lord! The beautiful buildings with their valuable art works, precious metals, jewels and treasures are all being destroyed. Return, oh king, and save your riches before it is too late,” cried Queen Sivali at the feet of the king. “They belong to others. I own nothing now, so I’m not afraid of losing anything. My mind is at peace,” replied the Bodhisattva.

With that, he left the city through the northern gate, still followed by all 701 queens. According to Queen Sivali’s instructions, they showed him villages being robbed and destroyed. There were armed men attacking, while others seemed wounded and dead. But what looked like blood was really just red dye, and the dead were only pretending. The king knew it was a trick, since there were no actual robbers and plunderers in the kingdom in the first place.

Suddenly, the king stopped and asked his ministers, “Whose kingdom is this?”

“Yours, oh lord,” they answered.

“In that case, anyone who crosses this line will be punished,” he ordered as he drew a line across the road. No one, including Queen Sivali, dared to cross the line. But when she saw that the king continued down the road, with his back to her, she was grief-stricken. Beating her chest she fell across the line. Once the line was crossed, the whole crowd lost its fear and followed her. The entire crowd headed by the army and Queen Sivali kept on with their journey tailing behind King Fruitful, who continued for many miles towards the Himalayas in the north. Meanwhile, there was a monk named Narada, who lived in a golden cave in the Himalayas. He was a very wise man. By great mental effort he had gained supernatural powers that only the holiest men are said to have. After meditating in a wonderful trance for some time he suddenly shouted, “What happiness! Oh what happiness!” Then, using his special powers, he scanned over all India to see if anyone else was sincerely seeking that same happiness and freedom from all distractions of the world. He saw only King Fruitful, the Bodhisattva who would someday become the Buddha. He saw that he had given up all his earthly powers. And yet he was still being blocked and hindered by the crowd following him from his previous worldly life. In order to help and encourage the king, he magically flew through the air and floated in front of the king.

“Oh monk, why is this crowd, with all its noise, following you?” he asked King Fruitful.

The king replied, “I have given up the power of kingship and left the world for good.

That is why my former subjects follow me, even though I left them happily.”

“Don’t be too confident, oh monk. You haven’t succeeded in leaving the world yet, for there are still obstacles within you. These are the ‘Five Hindrances’ — the desire for ordinary pleasures of sight, sound and so forth, the desire to harm others, laziness, nervous worrying, and unreasonable doubts. Therefore, practise the Perfections, be patient, and don’t think either too much or too little of yourself,” advised the holy monk. He finished by saying, “I give you my blessing — may goodness, knowledge and Truth protect you on your way.” Then he disappeared and reappeared back in his golden cave. Due to this wise advice, King Fruitful became even less concerned with the crowd outside, realising that the greatest obstacles or hindrances, were the ones inside him. Meanwhile, Queen Sivali fell at his feet once again. “Oh king, hear the wails of your subjects. Comfort them by crowning your son to rule in your place if you need to leave for good,” she pleaded.

“I have already left my subjects, friends, relatives and my country behind. Have no fear, the nobles of Mithila have trained Prince Longlife well, and they will protect and support both of you.” “But oh king, by becoming a monk, you are leaving me without a husband. What a shame!

What am I to do?” she continued. “Only be careful not to teach the prince any unwholesome thoughts, words or deeds. Otherwise you will bring painful results to yourself,” he advised. As the sun set, the queen made camp while the king went into the forest to sleep at the foot of a tree. The next day she continued to follow him, bringing the army with her as they approached a small city. It happened that, while the Bodhisattva was travelling, a man in the city had bought a fine piece of meat from a butcher. He had placed it on a table to cool after cooking it. But a stray dog grabbed and ran off with it. The man chased after the dog to the southern gate of the city before giving up because he was too tired to continue. This dog happened to cross the path of King Fruitful and Queen Sivali. Frightened by them, he dropped the meat on the road. Seeing that it was a good piece of meat and that the real owner was unknown, King Fruitful cleaned the meat, put it in his begging bowl and ate it.

Queen Sivali, who was used to eating the delicacies of the palace, was disgusted and said to him, “Even at the point of death, an upper-class person would not eat the leftovers of a dog! Eating such disgusting food shows you are completely unworthy!” “It is your own vanity that keeps you from seeing the value of this meat. If rightfully obtained, all food is pure and wholesome!” replied King Fruitful. As they continued towards the city gate, the good king thought, “Queen Sivali keeps following me. This is a bad thing for a monk. I must find a way to teach her that she must go.”

Just then they came upon some children who were playing. Among them was a girl with a bracelet on one wrist and two on the other. Believing that she was a wise child, the king asked her, “My child, why is it that one arm of yours makes noise with every movement, while the other does not?” The little girl replied, “Oh monk, it’s because on one arm there are two bracelets, while on the other there is only one. When there are two, the second knocks against the first and creates the noise. The arm with only one bracelet, however, remains silent. So if you want to be happy, you must learn to be content when you are alone.”

The Bodhisattva said to the queen, “Did you hear the wise words of this child? As a monk I would be ashamed if I allow you to stay with me in front of her. So be on your way, we shall part here. We are husband and wife no more! Goodbye!” The queen agreed and they took separate paths. But she became grief-stricken once again and soon returned to follow the king. They entered the city together, so he could collect alms food.

They came to the house of an arrow-maker. They watched him as he wetted a red-hot arrow, and straightened the shaft by gazing down at it with one eye shut. The king asked,

“My friend, why do you view the arrow with only one eye open when making it?”

“With both eyes open, the wide view of the second eye is distracting. Only by focusing and concentrating my view through one eye can I truly produce a straight arrow. So likewise if you want to be happy, you must learn to be content when you are alone,” answered the arrow-maker. The king collected his alms food and then they left the city. “Did you hear what that craftsman said?” he asked the queen. “It is the same word of wisdom. As a monk I would be ashamed if I continue to let you stay with me in front of him. So be on your way and I’ll go mine. We are husband and wife no more! Goodbye!” But still she followed him. Thus, the Bodhisattva cut a stalk of tall grass and said to her, “Just as the two pieces of this grass stalk cannot be joined anymore, I will not join you again in the marriage bed! We can never be together again as husband and wife. Like a full stalk of uncut grass, live on alone, my ex-wife Sivali.” The queen went mad with grief and shock when she heard her husband say this. She beat herself with both hands until she fell to the ground completely unconscious. The Bodhisattva quickly left the roadway, erased his footsteps and disappeared into the jungle. First, he had given up the power and wealth of a monarch. Now he had given up the power and desires of a husband. At last, he was free to follow the path of a Truth-seeking wandering monk. He made his way to the Himalayas and in only one week was able to develop special mental powers. Never again did he return to the ordinary world.

Meanwhile, the royal ministers, who had been following the queen from a distance, tried to revive her when they discovered that she had fainted. “Where is my husband, the king?”, she asked when she was conscious again. “We don’t know, your majesty. We only saw you unconscious on the ground when we arrived,” they replied. The queen panicked and immediately ordered a search. They looked and looked, but of course he was gone. Months and years later, Queen Sivali realised she was no longer angry, jealous or vengeful towards her ex-husband who was now a monk. Instead, she admired him more than ever, even more than when she first gave him her hand and led him to the throne during their first meeting, for she had recovered from her fear and grief. She also had four monuments erected in honour of the courageous King Fruitful. They were built at the places where he had spoken to the floating holy man Narada, where he had eaten the good meat left behind by the dog, and where he had conversations with the little girl and the arrow-maker. Then she had Prince Longlife crowned as the new king in the royal garden next to the two mango trees. Together with the army and crowds of followers, they returned to the city of Mithila. Queen Sivali had learnt something by following and finally losing her husband King Fruitful. She too had tasted freedom! The wise lady gave up her royal duties and retired to meditate in the garden by the mango trees. Eventually, through her efforts, she achieved a high mental state and was reborn in a heavenly world.

The moral is ✏ it’s easier to gain power than to give it up.

Posted by irawan

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