King Goodness the Great
(Perseverance)
Once upon a time, the Bodhisattva was born into the royal
family of Benares, in northern India. When he became king he was known as King
Goodness the Great. He was named so as he was trying to do good all the time, even
when the results might not benefit him. For example, he spent most of the royal
treasury on the building and running of six houses of charity. In these places,
food and aid were given freely to all the poor and needy who came along, even
to unknown travellers. Soon, King Goodness the Great became famous for his
patience, loving-kindness and compassion. It was said that he loved all beings
just like a father loves his young children. King Goodness also observed
certain fasting days and practised the ‘Five Precepts’, giving up five types of
unwholesome actions. These are: destroying life, taking what is not given,
doing wrong in sexual ways, speaking falsely, and losing one’s mind from alcohol.
Because of this, his gentle kindness became purer and purer.
Wishing to harm no one, King Goodness the Great refused even
to imprison or injure wrongdoers. Knowing this, one of his high-ranking
ministers tried to take advantage of him. He devised a scheme to cheat some of
the women in the royal harem. Soon everybody got wind of this, and it was
reported to the king. The king sent for the bad minister and said, “I have
investigated and found that you have committed a criminal act. Word of it has
spread and you have dishonoured yourself here in Benares. It would be better
for you to go and live somewhere else. You may take all your wealth and your
family. Go wherever you like and live happily there. Learn from this lesson.”
The minister took his family and all his belongings and moved
to the city of Kosala. Since he was a very clever man, he worked his way up and
became a minister of the king there. Soon he became the most trusted adviser to
the King of Kosala. “My lord, I came here from Benares. The city of Benares is
like a beehive where the bees do not sting! The ruling king is very feeble and
weak. With only a very small army you can easily conquer the city and make it
yours,” he said to the king one day. The king doubted this, so he answered,
“You are my minister, but you talk like a spy who is leading me into a trap!”
“No, my lord. If you don’t believe me, send your best spies to examine what I
say. I am not lying. When robbers are brought before the King of Benares, he
gives them money, advises them not to take what is not given, and then sets
them free,” replied the minister. The king decided to check if this was true.
So he sent some robbers to raid a remote village at the border of Benares. The
villagers caught the looters and took them to King Goodness the Great. “Why do
you steal and take what is not yours?” asked King Goodness.
The robbers answered, “Your Highness, we are poor people.
There is no way we can survive without money. As your kingdom has plenty of
workers, there is no work for us to do. So we had to steal in order to
survive.” Hearing this, the king gave them gifts of money, advised them to
change their ways, and set them free.
When the King of Kosala was told of this, he sent another
gang of bandits to the streets of Benares. They too plundered the shops and
even killed some of the people. When they were captured and brought to King
Goodness, he treated them just as he had treated the first group of robbers. Hearing
this, the King of Kosala sent his troops and elephants marching towards Benares.
In those days, the King of Benares had a mighty army which included very brave elephants.
There were many ordinary soldiers, and also some who were as huge as giants. It
was said that they were capable of conquering the whole of India.
The giant soldiers told King Goodness about the small
invading army from Kosala. They asked for permission to attack and kill all of
them. But King Goodness the Great would not send them into battle. He said, “My
children, do not fight just so that I may remain as the king. If we destroy the
lives of others, we also destroy our own peace of mind. Why should we kill
others? Let them have the kingdom if they want it so badly. I do not wish to
fight.” “Our lord, we will fight them ourselves. Don’t worry. Only give us the
order,” replied the royal ministers. But again he prevented them. Meanwhile,
the King of Kosala sent him a warning, telling him to give up his kingdom or
fight. King Goodness the Great sent this reply back, “I do not want you to
fight with me, and you do not want me to fight with you. If you want the
country, you can have it. Why should we kill people just to decide who is to be
king? What does it matter, even the name of the country itself?” Hearing this,
the ministers came forward and pleaded, “Our lord, let us go out with our
mighty army. We will beat them with our weapons and capture all of them. We are
much stronger than them. We would not have to kill any of them. And besides, if
we surrender the city, the enemy army would surely kill all of us!”
But King Goodness would not be moved. He refused to harm
anyone. He replied,
“Even if you do not wish to kill, by fighting many will be
injured. By accident some may die. No one knows the future — whether our
attackers will kill us or not. But we do know whether our present actions are
right or wrong. Therefore I will not harm, or cause others to harm anyone!”
Then King Goodness ordered the city gates to be opened for
the invaders. He took his ministers to the top floor of the palace and advised
them, “Say nothing and try to remain calm.” The King of Kosala entered the city
of Benares easily. Seeing that no one was against him, he surrounded the royal
palace. He found that even the palace doors were open. So he and his soldiers
entered and went up to the top floor. They captured King Goodness the Great and
all his ministers. They were taken to the cemetery outside the city, and buried
up to their necks, standing straight up, with only their heads above the
ground. But even while the dirt was being trampled down around his neck, the
Great King Goodness remained serene and said nothing. So great were the
discipline and obedience of the ministers to King Goodness that none spoke a
word against anyone. But the King of Kosala had no mercy. “Let the jackals do
as they please come nightfall!” he barked. As the sky turned dark, a large band
of jackals wandered into the cemetery. They could smell a feast of human flesh
waiting for them. Seeing the approaching jackals, King Goodness and his
ministers shouted all at the same time to frighten the jackals away. This
happened thrice before the clever jackals realised that these men were doomed
and placed there for them to feast upon. No longer afraid, they ignored the
shouts and came on boldly. The jackal king walked right up to the face of King
Goodness.
The king offered his throat to the beast. But before it could
bite into him, the good king grabbed hold of the jackal’s neck with his teeth.
Though the jackal king was not harmed in any way, it howled in fear as King
Goodness had gripped its neck so tightly. This frightened the other jackals and
they all ran away. Meanwhile, the jackal king thrashed back and forth, trying
madly to free itself from the mighty jaws of the human king. In the process, it
loosened the dirt packed around the king’s neck and shoulders. King Goodness
was able to wiggle himself free from the loosened earth and pull himself up
from the hole in the ground when he released the screaming jackal. Then he
freed all his frightened ministers.
At that time, it happened that there was a dead body nearby
which was lying on the border of the territories claimed by two rival demons.
They were arguing over the division of the body, insulting each other in ways
that only demons can. Suddenly, one demon said to the other, “Why are we
quarrelling instead of enjoying the corpse? Right over there is King Goodness
the Great. He is famous for being a righteous man. He will divide the dead body
for us in a fair manner.” They dragged the body to the king and asked him to
divide it between them fairly. “My dear friends, I would be glad to divide this
for you. But I am really filthy now and in need of a bath. I must clean myself
first,” he said. So the two demons used their magic powers to bring scented
water, perfume, clothing, ornaments and flowers from the king’s own palace in
Benares. He bathed, perfumed himself, dressed, and put on the ornaments and
flower garlands.
When King Goodness was all refreshed, the demons asked if
there was anything else they could do. He replied that he was hungry. So, once
again by their magic powers, the demons brought the most delicious flavoured
rice in a golden bowl and perfumed drinking water in a golden cup — all taken
from the royal palace in Benares. When he was satisfied, King Goodness asked
the demons to bring him the Benares’ Sword of State that was kept underneath
the pillow of the King of Kosala, who was sleeping in the palace in Benares.
Straightaway, the sword appeared, by magic, in front of King Goodness. The king
used the sword to cut the dead body into
two equal halves, right down the spine. He washed the sword
of the state and strapped it to his side. The hungry demons happily gobbled up
the fairly divided corpse. “Now that our bellies are full, is there anything
else we can do to please you?” they asked King Goodness gratefully.
He replied, “Use your magic and set me in my own bedroom in
the palace next to the King of Kosala. In addition, put all my ministers back
in their homes.” Without a word, the demons did exactly as the king had asked. The
King of Kosala was fast asleep in his royal chamber when King Goodness gently
touched his belly with the sword of the state. The king awoke in great fright,
and was shocked to see King Goodness leaning over him with a sword in hand in
the dim lamplight. He had to rub his eyes to make sure he was not having a
nightmare!
Then he asked the great king, “How did you manage to get in
here despite the heavy security? You were buried up to your neck in the
cemetery — how is it that you are now spotlessly clean, sweet-smelling, dressed
in your own royal robes, and decorated with fine jewellery and the loveliest
flowers?” King Goodness recounted the story of his escape from the band of
jackals, and how the two demons gratefully helped him with their magic powers. On
hearing the stories, the King of Kosala bowed his head down in shame and cried,
“Oh great king, even the ferocious demons recognised your supreme goodness. But
I, lucky enough to be born as an intelligent and civilised human being, have
failed to see how wonderful your pure goodness is.” “I promise I will never
plot against you again, my lord — you who have attained such perfect
harmlessness. And I promise to serve you forever as the truest of friends.
Please forgive me, great king.” Then, behaving like a servant, the King of
Kosala laid King Goodness the Great down on the royal bed, while he himself
slept on a small couch.
The next day, the King of Kosala gathered all his soldiers in
the palace courtyard. He publicly praised the King of Benares and asked for his
forgiveness. He returned to King Goodness his kingdom and promised that he
would always protect the good king. Then he punished his adviser, the
dishonourable minister, and returned to Kosala with all his troops and
elephants. Seated majestically on his golden throne, with its legs like those
of a gazelle and shaded from the sun by a large pure white royal umbrella, King
Goodness the Great taught his loyal subjects this, “People of Benares, morality
and virtue begin with giving up the five unwholesome actions once and for all.
The noblest qualities a human being can have, whether he is a ruler or a
subject, are loving-kindness and compassion. One cannot harm another — no
matter what the reason or the cost is. And despite the danger, one must
persevere until the greatness of the good heart wins in the end.”
Throughout the rest of his reign, the people of Benares lived
peacefully and happily. King Goodness the Great continued to perform wholesome
deeds. Eventually he died and was reborn as he deserved.
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