13.3 （三）竹膊

Thus have I heard:

At one time, the Buddha was at Anāthapiṇḍada's Park in the Jeta Grove near Śrāvastī.

At that time, in the city of Śrāvastī, there was an elder whose only son had just died. He loved and cherished him so much that he could never let go. Seeing his son dead, he became insane, wandering around without stopping in one place. When he saw people, he would ask, "Has anyone seen my child?"

Gradually, he went to the Jetavana Monastery and came to where the World-Honored One was. He stood to one side and said to the World-Honored One, "Śramaṇa Gautama! Have you seen my child?"

The World-Honored One said to the elder, "Why do you have an unhappy countenance and confused faculties?"

At that time, the elder replied to Gautama, "How could it not be so? The reason is that I now have only one child, who has left me and passed away. I deeply loved and cherished him, never leaving him out of sight; out of compassion for my child, it has caused me to go mad. I now ask the śramaṇa, have you seen my child?"

The World-Honored One said, "Indeed, elder! As you ask, birth, old age, sickness, and death are the common laws of the world; the suffering of separation from loved ones and the suffering of encountering those we dislike - your child has left you and passed away, how could you not think of him?"

At that time, that person, upon hearing what the World-Honored One said, did not accept it and left. Proceeding further, he saw another person and again asked, "The śramaṇa Gautama said, 'Through separation from loved ones, there is happiness.' Is what the śramaṇa said true?"

The other person replied, "How can there be happiness in separation from loved ones?"

At that time, not far from Śrāvastī, there were many people playing dice. The person then thought, "These men are wise and knowledgeable, there is nothing they do not know. I will now ask them about this meaning." He then went to where they were playing dice and asked the people, "The śramaṇa Gautama told me, 'The suffering of separation from loved ones and the suffering of encountering enemies, this is happiness.' What do you people think about this?"

At that time, the dice players replied to the person, "How can there be happiness in separation from loved ones? The meaning of happiness is not so."

At that time, the person then thought, "If the Tathāgata's words are true, they cannot be false. How can there be happiness in separation from loved ones? This meaning is not so."

At that time, the person entered the city of Śrāvastī and, at the palace gate, proclaimed, "The śramaṇa Gautama teaches that separation from loved ones and encountering hatred is happiness." At that time, the news spread throughout the city of Śrāvastī and the inner palace, reaching everywhere.

At that time, King Prasenajit and Queen Mallikā were together on a high pavilion, enjoying themselves and playing. King Prasenajit then said to Queen Mallikā, "The śramaṇa Gautama truly said, 'Separation from loved ones and encountering hatred are both happiness.'"

The queen replied, "I have not heard such teachings from the Tathāgata. If the Tathāgata did teach this, it would not be false.

King Prasenajit said, "It is like a teacher instructing a disciple, 'Do this, abandon that.' The disciple replies, 'Yes, teacher!' Now you, Mallikā, are also like this. Although the śramaṇa Gautama says this, you should say, 'It is so, not different, not false.' But go quickly, do not stand before me.

At that time, Queen Mallikā said to the bamboo-legged brahmin, "Now you go to the Jetavana Monastery, go to the Tathāgata, and in my name kneel at the Tathāgata's feet. Also, with this meaning, fully inform the World-Honored One, saying, 'In the city of Śrāvastī and in the inner palace, there is this discussion. The śramaṇa Gautama says that separation from loved ones and meeting with those one dislikes are all happiness. I do not know if the World-Honored One has taught this.' If the World-Honored One has taught it, you should receive it well and return to tell me.

At that time, the bamboo-legged brahmin received the queen's instructions and went to the Jetavana Monastery. Arriving at the place of the World-Honored One, they exchanged greetings. After exchanging greetings, he sat to one side.

At that time, the brahmin said to the World-Honored One, "Queen Mallikā pays homage at the feet of the World-Honored One, inquiring about the Tathāgata's well-being, ease of rising, and strength of walking. In guiding the blind and ignorant, is there no weariness?" He also said, "In the city of Śrāvastī, there is a widespread saying: 'The śramaṇa Gautama teaches that separation from loved ones and meeting with those one dislikes is joyful and pleasant.' I do not know if the World-Honored One has taught this.

At that time, the World-Honored One told the bamboo-legged brahmin, "In this city of Śrāvastī, there was an elder who lost a son. He was insane and lost his mind, running around east and west, asking anyone he saw, 'Who has seen my son?' Brahmins! Separation from loved ones and meeting with those one dislikes are all without joy. In the past, in this city of Śrāvastī, there was an old mother who passed away. She too became insane and did not recognize east and west. There was also an old father who passed away. There were also brothers and sisters who all passed away. Seeing these changes due to impermanence, they became insane and lost their minds, not recognizing east and west. Brahmins! In the past, in this city of Śrāvastī, there was a man who newly married a wife who was exceptionally beautiful. After some time, he became poor. The wife's parents saw that he was poor and thought, 'We should take back our daughter and marry her to someone else.' The man overheard that the wife's family wanted to take back his wife and marry her to someone else. At that time, the man wore a sharp knife under his clothes and went to the wife's family. At that time, the wife was spinning in the shade outside the wall. The man went to the wife's parents' house and asked, 'Where is my wife now?' The wife's mother replied, 'Your wife is spinning in the shade outside the wall.' The man then went to the wife. Arriving, he asked the wife, 'Do your parents want to take you back and marry you to someone else?' The wife replied, 'It is true, but I do not like to hear these words.' At that time, the man immediately drew his sharp sword, stabbed his wife to death, and then took the sharp sword to stab his own abdomen, saying, 'The two of us will die together.' Brahmins! By this method, know that separation from loved ones and meeting with those one dislikes are all sorrowful and cannot be described.

At that time, the bamboo-legged brahmin said to the World-Honored One, "Indeed, World-Honored One! These afflictions are truly suffering and not joyful. The reason is that I once had a son who passed away. Day and night, I miss him and cannot let go of him in my heart. When I think of my son, my mind is insane and confused, running around east and west, asking anyone I see, 'Who has seen my son?' What the śramaṇa Gautama has just said is indeed true. I have many affairs of state and wish to return to my residence.

The World-Honored One said, "Now is the right time."

The bamboo-legged brahmin immediately rose from his seat, circumambulated the Buddha three times, and left. He went to Queen Māyā and told her the details of the matter.

At that time, Queen Māyā went to King Prasenajit and said to the great king, "I have something to ask now. I only wish that the great king would answer all my questions. How is it, great king? Do you think of Prince Vidūdabha?"

The king replied, "I think of him very much. I love and pity him, and he is always on my mind."

The queen asked, "If there is any change in the prince, will the great king be worried?"

The king replied, "Yes, my queen, as you say."

The queen asked, "Great king, you should know that separation from loved ones always gives rise to sorrow. How is it, great king, do you think of Prince I-lo?"

The king replied, "I love and respect him very much."

The queen asked, "Great king, if Prince I-lo were to change, would you be sorrowful?"

The king replied, "I would be very sorrowful."

The queen said, "This is the way to know that there is no joy in separation from loved ones. Great king, do you remember the kshatriya Sarata?"

The king replied, "I loved and respected him very much."

The queen said, "Great king, if anything were to happen to Queen Sarata, would you be sad?"

The king replied, "I would be sad."

The queen said, "Great king, you should know that separation from loved ones is suffering."

The queen said, "Does the king think of me?"

The king said, "I love and think of you."

The queen said, "If my body were to change, would the great king be sorrowful?"

The king said, "If your body were to change, I would be sorrowful."

"Great king! You should know that this is the way of separation from loved ones and reunion with those we dislike, without any joy."

The queen said, "Great king! Do you think of the people of Kasi and Kosala?"

The king said, "I think very fondly of the people of Kasi and Kosala."

The queen said, "If the people of Kasi and Kosala were to change, would the great king be sorrowful?"

The king said, "If the people of Kasi and Kosala were to change, I would not be able to live. How could I speak of sorrow? The reason is this: I am able to live because of the strength of the people of Kasi and Kosala. By this means, I know that my life is not secure. How could I not give rise to sorrow?"

The queen said, "From this we know that all separation from loved ones is painful and has no joy."

At that time, King Prasenajit knelt on his right knee, joined his palms towards the World-Honored One, and said, "How wonderful! How wonderful! The World-Honored One speaks of this Dharma. If that śramaṇa Gautama comes, then we can discuss it." He also said to the queen, "From now on, I will look at you even more than usual. The clothes you wear will be no different from mine."

At that time, the World-Honored One heard that Queen Māyā had made this statement to the king. He told the bhikṣus, "Queen Māyā is very wise. If King Prasenajit asks me about this, I will also explain it to him in the same way as the queen explained it to the king." He also told the bhikṣus, "Among my śrāvakas, the foremost in attaining the state of upāsaka with firm and solid faith is none other than Queen Māyā."

At that time, the bhikṣus, having heard the Buddha's teaching, joyfully received and practiced it.