Chapter VI - Chandaka’s Return

1. The night had passed in a moment and the light in the eyes of the beings had come up. He looked back and saw the dwelling of the seer Bhārgava among the trees of the forest. The forest and the rivers were utterly clear, and birds and animals were kind to people.

2. The Crown Prince was glad at heart when he saw this, and his physical suffering was naturally appeased. “This then is a lucky sign. I shall certainly obtain wonderful benefit!”

3. He further saw that the seer was someone he should worship, and, keeping his dignified demeanor, he dispelled any trace of pride.

4. He stepped down from his horse and patted it on the head. “You have taken me across now.” With friendly eyes he looked at Chandaka, as if bathing him with cool water.

5. “My swift horse’s speed is like the fast flight of a bird, but you have always been close behind the horse. I am moved by your profound reverence and diligence.

6. “My other concerns may be countless, but, yes, I recognize your sincerity. Your heart is respectful and you appear is very diligent. These two, I now see them for the first time.

7. “Some are utterly sincere, but their corporal strength is inadequate; or their strength is adequate but their heart is not sincere. You are endowed with both now.

8. “You have rejected splendid worldly recompense. You have walked out and followed me. Who does not turn toward benefit! If there is no benefit, relatives separate. But you have followed me now for nothing. You did not seek for any recompense in the present world.

9. “Why would one raise a son? In order to continue the clan. The reason one pays respect to a father is because he has raised his son. All seek benefit, but you alone have traveled with me, unconcerned about benefit.

10. “What is there to understand with more words! I shall now summarily tell you: Your service to me has ended. Mount the horse now and return! The place that I have wanted for a long time, I have now obtained it.”

11. [The prince] immediately took off his precious necklaces and gave them to Chandaka. “I take these and present them to you, to soothe your grief.”

12. The light of the maṇi atop of his precious crown shone. He immediately took it off and placed it in his palm. It was like the sun lighting up Sumeru.

13. “Chandaka, take this pearl and return to the king, my father! Do obeisance at the king’s feet with this pearl in order to show my respect. State my request to the king for me: I wish that he would give up his feelings of love!

14. “In order to do away with birth, old age, and death, I have entered the forest of asceticism, but I do not seek rebirth in heaven. It is not the case that I do not have a loving heart. Nor do I feel any dislike. I want only to give up grief.

15. “Having accumulated love for a long time, one will certainly know separation. Because there is always separation I seek the cause of deliverance. When I am delivered I shall never be separated from my relatives.

16. “I leave my family to put a stop to affection. He must not feel sorrow for me, his son! The five desires are the root of sorrow. One should feel sorrow for those who are attached to desire!

17. “The purpose of the excellent kings, our ancestors, was firm and did not change. I have now inherited all their riches except for the Law, and I reject that which is not proper.

18. “When someone’s life has ended, his riches are all left to his son. Sons mostly covet mundane profit, but I am happy with the riches of the Law.

19. “If one says that the strength of youth is not the right time to go out to study, know that the search for the Right Law is without any right time. It is not the case that there is a right time.

20. “Impermanence does not know any fixed period. The enemy death is always in pursuit. Therefore I have decided that today is the right time to seek the Law.

21. “All such statements, pronounce them all for me! I do wish that you would free the king, my father, from any further love for me!

22. “If you were to defame me because of my appearance, so that the king would give up his loving thoughts, do not be sparing of those words, and do not let the king’s affection remain uninterrupted!”

23. When Chandaka had received his instructions, he was filled with sadness and his emotions were in turmoil. He held his palms together, knelt down, and replied to the Crown Prince:

24. “If I make a full pronouncement as you have ordered, I am afraid I may increase his grief even more. His grief will become even deeper, just like an elephant sinking deeper into the mud.

25. “When one’s love decidedly has left, who among those who have a heart would not grieve? Even metal and stone break down. How much more so when one is sunk into grief!

26. “You have grown up within your palace, O Prince. Your youth was happy and your person is soft. If you submit to a thorny grove, how could you bear the austerities!

27. “When you initially ordered me to bring your horse, I was already uneasy in my mind. A celestial spirit forced me and ordered me to quickly adorn it.

28. “What could I have had in mind when I let you, Crown Prince, decide to give up your inner palace! The people of Kapilavastu, the whole land, will grieve!

29. “The king, your father, is already old. He holds his son dear and his love is deep. If you decide to give up your family, this is not as it should be.

If in your wrong view you have no parents, then there is no further discussion.

30. “Gautamī has nourished you. She has suckled you, leaving her body dried up. Her kindness is hard to forget. Do not be ungrateful!

31. “The meritorious mother of your infant is of an excellent family and she has served you well. If one has obtained her excellence but abandons her, one is not an excellent person.

32. “The excellent son of Yaśodharā will inherit the country and rule according to the Right Law. He is still young. You should not abandon him either. You have already disregarded the king, your father, and also your family and retinue.

33. “And do not abandon me! I do not wish to leave your worthy feet! My feelings are like boiling water on a fire. I cannot bear to return to our country alone.

34. “If I would now abandon you in the wilds, Crown Prince, and return, I would be the same as Sumantra who abandoned Rāma.

35. “If I now return to the palace alone, what shall I say to the king? When the whole palace reprimands me, with what words shall I answer then?

36. “You told me, Crown Prince, that as a means I may defame your appearance. But how could I speak falsely about the qualities of a muni! 37. “Because of deep shame my tongue would be unable to utter a word. Even if it could utter a word, who in the world would believe it?

38. “If I were to say that the light of the moon is hot, some in the world would believe it. But there are none who would believe that their crown prince’s acts do not constitute right behavior.

39. “Your heart, Crown Prince, is tender. You have always been compassionate for all. Being deeply affectionate, yet abandoning us—this goes against your past thoughts. I wish that you would consider returning to the palace as a comfort to my foolish sincerity.”

40. When the Crown Prince heard Chandaka’s sad words and earnest admonitions, his mind was stable and increasingly firm. He further said:

41. “You now have given rise to the suffering of separation because of me. You should give up this sadness and soothe your mind!

42. “Each being has a different destination. The principle of separation is, of course, permanent. Even if it would not let me give up my family today, death will arrive and my body and spirit will be separated. How then would I be held back?

43. “When my kind mother bore me, she loved me profoundly, constantly embracing her suffering. But when she had given birth to me, her life immediately ended. She could never raise her own son. Preservation and destruction each take a different road. Where would I seek her now?

44. “On a prominent tree in the wilderness a flock of birds gathers to roost. They assemble at sunset and scatter at dawn. The worldly separates in the same way.

45. “When floating clouds rise on a high mountain, they accumulate on the four sides in the sky. In a moment they are scattered again. The same principle applies to people.

46. “The worldly actually separates by itself. One meets for a while, entangled in love. One gathers and is scattered like a dream. One must not 12a rely on one’s own relatives.

47. “For instance, a tree that comes to life in spring gradually grows branches and leaves. But in the frost of autumn they consequently fall down. They are physically the same but still they are separated. All the more so when people unite for a while! Why would relatives always stay together?

48. “Do appease your grief! Comply with my instructions and return! Your purpose in returning may yet preserve me! Return, and I may still go back later!

49. “When the people of Kapilavastu have heard that my mind is made up, you must pronounce my words to those who care for me and who hold me dear!

50. “I will come back only after I have crossed the sea of suffering of birth and death. If my earnest wish is not fulfilled, my body will be extinguished in a mountain forest.”

51. When the white horse heard the Crown Prince say these true words, it knelt down and licked his feet. Breathing deeply, it was given to tears. With his webbed hand, its palm [bearing] a wheel, [the Crown Prince] patted the head of the white horse.

52. “Do not feel any grief! I now apologize to you. The merits of your efforts, my fine horse, are now completed. The suffering of your woeful destination is long appeased, and a fine fruition appears now.”

53. Chandaka always followed him with his sword adorned with precious things. When the Crown Prince drew the sharp sword, it was shining bright, like a dragon.

54. His dark hair, contained in his precious crown—he shaved it off and placed it in the sky. It ascended into the freezing sky, floating like a soaring phoenix.

55. The celestial sons of the Trāyastriṃśa [Heaven] returned with the hair to their celestial palace. They had always wanted to serve him at his feet. All the more now that they had obtained the hair of his head! They wholeheartedly increased their worship, all the way till the end of the Right Law.

56. The Crown Prince then thought to himself, “Even when all my ornaments are removed and I have only a garment of plain silk, I still do not have the deportment of someone who has gone forth.”

57. When he knew the Crown Prince’s thoughts, a celestial son of the pure abodes then transformed himself into the image of a hunter. He held a bow and carried sharp arrows at his waist. With his body covered by a kāṣāya garment, he went before the Crown Prince.

58. The Crown Prince thought that this garment, a dyed pure robe, was the exquisite ornamentation of a seer, and was not fit for a hunter.

59. He immediately gave a shout before the hunter, and with soft words said to him, “Concerning this garment, you look untainted by covetousness. Let me trade my own clothing with you!”

60. The hunter said to the Crown Prince, “It is not the case that I do not feel for this garment. I have used it as a decoy with deer, to lure and kill them. But if it is what you need, I shall trade it with you now.”

61. When the hunter had received the fine garment, he returned to his celestial body. When the Crown Prince and Chandaka saw this, they thought that it was wonderful.

62. “This garment certainly is correct. It is surely not the clothing of a worldling.” Their inner feelings greatly rejoiced and they doubled their reverence for the garment.

63. [The Crown Prince] then separated from Chandaka, wearing his kāṣāya garment. It was like an ochre cloud surrounding the disk of the sun or moon.

64. With dignified and careful steps he entered a seer’s cave. As Chandaka’s gaze followed him, he disappeared and was not seen any more.

65. “My master has given up the king, his father, his retinue, and me too. Wearing the kāṣāya garment he has entered the forest of asceticism.”

66. [Chandaka] raised his hands and called out to the gods. In low spirits he fell to the ground. He rose and clasped the neck of the white horse. His hopes gone, he turned back on his way.

67. In his hesitation he frequently looked back. His body went [forward] but his mind hurried back. He was lost in thought and was distracted; he looked up and down, leaning over; he fell over and rose again. Sadly weeping, he went on his way back.