Chapter XXXII

Formerly, when King Asoka was a lad, playing on the road, he met Sakya Buddha going begging. The little boy, rejoiced at the chance, gave him a handful of earth as an offering. Buddha received it, and on his return sprinkled it on the ground where he took his exercise. In return for this act of charity the lad became an iron-wheel king and ruled over Jambudvipa. On assuming the iron-wheel he was on a certain occasion going through Jambudvipa on a tour of inspection, at which time he saw one of the places of torment for the punishment of wicked men situated between the two iron-circle mountains. He immediately asked his attendant ministers, “What is this place?” To this they replied and said, “This is the place where Yama-raja, the infernal king, inflicts punishment on wicked men for their crimes.” The king then began to reflect and said, “If the demon king, in the exercise of his function, requires to have a place of punishment for wicked men, why should not I, who rule men (on earth), have a place of punishment likewise for the guilty?” On this he asked his ministers, “Who is there that I can appoint to make for me a hell,and to exercise authority therein for the punishment of wicked men?” In reply they said, “None but a very wicked man can fulfil such an office.” The king forthwith dispatched his ministers in every direction to seek for such a man.

In the course of their search they saw, by the side of a running stream, a lusty great fellow of a black colour, with red hair and light eyes; with the talons of his feet he caught the fish, and when he whistled to the birds and beasts, they came to him; and as they approached he mercilessly shot them through, so that none escaped. Having caught this man, he was brought before the king. The king then gave him these secret orders, “You must enclose a square space with high walls, and with this enclosure plant every kind of flower and fruit (tree), and make beautiful alcoves, and arrange everything with such taste as to make people anxious to look within. Make a wide gate to it, and then when any one enters, seize him at once and subject him to every kind of torture. Let no one (who has once entered) ever go out again. And I strictly enjoin you, that if I even should enter, that you torture me also and spare not. Now, then, I appoint you lord of this place of torment!” It happened that a certain Bhikshu, as he was going his rounds begging for food, entered the gate. The infernal keeper seeing him, made preparations to put him to torture. The Bhikshu, being much frightened, suppliantly begged a moment’s respite. “Permit me, at least, to partake of my mid-day meal,” he said. It so happened that just then another man entered the place, on which the keeper directly seized him, and, putting him in a stone mortar, began to pound his body to atoms till a red froth formed. The Bhikshu having witnessed this spectacle, began to reflect on the impermanency, the sorrow, the vanity of bodily existence, that it is like a bubble and froth of the sea, and so he arrived at the condition of an Arhat.

This having transpired, the infernal keeper laid hold of him and thrust him into a caldron of boiling water. The heart of the Bhikshu and his countenance were full of joy. The fire was extinguished and the water became cold, whilst in the middle of it there sprang up a lotus, on the top of which the Bhikshu took his seat. The keeper forthwith proceeded to the king and said, “A wonderful miracle has occurred in the place of torture; would that your majesty would come and see it.” The king said, “I dare not come, in consideration of my former agreement with you.” The keeper replied, “This matter is one of great moment: it is only right you should come; let us consider your former agreement changed.” The king then directly followed him and entered the prison; on which the Bhikshu, for his sake, delivered a religious discourse, so that the king believed and was converted. Then he ordered the place of torture to be destroyed, and repented of all the evil he had formerly committed.

From the time of his conversion he exceedingly honoured the three precious ones (i.e., Buddha, Dharma, Sangha), and went continually to the spot underneath the Pei-to tree for the purpose of repentance, self-examination, and fasting. In consequence of this, the queen on one occasion asked, “Where does the king go so constantly?” The ministers replied, “He continually resides under the Pei-to tree.” The queen hereupon, awaiting an opportunity when the king was not there, sent men to cut the tree down. The king repairing as usual to the spot, and seeing what had happened, was so overpowered with grief that he fell down senseless on the ground. The ministers, bathing his face with water, after a long time restored him to consciousness. Then the king piled up the earth on the four sides of the stump of the tree, and commanded.the roots to be moistened with a hundred pitchers of milk. Then prostrating himself at full length on the ground, he made the following vow, “If the tree does not revive I will never rise up again.” No sooner had he done this than the tree began to force np small branches from the root, and so it continued to grow until it arrived at its present height, which is somewhat less than 120 feet.