Candakinnara Jataka

5.10.2011

The Buddha narrated Chandakinnara jataka with reference to the virtue of Yasodhara. In ancient time, millions years ago in India there was king called Brahmadatta. He was fond of hunting. He was powerful king reign all over India. Being fond of hunting one day he went to the Himalaya.

At the same period our Bodhisatta was born as a merman and he was living with his mermaid in the Himalaya. They lived in the forest very peacefully. (actually mermaid means a kind of human. It's, anyway, not the imaginary mermaid you have seen in arts and crafts).

One day Bodhisatta merman walked around the forest with his beautiful mermaid looking at the beauty of the forest. They sang. They danced. They looked at each other hours and hours affectionately. The mermaid, wearing a garland, was singing and dancing on a rock. She was seen by the king, who came for hunting and he was having five weapons (pancayudha)

At once, he was greedy about the mermaid and though to kill the merman and to own the mermaid and possess her. Thinking so, the king aim at the merman, who was watching his wife's dancing, on the ground, and shot at him with an arrow. The arrow was gone deep into the merman's heart and fell on the ground. The mermaid, who saw the entire scene from the rock, came swiftly towards the fallen unconscious merman. She was shocked and helpless. What innocent she can do against a man but lamented.

The king though that, the merman was killed. And came to mermaid and asked her reminding all the past incident with the merman. But she noticed that his body was hot and he has his pulse. Then it is said in the Jataka that they received assistance from the king of gods in Tawatimsa. So the merman came round and they were advised to go deep into the forest where no men were available.

The Buddha uttered that at that time mermaid was Yasodhara and the merman no one but himself.

Sugata Himi

Sri Lanka Buddhist Temple

Sentul, MALAYSIA

True Siddhartha

9.09.2010

With the sound of very blue, flowing river, interrupted the firmness of the forest. The tall-huge, majestic banyan trees with lot of glory stood and looked. The yield mango trees were affectionately embraced and wrapped-up by creeping plants. A couple of jumping and running squirrels, tried to share a ripen mango. The range of mountain encircled the thick dark-green area.

The hermit Siddhartha, living solitude was in deep meditation. He had quiet, calm, composed and tranquil mind. But at once he was interrupted. He felt like somebody stepping at him. He heard a voice… a sound like sobbing and weeping … He recognized. O’ Yashodhara… that’s you….”

She appeared visibly in front of him… A large tear flow down slowly from the corner of her eyes and pour down like a small river on her face. She cried and cried by striking her head on his knees. He looked at closely and whispered. “Why Yashodhara...? You are so worried…?
She didn’t reply. She spoke little. An obeying, amenable wife, came all the way in long Sansaric lives, behind me, like a shadow that never leaves.

“Is this a illusion within me?” hermit Siddhartha thought. Then in the next though, he was fully conscious and mindful.
“O’ forgetful thoughts!” the mindfulness addressed at him…
“You are disturbing me… You are leading me off, the right path…”

He thought of preparing the mind back and purifying.
He opened his eyes. Took some water from the water-pitcher and drank. Then he stood up and started moving consciously toward the river bank. Breathing deeply, hermit Siddhartha started walking slowly in deep concentration.

Lifting the leg up… moving the leg forward… lowing the leg… placing it on the sand… and press hard on the bank floor… continuously he concentrate on the sand of the river bank then back on his position; sitting crossed legged started meditation on subject deeply as he was the master since childhood.

The rays of light then appear and back to calm. Deep concentration led him to stream of onepointedness. Then the Patibhana Nimitta appeared. Then upachara Samadhi or proximate followed. Then the Appana Samadhi. Then the mind qualifies itself for the final Appana. This Appana thought moments leads to acstatic concentration of Rupa plane, and termed the fist Rupa Jhana. Then the second Rupa Jhana and then the next… He continued.

*** *** ***

Make up your mind my Lord… you relinquished all the royal comforts and renounce and came in to this forest … “Yashodhara pacified him…” In this world there are lot, who are suffering. There are immeasurable, helpless who have no possession and destitute beings are there. You can support and assist them… You can cross, generations and generations.

You are the master already by completing perfections in long Sansara. Accomplish your aim dear Lord… Achieve Buddha hood my lord. She encouraged him.

Lot of merits dear Yashodhara…” You are very noble and an eminent Lady… To meet ladylike you with full of chastely, wise and full of virtue. I’m really fortunate. Be with me until I realize the enlightenment, dear…” declared Siddhartha.

I’ll dedicate my life toward you lord…” Be the greatest monarch in this universe…” said Yashodhara.

*** *** ***

Before the sun rays fall on the ground, meditating hermit Siddhartha heard a bell sound of anklet. That foot ware sound familiar to him. The bell sound took him into past. He remembered Yashodhara’s tender feet with golden anklet. Here, nobody use such, except Yashodhara… continuously he argued.

Then he heard, sound of sweeping. The compound of the hermitage sand floor was slowly and smoothly swept. Again the thoughts…” Yashodhara always waned to make me happy. That’s why she’s here. She did what ever to console me. Not only this life. But it expanded into far “Sansara”. The thought of stream flowed. The mindfulness started reminding him where he was. Lot of reflextions, thoughts and imaginations…

These are all fall thoughts to be suppressed. Hermit Siddhartha was again conscious. My thirst after sensual pleasure have not been eradicated. They are troubling me.
My defilements are troubling me… That’s a great obstacle to me. The “Thanha”, which is the main root of demerits, troubling me.

Greed; Lust; Pleasure; Joy; Craving; Wishing; Attachment; Genetrix; Desire; Dorment; The wife (“dutiya”); Aspirations, Craving for rebirth; Intimacy; Affection; Love; Hope and Expectance; are troubling me…

Desire of image; Desire sound; Desire of odour; Desire of taste; Desire of touch; Desire of gain ; Desire of money; Desire of Children; and Desire of Life are troubling me lot… Desire of existence troubling me…

Craving of form world may trouble me. Craving of formless world may trouble me. Desire of cessation; Flood which sweeps a man from emancipation; Hindrance, Obstacle; Concealment or covering the truth; binding or bandage; impurity; proclivity; outburst and the snare of craving and the ocean of craving troubling me

These all defilements are covering the progress of my mind. Hermit Siddhartha became aware, understood, assume, comprehend and realized the true nature of the mind.


(Sinhala song - "La dalu bo path" sing by K. Diwulgane &
Lyrics by Rev. Rambukana Siddharththa Thero)

Remembering the association
In previous lives with Yashodhara
And when unable to tolerate shed tears secretly
Like gentle trembling tender leaves of Bo tree…

From the squirrel family
Like a shadow, came after all along, wayside
Lived unshakable with me like a main post
Until attain the “Nibbana”…

Affectionately attached minded, Yashodhara
Fall on the foot of the Lord and the moment of grief and crying
Bloomed the blossom of emancipation
Consoled heart, shout of joy and illuminated like a morn…

Translated by
T. Sugatananda Thero

Short story written by
W.P.Maduka Thathsarani
Kolonnawa