Читать книгу Garland of the Buddha’s Past Lives (Volume 1) - Aryashura - Страница 62

The king politely replied to the minister:

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“I do not strive to own the entire world,

nor to acquire heaven, liberation, or fame.

My sole concern is to save the world

and not nullify the trouble he takes for his request.”

The king then ordered one of his eyes to be carefully removed, using proper medical procedure so that it remained undamaged. With immense joy he offered the beggar the eye, which gleamed with the beauty of a blue lotus petal. Shakra, the king of the gods, then performed an act of magic so that the king and his retinue perceived the eye to be fixed in the brahmins socket. When he saw the beggar bearing this single open eye, the king’s heart became filled with the greatest joy and he gave him the second eye too.

At the gift of his eyes, the king’s face

resembled a lotus-pond empty of lotuses,

bearing a look of joy, unshared by his citizens.

The brahmin, however, was seen with eyes intact.

Throughout the palace and royal city,

the ground was sprinkled with tears of grief.

But Shakra felt astonishment and great joy

at seeing the king’s unshakeable aspiration for

awakening.

His heart filled with wonder, Shakra then had this thought: