Читать книгу 108 Buddhist Parables and Stories - Olga Gutsol - Страница 15

After nearly seven years of having heard nothing of his son, Suddhodana came to know that Siddhartha was staying at Rajagraha, and that he was claiming to be enlightened. Overjoyed to know that his son was still alive, Suddhodana sent a messenger to ask him to return home.

The messenger met the Buddha at the Bamboo Grove in Rajagraha. He was so enthralled on hearing the words of Dharma that there and then the messenger decided to become a monk, completely forgetting to pass Suddhodana’s message. More messengers were sent and the same thing happened.

Finally, in exasperation, Suddhodana commissioned his close adviser to take the message, but only permitted him to become a monk on condition that he passed the message to the Buddha.

And so the Buddha came to know of his father’s desire to see him. The Blessed One consented to the request of his father and set out on his journey to Kapilavatthu. Soon the news spread in the native country of the Buddha that Prince Siddhartha, the one who wandered forth from home into homelessness to obtain enlightenment, is coming back.

Shortly after, the Buddha set out for Kapilavatthu, accompanied by a large number of monks. Upon arrival, they stayed outside the town in a park and in the morning entered the town to beg for alms. Only then Suddhodana learned that the Buddha had arrived and was shocked that his son would sleep under a tree rather than in the palace, and beg in the streets rather than feast at the banquet table.

Suddhodana went out with his relatives and ministers to meet the prince. When the king saw Siddhartha, he was struck with his son’s beauty and dignity but unable to contain his anger he uttered, “You are degrading your family’s dignity.”

The Buddha replied, “You are speaking to your son, the prince, the person who no longer exists. Suddhodana, on becoming enlightened one becomes a member of the family of the Noble Ones and their dignity depends only on wisdom and compassion.”

The king realized that the noble monk, his son, was no longer Siddhattha – he was the Buddha, the Blessed One, the Enlightened One, and the Teacher of mankind.

Then the Buddha took a seat opposite his father, and the king gazed eagerly at his son. He longed to call him by his name, but he dared not. “Siddhartha,” he exclaimed silently in his heart, “Siddhartha, come back to your aged father and be his son again!” But seeing the determination of his son, he suppressed his sentiments. Sadness overcame him.

“I would offer you my kingdom,” the king said, “but if I did, you would treat it as mere ashes.”

And the Buddha replied, “I know that the king’s heart is full of love and that for his son’s sake he feels deep grief. But let the ties of love that bind him to the son whom he lost embrace with equal kindness all his fellow-beings, and he will receive in his place a greater one than Siddhartha; he will receive the Buddha, and the truth will enter into his heart.”

Suddhodana trembled with joy when he heard the words of his son, the Buddha, and exclaimed with tears in his eyes, “Alas! The overwhelming sorrow has passed away. At first my heart was heavy, but now I reap the fruit of your great renunciation.”

When Suddhodana had grown old, he fell sick and sent for his son to come and see him once more before he died. The Blessed One came and stayed at the sick-bed, and Suddhodana, having attained perfect enlightenment, died in the arms of the Blessed One.