Читать книгу 108 Buddhist Parables and Stories - Olga Gutsol - Страница 19

As soon as he had 60 disciples, the Buddha sent them away to teach people everywhere. He left the Deer Park and turned southwards towards the Magadha country.

Along the way, on the banks of a river, there lived three brothers whose names were Uruvela Kassapa, Nadi Kassapa and Gaya Kassapa. Each lived with 500, 300 and 200 followers respectively. These were brahmin hermits with matted hair, worshiping the fire and keeping a fire-dragon. They were renowned throughout all India, and their names were honored as some of the wisest men.

The Blessed One paid a visit to Uruvela Kassapa and said, “Let me stay a night in the room where you keep your sacred fire.”

Kassapa, seeing the Blessed One in his majesty and beauty, thought, “This is a great monk and a noble teacher. Should he stay overnight in the room where the sacred fire is kept, the fire-dragon will bite him and he will die.” Kassapa then warned the Buddha, saying, “I do not object to your staying overnight in the room where the sacred fire is kept, but the dragon lives there; he will harm you.”

Still, the Buddha insisted and Kassapa admitted him to the room where the sacred fire was kept. And the Blessed One sat down with body erect, surrounding himself with mindfulness. In the night the dragon came, belching forth in rage his fiery poison, and filling the air with burning vapor, but could do the Buddha no harm, and the fire consumed itself while the Blessed One remained composed. In the end, the venomous serpent became so wroth that he died in his anger.

In the morning the Blessed One showed the dead body of the dragon to Kassapa, saying, “His fire has been conquered by my fire.” And Kassapa thought, “He is a great monk and possesses high powers, but he is not holy like me.”

There was in those days a festival and Kassapa thought, “The people will come from all parts of the country and will see the great Buddha. When he speaks to them, they will believe him and abandon me.” And he grew envious. When the day of the festival arrived, the Blessed One retired and did not come to Kassapa.

Kassapa went to the Buddha on the next morning and said, “Why did you not come?”

The Buddha replied, “Did not you think, Kassapa, that it would be better if I stayed away from the festival?”

Kassapa was astonished and thought, “Great is this monk; he can read my most secret thoughts, but he is not holy like me.”

Then the Blessed One addressed Kassapa and said, “You see the truth, but do not accept it because of the envy that dwells in your heart. Is envy wholesome? Envy is the last remnant of self that has remained in your mind.”

And Kassapa gave up his resistance. His envy disappeared, and, bowing down, he said, “O Master, let me receive the ordination from the Blessed One.”

Then Kassapa went to his followers saying, “I am anxious to lead a religious life under the direction of the great Buddha, who is the Enlightened One. Do what you think is best.”

Kassapa’s followers replied, “We have conceived a profound affection for the great Buddha, and if you are joining his Sangha, we will do likewise.” And all of them took refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. This is how the following of Buddha grew by another thousand devotees.