2 : The Practice of Restraint
§9. I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was staying near Sāvatthī at Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. And on that occasion, a large number of boys on the road between Sāvatthī & Jeta’s Grove were hitting a snake with a stick. Then early in the morning the Blessed One adjusted his under robe and—carrying his bowl & robes—went into Sāvatthī for alms. He saw the large number of boys on the road between Sāvatthī & Jeta’s Grove catching little fish. Seeing them, he went up to them and, on arrival, said to them, “Boys, do you fear pain? Do you dislike pain?”
“Yes, lord, we fear pain. We dislike pain.”
Then, on realizing the significance of that, the Blessed One on that occasion exclaimed:
If you fear pain,
if you dislike pain,
don’t anywhere do an evil deed
in open or in secret.
If you’re doing or will do
an evil deed,
you won’t escape pain
catching up
as you run away. — Ud 5:4
§10. “There is the case where a disciple of the noble ones reflects thus: ‘I love life and don’t love death. I love happiness and abhor pain. Now if I—loving life and not loving death, loving happiness and abhorring pain—were to be killed, that would be displeasing & disagreeable to me. And if I were to kill another who loves life and doesn’t love death, who loves happiness and abhors pain, that would be displeasing & disagreeable to the other. What is displeasing & disagreeable to me is displeasing & disagreeable to others. How can I inflict on others what is displeasing & disagreeable to me?’ Reflecting in this way, he refrains from taking life, gets others to refrain from taking life, and speaks in praise of refraining from taking life. In this way his bodily behavior is pure in three ways.
“And further, he reflects thus: ‘If someone, by way of theft, were to take from me what I haven’t given, that would be displeasing & disagreeable to me.… If someone were to commit adultery with my wives, that would be displeasing & disagreeable to me.… If someone were to damage my well-being with a lie, that would be displeasing & disagreeable to me.… If someone were to divide me from my friends with divisive speech, that would be displeasing & disagreeable to me.… If someone were to address me with harsh speech, that would be displeasing & disagreeable to me.… If someone were to address me with idle chatter, that would be displeasing & disagreeable to me. And if I were to address another with idle chatter, that would be displeasing & disagreeable to the other. What is displeasing & disagreeable to me is displeasing & disagreeable to others. How can I inflict on others what is displeasing & disagreeable to me?’ Reflecting in this way, he refrains from idle chatter, gets others to refrain from idle chatter, and speaks in praise of refraining from idle chatter.” — SN 55:7
§11. Searching all directions
with your awareness,
you find no one dearer
than yourself.
In the same way, others
are thickly dear to themselves.
So you shouldn’t hurt others
if you love yourself. — Ud 5:1
§12. “And how is one made impure in three ways by bodily action? There is the case where a certain person takes life, is brutal, bloody-handed, devoted to killing & slaying, showing no mercy to living beings. He takes what is not given. He takes, in the manner of a thief, things in a village or a wilderness that belong to others and have not been given by them. He engages in sexual misconduct. He gets sexually involved with those who are protected by their mothers, their fathers, their brothers, their sisters, their relatives, or their Dhamma; those with husbands, those who entail punishments, or even those crowned with flowers by another man. This is how one is made impure in three ways by bodily action.
“And how is one made impure in four ways by verbal action? There is the case where a certain person tells lies. When he has been called to a town meeting, a group meeting, a gathering of his relatives, his guild, or of the royalty [i.e., a royal court proceeding], if he is asked as a witness, ‘Come & tell, good man, what you know’: If he doesn’t know, he says, ‘I know.’ If he does know, he says, ‘I don’t know.’ If he hasn’t seen, he says, ‘I have seen.’ If he has seen, he says, ’I haven’t seen.’ Thus he consciously tells lies for his own sake, for the sake of another, or for the sake of a certain reward. He engages in divisive speech. What he has heard here he tells there to break those people apart from these people here. What he has heard there he tells here to break these people apart from those people there. Thus breaking apart those who are united and stirring up strife between those who have broken apart, he loves factionalism, delights in factionalism, enjoys factionalism, speaks things that create factionalism. He engages in harsh speech. He speaks words that are insolent, cutting, mean to others, reviling others, provoking anger and destroying concentration. He engages in idle chatter. He speaks out of season, speaks what isn’t factual, what isn’t in accordance with the goal, the Dhamma, & the Vinaya, words that are not worth treasuring. This is how one is made impure in four ways by verbal action.…
“And how is one made pure in three ways by bodily action? There is the case where a certain person, abandoning the taking of life, abstains from the taking of life. He dwells with his rod laid down, his knife laid down, scrupulous, merciful, compassionate for the welfare of all living beings. Abandoning the taking of what is not given, he abstains from taking what is not given. He does not take, in the manner of a thief, things in a village or a wilderness that belong to others and have not been given by them. Abandoning sexual misconduct, he abstains from sexual misconduct. He does not get sexually involved with those who are protected by their mothers, their fathers, their brothers, their sisters, their relatives, or their Dhamma; those with husbands, those who entail punishments, or even those crowned with flowers by another man. This is how one is made pure in three ways by bodily action.
“And how is one made pure in four ways by verbal action? There is the case where a certain person, abandoning the telling of lies, abstains from telling lies. When he has been called to a town meeting, a group meeting, a gathering of his relatives, his guild, or of the royalty, if he is asked as a witness, ‘Come & tell, good man, what you know’: If he doesn’t know, he says, ‘I don’t know.’ If he does know, he says, ‘I know.’ If he hasn’t seen, he says, ‘I haven’t seen.’ If he has seen, he says, ’I have seen.’ Thus he doesn’t consciously tell a lie for his own sake, for the sake of another, or for the sake of any reward. Abandoning divisive speech, he abstains from divisive speech. What he has heard here he does not tell there to break those people apart from these people here. What he has heard there he does not tell here to break these people apart from those people there. Thus reconciling those who have broken apart or cementing those who are united, he loves concord, delights in concord, enjoys concord, speaks things that create concord. Abandoning harsh speech, he abstains from harsh speech. He speaks words that are soothing to the ear, that are affectionate, that go to the heart, that are polite, appealing & pleasing to people at large. Abandoning idle chatter, he abstains from idle chatter. He speaks in season, speaks what is factual, what is in accordance with the goal, the Dhamma, & the Vinaya. He speaks words worth treasuring, seasonable, reasonable, circumscribed, connected with the goal. This is how one is made pure in four ways by verbal action.” — AN 10:165
§13. “Monks, these four types of individuals are to be found existing in the world. Which four? The one who practices for his own benefit but not for that of others. The one who practices for the benefit of others but not for his own. The one who practices neither for his own benefit nor for that of others. The one who practices for his own benefit and for that of others.
“And how is one an individual who practices for his own benefit but not for that of others? There is the case where a certain individual himself abstains from the taking of life but doesn’t encourage others in undertaking abstinence from the taking of life. He himself abstains from stealing but doesn’t encourage others in undertaking abstinence from stealing. He himself abstains from sexual misconduct but doesn’t encourage others in undertaking abstinence from sexual misconduct. He himself abstains from lying but doesn’t encourage others in undertaking abstinence from lying. He himself abstains from intoxicants that cause heedlessness but doesn’t encourage others in undertaking abstinence from intoxicants that cause heedlessness. Such is the individual who practices for his own benefit but not for that of others.
“And how is one an individual who practices for the benefit of others but not for his own? There is the case where a certain individual himself doesn’t abstain from the taking of life but encourages others in undertaking abstinence from the taking of life. He himself doesn’t abstain from stealing but encourages others in undertaking abstinence from stealing. He himself doesn’t abstain from sexual misconduct but encourages others in undertaking abstinence from sexual misconduct. He himself doesn’t abstain from lying but encourages others in undertaking abstinence from lying. He himself doesn’t abstain from intoxicants that cause heedlessness but encourages others in undertaking abstinence from intoxicants that cause heedlessness. Such is the individual who practices for the benefit of others but not for his own.
“And how is one an individual who practices neither for his own benefit nor for that of others? There is the case where a certain individual himself doesn’t abstain from the taking of life and doesn’t encourage others in undertaking abstinence from the taking of life. He himself doesn’t abstain from stealing and doesn’t encourage others in undertaking abstinence from stealing. He himself doesn’t abstain from sexual misconduct and doesn’t encourage others in undertaking abstinence from sexual misconduct. He himself doesn’t abstain from lying and doesn’t encourage others in undertaking abstinence from lying. He himself doesn’t abstain from intoxicants that cause heedlessness and doesn’t encourage others in undertaking abstinence from intoxicants that cause heedlessness. Such is the individual who practices neither for his own benefit nor for that of others.
“And how is one an individual who practices for his own benefit and for that of others? There is the case where a certain individual himself abstains from the taking of life and encourages others in undertaking abstinence from the taking of life. He himself abstains from stealing and encourages others in undertaking abstinence from stealing. He himself abstains from sexual misconduct and encourages others in undertaking abstinence from sexual misconduct. He himself abstains from lying and encourages others in undertaking abstinence from lying. He himself abstains from intoxicants that cause heedlessness and encourages others in undertaking abstinence from intoxicants that cause heedlessness. Such is the individual who practices for his own benefit and for that of others.” — AN 4:99
§14. “And what is right resolve? Being resolved on renunciation, on freedom from ill will, on harmlessness: This is called right resolve.” — SN 45:8
§15. The first precept:
I undertake the training rule to refrain from taking life. — Khp 2
§16. From the instructions to every new monk:
“A monk who has been accepted should not deprive a living being of life, even if it is only a black or white ant. Any monk who purposely deprives a human being of life, even to the extent of causing an abortion, is not a contemplative, not a son of the Sakyan.
“Just as a solid block of stone broken in two cannot be joined together again, in the same way a monk who has purposely deprived a human being of life is not a contemplative, not a son of the Sakyan. You are not to do this for the rest of your life.” — Mv I.78.2
§17. On one occasion the Blessed One was staying near Sāvatthī at Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. There he addressed the monks, “Monks!”
“Yes, lord,” the monks responded.
The Blessed One said, “Once in the past the devas & asuras1 were arrayed for battle. Then Vepacitti the asura-king said to Sakka the deva-king: ‘Let there be victory through what is well spoken.’
“‘Yes, Vepacitti, let there be victory through what is well spoken.’
“So the devas & asuras appointed a panel of judges, [thinking,] ‘These will decide for us what is well spoken & poorly spoken.’
“Then Vepacitti the asura-king said to Sakka the deva-king, ‘Say a verse, deva-king!’
“When this was said, Sakka the deva-king said to Vepacitti the asura-king, ‘But you are the senior deity here, Vepacitti. You say a verse.’
“When this was said, Vepacitti recited this verse:
‘Fools would flare up even more
if there were no constraints.
Thus an enlightened one
should restrain the fool
with a heavy stick.’
“When Vepacitti had said this verse, the asuras applauded but the devas were silent. So Vepacitti said to Sakka, ‘Say a verse, deva-king!’
“When this was said, Sakka recited this verse:
‘This, I think,
is the only constraint for a fool:
When, knowing the other’s provoked,
you mindfully grow calm.’
“When Sakka had said this verse, the devas applauded but the asuras were silent. So Sakka said to Vepacitti, ‘Say a verse, Vepacitti!’
“When this was said, Vepacitti recited this verse:
‘Vasava2, I see a fault
in this very forbearance:
When the fool thinks,
“He’s forbearing
out of fear of me,”
the idiot pursues you even more—
as a cow, someone who runs away.’
“When Vepacitti had said this verse, the asuras applauded but the devas were silent. So Vepacitti said to Sakka, ‘Say a verse, deva-king!’
“When this was said, Sakka recited this verse:
‘It doesn’t matter
whether he thinks,
“He’s forbearing
out of fear of me.”
One’s own true good
is the foremost good.
Nothing better
than patience
is found.
Whoever, when strong,
is forbearing
to one who is weak:
That’s the foremost patience.
The weak must constantly endure.
They call that strength
no strength at all:
whoever’s strength
is the strength of a fool.
There’s no reproach
for one who is strong,
guarding—guarded by—Dhamma.
You make things worse
when you flare up
at someone who’s angry.
Whoever doesn’t flare up
at someone who’s angry
wins a battle
hard to win.
You live for the good of both
—your own, the other’s—
when, knowing the other’s provoked,
you mindfully grow calm.
When you work the cure of both
—your own, the other’s—
those who think you a fool
know nothing of Dhamma.’
“When Sakka had said this verse, the devas applauded but the asuras were silent. Then the deva & asura panel of judges said, ‘The verses said by Vepacitti the asura-king lie in the sphere of swords & weapons—thence arguments, quarrels, & strife. Whereas the verses said by Sakka the deva-king lie outside the sphere of swords & weapons—thence no arguments, no quarrels, no strife. The victory through what is well spoken goes to Sakka the deva-king.’
“And that, monks, is how the victory through what was well spoken went to Sakka the deva-king.” — SN 11:5
Notes
1. The devas & asuras were two groups of deities who fought for control of heaven (like the gods & titans in Greek mythology). The devas eventually won. The asuras, known for their fierce anger, later became classed as angry demons and, in some Buddhist cosmologies, are regarded as a class of being lower than human.
2. Vasava—“Powerful”—is one of Sakka’s epithets.
§18. “There is the case where a disciple of the noble ones, abandoning the taking of life, abstains from taking life. In doing so, he gives freedom from danger, freedom from animosity, freedom from oppression to limitless numbers of beings. In giving freedom from danger, freedom from animosity, freedom from oppression to limitless numbers of beings, he gains a share in limitless freedom from danger, freedom from animosity, and freedom from oppression. This is the first gift, the first great gift—original, long-standing, traditional, ancient, unadulterated, unadulterated from the beginning—that is not open to suspicion, will never be open to suspicion, and is unfaulted by knowledgeable contemplatives & brahmans.” — AN 8:39
§19. “Monks, there are these five kinds of loss. Which five? Loss of relatives, loss of wealth, loss through disease, loss in terms of virtue, loss in terms of views. It’s not by reason of loss of relatives, loss of wealth, or loss through disease that beings—with the break-up of the body, after death—reappear in a plane of deprivation, a bad destination, a lower realm, hell. It’s by reason of loss in terms of virtue and loss in terms of views that beings—with the break-up of the body, after death—reappear in a plane of deprivation, a bad destination, a lower realm, hell. These are the five kinds of loss.
“There are these five ways of being consummate. Which five? Being consummate in terms of relatives, being consummate in terms of wealth, being consummate in terms of freedom from disease, being consummate in terms of virtue, being consummate in terms of views. It’s not by reason of being consummate in terms of relatives, being consummate in terms of wealth, or being consummate in terms of freedom from disease that beings—with the break-up of the body, after death—reappear in a good destination, a heavenly world. It’s by reason of being consummate in virtue and being consummate in terms of views that beings—with the break-up of the body, after death—reappear in a good destination, a heavenly world. These are the five ways of being consummate.” — AN 5:130
§20. “Once, monks, in Vārāṇasī, Brahmadatta was the king of Kāsi—rich, prosperous, with many possessions, many troops, many vehicles, many territories, with fully-stocked armories & granaries. Dīghīti was the king of Kosala—poor, not very prosperous, with few possessions, few troops, few vehicles, few territories, with poorly-stocked armories & granaries. So Brahmadatta the king of Kāsi, raising a fourfold army, marched against Dīghīti the king of Kosala. Dīghīti the king of Kosala heard, ‘Brahmadatta the king of Kāsi, they say, has raised a fourfold army and is marching against me.’ Then the thought occurred to him, ‘King Brahmadatta is rich, prosperous… with fully-stocked armories & granaries, whereas I am poor… with poorly-stocked armories & granaries. I am not competent to stand against even one attack by him. Why don’t I slip out of the city beforehand?’ So, taking his chief consort, he slipped out of the city beforehand. Then King Brahmadatta, conquering the troops, vehicles, lands, armories, & granaries of King Dīghīti, lived in lordship over them.
“Meanwhile, King Dīghīti had set out for Vārāṇasī together with his consort and, traveling by stages, arrived there. There he lived with her on the outskirts of Vārāṇasī in a potter’s house, disguised as a wanderer. Not long afterwards, she became pregnant. She had a pregnancy wish of this sort: She wanted to see a fourfold army, armed & arrayed, standing on a parade ground at dawn, and to drink the water used for washing the swords. She said to King Dīghīti, ‘Your majesty, I am pregnant and I have a pregnancy wish of this sort: I want to see a fourfold army, armed & arrayed, standing on a parade ground at dawn, and to drink the water used for washing the swords.’ He said, ‘My queen, where is there for us—fallen on hard times—a fourfold army, armed & arrayed, standing on a parade ground, and water used for washing the swords?’
“‘If I don’t get this, your majesty, I will die.’
Now at that time, the brahman adviser to King Brahmadatta was a friend of King Dīghīti. So King Dīghīti went to him and, on arrival, said, ‘A lady friend of yours, old friend, is pregnant, and she has a pregnancy wish of this sort: She wants to see a fourfold army, armed & arrayed, standing on a parade ground at dawn, and to drink the water used for washing the swords.’
“‘In that case, let me see her.’
“So King Dīghīti’s consort went to King Brahmadatta’s brahman adviser. When he saw her coming from afar, he rose from his seat, arranged his robe over one shoulder and, with his hands raised in salutation to her, exclaimed three times, ‘Surely the king of Kosala has come to your womb! Surely the king of Kosala has come to your womb! Surely the king of Kosala has come to your womb! Don’t be worried, my queen. You will get to see a fourfold army, armed & arrayed, standing on a parade ground at dawn, and to drink the water used for washing the swords.’
“Then he went to King Brahmadatta and, on arrival, said to him, ‘Your majesty, signs have appeared such that tomorrow at dawn a fourfold army, armed & arrayed, should stand on a parade ground and that the swords should be washed.’
“So King Brahmadatta ordered his people, ‘I say, then: Do as the brahman adviser says.’ Thus King Dīghīti’s chief consort got to see a fourfold army, armed & arrayed, standing on a parade ground at dawn, and got to drink the water used for washing the swords. Then, with the maturing of the fetus, she gave birth to a son, whom they named Dīghāvu [LongLife]. Not long afterwards, Prince Dīghāvu reached the age of discretion. The thought occurred to King Dīghīti, ‘This King Brahmadatta of Kāsi has done us great harm. He has seized our troops, vehicles, lands, armories, & granaries. If he finds out about us, he will have all three of us killed. Why don’t I send Prince Dīghāvu to live outside of the city?’ So Prince Dīghāvu, having gone to live outside of the city, learned all the crafts.
“Now at that time King Dīghīti’s barber had gone over to King Brahmadatta. He saw King Dīghīti, together with his consort, living on the outskirts of Vārāṇasī in a potter’s house, disguised as a wanderer. On seeing them, he went to King Brahmadatta and, on arrival, said to him, ‘Your majesty, King Dīghīti of Kosala, together with his consort, is living on the outskirts of Vārāṇasī in a potter’s house, disguised as a wanderer.’
“So King Brahmadatta ordered his people, ‘I say, then: Go fetch King Dīghīti together with his consort.’
“Responding, ‘As you say, your majesty,’ to the king, they went and fetched King Dīghīti together with his consort.
“Then King Brahmadatta ordered his people, ‘I say, then: Having bound King Dīghīti & his consort with a stout rope with their arms pinned tightly against their backs, and having shaved them bald, march them to a harsh-sounding drum from street to street, crossroads to crossroads, evict them out the south gate of the city and there, to the south of the city, cut them into four pieces and bury them in holes placed in the four directions.’
Responding, ‘As you say, your majesty,’ to the king, the king’s people bound King Dīghīti & his consort with a stout rope, pinning their arms tightly against their backs, shaved them bald, and marched them to a harsh-sounding drum from street to street, crossroads to crossroads.
“Then the thought occurred to Prince Dīghāvu, ‘It’s been a long time since I saw my mother & father. What if I were to go see them?’ So he entered Vārāṇasī and saw his mother & father bound with a stout rope, their arms pinned tightly against their backs, their heads shaven bald, being marched to a harsh-sounding drum from street to street, crossroads to crossroads. So he went to them. King Dīghīti saw Prince Dīghāvu coming from afar, and on seeing him, said, ‘Don’t, my dear Dīghāvu, be far-sighted. Don’t be near-sighted. For vengeance is not settled through vengeance. Vengeance is settled through non-vengeance.’
“When this was said, the people said to him, ‘This King Dīghīti has gone crazy. He’s talking nonsense. Who is Dīghāvu? Why is he saying, “Don’t, my dear Dīghāvu, be far-sighted. Don’t be near-sighted. For vengeance is not settled through vengeance. Vengeance is settled through non-vengeance”?’
“‘I’m not crazy or talking nonsense. He who knows will understand.’ Then a second time… a third time he said, ‘Don’t, my dear Dīghāvu, be far-sighted. Don’t be near-sighted. For vengeance is not settled through vengeance. Vengeance is settled through non-vengeance.’
“A third time, the people said to him, ‘This King Dīghīti has gone crazy. He’s talking nonsense. Who is Dīghāvu? Why is he saying, “Don’t, my dear Dīghāvu, be far-sighted. Don’t be near-sighted. For vengeance is not settled through vengeance. Vengeance is settled through non-vengeance”?’
“‘I’m not crazy or talking nonsense. He who knows will understand.’
“Then the king’s people, having marched King Dīghīti together with his chief consort to a harsh-sounding drum from street to street, crossroads to crossroads, evicted them out the south gate of the city and there, to the south of the city, cut them into four pieces, buried them in holes placed in the four directions, stationed guards, and left.
“Then Prince Dīghāvu, having entered Vārāṇasī, brought out some liquor and got the guards to drink it. When they had fallen down drunk, he collected sticks, made a pyre, raised the bodies of his mother & father onto the pyre, set fire to it, and then circumambulated it three times with his hands raised in salutation.
“Now at that time, King Brahmadatta had gone up to the terrace on top of his palace. He saw Prince Dīghāvu circumambulating the pyre three times with his hands raised in salutation, and on seeing him, the thought occurred to him, ‘Doubtlessly, this person is a relative or blood-kinsman of King Dīghīti. Ah, how unfortunate for me, for there is no one who will tell me what this means!’
“Then Prince Dīghāvu, having gone into the wilderness and having cried & wept as much as he needed to, dried his tears and entered Vārāṇasī. Going to an elephant stable next to the king’s palace, he said to the chief elephant trainer, ‘Teacher, I want to learn this craft.’
“‘In that case, young man, you may learn it.’
“Then, rising in the last watch of the night, Prince Dīghāvu sang in a sweet voice and played the lute in the elephant stable. King Brahmadatta, also rising in the last watch of the night, heard the sweet-voiced singing & lute-playing in the elephant stable. On hearing it, he asked his people, ‘I say: Who was that, rising in the last watch of the night, singing in a sweet voice and playing a lute in the elephant stable?’
“‘Your majesty, a young man—the student of such-and-such an elephant trainer, rising in the last watch of the night—was singing in a sweet voice and playing a lute in the elephant stable.’
“‘I say, then: Go fetch that young man.’
“Responding, ‘As you say, your majesty,’ to the king, they went and fetched Prince Dīghāvu.
“Then King Brahmadatta said to Prince Dīghāvu, ‘I say, my young man: Was that you rising in the last watch of the night, singing in a sweet voice and playing a lute in the elephant stable?’
“‘Yes, your majesty.’
“‘I say then, my young man: Sing and play the lute.’
“Responding, ‘As you say, your majesty,’ to the king and seeking to win favor, Prince Dīghāvu sang with a sweet voice and played the lute.
Then King Brahmadatta said to him, ‘I say: You, my young man, are to stay and attend to me.’
“‘As you say, your majesty,’ Prince Dīghāvu responded to the king. Then he rose in the morning before King Brahmadatta, went to bed in the evening after him, did whatever the king ordered, always acting to please him, speaking politely to him. And it was not long before King Brahmadatta placed the prince close to him in a position of trust.
“Then one day King Brahmadatta said to Prince Dīghāvu, ‘I say then, my young man: Harness the chariot. I’m going hunting.’
“Responding, ‘As you say, your majesty,’ to the king, Prince Dīghāvu harnessed the chariot and then said to King Brahmadatta, ‘Your chariot is harnessed, your majesty. Now is the time for you to do as you see fit.’
“Then King Brahmadatta mounted the chariot, and Prince Dīghāvu drove it. He drove it in such a way that the king’s entourage went one way, and the chariot another. Then, after they had gone far, King Brahmadatta said to Prince Dīghāvu, ‘I say then, my young man: Unharness the chariot. I’m tired. I’m going to lie down.’
“Responding, ‘As you say, your majesty,’ to the king, Prince Dīghāvu unharnessed the chariot and sat down cross-legged on the ground. Then King Brahmadatta lay down, placing his head on Prince Dīghāvu’s lap. As he was tired, he went to sleep right away. Then the thought occurred to Prince Dīghāvu: ‘This King Brahmadatta of Kāsi has done us great harm. He has seized our troops, vehicles, lands, armories, & granaries. And it was because of him that my mother & father were killed. Now is my chance to wreak vengeance!’ He drew his sword from his scabbard. But then he thought, ‘My father told me, as he was about to die, “Don’t, my dear Dīghāvu, be far-sighted. Don’t be near-sighted. For vengeance is not settled through vengeance. Vengeance is settled through non-vengeance.” It would not be proper for me to transgress my father’s words.’ So he put his sword back in its scabbard. A second time… A third time the thought occurred to Prince Dīghāvu: ‘This King Brahmadatta of Kāsi has done us great harm. He has seized our troops, vehicles, lands, armories, & granaries. And it was because of him that my mother & father were killed. Now is my chance to wreak vengeance!’ He drew his sword from his scabbard. But then he thought, ‘My father told me, as he was about to die, “Don’t, my dear Dīghāvu, be far-sighted. Don’t be near-sighted. For vengeance is not settled through vengeance. Vengeance is settled through non-vengeance.” It would not be proper for me to transgress my father’s words.’ So once again he put his sword back in its scabbard.
“Then King Brahmadatta suddenly got up—frightened, agitated, unnerved, alarmed. Prince Dīghāvu said to him, ‘Your majesty, why have you gotten up suddenly—frightened, agitated, unnerved, & alarmed?’
“‘I say, my young man: Just now as I was dreaming, Prince Dīghāvu—son of Dīghīti, king of Kosala—struck me down with a sword.’ Then Prince Dīghāvu, grabbing King Brahmadatta by the head with his left hand, and drawing his sword from its scabbard with his right, said, ‘I, your majesty, am that very Prince Dīghāvu, son of Dīghīti, king of Kāsi. You have done us great harm. You have seized our troops, vehicles, lands, armories, & granaries. And it was because of you that my mother & father were killed. Now is my chance to wreak vengeance!’
“So King Brahmadatta, dropping his head down to Prince Dīghāvu’s feet, said, ‘Grant me my life, my dear Dīghāvu! Grant me my life, my dear Dīghāvu!’
“‘Who am I that I would dare grant life to your majesty? It is your majesty who should grant life to me!’
“‘In that case, my dear Dīghāvu, you grant me my life, and I grant you your life.’
“Then King Brahmadatta and Prince Dīghāvu granted one another their lives and, taking one another by the hands, swore an oath to do one another no harm.
“Then King Brahmadatta said to Prince Dīghāvu, ‘In that case, my dear Dīghāvu, harness the chariot. We will go on.’
“Responding, ‘As you say, your majesty,’ to the king, Prince Dīghāvu harnessed the chariot and then said to King Brahmadatta, ‘Your chariot is harnessed, your majesty. Now is the time for you to do as you see fit.’
“Then King Brahmadatta mounted the chariot, and Prince Dīghāvu drove it. He drove it in such a way that it was not long before they met up with the king’s entourage.
“Then King Brahmadatta, having entered Vārāṇasī, had his ministers & councilors convened and said to them, ‘I say, then. If you were to see Prince Dīghāvu, the son of Dīghīti, the king of Kosala, what would you do to him?’
Different ministers said, ‘We would cut off his hands, your majesty’—‘We would cut off his feet, your majesty’—‘We would cut off his hands & feet, your majesty’—‘We would cut off his ears, your majesty’—‘We would cut off his nose, your majesty’—‘We would cut off his ears & nose, your majesty’—‘We would cut off his head, your majesty.’
“Then the king said, ‘This, I say, is Prince Dīghāvu, the son of Dīghīti, the king of Kāsi. You are not allowed to do anything to him. It was by him that my life was granted to me, and it was by me that his life was granted to him.’
“Then King Brahmadatta said to Prince Dīghāvu, ‘What your father said to you as he was about to die—“Don’t, my dear Dīghāvu, be far-sighted. Don’t be near-sighted. For vengeance is not settled through vengeance. Vengeance is settled through non-vengeance”—in reference to what did he say that?’
“‘What my father said to me as he was about to die—“Don’t be far-sighted”—“Don’t bear vengeance for a long time” is what he was saying to me as he was about to die. And what he said to me as he was about to die—“Don’t be near-sighted”—“Don’t be quick to break with a friend” is what he was saying to me as he was about to die. And what he said to me as he was about to die—“For vengeance is not settled through vengeance. Vengeance is settled through non-vengeance”—My mother & father were killed by your majesty. If I were to deprive your majesty of life, those who hope for your majesty’s well-being would deprive me of life. And those who hope for my well-being would deprive them of life. And in that way, vengeance would not be settled by vengeance. But now I have been granted my life by your majesty, and your majesty has been granted your life by me. And in this way vengeance has been settled by non-vengeance. That is what my father was saying to me as he was about to die.’
“Then King Brahmadatta said, ‘Isn’t it amazing! Isn’t it astounding! How wise this Prince Dīghāvu is, in that he can understand in full the meaning of what his father said in brief!’ So he returned his father’s troops, vehicles, lands, armories, & granaries to him, and gave him his daughter in marriage.
“Such, monks, is the forbearance & gentleness of kings who wield the scepter, who wield the sword. So now let your light shine forth, so that you—who have gone forth in such a well-taught Dhamma & Vinaya—will be their equal in forbearance & gentleness.” — Mv X.2.3–20
