78. KASSAPA AND THE WARRIOR
108 Buddhist Parables
On a certain occasion Payasi the Warrior said to the monk Kassapa, “O Kassapa, I have a belief that there is no life after death, no soul. I have a belief that there are no living beings reborn without the intervention of parents, no fruition, no ripening of good and evil deeds.”
Replied Kassapa, “Warrior, I never encountered or heard such a view. For how can a man say such a thing as this?”
“Here, O Kassapa, let me explain. Suppose my men capture a criminal and arraign him before me. And I say to them, ‘Well, batter this man, — cuticle and skin and flesh and sinews and bones and marrow, — and deprive him of life.’ And they batter that man. When he is half-dead, I say to them, ‘Now then, fling this man down on his back. Perhaps we may see his soul coming out!’ They fling that man down on his back. But no! We do not see his soul coming out! Then I say to them, ‘Now then, fling this man down bent double; stand him right side up and upside down; beat him with the hand and with a stick; shake him down. Perhaps we may see his soul coming out!’ They do so. But no! We do not see his soul coming out!”
Replied Kassapa, “Well then, Warrior, I will compose a parable for you.
“Suppose a certain trumpeter went to a certain village. Having approached it, he stood in the centre of the village, blew the trumpet three times, set the trumpet on the ground, and sat down on one side. Now, the local villagers thought, ‘What is it that makes that charming and delightful sound?’
“They decided to ask the trumpet-blower about this, saying, ‘Sire, what is it that makes that charming and delightful sound?’
“Replied the trumpeter, ‘Friends, it is that trumpet which makes that charming and delightful sound.’
“On hearing this, the villagers flung that trumpet down on its bottom, saying, ‘Speak, O trumpet! Speak, O trumpet!’ Alas, the trumpet made no sound! They flung that trumpet down; they stood it right side up and upside down; they beat it with the hand and with a stick; they shook it down. But the trumpet made no sound!
“Then that trumpeter thought, ‘How foolish these villagers are! How can they hope to hear the sound of the trumpet by seeking otherwise than in the right way?’ And with the villagers watching him, he picked up the trumpet, blew the trumpet three times, and walked off with the trumpet.
“Then, the villagers thought, ‘Ah! When this trumpet is connected with a human being, and is connected with exertion, and is connected with wind, then this trumpet makes a sound! But when this trumpet is not connected with a human being, is not connected with exertion, is not connected with wind, then this trumpet makes no sound!’
“Precisely so, when this body is connected with life, and is connected with heat, and is connected with consciousness, then it stands and sits and lies down; then it sees objects with the eye, and hears sounds with the ear, and smells odors with the nose, and tastes flavors with the tongue, and touches objects with the body, and understands the doctrine with the mind. But when this body is not connected with life, and is not connected with heat, and is not connected with consciousness, then it does not stand, does not sit, does not lie down; then it does not see objects with the eye, and does not hear sounds with the ear, and does not smell odors with the nose, and does not taste flavors with the tongue, and does not touch objects with the body, and does not understand the doctrine with the mind.”
But Payasi the Warrior remained unconvinced and again repeated, “O Kassapa, I still believe that there is no life after death, no soul; there are no living beings reborn without the intervention of parents; there is no fruition, no ripening, of good and evil deeds.”
Replied Kassapa, “Warrior, you are a short-sighted man, seeking the next world otherwise than in the right way. Renounce this wicked belief! I will compose another parable for you. Even by a parable does many a man of intelligence in this world comprehend the meaning of a statement.
“Suppose, Warrior, a certain district rose in revolt. And two friends decided to go to that district to try to find some spoils. And they went to that country, to some village or other where there was an uproar. There they saw much hemp thrown away. Seeing this, the first friend told the second friend, ‘Here is much hemp thrown away. Now, you pack up a load of hemp, and I’ll pack up a load of hemp; we’ll both carry off a load of hemp.’ And they packed up two loads of hemp.
“They both went with their loads of hemp to some village where there was an uproar. There they saw much hempen thread thrown away. Seeing this, the first friend told the second friend, ‘The very thing for which we should have wanted hemp! Here is much hempen thread thrown away! Let’s throw away your load of hemp, and I’ll throw away my load of hemp; we’ll both carry off a load of hempen instead.’ ‘This load of hemp I have been carried a long way, and it is well tied together. Let me alone! Decide for yourself!’ the second friend responded. The first friend threw away his load of hemp and took a load of hempen thread.
“So they went to some other village where there was an uproar. There they saw many hempen cloths thrown away. Seeing this, the first friend addressed the second friend, ‘The very thing for which we should have wanted hemp or hempen thread! Here are many hempen cloths thrown away! Let’s throw away your load of hemp, and I’ll throw away my load of hempen; we’ll both carry off a load of hempen cloths instead.’ ‘This load of hemp I have been carried a long way, and it is well tied together. Let me alone! Decide for yourself!’ the second friend responded. The first friend again threw away his load of hempen thread and took a load of hempen cloths.
“So they went to some other village where there was an uproar. There they saw an abundance of flax, linen thread, linen cloths; cotton, cotton thread, cotton cloths; iron; copper; tin; lead; silver; gold thrown away. Seeing this, the first friend addressed the second friend, ‘The very thing for which we should have wanted hemp or hempen thread or hempen cloths, or flax or linen thread or linen cloths, or cotton or cotton thread or cotton cloths, or iron or copper or tin or lead or silver! Here is gold in abundance thrown away! Now you throw away your load of hemp and I’ll throw away my load of silver; we’ll both carry off a load of gold.’ ‘This load of hemp I have been carried a long way, and it is well tied together. Let me alone! Decide for yourself!’ the second friend responded. The first friend threw away his load of silver and took a load of gold.
“Then they approached their own village. The friend who returned with a load of hemp, was welcomed neither by mother and father, nor by children and wife, nor by friends and companions. But the friend who returned with a load of gold, was welcomed by mother and father, and by children and wife, and by friends and companions.
“Warrior! You are just like the man in the parable who carries a load of hemp. Renounce, Warrior, your wicked belief! Let it not be to your disadvantage and sorrow for a long time to come.”
On hearing the quick-witted answers of Kassapa, Payasi the Warrior understood the doctrine and took the threefold refuge.
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All parables in printed book format: 108 Buddhist Parables and Stories
