4. Hatthaka Āḷavaka, the Kind Prince

Aspiration in the Past

The future Hatthaka Āḷavaka was reborn into a worthy family in the city of Haṁsavatī, during the time of Buddha Padumuttara. On one occasion, when he was listening to the Buddha’s discourse, he saw a lay disciple being named the foremost among those lay [1435] disciples who were accomplished in the practice of the four ways of kind treatment to others, through generosity, kindly speech, beneficial conduct and impartiality (Saṅgaha-vatthu, see AN 4.256). He admired that man, and, making an extraordinary offering, he aspired to that distinction. The Buddha predicted that his aspiration would be fulfilled.

Discipleship in His Last Existence

The future Hatthaka Āḷavaka was reborn in the good destinations for the entire 100,000 aeons. During the time of Buddha Gotama he was reborn as Prince Āḷavaka, son of King Āḷavaka, in the city of Āḷavī, and it was decided to give the young prince to the Yakkha Āḷavaka as a sacrifice.

Before this could happen, however, the Buddha converted the Yakkha (see chapter 33c for details). The story of the young prince, which is reproduced from the same chapter continues:

When the king’s men from the city of Āḷavī heard the tumultuous acclaim, they thought to themselves: “Such a roar could not have occurred about any personage other than the Fortunate One. Could it be that the Fortunate One has come?” On seeing the bodily-radiance of the Buddha, they no longer remained outside the mansion but entered it without fear. There, in the Yakkha’s mansion, did they encounter the Buddha seated and the converted Yakkha Āḷavaka standing with his hands joined in adoration.

After seeing thus, the king’s men bravely handed the little Prince Āḷavaka over to the Yakkha Āḷavaka, saying: “Great Yakkha, we have brought this Prince Āḷavaka to give you in sacrifice. You may eat him if you wish. Do as you please.” As Āḷavaka had already become a noble Stream-enterer (Sotāpanna) at that time and especially as he was told so in front of the Buddha, he felt greatly ashamed.

Then Āḷavaka tenderly took over the little prince with his two hands and offered him to the Buddha, saying: “Exalted Buddha, I offer this royal child to you. I give you the boy in generosity. Buddhas are kind and protective to sentient beings for their welfare. Exalted Buddha, please receive him, this Prince Āḷavaka, for his welfare and happiness.” He also uttered this verse (SnpA, PTS 1.240):

Imaṁ kumāraṁ sata-puñña-lakkhaṇaṁ,
sabbaṅgupetaṁ paripuṇṇa-byañjanaṁ,
udagga-citto sumano dadāmi te,
paṭiggaha loka-hitāya cakkhumā.

Exalted Buddha of the fivefold eye! Being elated and happy I, Āḷavaka by name, faithfully give you the Prince named Āḷavaka, who possesses more than 100 marks owing to his past meritorious deeds, who also has all the big and small limbs and a developed physical appearance. Buddhas look after the sentient beings for their benefit. Kindly accept the prince for his own welfare.

The Buddha accepted the little Prince Āḷavaka with his hands. While he was thus accepting, in order to give his blessing for the benefit of long life and good health of the Yakkha and the prince, the Buddha uttered three verses, each omitting a line to be filled up by somebody else. That blank in each verse was filled up three times as the fourth line by the Yakkha in order to establish the little prince in the three refuges. The incomplete verses [785] which were uttered by the Buddha and completed by the Yakkha are as follows:

Buddha:

Dīghāyuko hotu ayaṁ kumāro,
tuvañ-ca Yakkha sukhito bhavāhi,
abyādhitā loka-hitāya tiṭṭhatha.

May this Prince Āḷavaka live long! Yakkha Āḷavaka, may you also have physical and mental happiness! May you both remain long, being free from the 96 diseases, for the welfare of many!

Yakkha:

Ayaṁ kumāro saraṇam-upeti Buddhaṁ.

Exalted Buddha! This Prince Āḷavaka takes refuge in the Fortunate One, lord of the world, and omniscient Buddha.

Buddha:

Dīghāyuko hotu ayaṁ kumāro,
tuvañ-ca Yakkha sukhito bhavāhi,
abyādhitā loka-hitāya tiṭṭhatha.

May this Prince Āḷavaka live long! Yakkha Āḷavaka, may you also have physical and mental happiness! May you both remain long, being free from the 96 diseases, for the welfare of many!

Yakkha:

Ayaṁ kumāro saraṇam-upeti Dhammaṁ.

Exalted Buddha! This Prince Āḷavaka takes refuge in the Dhamma consisting of the ten features, such as the four paths, four fruitions, Nibbāna and the entire body of teaching.

Buddha:

Dīghāyuko hotu ayaṁ kumāro,
tuvañ-ca Yakkha sukhito bhavāhi,
abyādhitā lokahitāya tiṭṭhatha.

May this Prince Āḷavaka live long! Yakkha Āḷavaka, may you also have physical and mental happiness! May you both remain long, being free from the 96 diseases, for the welfare of many!

Yakkha:

Ayaṁ kumāro saraṇam-upeti Saṅghaṁ.

Exalted Buddha! This Prince Āḷavaka takes refuge in the Saṅgha of the noble ones in the ultimate and noble sense of the word (paramattha-ariya).

Then the Buddha entrusted the little prince to the king’s officers, ordering: “Bring up this royal child and later return him to me!”

The original name of the prince was Āḷavaka. As has been said, the day the Yakkha was tamed, the prince was passed from the hands of the royal officers to the Yakkha’s hands, from the Yakkha’s hands to the Buddha’s hands, from the Buddha’s hands back to the hands of the officers. Hence he was named Hatthaka Āḷavaka – Āḷavaka who has been handed over from person to person.

When the officers returned, carrying the little prince, they were seen by farmers and foresters and other people, who asked timidly: “How is it? Is it that the Yakkha does not want to devour the prince because he is too small?” – “Friends, do not be afraid,” replied the officers, “The Fortunate One has made him free from danger,” and they related the whole story to them.

Then the entire city of Āḷavī cheered, shouting: Well done! Well done! The people faced in the direction where the Yakkha Āḷavaka was and roared: “The Fortunate One has caused safety! The Fortunate One has caused safety!” When it was time for the Buddha to go to town for alms food, the Yakkha went along, carrying the Buddha’s bowl and robe half the way down to see the Buddha off, and then he returned to his mansion. [786]

After the Buddha went on alms round in the city of Āḷavī and when he had finished his meal, he sat on the splendid seat which was prepared under a tree in quietude at the city gate. Then King Āḷavaka came with his hosts of ministers, troops and they were joined by the citizens of Āḷavī who did obeisance to the Buddha and sat down around him and asked: “Exalted Buddha, how could you tame such a wild and cruel Yakkha?”

The Buddha then delivered the Discourse to Āḷavaka (Āḷavaka-sutta, Snp 1.10) in twelve verses in which he started his narration with the attack made by the Yakkha and related in detail: “In this manner did he rain down nine kinds of weapons, in this manner did he exhibit such horrible things, in this manner did he put questions to me, in this manner did I answer his questions.” By the end of the discourse 84,000 sentient beings realized the four truths and found emancipation.

Now King Āḷavaka and the citizens of Āḷavī built a shrine for the Yakkha Āḷavaka, near the original shrine of the Deva Vessavaṇa. And they regularly made offerings to the Yakkha of things worthy of divine beings (devatā-bāli) such as flowers, perfumes, etc.

When the little prince grew up into an intelligent youth, they sent him to the Buddha with these words: “You, prince, have secured a new lease of life because of the Fortunate One. Go and serve the master. Serve the Saṅgha of monks as well!” The prince approached the Buddha and the monks and rendered his service to them, practised the Dhamma, and was established in the Non-returning fruition (Anāgāmi-phala). He also learned all the teachings of the Three Baskets (Tipiṭaka) and acquired a retinue of 500 lay devotees for the Buddha.

Foremost Title Achieved

One day, Hatthaka Āḷavaka, who kept the Observance Day precepts, accompanied by 500 lay disciples, visited the Buddha. After paying respects to him, he sat in a suitable place. When the Buddha saw his big following, and very sedate manners of those that came with Hatthaka Āḷavaka, he said: “Āḷavaka you have a big following; what sort of kind treatment do you extend to them?” And Hatthaka Āḷavaka replied: “Venerable sir, I practise generosity towards those persons who would be delighted by my act of generosity; I use pleasant words to those who would be delighted by pleasant words; I give necessary assistance to those who are in need of such assistance and who would be delighted by my assistance; I treat those as my equals in respect of those who would be delighted by such treatment.

With reference to that conversation between the Buddha and Hatthaka Āḷavaka, on one occasion, during the Buddha’s residence at the Jetavana monastery when he was conferring titles to outstanding lay disciples, he declared:

Etad-aggaṁ bhikkhave mama sāvakānaṁ upāsakānaṁ
catūhi saṅgaha-vatthūhi parisaṁ saṅgaṇhantānaṁ yad-idaṁ Hatthako Āḷavako.

Monastics, among my lay disciples who treat their followers kindly in four ways, Hatthaka Āḷavaka is the foremost.