Ja 169 The Birth Story about (the Teacher) Araka (2s)

“The heart that boundless pity feels.” This story the Teacher told at Jetavana, about the Discourse on Loving-kindness.

On one occasion the Teacher thus addressed the Saṅgha, “Monks, loving-kindness practised with all devotion of thought, {2.61} meditated upon, increased, made a vehicle of progress, made your one object, practised, well begun, may be expected to produce Eleven Blessings. [See AN 11.15 Mettānisaṁsasuttaṁ, or Mettāsuttaṁ.] What are these eleven? Happy he sleeps and happy he awakes; he sees no bad dreams; men love him; Amanussas guard him; fire, poison, and sword come not near him; quickly he becomes absorbed in mind; his look grows calm; he dies undismayed; without need of further wisdom he goes to Brahma’s Realm. Loving-kindness, monks, practised with renunciation of one’s wishes” and so forth, “may be expected to produce these Eleven Blessings. Praising the loving-kindness which holds these Eleven Blessings, monks, a monk ought to show kindness to all creatures, whether expressly commanded or not, he should be a friend to the friendly, aye a friend to the unfriendly, and a friend to the indifferent: thus to all without distinction, whether expressly bidden or not, he should show loving-kindness: he should show sympathy with joy and sorrow and practise equanimity; he should do his work by means of the four Divine Abidings. By so doing he will go to Brahma’s Realm even without Path or Fruit. Wise men of old by cultivating loving-kindness for seven years, have dwelt in Brahma’s Realm seven ages, each with its one period to wax and one to wane.” See Childers, Dict. p. 185 b. The belief still lives. Two gentlemen who visited the Chief of Chinese Lamaism and the High Priest of Buddhism in Pekin, in 1890, talked with them over the decline of Buddhism in this age. Both admitted it, the [43] Buddhist attributing it to want of government support, while the Lama thought it was because this is a waning period in religion; but as the waxing follows the waning he looked forward to a revival. (Baptist Missionary Herald, 1890.) And he told them a story. [2.43]

In the past, in a former age, the Bodhisatta was born in a brahmin’s family. When he grew up, he forsook his sensual desires and embraced the ascetic life, and attained the four Divine Abidings. His name was Araka, and he became a Teacher, and lived in the Himālayas region, with a large body of followers. Admonishing his band of sages, he said: “A recluse must show loving-kindness, sympathetic must he be both in joy and sorrow, and full of equanimity; for this thought of loving-kindness attained by resolve prepares him for Brahma’s Realm.” And explaining the blessing of loving-kindness, he repeated these verses:

In this connection, he who has loving-kindness in mind, compassion for all the world, beginning with nobles and so on, or ascetics and brahmins, whoever has a measureless loving-kindness in mind, and compassion for the whole world of beings.

Above means from the earth as far as the Brahmā Realm of neither perception nor non-perception.

Below means from the earth on down to the great hell and its auxiliaries.

Across the middle means in the human world.

In whatever universe they are reborn, amongst all beings in that place, thinking: ‘May all creatures be free from hatred, oppression and trouble, may they take care of themselves and be happy,’ developing this with loving-kindness in mind, this is the meaning.

Without measure means without measuring beings, without measuring the object, without measure.

Entirely means in every way, above, below, and across the middle, thus with regard to all the good and bad destinations, this is the meaning.

A measureless beneficial mind means having made it measureless, developing a beneficial mind towards all beings.

Perfected means flawless.

Well-developed means well-cultivated, this is what is known as mental absorption.

The deed done according to measure means that which is measureless, without measuring the object, without cultivating the four triad of objects, Explained in Vism as the limited-object triad, the path-object triad, the past-object triad, and the internal-object triad (trans. Bhikkhu Ñāṇamoli). without cultivating the five attainments of mastery, Explained in Vism as mastery of the first absorption by adverting; entering; determining; rising and retrospection. having done a small deed in the sense realm.

Does not remain in that place means that small deed, that which is a measureless beneficial mind, a deed in the form realm, done with intention, does not remain in that place. Like a little water is overcome by a great flood, inside that flood, through that the little water being carried away does not remain, it does not continue, then only the great flood, after overcoming the little water, continues. Even so a small deed is inside of a lofty deed of his and is cut off by that lofty deed, without gaining an opportunity to give a result, it does not remain, it does not continue, it is unable to give a result to oneself, then that lofty deed, after covering over that small deed, continues, it gives a result.

Thus did the Bodhisatta discourse to his pupils on the practice of loving-kindness and its blessings. And without a moment’s interruption of his Absorption, he was reborn in the Brahma Realm, and for seven ages, each with his time to wax and wane, he came no more to this world.