Ja 201 The Birth Story about the Prison (2s)

In the present some monks see prisoners bound tight in prison and ask the Buddha about fetters. The Buddha explains these are not the strongest fetters, that attachment to family and sense desire are even stronger, and explains that in the past some managed to break even these bonds, and tells a story about a previous life he had.

The Bodhisatta = the man who left his family and ordained (puttadāraṁ pahāya nikkhamitvā pabbajito puriso),
King Suddhodana = his father (pitā),
Mahāmāyā = the mother (mātā),
Rāhulamātā = his wife (bhariyā),
Rāhula = his son (putta).

Present and Past Compare: Dhp-a XXIV.4 Bandhanāgāra.

Keywords: Attachment, Desire.

“Not iron fetters.” {2.139} This story the Teacher told while staying in Jetavana, about the prison-house.

At the time of this story we hear that a gang of burglars, highwaymen, and murderers had been caught and brought before the king of Kosala. The king ordered them to be made fast with chains, and ropes, and fetters. Thirty country monks, desirous of seeing the Teacher, had paid him a visit and offered their salutations. Next day, as they were seeking alms, they passed the prison and noticed these rascals. In the evening, after their return from the day’s rounds, they approached the Tathāgata, “Sir,” they said, “today, as we were seeking alms, we saw in the prison-house a number of criminals bound fast in chains and fetters, being in great misery. They could not break these fetters, and run away. Is there any fetter stronger than these?”

The Teacher replied, “Monks, those are fetters, it is true; but the fetters which consist of a craving for wealth, corn, sons, wives and children are stronger than they are a hundred-fold, nay a thousand-fold. Yet even those fetters, hard to break as they are, have been broken by wise men of old, who went to the Himālayas and became ascetics.” Then he told them a story.

In the past, while Brahmadatta ruled over Benares, the Bodhisatta was born into a poor man’s family. When he grew up, his father died. He earned wages, and supported his mother. His mother, much against his will, brought a wife home for him, and soon after died. Now his wife conceived. Not knowing that she had conceived, he said to her, “Wife, you must earn your living; I will renounce the world.” Then said she, “Nay, for I am with child. {2.140} Wait and see the child that is born of me, and then go and become an ascetic.” To this he agreed. So when she was delivered, he said: “Now, wife, you are safely delivered, and I must turn ascetic.” “Wait,” said she, “till the time when the child is weaned.” And after that she conceived again.

“If I agree to her request,” thought the Bodhisatta, “I shall never get away at all. I will flee without saying a word to her, and become an ascetic.” So he told her nothing, but rose up in the night, and fled away. [2.98]

The city guards seized him. “I have a mother to support,” said he, “let me go!” thus he made them let him go free, and after staying in a certain place, he passed out by the chief gate and made his way to the Himālayas, where he lived as a recluse; and caused the Super Knowledges and Attainments to spring up within him, as he dwelt in the rapture of meditation. As he dwelt there, he exulted, saying: “The bond of wife and child, the bond of passion, so hard to break, is broken!” and he uttered this exalted utterance:

In this connection, wise means resolute, the wise who despise wickedness. Or, dhī is said to be wisdom, endowed with that wisdom, they are wise. The above two definitions play on the broad range of meanings that the word dhīra and its cognates have, including firmness, resoluteness, and also having wisdom, and courage. Buddhas, Independent Buddhas, Buddhas’ disciples and Bodhisattas: these are called wise.

Whether made of iron and so on, when what are reckoned as chains are produced from iron, they are iron chains, when what is reckoned as being bound in manacles it is made of wood, This sentence appears incomplete, especially compared with what follows and precedes. and when with bulrush grass or another fibre and so on, having made rope being bound by that rope, because that iron and so on has the nature of being possible to break, the wise do not say, do not speak, saying: ‘That is strong, solid.’

An obsession means having become obsessed, infatuated, filled with strong passion, this is the meaning.

For jewels and earrings means for jewels and earrings, or for jewelled earrings.

This bond is the stronger, whatever obsession there is for jewels and earrings, whoever has passion for these, the longing, craving for these sons and wives, this defiled bondage is stronger, more solid, so say the wise.

Dragging down, having pulled one down, falling into the four downfalls, he is carried away, he carries one below, so dragging down is said.

Pliant means in that state of bondage there is no cutting of outer or inner skin or flesh, no blood-letting, the state of bondage is not even known, it allows one to make deeds along the land-routes or sea routes, and so on, so it is pliant.

Hard to get free from, because of greed and craving, for even one time, arises the bonds of defilements, like a tortoise from the place where he bites it is hard to get free from, this is hard to get free from.

Having cut this also, thus having cut this strong bond of defilements with the sword of knowledge, having cut these iron chains, like a drunken elephant breaks the cage, the wise are like lion cubs, both the objects of sensuality and the defilements of sensuality, like dung on the floor, being disgusting, having become indifferent, giving up sensual pleasure, depart, leave, and after leaving they enter the Himālaya, go forth in the seers’ going forth, and pass their time in the happiness of absorption.

And the Bodhisatta, after uttering this exalted utterance, without breaking his Absorption attained to the Brahma Realm.