Ja 238 The Birth Story about One Word (2s)

In the present one boy asks his father a question about how to accomplish his purpose, and his father takes him to the Buddha to get the answer. The Buddha tells a story about how a similar question was asked in the past, and how he as Bodhisatta had answered it.

The Bodhisatta = the wealthy man of Benares (Bārāṇasiseṭṭhi),
the son = the same in the past (putta).

Keywords: Skill, Brevity.

“Tell me one word.” {2.236} This story the Teacher told in Jetavana, about a certain landowner.

We are told that there was a landowner who lived at Sāvatthi. One day, his son sitting on his hip asked him what is called the “Door” This question referred to the means of entering on the Paths. question. He replied, “That question requires a Buddha; nobody else can answer it.” So he took his son to Jetavana, and saluted the Teacher. “Sir,” said he, “as my son sat on my hip, he asked me the question called the ‘Door.’ I didn’t know the answer, so here I am to ask you to give it.” Said the Teacher, “This is not the first time, layman, that the lad has been a seeker after the way to accomplish his ends, and asked wise men this question; he did so before, and wise men in olden days gave him the answer; but by reason of a multitude of rebirths, he has forgotten it.” And at his request the Teacher told a tale of the olden time.

In the past, when Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares, the Bodhisatta came into this world as a rich merchant’s son. He grew up, and when in course of time the father died, he took his father’s place as a merchant. [2.164]

And his son, a young boy, sitting on his hip, asked him a question, “Father,” said he, “tell me a thing in one word which embraces a wide range of meaning,” and he repeated the first verse:

In this connection, come, this particle has the meaning of requesting or reproving.

One word mean one reasonable word, one word connected with reason, or, one expressive word.

A word relying on multiple meanings, words that have multiple meanings, depending on words that have reason.

Speak... something comprehensive, speak something, one word, that comprehends many words, or, this is the reading. This is not at all clear. Perhaps it means that brūhi is an alternative reading for brūsi? Both words give the same meaning.

By which our purpose may be successful, with one word that depends on multiple meanings by which we may be successful in developing ourselves, speak that to me, he requests.

2. Dakkheyyekapadaṁ, tāta, anekatthapadassitaṁ,
Tañ-ca sīlena saññuttaṁ, khantiyā upapāditaṁ,
Alaṁ mitte sukhāpetuṁ, amittānaṁ dukhāya cā ti.

Skill is one word, dear, a word relying on multiple meanings, that’s connected with virtue, being accomplished in forebearance, able to endow friends with happiness, enemies with suffering. {2.237}

In this connection, what is called skill is what is remunerative, clever and wholesome, and is endowed with knowledge and effort.

A word relying on multiple meanings, so in the same manner, effort relies on being a word with multiple meanings. Which of these? virtue, and so on. Because of that that’s connected with virtue, and so on is said.

This is the meaning: but this effort that is endowed with virtuous conduct, furnished with tolerance and forebearance, is capable enough to endow happiness on friends, with suffering for enemies. Whoever is known as being endowed with remuneration, knowledge, wholesomeness and effort, endowed with forebearing conduct, is not able to endow happiness on friends, or endow suffering on enemies. I am at a loss to explain why this seems to say the exact opposite of what was stated in the previous sentence.

Thus did the Bodhisatta answer his son’s question. The son used the way which his father pointed out to accomplish his purposes, and by and by he passed away to fare according to his deeds.

When this discourse was ended, the Teacher declared the Truths and identified the Jātaka, at the conclusion of the Truths father and son reached the Fruit of the First Path, “This man was then the son, and I was the merchant of Benares myself.”