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THE LIBRARY
OF
THE UNIVERSITY
OF CALIFORNIA
GIFT OF

Lt. Col. George White

Si'.;

KARMA
A STORY OF

BUDDHIST ETHICS
BY

PAUL CARUS

ILLUSTRATED BY KWASON SUZUKI

COMMIT NO EVIL BUT DO GOOD

AND LET THY HEART BE PURE.
THAT IS THE GIST OF BUDDHAHOOD,
THE LORE THAT WILL ENDURE.
THE DHAMMAPADA,
;

CHICAGO

I83

LONDON

OPEN COURT PUBLISHING COMPANY

1917

and BOOK SHOP

KARMA
A STORY OF

BUDDHIST ETHICS
BY

PAUL CARUS

ILLUSTRATED BY KWASON SUZUKI

COMMIT NO EVIL BUT DO GOOD

AND LET THY HEART BE PURE.
THAT IS THE GIST OF BUDDHAHOOD,
THE LORE THAT WILL ENDURE.
THE DHAMMAPADA,
;

183

SIXTH EDITION

CHICAGO

LONDON

OPEN COURT PUBLISHING COMPANY

1917

Copyright,

1894

OPEN COURT PUBLISHING COMPANY

CHICAGO

PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

14d to Lib*

H3C29
/->

PUBLISHERS' ADVERTISEMENT.
"All are needed by each one;
Nothing is lair or good alone."

EincrsoK.

SOON

after the first

columns

of

appearance of Karma in the

The Open Court, several applications

to translate the story

were received, and the requests

Some of these translations have appeared,

may still be expected. A few translations were
made without the author's knowledge. A German
edition was published by the Open Court Publishing
granted.

others

Altogether one Japanese, one Urdu, three Ger-

Co.

man, and two French renderings are

the author's possession.

It is

at

possible that the story

also exists in Icelandic,^ Tamil, Singhalese,

ese versions.

Hungarian edition

is in

and Siam-

preparation.

Russian translation was made by Count Lee

Tolstoy,

who recommends

and sums up
" This
its

present in

tale

profundity.

the story to his countrymen

his opinion as follows

has greatly pleased

The

truth,

much

me

both by

\ts

artlessness and

slurred in these days, that evil

lAn Icelandic translation has been made by the Rev. Matthias Jochumson of Akureyri, Iceland, and must have appeared in the Icelandic periodical
of which he is editor, but we do not know whether it has appeared in bookform.

981

/7

publishers' advertisement.

iv

can be avoided and good achieved by personal

there exists no other

shown
in that

when

means

The

forth with striking clearness.

the very

explanation

proves that individual happiness

it

bound up with the happiness

it is

moment when

only of his

own

effort only

and that

of attaining this end, has here

is

been

felicitous

is

never genuine save

From

of all our fellows.

the brigand on escaping from Hell thought

happiness, his happiness ceased and he

fell

back

again into his former doom.

"This Buddhistic

seems

tale

to

shed light on a new side of

the two fundamental truths revealed by Christianity

exists only in the renunciation of one's personality

his life shall find

(Matt.

it'

x. 39),

us

'

(John

in

me and

'

that life

he that loseth

and, that the good of

God

only in their union with God, and through

'As thou art

men

is

with one another

in thee, that they also

may be one

in

xvii. 21).

"I have read

this tale to children

amongst grown-up people

tion about the gravest

its

and they liked

it.

And

reading always gave rise to conversa-

problems of

life.

And,

my

to

mind, this

is

the very best recommendation."

From

the Russian the story

Karma was

translated,

together with several other sketches, by E. Halp^rine-

Kaminsky, under the

title

Imitations,

was published under Tolstoy's name

Sociiti d' MitioTis

lit tir aires ct

and the work

at Paris

by the

artistiqucs.^

Either from Tolstoy's Russian version or from the

French

German

translation, an abbreviated

transla-

tion

was made by an author who signs himself "7,"

and

this

tagsblatt,

appeared

May

2,

in the Berlifier Evangelisches Sonn-

1897 (No.

18, pp.

too, the story goes under Tolstoy's

ILibrairie Paul Ollendorff,

50,

140-141).

name.

Chaussee d'Antin,

1900.

Here,

publishers' advertisement.

While the evangelical Sunday paper reproduces

Karjtia as a story that inculcates Christian principles,

the late Professor

Ludwig

Biichner, famous as the

author of the leading materialistic work, Force afid

Matter (^Kraft und

from the

Staff), translated A'ar;

English under the impression that he had before him

some mysterious ancient Buddhist document,

calls it "an Indian tale from the English of

C"

for

he

the/'.

Apparently he mistook the signature F. C, over

which the story

first

appeared, for an abbreviated

some forgotten

title

of

tion,

and

at

Pali

Codex or /'undit

any rate a /'agan Curiosity.

June

Collec-

appeared

organ of the German Ethical

in Et/nscJie Kultitr, the

Societies, Berlin,

It

and

8,

1895 (Vol.

III.,

Nos.

22 and 23).

Having appeared under Tolstoy's name

and

in

German, the story continued

in

French

in its further mi-

grations to sail under the famous Russian author's

name.

An

enterprising American periodical entitled

The International Magazine

translation in Chicago, and

published

it is

an

English

curious that the office

was in the very same block with

The Open Court Publishing Company. So

of this journal

of

story had completed

its

that

the

rounds through Russia, Ger-

many, and France, and had returned

to its

home

in

the far West.

Since the story had gained currency under Tolstoy's

name, the author (having previously had

corre-

spondence with him) wrote to Posnia, and Tolstoy

publishers' advertisement.

vi

replied expressing his regret at the misunderstanding

saying of
"

It

Karma

was only through your

circulated under

my

name, and

letter that I learned

it

had been

deeply regret, not only that such

a falsehood was allowed to pass unchallenged, but also the fact

that

it

really

was a falsehood,

the author of this tale.

wisdom and ought

sey, the

to

It is

for I should be very

happy were

one of the best products of national

be bequeathed

to all

mankind,

like the

Odys-

History of Joseph, and Shakyamuni."

Karma appeared first in book form in Japan, where

The Open Court Publishing Company brought out at
Hasegawa's three successive editions on crepe paper,
illustrated in colors

by Kwason Suzuki.

In the pres-

ent edition the Japanese illustrations, which were re-

touched by Eduard Biedermann, are reproduced in

black and white, and
will

we hope

do much to make the

that the artistic garb

little tale attractive.

The Open Court Publishing

Co.

DEVALA'S RICE-CART.

LONG,

long ago in the days of early Bud-

dhism, India was in a most prosperous

-^

condition.

The Aryan

inhabitants of the coun-

try were highly civilised, and the great cities

were centres

of industry,

commerce, and learn-

ing.
It

was in those olden times that Pandu,

wealthy jeweller

of the

Brahman

elled in a carriage to Baranasi,

called Benares.
tive

He

caste, trav-

which

is

now

was bent on some lucra-

banking business, and a slave who

at-

tended to the horses accompanied him.

The

jeweller

was apparently

in a

hurry

to

reach his destination, and as the day was ex-

ceedingly pleasant,

since a heavy

thunder-

storm had cooled the atmosphere, the horses

sped along rapidly.

While proceeding on
ellers

their journey the trav-

overtook a samana, as the Buddhist

KARMA.

monks were

called,

and

tlie

jeweller observing

the venerable appearance of the holy man,

thought

to

Companionship with good

noble and saintly.

men

"This samana looks

himself:

brings luck

should he also be going to

Baranasi, I will invite

my

him

to ride with

me

in

carriage."

Having

saluted the

samana the

jeweller ex-

plained whither he was driving and at what

Learn-

inn he intended to stay in Baranasi.

name was Narada,

Baranasi, he asked him
"I am
his carriage.

ing that the samana, whose

also
to

was travelling
accept a seat

to

in

obliged to you for your kindness," said the

samana

to

Brahman, "for

the

worn out by the long journey.

possessions in this world,
in

money

but

it

As

quite

have no

cannot repay you

may happen

ward you with some

am

that I can re-

spiritual treasure out of

the wealth of the information I have received

while

following

Shaky amuni,

the

One, the Great Buddha, the Teacher

Blessed
of

gods

and men."

They
Pandu

travelled together in the carriage and

listened with pleasure to the instruc-

devala's rice-cart.
tive

discourse of Narada.

After

about an

hour's journey, they arrived at a place where

the road had been rendered almost impassable

by a washout caused by the recent

farmer's cart

rain,

and a

heavily laden with rice pre-

vented further progress.

The

loss of a linch-

KARMA.

4
pill

had caused one

of the

and Devala, the owner

wheels to come

was busily

of the cart,

engaged in repairing the damage.

was on his way

and was anxious

dawn
a

of the

Baranasi to

to

left

He,

too,

sell his rice,

to reach the city before the

next morning.

day or two longer, the

have

off,

If

rice

town or bought

he was delayed

merchants might

all

the stock they

needed.

When

the jeweller saw that he could not

proceed on his

way

unless the farmer's cart

was removed, he began

to

grow angry and

or-

dered Mahaduta, his slave, to push the cart

aside, so that his carriage could pass by.

The

farmer remonstrated because, being so near

the slope of the road,

cargo

it

would jeopardise his

but the Brahman would not listen to

the farmer and bade his servant overturn the

rice-cart

and push

it

usually strong man,

aside.

Mahaduta, an un-

who seemed

light in the injury of others,

the

saniana could interfere.

thrown
plight

on

the wayside,

was worse than

to take de-

obeyed before

The

rice

was

and the farmer's

before.

The poor farmer began

to scold,

but when

"

devala's rice-cart.
the big, burl^' Maliaduta raised

he ceased

eningl}^,

liis list tlireat-

and

remonstrances

his

only growled his curses in a low undertone.

When Pandu

was about

to

continue his

journey the saniana jumped out

of the carriage

and said: "Excuse me,

sir,

you

for leaving

am under obligations for your kindness in giving me an hour's ride in your carriage. I was tired when you picked me up on

here.

the road, but now, thanks to your courtesy,

am

and recognising in this farmer an

rested,

incarnation of one of yoxir ancestors, I cannot

repay your kindness better than by assisting

him

in his troubles."

The Brahman jeweller looked at the samana

in amazement: "That farmer, you say, is an
incarnation of one of

impossible

"I know,"

farmer

which
;

That

ancestors?

replied the samana, "that

are not aware of the

lations

my

tie

spiritually blind.

your

So

interests,

you

numerous important
fate

to

that

but sometimes the smartest

your own

is

I regret that

and

re-

of

the

men

are

you harm

I shall try to protect

KARMA.

you against the wounds which you

to inflict

upon yourself."

The wealthy merchant was

to

are about

not accustomed

being reprimanded, and feeling that the

words

of the

great

kindness,

proach,

samana, although uttered with

contained

stinging

re-

bade his servant drive on without

further delay.

THE JEWELLER'S

PURSE.

THEandsamana
began

saluted Devala, the farmer,

and load up the

rice, part of

thrown

out.

man

him.

I will

ment

at the

him

repair his cart

which had been

The work proceeded

Devala thought
holy

to lielp

'
:

'

This samana must be a

devas'

invisible

ask him

hands

quickly and

how

of the

seem

deserved

to
ill

assist
treat-

proud Brahman."

And he said: "Venerable sir, can you tell

me why I suffer an injustice from a man to
whom I have never done any harm? "
And the samana said: "My dear friend,
you do not

suffer

an injustice, but only

re-

ceive in your present state of existence the

same treatment which you

jeweller in a former

life.

have sown, and your

your deeds.

visited

You

upon the

reap what you

fate is the product of

Your very

existence, such as

KARMA.

it

is

now,

is

but

the

Karma

of

your past

lives."

"What

"A
'
'

is

my Karma?"

asked the farmer.

man's Karma," replied the samana,

consists of all the deeds both good and evil

that he has done in his present and in

prior existence.

many

activities

Your

life

is

any

system

of

which have originated in the

natural process of evolution, and have been

THE jeweller's purse.

transferred from

generation

generation.

to

entire being of every one of us is an ac-

The

cumulation

of inherited functions wliicli are

new experiences and deeds. Thus

we are what we have done. Our 'Karma'
We are our own creconstitutes our nature.
modified by

ators."

"That maybe

as 3'ou say," rejoined De-

"but what have

"
bearing Brahman?
vala,

The samana

replied

'
:

'

acter quite similar to the

Karma
but

do with that over-

I to

You

are in char-

Brahman, and the

that has shaped your destiny differs

little

from

his.

If I

am

not mistaken in

reading your thoughts, I should say that you

would, even to-day, have done the same unto
the jeweller
if

if

he had been in your place, and

you had such a strong slave

mand

as

at

your com-

he has, able to deal with you

at his

pleasure."

The farmer

confessed, that

the power, he would have

tion in treating another

if

he had had

felt little

compunc-

man, who had hap-

pened to impede his way, as he had been

treated

by the Brahman, but thinking

of the

KARMA.

10

upon unkind deeds, lie

the future more considerate

retribution attendant

resolved to be in

with his fellow-beings.

The

rice Avas loaded

and together they pur-

sued their journey to Baranasi, when sud-

denly the horse jumped aside. '' A snake, a

snake! " shouted the farmer; but the samana
looked closely

at the object at

which the horse

shuddered, jumped out of the cart, and saw

that

it

was a purse

full of gold,

and the idea

THE jeweller's PURSE.

struck

him

11

"This money can belong

no

to

one but tbe wealthy jeweller."

Narada took the purse and found that

contained a goodly

sum

he said to the farmer

you
it

redound

and in future
than

'

Now

to

lives.

I will give

you come
which

to

No

revenge

you

is

this

sweeter

with deeds of good

this purse,

and when

Baranasi drive up to the inn

I shall point out to

you

ask for Pandu,

the Brahman, and deliver to

He

the time for

your well-being both in

the. requital of hatred

will.^

is

proud jeweller a lesson, and

to teach the

will

Then

of gold pieces.
'

it

him

his gold.

will excuse himself for the rudeness with

him that you

have forgiven him and wish him success in

which he treated you, but

all

the

his undertakings.

more successful he

prosper

upon

your

his fate.

fate

is,

let

me

tell

the better

many

you,

you

will

respects

Should the jeweller demand

him

me ready to
he may feel the

will find

advice in case

For,

depends in

any explanation, send

where he

tell

to

the vihara^

assist

need

him with

of it."

BUSINESS IN BENARES.

TO

corner the market of

is

life

tlie

necessities of

The

not a modern invention.

Old Testament contains the story

Joseph,

of

the poor

Hebrew youth who became minister

of state,

and succeeded with unscrupulous but

clever business tricks in cornering the wheat

market, so as to force the starved people to

sell

all

their property, their privileges,

even their

lives, to

And we

Pharaoh.

and

read in

the Jataka Tales^ that one of the royal treasurers of Kasi, which
nasi,

made

is

the old

name

of

his first great success in

Bara-

life

by

cornering the grass market of the metropolis

on the day
with

five

of the. arrival

it

so

a horse dealer

hundred horses.

When Pandu
nasi

of

the jeweller arrived at Bara-

happened that a bold speculator had

brought about a corner in

rice,

and Mallika,

a rich banker and a business friend of Pandu,

BUSINESS IN BENARES.

was in great
ler

he said

On

distress.

"I am

meeting the jewel-

a ruined

no business with you unless

man and
I

can do

can buy a cart

king's table.

of the best rice for the

rival

13

have a

banker in Baranasi who, learning that

had made a contract with the royal treasurer

to deliver the rice

to-morrow morning, and

being desirous to bring about

has bought up

for

he

destruction,

the rice in Baranasi.

The

must have received a

bribe,

all

royal treasurer

my

me from my contract,
be a ruined man unless

will not release

and to-morrow

I shall

Krishna^ will send an angel from heaven to

me."
While Mallika was

help

still

lamenting the pov-

erty to which his rival would

Pandu missed

his purse.

reduce him,

Searching his car-

riage without being able to find

pected his slave Mahaduta

it,

he sus-

and calling the

accused him of theft, and had him

police,

bound and cruelly tortured

to extort a con-

fession.

The

slave in his agonies cried

nocent, let

pain;

am

me

"I am

in-

go, for I cannot stand this

quite innocent, at least of this

14

KARMA,

crime, and suffer

now

for other sins.

that I could beg the farmer's pardon

for the sake of

any cause!
ishment

for

my

master,

This torture,

my

Oli,

whom,

wronged without

I believe, is a

pun-

rudeness."

While the officer was still applying the lash

to the back of the slave, the farmer arrived at
the inn and, to the great astonishment of
concerned, delivered the purse.

The

all

slave

BUSINESS IN BENARES.

was

at

once released from

But being

torturer.

he secretly

ter,

left

on account

hands

of his

dissatisfied with his

and joined a band

bers in the mountains,

chief

tlie

15

mas-

of rob-

who made him

their

his great strength and

of

courage.

When

Mallika heard that the farmer had

the best rice to

ro3'al table,

he

sell,

at

fit

for delivery to the

once bought the whole cart-

load for treble the price that the farmer had

Pandu, however, glad

ever received.
to

at heart

have his money restored, rewarded the

honest finder, and hastened at once to the

vihara to receive further explanation

from

Narada, the samana.

Narada

said:

nation, but

"I might

knowing

give you an expla-

you are unable

that

to

understand a spiritual truth, I prefer to re-

main
vice

silent.

Treat every

your own

mand

to

travels;

ney

Yet

is

self

I shall

give you some ad-

man whom

serve

him

as 3'ou

be served yourself
it

3'ou

meet

would de-

for our

as

Karma

walks apace though, and the jour-

often long.

But be

it

good or

evil,

KARMA.

16
finally
is

it

will

come home

to us.

Therefore

it

said
'Slowly but surely deeds

Home

to the

doer creep.

Of kindness sow thy seeds,

And

"Give me,

bliss as harvest reap.'"

samana, the explanation,"

said the jeweller,

"and

thereby be

shall

better able to follow your advice."

The samana

said:

"Listen then,

give you the key to the mj^stery.

not understand

it,

Self is an illusion,

upon following

have

faith in

If

what

and he whose mind

self,

will

you do
I say.
is

bent

follows a will-o'-the-wisp

which leads him into the quagmire

sin.

of

illusion of self is like dust in

your eye

that blinds your sight and prevents

you from

The

recognising the close relations that obtain be-

tween yourself and your fellows, which are

even closer than the relations that

among

You

the various organs of your body.

must learn

to trace the identity of

in the souls of other beings.

source of sin.
truth.

obtain

your

Ignorance

is

self

the

There are few who know the

Let this motto be your talisman

BUSINESS IN BENARES.

'Who

17

injureth others

Himself hurteth sore

Who

others assisteth

Himself helpeth more.

Let

th' illusion of self

From your mind disappear,

And you'll find the way sure;
The path

Mm

'*To

will be clear.'

whose vision

dimmed by

is

dust of the world, the spiritual

the

life

appears to

be cut up into innumerable selves.

Thus he

will

be puzzled in

many ways concerning

the

nature of rebirth, and will be incapable of un-

derstanding the import of an all-comprehensive

toward

loving-kindness

all

living be-

ings."

The
erable

''Your words,

O ven-

have a deep significance and

I shall

jeweller replied
sir,

bear them in mind.

ness which caused

poor samana on

lo

how

am

extended a small kind-

me no

to a
!

expense whatever,

my way

and

to Baranasi,

propitious has been the result

deeply in your debt, for without you

should not only have lost

my

I
I

purse, but would

have been prevented from doing business in

KARMA.

18

my

Baranasi whicli greatly increases

while

had been

if it

reduced

me

undone

left

to a state of

wretched poverty. In

and the arrival

addition, your thoughtfulness

of the farmer's rice-cart

perity of

my

wealth,

might have

it

preserved the pros-

friend Mallika, the banker.

If

men saw the truth of your maxims, how

much better the world would be Evils would
all

be lessened, and public welfare enhanced."

The samana
gions there

is

"Among

all

the reli-

like that of the

Buddha.

replied:

none

It is glorious in

the beginning, glorious in the

middle, and glorious in the end.

It is glori-

ous in the letter and glorious in the

is

spirit.^ It

the religion of loving-kindness that

man

of the

him above

narrowness

of

rids

egotism and elevates

his petty self to the bliss of en-

lightenment which manifests

in right-

itself

eousness."

Pandu nodded assent and

anxious to

let

As I am
Buddha be un-

said

the truth of the

'

'

derstood, I shall found avihara at

place,

Kaushambi, and

invite

so that I

may dedicate

hood

Buddha's disciples."

of

you

my

native

to visit

me,

the place to the brother-

AMONG THE ROBBERS.

YEARS

passed on and Pandu's viliara

KausHambi became

a place in which

wise samanas used to stay and

nowned

at

it

was

re-

as a centre of enlightenment for the

people of the town.

At

that time

the king of a neighboring

country had heard of the beauty of Pandu's

jewelry, and he sent his treasurer to order a

royal diadem to be wrought in pure gold and

set with the

most precious stones

of

India.

Pandu gladly accepted the order and executed

a crown of the most exquisite design.

When

he had finished the work, he started

for the

residence of the king, and as he expected to

transact other profitable business, took with

him a great store of gold pieces.

The caravan carrying his goods was protected by a strong escort of armed men, but
when they reached the mountains they were

KARMA.

20

attacked by a band of robbers led by Maliaduta,

wbo

beat them and took away

all

the

jewelry and the gold, and Pandu escaped with

great difficulty.

This calamity was a blow

to

Pandu 's prosperity, and as he had suffered

some other severe losses his wealth was
greatly reduced.

Pandu was much

distressed, but he bore his

misfortunes without complaint, thinking to

himself:

"I have deserved

the sins committed during

these losses for

my

past existence.

AMONG THE ROBBERS.

my

In

younger years

other people
of

my

evil

because

deeds

21

was very hard on

now

reap the harvest

have no reason

for

com-

plaint."

As he had grown

in kindness toward all be-

ings, his misfortunes only served to purify

his heart; and his chief regret,

ing

of his

when

think-

reduced means, M-as that he had be-

come unable

to

do good and to help his friends

in the vihara to spread the truths of religion.

Again years passed on and

it

happened that

KARMA.

22

Panthaka, a j-oung samana and disciple

of

Narada, was travelling tlirough the mountains

of

Kaushambi, and

lie fell

among

the robbers

As he had nothing in his

robber-chief beat him severely

in the mountains.

possession, the

and

let

On

him

go.

the next morning Panthaka, while pur-

suing his way through the woods, heard a

noise as of

men

quarelling and fighting, and

going to the place he saw a number

bers, all of

them

of rob-

in a great rage, and in their

midst stood Mahaduta, their chief

and Maha-

duta was desperately defending himself against

them, like a lion surrounded by hounds, and

he slew several

of his

aggressors with formid-

able blows, but there were too

at last

as

he succumbed and

fell to

for

him

the ground

dead, covered with wounds.

if

As soon
the

many

as the robbers

had

young samana approached

he could be

men.

He

of

any assistance

found that

all

dead, and there was but

left

the place,

to see
to the

whether

wounded

the robbers were

little life left

in the

chief.

At once Panthaka went down

to the little

'

'

AMONG THE ROBBERS.

murmuring near by,

was

which

brooklet

22>

fetched fresh water in his bowl and brought

to the

dying man.

Mahaduta opened

those ungrateful dogs

whom

have led

Without me

tory and success?

his eyes

"Where

and gnashing his teeth, said:

it

are

to vic-

as their chief

they will soon perish like jackals hunted down

by

skilful hunters

"Do
panions

let

me

said Panthaka,

of 3^our sinful life,"

own

of 3^our

moment

and accept in

fate,

the chance of salvation that

Here

offered 3^ou.

is

'

not think of 3'our comrades, the com-

"but think
the last

is'

water to drink, and

wounds

dress your

perhaps

may

save your life."

"Alas! alas!" replied Mahaduta, " are you

not the

And now

man whom
come

3^ou

beat but 3^esterday?

my

to

assistance, to as-

my pain You bring me fresh water

quench my thirst, and try to save my life!
suage

to
It

am a doomed man.
The churls have wounded me unto death,
The3^ have dealt me
the ungrateful cowards
is

useless, honorable sir, I

the blow which I taught

"You reap what

3^ou

them

'

have sown," continued

KARMA.

24
the

samana

acts

from

of

'

'

had you taught your comrades

kindness, you would have received

them

acts

of

kindness

taught them the lesson

but having

of slaughter, it is

your own deed that you

by

are slain

but

their

hands."

"True, very true,"

said the robber chief,

my fate is well deserved but how sad is

my lot, that I must reap the full harvest of
Advise
all my evil deeds in future existences
me, O holy sir, what I can do to lighten the
sins of my life which oppress me like a great
rock placed upon my breast, taking away the
breath from my lungs."
'

'

Said Panthaka: " Root out your sinful de-

your

sires; destroy all evil passions,

and

heart with kindness toward

your fellow-

beings."

all

fill

THE SPIDER-WHB.

WHILE

the charitable

samana washed

the wounds, the robber chief said

have done much

I

extricate myself

which

from the net

have woven out

my own
Hell and

I shall

can

sorrow

of

of the evil desires of

My Karma

heart?

How

and no good.

evil

"I

me

will lead

to

never be able to walk in the

path of salvation."
Said the samana

'
:

'

Karma

Indeed your

will in its future incarnations reap the seeds

of evil that

you have sown.

There

is

no

es-

cape from the consequences of our actions.

But there

who

is

sion of

is

no cause

for despair.

The man

converted and has rooted out the

self,

sires, will

with

all its lusts

be a source

illu-

and sinful de-

of blessing to himself

and others.

"As an

illustration, I will tell

of the great robber

you the story

Kandata, who died with-

KARMA.

26

out repentance and was reborn as a

Hell, where

most

lie

demon

in

suffered for his evil deeds the

terrible agonies

and pains.

He had

been

:
;

THE SPIDER-WEB.
in Hell several kalpas^

and was unable

out of his wretched condition,

upon

appeared

and

earth

moment

a ray of light

Hell quickening

when Buddha
At

that

the

mem-

down

fell

the demons with

all

to rise

attained to

blessed state of enlightenment.

orable

21

into

and

life

hope, and the robber Kandata cried aloud

'

blessed Buddha, have mercy upon

and although

suffer greatly,
I

am

me

have done

evil,

anxious to walk in the noble path

But

righteousness.

from the net

me

it

is

Help me,

Lord

'
!

the law of

Karma

that evil

deeds lead to destruction, for absolute evil

so

bad that

it

Absolute

cannot exist.

to every

to the
act

of

Thus

life.

deed that

is

development

there

is

fruit

is

no end

The

least

containing

new

good deeds.

goodness bears

evil in-

a final end

done, but there

of

is

But good

volves impossibility of existence.

deeds lead to

of

cannot extricate myself

of sorrow.

have mercy on

''Now,

seeds of goodness, and they continue to grow,

they nourish the poor suffering creatures in

their repeated

wanderings in the eternal round

KARMA.

28
of

Samsara^ until they reach the

ance from

ail evil

"When
of the

ness?

It

in Nirvana.

Buddha, the Lord, heard the prayer

demon

data, did

final deliver-

suffering in Hell, he said

'
:

Kan-

you ever perform an act of kindwill now return to you and help you

But you cannot be rescued unless the intense sufferings which you endure
as consequences of your evil deeds have dis-

to rise again.

pelled all conceit of selfhood and have purified

your soul

of vanity, lust,

and envy.'

"Kandata remained silent, for he had been

a cruel man, but the Tathagata in his omniscience saw all the deeds done by the poor,
wretch, and he perceived that once in his

when walking through the

M^oods

life

he had

seen a spider crawling on the ground, and

he thought

to himself,

the spider, for he

is

'

I will

not step upon

a harmless creature and

hurts nobody.'

"Buddha looked with compassion upon the

tortures of Kandata, and sent down a spider
Take hold
on a cobweb and the spider said
'

web and climb up.'

Having attached the web

of the
'
'

at the

bottom

of

THE SPIDER-WEB.
Hell, the spider withdrew.

29

Kandata

ea,s:erl3'

^^

mv'M
ri'^

seized the thin thread and

made

to climb up.

And

great efforts

he succeeded.

The web

KARMA.

30

was so strong that

it

held,

and he ascended

higher and higher.

'

Suddenly he

'

felt

shaking, for behind

sufferers

the thread trembling and

him some

were beginning

He

data became frightened.

saw the thinness

it

under the increased weight

for
;

yet

it still

Kan-

climb up.

web, and observed that

of the

out

to

of his fellow-

was

elastic,

stretched

it

seemed strong enough

to carry

him. Kandata had heretofore only looked up

he now looked down, and saw following close

upon

his heels, also climbing

web, a numberless
Hell.

'How

weight

of

mob

of

up on the cob-

the denizens of

can this thin thread bear the

all?'

he thought

to himself,

seized with fear he shouted loudly

the cobweb.

"At once
fell

It is

mine!

'
:

and

Let go

'

the cobweb broke, and Kandata

back into Hell.

"The illusion of self was still upon Kandata.

He did not know the miraculous power
of a sincere

longing to

rise

upwards and enter

the noble path of righteousness.

like a cobweb, but

people, and the

it

It

is

thin

will carry millions of

more there

are that climb

it.

THE SPIDER-WEB.

31

the easier will be the efforts of ever3^ one of

But as soon as the idea

them.

man's heart

'
:

This

is

mine

let

arises

righteousness be mine alone, and

else partake of

will fall

hood.
is

it,'

let

back into his old condition

What

is

no one

the thread breaks and he

For selfhood

bliss.

i;i

the bliss of

self-

damnation, and truth

is

Hell?

egotism, and Nirvana

of

is

nothing but

It is

life

of righteous-

ness."
" Let

me

take hold of the spider-web," said

the dying robber chief,

finished his story, "

when

and

the

samana had

I will pull

out of the depths of Hell."

myself up

THE CONVERSION OF THE ROBBER

CHIEF.

MAHADUTA

lay quiet for a while to

Ms

thoughts, and then he ad-

collect

dressed the

samana not without

"Listen, honorable
fession
ler of

me

effort

sir, I will

was the servant

of

make

a con-

Pandu, the jewel-

Kaushambi, but when he unjustly had

away and became a chief of

robbers.
Some time ago when I heard from
my spies that Pandu was passing through the
mountains, I succeeded in robbing him of a
tortured I ran

great part of his wealth.

him and

tell

him

the bottom of

Will you now go to

that I have forgiven from

my

heart the injury which he

unjustly inflicted upon me, and ask him, too,

to
I

pardon

me

stayed with

flint,

and

for

having robbed him.

him

his heart

was

While

as hard as

learned to imitate the selfishness

of his character.

have heard that he has be-

CONVERSION OF THE ROBBER CHIEF.

come benevolent and

example

of

is

now

goodness and

up treasures

of M'liicli

33

pointed out as an

justice.

He

has laid

no robber can ever de-

prive him,.^ while I fear that

ni3^

Karma

will

continue to linger in the course of evil deeds

but

do not wish to remain in his debt so

KARMA.

34

long as

in

it is still

my power to pay him. My

My

heart has undergone a complete change.

ments

mo-

are subdued, and the few

evil passions

of life left

me

shall

be spent in the en-

deavor to continue after death in the good

Karma

Therefore,

righteous aspirations.

of

inform Pandu that I have kept the gold crown

which he wrought

for the king,

treasures, and have hidden

There

near by.

under
are

wei"e only

back the property

my

of
its

two

One
sins

of the robbers
of

it,

and both

of

which

it

have deprived

will help to cleanse

my

on

fell

my

some

soul of

a start in the right

search for salvation."

Then Mahaduta
the cave and

me

of

and take

act of justice Mali atone for

;

his

in a cave

to the place

impurities and give

direction

all

Let Pandu take a number

dead.

armed men and come

him.

them

my command who knew

now

and

described the location of

back exhausted.

For a while he lay with closed eyes as

though sleeping. The pain of his wounds
had ceased, and he began
but his

life

to breathe quietly

was slowly ebbing away, and now

he seemed to awake as from a pleasant dream.

CONVERSION OF THE ROBBER CHIEF.

"what a blessing
the Buddha came upon earth and

"Venerable
for

me

that

35

sir," said he,

taught you and caused our paths to meet and

made you comfort me.

While

I lay

**1't>";

dozing

.m'

"^J^r'-'l'

beheld as in a vision the scene of the Tathagata's final entering into Nirvana.

years I saw a picture of

impression on

my

of it is a solace to

it

In former

which made a deep

mind, and the recollection

me

in

my

dying hour."

KARMA.

36
*'

Indeed,

it is

a blessing," replied the sa-

niana, " that the

he dispelled

and

and attained supreme enlighten-

error,

He

ment.

Buddha appeared upon earth

the darkness begotten by ill will

lived

among us

ing subject to the

ills

as one of us, be-

of life, pain, disease,

and death, not unlike any mortal.

extinguished in himself

selfishness,

all

all

greed for wealth and love of pleasure,

lust, all
all

Yet he

ambition for fame or power,

after things of the

all

hankering

world and clinging to any-

thing transitory and

He

illusive.

was bent

only on the one aim, to reach the immortal

and to actualise in his being that which can-

Through

not die.

existences and his

the good

own

life

Karma

of

he reached

the blessed state of Nirvana, and

end came he passed away in that

that

all

all

at last

when

final

extin-

that is transitory and mortal.

men

the

passing

away which leaves nothing behind but

guishes

former

Oh,

could give up clinging and

thereby rid themselves

of passion,

envy, and

hatred!"

Mahaduta imbibed the words

samana
man who i^

of the

with the eagerness of a thirsty

CONVERSION OF THE ROBBER CHIEF.

refreshed

by a drink

cool and sweet.

He

of

water

wanted

tliat is

37

pure and

to speak, but

be

could scarcely rally strength enough to open

his

mouth and move

He

his lips.

beckoned

assent and showed his anxiety to embrace the

doctrine of the Tathagata.

Panthaka wetted the dying man's

soothed his pain, and

when

lips

and

the robber chief,

unable to speak, silently folded his hands, he

spoke for him and gave utterance to such

vows

as the latter

was ready

to

samana's words were like music

make.

The

to the ears of

Mahaduta. Filled with the joy that originates

with good resolutions and entranced by the
prospect of an advance in the search for a

higher and better

began

to stare

So the robber chief died converted

arms of the samana.

in the

and

all

life,

his eyes

pain ceased.

THE CONVERTED ROBBER'S TOMB.

soon as Panthaka, the young samana,

AS

had reached Kaushambi, he went

the vihara and inquired for

ler.

him

Being directed

Pandu the

to his residence

to

jewel-

he gave

a full account of his recent adventure

And Pandu set out with an esarmed men and secured the treasures

in the forest.
cort of

which the robber chief had concealed in the

Near by they found the remains

cave.

of the

robber chief and his slain comrades, and they

gathered the bodies in a heap and burned them

with

all

The

ashes were collected in an urn and bur-

ied in a

with

honors.

tumulus on which a stone was placed

an

inscription

which contained a

written

by Panthaka,

brief report of

Mahaduta's

conversion.

Before Pandu 's party returned home, Pan-

thaka held a memorial service

at the

tumulus

THE CONVERTED ROBBER'S TOMB.

in

which he explained

the

significance

Karma, discoursing on the words

'By ourselves

By

is evil

of

of

Buddha

done,

we pain endure.
we cease from wrong,
By ourselves become we pure.
ourselves

B}' ourselves

39

KARMA.

40

No one
No one

We

saves us, but ourselves,

can and no one ma}'

ourselves must walk the path',

Buddhas merely teach

"Our Karma,"

the wa)'."'^^

samana

the

"is not

said,

work of Ishvara, or Brahma, or Indra, or

Our Karma is the
of any one of the gods.
product of our own actions. My action is the
the

womb

that bears

me

which devolves upon

my

is

it

me

the inheritance

it is

the curse of

misdeeds and the blessing of m3^ righte-

My

ousness.

action

alone I can work out

Then

the

is

the resource

my

by which

salvation.""

samana paused and added

" While every one

maker of his own

Karma, and we reap what we have sown, we
are at the same time co-responsible for the
evils of evil doers.
Such is the interrelation
of

Karma

is

the

that the errors of one person are

mostly mere echoes

of the errors of others.

Neither the curse

our failings nor the bliss

of

our goodness

when we judge
inal, let

is

of

purely our own.

Therefore

the bad, the vicious, the crim-

us not withhold from them our sym-

pathy, for

we

are partners of their guilt."

THE CONVERTED ROBBER'S TOMB.

Among

the people of the surrounding

lages the tumulus

became known

Converted Robber's
years a

little

thieves.

for

Tomb," and

as
in

'
'

vil-

The
later

shrine was built on the spot

where wanderers used

Buddha

41

the

to rest

and invoke the

conversion of robbers and

THE BEQUEST OF A GOOD KARMA.

PANDU

carried all his treasures back to

Kaushambi, and using with discretion

the wealth thus unexpectedly regained, he be-

came

richer and

more powerful than he had

ever been before, and

when he was dying

an advanced age he had

all

his

at

and

sons,

daughters, and grandchildren gathered round

him and

"My

said unto

by vanity you

your

Unless you are blinded

it

you

The remedy

in yourselves.

of

will discover j^our fault,

having discovered
it.

Seek the cause

of success.

in yourselves.

out of

dear children, do not blame others for

your lack
ills

them

Never

be covered by the dust

for
let

and

way

will

see

the

your

ills,

too, lies

your mental eyes

of selfishness,

member the words which have proved

man in my life

and

re-

a talis-

THE BEQUEST OF A GOOD KARMA.

43

KARMA.

44

'Who

injureth others,

Himself hurteth

Who

sore.

others assisteth,

Himself helpeth more.

Let

th' illusion of self

From your mind disappear

And you'll find the way sure;
:

The path
"

If

you

heed,

will

my

junctions you will,

continue to live in

be

clear.'

words and obey these

in-

when you come to die,

the Good Karma that you

have stored up^ and 3^our souls will be immortalised according to

your deeds."

NOTES.
I,

Devas are

2,

in

Page

7.

spiritual beings, gods, or angels.

Page

II.

This sentiment, though thoroughly Buddhistic, is found also

other religions and seems to grow naturally when a certain

moral maturity is reached.

Every one knows the passage in the Gospel according to Matthew " But I say unto you. Love your enemies."
Lao Tze (V., 44) the sage of China said ^J^^/o ytien t
tch, i. e., "Requite hatred with virtue."
:

And
Crilo, 49
0('7e

Socrates expressed himself no less plainly in Plato's

:

avTadiKtlv

(Si't,

o'vte

hukuq

rroie'iv

nlSiva av&puTTuv,

ov6'

av

Kaaxy v~' avruv.

One must neither return evil, nor do any ill to any one among
men, not even if one has to suffer from them.
See T/ie Open Court for January, 1901, p. 9, for further quo-

ori.ovv

tations

from the Greek.

3,

Page

II.

4,

Page

12.

Buddhist monastery.

Buddhist Birth

Stories.

Translated by T.

W. Rhys Davids,

p. 169.
5,

Krishna, a

ond person
that he

is

of

Page

13.

Brahman god, an incarnation of Vishnu, the secMallika's language implies

the Brahman trinity.

not a Buddhist.

KARMA.

46

6,

Page

i8.

This passage occurs in the Mahavagga, 1,2.

7,

Kalpa

is

8,

Samsara
Nirvana

is

Page

27.

a long period of time, an aeon.

is

Page

28.

the restlessness of the world and of worldly

life,

him who has overcome the

illu-

the peace of

mind

of

sion of self.
9,

Page

33.

This expression reminding one of Matth.

vi. 20, is

taken from

the Nidhikanda Sutta (Treasure Chapter).

10,

Quoted from the

Page

40.

Dhammafada
11,

Page

40.

Quoted from the Anguttara Nikaya, Pancaka Nipata,

denberg, Buddha, p. 249.

see Ol-

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