The prince arrived at the forest of austerities of the ascetic Bhaga. Dismounting from his horse, he gently stroked its back and said,
“I have finally arrived here. This is an indescribably joyful moment.”
He then spoke to his servant Channa,
“There are people in the world who may have a good heart, but whose appearance is unattractive. Likewise, there are those who are good-looking but lack a virtuous heart. You possess both a good heart and a beautiful appearance. I have forsaken my kingdom and come to this forest of austerities. You are the only one who has followed me. I truly appreciate it. I am going to seek the teachings of a saint. You should take the horse and return to the city.”
Upon hearing this, Channa prostrated himself on the ground, overcome with grief. Even the beloved horse, upon hearing the prince say “Go,” knelt down, licked its hooves, and shed tears like rain.
Channa said,
“I have disobeyed the king’s command and followed you, leading the horse. Surely the king is grieving and confused over the loss of the prince. The city must be in turmoil. How can I possibly return? If I am abandoned by the prince, I will have nowhere to go.”
The prince replied,
“There are those who die and those who are born. It is the way of the world that we cannot always be together.”
He then spoke directly to Channa,
“Just as past Buddhas shaved their heads and gave up all adornments in order to attain enlightenment, I shall do the same now.”
He removed the precious jewel from the crown on his head and handed it to Channa, saying,
“Take this jewel from my crown and offer it to my father.”
Next, he took off his necklace and ornaments, saying,
“Give these to my foster mother Mahapajapati. The other ornaments, give to my wife, Yashodhara.”
“Do not hold on to attachment for me. Take the horse and return to the city.”
Channa, however, remained overcome with grief and could not bring himself to leave.
The prince took a sword and shaved his head. As the hair fell, it was taken away by Indra. The celestial beings in the sky burned incense, scattered flowers, and praised him, saying, “Good, good.”
At that moment, Devaloka appeared before the prince as a hunter.
The prince said to the hunter,
“Your clothing is not the garb of one in silence and peace. It is the robe once worn by all Buddhas. How is it that you wear this while killing living beings and committing sin?”
The hunter replied,
“I wear this robe because it attracts the deer. I kill them.”
The prince said,
“You wear this robe to hunt and kill deer, not to seek liberation. If that is so, I will give you the clothes adorned with jewels that I am wearing now. I will wear the robe you have and practice to save all beings, not just deer.”
Hearing this, the hunter said,
“I understand,”
and exchanged his robe for the prince’s jeweled garments. The prince took the hunter’s robe and wore it.
When the prince donned the robe, Devaloka returned to his original form, radiating light and ascending into the sky.
Channa, witnessing this, realized,
“The prince no longer intends to return.”
He prostrated himself again in deeper sorrow and wept.
The prince said to Channa,
“Go back to the city and tell them of my actions.”
Channa cried out in anguish, and the horse, too, shed tears. Together, they retraced their steps. Upon returning to the city, Channa reported everything in detail. The king and many others were filled with sorrow.
It is said that Channa was a servant (toneri) who attended to the prince’s personal needs.
[Translation]
Siro Inuzuka
This text was created by using ChatGPT-4o to translate a modern Japanese translation into English, and then making some modifications. There may be errors in the English expressions. Please correct any mistakes.
[Explanation]
Shinichi Kusano / Siro Inuzuka
This is a story depicting the Buddha’s renunciation. It describes how he entered the forest of austerities, which is believed to be located in the present-day area around Gaya in northern India. There, it is likely that there was a commune of ascetics and renunciants.
In India today, there are still communities of ascetics and renunciants similar to those the Buddha encountered. If you visit India, you will likely see such ascetics, some of whom even pose as ascetics for tourists.
Personally, I find this to be one of the wonderful aspects of India. There are very few countries that have preserved customs dating back thousands of years almost unchanged, and India is one of those rare exceptions.
The reason for renunciation is to seek the truth.
The culture that accepts the pursuit of truth as the purpose of life is still alive in the modern world.
[Cooperation]
Shinichi Kusano
●Japanese
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