Once upon a time, Prince Siddhartha left the palace and entered the forest of ascetic practices of the ascetic Pakkapa. The ascetic welcomed the prince with deep respect and said:
“Many ascetics lack spiritual power. That is why I wanted to welcome you.”
The prince observed the other practitioners in the forest. Some wore grass as clothing, and others lived near water or fire.
Seeing this, the prince asked the ascetic Pakkapa:
“What is the purpose of such painful practices?”
The ascetic replied:
“They are performing these ascetic practices in the hope of being born in heaven.”
The prince thought to himself:
“Even though they are enduring these hardships, they do not seek the path to enlightenment. I do not belong here. I must leave.”
The other practitioners said:
“If you are to leave, head north from here. There is great ascetic named Alara Kalama. Go to him.”
Meanwhile, Channa returned to the city, leading the prince’s beloved horse. The people in the city conveyed the news to King Suddhodana and Queen Mahapajapati (Aunt, the king’s later wife).
“Only Channa and the horse have returned (the prince has not).”
The queen, upon hearing this, cried and reported to the king. The king fainted and collapsed. After a while, he regained consciousness and ordered his ministers to search for the prince. He also ordered that a thousand carts filled with luxurious food be sent to the prince.
“Make sure he is never hungry.”
Channa went to the prince and presented the food, but the prince refused to accept it. The carts were then returned to the king.
Channa remained with the prince, serving him morning and night, never leaving his side.
(Continued to 1-5-2)
The Buddha as an ascetic. Gandhara, 2nd-3rd century CE. British Museum
[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
Siddhartha is said to have entered the forest of asceticism and studied under three teachers. Here, Pakkapa is mentioned as the first teacher, but in some texts, only two teachers are mentioned, with Pakkapa often being omitted.
There are various forms of ascetic practices. In this context, it is euphemistically described as “lived near water or fire,” but practices such as keeping one arm raised for long periods, standing on one foot, piercing the body with multiple needles, sitting on thorns, and living naked on ice are also examples. All of these are intended to inflict physical harm or torment in order to attain some kind of spiritual power.
The Buddha rejected these practices, but it’s important to understand that he did not reject the idea of practice itself. Later, he would teach that the “Middle Way” is the desirable path. To put it simply, without fear of misunderstanding, it means “do things in moderation.”
It is said that if you go to India, you can still see communes of ascetics and renunciants just as the Buddha saw them. Similarly, ascetics still exist today, though those who are seriously committed to such practices are unlikely to be found in the streets.
himalayas bird
[Cooperation]
Shinichi Kusano
●Japanese
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