One day, when the Buddha was teaching at the Jetavana Monastery, King Brahmaloka descended from heaven and came before the Buddha to listen to the Dharma.
The King of Heaven asked :
"Lord Buddha, can you kindly tell me which is the sharpest sword, which is the most potent poison, which is the most furious fire and which is the darkest night?"
The Buddha answered :
"King of Heaven, you should know that harsh and unkind words form the sharpest sword; greed is the most potent poison; worldly worries form the most furious fire; and ignorance is the darkest night."
The King of Heaven asked :
"In the three worlds, who receives the most benefit, who suffers the greatest loss, what forms unbreakable armor, and what is the best weapon?"
The Buddha answered :
"Those who give receive the most benefit; those who are greedy, who look only for gain and never intend to reciprocate, suffer the greatest loss; patience forms unbreakable armor; and wisdom the best weapon."
The King of Heaven asked :
"In all the realms, who is the most cunning thief, what is the most precious treasure, what is the greatest cause for attachment, and what treasure can we rely on most?"
The Buddha answered :
"Unwholesome thoughts are the most cunning thieves; morality is the most precious treasure; mind is the greatest cause of attachment; being liberated from the cycle of birth and death is the treasure upon which we can rely on most."
The King of Heaven asked :
"What quality is the most attractive, what quality is the most disgusting, what is the most horrible pain, and what is the greatest enjoyment?"
The Buddha answered :
"Goodness is the most attractive; evil is most disgusting; regret is the most horrible pain; and liberation is the greatest enjoyment."
The King of Heaven asked :
"What is the reason for death in this world, what can spoil a friendship, what is the most serious fever and what makes the best doctor?"
The Buddha answered :
"Ignorance is the root of death; jealousy and selfishness spoil friendship; hatred is the most serious fever; and the Buddha is the unsurpassed doctor."
The King of Heaven though for a while and asked again :
"Now, I have one more question to ask you. What cannot be consumed by burning fire, what cannot be destroyed by raging floods, what cannot be torn asunder by blustering wind and still remains the source of all existence?"
The Buddha replied :
"The merit created from good karma is the answer to all. It cannot be consumed by burning fire, nor destroyed by raging floods, nor torn asunder by the winds, yet it still remains the source of all that exists in the universe."
After listening to the Buddha's words of wisdom, the King of Heaven was full of Dharma joy. He paid homage to the Buddha and departed...
No comments:
Post a Comment