The time of Giving, the time of Dispute

A man who sees the Truth is not disturbed nor cheated by the heavenly Mara or the deviant practisers.

That is why we should try to seek all kinds of expedients to see the Truth.

Once I heard of a man by the name Svara who was extremely stingy. Shariputra and other disciples often went to his house and they knew well of his attachment to all personal belongings. Hence they spoke the following verses,

‘The evil paths are as deep as the ocean,

A mind of confusion is like the turbid water.

He is swept away by the flow of stinginess,

When people beg for things he says he has nothing.

Jealousy resembles the great river,

Evil views are the myriads fish and turtles.

All these can be found everywhere.

Those who sink into them will float on forever.

Now we should pull up his roots of stinginess,

So that he will accomplish the reward of giving.

The World Honoured One is full of compassion

He is the fearless son of the Sakya

He will relieve those who sink into sufferings and danger.

We should try to help them too

To relieve them of sufferings’

At that time the Honoured One Maha Kasyapa woke up early in the morning, put on the robes and carried his alms-bowl, walking towards the house of Svara. He praised the benefits of giving to the Elder Svara. On hearing this, the elder was quite unhappy, just as though his heart was pierced by an arrow. He said to Kasyapa, “Did anyone invite you here? Or are you on the alms-rounds?’ Kasyapa answered, “I often beg for food.” The elder answered, “If you are begging for food, you should know the time and do not be late.”

Listen to this Kasyapa walked away. So in this way Shariputra, Maugalyayana and all the great disciples took turns to go to his house and he refused to give them any food. At that time, the World Honoured One also went to his house. He said to Svana, ‘Now you should practise the five great giving.’ On hearing this, Svana was greatly afflicted. He thought, ‘I do not feel like giving any little things and here he is telling about the five great giving. In the Thus Come One Dharma, is there no other teaching? All the disciples teach me to give. And now even the World Honoured One is teaching me to give!’

After thinking in this manner, he said to the Buddha, ‘World Honoured One, I can’t even give little things away, what is the point of talking about the five great giving!’

The Buddha told the Elder, ‘Not killing is known as a great giving. Together with no stealing, no sexual misconduct, no false speech and no partaking of wine are known as the five great giving.’

On hearing this he was extremely happy. He was thinking this way, ‘I do not have to give anything away and yet I am known as carrying out the great giving! What good reason can I give if I do not practise them?’

After thinking thus he joyfully gave rise to great respect and faith towards the World Honoured One. He said, ‘The Buddha is the great Hero who subdues all, this is very true indeed. If it is not for the Buddha, who else can teach in this way? How can there be people who are disrespectful towards him or go against him?’

And he spoke in Gatha,

‘No one in the world is comparable to the World Honoured One,

His eloquence and knowledge are incomparable in the world.

The World Honoured One knows the correct time to speak,

With his wonderfully subtle Brahman sounds and words.

Whatever he says will not be empty

All who hear him will attain fruitions.’

After saying the Gathas, he was very pleased with the Buddha and he entered his storeroom to take out two carpets, wishing to make offerings to the Buddha. Then he hesitated, thinking, ‘Too many, I think I will just give one carpet.’ Again he was thinking, ‘One carpet is too few. I should offer two carpets.’

The Buddha knew of his thoughts and said in Gathas

‘The time of giving, the time of dispute,

When these two arise together

You lose the two virtues,

You are just a lowly commoner.

The time of giving, the time of dispute,

They are just the same,

They are only conditions for doing things.’

At the time Svara heard the Gatha he knew that the Buddha had read his mind. He was very happy and in this great joy his stinginess was broken down. He caught hold of the carpets and presented them to the Buddha. The Buddha knew that he was truly joyful and spoke the Dharma for him. Svara’s 20 billion roots of the views of a self were uprooted and he attained the fruition of Sotapanna. 

At that time the World Honoured one stood up and went back to his dwelling. Svara happily sent the Buddha back and on returning to his house he was filled with gratefulness.

At that time the Mara saw that Svara was so glad and he thought, ‘I will now go to Svara’s place to destroy his wholesome mind.’

After thinking thus, the Mara transformed himself into the body of the Buddha with the 32 hallmarks, the 80 subtle adornments and went to Svara’s house.

He said the Gathas, ‘My body resembles the golden mountain and my perfect light is most brilliant. I can transform myself all at ease. When I take a step it resembles the step of the elephant king. I enter the door of Svara’s house, just like the sun enters the white cloud. No one will be tired of seeing me as my illumination resembles the hundreds of thousands suns.’

At that time the light shone on Svara’s house and he was very surprised, thinking who that can be? And he spoke in Gathas,

‘He resembles the heap of melted gold in my house. He is like the sun which arises from the ground. His illumination is many times of the usual light.’

After saying the Gathas, Svara was extremely glad. He felt just as though his body was sprinkled with the sweet dews and he said, ‘I have great blessings. The Buddha comes to my house again today. It is not surprised to see him coming again. Why is this so? The Thus Come One, the World Honoured takes upon himself the duty to teach living beings with his mind of kindness and compassion.’

He then said the following Gathas,

The head resembles the manada fruit,

His skin shines like the pure genuine gold.

The white hair mark shines between the two eyebrows,

And his eyes are pure, elongated and broad,

Just like the bloom of the green lotus.

In the supreme subduing state he dwells in still Samadhi,

In fearlessness he walks serenely.

His countenance is most supreme, unique and wonderfully subtle,

The round light fully occupies one yojana in distance.

In this state of adornment

He declares bravely

Now I am really the Buddha.’

At that time the Mara fully utilized his power to adorn himself. He talked to Svara,

‘Before this I said that the sufferings of the five skandhas arise from our habits. I said that the cultivation of the Eight fold Noble Path is able to put the five skandhas into extinction. This is the evil teaching.’

On hearing this, Svara was very suspicious. He was thinking, ‘This man looks like the Buddha but what he says are wrong. Is this a dream? Or is it because of my confused mind? Listening to his speech I find that he is quite greedy and jealous. What evil man is this who transforms himself into a Buddha? It is just as though a black poisonous snake is dwelling among the flowers. Thinking about this I have no doubt this must be the Mara. It is like a man who sells needles go to the household of needle maker. He said he wanted to sell the needles. Oh Mara, you should listen to what the Buddha disciple will say.’

He said in Gatha,

‘The goose uses its wings to winnow Mount Sumeru,

It can still manage to move it.

But if you wish the one who has seen the Truth

To be swayed by your words

This is something impossible.

You can delude my fresh eyes

But you cannot cheat my Dharma eyes.

As the Buddha knows about this matter

He teaches in this way.

The fresh eyes is weak and lowly

As it cannot differentiate the genuine from the fake

Those who obtain the Dharma eyes

They are indeed seeing the Honoured Muni.

I attain the Pure Dharma Eyes

I see the one who has put afflictions to extinction.

So I will never follow your words.

You are just wasting your time here

But you will not see any suspicion or confusion here

Now I clearly know it is you

You are the evil Mara papiyan

A man who has truly see the Four Noble Truths

Is steadfast in mind, unwavering.

Just like colouring the money with gold

Trying to cheat the gold expertise

This matter is not easy to accomplish.

Outwardly you reveal the golden marks,

But inwardly you are just copper.

This resembles the cover up of a donkey with a tiger skin.

Your form and colour bring delusion to the fresh eyes

But when you start talking I know you are not genuine.

It is like the coldness in fire

The wind that appears to remain still and permanent.

Even if the sun is to turn dark

The moon can produce the heat

You are unable to move

Those who have seen the Truth

Even if the grass, the trees and tiles and stones,

The deers, the animal hunters,

Are transformed into Buddha images

My mind will still be firm

There will be no changes, nor hesitation.

What is more you are only a Mara?

Trying to delude me?’

Svara scolded the Mara papiyan severely, using all kinds of analogies.

Just like a brave and healthy man who enters the war front to beat up the weak ones.

At that time the Mara was frightened and he travelled back to the heaven in a rush.

It is like the place of the Lion King, the elephant comes and leaves immediately. So it is the same with papiyan. At the dwelling of the one who sees the Truth, all the Maras do not dare to stay long.

A translation of the work of Asvaghosa Bodhisattva, chapter 48 of the Great Adornment Shastra Sutra—Those who see the Truth are not cheated or wavered by the Heavenly Mara or the deviant practisers.