| J.530 |
Sa"nkicca Jaataka |
The bodhisatva was once born as Sankicca in the family of the chaplain of the king
of Benares and was educated in Takkasila with the king’s son. They became great friends,
and, when the prince became viceroy, they lived together. The prince, having conceived
the plan of killing his father in order to become king, confided his idea to Sankicca.
The latter tried to dissuade him, but finding his efforts in vain, he fled to the
Himalayas and became an ascetic. The prince killed his father, but was later filled
with remorse and could find no peace of mind. He longed to see Sankicca, but it was
not until fifty years later that Sankicca, with five-hundred followers, came to the
garden of Dayapasa in Benares. The king visited him and questioned him on the results
of wickedness. Sankicca described the horrors of hell awaiting the wicked, illustrating
his story with the examples of Ajjuna who annoyed the sage Gotama, of Dandaki who
defied Kisavaccha,of the king of Mejjha whose country became a desert and of Cecca
who was swallowed up by the earth. After describing the terrors awaiting the victims
of various hells, Sankicca showed the king the deva worlds and ended his discourse
indicating the possibility of making amends. The king was much comforted and changed
his ways. He is identified with Ajatasattu in reference to whose parricide and its
consequences the story was related. It was not until Ajatasattu sought the Buddha
and listened to his preaching that he found peace of mind. |
62/156 |
Jaataka |
Khuddhaka |
J.v.261ff. |
patricide, hell |