ABSTRACT
Formerly Buddha with his followers, having gone to the kingdom of Kausâmbî (Ku-tan-mi), he took up his residence in the Vihâra called Mi-yin (lovely sound), and there preached the word for the sake of Devas and men. At this time the king of the country was called Yau-tien (Udâyana), whose queen was of a remarkably pure character. Having heard that Buddha had come to his kingdom, the King and the Queen, with her attendants, went forth to visit him, and having paid him the usual salutations, they sat down. Then Buddha, for their sakes, began to preach and to show the impermanency, sorrow, and vanity of things around us, from which all our miseries come. And then he proved that heaven was the reward of religious merit (virtue), and hell the result of sin (crime). In consequence of this sermon both the King and Queen were induced to accept the five rules of a lay-disciple, and so returned to the palace. Now at this time there was a certain Brahman called Kih-sing (lucky star), who had a daughter incomparable for loveliness, just sixteen years old. On her account the Brahman, for ninety days, exposed a heap of a thousand gold masurans, and challenged any one to find a single fault in her, and whoever could do so should have the gold. No one being able to do so, and desiring to find some one fit for her to marry, he again challenged any one to bring a man equal to his daughter in grace, and to him he would give her as a wife. Now, having heard that the family of the Shaman Gôtama, known as the Śâkyas, were remarkable for their beauty, and that therefore he was fit to possess his daughter, he came to the place where Buddha was, and taking his daughter with him, after the usual salutations, he spake thus:—“My daughter is extremely beautiful, and unequalled for womanly grace ; and you also, Gôtama, are remarkable for your beauty. You may, therefore, have my daughter, and make her your companion (wife).” To whom Buddha replied, “Your daughter’s beauty, sir, is according to your own estimation ; my beauty is according to that of the Buddhas; my beauty and a woman’s beauty are wholly different. Your daughter’s loveliness, O sir, is like that of the picture on the jar (or vessel), in the middle of which there is only filth and excrement. How can that be considered as beauty which belongs only to the eyes, the ears, the nose, the mouth, the body ? It is this beauty of outside form that causes sorrow, overturns families, destroys kinship, sacrifices relationships, kills children; all these come from this (love of) womanly beauty. But I am a Shaman—I stand by myself—and would rather endure any calamity than comply with your request. Sir, you may go ; I decline your offer.”
