Chapter 33
(3) When an angry YÈma, the King of Hell, glances side ways, thousands of
kumbhaÓÉas
are destroyed making a hissing sound like sesame seeds when thrown into the red-hot
iron pan.
(4) If ΀avaka the ogre, flying into a rage, were to throw up his weapon of white divine
cloak into the sky, there would be a drought for twelve years. If it were thrown upon
the earth, all the trees and plants and others things would dry up, and the land would
be deprived of vegetation for twelve years. If it were thrown into the ocean, all the
waters in it would be dried up, like drops of water would in a red-hot pot. A Meru-like
mountain, when flung at by it, would fall, breaking up into fragments.
With that idea ΀avaka took off his white divine cloak, so powerful a weapon, and while
standing, he was poised to cast it.
At that time, all the devas, most of whom belonging to the ten thousand universes,
assembled quickly, for they had decided: ‚Today the Exalted One will tame the violent
ogre, ŒÄavaka. At that taming place, shall we listen to the Buddha's Teaching.‛ Apart from
those willing to listen to the Teaching, the devas, who wished to watch the fight, also
gathered there. In this way the entire vault of heaven was full of celestial beings.
Then ΀avaka, rising up and up, around the Buddha and roaming about, hurled his
weapon of white divine cloak towards the Buddha. Making a terrible sound in the sky, like
the weapon of thunder, and emitting smoke all over and burning with flames, the cloak
flew towards the Buddha but on coming near Him, it turned into a foot-towel and dropped
at His feet, destroying the ogre's pride.
On seeing this, ΀avaka became powerless, he felt he had utterly lost his pride like a bull
with its horns broken or like a poisonous cobra with its fangs taken out. He then reflected:
‚The weapon of white cloak has failed to overcome the Monk Gotama. Why?‛ Then he
made a guess: ‚The Monk Gotama abides with loving-kindness. This must be the reason.
Now I will deprive him of loving-kindness through an annoying speech.‛ So he said:
‚O Monk Gotama, without my permission why did you enter my mansion
and take the seat amidst female attendants like a householder? Is it not
improper for a monk to enjoy what is not given and to mix with females.
Therefore, if you abide by the rules of a monk (O Gotama, get out of my
mansion at once!)‛
(With reference to ΀avaka's speech, only the essential portion mentioned in the
brackets was recited as the text in the Buddhist Councils; the rest is taken fully
from the Commentary.)
The Buddha then accepted the ogre’s order and went outside the mansion, giving a very
pleasant reply: ‚Very well, Friend ŒÄavaka.‛ (A hostile man cannot be calmed by hostility.
That is true! Just a piece of the bear's gall put into the nostril of a wild furious dog will
make it worse, even so a rude ferocious person, when retaliated with rudeness and ferocity,
will become more violent. In fact, such a man should be tamed with gentleness. This
natural phenomenon, the Buddha understood thoroughly. Hence His mild word and yielding
action.)
Then the ogre thought: ‚Very easy to obey indeed is the Monk Gotama. He went out at
my command, given but once. Without a cause I have fought against him for the whole
night, the Monk Gotama who is so docile to go out. ΀avaka's heart began to be softened
thus. He continued to ponder: ‚But I am not certain yet whether His going out was caused
by His obedience or by His anger. Now I will make an enquiry.‛ So he asked the Buddha
again: ‚Get in, Monk Gotama!‛
The Buddha, in order to make the ogre’s mind flexible and to feel certain of his docility,
said again pleasingly: ‚Very well, Friend ŒÄavaka,‛ and entered the mansion.
In this way, the ogre tested the Buddha by his repeated orders to know for sure whether
the latter was really obedient, for the second time and the third he said: ‚Go in,‛ and then
‚Come out‛. The Buddha followed the ogre's orders so that he might become more and