“Then again when I was
the very virtuous Cūḷabodhi,
seeing rebirth as fearful,
I renounced worldly life.
She who had been my partner,
a brahmin lady with golden skin,
expecting nothing in the cycle of rebirths,
also renounced worldly life.
Without clinging, cutting off family,
expecting nothing from a family or group,
we walked from village to town
until we reached Varanasi.
There we lived alert,
mixing not with a family or group.
Quiet and undisturbed,
we both stayed in the royal park.
Visiting the park,
the king saw the brahmin lady.
He approached me and asked,
‘Is she your wife? Or whose is she?’
When he said this, to him
I said the following.
‘She is not my wife.
We share the same teaching and belief.’
Infatuated with her,
he had his men seize her.
Compelling her by force
he brought her to the royal compound.
She who became mine by touching a water-jar,
born together, one in beliefs,
when he dragged her away,
I felt so angry.
Together with the arising of anger,
I remembered my precepts and vows,
and right there controlled my anger,
I did not allow it to grow.
If anyone were to attack
that brahmin lady with a sharp knife,
not even for that would I violate my ethics,
because it was solely for awakening.
I did not dislike the brahmin lady,
nor did I lack the strength.
But because omniscience is precious to me,
that’s why I guarded my ethics.”