The Perfection of Patience - Analysis of the Elements IV

“He then wrote as follows:

‘The teachings of the Lord Buddha are well spoken,

they liberate beings from dukkha.

If you, my friend, can really grasp this, may you then enter monkhood!’

The King had wrapped around the golden sheet a blanket of animal hair of a

delicate texture

and had it placed into a strong box.

This box was placed into another box of gold,

and this golden box into a silver box,

and each box was successively placed into another precious box:

made of silver, pearl, coral, ruby, emerald, crystal, ivory, of all kinds of gems,

and then placed into a box made of a bamboo matting.

This he had placed into a strong container,

this again into a golden container,

and then successively into other containers,

in the same way as before in the case of the boxes.

The container made of all kinds of gems he had placed in a container made of bamboo matting,

and this in a container of hardwood.

Thus each container was placed in another one in the same way.

The box made of all kinds of gems which was placed in a box of bamboo
matting

was wrapped around with cloth and stamped with the royal seal.

The King gave orders to the courtiers to adorn his auspicious elephant

and place the throne on his back,

to put over it the white multilevelled royal umbrella,

to decorate the streets in the city with beautiful ornaments and banners,

and pay respect with perfums, incense and flowers

all along the way the royal present would be carried.

With regard to the King himself,

he was adorned with all kinds of ornaments

and surrounded by his troops carrying musical instruments.

The King considered that he would accompany his present

until the border area of his country

and that he would give an official letter to the attendants

so that they would offer this to King Pukkusati.

The contents of that letter were as follows:

‘When you will receive this present,

do not receive it in the quarters of the female royal servants,

but may you go to the royal palace and receive it there.’

When the King had given the official letter, he thought,

‘The Teacher goes now to the border country’,

and he paid respect by the fivefold prostration,

kneeling and placing his hands and head on the floor,

and then he returned.”

  The present which is superior is the Triple Gem. We have met each other life after life in the cycle of birth and death, in some lives as friends, in other lives as enemies or as parents and relatives. However, to be born as friends in the Dhamma who are co-operating to spread the teachings is most beneficial. Such a life is superior to other lives in the cycle of birth and death, where we were born elsewhere without such an opportunity.