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TWELFTH CHAPTER : THE WATER : INTRODUCTION
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Title-Udaye-Udage-Udak-water. The most common example of pollution and the change of properties in nature is water. Explaining the ever-changing nature of things with the help of this example, this story shows that before understanding and accepting a thing at a its face value, its properties and possibilities of transformation should be minutely a examined. Accepting the ever-changing nature of things is an effective way of avoiding a feelings of attachment and aversion. This story has made a complex subject easy to a understand with the help of a common example like water.
Gist of the story-Jitshatru was the king of Champa. His prime minister was Subuddhi. He was a Shramanopasak having knowledge of the fundamentals. One day after a sumptuous meal the king liberally praised the food. Except for Subuddhi, all the guests present there agreed with the king. Subuddhi said that there was nothing unusual about food. Things that appear good turn bad, and vice versa. Transformation is the basic nature of all things. This behaviour of Subuddhi did not please the king.
Outside the city there was a trench filled with stinking and polluted water. One day 5 King Jitshatru passed along that ditch with the stinking water. He rushed away from there s and cursed the dirty water. This time, too all his companions agreed with him, but Subuddhis repeated his earlier statement. King Jitshatru admonished Subuddhi saying that he should I not spread such illusions about the reality.
Subuddhi thought that he should somehow try to explain the teachings of the Jina to the king and make him accept the same. He got some dirty water and filtered it into pitchers. After a week he filtered it once again and ash was mixed in it. This process of filtering and adding ash was repeated for seven weeks and the foul water turned pure. He then added some perfumes and gave the water to the man in charge of the king's water-shed with a instructions to serve only this water to the king.
When the king drank that water he was extremely satisfied with its taste and smell. The king asked the manager of the water-shed from where he got the water. When he was informed that the water was sent by Subuddhi, the king called him and asked him the same question. Subuddhi informed that the water was from the stinking ditch. The king did not believe Subuddhi and got some more dirty water filtered and cleaned by the same process. When Subuddhi was proved right the king called him and listened to the word of the Jina. He then became a Shramanopasak. At last he renounced the world along with his minister and indulged in spiritual practices to attain liberation,
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JNĀTĀ DHARMA KATHĀNGA SŪTRA
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