Jain Study Center NC Raleigh 1997 11 YJA Regional Convention

Author(s): Jain Study Center NC Raleigh
Publisher: USA Jain Study Center NC Raleigh

Page 89

The peaceful king's army was not accustomed to fighting and thus they slowly were being overcome and defeated. Realizing the battle was lost the peaceful king turned his horse around and with his soldiers began to retreat. Seeing the king retreat the enemy king galloped his horse and chased full speed after him.
Due to so much battle the peaceful king and his horse were very tired. Slowly the enemy king began to overtake them. The enemy king drew closer to the peaceful king and was about to strike him with his sword. At that very moment the peaceful king's horse saw that they quickly were heading toward the edge of a steep cliff. To avoid going over the cliff to their certain death the leading horse immediately stopped so suddenly that the peaceful king fell off his horse onto the dusty ground.
Believing he was about to be killed the peaceful king rose to his knees and bowed his head in defeat before the enemy king. Just at that moment the great words of the sage come into his mind, "This too shall pass.".
The enemy king was not that bad. Seeing the peaceful king in his defeated state and realizing he was not a threat the enemy king had mercy. He lowered his sword, turned his horse and rode back to his army leaving the once prosperous king in the new worldly circumstances of ruin. Covered with dust, humiliated, and kneeling on the ground, then into the mind of the once prosperous king came the words of the sage: "This too shall pass.".
Some years went by and circumstance for the peaceful king changed. Again he found himself as a prosperous king enjoying great power and luxury. Once again he ordered a great feast where much wealth was displayed and artists and dancers performed for his enjoyment. He was much engrossed in the entertainment to the point where he had almost forgotten his loss in battle. Just at the moment of his most intense, trance-like enjoyment, clearly and strongly into his mind came the great words of the sage: "This too shall pass.".
(Postscript: As many Jain stories conclude, the king realized the impermanence of worldly happiness. Accordingly he followed the example of the great sage, handed over the responsibilities of his kingdom to his son, renounced the world, took 'diksha' and became a monk. By doing so he too could find long-term happiness where it did not depend on worldly circumstances: in his eternal, infinite happiness soul.)
Balbhadra Costain 33 Dickens St., Toronto, Ontario, Canada M4M 118 416-465-0033 jainway@interlog.com
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Jain Education Intemational