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I was often asked questions, such as: "Why am I so unlucky recently?” or “A fortune teller told me that I will be facing (a misfortune at a specific time in my life), how can I escape such a destiny? Which sutra and which Buddha’s name should I recite so as to resolve this calamity? How can I change my fate?"
In fact, life is like climbing a mountain. When we reach the highest peak, it is time to head downwards. Where there is life, there will be death. This is the working of fragmentary samsara, and it is actually very natural and normal. If you still keep problems in your heart and have doubts after understanding this truth, it will be pointless. The most important thing is to ask yourself: What good have you done in this world? Have you truly unleashed your potential in life?
When the Buddha was still around, there was a great Dharma protector who was known as King Bimbisara. This king had a very good friend called King Pukkasati. One day, King Pukkasati sent his envoy to deliver a gift—a golden lotus seat— to King Bimbisara. The latter felt that the gift was not only beautiful and magnificent, but also very precious. So, he respectfully offered the valuable gift to the Buddha, who accepted it happily.
King Bimbisara then asked the Buddha, “Lord Buddha, now that I have given this gift to you, I wonder what I should give to my friend, King Pukkasati, in return.”
The Buddha replied, “You can write out the ‘Twelve Links of Dependent Origination*’ and give it to him as a gift.”
King Bimbisara thought that was a really good idea because his friend was also a king who owned all kinds of treasure, it would be unnecessary to gift him another expensive or valuable item. Besides, the Buddha’s teaching is priceless. So, King Bimbisara decided to gift his friend the “Twelve Links of Dependent Origination” taught by the Buddha, which he deemed most appropriate and most valuable.
Therefore, King Bimbisara carefully wrote out the “Twelve Links of Dependent Origination” word by word and sent his envoy to deliver it to his good friend. He also requested the latter to recite and memorise the teaching each day and ponder on its main meaning.
When King Pukkasati received the gift, he thought that there must be profound truths within the “Twelve Links of Dependent Origination”, so he studied it carefully and gained deep realisations of the teaching. He realised that the cycle of birth and death is fully explained by the “Twelve Links of Dependent Origination”. He understood that if such karmic causes and conditions dissipated one day, human beings would cease to exist, and so would all wealth and glory.
King Pukkasati felt that it was very foolish to continue clinging to the throne and power, so he abdicated and passed the throne to his crown prince. Then, he shaved his head, put on a monk’s robes and set off to the Buddha’s monastery. As it was a long journey, he asked for alms along the way just like what monks do to sustain their lives.
After travelling for some time, King Pukkasati was going to reach Sravasti City, and there were only seven days of journey left. One evening, he came to a kiln shop, where he requested the owner to allow him to stay in his place for one night. The owner was very happy to see a monk, so he quickly got a room ready and offered it to him.
At that moment, another spiritual cultivator came to the kiln shop and made the same request to the owner.
The owner said, “You are welcome to stay. But I only have an empty room, and it is now occupied by another spiritual cultivator. Can you share the room with him?”
The cultivator replied, “Sure.”
And so, King Pukkasati shared the room with the cultivator.
The cultivator who arrived later asked King Pukkasati, “Where are you from? You seemed to have travelled a long way here.”
King Pukkasati introduced himself to him. Then, the cultivator asked again, “Who is the teacher you have in mind?”
“The teacher I have in mind is the Buddha. I have walked a very long distance just to come to Sravasti to seek refuge with the Buddha.”
After hearing what King Pukkasati had said, the cultivator explained to him the principle of impermanence: "Life exists in between breaths. The value of life does not lie in its length, but rather whether one can awaken to the Truth. If you become completely enlightened, you will attain ever-lasting wisdom. Life is part of samsara, which is fragmentary and fluctuating. Some people live a long life while others have a short one. The various blessings and misfortunes you experience all arise from karmic causes and conditions. A karmic seed sown in a past life will bear fruit in the current life. Hence, you better cherish the spiritual aspiration you have right now.”
After listening to these words, King Pukkasati felt unusually happy and at ease, as though he had been sprinkled with sweet dew. He asked the cultivator, "Have you ever seen the Buddha?"
The cultivator replied with a smile, "Because you want to see me and I’m worried that since life is impermanent, (we may not be able to meet again), I have come here to meet you earlier!"
Upon hearing that, the king realised that the cultivator in front of him was the Buddha himself. So he quickly prostrated to the Buddha to pay respect to him. The next day, when they were about to part ways, he made an appointment with the Buddha and said, "See you again seven days later!"
The Buddha said to him: "Life is impermanent. Misfortunes and blessings happen in a split second!" Then, they went their separate ways.
King Pukkasati continued walking until he was about to enter Sravasti. On his way, he came across a cow that had just given birth, and it was very defensive at that moment. When he walked near the cow, it suddenly turned ferocious and dashed towards him and pierced his abdomen with its horn. He succumbed to his injury on the spot.
This is a story from the Buddha’s time. King Pukkasati met the Buddha in person. But was the Buddha able to teach him how to avoid the tragedy? The answer is no!
The king gave up his throne in order to see the Buddha and engage in spiritual practice, yet, he still died (before he could reach the Buddha) due to his karmic retribution. Fortunately, he realised the truth about impermanence while he was still alive, hence, he would not descend to the lower evil realms.
It is not easy to be born as a human being. Since we are born human and have the opportunity to learn Buddhism and practise the Bodhisattva Path, aren’t we more blessed than King Pukkasati? Therefore, please be vigilant at all times. We must remind ourselves that life only exists in between breaths!
*The “Twelve Links of Dependent Origination” drag sentient beings to transmigrate through the Six Realms. The order of these causes and conditions begins with ignorance, which leads to karmic activity. Karmic activity leads to consciousness, which gives rise to name and form. Name and form lead to the formation of the six senses, which leads to contact. Contact leads to sensations, sensations to love and craving, craving to grasping, grasping to becoming, becoming to birth, and birth leads to the suffering of aging and death.
Source: Tzu Chi Taiwan website
Translated by the Tzu Chi Singapore translation team
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