Truyện Tiền Thân Đức Phật - Phần II: Bài 2 - Vua Quả Lành và Hoàng Hậu Sivali

Vua Quả Lành và Hoàng Hậu Sivali

Sự Tái sanh của vị Bồ Tát (Chương 1)

Thủy Tú dịch thuật

Vào một thuở xa xưa ở thành Mithila, có một vị vua có hai người con trai. Người anh tên là Quả Xấu và người em tên là Quả Nghèo.

Khi họ vẫn còn nhỏ, vua ban cho con trai trưởng làm Thái tử. Ông ấy là người có quyền thứ nhì trong triều và sẽ kế vị ngai vua. Hoàng tử Quả Nghèo trở thành tư lịnh quân đội.

Sau đó khi vị vua già chết đi, Hoàng tử Quả Xấu trở thành vua. Và em của ông được lên chức Thái tử.

Không lâu sau đó, có một viên quan trong triều không thích Thái tử Quả Nghèo. Hắn đến gặp Vua Quả Xấu và đặt điều nói láo – rằng em của vua đang âm mưu giết ông. Thoạt tiên vua không tin hắn ta. Nhưng sau khi viên quan kia cứ lập đi lập lại điều thêu dệt này thì vua đâm ra lo sợ. Cho nên ông đã ra lệnh bắt trói Thái tử Quả Nghèo và đem giam vô ngục tối ở trong hoàng cung.

Hoàng tử nghĩ rằng, “Tôi là một người ngay thẳng không thể bị xiềng xích như vậy. Tôi chưa bao giờ có ý muốn giết anh của mình. Tôi cũng chưa từng giận anh ấy nữa. Vì vậy, bây giờ tôi kêu gọi sức mạnh của chân lý. Nếu những gì tôi nói là thật, xin hảy để cho những gông cùm này bị đứt và cửa ngục tối được mở ra.” Mầu nhiệm thay, chuỗi xiềng xích đã bị đứt ra từng mảnh, cửa ngục mở ra và vị hoàng tử đã chạy trốn đến một ngôi làng xa xôi hẻo lánh. Dân chúng ở đó nhận ra ông. Bởi vì họ kính trọng ông nên họ đã giúp ông trú ẩn. Và nhà vua đã không thể bắt ông lại.

Dù đang lẫn trốn, thái tử vẫn tạo được uy tín và trở thành lảnh chúa của cả vùng đất xa xôi đó. Dần dần ông đã xây dựng được một lực lượng quân đội hùng mạnh. Ông nghĩ rằng, “Mặc dù lúc đầu ta không phải là kẻ thù của anh ta, nhưng bây giờ thì ta chắc hẵn đã là kẻ thù của anh ấy rồi.” Vì vậy ông đem đạo quân của mình đến bao vây thành phố Mithila.

Ông báo tin cho vua Quả Xấu, “Em không phải là kẻ thù của anh, nhưng anh đã làm cho em trở thành như vậy. Do đó em quyết định gây chiến chống lại anh. Em cho anh chọn lựa – hoậc là nhường cho em ngai vàng và vương quốc này, còn không thì hảy ra đây chiến đấu.” Nghe vậy, đa số dân trong thành đã ra và đi theo thái tử.

Vua Quả Xấu quyết định giao chiến. Vua sẽ làm bất cứ điều gì để bảo vệ quyền lực của ông. Trước khi đem quân đi, vua đến gặp hoàng hậu để nói lời tạm biệt. Bà đang mang thai và cũng đã gần kề ngày sanh. Vua nói với bà, “Hoàng hậu yêu dấu của ta, không ai biết được người nào sẽ thắng trận. Vì vậy, nếu trẫm chết thì nàng hảy bảo vệ đứa con trong bụng nàng.” Rồi vua đã anh dũng ra đi chiến đấu và chẩng mấy chốc đã bị giết chết bởi binh lính của em ông.

Tin vua chết trận được loan truyền khắp hoàng thành. Hoàng hậu đã phải hóa trang thành một người vô gia cư nghèo khó bẩn thỉu. Bà mặc quần áo rách rưới và trét đất cát lên người. Bà dấu một số vàng của vua và những nữ trang quý giá nhất của bà vô cái túi xách và phủ lên trên một số gạo dính đầy đất sạn để không ai muốn lấy trộm. Rồi bà rời khói hoàng thành qua cổng phía bắc. Vì bà chỉ luôn ở trong cung điện nên hoàng hậu không biết phải đi đâu. Bà có nghe nói về một thành phố tên gọi là Campa. Bà ngồi xuống một góc đường và bắt đầu hỏi han coi có ai trên đường đến Campa không.

Một điều cũng nên biết là đưá bé sắp được sanh ra không phải là một em bé bình thường. Đây không phải cuộc sống đầu tiên hay là lần sanh đầu tiên của người. Hàng triệu năm trước, người đã là môn đệ của một vị “Phật”– một “Đấng Giác Ngộ” đã giáng sanh để truyền bá Phật pháp và đã bị lãng quên từ lâu. Người đã hết lòng thệ nguyện là sẽ trở thành Phật giống như là vị thầy kính yêu của ngài vậy.

Ngài đã tái sanh rất nhiều kiếp – có khi là những con thú đáng thương, có khi là các vị trời với rất nhiều tuổi thọ và có khi là những kiếp người. Ngài đã luôn cố gắng học hỏi từ những lỗi lầm của mình và đã tìm ra “Mười Điều Toàn Thiện”. Nhờ vậy ngài đã có thể thanh lọc được tâm hồn của ngài và từ bỏ được ba nguyên nhân của sự bất thiện – đó là sự độc hại của tham muốn, giận dữ và ảo tưởng của cái tôi riêng biệt. Bằng cách áp dụng những diều toàn thiện, một ngày nào đó ngài sẽ có thể thay thế những độc tính đó bằng ba đức tính trong sạch và tinh khiết – đó là không bám víu, từ bi và trí tuệ.

Vị “Đại Thánh Nhân” này đã từng là một môn đệ khiêm tốn của vị Phật bị lãng quên trong quá khứ. Mục tiêu của ngài là đạt được giác ngộ giống như Phật. – đó là trải nghiệm được sự thật (Chân Lý). Vì thế người ta gọi ngài là “Bồ Tát” (Bodhisatta), có nghĩa là “Người đã Giác Ngộ”. Không ai biết được gì về hàng triệu kiếp sống mà vị thánh nhân vĩ đại này đã trải qua. Nhưng có nhiều câu chuyện đã được truyền tụng – kể cả câu chuyện đang kể đây, chuyện một vị hoàng hậu đang mang thai và sắp sửa sanh ra ngài. Sau nhiều lần tái sanh nữa, ngài đã trở thành Phật , người đã và đang được biết đến và yêu kính trên toàn thế giới ngày nay.

Vào thời gian của câu chuyện này, Đấng Giác Ngộ đã đạt được Mười Điều Toàn Thiện. Cho nên tin vui về việc ngài sắp đản sanh đã làm chấn động khắp các cõi trời, kể cả cung Trời 33 được cai trị bởi Vua Sakka. Khi ông nghe thấy chấn động đó, là một vị vua trời nên ông biết rằng nó được tạo ra bởi thai nhi trong bụng của Hoàng hậu Mithila. Và vua trời biết chắc đây phải là một người có tài trí vĩ đại, nên ông quyết định đi đến nơi đó để giúp đỡ.

Vua Sakka dùng phép mầu làm một cỗ xe trong có giường nệm sẵn hiện ra bên lề đường trước mặt hoàng hậu. Ông giả dạng giống như một ông lão bình thường, và rao lớn, “Có ai cần đi Campa không?” Hoàng hậu liền trả lời, “Tôi muốn đi đến đó, thưa lão bá.” “Vậy thì hảy đi với tôi,” người phu xe già đáp lại.

Vì ngày sanh gần kề nên bụng cùa hoàng hậu trông đã khá lớn. Bà nói, “Tôi không thể leo lên xe được Chỉ cần để túi xách của tôi lên xe và tôi sẽ đi đầng sau.” Ông lão, vua của cõi trời, đáp lời, “Đừng lo! Đừng lo! Tôi là một người lái xe rất giỏi ở đây. Bà đừng lo sợ gì cả. Cứ bước vô xe tôi đi!”

Ngay khi hoàng hậu vừa nhấc chân lên, Vua Sakka liền hóa phép khiến cho mặt đất nơi bà đứng bị nâng lên cao. Nhờ vậy bà đã dễ dàng bước vô trong xe. Bà biết ngay lập tức đây là một vị thần, và bà đã nhanh chóng chìm vào giấc ngủ thật say.

Sakka lái xe đi cho đến khi ông trông thấy một con sông. Ông bèn đánh thức bà dậy và nói, “Hảy thức dậy đi con, và xuống sông tắm. Xong rồi thì hảy mặc bộ y phục tốt đẹp này, là của ta đem đến cho con. Sau đó thì ăn cơm cho no bụng.” Bà làm theo lời ông, và rồi lại nằm xuống ngủ thêm giấc nữa.

Buổi chiều bà thức dậy và trông thấy nhiều ngôi nhà cao lớn với tường thành bao bọc. Bà hỏi, “Thành phố này tên là gì, thưa cha?” Vua Sakka trả lời, “Đây là Campa. Ta đã đi đường tắt. Bây giờ chúng ta đang ở cổng nam của thành phố, con có thể đi vào thành an toàn. Ta phải trở về quê ta ở cách đây rất xa.” Rồi họ chia tay và Sakka biến mất, trở về lại cõi thiên đàng của ông.

Hoàng hậu đi vô thành phố và đến ngồi nghỉ ở một lữ quán. Tình cờ là có một vị đạo sĩ thông thái đang sống ở Campa lúc đó. Ông chuyên đọc thần chú và giúp đỡ cho những người nghèo và kém may mắn. Khi ông cùng với 500 đệ tử của ông đang trên đường đi đến sông tắm, ông đã trông thấy vị hoàng hậu xinh đẹp từ đàng xa. Sự thánh thiện của hài nhi trong bụng mẹ đã làm thành một lớp hào quang sáng ấm toả khắp người hoàng hậu, mà chỉ có vị đạo trưởng thông thái đó nhận thấy. Ngay lập tức ông cảm thấy như có một tình cảm thân thương nhẹ nhàng với bà, giống như bà là người em gái nhỏ của ông. Vì thế, ông tách ra khỏi các đệ tử và đi vào trong quán.

Ông hỏi bà, “Này em gái, quê em ở đâu vậy?” Bà trả lời, “Tôi là chánh hậu của Vua Quả Xấu của xứ Mithila.”

Ông bèn hỏi tiếp, “Thế tại sao bà lại đến đây?” Bà nói, “Chồng tôi bị binh lính của em ông ấy, Hoàng tử Quả Nghèo, giết chết. Tôi sợ nên đã chạy trốn để bảo vệ đứa con trong bụng tôi.” Vị đạo sĩ thông thái đó bèn hỏi, “Bà có thân quyến nào ở thành phố này không?” Bà trả lời, “Thưa ông không có ạ.” Rồi ông nói, “Đừng có lo lắng gì cả. Tôi sanh trưởng trong một nhà giàu và tôi cũng giàu có. Tôi có thể lo cho bà giống như là lo cho em gái tôi vậy. Bây giờ em hảy gọi tôi là anh trai và làm bộ níu lấy chân tôi rồi khóc lớn tiếng.”

Khi bà làm vậy, các đệ tử của ông nghe tiếng bèn bước vào trong. Vị đạo trưởng cắt nghĩa cho họ biết bà là em gái của ông đã bị thất lạc từ lâu. Ông bảo những người đệ tử thân tín nhất đem bà lên ngổi trên một cái xe kéo và đem bà về nhà ông. Ông nói với họ là hảy nói cho vợ ông biết rằng đây là em gái của ông, và bà cần phải được chăm sóc chu đáo.

Họ đã làm như ông yêu cầu. Người vợ đã chào đón bà, cho bà đi tắm nước ấm và để bà lên giường nằm nghĩ.

Sau khi đi tắm ở sông xong, vị đạo sĩ đó đi trở về nhà. Vào buổi ăn tối, ông mời cô em gái ra cùng ăn với gia đình. Và sau đó ông mời bà ở lại nhà của ông.

Chỉ vài ngày sau, hoàng hậu đã hạ sanh ra một bé trai rất dễ thương. Bà đặt tên bé là Quả Lành. Bà nói với người đạo sĩ rằng đó là tên của ông nội của cháu, người đã từng là vua của xứ Mithila.

King Fruitful and Queen Sivali

Rebirth of the Bodhisatta (Chapter 1)

Once upon a time in the city of Mithila, there was a king who had two sons. The older one was named Badfruit, and his younger brother was called Poorfruit.

While they were still fairly young, the king made his older son the crown prince. He was second in command and next in line to the throne. Prince Poorfruit became commander of the army.

Eventually the old king died and Prince Badfruit became the new king. Then his brother became crown prince.

Before long, a certain servant took a disliking to Crown Prince Poorfruit. He went to King Badfruit and told a lie - that his brother was planning to kill him. At first the king did not believe him. But after the servant kept repeating the lie, the king became frightened. So he had Prince Poorfruit put in chains and locked up in the palace dungeon.

The prince thought, "I am a righteous man was does not deserve these chains. I never wanted to kill my brother. I wasn’t even angry at him. So now I call on the power of Truth. If what I say is true, may these chains fall off and the dungeon doors be opened!" Miraculously the chains broke in pieces, the door opened, and the prince fled to an outlying village. The people there recognized him. Since they respected him they helped him, and the king was unable to capture him.

Even though he lived in hiding, the crown prince became the master of the entire remote region. In time he raised a large army. He thought, "Although I was not an enemy to my brother at first, I must be an enemy to him now." So he took his army and surrounded the city of Mithila.

He sent a message to king Badfruit - "I was not your enemy, but you have made me so. Therefore I have come to wage war against you. I give you a choice - either give me your crown and kingdom, or come out and fight." Hearing of this, most of the city people went out and joined the prince.

King Badfruit decided to wage war. He would do anything to keep his power. Before going out with his army, he went to say goodbye to his number one queen. She was expecting a baby very soon. He said to her "My love, no one knows who will win this war. Therefore, if I die you must protect the child inside you." Then he bravely went off to war and was quickly killed by the soldiers of his enemy brother.

The news of the king’s death spread through the city. The queen disguised herself as a poor dirty homeless person. She put on old rags for clothes and smeared dirt on herself. She put some of the king’s gold and her own most precious jewelries into a basket. She covered these with dirty rice that no one would want to steal. Then she left the city by the northern gate. Since she had always lived inside the city, the queen had no idea where to go from there. She had heard of a city called Campa. She sat down at the side of the road and began asking if anyone was going to Campa.

It just so happened that the one who was about to be born was no ordinary baby. This was not his first life or his first birth. Millions of years before, he had been a follower of a long-forgotten teaching "Buddha" - a fully "Enlightened One". He had wished with all his heart to become a Buddha just like his beloved master.

He was reborn in many lives - sometimes as poor animals, sometimes as long-living gods and sometimes as human beings. He always tried to learn from his mistakes and develop the "Ten Perfections". This was so he could purify his mind and remove the three root causes of unwholesomeness - the poisons of craving, anger and the delusion of a separate self. By using the perfections, he would someday be able to replace the poisons with the three purities - non-attachment, loving-kindness and wisdom.

This "Great Being" had been a humble follower of the forgotten Buddha. His goal was to gain the same enlightenment of a Buddha - the experience of complete Truth. So people call him "Bodhisatta", which means "Enlightenment Being". No one really knows about the millions of lives lived by this great hero. But many stories have been told - including this one about a pregnant queen who was about to give birth to him. After many more rebirths, he became the Buddha who is remembered and loved in all the world today.

At the time of our story, the Enlightenment Being had already achieved the Ten Perfections. So the glory of his coming birth caused a trembling in all the heaven worlds, including the Heaven of 33 ruled by King Sakka. When he felt the trembling, being a god he knows it was caused by the unborn baby inside the disguised Queen of Mithila. And he knew this must be a being of great merit, so he decided to go and help out.

King Sakka made a covered carriage with a bed in it, and appeared at the roadside in front of the pregnant queen. He looked just like an ordinary old man. He called out, "Does anyone need a ride to Campa?" The homeless queen answered, "I wish to go there, kind sir." "Come with me then,” the old man said.

Since the birth was not far off, the pregnant queen was quite large. She said, "I cannot climb up into your carriage. Simply carry my basket and I will walk behind." The old man, the king of the gods, replied, "Never mind! Never Mind! I am the cleverest driver around. So don’t worry. Just step into my cart!"

Lo and behold, as she lifted her foot, King Sakka magically caused the ground under her to rise up! So she easily stepped down into the carriage. Immediately she knew this must be a god, and fell fast asleep.

Sakka drove the cart until he came to a river. Then he awakened the lady and said, "Wake up, daughter, and bathe in this river. Dress yourself in this fine clothing I have brought you. Then eat a packet of rice." She obeyed him, and then lay downs and slept some more.

In the evening she awoke and saw tall houses and walls. She asked, "What is this city, father?" He said, "This is Campa." King Sakka replied, "I took a short cut. Now that we are at the southern gate of the city, you may safely enter in. I must go on to my own far-off village." So they parted and Sakka disappeared in the distance, returning to his heaven world.

The queen entered the city and sat down at an inn. There happened to be a wise man living in Campa. He recited spells and gave advice to help people who were sick or unfortunate. While on his way to bathe in the river with 500 followers, he saw the beautiful queen from a distance. The great goodness of the unborn one within gave her a soft warm glow, which only the wise man noticed. At once he felt a kind and gentle liking for her, just as if she was his own youngest sister. So he left his followers outside and went into the inn.

He asked her, "Sister, what village are you from?" She replied, "I am the number one queen of King Badfruit of Mithila."

He asked, "Then why did you come here?" "My husband was killed by the army of his brother, Prince Poorfruit," she said. "I was afraid , so I ran away to protect the unborn one within me." The wise man asked, "Do you have any relatives in this city?" She said, "No sir." Then he said, "Don’t worry at all. I was born in a rich family and I myself am rich. I will care for you just as I would for my own young sister. Now you must call me brother and grab hold of my feet and cry out."

When she did this, the followers came inside. The wise man explained to them that she was his long lost youngest sister. He told his closest followers to take her to his home in a covered cart. He told them to tell his wife that this was his sister, who was to be cared for.

They did exactly as he had said. The wife welcomed her, gave her a hot bath, and made her rest in bed.

After bathing in the river the wise man returned home. At dinnertime he asked his sister to join them. After dinner he invited her to stay in his home.

In only a few days the queen gave birth to a wonderful little baby boy. She named him Fruitful. She told the wise man this was the name of the boy’s grandfather, who had one been King of Mithila.

Kurunegoda Piyatissa
(The Jataka stories)

Truyện Tiền Thân Đức Phật - Phần II

Friday, June 5, 2015

Bài 2 - Vua Quả Lành và Hoàng Hậu Sivali

Vua Quả Lành và Hoàng Hậu Sivali

Sự Tái sanh của vị Bồ Tát (Chương 1)

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