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The Bodhisattva continued to talk to the Śakra god: “When friendships …” First, he talked about the king, who went from one hell after another even, not just one hell, but one after another for the bad karma that he caused while being a king, powerful. So now the Bodhisattva continued to talk, “When friendships are suddenly broken, when wrong roads and unclean paths are traveled for the sake of expediency,” meaning convenience, “when good reputations are lost and suffering arises, is it not always the result of desire?” He asked the Śakra god, because the Śakra god said, “Oh, all these are pleasures, why you say it’s the worldly thing,” as if looking down upon. So he said, it's all desires making trouble. Because of desire. If you don't have any desires or any gain, then friendship would not be broken, or suffering will not occur in your life. “Worldly pleasures,” he continued, “Worldly pleasures tend to destroy everyone, the highest, the middling, and the lowest.” “Both in this world and the next. Therefore, O, Lord Śakra, in order to benefit themselves, the rishis,” meaning the yogis, the practitioners, “keep their distance from desires as if from angry serpents.” Snakes, poisonous snakes. Śakra now, maybe finally convinced or impressed with the words by the Bodhisattva. So he’s finally feeling pleased, convinced. So he scolded him, “We are no kin to you,” meaning we have nothing to do with. “We are not even your relatives. We are not even your friends. We are neither actors nor buffoons. What then is your reason for coming here, O Lord of gods, to play with rishis in this fashion?” So swiftly Śakra shook off his divine appearance, and his brilliant earrings, his diadem and his lightning bolts. Bowing with much respect, he spoke these words to the Bodhisattva: “O Great Being, you who are free from all selfishness, please forgive my thoughtless actions as would a father or a teacher.” The Bodhisattva, the biggest brother said, “I was the eldest brother of that time.” The other Buddha incarnation. “Sariputta, Maudgalyayana, Kasyapa, Purna, Aniruddha, and Ananda were the other brothers.” Of course! Yeah. (Oh!) No wonder. “Utpalavarna was the sister.” They all became monks now, I mean, at that time when the Buddha became Buddha again. So Utpalavarna was the sister, probably one of the nuns. “And Kubgottara was the maid servant.” It’s all his disciples, all his close disciples now. “Kitra, the householder was the male servant.” One of his lay disciples was the male servant at that time. “Satagiri is the yaksha, the demon. And Pariliya was the elephant. Madhudatar was the monkey, his disciple. Kalodayin, the Śakra of that time. Bear this Jataka well in mind.” Means remember this story well, to learn from it. Lovely story! And we should try to adhere to spiritual practice more than anything else on earth because that is the lasting treasure,##the lasting thing we could keep.
