far worse than this.
You should regard treachery
toward friends as a foe
and look affectionately on friends
who are affectionate to you. (24.62 [38]—63 [39])
The Bodhi·sattva’s virtue is often the factor that enables enmity to be overcome. In ‘The Birth-Story of the Great Monkey’ (27), a king’s army attacks a tree inhabited by monkeys, “as if eager to attack the inaccessible fortress of an enemy” (27.23). This aggression is dispelled when the king witnesses the Bodhi·sattva’s self-sacrifice for his troop of monkeys, giving the following maxim to the story: “Those who act morally can influence the hearts even of enemies.” Similarly, in ‘The Birth-Story of the Sharabha Deer’ (25), a king marvels that a deer whom he tried to kill is still willing to save him from a pit:
How can he show me compassion
when I have clearly treated him as a foe? (25.26 [13])
In some stories the “enemy” is so impressed by the Bodhi·sattva’s virtue that he declares not only friendship but also a willingness to offer his life in gratitude: “My life is yours!” (25.40 [21], 26.17 [9]).4
However, while enemies are often transformed into friends through virtue, several stories stress the value of proper companionship (rather than just any companionship), since an immoral friend can easily lead a person astray. The notion that moral company facilitates the cultivation of virtue reflects the Buddhist notion of a “good (spiritual) friend” kalyana/mitra) and is expressed, for example, by two verses in “The Birth-Story of Suta·soma’ (31): __________________
Even randomly meeting
a virtuous person just once
creates something firm and enduring,
requiring no constant attention. (31.138 [71])
Never roam far from virtuous people.
Modest in conduct, frequent the good.
For their flower-like virtues spread pollen
which easily touches those nearby.5 (31.140 [72] )
The importance of other people is also relevant to the Bodhi·sattva himself. Although the primary focus of the “Garland of the Buddha’s Past Lives” is usually on the Bodhi·sattva and his deeds, his achievement of virtue is not always an entirely solitary task. In the introduction to the first volume, we already had cause to mention the important role played by the Bodhi·sattva’s wife, Madri, in ‘The Birth-Story of Vishvan·tara’ (9). By giving her approval to her husband’s extreme gifts, Madri’s devotion not only assists the Bodhi·sattva in fulfilling the perfection of giving but also offers a resolution to the conflict between renunciate and social values brought about by the Bodhi·sattva’s absolutist moral outlook. The depth of intimacy between the Bodhi·sattva and his wife is highlighted in that story by the god Shakra, who describes their relationship as one of inseparability and interdependence:
I give you back
Madri, your wife.
For moonlight should not
exist apart from the moon. (vol. 1, 9.184 [99])
Such participation by others in the Bodhi·sattva’s lives is also emphasized in other stories. In some cases it is expressed in the instrumental or catalytic sense of providing a context for the Bodhi·sattva’s performance of virtue. In “The Birth-Story of the Buffalo’ (33), for example, the need for forbearance to have a context in which to operate is expressed by the tale’s maxim: “Forgiveness only exists if there is something to forgive, not otherwise.” Indeed the Bodhi·sattva of the story (a buffalo) interprets the insults inflicted on him by a mischievous monkey as a benefit, since they provide him with an opportunity to practice forbearance:
There is never a wrong time for forbearance.
But the occasion is rare as it depends on others.
So if another person produces an opportunity,
why would one resort to anger? (33.22 [14])
Other stories move beyond a merely instrumental form of agency to focus extensively on characters other than the Bodhi·sattva. A startling example is provided by ‘The Birth-Story of the Goose’ (22), in which the main protagonist of the story is in fact not the Bodhi·sattva (a king of geese) but the Bodhi·sattva’s general Sumukha. Sumukha’s prominent role is highlighted by the fact that not only does the prose introduction give a longer description to Sumukha than to the Bodhi·sattva, but also the story breaks the convention of identifying solely the Buddha’s former rebirth by identifying Sumukha as the former rebirth of the monk Ananda. Moreover, the main focus of the story is on Sumukha’s devotion to his king. In fact it is this quality that resolves the conflict in the tale between the geese and their hunters ________
rather than any virtue displayed by the Bodhi·sattva.6 Accordingly, when the hunter decides to release the geese, he pinpoints Sumukha’s virtue as the main factor influencing his actions:
The virtue you have displayed here
in giving your life for your master
would be miraculous even
among humans or gods!
Out of reverence
I will release your king.
For who could wrong him
who is dearer to you than life? (22.95 [52]—96 [53])
In a similar manner to the love shown between the Bodhi·sattva and his wife in ‘The Birth-Story of Vishvan·tara’ (9), the inseparable companionship between the Bodhi·sattva and his general is again stressed:
The two worked as one in upholding
the body of bliss for the flock of geese,
just as two wings work as one in upholding
the body of a bird flying in the sky. (22.6 [1])
However, while Sumukha receives prominent attention for his own individual morality, it is significant that the virtue for which he is praised is devotion, an attitude that necessarily involves a strong bond of attachment to an object of loyalty, in this case the Bodhi·sattva. The value of Sumukha’s moral conduct is therefore never entirely autonomous, however virtuous it is shown to be, but is always dependent on his relationship with the Bodhi·sattva. This is ________
equally true of ‘The Birth-Story of Vishvan·tara,’ in which the significance of Madri’s virtue is based primarily on her devotion to her husband (the Bodhi·sattva). While other characters play an important role in the Bodhi·sattva’s lives, the Bodhi·sattva’s paramount status is thus always maintained.
This emphasis on devotion picks up on a central theme that was highlighted in the first volume and that is equally important to the present book. Often described as a source of refuge and protection, the Bodhi·sattva’s role as a savior is constantly accentuated:
