Table of Contents: Love for Animals
§ 64. LOVE FOR ANIMALS.
[SUBLIME STATE OF FRIENDLINESS.]
Translated from the Culla-Vagga (v.6.).
Now at that time a certain priest had been killed by the bite of a snake, and when they announced the matter to The Blessed One, he said:
"Surely now, O priests, that priest never suffused the four royal families of the snakes with his friendliness. For if, O priests, that priest had suffused the four royal families of the snakes with his friendliness, that priest, O priests, would not have been killed by the bite of a snake. And what are the four royal families of the snakes? The Virûpakkhas are a royal family of snakes; the Erâpathas are a royal family of snakes; the Chabyâputtas are a royal family of snakes; the Kanhâgotamakas are a royal family of snakes. Surely, now, O priests, that priest did not suffuse the four royal families of the snakes with his friendliness. For surely, O priests, if that priest had suffused the four royal families of the snakes with his friendliness, that priest, O priests, would not have been killed by the bite of a snake. I enjoin, O priests, that ye suffuse these four royal families of the snakes with your friendliness; and that ye sing a song of defence for your protection and safeguard. After this manner, O priests, shall ye sing:
| "Virûpakkhas, I love them all, The Erâpathas, too, I love, Chabyâputtas, I love them, too, And all Kanhâgotamakas. |
| p. 303 | [CV.v.6 |
| "'Creatures without feet have my love, And likewise those that have two feet, And those that have four feet I love, And those, too, that have many feet. |
| "'May those without feet harm me not, And those with two feet cause no hurt; May those with four feet harm me not, Nor those who many feet possess. |
| "'Let creatures all, all things that live, All beings of whatever kind, See nothing that will bode them ill! May naught of evil come to them! |
"'Infinite is The Buddha, infinite the Doctrine, infinite the Order! Finite are creeping things: snakes, scorpions, centipedes, spiders, lizards, and mice! I have now made my protection, and sung my song of defence. Let all living beings retreat! I revere The Blessed One, and the seven Supreme Buddhas!'"