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Sunday Parable by Sunanda Mahendra

'What are you doing over there?' came a harsh voice behind the young Magha, who was busy clearing the footpath for the pilgrims heading towards the forest dwelling of the monks. Magha actually had no time to respond to these trivial issues, but he did so, even though he was a little annoyed.

"Can't you see what I am doing?"

"But you are not supposed to clean here and there."

"Why not?" asked Magha and went on doing what he felt was the need of the moment. But the man behind happened to be malicious in his attitude towards Magha.

"I want to help these pilgrims and monks going to the forest abode. Even if they don't ask, it is our duty to attend to their needs. It looks as if someone should fill these muddy ruts and remove the thorny twigs in order to walk without falling into pitfalls."

But the cruel man did not want Magha to go on. Magha tried to collect himself.

"How funny these human beings are! It looks as if some people are always trying their best to scare away the ones who try to do some good to the society. Better not take this fellow seriously. Definitely a pigheaded morose, trouble maker."

With this in mind, Magha not only mended the rugged paths but also helped the pilgrims and monks by drawing water and making bonfires by collecting dry twigs to avoid the chill of the breezy wind and make the abode a better place to stay. Magha's admirers had a question to ask him. What made him busy with all these things? To which the simple answer was "I want to clear the path to heaven".

Magha then continued with the work to his heart's content. Magha's admirers included onlookers, travellers and pilgrims.

They made haste themselves to join Magha with chatties, mammoties, axes and other utensils required for the mending of a path. So there were thirty three men finally, who joined the merit accruing deed.

They also wanted to join Magha in his journey to heaven.

The answer

Once again the cruel man appeared. This man wanted to call himself the leader or the headman of the village. In his so called capacity the man raised a question from the men at work.

"Why do you want to do this kind of work? I am asking, don't you have any other work of your own in the village rather than clearing the way here and there for some idle, good-for-nothing people?"

The collective answer was "We are making a road to heaven". So this leader of the village was angry and said. "Go home and think of attending to your domestic work like raising children and looking after families instead of making paths to heaven."

Then Magha had this advice to deliver to his fellow workers:

"Just ignore him. He is making the way to hell by disturbing us."

The cruel headman tried to appear from time to time to dishearten Magha and his retinue. The cruel one's anger reached a climax when he thought that he should kill Magha along with his retinue. He had a plan of action. "Oh Great Majesty," the man appeared before the King of the country.

"There is a pack of robbers clearing the forest area pretending that they are making a road to the forest dwelling of the monks. So we should catch hold of them and kill them instantly before some severe disaster falls on your kingdom." The foolish king too listened to the cruel man and wanted Magha and the retinue to be summoned. The King without paying much heed to what the group of people had to say just asked one question.

"With whose permission did you attend to that work?"

"We never thought that permission from anybody is necessary for a worthy communal cause," came the reply.

So an angry King made a royal pronouncement. "Punishment for this offence is death. Get the royal elephant to crush and pound them to death by his feet."

But Magha was neither mentally nor physically shaken and sullied by the royal pronouncement. He calmed the shaken retinue.

"My dear friends, listen to me carefully. You joined me in this merit accruing deed. So bear in mind that nobody can dare shake you physically in the power of that worthy cause. This King, the Elephant, the cruel headman, no, none of them.

The gods above us would have seen their divine eyes and understood the mission. Concentrate on what I say - nothing else. Concentrate, that is the only and the best option for our safety. Bless yourself that the good work we were engaged in, could be carried on for years to come. This act of truth may make these people see the world in a better perspective."

Executioner fails

The executioner failed in his attempt to goad the elephant to kill the victims. Because the elephant as if instinctively feeling the good work of Magha's retinue stood still as if venerating them with his trunk raising it high and low and wavering about indicating his impossibility to punish them. "You are not obeying my orders, aren't you?" the King roared.

Then said the executioner in a solemn voice.

"I obey your orders great majesty. It is this royal elephant who is not obeying my orders. The elephant in the past had never disobeyed my orders. As such there is something I can't understand."

Maithreeya

On further investigation the King discovered the piety of Magha and his followers. The King walked round the courtyard to see that Magha and his retinue were deeply engrossed in a meditative act of truth. A surprised king had this to say:

"I am sorry, I was completely misled by a headman. I was shocked to hear his revelation. But I am not going to punish you and pardon me for my hasty decision." Magha opened his eyes and asked the retinue to look around.

The elephant who was ushered in order to punish the group was seen standing still and gazing at them. Magha addressed his retinue. "Look my friends, this four footed animal looks much more superior to some of the two legged cruel beings who wanted to kill us misunderstanding the worthy cause. "Let's not get angry with any of them. Let's spread all pervading compassion (maithreeya) to all of them." The repenting King had this to say as well:

"Pardon me for my follies again. Now please fulfil my wish to donate this royal elephant. Accept him as a royal gift to continue your merit accruing deeds." It is since then that a four footed creature joined the works of the two legged.

Reborn

Many more gradually joined the human forces at work. So our poor headman was put to shame at last and in an unbearable mood he had no option other than committing suicide.

But our hero went to mend the roadways and was often praised by all for his pioneering efforts and was honoured as a great builder of roads. So the tale has it that when the day came for Magha to say goodbye, he was reborn in heaven as Sakra, the Chief of Gods. Sakra is legendarily identified as a deity helping mankind in difficulties.

Whenever genuine humans suffer, Sakra would descend to the earth disguised as an old man and help them. This is retold in many a Sinhala classical and folklore source.

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