The Pilgrim
K
AMANITA
~ A Legendary Romance ~
By KARL GJELLERUP
Translated from the German by
John Logie
Edited by
Amaro Bhikkhu
Illustrations by
Chuang Muanpinit
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O
RIGINALLY P
UBLISHED TO COINCIDE WITH
THE DEDICATION
OF THE NEW
T
EMPLE AT
A
MARAVATI
B
UDDHIST
M
ONASTERY
,
J
ULY
4, 1999.
© Amaro Bhikkhu 1999
Second Edition © Amaro Bhikkhu 2008
Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery
16201 Tomki Road
Redwood Valley
California 95470
USA
www.abhayagiri.org
ISBN: 974‐87007‐7‐1
iii
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa
Homage to the Blessed, Noble and
Perfectly Enlightened One!
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~
C
ONTENTS ~
PREFACE TO THE 2008 EDITION : p vii
PREFACE TO THE 1999 EDITION: p viii
AUTHOR’S NOTE: p xiii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: p xvi
MAP OF INDIA IN THE TIME OF THE BUDDHA: p xix
1. THE BUDDHA REVISITS THE CITY OF THE FIVE HILLS: p 1
2. THE MEETING: p 9
3. TO THE BANKS OF THE GANGĀ: p 13
4. THE MAIDEN BALL‐PLAYER: p 21
5. THE MAGIC PORTRAIT: p 29
6. ON THE TERRACE OF THE SORROWLESS: p 37
7. IN THE RAVINE: p 49
8. THE PARADISE BUD: p 55
9. UNDER THE CONSTELLATION OF THE ROBBERS: p 63
10. ESOTERIC DOCTRINE: p 73
11. THE ELEPHANT’S TRUNK: p 81
12. THE GRAVE OF THE HOLY VĀJASHRAVAS: p 89
13. THE COMPANION OF SUCCESS: p 99
14. THE FAMILY MAN: p 109
15. THE SHAVEN‐HEADED MONK: p 117
16. READY FOR ACTION: p 125
17. TO HOMELESSNESS: p 135
18. IN THE HALL OF THE POTTER: p 145
19. THE MASTER: p 153
20. THE UNREASONABLE CHILD: p 159
21. IN MID‐CAREER: p 171
22. IN THE PARADISE OF THE WEST: p 181
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23. THE ROUNDELAY OF THE BLESSED: p 187
24. THE CORAL TREE: p 193
25. THE BUD OF THE LOTUS OPENS: p 199
26. THE CHAIN WITH THE TIGER‐EYE: p 205
27. THE RITE OF TRUTH: p 213
28. ON THE SHORES OF THE HEAVENLY GANGĀ: p 219
29. AMID THE SWEETNESS OF THE CORAL BLOSSOMS: p 225
30. “TO BE BORN IS TO DIE”: p 231
31. THE APPARITION ON THE TERRACE: p 237
32. SĀTĀGIRA: p 247
33. ANGULIMĀLA: p 255
34. THE HELL OF SPEARS: p 261
35. A PURE OFFERING: p 273
36. THE BUDDHA AND KRISHNA: p 283
37. THE BLOSSOMS OF PARADISE WITHER: p 297
38. IN THE KINGDOM OF THE HUNDRED‐THOUSANDFOLD
BRAHMĀ: p 303
39. THE DUSK OF THE WORLDS: p 309
40. IN THE GROVE OF KRISHNA: p 315
41. THE SIMPLE CONTEMPLATION: p 325
42. THE SICK NUN: p 333
43. THE PASSING OF THE TATHĀGATA: p 341
44. VĀSITTHĪ’S BEQUEST: p 355
45. NIGHT AND MORNING IN THE SPHERES: p 363
.
APPENDIX 1: NOTES AND REFERENCES: p 370
APPENDIX 2:
THE DHĀTUVIBHANGA SUTTA: ‘THE DISCOURSE ON
THE EXPOSITION OF THE ELEMENTS,’ M 140: p 479
APPENDIX 3: THE ANGULIMĀLA SUTTA: ‘THE DISCOURSE ON
ANGULIMĀLA,’ M 86: p 488
APPENDIX 4: THE MAHĀPARINIBBĀNA SUTTA: ‘THE DISCOURSE
ON THE BUDDHA’S LAST DAYS,’ D 16.2.22–.6.12: p 496
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~
P
REFACE TO THE 2008, WEB EDITION ~
I
T HAS BEEN NEARLY TEN YEARS
since the Abhayagiri edition of ‘The Pilgrim
Kāmanīta’ was published. During that time the original print run of a few
thousand copies has long since been exhausted yet, even though interest in the
book has maintained a steady level, sadly there have not been the resources to
fund a second print run.
However, these intervening years have also brought technological
developments of an order of magnitude that might have even surprised a few of
the deities in the upper echelons of the brahmā worlds mentioned in this story. It
is thus now possible to make this book freely available in the public domain, via
the agency of our monastery web‐site. We are very pleased to be able to do this
and to help this classic and illuminating tale to be circulated ever more widely.
The text of the story is largely unchanged from the 1999 edition, although
– poetic licence of the author notwithstanding – a few more factual errors have
been corrected. There have also been a few additions and amendations to the
Notes and References since, over the years, more of the authorʹs sources have
become apparent.
The original edition that we produced in 1999 was printed for free
distribution and it is in this same spirit that this 2008, web‐edition is offered. The
material in this book can be copied for personal use but permission will not be
granted for any of the material, text or illustrations, to be sold commercially. It
has long been part of our tradition to offer the teachings of the Buddha freely, as
both a mark of respect for their truly priceless quality and also as part our
endeavour to embody what has been called ‘an economy of gifts’ in a world that
is easily fixated on wealth and profit.
The gift of this story and its wisdom came to us freely and it is offered
freely to you, gentle reader – enjoy!
Amaro Bhikkhu
Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery
December, 2008
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