The Invading King and the City Gates: A Lesson in Humility

In a past life, the Bodhisatta was a mighty king who ruled over a grand and powerful kingdom. One day, a neighboring king, who had a vast and powerful army, marched toward the Bodhisatta’s kingdom with the intent to conquer it. As the invading king approached the city, he was struck with awe at the sight of the towering city gates, which were magnificent and imposing. Nervously, the invading king asked if these gates were the king’s palace.

The answer came: these were merely the gates of the city, and the palace itself was even more grand, surpassing anything in the world—including the heavenly palace of Indra, king of the gods. Hearing this, the invading king’s confidence immediately faltered. The sheer magnificence of the kingdom filled him with fear and doubt. He realized that such a glorious ruler could not be defeated, and the thought of facing such overwhelming power made him abandon his plans. The invading king turned back, retreating to his own lands without ever entering the city.

In the Lifetime of the Buddha:

In a later life, the king who had planned to invade was reborn as a wandering ascetic. He was known for his love of debate and his belief that he could best anyone in intellectual discussions. However, he had trouble finding worthy opponents who would engage him in debate.

One day, the ascetic arrived in the Buddha’s city and asked the people if there was anyone who could debate him. The people, knowing of the Buddha’s unmatched wisdom, told him that there was one person he could not surpass in debate: the Buddha himself. The ascetic, however, was undeterred and decided to challenge the Buddha to a debate, despite hearing that no one in all of India could defeat him.

When the ascetic arrived at the Buddha’s monastery, he was met with the sight of the massive gates leading to the monastery. The grandeur of the gates, much like the imposing city gates of the past, made him lose his nerve. The ascetic immediately turned away, losing all confidence and abandoning his challenge without ever entering the monastery.

The people, who had witnessed his retreat, ran to inform the Buddha of what had occurred. The Buddha, upon hearing this, told them this story of his past life, explaining that it was not the first time this man had fled when confronted by something greater than himself.

Moral:

1. Confidence and Fear: Just as the invading king lost his courage upon seeing the grandeur of the Bodhisatta’s kingdom, the ascetic lost his confidence when confronted with the Buddha’s spiritual power. This teaches that fear and doubt often arise when we face something we do not understand or feel incapable of overcoming.
2. Appearances and Power: The story highlights how appearances, such as the size and grandeur of the gates, can create an overwhelming sense of inferiority in the face of great power. But this power is not always meant to be a threat—it serves as a symbol of wisdom and understanding.
3. The Importance of Self-awareness: The ascetic’s retreat shows that his lack of self-awareness and his overconfidence in his ability to debate led him to avoid a challenge that could have led to his own growth. He was too focused on his ego to engage in the true purpose of learning from others.
4. Spiritual Power vs. Ego: The story also contrasts spiritual wisdom with intellectual arrogance. The ascetic, like the king before him, was not prepared to face the Buddha’s profound wisdom. In both cases, it is the realization of something greater than themselves that leads to retreat, highlighting the power of humility and self-reflection.
5. Cycles of Behavior: The repeating pattern of fleeing when confronted with greatness shows how certain behavioral tendencies—fear, ego, or pride—can persist through multiple lifetimes. The Buddha uses these past experiences to show his disciples the nature of the ascetic’s behavior and to help them understand the roots of such tendencies.

Lesson: The story reminds us that pride and arrogance can cause us to avoid challenges that would lead to our growth. True strength lies not in intellectual or physical power but in the humility to confront our weaknesses and learn from them. Just as the king’s fear led him to flee, so too did the ascetic’s overconfidence keep him from learning the Buddha’s wisdom. Only through humility can we truly advance in life and spiritual practice.