Lost Sutra of Suri and Handoku

Let me tell you a few tales from the lost Sutra of Suri and Handoku(for more on the ones already available follow this link: http://www.geocities.com/chris_holte/Buddhism/SuriHandoku.html:

Suri and Handoku were always practicing meditation. They could only say one phrase and say it right, anything else they tried to say came out all wrong!

What could they do then but meditate on that one phrase?

Once Suri and Handoku were trying to meditate

While they were meditating Devadatta and Shariputra (whom at one time were friends) came along. They saw them meditating and decided to make fun of them So they said, here try meditating on this phrase:

"All is empty, and emptiness is all"

Suri and Handoku tried to repeat these words but all that could come out was "Emptiness is in all things, but all is not emptiness"

Devadatta and Shariputra laughed But when Shakyamuni saw them saying those words, he said "Why they are right."

Threading a Needle

Sariputra and Devadatta then said:

"If your faith is so great, then you should demonstrate your resolve, why don't one of you climb eagle peak with a needle, and the other with a string, then you can throw a string to the other. If your faith is really so strong lets see if your faith can thread the needle!?"

So Suri and Handoku went to the mountain, and they soon came back and said, thank you Sariputra, thank you for the wise words. We went to the mountain, and we struggled to climb it. There was a terrible storm blowing and winds, and snow. But I had faith in the power of the Buddha dharma and lo and behold when I threw the string and it threaded the needle that Handoku had right away! And even more fantastic, just at that moment we saw a man who couldn't fasten his clothes. He was in danger of freezing. So naturally we repaired them. He converted on the spot and donated a wonderful stupa to the Sangha. It turns out he also was a king from a country far to the east, and now he has promised to convert his entire nation to Buddhism, because of your instructions we were able to save countless suffering people from a hellish existence.

Shakyamuni smiled again.

Now Devadatta and Shariputra were more than a little irritated, so they suggested they wander to the land where that king live in order to instruct them on Buddhism.

In the land of the Monkey King

No sooner than they began to travel, when they found a heavenly gate, which they entered. As soon as they entered the Gate they found a land ruled by the Monkey King. It was a land of the monkeys, where there was a wonderful pool of wisdom at the center that if they could only find it, would grant them enlightenment and wisdom, and let them be able to roar the lion's roar.

But there were jackals and hyenas who were afraid that if the monkeys found the pool they would drink it's water, and with their wisdom they would never be food for jackals and hyenas again. So they employed a clever strategim and put in signs that pointed every which way knowing the monkeys would get lost. Sure enough it worked, and the monkeys lived in the dark forest and never found their way to the pool of enlightenment.

As soon as Suri and Handoku entered the forest, they too saw the signs, but because they weren't very good at reading, they followed the path strait anyway. Sure enough they reached the pool of wisdom and drank from it. At that point they began to wander the kingdom telling the monkeys how to find the water with it's excellent properties of "color" "odor" and "taste" so they could drink of it too. They also preached warnings to the monkeys. For instance, Suri warned the Monkeys in the dark forest:

Once a monkey found a break in the clearing and drank of the pool of wisdom. His mind was cleared and he danced for joy! I am enlightened I am enlightened! He was so full of joy that he failed to look up, and just at that moment an eagle swooped down and grabbed him. As she carried him off, he said,
"Why me, I thought I was enlightened!?"
She looked at him balefully, and said:
"well you are a meal for my children now, because your see, your enlightenment was not so complete, after all, you did not see me?"
Suri said,
"you see, when you drink of the water, still beware the sky, and still you have much to learn, as do Handoku and I."

When Suri and Handoku had completed their mission, the monkey king opened a portal and they found that they had journeyed far to the East.

In the bamboo forest

Suri and Handoku found themselves in a great forest of Bamboo. Indeed they were lost in this forest. For many days they wandered, hungry and half starved. Until they figured out how to eat the Bamboo. After that they did quite well, and they found themselves wandering and meditating in peace in their hearts.

After many days of such wandering they came to a village that warned them of a marauding creature which was eating their children and stealing food from their farms. It was a huge bandit of a creature with dark karmic stains around it's eyes and ferocious teeth that ate anything meaty and tasty -- including people.

They preached the Dharma to the villagers and told them they should pity the miserable Karma of such a creature -- even as they prepare to defend themselves. They then were about to go into the Bamboo forest when that fierce creature came out of the forest growling and drooling with hunger. It had been listening to them while hidden in the bamboo forest. Suri and Handoku, were startled, but had so much faith in the power of the Dharma that they spoke to the Creature. It was big, with huge teeth designed for rendering victims.

They said

"Creature! Why do you attack and kill human beings! Don't you realize what a Karmic Stain you are putting on your life? You should be ashamed of yourself!" Don't you feel the Karmic hell you are creating for yourself?

The creature replied,

"Now that I have listened to the Dharma, what else can I do? There is nothing to eat around here that is as tasty and sweet as the villagers, and if I refrain from eating them I shall surely perish from hunger."

Suri and Handoku, who had been eating the young parts of the Bamboo, said

"Why you can eat the Bamboo my furry friend."

And it was thus that the Panda Bear became a vegetarian.

Suri and Handoku and Eagle Peak

After accomplishing all these deeds, Suri and Handoku thought of their teacher Shakyamuni. It had been a long time since they had left Magadha, and they had no idea how to get back home. But at that point the monkey king remembered them, and he opened a portal for them into which they were able to travel thousands of miles as if it were one, and they returned to Magadha. From there they made their way to the castle "Prasenajit" in time to serve the Buddha and help the Buddha to Preach the Lotus Sutra and predict they'd become Buddhas "Universal Brightness." and "unalloyed brightness."

Epilogue

Of Course this is fiction. But it is inspired by the story of SuriHandoku. Brothers who were very close to Shakyamuni Buddha, one of whom was what we would call "developmentally challenged." I feel close to them for some reason!

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