The massacre of the Sakya clansmen
Before the advent of Sakyamuni Buddha, there was near Kapila town a village
inhabited by fishermen, and in it was a big pond. It happened that because of
a great drought, the pond ran dry and all the fish were caught and eaten by
the villagers. The last fish taken was a big one and before it was killed, a
boy who never ate fish, played with it and thrice knocked its head.
Later, after Sakyamuni Buddha's appearance in this world, King Prasenajit who
believed in the Buddha-dharma, married a Sakya girl who then gave birth to a
prince called Crsytal. When he was young, Crystal had his schooling in Kapila
which was then inhabited by the Sakya clansmen. One day while playing, the boy
ascended to the Buddha's seat and was reprimanded by others who dragged him
down. The boy cherished a grudge against the men and when he became king, he
led his soldiers to attack Kapila, killing all its inhabitants.
At the same time, the Buddha suffered from a headache which lasted three days.
When His disciples asked Him to rescue the poor inhabitants, the Buddha replied
that a fixed Karma could not be changed. By means of his miraculous powers,
Maudgalyayana rescued five hundred Sakya clansmen and thought he could give
them refuge in his own bowl which was raised up in the air. When the bowl was
brought down, all the men had been turned into blood.
When asked by His chief disciples, the Buddha related the story of the villagers
who in days gone by had killed all the fish in their pond; King Crystal had
been the big fish and his soldiers the other fish in the pond; the inhabitants
of Kapila who were now killed had been those who ate the fish; and the Buddha
Himself had been the boy who thrice knocked the head of the big fish. Karma
was now causing Him to suffer from a headache for three days in retribution
for his previous act. Since there could be no escape from the effects of a fixed
Karma, the five hundred Sakya clansmen, although rescued by Maudgalyayana, shared
the same fate. Later, King Crystal was reborn in a hell.
As cause produces effect which in turn becomes a new cause the retribution is
inexhaustible. The law of causality is really very dreadful.