Thirty-Three Deities

That morning, the village market had never been so crowded. From early dawn, laughter and chatter filled the air, the creaking of vendors' shoulder poles, children running playfully through the crowd. The land was still wild and untamed, with no paved roads, no concrete courtyards, only natural ground pocked with muddy puddles from the night's rain. People pressed against one another, jostling forward, each trying to find a comfortable spot to watch the traveling performers and browse the rows of stalls spread out everywhere.

Amid that crowd stood a handsome young man, neatly dressed, blending in with everyone else. His name was Magha, the son of a well-to-do family in the region. He did not push and shove like the others, but simply observed quietly. Seeing people standing crowded together on the muddy ground, he gently bent down and used his foot to push aside the stones and small puddles, creating a smooth, clean patch of earth for himself to stand on. Just as he was about to step onto it, a large man came pushing through from somewhere, shoving him aside and taking the spot he had just cleared. Magha said nothing. He only smiled, stepped away to another corner, bent down again, and used his foot to push away stones and mud, clearing a new spot. Before he could even settle, someone else arrived, pushed him away, and claimed the place. Again and again, this happened: he cleared a spot for himself, only to have someone else take it.

Under the blazing midday sun, his shirt soaked with sweat, Magha paused and looked around. He suddenly realized something strange: instead of feeling irritated, he felt happy. He thought, "People need a place to stand, and they like a clean spot, so they compete for one. Even if I cannot stand there myself, I have cleared a place for them, and they get to stand. That is good enough." With that thought, he smiled, without a trace of wounded pride or anger. He called his servants to bring tools, and together they set about clearing a large stretch of land beside the market, turning it into a new, spacious, and clean marketplace. Sellers and buyers flocked there in droves, everyone delighted, thanking him.

From that day on, Magha seemed to discover the true joy of his life. He did not stop at clearing the market. He also thought of the rough village roads, full of thorns and potholes, that made travel miserable. He took knives and hoes and, with his own hands, cleared the brush, leveled the ruts, and opened a wide road connecting the two regions. Thirty-two young men of the village, seeing the meaningfulness of his work, asked to join him. All thirty-three of them worked day and night, digging and building the road, heedless of sun and rain. Word of their goodness spread far and wide, and people everywhere were moved and full of praise.

Yet just as everything was going so well, a district official in the region grew envious. Seeing that the people cherished this group of doers of good deeds more than they cherished him, he became jealous. He secretly schemed, writing a letter to the royal court falsely accusing the thirty-three men of gathering together, building roads, and establishing a base in a plot to rebel against the throne. The king, trusting the words of his subordinate without proper investigation, ordered soldiers to arrest all thirty-three men and bring them to the capital. No one was allowed to speak in their defense, no one was given a trial, and the king ordered them to be executed by being trampled by elephants.

In an open field, the thirty-three men stood bound tightly, surrounded by soldiers. Giant elephants were led forward, each heavy step moving toward them. Magha looked at his companions and saw that every one of them had turned pale with fear. He spoke, his voice remarkably calm: "Brothers, there is no way of escape. The time has come to abide in compassion. Close your eyes, contemplate loving-kindness, and radiate it to all beings." All thirty-three sat down together, closed their eyes, and with single-minded focus contemplated loving-kindness. From the depths of their souls, a boundless stream of compassion spread forth, enveloping the entire field. The elephants advancing toward them suddenly halted, standing still, refusing to take another step. Even when the mahouts stabbed them with spears, the elephants did not move, standing there as if held back by an invisible force.

When the king heard the news, he hurried out to see. Witnessing this strange scene, he ordered the men unbound and questioned them. Once he understood the truth, the king was filled with deep remorse, knowing he had believed false accusations and had nearly put innocent, good people to death. In his anger, he punished the district official, confiscated all his property, made his entire family slaves to Magha, and granted the thirty-three men authority to govern the whole region.

Freed, the thirty-three men understood even more deeply the lesson of compassion. They consulted together and used their new power to do even more good deeds. They built rest houses along the great road, spaced a day's walk apart, so that travelers would have a place to rest for the night, to eat and drink, to bathe, and, most importantly, to hear teachings on morality and the way of living well. Those rest houses became places where goodness spread throughout the region.

When the thirty-three men passed away, thanks to the merit they had planted, they were reborn in the heavenly realm as the thirty-three deities, with Magha at their head, known as Sakka. Their heavenly realm appeared resplendent and magnificent, with grand palaces, fragrant lotus ponds, and radiant light. As for Magha's fourth wife, who had cared only for her appearance and refused to do good deeds, she was reborn as a crane. Out of compassion, Sakka descended and advised her to keep the precepts and no longer eat raw fish. By keeping the precepts, she escaped the animal realm and was reborn as a human, and then, guided further by Sakka, she was finally reborn in the heavenly realm as the daughter of the Asura king. From then on, disputes often arose between the devas and the Asuras, but thanks to their great blessings from merit, the devas always prevailed.

The Buddha told this story to teach that one who is not heedless, but diligent in doing good, will attain a noble position and be praised by all; while one who is heedless and lazy will be blamed and must endure suffering.

The Meaning of the Story

The story of Sakka reminds us of the power of selflessness and a heart of compassion. When we are treated unfairly, instead of becoming angry, let us put ourselves in the other person's position and share in their joy. It is precisely by being heedful and diligent in doing good, even in small matters like clearing a place to stand, that we create great merit, leading us to beautiful and wholesome fruits.

Compiled from a dharma talk by Venerable Thích Chân Quang