Barlaam and Josaphat: A Christian Tale of the Buddha (17 page)

The contest was harsh. They gave each other great blows on their shields, many hauberks were broken, and many good knights were killed. Ten Christians were taken prisoner, and five Turkish dukes who held great domains. The Christians struck so many blows that the Saracens left the field first, defeated, a little before vespers. Many were killed and their bodies lay on the field. Armed knights lay gravely wounded, and riderless horses moved across the battlefield. The ruler of Byzantium lay dead under his steed. No tongue could describe the great suffering experienced in that day's battle. Feet, heads, and entrails were strewn across the field, and many wounded lay in the meadow alongside dead bodies with gaping mouths.

Nightfall separated the armies. The exhausted Christians returned to their city and went to their lodgings to remove their armor. King Avenir called for a truce, and the battle was suspended for three days. At dawn each side went to look for the dead on the field and bring back the wounded.

King Avenir looked on the destruction. He had lost so many of his nobles that he did not know where to address his sorrow. Josaphat, the king's son, also had good reason for lament. He had lost many of his friends and was most sorrowful, but he was comforted to know that the dead were saved. He had all the dead buried, and the wounded cared for.

The archbishop did not forget about Miradeus. He sent for the prisoner, and the guards brought him quickly. The archbishop admonished Miradeus and invited him to become a Christian. “Sire,” Miradeus said, “I need no further instruction. Baptize me, by your mercy.” The archbishop rejoiced when he heard him recognize the true belief, and Miradeus received baptism that day. But before he was baptized, Josaphat, the archbishop, and all the Christians, young and old, knelt to pray to God that Miradeus might be healed of the wound that threatened him. Immediately the bells of the Church of the Holy Cross began to ring, and the archbishop and the king crossed themselves. Miradeus was healed: his flesh sealed over the wound. No wise man should have been surprised by it, for Miradeus believed in the Creator! He no longer felt any pain because a good doctor had healed him. They praised and thanked God, and all the city rejoiced because God had cured Miradeus and he had been baptized. When the ruler of Britain heard of it, he too converted immediately. Polidonus of Athens did the same, and all the other prisoners repented of their sins and were baptized. The city was full of rejoicing, and the Christians said that it was a great fortune to recover the loss of those killed in the battle through the conversion of their enemies. They thought it was a good day.

King Avenir heard the news, and his heart was very heavy at the loss of his men. He cursed the gods he served because every day he lost more of his people. He had proposed the truce in anger and sent for more of his men.

Aracin came to him. “Sire, I will go into the city and demand that they give you this land.”

“Friend, you should think of another plan,” the king replied. “They have no reason to give back the land. They have defended their position and continue to win more people to their side. Go quickly and arm yourself, for we must attack and vanquish them or we will all be dead or taken prisoner.” King Avenir's entire army prepared for battle, as did the defenders, and when they were all armed they went out in tight ranks. Josaphat's men waited outside the city's walls as the enemy came toward them. There was great noise from both sides. They were all armed, and they attacked each other as enemies. The battle was harsh and strong, and each side fought hard. Miradeus was armed and mounted on a war horse to fight as a soldier of our Lord. Aracin fought well and led a great host into the battle. Many Christians were killed or wounded, and the field was strewn with dead pagans, including some of the highest born. If you had been present, you would have claimed never to have seen such a hard battle, or so many great blows given and so many received, so many men crying out from wounds, or so many dying in pain. Miradeus jousted against Aracin and struck him on his shield. His lance was straight and his arm was strong, and Miradeus knocked Aracin to the ground. He dropped his lance to draw his sword; he harried Aracin from all sides and cut the laces of his helm. Aracin cried to him, “Miradeus, my lord, have mercy! I yield in good faith. Make me your prisoner.”

“I grant it,” said Miradeus. He let him rise and had him taken to prison.

The scrimmage was fierce and the knights were exhausted. The battle had grown more intense but the Christians had almost won it. The new Christians fought well; they could no longer tolerate the pagans. King Avenir was very sorrowful when he saw that he had lost both the battle and the land. He left the field with great regret. “Alas,” he said, “my great love for my son has led me to misfortune. My love was misplaced and our religion has been shamed.” The Christians pursued the pagans and attacked them. While the king lamented, the Saracens were almost overcome. The battle lasted until the two sides separated at dusk. The Christians returned joyfully to their city. King Avenir was very angry and took shelter in his lodging.

Aracin plotted a betrayal from inside Josaphat's prison. He sent for the archbishop and the king, and asked them what they planned to do with him. The good archbishop began to preach to him and Aracin began to sigh. He pretended to be repentant, in order to betray them. “My heart is sincere,” he said. “I am a wealthy man, the master counselor of the king and his lords. You should baptize me. If the men on the other side know that I am a Christian and a believer, I believe they too will be baptized. King Avenir's people will come to God, and his religion will grow and prosper.” The archbishop rejoiced to see Aracin turn into the right path. He thought the war would be ended by his conversion and peace would return.

Prince Aracin was baptized immediately, but the felon deceived them all. He did not love God or believe in him. He deceived the Christians with his baptism, and he hoped to deceive them further by persuading them to heed his advice. Aracin called quickly for a messenger and sent him to King Avenir. He told the king that he knew how to make him happy again. Aracin would tell him how he could take the city.

King Avenir rejoiced. “Ah, Aracin,” he said, “you have always loved me and known how to advise me.” The king spoke to the messenger: “Good friend, tell Aracin that I will do what he asks so that he can deliver the city to me. Let him send me instructions and I will follow them.”

“By God,” said the messenger, “first I will tell you what he has already done because of his love for you. He has been baptized in the name of their Lord. He tells them that he believes, but he lies. It is part of his plot. He deceives them by using their religion, for he saw that there was no other way.”

“How cleverly he uses his situation!” replied the king. “He is surely my ally. Go back to him and tell him that I will do as he asks.” The messenger went quickly to tell Aracin how eagerly the king had received his plan.

Aracin devised a way to betray the Christians in the city. He took pains to serve Josaphat. He showed deference before him and appeared to have a strong faith. He often asked the priests of the Holy Cross about doctrine, and he devoted himself to the religion.

The negotiations between the armies led to a truce of eight days. The Christians marveled that Aracin had been so thoroughly converted. He seemed gentle and pious, and he never ceased his adoration of the crucifix. The traitor deceived the Christians, for they truly believed that his conversion was real, and they rejoiced for it—they were never happier. Out of sovereign love, the king gave him charge of the highest tower in the city. The traitor had what he wanted then, because he thought that from the tower he could betray the Christians and their good city without any resistance. Aracin hated King Josaphat and his reign. He called for one of the messengers he had told about his plan. He sent him secretly to tell King Avenir to prepare the army, for he would give him the city shortly.

Aracin was assigned the guard of one of the city's strongest towers, and no one watched over him. If King Avenir could enter the tower, he would take the city. The messenger went to tell Avenir what Aracin planned. The king heard Aracin's instructions and loved him greatly for sending them. He summoned all his people and told them what Aracin had devised. “My lords,” he said, “I wonder how Aracin thought of such a good plan. He is new to my service and devoted to me. Before the end of this week, he will give us this beautiful, strong castle.” The Turks rejoiced at the news because they thought they saw an end to the war. They longed for their lands and wished to return home. The council came to an end, and the messenger went back into the city.

There was a good man in King Avenir's army who believed secretly in God. When he heard the king's words, they seemed vain and foolish to him. He would be most sorrowful if any harm came to the Christians. “I am King Avenir's vassal,” he thought. “I must not betray him if I wish to keep faith with him. I do not know if it would be dishonest to send word to King Josaphat about his father's betrayal. All good men should be offended by King Avenir's plan, but I do not dare show my displeasure. Should I not act? I believe I would betray the king if I sent word to his son, and yet I have great pity for Josaphat. If I do not warn him, it is not because I am afraid but because I would fail in my obligation to his father. However wrong he may be, King Avenir is my lord. He does not wish to become a good man for my sake, nor do I wish to do wrong by betraying him. But is it a betrayal? By faith, I believe I misspeak, for I do not see any betrayal in it. In fact, I am a traitor if I knowingly tolerate betrayal. Should I go to King Avenir and tell him so? I would be a fool if I did that, for he would not abandon his plan for my sake, and I would be foolish to reveal to him something that would cost me my life. If I did that, I would deliberately seek my own death.

“Alas!” he said, “I do not know what to do, for there is no good course. If harm comes to the Christians, then all the good I have done in this world will be lost. But if I send word to them, I will be disloyal. Yet if any harm comes to them by my fault, I will do a great injustice. This is not what I desire nor have I sought it.

“I will commit a great sin if I tell my lord's secret—these are his enemies and he is right to seek ways to deceive them. They would do the same to him. I should suffer if by my actions I prevent my lord from taking the tower. By faith, I will not take his victory from him. But if I do not, I will do wrong, for I should have more faith in God than in our laws. I will act disloyally if I lie to God, and if I reject pagan beliefs, then I should not lie. I do not believe that I will do wrong if I send news of the betrayal to the Christians. I will hold to this decision, for I will not let them be betrayed.”

He sent a messenger secretly into the city, to tell King Josaphat about the plot. The king was angry and told everything he had learned to the archbishop, who was dismayed. “According to what I understand, this Aracin has betrayed us. He should die a painful death, for he has acted villainously if what we hear is true.”

“Listen to me,” said King Josaphat. “It would not be right to condemn him unless he is taken in the act. He is supposed to betray us tonight, but he will be watched so closely that if he begins to put the betrayal in action, we will know it.” The day passed and night came. Josaphat sent his men to watch the tower.

The truce ended during the night. The army outside the gates believed the city would be lost before daybreak, because they had confidence in the traitor who had been betrayed. Aracin waited for King Avenir's men. They had armed themselves quietly before approaching the city. King Josaphat's watchman saw that they were coming, urging their horses forward silently. He saw that Aracin waited for them at the tower, wearing his arms. The watchman's warning cry echoed through the city and woke the king. The men on the walls had secretly armed themselves and went to confront Aracin. The traitor had not expected them, and he retreated into the tower. He knew he had been discovered and his plan thwarted. King Avenir's men heard the watchman's cry and knew they had failed. They saw that the city had been alerted and the banner of the king raised in the tower. They fled in disarray and went back to their camp.

Great cries were heard throughout the city and many cursed the traitor. Aracin was in the tower and he was afraid. He did not trust those who watched him from below. The tower was attacked from all sides, and Aracin did not know how to defend himself. He was ashamed and fearful, and he did not dare to leave the tower, because he feared death. King Josaphat's men sought justice. They attacked the tower angrily, and when they took it, Aracin was captured and brought before the king.

“You have committed a great sin by lying about your faith in God,” said Josaphat, “and it brings me deep sorrow. Ah, felonious traitor, what were you thinking when you sent word to my father and offered him this tower? You will die, for your betrayal has been proven. You will admit your bad faith when your body is delivered over to cruel torture and a dishonorable death. You are condemned by your own judgment, since you pledged yourself to God, and you will die in great shame.” King Josaphat had a fire built (this was the law then), and when it was hot, Aracin was thrown in and burned.

King Avenir heard that Aracin had been taken from the tower by force and condemned to death, and he recognized that he had been wrong to go to war against his son. He knew that those who had become Christians were in the right. Avenir acted according to his true nature. He sent a messenger into the city to ask for the archbishop. The archbishop came to King Avenir and explained the path of truth and told him how he could be saved, and the king listened well. He made peace with Josaphat and then went back into his own kingdom.

It truly happened in this way. Holy Christianity grew and God was served and honored in many countries. The newly baptized Christians went back to their lands and cast down their idols. They crushed and destroyed the statues they used to worship and instead taught the good faith. Many people were baptized, from Byzantium to Britain, and Miradeus preached holy Christianity in Babylonia. We know all this is true.

Back in his own country, King Avenir regretted that he had dwelt so long in darkness. He recognized that his gods were evil and his belief in them was foolish. He repented for his false belief and feared he would never receive forgiveness, despite his promises and his wealth. He sent for his lords and told them about his conversion. He asked them what they wished to do. As God who saves all sinners wished it, they responded with a single voice: “Sire, for God's sake and for the sake of the cross, let us leave behind the false faith that has blinded us and let us know the Creator, for we should not believe in any other god. This belief is completely true.”

Their response made King Avenir very happy. His heart was ready to serve God. He called for a messenger and sent word to his son that he and his men were ready to become Christians and leave the religion of their ancestors. When Josaphat heard the news, he praised God and gave thanks for his father's decision. The city rejoiced and its people offered their gratitude to God. Josaphat gave the greatest thanks and asked God to confirm his father's heart, so it would remain submissive and he would be saved. Josaphat would never have been happy unless Avenir had converted, and he was content to know with certainty that his father had repented. He hastened to his father's city, accompanied by the wise archbishop. When Avenir heard that his son was coming, he went out to meet him and received him joyfully. The father rejoiced to bow before his son.

Josaphat and the archbishop went to the palace, where they were greeted with honor. The father sat beside his son, who told him about this world and how it would end. Then he explained divine law from the very beginning. He showed him that God had made every creature and designed all nature. He told him that God made the first man, Adam, who bit the apple and was thrown out of paradise when his act was discovered. He explained that God came to earth to redeem all sinners, was wrongly hanged on a cross, suffered death, and then was resurrected. Josaphat taught his father well, and King Avenir listened willingly, for he believed in God with a good heart. Avenir was baptized and all the people rejoiced. He repented for his sins.

The archbishop baptized all Avenir's people. The city was converted, and the king was happy and rejoiced because of it. The idols were thrown down and the houses of pagan worship destroyed. King Avenir had churches built and endowed with rich altars and cloisters. He loved Christianity—he repented sincerely and his conscience was happy because it was turned to God. He did not care to govern his realm and gave all his land to his son so he could devote himself to God. He prostrated himself in prayer every day and asked God to forgive the sins that condemned him to die.

King Avenir lived this life for four years after his conversion. He led a hard life and humbled himself before God. He was certain and firm in his faith. After four years, his body became weakened, but not his belief. He continued to repent in his illness. He gave himself completely to God, recounting all his sins and asking for mercy. Josaphat comforted him and taught him about God. He told his father of the forgiveness God promised him if he would confess. “Father, you must offer all your love and do all the good you can imagine in order to save yourself. Think always about God and be sure that you have confessed, for through confession you will gain forgiveness. Confession is a medicine for sinners and the root of repentance and good deeds. For God's sake, examine your heart and repent truly according to your belief. Then you may expect forgiveness on the Day of Judgment. You were dead and now you live, for the unbeliever must die even while he believes that he lives. You are delivered from the death that awaits any sinner who does not repent. Whoever expects forgiveness and believes he will receive it is healed, and without forgiveness you could never see God. But his mercy is greater than his judgment, and you can know with faith that God will have mercy on you—do not doubt it. Put yourself entirely in his hands: there is no more secure place in the world. In your struggle with this false world, be attentive to the good and guard against the evil. Do good deeds and repent of the great evil you have done.”

King Avenir sighed and wept. He regretted his sins and repented with a true heart. “Good son,” he said, “sweet friend, you have counseled me every day, and through you I am healed and delivered from all ills. Because of you, God rules my heart. I believe in God and give myself to him in good faith. I commend my body and my soul to him.” With that, the king died. His soul left his body and joined the company of angels, and his penance was lightened because he died in true repentance.

Josaphat saw that his father had died, he who had been emperor, king, and lord of Greater India. He thanked the Creator that his father died a believer, for he knew without doubt that God would have mercy on him. Josaphat wept for his father and there was great mourning throughout the land. He wept from pity and from joy, for he was joyful that his father would receive forgiveness. King Avenir's vassals assembled when they learned about the death of their lord, and after seven days of mourning, they buried him with great honor. The body was not wrapped in royal silken fabric; it was placed in the tomb covered only by an old, worn hair shirt made of coarse wool. King Avenir was interred before the altar of Saint Mary in an abbey Josaphat had built for him. One hundred monks wearing black were installed there, and they prayed every day for all the dead and for the king who had left the false religion to worship the Creator.
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Josaphat spent the whole day before the tomb, praying to God that he would have mercy on his father's soul. This was King Avenir's end, and this is how we should all come to God.

Those of you who wish to repent of your sins should take this as an example. This king was cruel and false and he did much evil in this world, but then when he repented he received God's mercy. Sinners, turn to your Creator, repent truly and do your penance while you still have time. Did your ancestors not die? My lords, they did, and so will you. Why, then, are you so attached to this evil world? After you die, there will be no turning back, and if you repent after your death, it will be too late. Do good while you live, as did the man this story describes—he cleansed his body of sin through the good he did in the world. Purify yourselves as he did, for he left this world in a pure state because of his penance and good deeds.