The Pilgrim Kamanita · Chapter
The Coral Tree explained
Kamanita wanders through the blissful realm, puzzled by its strangeness, until he is drawn by a mysterious perfume to a hidden valley where the Coral Tree stands.
What happens
Kamanita wanders through the blissful realm, puzzled by its strangeness, until he is drawn by a mysterious perfume to a hidden valley where the Coral Tree stands. Inhaling its scent, his past lives unfold before him, overwhelming his senses and forcing him to flee. He then realizes why he is in this paradise and understands the nature of 'dream-pictures'.
Themes in this chapter
Illusion and Reality
Kamanita's perception of the paradise as strange and his subsequent vision of past lives blur the line between illusion and reality.
Rebirth and Karma
Kamanita's vision of multiple past lives and his understanding of his current bliss as a result of good intentions highlight the themes of rebirth and karmic consequence.
Characters to notice
- Kamanita
Explores the paradise, is drawn to the Coral Tree, and experiences a vision of his past lives.
Key passages
“instinct of self-preservation bears everyone thence at the first sign of dizziness.”
The urge to protect oneself drives everyone away at the first hint of dizziness.
Describes the overwhelming effect of the Coral Tree's perfume.
“I wanted to visit the Buddha in the Mango Grove beside Rajagriha. Of course that intention was frustrated by my sudden and violent death, but my good intentions have been looked on favourably, and so I have reached this place of bliss as though I had sat at his feet and had died in his blessed doctrine.”
I intended to visit the Buddha in the Mango Grove near Rajagriha, but my sudden death prevented that. However, my good intentions were rewarded, and I have attained this paradise as if I had learned from him and died in his teachings.
Kamanita reflects on his past life and the reason for his presence in paradise.