Once upon a time when Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares, the Bodhisatta was born a Brahmin. Growing up, he gave up the world and lived as the head of five hundred hermits at the foot of the mountains.

In those days there came a great drought upon the Himalayas, and everywhere the water was dried up, and sore distress fell upon all beasts. Seeing the poor creatures suffering from thirst, one of the hermits cut down a tree which he hollowed into a trough; and this trough he filled with all the water he could find. In this way he gave the animals to drink. And they came in herds and drank and drank till the hermit had no time left to go and gather fruits for himself. Leaving aside his own hunger, he worked away to quench the animals’ thirst. The animals thought themselves, “This hermit by giving water to us, he has no time to go in quest of fruits. He must be very hungry. Let us agree that everyone of us who comes here to drink must bring ruits as he can to the hermit.” This they agreed to do, every animal that came bringing mangoes or jambus or bread fruits till their offerings would have filled two hundred and fifty wagons; and there was food for the whole five hundred hermits with abundance to spare. Seeing this, the Bodhisatta exclaimed, “Thus has one man’s goodness been the means of supplying with food all these hermits. Truly, we should always be steadfast in right doing.”

Such was the teaching of the Great Being to the band of hermits.