One upon a time, when Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares the Bodhisatta was born in a rich man’s family; and coming of age, he acquired a property, and at his father’s death received his father’s station as merchant.

One day, as he reviewed his wealth and thought “My wealth is here; but where are those who gathered it? I must disperse my wealth, and give alms.” So he built an almonry, and lived distributing much alms; and when his days were drawing to a close charging his son not to discontinue the practice of alms-giving he was born again as Sakka in the Heaven. And the son gave alms as his father, and with the like charge to his son was born as Canda, the Moon, among the gods. And his son became Suriya, the Sun, who begot another that became Matali the Charioteer and his son was born again as Pancasikha, one of the Gandhabbas, or celestial musicians. But the sixth of the line was without faith, hard-hearted, loveless, niggardly; and he demolished the almonry, burnt it, beat the beggars and sent them about their business; gave no one so much as an oil drop on the end of a blade of grass.

Then Sakka, king of the gods thought, “For five generations the charity continued; but the sixth in line has broken the tradition.” Then he called Canda, Suriya, Matali, Pancasikha, and said, “Sirs, the sixth in our line has broken our family tradition; he has burnt the almonry, the beggars he has driven away; he gives nothing to anyone. Then let us humble him!” So with them he proceeded to Benares.

At that moment the merchant was walking to and fro under the seventh gate-tower, looking along the road. Sakka said to the others, “I will go first and you follow.” With these words he went forward, and standing before the rich merchant, said to him, “Ho, Sir! give me something to eat”

“There is nothing to eat for you here, brahmin; go elsewhere.”

“Ho, great Sir! when Brahmins ask for food, it must not be refused to them!”

“In my house, Brahmin! is neither food cooked nor food ready for cooking; away with you!”

“Great Sir! I will repeat to you a verse of poetry; listen.” Said he, “I want none of your poetry; get out, and do not keep standing here.” But Sakka, without attending to his words, recited:

“When food is not within the pot, the good would get, and not deny:

And thou art cooking ‘twere not good, if thou wouldst now no food supply.

He who remiss and niggard is, ever to give denies;

But he who virtue loves, must give, and he whose mind is wise.”

When the man had heard this, he answered, “Well, come in and sit down; and you shall have a little.” Sakka entered and sat down.

Next came Canda up, and the samething happened. Then Canda said:

“When fear of hunger or of thirst makes niggard souls afraid,

In this world and the next those fools shall fully be repaid.

Therefore give alms, flee covetise, purge filth of greed away,

In the next world men’s virtuous deeds shall be their surest stay.”

Having listened to these worlds also, the man said. “Well, come in, you shall have a little.” In he came and took a seat with Sakka.

After sometime, Suriya came up, and asked for food by saying:

“Tis hard to do good men do, to give as they can give,

Bad men can hardly imitate the life that good men live.

And so, when good and evil go to pass away from earth,

The bad are born in hell below; in heaven the good have birth.”

The rich man, not seeing any way out of it, said to him “Well, come in and sit down with these Brahmins, and shall have a little.” And Matali, after some time, came up and asked for food; and when he was told there was no food, he said:

“Some give from little some not though they have plenteous store;

Who give from little, if gave a thousand, twere no more.”

To him also the man said, “Well, came in and sit down.” Then after some time, Pancasikha came up and asked for food. “There’s none go away,” was the reply. Said he, “What a number of places I have visited! I thought there must be a free meal for brahmins here.” And he said:

“Even he who lives on scraps should righteous be,

Giving form little store, though sons have he;

The hundred thousand which the wealthy give,

Are worth not one small gift from such as he.”

The rich man pondered, on hearing the speech of Panvasikha. Then he asked an explanation of the little worth of such gifts:

“Why is a rich and generous sacrifice

Not equal to a righteous gift in price,

How is a thousand, which the wealthy gives,

Not worth a poor man’s gift, tho’ small in size?”

In reply, Pancasikha replied:

“Some who in evil ways do live

Oppress, and slay, then comfort give:

Their cruel sour- faced gifts are less

Then any given righteousness.

Thus not a thousand from the wealthy can

Equal the little gift of such a man.”

Having listened to the admonition of Pancasikha he replied, “Well go indoors and be seated; you shall have a little.” And he too entered, and sat with the rest.

Then the rich merchant Bilarikosiya, asked a maidservant, and said to her, “Give these Brahmins a measure of rice in the husk.” She brought the rice, and told them to bake it and get it cooked somewhere, and eat. Brahmins said, “We never touch rice in the husk.” “Master, they say that they never touch rice in the husk!”

“Well, give them husked rice.” She brought them husked rice, and gave it. They said, “We accept nothing that is uncooked.”

“Master, they accept nothing that is uncooked”

“Then cook them some cows’ food in a pot, and give them that.” She cooked cows’ food, and brought it to them. All the five of them took some food and put it into their mouths; but it stuck in the throat; then rolling their eyes, they became unconscious, and lay as though dead. The serving-maid seeing this thought they must be dead, and much afraid went and told the merchant, saying “Master, those Brahmins could not swallow the cows’ food, and they are dead!” Then he said to the maid, “Go quickly, take away the food from their bowls, and cook them a mess of all sorts of the finest rice.” She did so. The merchant fetched in the passers-by from the road within, and when he had gathered a number of them together he said, “I gave these brahmins food after my own manner of eating, and they were greedy and made great lumps, and so as they ate, the food stuck in the throat, and they are dead. I call you to witness that I am guiltless.” Before the crowd thus gathered together the Brahmins arose, and said looking upon the multitude, “Behold, the deceitfulness of this merchant! He says, he gave us of his own food! A mess of cow’s food is all he gave us at first, and then while we lay as dead, he made this food to be prepared,” And they cast forth from their mouths the food which they had taken, and showed it. The crowd upbraided the merchant, crying, “Blind fool! You have broken the custom of your family; you have burnt the alms-hall; the beggars you have taken by the throat and cast forth; and now when you were giving food to these delicate Brahmins, all you gave was a mess of cows’ food! As go to the other world, I suppose you will carry the wealth of your house fast about your neck”

At this moment, Sakka asked the crowd, “Do you know whose is the wealth of this house?” “We know not,” they replied. Said he “You have heard tell of a great merchant of Benares, who lived in this city once upon a time and built halls of almonry, and in charity gave much?” “Yes,” said they.” “we have heard of him.” “I am that merchant,” he said “and by those gifts I am now become Sakka, king of the gods; and my son, who did not break my tradition, has become a god Canda; and his son is Suriya and his son is Matali, and his son is pancasikha; of these yonder is Canda and that is Suriya and this is Matali the charioteer. This is Pancasikha, now a heavenly musician, once father of this lewd fellow. Thus potent is giving of gifts; therefore wise men ought to do virtuously.” Thus speaking with a view to dispelling the doubts of the people there assembled, they rose up in the air, and remained poised, by their mighty power surrounding themselves with a great host, their bodies all ablaze, so that the whole city seemed to be on fire. Then Sakka addressed the crowd: “We left our heavenly glory in coming here, and we came on account of this sinner Bilarikosiya, this last of his race the devourer of his entire race. In pity for him are we come, because we knew that this sinner had broken the tradition of his family, and burnt the almonry, and haled forth the beggars by the throat, and had violated our custom, and that by ceasing to give alms he would be born again in hell?” Thus did he discourse to the crowd, telling the potency of almsgiving. Bilarikosiya put his hands together in supplication, and made a vow; “My lord, from this time forth I will no more break the family custom, but I will distribute alms; and beginning from this very day, I will never eat without sharing with another my own supplies, even the water I drink and the tooth cleaner which I use.”

Sakka having thus humbled him, and made him self- denying and established him in the Five Virtues, went away to his own place taking the four gods with him. And the merchant gave alms as long as he lived, and was in the heaven.