Monthly Archives: January 2014
172. The Bodhisatta And The Foolish Prince
Once upon a time, when king Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares, the Bodhisatta was his adviser in things spiritual and temporal. Now the king had a son, Padanjali by name, an idle lazy loafer. By and bye the king died. His obsequies over, the courtiers talked of consecrating his son Padanjali to be king. But the Bodhisatta said, “He is a lazy fellow, an idle loafer. Shall we take and consecrate him king?”
The courtiers held a test. In front of the Prince, they made a wrong decision. They adjudged something to the wrong owner, and asked him, “Young sir, do we decide rightly?”
171. The Bodhisatta And The Foal
Once upon a time, when Brahmadatta was king of Benares, that the Bodhisatta was born into a trader’s family. Five hundred people of that country, horse-dealers, used to convey horses to Benares, and sell them there.
Now a dealer took the road to Benares with five hundred horses for sale. On this road, not far Benares, there is a town, where had formerly lived a rich merchant. A vast dwelling once was his; but his family had gradually gone down in the world, and only one old woman was left, who lived in the family house. The dealer took up his lodging for a certain hire in that house, and kept his horses.
170. The Bodhisatta And The Fisherman
Once on a time, when Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares, the Bodhisatta was born a Tree Sprite. There was a village where fishermen lived. And one of these fishermen with his little boy taking his tackle went to fishing. Now a snag caught his hook and the fishermen could not pull it up. He thought, “What a fine fish! I’d better send my boy home and tell her to get up a quarrel and keep the others at home; so that there will be none to shares in my catch.” Accordingly he told the lad to run home and tell his mother what a big fish he had hooked and how she was to engage the neighbours attention. Then, fearing his line might break, he flung off his coat and dashed into the water to secure his catch. But as he groped about for the fish, he struck against the snag and his both his eyes lost sight. Moreover a robber stole his clothes from the bank. In an agony of pain, with his hands pressed to his blinded eyes, he came out trembling and tried to find his clothes.
169. The Bodhisatta And The Fire God
Once on a time when Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares, the Bodhisatta was born a Brahmin.
In his sixteenth year they addressed him thus, “Son, on the day of your birth we lit a birth fire for you. Now therefore choose. If you wish to lead a family life, learn the Three Vedas; but if you wish to attain to the Brahma Realm, take your fire with you into the forest and there tend it, so as to win Maha Brahma’s favour and hereafter to enter into the Brahma Realm.”
