194. The Bodhisatta And The Men Of Proper Observances
Once upon a time when Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares, the Bodhisatta was one of his courtiers.
A fat and badly dressed country woman, who works for hire, was passing near the courtyard of the palace. In order to relieve the nature’s call, she, bending down with her raiment decently gathered round her, accomplished her purpose, and was erect again in a trice.
193. The Bodhisatta And The Medicine
Once upon a time when Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares, the Bodhisatta was born a Brahmin in a very distinguished family. After perfecting his education at Takkasila, he became a teacher of world wide fame in Benares. Prince and Brahmins from various countries flocked as his deciples.
Now a country Brahmin, who had learned from the Bodhisatta the three Vedas and the eighteen Sciences had stopped coming.
This Brahmin had a wife who was a bad, wicked woman. When the Brahmin explained the reasons for absenting from the class, the Bodhisatta, knew that the brahmin’s wife was only feigning sickness, thought to himself, “I will tell him what medicine will cure the creature.” So he said to the Brahmin, “My Son! Do not give her dainties; but collect the urine of cows and mix with five kinds of fruit. Put them in a copper pot and keep it open all along the night. Then take a rope or stick and go to your wife, and tell her plainly she must either swallow the medicine or else work for her food. If she refuses the remedy, then give her one or two blows. You will find that at the mere threat she will get up and do the her work.”
Then the brahmin did as the Bodhisatta had directed and went to his wife and asked her to drink the nedicine.
“Who prescribed this?” said she.
“The master,” said her husband.
“Take it away, I won’t have it.”
The young Brahmin said, “So you won’t have it. well then, you have either swallow down that medicine or else to work for your meals.”
Terrified by this, the woman Kosiya realized that there is no way deceiving, got up and went to work. And the consciousness that the master knew her wickedness made her repent, she become a good wife.
192. The Bodhisatta And The Mango Tree
Once upon a time when Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares, the Bodhisatta was born of a monkey’s womb. When he grew up and attained stature and stoutness, he was strong and vigorous, and lived in the Himalaya with a retinue of eighty thousand monkeys. Near the Ganges bank there was a mango tree, with branches and forks, having a deep shade and thick leaves, like a mountaintop. Its sweet fruits, of divine fragrance and flavor, were as large as water pots; from one branch the fruits fell on the ground, from one into the Ganges water, from two into the main trunk of the tree. The Bodhisatta, while eating the fruit with a troop of monkeys, thought, “Someday danger will come upon us owing to the fruit of this tree falling on the water”; and so, not to leave one fruit on the branch which grew over the water, he made them eat or throw down the flowers at their season from the time they were of the size of a chick-pea. But notwithstanding, one ripe fruit, unseen by the eighty thousand monkeys, hidden by and ant’s nest, fell into the river, and stuck in the net above the king of Benares, who was bathing for amusement with a net above him and another below.
191. The Bodhisatta And The Liquor
Once upon a time when Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares, the Bodhisatta was Treasurer of that city. A gang of tipplers, conspiring together, drank liquor, went to the court and met the King. The Treasurer did not want to drink at all, but nevertheless went with them, solely to expose them. Marking their proceedings and detecting their scheme, he was anxious to scare them away. So He represented that it would be a gross thing for him to drink spirits just before going to the king’s palace. He said,”All of you sit here till I’ve seen the king and am on my way back; then I’ll think about it.”
