Buddhist birth stories; or, Jataka tales, Volume 1
Religion
Buddhist birth stories; or, Jataka tales, Volume 1
Jataka stories, English
“It is well, O God. Tell me what that may be!”
“People have had eighteen thousands of thousands of money from the
Merchant on giving him writings. Now take the form of his manager,
and without telling anybody, take those writings, surround yourself
with so many young ogres, go to their houses with the writings in one
hand, and a receipt in the other, and stand in the centre of the house
and frighten them with your demon power, and say, ‘This is the record
of your debt. Our Merchant said nothing to you in byegone days; but
now he is fallen into poverty. Pay back the moneys which you had from
him.’ Thus, by displaying your demon power, recover all those thousands
of gold, and pour them into the Merchant’s empty treasury. There was
other wealth of his buried in the bank of the river Aciravatī, which,
when the river-bank was broken, was washed away to the sea. Bring that
back by your power, and pour it into his treasury. In such and such a
place, too, there is another treasure of the sum of eighteen thousands
of thousands, which has no owner. That too bring, and pour it into his
empty treasury. When you have undergone this punishment of refilling
his empty treasury with these fifty-four thousands of thousands, you
may ask the Merchant to forgive you.”
“Very well, my Lord!” said she; and agreed to what he said, and brought
back all the money in the way she was told; and at midnight entered the
Merchant’s bed-chamber, and stood before him in visible shape.
“Who’s there?” said he.
“It is I, great Merchant! the blind and foolish Fairy who used to dwell
in the turret over your fourth gate. In my great and dense stupidity,
and knowing not the merits of the Buddha, I formerly said something to
you; and that fault I beg you to pardon. For according to the word of
Sakka, the King of the Gods, I have performed the punishment of filling
your empty treasury with fifty-four thousands of thousands I have
brought--the eighteen thousands of thousands owing to you which I have
recovered, the eighteen thousands of thousands lost in the sea, and
eighteen thousands of thousands of owner-less money in such and such
a place. The money you spent on the monastery at Jetavana is now all
restored. I am in misery so long as I am allowed no place to dwell in.
Keep not in your mind the thing I did in my ignorance, but pardon me, O
great Merchant!”
When he heard what she said, Anātha Piṇḍika thought, “She is a goddess,
and she says she has undergone her punishment, and she confesses her
sin. The Master shall consider this, and make his goodness known. I
will take her before the Supreme Buddha.” And he said to her, “Dear
Fairy! if you wish to ask me to pardon you, ask it in the presence of
the Buddha!”
“Very well. I will do so,” said she. “Take me with you to the Master!”
To this he agreed. And when the night was just passing away, he took
her, very early in the morning, to the presence of the Master; and told
him all that she had done.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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