The grateful elephant : $b And other stories translated from the PāliBurlingame, Eugene Watson
Religion
The grateful elephant : $b And other stories translated from the Pāli
Burlingame, Eugene Watson
Buddhist legends
Again one day, desiring to test the snake, the rat, and the parrot,
he went with a large retinue to the place of abode of the snake and
called him out, saying: “Longfellow!” The snake came, bowed to him,
and said: “Here’s your money, master; take it.” The king entrusted to
his ministers wealth amounting to forty crores of gold. Then he went
to the rat and called him out, saying: “Rat!” The rat also came, and
with a bow handed over to him wealth amounting to thirty crores. The
king entrusted that also to his ministers. Then he went to the place of
abode of the parrot and called him out, saying: “Parrot!” The parrot
also came, and reverencing his feet, said: “Master, shall I fetch
rice?” Said the king: “When there is need of rice, you may fetch it;
come, let’s go.”
With the seventy crores of gold, causing those three animals also
to be carried along, he went to the city. And ascending to the grand
floor of his magnificent palace, he caused that wealth to be stored and
guarded. For the snake to live in, he caused a golden tube to be made;
for the rat, a crystal cave; for the parrot, a golden cage. For the
snake and the parrot to eat, he caused every day sweet parched grain to
be given in a vessel of gold purified with fire; for the rat, grains
of perfumed rice; he gave alms and performed the other works of merit.
Thus those four persons, one and all, dwelt together in unity and
concord all their days, and when their days were come to an end, passed
away according to their deeds.
Said the Teacher: “Monks, not only in his present state of existence
has Devadatta gone about for the purpose of killing me; in a previous
state of existence also he went about for the purpose of killing me
in the very same way.”
_3. Elephant and Ungrateful Forester._
_The whole earth will not satisfy an ungrateful man._
Jātaka 72: i. 319-322.
_To an ungrateful man._ This parable was related by the Teacher while
he was in residence at Bamboo Grove with reference to Devadatta.
The monks, seated in the Hall of Truth, were saying: “Brethren,
Devadatta the ungrateful knows not the virtues of the Teacher.”
The Teacher drew near and asked: “Monks, what is the subject that
engages your attention now, as you sit here all gathered together?”
“Such-and-such,” was the reply. “Monks,” said the Teacher, “not
only in his present state of existence has Devadatta proved to be
ungrateful; in a previous state of existence also he was ungrateful
just the same. At no time soever has he known my virtues.” Then, in
response to a request of the monks, he related the following Story of
the Past:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account