The grateful elephant : $b And other stories translated from the Pāli — John Shaqi
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
Now his wife got angry and said: “Day after day you return
empty-handed; I suppose there is some other household outside you have
to provide for too.” Said the fowler: “My dear, there is no other
household I have to provide for. The fact is, these quails are acting
in unison. The moment I throw the net, they depart with it and drop
it on a thorn-brake. But they will not live in unity forever. Do not
worry. When they fall to wrangling, I will return with them all and
bring a smile to your lips.” And he recited the following stanza to his
wife:
United, the birds go away with the net;
But when they fall out, they’ll come into my power.
Now after only a few days had passed, one quail, lighting on the
feeding-ground, accidentally trod on the head of another. The other was
offended and said: “Who trod on my head?” “I did, but accidentally;
do not be offended.” But the other was offended just the same. They
bandied words and wrangled with each other, saying, “You alone, I
suppose, lift the net!”
While they wrangled, the Future Buddha thought: “There is no safety for
a wrangler. From this moment they will not lift the net. Then they will
come to a sorry end. The fowler will get his chance. It is impossible
for me to live in this place.” And he went elsewhere with his own
retinue.
As for the fowler, he came back after a few days, imitated a quail’s
whistle, and when the quails had assembled, threw the net over them.
Then said one quail: “They say that in the very act of lifting the net,
you lost the down on your head. Now lift!” Said another: “They say that
in the very act of lifting the net, you lost your wing-feathers. Now
lift!”
Even as they said: “You lift!” “You lift!” the fowler tossed the net.
And huddling them all together, he filled his basket, and went home and
brought a smile to the lips of his wife.
And for the second time the Exalted One said this to those monks:
“Enough, monks! No quarreling! No brawling! No contending! No
wrangling!”
But in spite of this, they paid no attention to his words. Thereupon
the Exalted One related the following Story of the Past:
_6. Brahmadatta and the Prince._
_Love your enemies._
Vinaya i. 342-349.
In olden times at Benāres, Brahmadatta king of Kāsi was rich,
possessed of great wealth, ample means of enjoyment, a mighty army,
many vehicles, an extensive kingdom, and well filled treasuries and
storehouses. Dīghīti king of Kosala was poor, possessed of meagre
wealth, scanty means of enjoyment, a small army, few vehicles, a little
kingdom, and unfilled treasuries and storehouses.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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