No More Learning

When firmly established, Dabshelim gave himself over to every
wickedness. To reclaim the King, a Brahman philosopher takes up
his parable, as did Nathan before David, and at last wins him back
to virtue. The wise man is called in Arabic bid-bah, and in Syriac
bid-vag. These words are traced through the Pehlevi to the San-
skrit vidya-pati, "master of sciences. " Accordingly bidbah, which has
become Bidpai or Pilpay in our modern books, is not really a proper
name, but an appellative, applied to a "chief pandit" or "court-
scholar of an Indian prince.
From the Arabic are descended, in the fourth generation from the
original, a dozen or more versions, of which three may be mentioned
as noteworthy links in the chain of tradition: the Greek one, made
about 1080 by Symeon Seth, a Jewish physician; the Persian, made
some fifty years later, by Nasr Allah of Ghazni; and the Hebrew,
ascribed to Rabbi Joel, and probably made before 1250.
Of the descendants in the fifth degree from the original, the 'Di-
rectorium Humanæ Vitæ,' made about 1270 by John of Capua from
the Hebrew, is distinctly the most celebrated, because it gave rise in
turn to Danish, Dutch, Spanish, Italian, and French, and above all to
the famous German and English versions mentioned below. But
besides the 'Directorium,' we must notice the 'Specimen of the Wis-
dom of the Ancient Hindus,' a version into Latin from the Greek of
Symeon, made by the Jesuit father Petrus Possinus (1666); and the
'Anvár-i Suhailí' or 'Lights of Canopus,' a simplified recast of Nasr
Allah's. In the second edition of his fables, La Fontaine tells us that
he owes the largest part of his new material to "Pilpay, the Indian
sage. " Pierre Poussin's 'Specimen' was the one embodiment of hi
shadowy Oriental fabulist, and a French version of the 'Lights' was
the other.
Two offshoots of the 'Directorium' are of unrivaled interest to
the student of the beast fable. The one is the 'Book of Examples
of the Ancient Sages'; and the other is Doni's 'La Moral Filosophia. '
The Book of Examples' was made at the instance of Duke Eber-
hard im Bart, whose name and motto, "Eberhart Graf z(u) Wirtenberg


## p. 11439 (#53) ###########################################

PILPAY
11439
Attempto," appear as an acrostic in the initials of the first sections.
It was first printed about 1481, and has since been admirably edited
by W. L. Holland (Stuttgart, 1860). Holland used, besides three manu-
scripts, two printed editions without place and year, and enumerates
seventeen dated editions that appeared between 1483 and 1592. Four
dated editions appeared at Ulm between 1483 and 1485! The great
number of editions of the work, and their rapid succession, are the
best proof of its importance as a means of instruction and amuse-
ment at the beginning of the age of printing. The examples them-
selves had doubtless pointed the moral of many an ancient homily
long before the days of Gutenberg: but the language of the old
German version of them is so remarkable for its simplicity, dignity,
strength, and beauty, that we cannot wonder at its immense popu-
larity; and to this version, more than to any other, is Europe indebted
for the wide-spread knowledge of this cycle of literature from the
last part of the fifteenth to the middle of the seventeenth century.
The other offshoot of the 'Directorium ' — namely, 'The morall phi-
losophie of Doni: drawne out of the auncient writers. A worke first
compiled in the Indian tongue, and afterwardes reduced into divers
other languages: and now lastly Englished out of Italian by Thomas
North (London, 1570) -is most interesting to us as English-speaking
people because it is "the first literary link between India and Eng-
land, written in racy Elizabethan," a piece of "Tudor prose at its
best," a veritable English classic.
A translation of the 'Jataka' is now issuing from the Univer-
sity Press of Cambridge, England, under the editorship of Professor
Cowell, three volumes of which have thus far appeared: one by Rob-
ert Chalmers of Oriel College, Oxford; a second by W. H. D. Rouse
of Rugby School; and a third by H. T. Francis and R. A. Neil of
Cambridge. A charming reprint of North's Doni was edited by
Joseph Jacobs (London, 1888). An account of the literary history
of the fables of Pilpay may be found in Jacobs's book, or in Keith-
Falconer's 'Kalilah and Dimnah' (Cambridge, 1885), or in the pres-
ent writer's 'Sanskrit Reader' (Boston, 1888).
C. R. Lanman.


## p. 11440 (#54) ###########################################

I 1440
PILPAY
[The translation of the 'Jataka' from which the selections are taken is
that of Professor Cowell, referred to in the essay. ]
THE TALKATIVE TORTOISE
[The story of The Talkative Tortoise' we give in two of its many extant
versions. The first is Rouse's translation from the Pali of the 'Jataka' (No.
215). The second is from Sir Thomas North's translation (London, 1570)
of The Morall Philosophie of Doni,' the first English version of the Fables
of Pilpay. ]
FIRST VERSION
From the Jataka'
"THE
HE Tortoise needs must speak," etc. - This is a story told by
the Master while staying in Jetavana, about Kokalika. The
circumstances which gave rise to it will be set forth under
the Mahatakkari Birth. Here again the Master said: "This is not
the only time, brethren, that Kokalika has been ruined by talking; it
was the same before. " And then he told the story as follows.
ONCE on a time Brahmadatta was King of Benares; and the
Future Buddha, being born to one of the King's court, grew up,
and became the King's adviser in all things human and divine.
But this King was very talkative; and when he talked there was
no chance for any other to get in a word. And the Future
Buddha, wishing to put a stop to his much talking, kept watching
for an opportunity.
Now there dwelt a tortoise in a certain pond in the region of
Himalaya. Two young wild geese, searching for food, struck up
an acquaintance with him, and by-and-by they grew close friends
together. One day these two said to him: "Friend tortoise, we
have a lovely home in Himalaya, on a plateau of Mount Chitta-
kuta, in a cave of gold! Will you come with us? "
"Why," said he, "how can I get there? "
"Oh, we will take you, if onl you can keep your mouth
shut, and say not a word to anybody. "
"Yes, I can do that," says he: "take me along! "
So they made the tortoise hold a stick between his teeth; and
themselves taking hold so of the two ends, they sprang up into
the air.
The village children saw this, and exclaimed, "There are
two geese carrying a tortoise by a stick! "


## p. 11441 (#55) ###########################################

PILPAY
11441
[By this time the geese, flying swiftly, had arrived at the space above the
palace of the King, at Benares. ]
The tortoise wanted to cry out, "Well, and if my friends do
carry me, what is that to you, you caitiffs? " and he let go the
stick from between his teeth, and falling into the open court-yard
he split in two. What an uproar there was! "A tortoise has
fallen in the court-yard, and broken in two! " they cried. The
King, with the Future Buddha and all his court, came up to
the place, and seeing the tortoise asked the Future Buddha a
question: "Wise sir, what made this creature fall? »
"Now's my time! " thought he. "For a long while I have
been wishing to admonish the King, and I have gone about seek-
ing my opportunity. No doubt the truth is this: the tortoise and
the geese became friendly; the geese must have meant to carry
him to Himalaya, and so made him hold a stick between his
teeth, and then lifted him into the air; then he must have heard
some remark, and wanted to reply; and not being able to keep
his mouth shut, he must have let himself go; and so he must
have fallen from the sky and thus come by his death. " So
thought he; and addressed the King: "O King, they that have
too much tongue, that set no limit to their speaking, ever come
to such misfortune as this;" and he uttered the following verses:
"The tortoise needs must speak aloud,
Although between his teeth
A stick he bit; yet, spite of it,
He spoke and fell beneath.
-
"And now, O mighty master, mark it well.
See thou speak wisely, see thou speak in season.
To death the tortoise fell:
He talked too much, that was the reason. "
"He is speaking of me! " the King thought to himself; and
asked the Future Buddha if it was so.
"Be it you, O great King, or be it another,” replied he, "who-
soever talks beyond measure comes by some misery of this kind;"
and so he made the thing manifest. And thenceforward the King
abstained from talking, and became a man of few words.
This discourse ended, the Master identified the Birth: "Kokalika
was the tortoise then, the two famous elders were the two wild geese,
Ananda was the King, and I was his wise adviser. "
XX-716


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11442
PILPAY
SECOND VERSION
[From the earliest English version of the Fables of Bidpai: reprint London,
Published by David Nutt, in the Strand. ]
1888.
IN THE fishings of the Sophie there was a world of fowls that
kept about it to feed of those fishes; and amongst them was a
tortoise of the water that had close friendship with two great and
fat fowls, who diving under water drove the fish all about, and
they no sooner appeared almost above water, but at a chop they
had them in their mouths. The lake was full of clefts; I can-
not tell how but by certain earthquakes. And by little and
little it began to wax dry, so that they were fain to void out the
water to take out the great number of fish that were in it, that
they should not die in that drought, but rather eat them up.
The fowls therefore of that lake, meaning to depart out of that
country, came one morning to break their fast together, and to
take their leave of the tortoise their friend. The which when she
saw them forsake her, she wept bitterly, and pitifully lamenting
she said, "Alas! what shall I do here alone? But what thing can
come worse to me than to lose the water and my friends at one
instant! O poor tortoise that I am, wretched creature I! whither
should I go to seek out water, that am so slow to go? I like
not to tarry longer in this country. O good brethren, help me, I
pray you! forsake me not in my distress! Ah, unhappy was I born
in this world, that I must carry my house with me, and can put
no victuals into it. In others' houses, alack! there is place enough
for their necessaries; but in mine I can scant hide myself. Ah
woe, woe is me, how shall I do? If ye have any pity on me,
my brethren, and if ye have taken me for your friend, help me,
for God's sake. Leave me not here to burst for thirst. I would
gladly go with you if that you would gladly put me in some
lake, and I would follow mine old trade as I have done; there-
fore, dear fowls, help me! "
These words did penetrate the hearts of these great water
fowls; and taking no less pity on her than looking to their own.
profit, they said unto her, "Dear mother tortoise, we could not
do better than satisfy thy desire, but alas, what means have we
to carry thee hence into any lake? Yet there is an easy way to
bring it to pass, if that thy heart will serve thee to take upon
thee to hold a piece of wood fast in thy teeth a good while.
And then we (the one on the one side of thee, and the other on
the other side) will with our bills take the end of the stick in our


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11443
mouths also, and so carry thee trimly into some lake, and there
we would lead our lives and fare delicately. But in any case
thou must beware thou open not thy mouth at any time, because
the other birds that fly up and down will gladly play with
thee and laugh to see thee fly in the air, thou that art used to
tarry on the earth and under the water. Therefore they will tell
thee marvelous wonders, and will be very busy with thee, and
peradventure they will ask thee: O pretty she beast, whence
comest thou, I pray thee, that thou art flying thus, and whither
wilt thou? But take thou no heed to them, see them not, nor
once hearken to them, I would advise thee. And if they prattle
to thee, saying,-Oh, what an enterprise of birds! good Lord!
what a piece of work they have taken in hand! - Whist! not a
word thou, for thy life. Nor look not that we should answer
them; for we having the stick in our mouths cannot speak but
thou must needs fall, if the stick (by talk) fall out of our mouths
at any time.
Well, now thou hast heard all, how sayest thou?
will thy mind serve thee? hast thou any fancy for the matter? "
"Who? I? Yes, that I have. I am ready to do anything. I
will venture rather than I will tarry behind. "
The fowls found out a stick, and made the tortoise hold it fast
with her teeth as she could for her life, and then they each of
them took an end in their mouth, and putting themselves up,
straight flew into the air: that it was one of the foolishest sights
to see a tortoise fly in the air that ever was seen. And behold
a whole flight of birds met them, seeing them fly thus strangely,
and hovered round about them, with great laughters and noises,
and speaking the vilest words to them they could: Oh, here is a
brave sight! look, here is a goodly jest! whoo! what bug have
we here? said some. See, see! she hangeth by the throat, and
therefore she speaketh not, said others; and the beast flyeth not,
like a beast.
These taunts and spiteful words went to the heart of the
tortoise, that she was as mad as she could be: so she could
no longer hold, but answer she would (at least as she thought),
and when she opened her mouth to speak, down she fell to
the ground, and smashed her all to pieces; and all because she
would have said,— I am an honest woman, and no thief; I would
ye should know it, knaves, rascals, and ravening birds that ye
are. So that, contemning the good counsel was given her, or to
say better, because she would not believe them,- she paid her
folly with death.
――
-


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11444
PILPAY
THE GOLDEN GOOSE
From the Jataka,' No. 136
[This is interesting because traceable by literary documents, from the
'Jataka' down to La Fontaine (Book v. , No. 13, La Poule aux Eufs d'Or '). ]
"C
ONTENTED be. " This story was told by the Master about a
sister named Fat Nanda. A lay brother at Savatthi had
offered the sisterhood a supply of garlic; and sending for his
bailiff, had given orders that if they should come, each sister was
to receive two or three handfuls. After that they made a practice of
coming to his house or field for their garlic. Now one holiday the
supply of garlic in the house ran out; and the sister Fat Nanda,
coming with others to the house, was told, when she said she wanted
some garlic, that there was none left in the house,-it had all been
used up out of hand,—and that she must go to the field for it. So
away to the field she went, and carried off an excessive amount of
garlic. The bailiff grew angry, and remarked what a greedy lot
these sisters were! This piqued the more moderate sisters; and the
brethren too were piqued at the taunt when the sisters repeated
it to them, and they told the Blessed One. Rebuking the greed of
Fat Nanda, the Master said, “Brethren, a greedy person is harsh and
unkind even to the mother who bore him: a greedy person cannot
convert the unconverted, or make the converted grow in grace, or
cause alms to come in, or save them when come in; whereas the
moderate person can do all these things. ” In such wise did the
Master point the moral; ending by saying, "Brethren, as Fat Nanda
is greedy now, so she was greedy in times gone by. " And thereupon
he told the following story of the past.
ONCE upon a time when Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares,
the Future Buddha was born a brahman, and growing up was
married to a bride of his own rank, who bore him three daugh-
ters named Nanda, Nanda-vati, and Sundari-nanda. The Future
Buddha dying, they were taken in by neighbors and friends,
whilst he was born again into the world as a golden mallard
endowed with consciousness of its former existences. Growing
up, the bird viewed its own magnificent size and golden plumage,
and remembered that previously it had been a human being.
Discovering that his wife and daughters were living on the
charity of others, the mallard bethought him of his plumage like
hammered and beaten gold, and how by giving them a golden
feather at a time he could enable his wife and daughters to live
in comfort. So away he flew to where they dwelt, and alighted


## p. 11445 (#59) ###########################################

PILPAY
11445
on the top of the ridge-pole. Seeing the Future Buddha, the
wife and girls asked where he had come from; and he told them
that he was their father, who had died and been born a golden
mallard, and that he had come to visit them and put an end to
their miserable necessity of working for hire. "You shall have
my feathers," said he, "one by one, and they will sell for enough
to keep you all in ease and comfort. " So saying, he gave them
one of his feathers and departed. And from time to time he
returned to give them another feather, and with the proceeds of
their sale these brahman women grew prosperous and quite well-
to-do. But one day the mother said to her daughters, "The
no trusting animals, my children. Who's to say your father
might not go away one of these days and never come back
again? Let us use our time and pluck him clean next time he
comes, so as to make sure of all his feathers. " Thinking this
would pain him, the daughters refused. The mother in her
greed called the golden mallard to her one day when he came,
and then took him with both hands and plucked him. Now the
Future Buddha's feathers had this property, that if they were
plucked out against his wish, they ceased to be golden and be-
came like a crane's feathers. And now the poor bird, though he
stretched his wings, could not fly, and the woman flung him into
a barrel and gave him food there. As time went on his feathers
grew again (though they were plain white ones now), and he
flew away to his own abode and never came back again.
At the close of this story the Master said, "Thus you see, breth-
ren, how Fat Nanda was as greedy in times past as she is now.
And her greed then lost her the gold, in the same way as her greed
will now lose her the garlic. Observe, moreover, how her greed has
deprived the whole sisterhood of their supply of garlic; and learn
therefrom to be moderate in your desires, and to be content with
what is given you, however small that may be. " So saying, he
uttered this stanza:
Contented be, nor itch for further store:
They seized the swan but had its gold no more.
-
So saying, the Master soundly rebuked the erring sister, and laid
down the precept that any sister who should eat garlic would have
to do penance. Then, making the connection, he said:-"Fat Nanda
was the brahman's wife of the story, her three sisters were the brah-
man's three daughters, and I myself the golden mallard. "


## p. 11446 (#60) ###########################################

11446
PILPAY
THE GRATITUDE OF ANIMALS
From the Jataka,' No. 124
This story was told by the Master while
at Jetavana, about a good brahman belonging to a noble
Savatthi family who gave his heart to the Truth, and, join-
ing the Brotherhood, became constant in all duties. Blameless in
his attendance on teachers; scrupulous in the matter of foods and
drinks; zealous in the performance of the duties of the chapter-
house, bath-house, and so forth; perfectly punctual in the observance
of the fourteen major and of the eighty minor disciplines; he used to
sweep the monastery, the cells, the cloisters, and the path leading to
their monastery, and gave water to thirsty folk. And because of his
great goodness, folk gave regularly five hundred meals a day to the
brethren; and great gain and honor accrued to the monastery, the
many prospering for the virtues of one. And one day in the Hall
of Truth the brethren fell to talking of how that brother's goodness
had brought them gain and honor, and filled many lives with joy.
Entering the Hall, the Master asked, and was told, what their talk
was about. "This is not the first time, brethren," said he, "that this
brother has been regular in the fulfillment of duties. In days gone
by, five hundred hermits going out to gather fruits were supported
on the fruits that his goodness provided. " So saying, he told this
story of the past.
OIL on, my brother. "
"TO
-
ONCE on a time when Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares,
the Future Buddha was born a brahman in the North, and
growing up, renounced the world and dwelt with a following of
five hundred hermits at the foot of the mountains. In those
days there came a great drought upon the Himalaya country, and
everywhere the water was dried up, and sore distress fell upon
all beasts. Seeing the poor creatures suffering from thirst, one
of the hermits cut down a tree, which he hollowed into a trough;
and this trough he filled with all the water he could find. In
this way he gave the animals to drink. And they came in
herds and drank and drank, till the hermit had no time left to
go and gather fruits for himself. Heedless of his own hunger,
he worked away to quench the animals' thirst. Thought they to
themselves, "So wrapt up is this hermit in ministering to our
wants that he leaves himself no time to go in quest of fruits.
He must be very hungry. Let us agree that every one of us
who comes here to drink must bring such fruits as he can to the


## p. 11447 (#61) ###########################################

PILPAY
11447
hermit. " This they agreed to do, every animal that came bring-
ing mangoes or rose-apples or bread-fruits or the like, till their
offerings would have filled two hundred and fifty wagons; and
there was food for the whole five hundred hermits, with abund-
ance to spare. Seeing this, the Future Buddha exclaimed, "Thus
has one man's goodness been the means of supplying with food
all these hermits. Truly, we should always be steadfast in right-
doing. " So saying, he uttered this stanza:
Toil on, my brother; still in hope stand fast,
Nor let thy courage flag and tire:
Forget not him, who by his grievous fast
Reaped fruits beyond his heart's desire.
Such was the teaching of the Great Being to the band of
hermits.
His lesson ended, the Master identified the Birth by saying:-
"This brother was the good hermit of those days, and I the hermits'
master. "
or with
THE DULLARD AND THE PLOW-SHAFT
From the Jataka,' No. 123
"FOR
OR universal application. "— This story was told by the Master
while at Jetavana, about the Elder, Laludayi, who is said to
have had a knack of always saying the wrong thing. He never
knew the proper occasion for the several teachings. For instance, if
it was a festival, he would croak out the gloomy text,
"Without the walls they lurk, and where four cross-roads meet. "
If it was a funeral, he would burst out with-
"Joy filled the hearts of gods and men,»
"Oh, may you see a hundred, nay, a thousand such glad days! »
Now one day the brethren in the Hall of Truth commented on
his singular infelicity of subject, and his knack of always saying the
wrong thing. As they sat talking, the Master entered, and in an-
swer to his question was told the subject of their talk. "Brethren,"
said he, "this is not the first time that Laludayi's folly has made
him say the wrong thing. He has always been as inept as now. " So
saying, he told this story of the past.


## p. 11448 (#62) ###########################################

11448
PILPAY
ONCE on a time when Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares,
the Future Buddha was born into a rich brahman's family; and
when he grew up, after acquiring all the liberal arts at Takka-
sila, he became a world-renowned professor at Benares, with five
hundred young brahmans to instruct. At the time of our story
there was among the young brahmans one who always had fool-
ish notions in his head and always said the wrong thing; he was
engaged with the rest in learning the Scriptures as a pupil, but
because of his folly could not master them. He was the devoted
attendant of the Future Buddha, and ministered to him like a slave.
་
Now one day after supper the Future Buddha laid himself
on his bed, and there was washed and perfumed by the young
brahman on hands, feet, and back. And as the youth turned to
go away, the Future Buddha said to him, " Prop up the feet of
my bed before you go. " And the young brahman propped up
the feet of the bed on one side all right, but could not find any-
thing to prop it up with on the other side. Accordingly he used
his leg as a prop, and passed the night so. When the Future
Buddha got up in the morning and saw the young brahman, he
asked why he was sitting there. "Master," said the young man,
"I could not find one of the bed supports; so I've got my leg
under to prop it up instead. ”
Moved at these words, the Future Buddha thought, "What
devotion! And to think it should come from the veriest dullard
of all my pupils. Yet how can I impart learning to him? " And
the thought came to him that the best way was to question the
young brahman on his return from gathering firewood and leaves,
as to something he had seen or done that day; and then to ask
what it was like. "For," thought the Master, "this will lead him.
on to making comparisons and giving reasons, and the continuous.
practice of comparing and reasoning on his part will enable me
to impart learning to him. "
Accordingly he sent for the young man, and told him always
on his return from picking up firewood and leaves, to say what
he had seen or eaten or drunk. And the young man promised
he would. So one day, having seen a snake when out with the
other pupils picking up wood in the forest, he said, "Master, I
saw a snake. "-"What did it look like? "-"Oh, like the shaft
of a plow. "-"That is a very good comparison. Snakes are
like the shafts of plows," said the Future Buddha, who began ·
to have hopes that he might at last succeed with his pupil.


## p. 11449 (#63) ###########################################

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11449
Another day the young brahman saw an elephant in the
forest, and told his master. -"And what is an elephant like? ".
"Oh, like the shaft of a plow. " His master said nothing; for
he thought that as the elephant's trunk and tusks bore a certain
resemblance to the shaft of a plow, perhaps his pupil's stupidity
made him speak thus generally (though he was thinking of the
trunk in particular) because of his inability to go into accurate
detail.
A third day he was invited to eat sugar-cane, and duly told
his master. "And what is a sugar-cane like ? " "Oh, like the
shaft of a plow. "-"That is scarcely a good comparison," thought
his master, but said nothing.
Another day, again, the pupils were invited to eat molasses
with curds and milk, and this too was duly reported. - "And
what are curds and milk like? "—"Oh, like the shaft of a plow. ”
Then the master thought to himself, "This young man was per-
fectly right in saying a snake was like the shaft of a plow; and
was more or less right, though not accurate, in saying an ele-
phant and a sugar-cane had the same similitude. But milk and
curds (which are always white in color) take the shape of what-
ever vessel they are placed in; and here he missed the compar-
ison entirely. This dullard will never learn. " So saying, he
uttered this stanza:
―
―
AⓇ
"For universal application he
Employs a term of limited import.
Plow-shaft and curds to him alike unknown,
The fool asserts the two things are the same. ”
His lesson ended, the Master identified the Birth by saying:-
"Laludayi was the dullard of those days, and I the world-renowned
professor. "
THE WIDOW'S MITE
From the 'Jataka,' No. 109
S FARES his worshiper. "
at Savatthi, about a very poor man.
Now at Savatthi the Brotherhood, with the Buddha at their
head, used to be entertained now by a single family, now by three or
four families together. Or a body of people or a whole street would
club together, or sometimes the whole city entertained them. But
on the occasion now in question it was a street that was showing the
hospitality. And the inhabitants had arranged to provide rice gruel,
followed by cakes.
This story was told by the Master when


## p. 11450 (#64) ###########################################

11450
PILPAY
Now in that street there lived a very poor man, a hired laborer,
who could not see how he could give the gruel, but resolved to give
cakes. And he scraped out the red powder from empty husks, and
kneaded it with water into a round cake. This cake he wrapped
in a leaf of swallow-wort and baked it in the embers. When it was
done, he made up his mind that none but the Buddha should have
it, and accordingly took his stand immediately by the Master. No
sooner had the word been given to offer cakes, than he stepped for-
ward quicker than any one else and put his cake in the Master's alms-
bowl. And the Master declined all other cakes offered him, and ate
the poor man's cake. Forthwith the whole city talked of nothing
but how the All-Enlightened One had not disdained to eat the poor
man's bran-cake. And from porters to nobles and King, all classes
flocked to the spot, saluted the Master, and crowded round the poor
man, offering him food, or two to five hundred pieces of money, if he
would make over to them the merit of his act.
Thinking he had better ask the Master first, he went to him and
stated his case. "Take what they offer," said the Master, "and im-
pute your righteousness to all living creatures. " So the man set to
work to collect the offerings. Some gave twice as much as others,
some four times as much, others eight times as much, and so on, till
nine crores of gold were contributed.
Returning thanks for the hospitality, the Master went back to
the monastery, and after instructing the brethren and imparting his
blessed teaching to them, retired to his perfumed chamber.
In the evening the King sent for the poor man, and created him
Lord Treasurer.
Assembling in the Hall of Truth, the brethren spoke together of
how the Master, not disdaining the poor man's bran-cake, had eaten
it as though it were ambrosia; and how the poor man had been
enriched and made Lord Treasurer, to his great good fortune. And
when the Master entered the Hall and heard what they were talking
of, he said, "Brethren, this is not the first time that I have not dis-
dained to eat that poor man's cake of bran. I did the same when I
was a Tree-sprite, and then too was the means of his being made
Lord Treasurer. " So saying, he told this story of the past.
ONCE on a time when Brahmadatta was reigning in Bena-
res, the Future Buddha was a Tree-sprite dwelling in a castor-oil
plant. And the villagers of those days were superstitious about
gods. A festival came round, and the villagers offered sacrifices
to their respective Tree-sprites. Seeing this, a poor man showed
worship to the castor-oil tree. All the others had come with gar-
lands, odors, perfumes, and cakes; but the poor man had only a
cake of husk-powder and water in a cocoanut shell for his tree.


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11451
Standing before it, he thought within himself, "Tree-sprites are
used to heavenly food, and my Tree-sprite will not eat this cake
of husk-powder. Why then should I lose it outright? I will eat
it myself. " And he turned to go away, when the Future Buddha
from the fork of his tree exclaimed, "My good man, if you were
a great lord you would bring me dainty manchets; but as you
are a poor man, what shall I have to eat if not that cake? Rob
me not of my portion. " And he uttered this stanza:
"As fares his worshiper, a Sprite must fare:
Bring me the cake, nor rob me of my share. ”
Then the man turned again, and seeing the Future Buddha,
offered up his sacrifice. The Future Buddha fed on the savor
and said, "Why do you worship me? " "I am a poor man, my
lord, and I worship you to be eased of my poverty. "-"Have no
more care for that. You have sacrificed to one who is grateful
and mindful of kindly deeds. Round this tree, neck to neck, are
buried pots of treasure. Go tell the King, and take the treasure
away in wagons to the King's court-yard. There pile it in a heap,
and the King shall be so well pleased that he will make you
Lord Treasurer. " So saying, the Future Buddha vanished from
sight. The man did as he was bidden, and the King made him
Lord Treasurer. Thus did the poor man by aid of the Future
Buddha come to great fortune; and when he died, he passed
away to fare according to his deserts.
―
His lesson ended, the Master identified the Birth by saying:-"The
poor man of to-day was also the poor man of those times, and I the
Tree-sprite who dwelt in the castor-oil tree. "
EEING Quick dead. "
WHAT'S IN A NAME?
From the Jataka,' No. 97
This story was told by the Master while at
about a brother who thought went by names.
For we hear that a young man of good family, named "Base,"
had given his heart to the Faith, and joined the Brotherhood. And
the brethren used to call him, "Here, brother Base! " and "Stay,
brother Base"; till he resolved that as "Base" gave the idea of in-
carnate wickedness and ill luck, he would change his name to one of
better omen. Accordingly he asked his teachers and preceptors to


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11452
PILPAY
give him a new name. But they said that a name only served to
denote, and did not impute qualities; and they bade him rest content
with the name he had. Time after time he renewed his request, till
the whole Brotherhood knew what importance he attached to a mere
name. And as they sat discussing the matter in the Hall of Truth,
the Master entered and asked what it was they were speaking about.
Being told, he said: "This is not the first time this brother has
believed luck went by names: he was equally dissatisfied with the
name he bore in a former age. " So saying, he told this story of the
past.
ONCE ON
a time the Future Buddha was a world-renowned
professor at Takkasila, and five hundred young brahmans learnt
the Vedas from his lips. One of these young men was named
Base. And from continually hearing his fellows say, "Go, Base,"
and "Come, Base,” he longed to get rid of his name, and to take
one that had a less ill-omened ring about it. So he went to his
master, and asked that a new name of a respectable character
might be given him. Said his master, "Go, my son, and travel
through the land till you have found a name you fancy.
come back and I will change your name for you. "
Then
The young man did as he was bidden; and taking provisions
for the journey, wandered from village to village till he came
to a certain town. Here a man named Quick had died, and the
young brahman, seeing him borne to the cemetery, asked what
his name was.
"Quick," was the reply. "What, can Quick be dead? " —
"Yes, Quick is dead: both Quick and Dead die just the same.
A name only serves to mark who's who. You seem a fool. "
Hearing this he went on into the city, feeling neither satisfied
nor dissatisfied with his own name.
Now a slave-girl had been thrown down at the door of a
house, while her master and mistress beat her with rope-ends
because she had not brought home her wages. And the girl's
name was Rich. Seeing the girl being beaten, as he walked
along the street, he asked the reason, and was told in reply that
it was because she had no wages to show.
"And what is the girl's name? ”
"Rich," said they. -"And cannot Rich make good a paltry
day's pay? "-"Be she called Rich or Poor, the money's not
forthcoming any the more. A name only serves to mark who's
who. You seem a fool. "


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11453
More reconciled to his own name, the young brahman left
the city, and on the road found a man who had lost his way.
Having learnt that he had lost his way, the young man asked
what his name was. "Guide," was the reply. -"And has Guide
lost his way? "-"Guide or Misguide, you can lose your way just
the same. A name only serves to mark who's who. You seem
a fool. "
Quite reconciled now to his name, the young brahman came
back to his master.
"Well, what name have you chosen? " asked the Future
Buddha. -"Master," said he, "I find that death comes to 'Quick'
and 'Dead' alike, that 'Rich' and 'Poor' may be poor together,
and that 'Guide' and 'Misguide' alike miss their way. I know
now that a name serves only to tell who is who, and does not
govern its owner's destiny. So I am satisfied with my own
name, and do not want to change it for any other. »
Then the Future Buddha uttered this stanza, combining what
the young brahman had done with the sights he had seen:—
"Seeing Quick dead, Guide lost, Rich poor,
Base learned content, nor traveled more. "
His story told, the Master said, "So you see, brethren, that in for-
mer days as now this brother imagined there was a great deal in a
name. " And he identified the Birth by saying:-"This brother who
is discontented with his name was the discontented young brahman
of those days; the Buddha's disciples were the pupils; and I myself
their master. "
THE BUDDHIST DUTY OF COURTESY TO ANIMALS
From the Jataka,' No. 28
"SP
PEAK only words of kindness. "— This story was told by the Mas-
ter while at Jetavana, about the bitter words spoken by the
Six. For in those days the Six, when they disagreed with
respectable brethren, used to taunt, revile, and jeer them, and load
them with the ten kinds of abuse. This the brethren reported to
the Blessed One, who sent for the Six and asked whether this charge
was true. On their admitting its truth, he rebuked them, saying,
"Brethren, hard words gall even animals: in bygone days an animal
made a man who had used harsh language to him lose a thousand
pieces. " And so saying, he told this story of the past.


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11454
PILPAY
as
ONCE on a time, at Takkasila in the land of Gandhara, there
was a king reigning there, and the Future Buddha came to life
bull. When he was quite a tiny calf, he was presented
by his owners to a brahman who came in, they being known to
give away presents of oxen to such-like holy men. The brahman
called it Nandi-Visala (Great-Joy), and treated it like his own
child, feeding the young creature on rice gruel and rice. When
the Future Buddha grew up, he thought thus to himself: "I have
been brought up by this brahman with great pains, and all India
cannot show the bull which can draw what I can. How if I
were to repay the brahman the cost of my nurture by making
proof of my strength? " Accordingly, one day he said to the
brahman, "Go, brahman, to some merchant rich in herds, and
wager him a thousand pieces that your bull can draw a hundred
loaded carts. "
་
The brahman went his way to a merchant, and got into a
discussion with him as to whose oxen in the town were strong.
"Oh, so-and-so's, or so-and-so's," said the merchant.
"But,"
added he, "there are no oxen in the town which can compare
with mine for real strength. " Said the brahman, “I have a bull
who can pull a hundred loaded carts. " "Where's such a bull
to be found? " laughed the merchant. "I've got him at home,"
said the brahman. -"Make it a wager.
» said the
Certainly,"
brahman, and staked a thousand pieces. Then he loaded a hun-
dred carts with sand, gravel, and stones, and leashed the lot
together, one behind the other, by cords from the axle-tree of
the one in front to the trace-bar of its successor. This done,
he bathed Nandi-Visala, gave him a measure of perfumed rice to
eat, hung a garland round his neck, and harnessed him all alone
to the leading cart. The brahman in person took his seat upon
the pole, and flourished his goad in the air, shouting,
then, you rascal! pull them along, you rascal! "
"I'm not the rascal he calls me," thought the Future Buddha
to himself; and so he planted his four feet like so many posts,
and budged not an inch.
>>>
-
་་
Straightway the merchant made the brahman pay over the
thousand pieces. His money gone, the brahman took his bull
out of the cart and went home, where he lay down on his bed
in an agony of grief. When Nandi-Visala strolled in and found
the brahman a prey to such grief, he went up to him and
inquired if the brahman were taking a nap. "How should I be
taking a nap, when I have had a thousand pieces won of me? "


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11455
“Brahman, all the time I have lived in your house, have I ever
broken a pot, or squeezed up against anybody, or made messes
about? -"Never, my child. " "Then why did you call me a
rascal? It's you who are to blame, not I. Go and bet him two
thousand this time. Only remember not to miscall me rascal
again. "
-
--
When he heard this, the brahman went off to the merchant
and laid a wager of two thousand. Just as before, he leashed
the hundred carts to one another, and harnessed Nandi Visala,
very spruce and fine, to the leading cart. If you ask how he
harnessed him, well, he did it in this way: first he fastened
the cross-yoke on to the pole; then he put the bull in on one
side, and made the other fast by fastening a smooth piece of
wood from the cross-yoke on to the axle-tree, so that the yoke
was taut and could not skew around either way.