NOTE ON THE ORIGINAL TEXT AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
3 A MAN WHOSE HEAL) WAS HIT BY A PEAR
6 A FATHER WHO KILLEI) HIS CHILI)
8 THE THIEF ANDTHE"T"REASURE HOUSE
I I THE BRAHMAN WHO KILL El) A CHILD
21 A WOMAN WHO WISHED TO HAVE ANOTHER CHILD
35 THE MIRROR IN A TREASURE CI LEST
37 A MAN WHO KILLEI) HIS HERI) OF COWS
42 THE PEDDI.ER AND THE CAMEL SKIN
45 THE SERVANT WHO KEPT THE GATE
48 THE FOX ANDTHE FALLING BRANCH
ALSO BY KAZLIAKI TANAHASHI
Brush Mind
Enlightenment Unfolds: The Essential Teachings of Zen Master Dogen (editor)
Essential Zen (with David Schneider)
Beyond Thinking: A Guide to Zen Meditation
by Zen Master Dogen (editor)
Penetrating Laughter: Hakuin's Zen and Art
ALSO BY PETER LEVITT
Fingerpainting on the Moon: Writing and Creativity as a Path to Freedom
Bright Root, Dark Root
One Hundred Butterflies
Running Grass (Poems 1970-1977)
No Beginning, No End: The Intimate Heart of 'Zen
by Jakusho Kwong (editor)
The Heart of Understanding by Thich Nhat Hahn (editor)
A FLOCK OF
FOOLS
ANCIENT BUDDHIST TALES OF
WISDOM AND LAUGHTER FROM
THE ONE HUNDRED PARABLE SUTRA
TIZ.A\ SI .ATEU .AN1) RF TOli) BY
KAZLIAKI TANAHASHI AND PETER LEVITT
FOREWORD 9
NOTE ON THE ORIGINAL TEXT AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 13
PROLOGUE 19
VOLUME ONE
3 A MAN WHOSE HEAL) WAS HIT BY A PEAR 26
6 A FATHER WHO KILLEI) HIS CHILI) 32
8 THE THIEF ANDTHE"T"REASURE HOUSE 36
I I THE BRAHMAN WHO KILL El) A CHILD 42
14 THE GUIDE 49
16 SUGARCANE 52
18 THE WHETSTONE IN A TOWER 54
21 A WOMAN WHO WISHED TO HAVE ANOTHER CHILD 60
VOLUME TWO
26 WINKS 68
28 THE NOSE 71
31 THE POTTER AND THE BRAHMAN 76
35 THE MIRROR IN A TREASURE CI LEST 84
37 A MAN WHO KILLEI) HIS HERI) OF COWS 89
VOLUME THREE
42 THE PEDDI.ER AND THE CAMEL SKIN 100
45 THE SERVANT WHO KEPT THE GATE 106
47 THE DUCK CALL 110
48 THE FOX ANDTHE FALLING BRANCH 112
50 THE DOCTOR ANDTHE HUNCHBACK 114
5I SHARING THE MAIDSERVANT 1 1 5
54 HEADANDTAIL 118
57 THE RICH MAN'S SPITTLE 1 24
61 THE MAHABRAHMAN'S DISCIPLF 1 32
65 FIVE HUNDRED SWEET CAKES 141
VOLUME FOUR
66 THE VOYAGE 148
70 THE RICH MAN'S MANGOES 1 56
71 THE BIGAMIST 158
76 THE PRINCESSANI)THF. COUNTRY FOOL 168
77 ASS'S MILK 170
78 A CHILI) WHO TRAVELED ALONE 171
80 ENEMA WATER 173
83 THE MONKEY ANDTHE MEAN MAN 178
84 LUNAR ECLIPSE 179
88 MONKEY BEANS 183
94 THE JEWEL AND THE WATER CONDUIT 190
96 THE MAN WHO PLUCKED OUT HIS EYES 194
98 THE TORTOISE 197
MONK SANGHASENA'S FLOWER GARLAND OF THE FOOLS 199
FOREWORD Rare is the person who is entirely wise, and perhaps even more rare is the person who is completely foolish. In fact, a complete fool is almost impossible to find, and, therefore, should be treasured. These parables are a treasure chest of fools. Old fools. Ancient fools. Perfect fools. Fools so remarkably unwise that they exist only in tales such as these--or so it seems-for one of the most appealing aspects of these parables is how the exaggerated thoughts and deeds of these fools accurately reflect elements of human nature found in every land and age, including our own.
Told with a single-pointed clarity the original compiler hoped would prove useful to practitioners and students of the Buddha Way, these tales magnify our foibles and folly, our appetites, impulses, and delusions, and serve as useful and accurate mirrors of our human condition. As we witness the silly, crazy, and sometimes hurtful things these fools say, think, and do, we laugh at them or shake our heads in disbelief. Yet our reaction is always tempered by the awareness that shades of our own foolishness parade before our eyes. Often our laughter or horror turns into recognition and insight upon reading these tales. Since these parables are able to inspire such recognition, they help us to cultivate wisdom and compassion as we seek to develop real understanding and "do no harm" in the world.
This is quite a gift given by fools.
As I read the initial English translation of the One Hundred Parable Sutra, translated from the Chinese by Kazuaki Tanahashi, the parables deepened my concentration. Their intention and meaning were so consistent, the insight so penetrating, that they provided an extended meditation on the need for greater self-awareness. As I continued to work with the parables over time, I sought to maintain their original feeling and remain faithful to their details and the teachings upon which they, are based. Such intense study taught me to see how brilliantly these fools represent the subtle, unconscious impulses that appear on the mind-stage of the human psyche. Since it is common, in the rush of our lives, for our psychological defense systems to make it difficult for us to notice such impulses (increasing their shelf life, so to speak), my hope is that readers will join me in welcoming the vastness of the mirror these parables provide.
This brings me to the subject of the teachings that conclude each tale. Originally intended to help Buddhist practitioners avoid common pitfalls, strengthen commitment, and develop understanding, on occasion the moral applications proved problematic. Sometimes I had to read into the text of the parable over and over again, seeking to decipher the connection between the story and the meaning it had been given by the original storyteller. I truly hope I was able to discover the elusive thread so that each parable, as it is, stands comprehensible and whole.
As Kai has indicated, the parables have more than one source, accounting for the diversity of styles. To he as faithful to the original text as possible, we decided not to oyerstylize the parables by creating a single, unified approach, but to preserve the diverse nature of the telling as we found it.
Finally, I admit to loving these tales. In virtually every case, whatever understanding I gained while living in their worlds was accompanied by a delicious and quite childlike delight. There were times when I giggled with the recognition of my own foolishness, or the foolishness of friends, and I felt renewed, forgiving, and forgiven. I even found myself on the phone before I knew it, reciting the tales to friends. There ryas a lot of laughter between us.
It has been a great joy to undertake this project with Kaz. In addition to his many talents as a writer, calligrapher, and painter, he is the classic wise fool par excellence. I am fortunate to have worked on these parables with him over the years, but there is one problem we have never been able to resolve: two fools are missing. As the title of this hook indicates, . I Flock of Fools is based on the One Hundred Parable Sutra, and vet there are only ninety-eight parables to he found. When I first noticed this, I asked Kaz if he had seen the two missing fools. He said he had looked but was unable to locate them. I told him that I had also tried to find them, but was unsuccessful as well. We looked at each other for a long time after that, but didn't know what to do.
-Peter Levitt
Salt Spring Island, British Columbia
The original text for this hook is a Chinese Buddhist scripture called Bat u-jing (the One Hundred Parable Sutra). In the early sixth century c.E., it appears in Sengyou's The List of the Translated Tripitaka as a text that was translated from Sanskrit into Chinese in 492 c.E. by Gunayriddi, a Buddhist teacher from central India.
Sengyou writes that Sanghasena, a Mahayana Buddhist teacher, selected stories from scriptures to help explain the dharma to beginning students. His disciple Gunavriddi memorized the text, along with many other sutras. Gunayriddi then traveled to China and settled in Jianye (present-day Nanjing), the capital of the southern kingdom of' Qi. It was here that he translated this sutra in ten fascicles. (A fascicle is a chapter-long text hound separately as a volume.) Gunavriddi also translated the Elder Sudatra Sutra and the Tuelrefold Cause and Effect Sutra. He founded the ZhiguanTemple in Jianve, taught dharma, and died in 502.
Traditionally, a sutra is regarded as a discourse of the Buddha, memorized by his disciple Ananda, and starting with the line, "Thus have I heard." Since this is the case, the editors or compilers of sutras, by definition, have alwavs been anonymous. This also applies to Mahayana sutras that are now known to have emerged centuries after Shakva- muni Buddha's time. In this regard, the One Hundred Parable Sutra, of which the compiler's name is known, is unique.
Since the Sanskrit text of the One Hundred Parable Sutra has been lost, we do not know its original title. It is possible to presume, however, that the compiler, Sanghasena, did not call this text a sutra but rather Upama Shataka. "Upama° means comparison or analogy. "Shataka" means one hundredfold. The word "sutra" and the introductory section of the text, following the line "Thus have I heard, may have been added to the Chinese version by Gunavriddi, or by someone else at a later (late. (A similar case involves the Prajna Paramita Heart Sutra. While its Chinese versions all have "jing" Isutra] in their titles, this word does not appear in their Sanskrit counterpart.)
Some stories in the One Hundred Parable Sutra correspond to those in other Buddhist scriptures. (See theTable of SimilarTales in the Appendix.) Most strikingly, forty-six stories similar to those in this sutra are found in The Ocean of Story (Katha-sari t-sagara), a non-Buddhist Sanskrit text, compiled in India by Somadeya in the eleventh century. It seems that by the fifth century, at the time of'Sanghasena, a collection of stories already existed, whether in text or oral tradition, that became a major source for both the One Hundred Parable Sutra and The Ocean of Story. Interestingly, tales 15 and 56 of this sutra have corresponding stories, respectively, in La Fontaine's fables and in the Arabian Nights.
By studying various lists of translated sutras compiled in China over centuries, we know that the One Hundred Parable Sutra existed in versions of one, two, four, and ten fascicles. The four-fascicle version alone survived and was included in the Chinese-language Buddhist canon. It has been read, studied, and memorized by East Asian Buddhists for more than one thousand years.
The major woodblock -print editions of the Chineselanguage Buddhist canon are: the Korvo version compiled in Korea, 1011; the Song version, 1239; theYuan version, 1290; and the Ming version, 1601 The last three versions were assembled and published in China. The Taisho Shinshu Daizokio, completed in Japan in 1932, includes sutras based on the Koryo version with annotations on variants in the other versions. Our translation is based on the copy of the Koryo version, treasured at the Zojo Temple in Tokyo.
One remarkable thing about the Koryo version of this sutra is that its opening line, "Thus have I heard," is positioned at the beginning of Volume Two. We have moved it to the beginning of the sutra.
Lu Xun (1881 1936), a pioneer novelist and story writer in modern China, loved this sutra so much that he published the text at his own expense with Jinling Kejing Publishing Company, Nanjing. My Japanese translation of this sutra was published in 1969 with Scishin Shoho,Tokyo, under the title tlpama Shataka: H%akuty-kvo.
I believe the One Hundred Parable Sutra is the most humorous sutra in the entire Buddhist canon. It has been my hope since 1966, when Seville Clark helped me to translate this sutra from the Chinese, that the text would he widely read and enjoyed in the Western world. Linda Hess and Brian Unger helped me to improve the translation in the I 980s. Peter Levitt's skillful retelling of the stories has made them stand for readers of our time.
Charles Rue Woods of Grove Press was the one who saw the potential of the manuscript as a book and helped in all aspects of its publication. A great number of people have provided help in this three-decade-long book project. Peter and I would like to thank all of them and, in particular, Patricia Enkyo O'Hara Sensei for creating a chance for the birth of this book by reading one of the stories at her Village Zendo in New York City, and Shirley Graham for her editorial suggestions. We thank Andrea Liehers, who translated and published five stories from the sutra in German in the Lotus Blotter, and Helen Tworkov for publishing a story in the magazine Tricycle. Thus, these very ancient stories are finally in your presence.
-Kazuaki Tanahashi
Berkeley, California
nce the Buddha was at the Kalandaka Bamboo Grove in the city of Rajagriha. Many great monks and hodhisattvas,1 great beings, were with him as well as a throng of thirty-six thousand beings of the eight classifications.2 There were also five hundred Brahmans.
When everyone was assembled, the Brahmans rose from their seats and addressed the Buddha:
"Because we hear the Buddha Way is boundless and incomparable, we have come to ask some questions. We ask only that you explain."
The Buddha said, "Very well," and the Brahmans began to inquire:
"Does the world exist or not?" they asked.
"The world exists," the Buddha replied, "and it does not exist."
"If it exists," the Brahmans said, "why do you say it does not exist? And if it does not exist, why (10 you say that it does?"
"The world exists for the living," the Buddha explained. "And for the dead, it does not. Therefore, the world exists and it does not exist."
"Where do human beings come from?" the Brahmans continued.
"Human beings come from the five grains."
"And where do the five grains come from?" they asked.
"The five grains come from the four great elements."3
"And the four great elements? Where do these come from?"
"The four great elements come from empty space," the Buddha said.
"Where does empty space come from?" they went on.
"It comes from nonexistence.
"And nonexistence?" the Brahmans asked. "Where does nonexistence come from?
"Nonexistence comes from Thusness," the Buddha replied.
"And where does Thusness come from?" the Brahmans wanted to know.
"Thusness comes from Nirvana,"4 said the Buddha.
"Then where does Nirvana come from? they asked at last.
"Now you are asking a very deep question," the Buddha said. "That which is not horn, and does not die, is Nirvana, the state of permanent bliss."
"Have you, Buddha, entered Nirvana?" the Brahmans asked.
"No," the Buddha replied, "l have not vet entered Nirvana."
"If you have not yet entered Nirvana," the Brahmans said, "then how can you know that Nirvana is the state of permanent bliss?"
The Buddha responded carefully. "Now I will ask you some questions," he said. "Do sentient beings experience pain, or do they experience bliss?"
"Sentient beings experience a great deal of pain," the Brahmans agreed among themselves.
"Why do you say they experience pain?" the Buddha inquired.
"We see sentient beings who are near death suffering unendurable pain," they replied. "Therefore we know that death is painful."
"So," the Buddha said, "you have not vet died, but you know death is painful. I see all the Buddhas in the ten directions unborn and undying; therefore I know Nirvana is per- nmanent bliss."
As if they were one, the five hundred Brahmans had a great realization. All their doubts were extinguished for good. They asked to receive the five precepts,5 experienced the fruit of the stream-enterer,5' and returned to their seats.
After everyone was seated, the Buddha told the assembly, "Now I have some parables for you. Listen carefully." Then the Buddha began.
EATING SALT A long time ago, a fool was invited to a neighbor's house to share a meal. Once the food was served, the fool was displeased because he found the food tasteless. His neighbor noticed this and immediately sought to remedy the situation by offering the fool some salt. After the fool sprinkled a hit of salt onto his food and took a bite, he said to himself, "The salt has really made the food quite tasty. If such a small amount of salt has had such an effect, just imagine what a lot of salt will do!" To his neighbor's astonishment, he pushed his meal to the side and began to eat the salt all by itself. Of course, it wasn't long before the foolish man had burned his mouth, and instead of being delighted he groaned in pain.
A person who misconstrues the Way of Understanding is just like this fool. He hears that by eating and drinking less, the Way may be gained, and so he fasts for seven or even fifteen days. He ends up starving himself in vain and realizes nothing of the Way. Consider this carefully and you'll find it is so.
FOOL'S MILK In olden times, a fool sent out invitations to a feast to take place at his home the following month. He planned to serve his guests milk with their meal, but after thinking further he decided, "If I milk the cow now, I'll have no place to store the milk and it may turn had before the feast. It would be better to let the milk stay in the cow's belly. After my guests arrive, I'll just milk the cow and serve it fresh." Pleased with his plan, the fool tied up the nursing calf in one place, and the cow in another, so that not a drop of milk would be wasted before the feast.
The day of the feast arrived a month later and the foolish man graciously received his guests. After they were assembled, he brought out the cow with much fanfare, but when he sat down to milk, the cow was completely dry. Not one drop of milk fell into the pail. When the guests saw this and heard what he had done, a few became angry, but most of them just shook their heads and laughed at his foolish ways.
This fool is like someone who wishes to practice the act of giving but decides to wait until he has a lot of money. However, no one knows what the future holds, and before very much can be saved something unforeseen takes place: he receives an enormous tax bill or is the victim of a fire or flood, or he is robbed and ends up losing what little he has managed to put away. He might even lose his life. The best way is to give right now. It is so.
A MAN WHOSE HEAD WAS HIT BY A PEAR A long time ago, there %% as a hall-headed fool. Another fool came along and, just for the fun of it, struck the first fool on the head with a pear. After several more blows, the poor fool's head was entirely covered .with bruises. Ile had allowed himself to receive the blows in silence and did not even consider running away. When the beating was over, a man who had witnessed the episode said, "Why didn't you run away and avoid being hit instead of taking the blows and getting hurt The fool answered, "I stayed because that man is ignorant. He boasts constantly and tries to prove how strong he is in any way he can. He saw that I was bald, but he was stupid enough to mistake my head for a stone. That's wwhy he struck it with a pear."
The other man answered, "HON could you call him stupid? You're the ignorant one. Only a fool would take such a beating and not even consider running away!"
A monk who has no faith and can neither keep the precepts nor cultivate learning is like the fool who took this beating but could speak only of the stupidity of others. While he maintains the outward forms of practice, and therefore receives some benefit, ultimately he spends his life without understanding even the simplest of things. Such a monk really is a fool.
THE UNFAITHFUL WIFE Once there was a fool whose wife was very beautiful. He loved her deeply, but she was not faithful to him and was secretly seeing another man. Finally, her desire for the other man became so strong that she decided to leave her husband and run away with her lover. She went to see an old woman who was her friend and confided her plan. "After I am gone," she said, "bring a dead woman's body into my house, leave it there for my husband to discover, and, when he does, tell him I am dead."
The old woman agreed to the plan. After the wife ran away, the old woman waited for the husband to leave the house. Then she took a woman's corpse into the house for the husband to discover when he came home.
When the husband returned, the old woman met him at his door. "I'm sorry to have to tell you this," she said, "but while you were gone, your wife passed away." The husband rushed into the house, saw the (lead woman's body, and, believing it to he his wife's, began to weep and grieve bitterly. Then, according to custom, he gathered oil and wood to make a pyre and burned the body. When the cremation was completed, the foolish man placed the remaining ashes and bones into a bag, which he carried by his side night and day.
A long time later, the fool's rife grew tired of her lover and decided to return home. She went to the house she had shared with her husband and when he answered the door she said to him, "I am your wife. I've come home." The man answered, "How can you say such a thing? My wife has been dead for a long time. Ho%% dare you pretend to he my beloved?" His wife couldn't believe her ears. She tried everything she could to convince him, but he would not believe her and he sent her on her way.
This fool is like a person who hears false teachings, becomes confused, and believes the teachings to be true. For a long time, he remains faithful to what he's been told, and though he may encounter teachings that are correct, he still does not believe them or accept them as true.
THE THIRSTY MAN Long ago, there was a man who was known to be foolish beyond belief. One day, although it was particularly hot, he decided to go wandering. Of course, the more he wandered, the more he felt the effects of the heat and the thirstier he became. Finally, he was so parched that he imagined a mirage in the distance and, mistaking it for water, he began to run toward it.
All day long, the man chased the mirage until his tongue was practically hanging out of his mouth in thirst. However, as luck would have it, the man had run so far that he found himself standing on the hanks of the Indus River. Though his throat was burning, he stood at the river's edge, dying of thirst, without taking a single drink.
Another man, who was sitting near him on the riverbank, said, "Friend, you have run to the river and are clearly in need of water. Now that you have reached it, why don't you take a drink%"
The foolish man replied, "I'll he okay, but if you like, please take a drink yourself. I want one, but this amount of water is far too much for me. There's no way in the world I could finish it all."
A FATHER WHO KILLED HIS CHILD In a distant land, there was a fool echo had seven children. One day, quite suddenly, one of his youngest children died. When the fool found his dead child, he wanted to keep the corpse in his house rather than take it for burial. A friend who happened to be visiting witnessed this and said, "The road of Life and the road of Death are different. It is better to perform the ceremonies at once, take the body far away, and bury it. You can't keep your dead child here, but must remove him as soon as you can.
The fool thought, "If I really can't keep my child at home, but must bury him, then I would rather kill another one as well. It will he a lot easier for me to carry two of them, one on each end of a pole."
So the fool killed another of his children and took them both far away into the forest where he buried them. When people heard about this, they were dumbfounded and ridiculed the fool for what he had done.
This foolish man is like a monk who secretly breaks a precept. Since he does not wish to confess even a single misdeed, he hides what he has done and declares his purity. But a wise man who knows better tells him that a home leaver must keep the precepts and guard them just as he would guard bright jewels. "Why have you broken what you received," he asks, "and why won't you confess what you have done?"
The monk hears the wise man but thinks, "If I really must confess, then I might as well break as many precepts as I like. When I'm finished, I'll confess to them all."
Then he goes about causing havoc, breaking precepts, and, in the end, he makes one grand confession. What a fool he is! He is like the man whose child died and whose ignorance caused him to kill another. Without question, it is so.
THE IMPOSTOR A long time ago there was a very wise and handsome man who was also very rich. In the entire world, there was no one who did not admire him. One day a fool who passed him on the street sought to come up with a plan to gain a bit of the man's money. He began by spreading the rumor that the man was his brother. Shortly afterward, the fool saw the man as he was paying off a debt and immediately he changed his story and denied being related to him at all. "That man is not my brother," he said. "I never said anything like that."
Another man, who had observed the situation develop, approached the fool and asked, "How did you ever get to he such a fool? Why do you tell people the man is your brother when he has money to spend, but deny it when you see him pay a debt?"
The fool answered, "I wanted his wealth, so I spread the word that we were brothers. Since he is not my brother, if he owes money, I want everyone to know we're not related."
When people heard what he said, they all had a good laugh.
This fool is like someone outside the Way who hears the Buddha's teachings and begins presenting them as his own. He gathers students around him and tells them to live according to what he says. The students don't heed him and ignore everything he has to say. When he sees this, he thinks, "For my own benefit I used the Buddha's words and taught sentient beings, but it didn't work. No one would follow the teachings. The teachings must not be good:' This is like the fool who sought to gain another man's wealth by calling him his brother, but when the man was in debt he denied that they were kin.
THE THIEF AND THE TREASURE HOUSE Once a thief stole into the royal treasure house, took everything he could carry, and ran for all he was worth to a distant land. The theft was discovered quickly, and no sooner had the king sent his men in search of the thief than he was caught and brought hack to face the king. When the stolen goods were laid out before the thief and the king, the king picked out a set of beautiful robes and accused the man of theft. "But these are my robes," insisted the thief. "That is, they once belonged to my grandfather, and therefore they are mine.
"If this is really true," said the wary king, "let us see you put them on."
Since the robes did not really belong to the thief, he had no idea how to wear them. First he tried to make the sleeves fit around his legs; then he put the waistband on his head. The king observed this dumb show for a while and then gathered together his courtiers to discuss the matter.
When the consultation was over, the king said to the thief, "If these robes were given to you by your grandfather, you would know how to wear them. What a mockery you J make, trying to put them on upside down. Because you don't know how- to wear them, we know they don't really belong to you. Therefore, I declare you guilty of theft."
Consider that the king represents the Buddha, the royal treasury the dharma8-his teachings of ultimate truth-and the ignorant thief a person outside the Way. Though a man may listen to the Buddha dharma in secret, and try to incorporate it into his own teachings, claiming the insight and understanding as his own, he does not really grasp its roots or subtle essence. In the end, he presents it in a way that leads only to misunderstanding and confusion. This person is like the thief who stole the royal robes but did not know how to wear them and put them on upside down. Be careful of fools like this; they will only lead you astray.
THE VIRTUOUS FATHER Once a man was standing among a crowd of people discussing their parents. When it was his turn, the man praised his father's virtue and said, "My father is a merciful man. He neither harms people nor steals from them. He always tells the truth and practices giving as often as he can." A fool, also among the crowd, heard these words and could not stop himself from interrupting. "That's nothing," he said. "My father's virtues are even better." The crowd wanted to know more, and so they asked, "What virtues are these? Please don't keep them to yourself." And so the fool replied, "Ever since he was a youth, my father has put an end to his lustful feelings. In fact, he has been completely chaste from then until now."
The people were amazed. "If he has really put an end to his lust," theN said, "how did Vou conk to be horn They wondered if anyone could he such a fool.
The ignorant in the world are just like this. They want to praise others but, not knowing the facts, they only end up insulting them. Like the well-intentioned fool who truly admired his father, they speak without realizing their own ignorance.
THE THREE-STORY TOWER A long time ago, there was a very wealthy man who was also a great fool. It was hard to say which was the greater, his wealth or his lack of understanding. One day he went to visit another wealthy man, and when he arrived he was amazed to see that a tower had been built three stories high. It was very tall and wide, with broad eaves and large windows on every side. The foolish man gaped at it enviously. He had never seen such a grand and beautiful tower.
He began to think, "I have as much money as this man. In fact, I have more. I should have a tower like this." So he returned home and sent for a carpenter without delay.
When the carpenter arrived, the wealthy fool told him about the other man's tower, and then, rather testily, he asked him, "Well, can you build me a tower as grand as that or not?"
The carpenter answered modestly. "Sir," he said, "I built that tower, so I'm sure I can build one for you."
"Then what are you standing here for?" shouted the fool. "Get to work!"
The carpenter did as he was told. He measured the land, gathered his tools and materials, and began to lay bricks for the tower's foundation. When the fool saw him laving the bricks, he became suspicious.
"What in the world is he doing?" he thought.
He ran up to the carpenter and shouted, "Just what do you intend to make here, I'd like to know."
The carpenter was a hit confused and answered, "I am making a three-story tower, sir, just as you asked."
"Well, forget the bottom two stories," the rich fool said. "I don't want them. Make the top story for me right away!"
The carpenter was amazed and said to the fool, "Sir, how can I not build a first story, but build a second? And how could I not build a second story, but build a third?"
The rich fool was not convinced. "I already told you," he shouted, "I don't need the bottom stories. I only want the third. Now do as I say or get out of my sight!"
When people heard this, they scratched their heads and couldn't stop laughing. "What a fool he is," they said. "How could someone have the top story of a tower without first building the ones below?"
This is like the four kinds of disciples who follow the Buddha's teachings: monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen. They are too lazy to cultivate themselves and practice their vows to the Three Treasures,9 and yet they wish to have the fruit of the Way. They say to themselves, "I don't need the three lesser fruits10 necessary for becoming an Arhat.11 I only want the Arhat fruit, and I want it right now:'
As a result they are laughed at by everyone. There is no difference between them and the wealthy fool.
THE BRAHMAN WHO KILLED A CHILD Once there was a Brahman who thought himself so vyise that he constantly boasted that there wasn't anything he had not mastered in astrology or any of the other sciences. One day, while traveling in a foreign land, he decided to enhance his reputation by showing off his skills. At a moment he determined to he ripe for the plucking, he picked up a child who happened to he passing by. Then he began to weep. It wasn't long before a group of people gathered around and asked him why he was weeping. At once he replied, "I am very sad because in seven days this child is going to die."
"But life is so unpredictable," said the others who were listening. "No one can foretell the future. Seven days from now this child might not (lie, so why are you weeping now.
"The sun and moon may grow dark," answered the Brahman ominously, "stars may fall from the sky, but you will see that what I say is true."
Seven days later, in order to prove himself right and gain the fame he sought, the Brahman killed the poor child. When people heard that the child had died, they were very impressed with the Brahman. They said, "He is truly a wise man, for his prophecy has come true." And they came to trust him and pay homage to him.
This man is just like a disciple of the Buddha who seeks advantage and falsely claims to have attained the Way. But only a wretch would pretend compassion and kill another human being, causing his own endless suffering in future worlds while bringing fear and confusion to everyone he meets. Thus, it is so.
BROWN SUGAR BROTH.A long time ago, there was a fool who spent his day boiling brown sugar in the kitchen. Several guests came to visit the fool, and among them was a very wealthy man. When the fool realized he was being visited by a man of such great wealth, he said to himself, "Why don't I make some brown sugar broth and serve it to him?This will surely bring me some gain."
He added water to the boiling sugar, left it on the fire, and immediately began to fan the broth, hoping to cool it down. Another guest saw this and asked, "What in the world are you doing? How can you expect to cool the broth by fanning it, if first you don't put out the fire on the stove?" Everyone laughed when they heard what he had done.
The person outside the Way who doesn't put out the burning fire of his passions is just like this. He practices a little asceticism by lying down on thorns, but his body continues to burn with the desires of the five senses. He longs for the pure, cool realm of Nirvana, but of course he can find no such place. This makes all who hear about him laugh, but it is so sad. He suffers in the present and his misfortunes flow into the future without end.
A QUICK TEMPER One (lay several friends were sitting in a house, discussing a man they all knew. "He has many great virtues," they agreed, "but his faults are great as well." One of the men said, "To tell the truth, he has a hot temper. He flies into a rage at the slightest provocation, and he makes rash judgments in no time at all."
By coincidence, the man they were discussing happened to pass by at exactly that moment and he heard what had been said. He rushed inside and grabbed the man who had been speaking. Without a word, he began to beat him.
One of the other men jumped up and said, "Why are you hitting him? Stop it!"
The angry man shouted, "I have never in my Iife jumped to conclusions or lost my temper. But this idiot accuses me of it, so I'm going to give him the beating he deserves."
By now quite a crowd had gathered, and one person who had watched the scene from the beginning said to the man, "But look at what you're doing. You've just proven that you're short-tempered and that you jump to conclusions. How can you deny it?"
The others joined in, saving, "Yes. Someone criticizes you and just look at what you do!"
No one could believe the stupidity and blindness of the man.
This man is like a drunkard who flies into a rage at the first drop of criticism. The trouble he causes is proof of his fault, and yet he cannot see it at all. Likewise, fools hate to hear their faults. When someone brings them up, a fool can onlythink of lashing out.
THE GUIDE Many years ago some merchants decided to journey across the sea. To find their way to the distant harbor they needed a guide, so they set out to look for one. After much searching, they secured the services of a wellrespected guide and began their adventure. They followed the guide and eventually came upon a small shrine in the middle of a wide plain. It was common knowledge that to travel past the shrine they were required to make a human sacrifice to the gods. The merchants considered this dilemma carefully and agreed that since it would be impossible for them to kill one of their own, they would sacrifice the guide, perform the sacred ceremony, and be on their way.
When they had completed the ritual, they continued on the journey, but because there was no longer anyone to guide them, they didn't know which road to take. It wasn't long before they lost their way entirely and perished without ever reaching the harbor they had sought.
Many people are like this. They want to enter the dharma ocean and obtain its rare treasures. To do so, they should practice good deeds and make these deeds their guide. Instead, they sacrifice the good deeds and thus never become free of the long, wide road of birth and death. Hopelessly, they wander in the three unwholesome realms,12 like the traveling merchants who wanted to cross the great ocean but killed their guide and so were unable to reach the harbor. In the end, they perished from their ignorant act.
THE QUACK DOCTOR Many years ago, there was a king who was known to show great impatience at even the smallest thing. So it came as no surprise that when his daughter was horn he summoned a doctor and said, "Give my child some medicine that will make her grow up at once."
The doctor was quite wise and answered the king without the slightest hesitation. "I know of just such a medicine, Your Majesty, one that is excellent for this purpose. Unfortunately, there is none to he found in the entire land and I must travel abroad to find some. In the meantime, I must ask you not to look upon the new princess until I return. When I have given her the proper (lose, I will bring your daughter to you without delay."
The king agreed and the doctor set out to look for the medicine. His search took him to many lands and lasted twelve years. Finally, he returned to the kingdom with the precious elixir. He asked to have a consultation with the princess, administered the proper dose, and then took her to meet her father.
When the king saw his daughter all grown up he rejoiced and thought to himself, "This man is truly an excellent physician. He gave my (laughter medicine that made her grow up practically overnight!" He then commanded his courtiers to present the doctor with many rare gifts.
Of course, when people heard this story they could not stop laughing. The depth of the king's ignorance had caused him to forget how many years had passed since his (laughter's birth. He truly believed it was the power of the medicine that had made her grow up so quickly.
There are many people in the world like this foolish king. They go to a wise person and say, "I wish to follow the Way and would like you to instruct me. Please show me the quickest way to become enlightened:" The teacher shows them how to meditate and how to observe the twelve-linked chain of causation.13 Gradually, they embody the perfections and reach the level of the Arhat. Then they leap for joy and exclaim, "How wonderful! How excellent indeed! Oh, Great Teacher, how quickly you have enlightened me with this wondrous dharma!"
SUGARCANE Once two men were planting sugarcane in adjoining fields. The men decided that the one who grew the best cane would receive a reward, while the one whose cane proved inferior would be punished. One of the men, who hoped to manipulate the situation so that things would work out in his favor, thought to himself, "Since sugarcane is very sweet, if I squeeze some stalks and pour the juice over my field to fertilize it, my cane will surely grow taller and be more delicious than his."
So the next day he squeezed some of his stalks and fertilized his field with the juice, just as he had planned. But instead of producing an excellent crop, he got only rotten seeds, and all his sugarcane was lost.
Fools seek happiness but try to secure it by relying on their own strength and wiles. They use power over others and sometimes even rob them of their property in the belief that owning more will make them happy. The good results they expect are based on wrongheaded views, so they fail to realize that in the future they will know only misfortune and pain. They are like the man who squeezed the sugarcane and ended up losing his entire crop.
THE HALFPENNY LOAN A long time ago there was a merchant who lent a man a halfpenny. The man neglected to pay back his debt so the merchant decided to go and collect it. On the way, he came to a river where he paid a boatman two pennies to take him to the other side.
Once there, the merchant continued on his journey until, finally, he reached his destination, where he hoped to collect the halfpenny. But the debtor was nowhere to he found and, despite all of his effort, the merchant had to go home empty-handed.
On the return trip, of course, he had to cross the river again, and so he paid the boatman two more pennies. In trying to collect a halfpenny loan, the foolish man had spent four pennies, was terribly inconvenienced, and returned home exhausted, without a thing to show. Although the loan had been very small, he ended up losing much more, and, sure enough, he was laughed at by everyone who heard the story.
Many people are like this fool. They seek some minor recognition or advantage but end up destroying the great practices in the process. Their mistaken views cause them to chase after things they desire and, in so doing, they fail to observe even the most basic rules for proper conduct. Thus, they ruin their reputations and suffer painful consequences.
THE WHETSTONE IN A TOWER Once there was a poor, troubled man who was in service to a king. As time passed, the man became very thin and he appeared weaker with each passing day. When the king saw this he took pity on the man and, hoping to provide some nourishment, gave him a camel that had recently died. The man began to skin the camel right away, but found that his knife was too dull to do the job. He looked about for a whetstone to sharpen his knife and was told that there was a very good one in a nearby tower.
The man went to the tower and climbed to the top, where he found the whetstone. He sharpened his knife and climbed down again so that he could continue to skin the camel. To keep his knife sharp, however, the poor man climbed the tower over and over again, and before long he was too tired to make the trip even one more time. After considering what to do, he hauled the camel up to the top of the tower, hung it on a hook, and continued to sharpen his knife and skin the camel there. Everyone who heard this laughed at him long and hard.
This fool is like a practitioner who acquires great wealth but does so by engaging in activities that break the precepts. Hoping to be reborn in the world of the gods, he begins to practice the virtue of giving his wealth away. What a waste of effort in every direction. Such a person is just like the fool who hauled a camel to the top of a tower to skin it because the whetstone was there, instead of bringing the whetstone down. He worked very hard, indeed, but he gained very little and was laughed at by everyone.
THE BEGGING BOWL Once, a very long time ago, a man who was traveling across the ocean in a boat lost his silver begging bowl when it fell into the water. He thought, "I'll make a mark on the water and come hack to retrieve it later on." And that is exactly what he did. He marked the water where he dropped his bowl and then continued traveling for two more months until he reached Ceylon.
One day, during his sojourn in Ceylon, he came upon a river. Immediately, he waded into the water and began looking for his bowl. People on the riverbanks were puzzled and approached him to ask what he was doing.
"Some time ago," he said, "I lost a begging howl and now I'm trying to find it."
Thinking they might help him, they asked, "Where did you lose your bowl?"
"In the ocean when I was coming across," the man replied.
"How long did you say it had been since you lost it?" the people asked.
When he told them that it had been two whole months since his howl had fallen into the ocean, they were quite surprised. "Two months!" they said. "What makes you think you'll find it here?"
"When I lost my bowl," the man replied, "I made a mark on the water. Since there's no difference between the water here and the water where I dropped it, I'm certain I'll find it now."
The people couldn't believe their ears. "Yes," they said, "it is true that water is water. But you lost the bowl a long time ago and in another place entirely. How can you possibly expect to find it here and now?" They all enjoyed a good laugh as they went back to what they were doing.
This fool is like a person who does not practice the true Way but uselessly seeks liberation through a similar teaching. How could he ever accomplish his goal?
THE TYRANT Long, long ago one of the royal subjects was discussing the king's faults. "What a tyrant he is!" the man said. "He does exactly as he pleases. I can't find any reason in the way he governs us at all!"
When word got back to the king that he was being critici'ied, he grew very angry and decided to have the man brought before him. But, try as he might, he could not discover the man's identity.
In those (lays, there were many flatterers around the king, each one seeking his own advantage. One falsely accused the king's wisest courtier of being the man who had criticized the king, and he convinced the king to have the man arrested. When the courtier was brought before him, the king ordered him to lie facedown on the ground and, right before everyone's eyes, he had the skin flayed from the poor man's hack until one hundred ounces had been extracted.
Within days, however, the wise courtier was proven innocent of the charge and the king was filled with regret. He commanded that one thousand ounces of flesh he brought to the courtier to make up for %%hat had been wrongfully taken from him. Despite this attempt at restitution, the king's sleep was disturbed deep in the night by the sound of the poor courtier moaning in pain.
In the morning, the king went to the courtier's bedside and asked, "Whv does the loss of one hundred ounces of flesh hurt so badly when I've returned ten times that amount to make it up to you? You should he satisfied. How can you still feel so much pain%"
One of the king's attendants heard this and said, "Great King, it is like cutting off a child's head. Although you replace it with a thousand heads, the child cannot he saved from death. Even though you have given him ten times the amount of' flesh that was taken, it cannot save him from feeling pain."
The world is filled with fools like this king. Not fearing the next world, they go about satisfying their thirst for power and pleasure in the present. They cause immense suffering to sentient beings-robbing farmers of their goods and piling up property and possessions-but in the end they wish to be pardoned and to be allowed to live in happiness with a clear conscience. How like the king who flayed the man's back, took his flesh, and then tried to replace it. Though in the end he regretted the pain he had caused, it was too late to undo the harm. Consider this story well.
A WOMAN WHO WISHED TO HAVE ANOTHER CHILD Many years ago there was a woman who had one child and wished to have another. She asked several women to tell her how this might be accomplished, and an old woman finally told her, "If you want to have another child, you must honor the gods."
"How shall I do that?" the woman asked.
The old woman said, "Kill the child you have and make an offering to the gods with its blood. Then you will be certain to have as many children as you desire."
Without the slightest hesitation the woman believed this and was about to set off to kill her only child when another woman, who had heard the whole conversation, intervened.
"Only stupidity and ignorance could bring about such a situation," she scolded. "The child you want is not yet horn, and there is no guarantee you will ever have it, yet you are willing to sacrifice the child you already have!"
Don't be such a fool. Hoping to attain a blissful rebirth, people throw themselves into a fire pit, or torture themselves in various ways, believing this will cause them to be reborn in the world of the gods. But how could this be so?
ALOE WOOD INCENSE Long ago, a millionaire's son spotted some very precious aloe wood that had been lying at the bottom of' the ocean for main- years. He knew this wood produced a special fragrance and determined to retrieve as much of it as he could.
.Ater gathering a considerable amount, he filled his cart and brought his treasure to the marketplace to sell. But he set his price very high and no one would buy even one piece of wood..After many days of not making a sale, the millionaire's son became very tired and discouraged. He looked about and noticed that another man selling charcoal was doing eery well.
"I'd better burn this aloe wood and turn it into charcoal," the poor tool thought. "Then it can he easily sold."
So he burned the precious wood until it turned into charcoal. When he brought it back to the marketplace, it sold very well indeed. Yet he did not get even half a cart's worth of' charcoal from all the aloe wood, and his profits were very slim.
Fools are often like this. They practice with diligence and devotion, using skillful means to gain the Buddha fruit, but after a while they realize it is quite difficult to obtain and become discouraged. Then they think, "It would be better to seek the lesser fruits, avoid birth and death, and become an Arhat."
Don't make the same mistake.
THE STOLEN BROCADE One day a thief broke into the home of a rich man and stole some fine brocade. When he got home, the foolish man took the precious material and used it to wrap woolen goods that were tattered and old and other such things that had been lying around. When word of this got out, he was laughed at by everyone.
There are many foolish people just like this thief. They have already entered into the Buddha dharma, possess faith, and have practiced good deeds and meritorious virtues, but in their greed for some small advantage they break the pure precepts and destroy the virtues they already possess. It is no wonder they are laughed at by those who understand. Thus, It Is so.
SESAME SEEDS A long time ago a fool ate some raw sesame seeds. He thought the taste was just awful, so he put a handful over the fire to parch them. After they were parched, he took a bite and thought the seeds tasted very good indeed. "I had better parch some more," he said to himself, "and sow them in my field. Then, at harvest time, I will have a storehouse of delicious seeds."
So the fool parched all the seeds he had left and sowed them but, of course, there was no way they could grow.
There are many such fools in the world who consider the practice of a bodhisattva-with innumerable eons of difficulty and pain-just too hard and joyless. So they tell themselves, "It is better to become an Arhat and quickly cut off birth and death; it's so much easier:' Later on, when they really decide to seek the Buddha fruit, it eludes them. Just like the parched seeds, there is no way for them to grow. You should think about this deeply.
FIRE AND WATER There was a man who wanted to have a fire but he also wanted some cold water. So he started a tire, put the embers into a basin, and poured cold water over them. Later, when he wanted to use the fire, he realized that it had gone out, and when he wanted to use the cold water he discovered that it was hot. In this way he lost both.
Believe it or not, there are people in the world just like this. They enter the Buddha dharma, leave their homes, and seek the Way. After a while they begin to remember their wives, children, and the rest of their families and friends. Then other worldly matters and pleasures of the five senses come to mind. As a result they lose the fire of virtue they have developed, and the cool water of keeping the precepts escapes them. Practitioners who dwell on their passions are just like this. Take care.
WINKS Long ago there was a man who hoped to gain the favor of the king. After asking many people how to do this, he found a man who told him, "If you want to gain the favor of the king, just imitate him and do whatever he does. If you stick with it, you cannot fail."
So the man went to the palace. When he was in the presence of the king, he noticed that the king blinked his eyes. At once the man imitated this and began to blink. The king saw what he was doing and said to the man, "Are you all right? Do you have a cold? What makes your eves blink like that?"
The man answered with a certain inexplicable pride. "I don't have any sickness in my eyes, Your Majesty, nor do I have a cold. I only hoped to gain your favor. When I noticed thatYour Majesty blinked his eves, I thought I'd follow suit. I am only imitating you, Your Royal Majesty."
When the king heard this he became enraged. He had the man punished and banished him from the country.
People can be like this. They want to be near the Buddha, the Dharma King. They seek his dharma but they become proud just because of their seeking. Once they are near him they don't understand that the reason the Tathagata14 displays shortcomings is to help guide sentient beings. Or they hear his dharma, and notice that he speaks skillfully, so they set about using the same skillful speech while imitating his superficial shortcomings. As a result, they lose all the benefits of the Buddha dharma and fall into the three unwholesome realms. They are just like the man who imitated the king. Look for yourself and you will see that it is so.
A WHIP WOUND Many gars ago there was a man who was whipped by the king. After he had been whipped, he rubbed his wounds with horse dung because he believed this would help heal them duicklN. A fool who happened upon the scene was delighted with his discovery. "Surely I have found a most wonderful method to heal wounds," he thought. Ile ran back home and told his child, "Whip me on the hack, and don't he slow about it. I have a good remedy for healing and I want to try it out."
So his child whipped the fool and the man, beside himself with delight, rubbed his wounds with horse (lung, believing this to be an excellent remedy.
You will find many people in the world like this. They hear someone say that practicing the meditation on impurity will remove the wounds of the five skandhas,15 and so they tell themselves, "I will meditate on a woman's form and on the five sense desires, for I have not yet seen impurities." But before they know it, and against their own wishes, they become driven by a burning desire for a woman and become so confused that they end up wandering in the cycle of birth and death before falling into hell. Many fools act exactly this way.
THE NOSE Once there was a fool whose wife was a great beauty, that is, except for the shape of her nose. To tell the truth, this one feature was ugly indeed. One day, while the fool was out %%alking, he say another woman with a beautiful face and a nose that was very lovely. He thought for a moment and decided, "I had better cut off this woman's nose and put it on my own wife's face. That is really the best thing to do."
So he cut off the poor woman's nose and took it home. When he got there he called to his Nyife in great excitement. "Conic quickly," he shouted. "1 have brought you a line, new nose." His wife came to him and, when she drew near, he sliced off her nose. Then he tried to put the other woman's nose on his wife's face but, of course, it wouldn't stay put. As a result, he had destroyed another nose and caused both women great pain.
There are many fools like this. They hear that an old monk or a Brahman has great virtue and is honored and respected wherever he goes. When they see the many advantages such a life can bring, they think, "I will make myself just like him:' But they go about it in all the wrong ways. They praise themselves falsely and pretend to be virtuous. Of course, this only causes them to lose what merit they have and spoils their practice. How useless this is, just like cutting off another person's nose and causing damage and pain.
THE ROUGH-HAIR ROBE Many years ago there was a man who worked very hard to provide for his needs. Finally, after much labor in the employ of another man, he earned enough money to purchase an old, rough-hair robe. After he had worn this robe for several days, another man approached him and said, "You come from an exalted class. In truth, you are a nobleman's son. Whv do you wander around wearing this rough-hair robe? If you listen to what I have to say, I will teach you how to obtain beautiful garments that are wondrous indeed. The only condition is that you follow everything I tell you, for I will never deceive you.,,
The poor man was so happy to hear this that he immediately agreed to follow his instructions. Without wasting a second, the other man started a fire right before his eyes, and when it was blazing, he said, "Now take off this unworthy robe and throw it into the fire. When the last thread of it has completely burned, I will make the wondrous and lofty, garments appear. Truly, they arc the clothes of an emperor!"
Upon hearing these words the poor man removed the rough-hair robe and tossed it into the fire. After the last threads were burned he looked among the ashes for the emperor's wondrous garment but nothing was to be found and the other man had disappeared.
Many people share this fate. The good deeds they practiced in former lives have given rise to their human body in this life. They ought to protect this body with gratitude and let their practices help them to grow in virtue, but they are deceived by people outside the Way who make all sorts of promises. "Believe everything I say," the deluded ones tell them. "Practice penance through ascetic means. Throw yourself on rocks, walk into the fire, and abandon this bodily form. This is the true path by which you will be reborn as a Brahman god and receive pleasures without end."
Pity the poor ones who believe these words and throw away their lives. After their bodies perish they fall into the hell realm and receive nothing but pain. Their hard-earned human body is lost and their suffering is great. Are they not like the poor man who threw away everything he had earned? Certainly it is so.
THE SHEPHERD Long ago there was a man who was so skillful at keeping sheep that his flock increased rapidly. Their numbers rose from one thousand to ten thousand and brought him great wealth. Despite his good fortune, however, this man was miserly and Would rarely part with his money. A man who was good at deceiving others heard about this shepherd and, after several clever approaches, found a way to become his good friend.
( )ne day, when they were together, the man said to the shepherd, "You and I have become such great friends that we are practically made of the same flesh. I know a family that has a very fine daughter. A wonderful girl, indeed. Why don't you let mt bring her here so that she can become your wifcl
The shepherd was thrilled when he heard what his good friend proposed, and to express his gratitude he gave him sheep and other valuable items. A few days later his friend came to him and said, "I cannot vet bring your wife to you because she has just given birth to a child." 't'hough the shepherd had not vet seen his wife, he was overjoyed to hear that their first child had already been born, and once again he showered his friend with great wealth. A little while later, the man came to the shepherd and said, "Friend, I'm sorry to have to tell you that your child has died." When the shepherd heard this he wept out loud and was unable to stop his tears.
You will find many people in the world who are just like this. After they have mastered learning and developed a certain amount of understanding, they hoard their knowledge for their own benefit and reputation. They will neither teach others nor explain what they have learned. They are deceived by their bodily senses and mistakenly seek out worldly pleasures. For the sake of having wives and children, they wander astray and lose the good teaching. And, later on, they will also lose their lives and any wealth they have gained, which causes them much grief and many tears. It is the same as the shepherd. Take care not to follow this path.
THE POTTER AND THE BRAHMAN A long time ago there was a Brahman teacher who wished to hold a great meeting. He called his student to him and said, "I need some earthenware bowls to serve the assembly. Go to the city, find a potter, and hire him to make the howls."
The student traveled to the city, made some inquiries, and, before long, found himself standing at the doorway of a potter's shop. The potter had just returned from the marketplace where he had hoped to sell his howls. On his way there, his ass had suddenly dropped all the bowls and shattered them on the ground. The potter was so distressed that he rushed home crying about his loss.
The student entered the shop and saw the potter in this state. "Why are you so angry and distressed?" he asked. The potter answered, "I studied hard for many years to acquire the skill to make good howls, and finally I am able to do so. I was on my way to the marketplace to sell my wares when this evil old ass broke every one of them."
When he heard this, the Brahman's student was filled with delight. "This ass is a most excellent thing," he said to himself. "He is able to destroy in an instant what it takes a long time to make. I must buy him and bring him to my teacher." Then he offered the potter some money for the ass, which the potter gladly accepted.
The student rode the ass all the way to his teacher's house, and when he arrived the Brahman asked him, "Where's the potter? Why haven't you found one and brought him home with you? How in the world do you propose to use this ass?" The student answered, "This ass is worth much more than the potter. The potter takes a very long time to make his howls, but this ass is able to break them all in an instant!"
"What an ignorant fool you are," said the Brahman. "It is true this ass can break things, but even in a hundred years he wouldn't be able to make a single howl."
There are many who are foolish like this student. If they were to receive offerings for a hundred or even a thousand years, they still wouldn't know how to value these and offer the smallest acknowledgment, reward, or compensation for what they had been given. All they can do is cause Injury and harm, and in the end no one benefits. This is how ungrateful people can be.
THEFT OF GOLD Many years ago in a distant land two peddlers went to the marketplace together to sell their wares. One of the peddlers brought true gold to offer, and the other sold cotton. During the day a customer interested in the gold scorched it to test its authenticity. Then he placed it back down on the table. When the cotton peddler saw him place the gold hack down, he made sure no one was looking and then quickly grabbed the other's scorched gold and wrapped it in his cotton. But the gold was still hot and it burned up the cotton wrapping. Thus, his theft was exposed and he lost both the gold and the cotton.
This is like a person outside the Way who steals the Buddha dharma and conceals it within his own teaching. He tries to pass it off as his own, but because his teaching is not the Buddha dharma, the Buddha dharma burns through his mistaken teachings and, in the end, they fail to spread throughout the world. Just like the peddler who stole the other man's gold, his falsity is revealed. Look carefully and you will discover this for yourself.
A FINE FRUIT TREE Long ago there was a king who had a fine tree that was very tall with magnificent widespreading branches. The tree was about to bear fruit known to be fragrant and pleasing to taste. When a visitor came to the palace the king said to him, "This tree will soon bear delicious fruit; would you like to have some?" The man answered, "Yes, Your Majesty, I would like some very much, but this tree is so tall and wide that I can't see how to get it."
After pondering his problem awhile, the man decided the best way to get the fruit would he to cut down the tree. After the tree was cut and he \vcnt to gather the fruit from among its branches, he discovered there was nothing yet to he had, and all his foolish work had been in vain. He tried to stand the tree up again, but the tree had already begun to die and there was no way to bring it back to life.
Many people are like the king's visitor. The Tathagata, the Dharma King, has the tree of keeping the precepts. It grows good fruit, which many people long to taste. They sincerely want to keep the precepts and practice the virtues of the Way, but they have no understanding of skillful means and end up breaking the precepts. They are just like the man who cut down the tree. Try as he might to bring it back to life, it was impossible to accomplish. Take care what you do. SPRING WATER In the distant past there was a village five miles from the king's palace. This village had delicious spring water, and the king ordered the villagers to bring him water daily. But the people quickly grew tired of always having to make such a long trip; all they could think of was moving far away and leaving the village and its responsibility behind. After considering the problem, the village leader said to them, "Do not leave your homes. I will go to the king and ask him to decree that from this day forward, the distance between our village and the palace is just three miles. This will make all of your comings and goings much shorter and you will not he so tired."
So he went to the king and made his request, which the king granted readily. When the people heard this they were overjoyed. But a man among them said, "There is no difference between this and the original five miles. The only thing different is the name."Although everyone heard him, they still believed the king's decree, and no amount of reasoning could change their minds.
There are many people like this. They practice the true teaching in order to cross beyond the five realms16 toward the city of Nirvana. But the practice requires a great deal of effort, their minds grow weary, and in the end they want to give up entirely. As a result, they remain caught in the cycle of birth and death and can't advance further. Because he understands this, the Tathagata, the Dharma King, uses his great skillfulness. He divides the One Vehicle'7 Dharma and explains it as Three Vehicles.18 However, the result is that many people who follow the lesser Vehicles19 think that theirs is the easier way to practice virtue and cross over beyond birth and death. Then, later on, when they hear that in actuality there are not three vehicles, but only one, they cling to the literal explanation of Buddha's words and will not change their beliefs. In this way they are like the village people. It is so.
THE MIRROR IN A TREASURE CHEST Long ago there was a poor and very troubled man. He had grown so deeply in debt that in desperation he ran away to hide in the wilderness. While wandering there one day he came upon a chest that had been filled with rare and beautiful treasures. Whoever had placed the treasure inside had also put a bright mirror on top of the treasures to cover them. When the poor man saw the chest he was overjoyed. He opened it without delay, but when he lifted the mirror and saw his own face he became frightened. He clasped his hands together and said to the face before him, "I thought the chest was empty and did not belong to anyone. I didn't know you were inside. Please, sir, I beg you, don't be angry." Then he dropped the mirror and fled even farther into the wilds.
Many people are like this. Because they are ruled by countless passions, they are deeply troubled and are followed everywhere by the demon king, the creditor of birth and death. They enter the Buddha dharma in order to practice wholesome deeds and accumulate merit, but just like the man who came across a treasure chest and became confused when he saw himself in the mirror, they too mistakenly see a self.20 They become attached to the idea of this self and think it is real. As a result, they go astray and lose the merits of meditation, undefilement, and the fruit of the Three Vehicles. They are just like the fool who left behind a treasure chest because he saw a reflection of himself inside and believed that it was real.
THE SORCERER'S EYE One day, a man who desired to give his undivided attention to practicing the Way went into the mountains. And, sure enough, after some time there he became a sorcerer who attained the five super- knowledges.2' His celestial eye developed to the point where it saw through everything; it was even able to see the wondrous treasures that lie beneath the surface of the earth. The king heard of this man and said to his courtiers, "Help me to find a way to always keep this man in my country. If we can make sure that he never leaves, mangy wondrous treasures will eventually come into my, treasure houses. Now get busy and see to it that we find a way, to keep him."
Lyon hearing the king's desires, a foolish courtier came up with a plan of his own. Without telling anyone, he sought out the sorcerer, and when he found him he gouged out both of the sorcerer's eyes and brought them to the king.
"Your Majesty," he announced, "I have gouged out the sorcerer's eyes. Now you can rest assured that he will never leave,"
The king exploded at the foolish man. "Don't you see that the reason I wanted to keep the sorcerer here was because of his ability, to see the treasures lying beneath the earth? Now that you have destroyed his eves, how can I use his marvelous power of sight?"
There are people like this. They see others practicing in mountain forests, in the wilderness, in graveyards, or under trees. These serious seekers of the Way are mastering the four methods of ending evil and developing good, or they are perfecting the meditation on the impurity of the body. For their own selfish and ignorant reasons, people persuade them to come into their houses and offer them various things. By doing so they destroy the ascetic's good practice and cause the fruit of the Way to go unattained. In the end, the Eye of the Way is lost and these true seekers lose what merit they have gained. These foolish people are just like the ignorant courtier who uselessly destroyed the sorcerer's eyes.
A MAN WHO KILLED HIS HERD OF COWS Many years ago there was a man who had two hundred and fifty cows.222 He took great care of his herd, always driving them to water or to pasture as was needed, and he made sure to feed them throughout the seasons. One day a tiger appeared and devoured one of the man's cows. When the man discovered this he thought, "Since I have lost a cow, my herd is no longer complete. What use are all these other cows%" With this foolish thought in mind he drove the herd to the edge of a high cliff and forced them to fall to the bottom of the gorge, killing each and every one.
Common people and fools are also like this. They receive the precepts offered by the Tathagata but when they break even one precept they do not regret it, nor do they purify themselves with confession. They think, "I have already broken one precept and no longer hold them all. What good is keeping the others?" Then they break the remaining precepts until none are left intact. In this way they are exactly like that fool who killed his entire herd of cows without leaving even one alive.
THE WOODEN CONDUIT Many years ago a traveler developed a great thirst. Fortunately, he came upon a wooden conduit with clear water running through. He drank until he was satisfied and, when he was done, he held up his hand and said to the running water, "I am finished drinking now. Water, stop running at once." Though he had spoken these words, the water went on running. When the man saw this, he became very angry and shouted at the water, "I have already finished drinking and have told you to stop. Why do you go on?"
A man who witnessed this approached the traveler and said, "What a great fool \ou are! Why don't you just leave instead of shouting at the water, telling it not to flow?"And he grabbed the fool and sent him on his way.
People are like this. They develop a great thirst in the realm of birth and death and, therefore, they drink the bitter water of the five desires. Then, in time, they grow weary of these desires and, like the man who drank his fill, they say, "You forms, sounds, smells, tastes, and things I have touched, I demand that you no longer appear to me:" But the five desires continue their activities and are not affected by such words. When people see that their words have no effect, they become angry: "Didn't you hear what I said?" they ask. "I want you to disappear and not arise again. Why do you continue to come?"
Then a wise person tells them, "If you really want to leave these desires behind, you must control the six sense roots23 and close the mind. In this way, discriminating thoughts will stop and you will gain liberation. There will be no need for you to tell your desires to cease:"
These people are just like the fool who sated himself on clear water and then demanded the water to stop flowing. There is no difference at all.
RICE-STRAW PLASTER Long ago, there was a fool who went to visit another man. When he arrived he saw that the man had been busy plastering the walls of his house. The surfaces were smooth, clean, and attractive, so the fool asked the man, "What mixture are you using to get such beautiful walls?"The man answered, "It wasn't very difficult. I simply took rice straw, put it in water, let it rot, and mixed it with mud. Then, when it was ready, I plastered the walls and it came out like this."
The fool started hack home immediately and, on his way, he thought, "If a wall comes out so clean and clear with rice straw, how much better it would be to put rice grains into the mix and then plaster the walls. Surely they will come out white and clean, with a texture even smoother and more beautiful than if l use straw."
When he reached home he got right to work. He took rice grains, mixed them with some thud, and immediately began to plaster one of his walls, hoping to get it smooth and straight. Instead of the result he had imagined, the wall came out rough, with a multitude of cracks. And, to make matters worse, he had used up his store of rice for nothing. How much better it would have been for him to give the rice away and gain the merit of that.
Many people are like this. They hear a sage teaching the Way: "If you practice good deeds and throw away the body, you will obtain birth in the realm of the gods and gain liberation." Yet they do not really understand the sage's true meaning and they kill themselves, hoping to be born in the realm of the gods. In the end they destroy themselves in vain and nothing whatsoever is accomplished. This is like the fool who plastered his walls with grains of rice.
CURE FOR BALDNESS Long ago there was a man with not a single hair on his head. Of course, in winter he was very cold and in summer he was bothered by the heat. As if this were not had enough, he was often bitten by horseflies and mosquitoes. Day by day, and night after night, his baldness caused him no end of suffering.
It turns out that there was a doctor nearby who was known to have many wonderful skills. One day the bald man decided he had had enough. He went to the doctor and said, "Oh, great doctor, I beg only one thing of you: please cure my, baldness." But the doctor too was bald and took off his hat to show the poor man, saving, "I am also bald and suffer because of it. If I had a cure for baldness, I would have used it a long time ago on myself!"
People are like this. They are besieged and troubled by birth, sickness, old age, and death and seek a place where there is long life and no death. Then they hear of monks, Brahmans, and other practitioners who are thought to be the physicians of the world, capable of healing all troubles. So they seek them out and say, "I beg only one thing of you: get rid of the pain caused by impermanence, birth, and death. Make it so that I may always remain in bliss and let this be unchanged forever."
The Brahmans and others reply, "But I am also troubled with the very same impermanence of birth, sickness, old age, and death. I have sought the place of everlasting life in many ways, but to this very day I have not been able to find it. If I could, I would first give it to myself, and then I'd be happy to give it to you." These people are just like that man who troubled himself with his baldness. He was concerned uselessly because, once bald, no one can grow hair again.
FLESH-EATING DEMONS Many years ago there were two flesh-eating demons. Between them they owned only one chest, one stick, and one pair of wooden shoes. They fought bitterly since each one wanted to call these things his own. Day after day their battle went on until a man who saw them fighting asked, "What's so wonderful about this chest, that stick, and these shoes? Why do you get so angry and fight over them like this?"
The two demons answered, "This chest contains every conceivable kind of clothes, food, and bedding, and all the other necessities of life. When one holds the stick, all enemies are immediately subdued and none even dare to approach. And with these shoes, the one who wears them is able to fly. Nothing can stop his flight."
"Now I understand," said the man. "Why don't you let me help you? If you'll both just step back a little and give me some room, I will divide these things equally between you" The (lemons moved a little farther away, and, as soon as they did, the man grabbed the chest under his arm and took the stick in his hand. Then he stepped into the shoes and flew up into the air.
The demons were astonished and looked up at the man who had deceived them. Then they heard him say, "Now that I've taken away what you were fighting about, you need not fight any longer." The demons couldn't believe what had happened, but it was too late to get anything back.
If you think of the chest as almsgiving, you will see that all the necessities of the five realms emerge from the practice of giving. Concentration is like the stick; it subdues anger and desire. And keeping the precepts is like the wooden shoes because it lifts people to the realm of the gods.
Demons and people outside the Way who fight over the chest can be compared to people who seek to gain the good fruits of practice but are trapped by their desires. Their efforts are in vain and nothing is gained in the end. Only if one practices giving and good deeds, cultivates samadhi, and maintains the precepts can one be liberated from pain and obtain the fruit of the Way.
THE PEDDLER AND THE CAMEL SKIN Once a peddler of beautiful cloths, carpets, and many other rare treasures traveled far and wide to sell his wares. One day, while he was on the road, the camel that carried these valuables suddenly fell ill and died. The peddler had his apprentices skin the unfortunate camel, and while they were doing so he gathered some of his things together so that he might continue on his way. Before he left, however, he told his apprentices, "Guard this camel skin carefully. Don't let it get wet or it will spoil." The apprentices promised that they would do exactly as he asked and, satisfied with their promise, the peddler continued on his journey.
Several days later it began to rain very hard. Remembering their promise to the peddler, his two apprentices, who were foolish beyond belief, covered the camel skin with some of the cloths and carpets that had been left among the peddler's wares, with the result that they ruined these precious things. Of course, there is no way to compare the difference in value between camel skin and fine carpets but, in their ignorance, the two fools did not even let this cross their minds.
People often act this way. Their vow to practice nonviolence and to never take another life is the best way to attain a Buddha body. It is precious like the peddler's fine carpets. But they do not keep their vow or seek appropriate means of protecting it, and instead of practicing with diligence they use their wealth and property to build shrines and temples and make offerings to monks. It is like covering the skin of a dead camel with precious treasures, or damaging the root of a tree while protecting the branches.
Because they act this way, these people wander endlessly in the five realms with no hope of liberation. It is better for followers of the Way to carefully protect the precept of nonviolence as the true treasure it is. Don't let this be forgotten.
POLISHING A ROCK 'There was once a man who spent all his days carving and polishing a rock. Week after week, month after month, he worked with diligence at his chosen task. Finally, after a great deal of time, he managed to shape a toy cow out of the rock. In the end, his labor was enormous, but the result was small indeed.
People often work with great diligence, and study for long periods of time, and after much sweat and pain they acquire some understanding. Yet they use their enormous effort only to try to gain more fame than the next person. How foolish. Those whose studies are broad enough to give them insight and understanding should continue to work deeply, seeking only the highest fruits of understanding. If all they seek is fame and a feeling of pride, before long they will come to great trouble and all their efforts will be in vain.
HALF A RICE CRACKER Long ago there was a man who was so hungry that he went to his cupboard and grabbed seven rice crackers from his meager supply. Then, one after another, he gobbled down the crackers and ended up eating six and a half crackers before he was full. As he looked at the half cracker that remained in his hand, he regretted what he had done and struck himself angrily. "That last half cracker has made me full," he said. "The other six that I ate were wasted. If 1 had known that the last half piece could fill me up, I would have eaten it first."
People are often like this. Originally, there is no pleasure. But people with little understanding create an idea of pleasure, just like the fool who mistakenly believed he was full from eating only half a rice cracker. Then they decide that having great wealth is pleasurable and begin to pursue it. The truth is that seeking wealth, obtaining wealth, protecting wealth, and losing it are all very painful. Things like clothes and food are real pleasures only when they satisfy real needs.
Look carefully and you will see that the thought of pleasure arises only in the midst of pain. As the Buddhas have told us, "In the past, present, and future there is no ease, only pain. But, nonetheless, those with little understanding are confused and mistakenly cling to the idea of pleasure" Don't let yourself be caught with such wrongheaded views.
THE SERVANT WHO KEPT THE GATE A man about to make a lengthy journey told his servant, "Keep the gate well and be sure to look after the ass and its rope." The scr- yant promised he would and his master went on his way.
A few days after his master left, however, the servant received word that some people had gathered in the neighboring village to play music. This excited him a great deal for he loved to hear people play and sing, and he could not stop thinking of how he could go to the next village to hear them. Finally, he took the rope, tied the gate to the ass's hack, and went with the ass to the playhouse, where he enjoyed himself listening to the music. But while he was there, some thieves noticed that the gate was gone, broke into the master's house, and made off with all his valuable possessions.
When the master returned home and saw his house stripped bare, he called the servant to him. "Where is everything?" he demanded. The servant answered, "You gave me orders to watch the gate, the ass, and the ass's rope. That is what I did. They're all here, just as you see. 1 don't know about anything else."
The master couldn't believe his ears. "You total fool," he shouted. "I asked you to keep the gate to protect the contents of' my house. Now that my belongings are lost, what use is a gate%"
Fools in the world of birth and death who make themselves the servant of craving are like this. The Tathagata teaches us to always guard the gates of the five senses and the mind, to avoid attachment to the six sense objects,24 and to observe the ass of ignorance and the tether of craving. But many monks do not follow Buddha's teachings and greedily chase after benefits while pretending to be pure. Though they sit in meditation, their minds continue to waver with attachment to the five desires. They are confused by forms, sounds, smells, tastes, and things they can touch. Their minds are blinded by ignorance and bound by the rope of craving. Because of this, such treasures as clear thought, awakened mind, and the path of wisdom remain lost to them forever. Thus, it is so.
THE STOLEN BUFFALO Many years ago a number of people from one village got together, went to a nearby village, and stole a buffalo. Then they led the buffalo back to their village where they killed the poor beast and feasted upon it until not a shred was left. When the owner of the buffalo discovered the theft, he looked around for clues and finally found footprints, which he followed to the village of the thieves.
When he arrived he requested that the people in the village gather together and, once they were assembled, he began to ask questions.
"Do you live in this village, or not?" he asked.
The thieves looked at one another and then answered, "Actually, there is no village."
The man was surprised by this reply, but he continued. "In this village," he said, "there is a pond. Did you kill and eat my buffalo beside the pond, or not?"
The thieves replied, "Good sir, there is no pond"
But the man would not be put off and asked, "Is there a tree by the pond, or not?"
"There is no tree," the villagers said.
Undeterred, the man continued as before. "When you stole my buffalo, were you east of the village, or not?"
The village people answered, "Sir, there is no east."
"And was it midday, or not?" he persisted.
"There is no midday," they replied.
Then the man took a deep breath and looked carefully at each one of them. "Even if I grant that there is no village and no tree," he said, "how in this world can there he no east and no time? It is clear that all of your answers are false and that only a fool would believe a word you say. So I ask you one last time: Did you steal my buffalo and eat it, or not.
And the thieves finally answered, "We did!"
People who break the precepts are like this. They hide their offenses and do everything they can to keep them from being exposed. Eventually, they die and enter the realm of hell where the virtuous gods use their penetrating sight to see through their deception. Just like the people who stole the buffalo, in the end there is no way to deny it.
THE DUCK CALL On festival days in another country it was the custom for women to adorn their hair with a beautiful water lily blossom. On one of these occasions there was a poor man whose wife was very cross. "Get me a blossom from a water lily," she told him, "and I will remain your wife. But if' you cannot even provide nne with that, I will leave you „
I Ier husband had long been good at imitating the call of the mandarin cluck, so he set out for the pond owned by the king. When he arrived, the man lowered himself into the bond, made the call of the duck so he could draw near to the water lilies without arousing suspicion, and stole a beautiful blossom for his wife.
While the man was wading hack to shore with the prized blossom in his hand, the keeper of the pond thought he heard something and called out, "Who is in the pond?"
The poor man became flustered and, without thinking, he answered, "It's a duck." At this, the keeper came running, caught the man, and hurried him off to face the king.
On the way there, the poor man became quite frightened and, in a desperate attempt to turn things around, he imitated the call of the (luck once again. The pond keeper was astonished. "Why in the world didn't you do that before?" he asked, shaking his head. "What's the good of doing it now!"
There are many people like this foolish man. They spend their entire lives creating trouble and causing others harm and no time at all in training their minds and developing good virtues. Then, at the end of their lives when they are facing death, they say, "Now I want to do good deeds and devote myself to practice." But they are already in the grips of the jailer of hell who brings them to the King of Death. Although they may want to practice good deeds and cultivate their minds, it is too late, just like the foolish man who made a duck's call as he was being taken to the king.
THE FOX AND THE FALLING BRANCH In the middle of the afternoon, a fox was hying sleepily under a tree. Suddenly a strong wind came up and broke off a branch that fell from the top of the tree onto the fox's back. At first, the fox closed his eyes so that he would not have to look at the tree, but a little while later he scurried out from beneath it and ran until he was quite far away.
Later on, the sun began to set. The fox could still see the tree from where he was sitting, but he would not go back. After a while, however, the wind picked up again and the fox watched as the great tree seemed to he waving up and down with all its branches.
"Ah," thought the fox, "the tree is calling me. I had better return."
Foolish students with little understanding are like this. They have left their homes and learned how to live with a teacher, but the smallest scolding causes them to run away. Then they travel far and wide and meet with teachers of distorted views who confuse them so badly that they have no idea what to think, so they return to their original teacher. Such comings and goings are caused by their delusion, but It is very hard for them to see this and make the needed change.
A HANDFUL OF HAIR A long time ago two children were playing in a river that ran beside their village. As they peered through the water to the bottom of the river they saw a handful of hair. They scooped it out and one of the children said, "This .was the heard of a sorcerer." The other one disagreed. "No," she said. "It's the fur of a great brown bear." They argued hack and forth, each child insisting that she was right.
Meanwhile, a sorcerer was sitting a little farther down the riverbank. Since the children kept arguing and could not solve this question themselves, they approached the sorcerer and asked him to help. The sorcerer took some rice and sesame seeds he was carrying in his hag, chewed them up until they made a hit of paste, and then spit the mixture into his palm. Then he held it out for the children to see and told them, "This is peacock dung" The children were confused and had many questions after seeing what he had done, but the sorcerer refused to answer a single one.
When everyone heard about this they laughed at the sorcerer and shook their heads thinking him an ignorant man indeed.
Foolish teachers are like this. When they explain the teachings, they make up meaningless arguments, give ridiculous answers to questions, and say just about anything. This is like the sorcerer who would not answer the children's questions and ended up being laughed at by everyone. Be wary of those who give insincere and confused explanations, for they are just like this foolish man.
THE DOCTOR AND THE HUNCHBACK A man woke up one morning and discovered that he had become hunchbacked (luring the night. He went to the local doctor immediately, and implored him to come up with a cure. The doctor thought the situation over until he came upon a plan he thought was sure to help. He covered both sides of the poor man's body with oil and then placed stiff' boards on him, front and hack. Then he pressed against the boards with all of his might. The man's back didn't budge an inch and, before he realized what was happening, both of his eyes popped right out of his head.
Fools like this are boundless. They hope to secure their happiness by being dishonest as they ply their trade but, because their behavior is contrary to the dharma, even when they achieve wealth the gain does not equal what has been lost. In the next world, their lives are filled with the pain of hell just like the fool whose eyes popped out of his head.
SHARING THE MAIDSERVANT .A long time ago in another land, five men purchased a maidservant with the idea that they would share her labors. On the very first day one of the men said to her, "I want you to wash my clothing" The maidservant took the clothes and started on her way when another of' the men approached her and said, "Take my clothes and wash them without delay." The maidservant told the second man, "Since he gave me his clothing first, I will wash them first and afterward I will take care of' yours." The second man became enraged. "I bought you, too," he said. "You work for both of us. How dare you serge just one!" Then he took his whip and gave the poor woman ten lashes. When the other four men heard what had happened, each man gave her ten lashes as well.
This is how the five skandhas work. They form one body that is subject to the causes and effects of passion. Then these five skandhas join birth, old age, disease, and death to lash sentient beings, causing them infinite suffering and pain.
THE ENTERTAINER An entertainer was summoned to play music for the king with the promise that he would he paid a thousand pennies. He performed before His Majesty quite happily, and when he was finished he requested his pay. But the king would not give him what he had promised and said, "It is true that you played music, but to what end? It only gave me pleasure. If I give you the thousand pennies, it would only give you pleasure."
The world's rewards are like this. In the human realm, or even in heaven's realm, the little pleasures one receives are not real, and they do not bring an end to life's difficulties and pain. Impermanent and fleeting, these pleasures are as empty as the music the entertainer played before the king.
THE TEACHER'S BAD LEGS Once there was a teacher with two students who were quite jealous of each other. The teacher was no longer young and had trouble with his legs, so occasionally he asked his students to massage one of them. One day, after the students had massaged their teacher's legs, one of them left. When the other student saw that he was completely out of sight, he took the leg he had not massaged, struck it with a rock, and broke it. When the first student returned and saw what had been done, he became so angry that he struck the other leg and broke that one as well.
Students of Buddhism should take heed. The students of the Mahayana25 exclude the Hinayana,26 and the students of the Hinayana exclude the Mahayana. If this continues, the sacred scriptures of both vehicles will be destroyed.
HEAD AND TAIL One day the tail of a serpent said to the head, "From this moment on, I Nvil1 go before you." The head replied, "What are you talking about % I always go before you," and he continued traveling in front of the tail. The tail became angry and coiled itself around the trunk of a nearby tree, which prevented the head from moving. So the head pulled forward with all its might and the tail resisted with equal strength. For quite some time the head and tail pulled hack and forth in this tug-of-scar until, finally, the tail dropped from around the tree and fell into a fire pit burning beside it. In the end, the entire serpent was burned to death.
A student who has little understanding may be like this. He says to his teacher, "You are old and have always gone before me. I am young, so from now on I will lead you:" But the student is not very experienced and breaks many precepts. As a result, both student and teacher end up falling into hell.
THE KING'S BEARD Long ago there was a king who had only one loyal retainer. This man was so faithful and courageous that he had risked his life in battle to save the king. The king was extremely grateful and said to the man, "You may have whatever you wish. Please feel free to ask for anything"
The retainer thought it over and then replied, "Your Majesty, all I ask is that when you wish to be shaved, you allow me to do it." The king was surprised by the retainer's response, but he said, "If this small request suits you, then I will grant your wish."
When people heard this story, they laughed that the king's retainer could he such a fool. He could have become a minister or even received half the country, yet he chose to ask for such a common task.
Fools are like this. For eons the Buddhas performed severe practices and, as a result, they became Buddhas. To meet with a Buddha or to encounter his dharma, and at the same time to have a human body, is rare indeed. It is like the story of the blind tortoise that swam in the boundless sea but ended up putting his head through a hole In a floating log. It is almost impossible for these two things to come together, and yet they have.
But foolish minds are weak; they keep the lesser teachings and are content, never seeking further. As a result, their minds don't develop and they practice mistaken and misguided acts. They don't even consider pursuing the excellent and inconceivable Nirvana and, consequently, it remains beyond their reach.
ASKING FOR NOTHING A long time ago, two men were traveling together on the open road. They came upon a man who was trying to pull a cart tilled with sesame seeds up a steep hill, but the poor man wasn't able to budge the cart even one inch. When the man saw the travelers, he called, "Help! Give me a hand pushing this cart up the hill." But before either of the travelers would move a muscle, they demanded, "What will you give us if we help?" The man with the cart replied, "I will give you nothing."
So the two men bent their shoulders to the task and helped push the cart to the top of the hill where it could stand on level ground. After catching their breath, the two men said, "Now give us what is ours," but, of course, the man replied, "I promised to give you nothing, and that is what I have to give."
Hearing this, one of the travelers said, "Well, come on, then, give us our nothing."
The other traveler smiled at his companion and said, "He hasn't agreed to give us anything. Why are you complaining?"
The other man stood his ground and answered, "Because I want my nothing, that's why. There must he something called nothing."
At this the other man just laughed. Then he said, "Nothing is just two words put together to make another word. No more than that."
Those with little understanding become attached to the idea of emptiness and, as a result, they mistake the true meaning of the statement that "nothing exists." A wise person knows that emptiness means there is no separate self, no seeking, and no attainment. The difference in understanding between these two kinds of people is vast indeed.
THE RICH MAN'S SPITTLE Years ago there was a very wealthy man who owned many treasures. The people around him all wanted to gain his favor and were quick to honor him at every opportunity. The wealthy man couldn't even spit without someone in attendance hurrying to tread his spittle into the ground. But there was a fool who had never had a chance to do this.
One day the fool was thinking about this problem when he came up with an idea. "If that man's spit reaches the ground, someone else will get to step on it before 1 do, that's for sure. From now on I will keep a watchful eye and step on it when he is just about to spit. What could please him more than that?"
And sure enough, the very next day, just as the wealthy man was about to spit, the fool rushed up and kicked him in the mouth, splitting his lips and breaking his teeth. The man recoiled from the blow and shouted at the fool, "Are you crazy? Why (lid you kick me in the mouth?"
The fool answered, "I (lid it to gain your favor, sir. Whenever the spittle comes out of your mouth and falls to the ground, one of these flatterers treads it into the earth before I can even lift my foot. That's why I stepped on it just before it came out. Now that you know why, I hope you will he pleased!"
Surely he is a great fool not to know that there is a time for everything. If someone tries to force good results before their time has come, he will only create difficulty and pain. For this reason people should know when it is time for something, and when it is not.
DIVIDING EQUALLY A long time ago in the country of Malla, a nobleman fell seriously ill and realized that he was about to die. He called his two sons to him and asked them to promise that after he passed on, they would divide his property equally. The two sons promised to do exactly as their father asked and, after their father's death, they divided the property into two parts, according to his will. But when the older brother looked things over, he said, "My share is not equal to my brother's."
This was said in the company of a foolish old man, and the old man piped in, "Let me tell you how to divide the property so you can he sure you each have equal shares. Break what you have now into two parts: take your clothes and tear them down the middle, break all your dishes and jars in halt', and do the same with your trays and vats. Then take all your coins, gather them in one place, and break them in half as well."
Amazingly, the two brothers did exactly as the old man advised.They broke everything they owned into equal parts, destroying all their treasure in the act. Everyone who heard what these fools had (lone had a very good laugh.
These fools are like people outside the Way who study the commentaries but end up getting them confused. For example, in the commentaries there are four kinds of statements. First, there is what is called an explanation by definite statement. For instance, "All people will die:" Then there is explanation by logical statement, such as "If there is death, there is birth," or, "If there is no attachment, there is no birth; if there is attachment, there is birth:"
Then there is explanation by counterquestioning. If someone asks you whether human beings are most excellent or not, you should reply, "Are you inquiring about the three unwholesome realms, or about the realm of the gods?" If the inquiry is about the three unwholesome realms, you should reply that humans are the most excellent beings. But if he is inquiring about the realm of the gods, then don't say that human beings are most excellent.
Finally, if someone asks about the fourteen difficult questions, answer, "The questions are whether the world and sentient beings are finite or infinite, whether they have a beginning and an end or not, and so on." Such an answer is called explanation by naming.
People outside the Way are foolish and ignorant but they think they are wise. Just like the fools who broke their coins in half in order to divide them equally, they break up the four kinds of statements and mix them into one.
THE POTTER'S SHOP Two good friends passed by a potter's shop one day and looked in to see what he was doing. They saw the potter busy at the wheel, turning out jars and pots one after another. The friends were pleased and so they sat down to watch the potter work. Much time passed but the two men never tired of watching the potter at his wheel.
Finally, one of the men said good-bye to his friend and went to a great assembly where he was served a wondrous banquet and given clothes made of rare and exquisite material. The other man remained and watched the potter, saying to himself, "I will stay here and watch until this fine potter is completely finished."
And that is what he did. Even after the sun had set, he continued watching the potter and so he missed the banquet and the opportunity to receive the valuable clothes.
How can we describe this man except to say: Today he does this And tomorrow he does that, While Buddhas and great dragons appear With their thunderous voices filling the world. Though the dharma rain falls without obstacle, Still he is attached to things and does not hear. Not knowing that death comes suddenly,
He misses the assembly of the Buddhas. He does not gain the dharma's rare treasure, But abides forever in the unwholesome realms. Turning his back on the dharma, He watched the pottery and was attached to it, And to the end he was completely absorbed. Because of this, he misses the benefit of dharma, And never obtains liberation.
THE GOLDEN REFLECTION A long time ago, a foolish man was standing by a large pond when he saw a golden statue reflected in the water. He cried out with great excitement and dove into the water, hoping to retrieve the statue, but all he managed to do in his frantic search was to stir up the mud from the bottom of the pond. Over and over he dove for the spot where he thought he had spied the gold, but he only became exhausted and came out of the pond empty-handed.
While he sat there, looking at the pond, the water settied down and became clear again. The fool saw the golden color shimmer in the water, and so he dove right hack in without delay. But, once again, he managed only to stir up the mud from the bottom of the pond.
About this time the man's father came looking for him. He saw his son panting with exhaustion by the side of the pond and he asked, "Why are you so tired?" His son replied, "I saw some gold at the bottom of the pond, so I jumped in and dug through the mud hoping to get it. But, trv as I might, I wasn't able to get the gold."
His father looked into the pond where, once again, the water had settled down. As he stared, he saw the shimmer of gold in the water, but he realized immediately that the gold was in the reflection of a tree growing beside the pond. He looked up at the tree and, sure enough, he spied the gold. So he said to his son, "Look! A passing bird must have carried that gold in its mouth and somehow put it in that tree"When the son spotted the gold, he climbed the tree and retrieved it.
Ignorant fools Mistakenly form the concept of a self Out of the no-self skandhas. Like the one who saw the reflection of gold And worked hard to get it, They grow tired in vain and end up empty-handed.
THE MAHABRAHMAN'S DISCIPLE All Brahmans say that Mahabrahman, the Creator, is the father of the worlds, capable of creating all things. At one time, however, the Creator had a disciple who believed he had the same powers as the Creator. The truth is that he was just a fool who believed he was wise. Despite this, one day he went to Mahahrahman and said, "I want to create all things." Mahabrahman replied, "Don't allow such a thought to form, for you are not able to do it." But the disciple ignored Mahabrahman's instructions, clung to his desire to create something, and set about doing it without delay.
After the disciple had completed his creation, Mahahrahman saw what he had made and said, "Look at this! You have made the head too big and the neck too small; the hands are too large and the arms are too little; the legs are too small and the heels are too big. This creation of yours is nothing more than a demon."
We should understand from this that each person is the result of his own karma,27 not a Creator. The Buddhas teach us not to be attached to the two extreme views: annihilation and permanence. These should be understood according to the teaching of the eightfold path.28 But people see what they believe to be annihilation, or permanence, and become attached with absolute conviction. Then they go about deceiving others with their approximations of the truth when, in fact, what they teach is not the truth at all. Look carefully and you will see that this is so.
A SICK MAN In the distant past a very sick man was visited by a physician known for his great skill. After examining him, the physician said, "Try to eat as much pheasant meat as you can. If you do this every day, you will recover." So the man got out of his sickbed, went to the market, and bought a pheasant. He took it home, prepared it, and ate the entire bird. But he ignored what the physician had told him, for he did this only once.
Sometime later, when the physician came to check on the man, he asked, "Have you recovered from your sickness yet?" The foolish man answered, "Doctor, you told me to eat the meat of a pheasant every day, and I did just as you said on that very (lay, but it goes without saying that I would never do it again."
The physician was amazed. "Why?" he asked. "If you ate one, why wouldn't you cat another? Did you really think that just eating one pheasant would cure you?"
People outside the Way are like this. They hear the Buddhas and bodhisattvas, the ultimate doctors, teaching them how to know their minds, but they still remain attached to permanence. They believe that the past, present, and future are one unchanging consciousness-just like the sick man who thought that one pheasant would cure him. Therefore, they cannot be cured of their ignorance and passions.
Hoping to help sentient beings to understand all things, Buddhas of great wisdom teach that there is not only one permanent, unchanging consciousness; it is just the opposite: All things perish because of impermanence. With this truth, Buddha cures the disease of believing in permanence, but only in those who truly listen and understand. Thus, it is so.
THE DEMON'S COSTUME In the country of Gandhara there was a troupe of entertainers known throughout the land. One year a famine occurred and the troupe was forced to take to the road in search of food. Their travels took them as far as a neighboring land. As darkness fell on their first day there, they passed Mount Bala, -where it was said many flesh-eating demons made their home. Despite this, the troupe decided not to go any farther, but to huddle closely together and spend the night on the mountain. They made a fire to help dispel the cold wind that circled through the darkening trees, and then went to sleep.
Among the entertainers was one man who had trouble sleeping because he was suffering from a cold. After everyone else had fallen asleep, he got up, put on one of the costumes to keep warm, and went to sit beside the fire. He had chosen the costume of a demon. When one of the others awakened, he saw the man in the demon costume and, without looking too closely, he shouted and ran away. The others woke up in a fright and, when then saw the man beside the fire looking like a demon, they too ran off into the night. The man in the costume, thinking he must also he in danger, followed them, running as fast as he could and waving his arms. This only increased the others' fear and so they ran all night, crossing mountains and rivers, falling into ditches, getting hanged up and bruised, and becoming thoroughly exhausted.
Finally, at daybreak, the other entertainers saw that the demon was just one of their friends in a costume, and with great sighs of relief they brought this foolishness to an end.
Many people are like this. Caught up in their passions, they starve for good teachings and sincerely long for the nourishment of dharma and the bliss of Nirvana. But they mistakenly see a self in the five skandhas and believe it is really so. Because of this notion of self they run on and on through birth and death, controlled and pursued by their passions. They cannot become free of them and end up falling into the ditch of the three unwholesome realms, suffering great harm in the process. When wisdom finally begins to shine, it is like the coming of daybreak, ending the long night of birth and death. Now they realize that in the five skandhas there is no self at all.
A DEMON IN THE HOUSE Long ago there was an old abandoned house where it was said that a demon lived. Everyone was so frightened of' the demon that no one would go near the house during the day and certainly no one would dare to sleep inside it at night. But there was one man who wanted to prove his bravery, and so he said to himself, "I will go to the house and spend the entire night there alone." And this is what he did.
There was another man who thought himself even braver than the first man. He too had heard that there was a demon in this house and he decided to prove his bravery by going into the house. Of course, he didn't know that the first man had already gone into the house to sleep.
When the second man got to the house he tried to open the door. The first man thought that the man outside was the demon coming home, and so he pushed his body against the door to prevent the (lemon from getting in. As soon as the man outside felt this, he became convinced that the demon was on the other side of the door and he pushed back as hard as he could. The two men fought each other until daybreak. When they finally saw each other clearly in the daylight, they realized that neither of them was the (lemon they had struggled against so hard.
Many people in the world are just like this. Conditions and beliefs bring causes and effects together temporarily until a belief in an enduring self develops. If you look deeply at cause and effect, you will discover that there is no permanent self that endures. How unfortunate it is that sentient beings mistakenly believe there are selves who are right and selves who are wrong and so, based on this belief, fight with each other like these two men. There isn't the slightest difference between them.
FIVE HUNDRED SWEET CAKES A long time ago there as a ),roman possessed by a great lust. And if this was not enough, she also had a great hatred for her husband. Many times she schemed to kill the unsuspecting man, but none of her schemes succeeded. One day her husband returned home and told her that he was being sent to a neighboring country as an envoy to the king. When his wife heard this, she immediately came up with another plan. She made some poison cakes and told her husband, "Darling, you have such a long journey before you that I have made five hundred sweet cakes for you to eat. When you are traveling in that foreign land, eat them to satisfy your hunger."
Her husband believed in his wife's sincerity,, so he took the cakes and set off on his journey. After mane days of traveling, he finally crossed the border into the foreign land. Though he had traveled quite a distance, he still had not taken a single bite from the poison cakes. One night, when it was particularly dark, he decided to sleep in the forest but, because he was afraid of being attacked by wild animals, he climbed high up into the branches of a tree to sleep and left the sweet cakes at the foot of the tree, forgetting all about them.
That very night, five hundred thieves who had just stolen a great deal of treasure and five hundred horses from the king were making their escape. By chance, they fled in the same direction as the em oy and decided to spend the night under the very same tree. They were exhausted from running, and bore a terrific thirst and hunger. When they found the sweet cakes beneath the tree, each ate one without the slightest hesitation. Because the poison was very strong, the five hundred thieves died at once.
When daybreak came, the envoy climbed down and saw the dead thieves lying all around. He took out his sword, cut up their bodies, and shot arrows into them in order to deceive people. Then he took their saddles, horses, and treasure and continued on his journey toward the palace of the king.
Meanwhile, the king and his retainers came in pursuit of the thieves, following their footprints. When they came upon the envoy, the king said, "Who are you? Where did you get all of these horses?" The envoy told the king his name and explained that he had come from his country to serve as an envoy to the king when he came upon some thieves. "When I realized what they had done," he told the king, "1 slew every one of them and retrieved Your Majesty's horses and treasure. I was just bringing them to you now
The envoy noticed that the king seemed a little doubtful and so he added, "Your Majesty, if you don't believe me, please send someone to the place I have described and you will find the five hundred thieves, just as I told you, Tying dead beneath the tree"
Immediately, the king sent some of his trusted nun to investigate. It was just as the envoy had said. The king was delighted and held the envoy in high esteem. When the' returned to the kingdom he honored the envoy by giving him a noble rank, filling his coffers with rare treasures, and installing him as lord of a town.
The king's retainers resented this and said to the king, "He is a stranger, Your Majesty, and should not he trusted. Why do you grant him such favor, rank, and reward, even above those of us %% ho have been loyal and true to you for so many, years?" Upon hearing these words, the envoy said, "If there is one of you with courage enough to try, I challenge you to a battle on the field."The old retainers were all taken aback, and dared not take up his challenge to fight.
Some time later, on the wild moors of this same country, there was a lion so fierce that he blocked the king's road and killed anyone who tried to pass.The retainers discussed the matter between them and concluded, "The stranger calls himself brave and says no one is his match. Why not put him to the test? If he manages to kill this lion and free the countryside of danger, that would he commendable indeed." And so they petitioned the king.
The king agreed that the envoy should slay, the lion and sent him off with a specially, chosen sword. Because he held the king's confidence, the envoy's heart grew firm and he went straight to the lion's lair. When the lion saw the envoy approach, he became enraged, leaped forward, and let out a terrible roar. The envoy ran for his life and jumped into the branches of a nearby tree. The lion followed closely behind and, when he saw the man clinging to the branches, he viciously attacked the tree, looking up at the man and opening his mouth wide to roar and roar again. The poor envoy was so terrified that he dropped his sword just as the lion let out a thunderous roar and the sword fell into the lion's mouth, killing him at once. The envoy was greatly relieved and he returned immediately to the king and' assured him that the lion was dead.
From that day on, the king showed him even more favor. Common people and noblemen, regardless of rank, respected and admired the courageous man.
People who hope to steal the dharma treasures, and those who are weak with fear, are fools indeed. If you seek to cut off the passions of the five sense desires, you should heed this well. Even if you start with an impure mind, an unselfish heart will lead you to a teacher with great skills and you will attain the benefit of nonattachment. It Is even truer for those who maintain a wholesome mind and take pleasure in giving. Do not be waylaid by the poison of impure giving, jealousy, or fools who seek to block your journey. Practice diligently, with consistent effort, and you will live in the fields of happiness. Nothing will hinder you from attaining your goal. Thus it is so.
THE VOYAGE Long ago there was a millionaire's son who was very foolish. When some merchants visited his father's house and told him they were planning to go to sea in search of treasure, the son could not help himself. "I know all about sailing," he said. "While you're out at sea, if the water begins to whirl and the current grows swift, just make a few skillful maneuvers and you're on your way." The merchants were so impressed with the knowledgeable young man that they encouraged him to say more. Of course, he went on and on, boasting that he knew all the secrets of a successful ocean voyage.
He spoke with so much confidence that the merchants trusted him completely, and begged him to sign up for the adventure. Once under way, however, the captain suddenly became ill and died. There was no one else on hoard to take over the helm but the millionaire's son. After a little smooth sailing, the boat became caught in a strong current caused by a powerful whirlpool. "This is no problem at all," said the millionaire's son. "Just do as I say." The merchants were happy to follow his instructions but, when they did, the boat just circled around and around and made no headway at all. Finally, things got so had that the boat capsized and sank, andJ all the merchants on hoard were drowned.
People with partial understanding are like this. They dabble in various methods of meditation and they begin to contemplate on impurity, and so forth. They recite what they have read as if it were their own realization and they pretend to have great clarity about various practices. In truth, such people are only confused. They teach others how to meditate in a way that is so haphazard that their confusion spreads to all who hear them. As a result, they turn the way of teaching upside down and, after many years, neither they nor those whom they have taught gain anything. They are just like the fool who caused the merchants to drown at sea.
THE RICE CAKES Many years ago there was a married couple N% ho had three rice cakes. They sat together to cat them, each one putting a rice cake on a plate. Since the third rice cake remained on the table, they talked over what to do and agreed that it would be forfeited by the one who spoke first.
Not long after they agreed to this, a robber broke into their house and began to take everything they owned. Although they both saw the robber, neither would cry out to stop him because of their agreement. When the robber saNy that they would not speak, he began to attack the wife in front of her hushand.l'he wife fought back and cried out against the robber, who finally tied, taking all the valuables he had gathered with him.
Then the woman shouted at her husband, "How stupid you are! You would not say a word to the robber for the sake of one rice cake!" But the husband just clapped his hands and laughed, saving, "Ah, woman! I get the rice cake and will not give you even a single bite."All who heard this story shook their heads and laughed. They could hardly believe their cars.
This is so common among people. For the sake of a little fame or advantage, people deceitfully hold their tongues. Though they are invaded and robbed by false passions, and end up falling into the unwholesome realms by losing the good teachings, still they are not sufficiently afraid, and they do not seek the way of home leavers. They become consumed by the five sense desires and attached to pleasures, which only makes things worse.
Though they suffer, and cause a great amount of suffering for others as well, they do not see it as such. There is no difference between them and the foolish husband who did not shout to scare the robber away. No one can deny that this is so.
A MAN WITH A GRUDGE Once a man was consumed with anger at another man. Day and night he was agitated by his anger, which left him constantly unhappy. One day a friend came to see him, and when he saw the state he was in, the friend asked, "Why are you so bothered all the time? What has made you grow so thin?"
The man answered, "There is a man in this village who spoke ill of me and I have not been able to get hack at him. I want to repay him for injuring me, and it is driving me crazy trying to think of a way to do it."
His friend thought this over and then said, "Only a (lemon's curse can kill this man. I can teach it to you but, before I do, you need to know that it has one disadvantage: before you can kill him, you must he killed."
When the first man heard this he was not disturbed at all. In fact, he was rather glad. "1 beg you," he said, "teach me the curse. Even if it causes my death, at least it will kill him, too.
People are often like this. Because of their anger they seek to cause harm to others. Yet before they can hurt anyone else, their anger causes them great harm. Then they fall into hell, or into the world of animals or the realm of hungry ghosts. There is really no difference between them and this angry fool.
A FAST EATER Many years ago a man moved from his birthplace in northern India to a village in the south. He lived in this village for some time and, eventually, he met a woman he liked very much. As such things go, it wasn't long before they were married. Shortly after their marriage, the man's wife noticed something odd about her husband: at every meal, he gobbled down his food even though it was terribly hot.
"Darling," the man's wife said, "there is no thief here who will steal your food. Why not cat a bit more slowly? You'll enjoy your meals so much more. And, besides, what reason do you have for eating so fast?"
The husband responded rather brusquely. "That's my secret," he said. "I can't tell you."
When the wife heard her husband's words, she became even more interested in this unusual practice, and so she asked him again in a sweet tone of voice why he gobbled down his food. After a while, her gentle inquiry helped her husband to relent and he told his wife, "My family has eaten quickly since the time of my grandfather. I'm just following my family's tradition."
So many ordinary men and women act this way. They have little understanding of good basic principles and teachings, and often cannot tell right from wrong. They do harmful deeds without a second thought and are not ashamed. When asked about it they will tell you, "We have been doing things this way for as long as anyone can remember. That's why we do it this way now:" So they continue on without change until they die. Indeed, they are very much like the foolish man who learned to eat fast and, without a thought, considered it an excellent thing to do.
THE RICH MAN'S MANGOES A long time ago, a wealthy man sent for one of his servants. When the servant arrived, his master told him, "Go to an orchard to buy some mangoes. But he sure to bring me only delicious fruit." He gave the servant some money and sent him on his way.
When the servant reached the orchard he told the owner he wanted only the most delicious mangoes for his master. The owner replied, "All of the mangoes on my trees are delicious. Not a single fruit is had. Go ahead and taste one, if you like; then you will know how good they are." The servant said, "You know what my master said. It would be better to taste every one of them before I make my purchase. By tasting only one, how can I know what the others are like?"
So he walked through the orchard and took a bite out of all the mangoes until he was satisfied that every single fruit was indeed delicious. Having satisfied himself, the servant packed up a large hatch of mangoes and brought them home to his master. When the master saw what his servant had done, he was so disgusted that he would not eat a single mango and he had the entire batch thrown away.
People hear that by keeping the precepts and practicing giving they will obtain great wealth, and that their bodies will be at ease and they will encounter no difficulties in their lives. But they refuse to believe it and think, "We hear that the practice of giving causes happiness, but how can we be sure? We will believe it when we see it:' Though right before their eyes they see people who are noble and people who are mean, people who are poor and troubled and those who do quite well-all as a result of past karma-they remain doubtful and decide to try good and bad deeds themselves to see what happens. When they die, all material wealth is lost and they gain no merit. This is like the servant who tasted all of the mangoes, causing every one of them to be thrown away.
THE BIGAMIST In a faraway country, there was a man who had two wives. Whenever he Would draw near to one, the other would become angry and say things that made him miserable. No matter what he said or did, it was to no avail.'Ib avoid this misery, he took to sleeping on his back between his two wives, making sure not to turn or bend his body toward either of them in the slightest way.
One night, wkile the three of then lay sleeping, a torrential rain descended upon the house and the old roof began to leak. Water and mud dripped do%% n into the man's eves. Because he was wedged between his two jealous wives, he was unwilling to shift his body or move in either direction. In the end he just lay there, and by morning poor fool that he was he had lost sight in both eves.
Many people act this way. They wedge themselves between greedy friends and wrongheaded teachings. This creates terrible karma and they suffer a great deal. Eventually, they lose sight of wisdom entirely and wander endlessly in the cycle of birth and death. How like the foolish husband who lost the use of both eyes.
A MOUTHFUL OF RICE In the distant past, a man paid a visit to the home of his wife's family. While he was there the family began to hull some rice. The sight of such a large amount of rice excited the man so much that when everyone had gone out of the room where the rice was being hulled, he quickly stole some and hid it in his mouth before anyone returned.
Shortly after, his wife arrived and came over to speak with her husband. When she asked a question, the man refused to answer because his mouth was filled with rice and he would have been ashamed if she discovered what he had done. When his wife realized that he was not replying, or, indeed, not speaking to her at all, she became puzzled and concerned. What could be wrong with him? She felt his mouth and cheeks with her hand and then cried out, "Oh, my goodness!" She called her father over and said, "Something must have happened to my husband. His mouth is completely swollen and he is unable to speak."
The father immediately sent for a doctor who examined the man and said, "This disease is very serious. I must cut his cheek open with a knife right away. This is the only way to cure him." So the doctor cut the man's cheek open, and there, before the entire family, the rice fell out and the theft was revealed.
People do many unwholesome deeds and frequently break the pure precepts against causing harm. But they hide their actions and will not reveal them, no matter how much pain this causes. As a result they fall into hell, the world of animals, or the realm of hungry ghosts. They act exactly like this fool who allowed his cheek to be cut open and his misdeed revealed just because he feared a little shame.
THE COWARDLY SOLDIER Long ago, a man rode a black horse onto a battlefield to attack the enemy. Though he was a soldier, and surrounded by many other soldiers fighting by his side, he was very frightened and refused to fight. At the first opportunity, he threw himself off his horse, stained his face with another man's blood, and lay down among the (lead bodies, hoping that he would he taken for dead. No sooner had he done this than another soldier took the black horse he had been riding and headed bravely into the fray.
When the armies had withdrawn, the soldier stood and decided to try to make his way home. He saw a stray white horse no doubt belonging to one of the dead soldiers and cut its tail off.'I'hen he left the field.
When the soldier arrived at his camp, one of the other soldiers noticed him walking on toot and asked, "Where is your horse? Why aren't you riding it now?"
The soldier answered sadly, "Mv horse was killed in battle, but at least I was able to bring hack his tail."
Another soldier who heard him said, "What are v'ou saying? Your horse was black. Why is this tail wtihitc?"
The man stopped and stared at the tail in his hand. He couldn't think of anything to say, and everyone around him enjoyed a good laugh.
People often say that they practice good deeds and refrain from taking wine and meat because of their benevolent understanding. Yet, in truth, they do much harm and sometimes even kill other sentient beings. Without paying even the slightest attention to what they say, they insist that they are good. Such people never stop their unwholesome deeds. This is like the foolish soldier who lied to convince others that his horse had died in battle.
THE DECEITFUL BRAHMAN Many years ago, a king passed a lavy requiring all Brahmans in the country to control their desires and dedicate themselves to cleansing impure people. Some Brahmans got right down to work, for they realized there \\ as a great deal to do. But one Brahman put some water in an empty jar and said, facetiously, "There. Now I will cleanse people." Then he threw the water jar into the air.
As he watched it tumble down, the man laughed and thought to himself, "If l don't cleanse people, the king will do it. After all, it's his law. In fact, for his sake, I'll make sure there are many people for him to cleanse." But in public, and even among friends, he spoke with sincerity about the need to cleanse impure people, though he never tried it even once.
Many people who leave their households are like this fool. They shave their heads and wear monks' robes, but in actuality they continue breaking one precept after another. Meanwhile, they pretend to keep the precepts in order to gain some advantage from others while avoiding the true service of Buddha, the Dharma King. They look like monks from the outside, but inside there is nothing to them at all.
THE CAMEL AND THE JAR A long time ago there was a man who kept grain in a large jar. One day a camel put its head into the jar to cat the grain. However, when it had finished eating, the camel couldn't get its head out. The man who owned the grain came by just at this moment and saw what had happened. tie tried every way he could think of to get the camel's head out of the jar, but nothing did the trick.
An old man happened to walk by just then and when he saw the predicament he said, "Don't worry. I will tell you how to get the camel's head out. Just take your knife and cut it off. Then it will come out quite easily."
The man (lid as he was told. He took out his knife and cut off the camel's head. Of course, he killed the camel in the process and had to break the jar anyway to retrieve the poor animal's head. Such a fool was laughed at by everyone.
There are many fools like this. They desire wisdom, and sincerely seek the Three Vehicles, but instead of keeping the precepts as a way of protecting themselves from trouble, they get caught up in their desires and end up breaking the precepts one by one. Then they make matters worse by failing to observe the prohibitions and, finally, they abandon the Three Vehicles entirely. This is what happens when people ignore the teachings and follow their own will. They lose the precepts and the vehicles at the same time, just like the fool who lost the camel and the jar.
THE PRINCESS AND THE COUNTRY FOOL Many years ago a country fellow made his first journey to the capital city. While he was there he happened to catch a glimpse of the princess of the kingdom as she passed by. "Oh," he thought, "she is beautiful, indeed." He wandered around the capital day and night thinking about the princess until his feelings for her grew quite strong. Finally, when he found that he could think of nothing else, he decided he must find a way to visit the palace to see the princess one more time. Try as he might, he discovered there was no way to do this, and the poor country fellow returned home.
Once there he became seriously ill and his complexion turned sallow. His family grew quite concerned and asked, "What is making you so ill?" The man confessed right away. "The other day when I visited the capital, I saw the princess," he said. "She was so beautiful I just had to see her again, but there was no way for me to bring this about. Now that I am home, I fear that if I don't see her again, I will (lie."
His family became alarmed when they heard this and tried to offer reassurance. "Don't worry," they said. "We will find some good way for you to he able to visit the princess so you can see her again. Trust us and don't he sad."
Some days later, however, when the man had rested a hit, his famik came hack to see him. "We went to the capital," they told him, "and tried to arrange for you to see the princess, but we're afraid we weren't able to bring it off." They feared what the young man's reaction might he, but he smiled quite happily when he heard what they had to say. "Ah!" he said. "You have done this for me? Surely, I am lucky beyond compare."
Fools are like this. Their understanding is so small that they can't even distinguish the seasons. They sow seeds in winter and expect to reap fruit, but they only throw their seeds away and gain nothing. They believe that the little happiness and understanding they obtain is sufficient and will lead them directly to the attainment of wisdom. Yet how could this come about? They are as far away from true understanding as the country fellow who longed for the beautiful princess.
ASS'S MILK Long ago, there were people in a remote country who had never seen an ass. They had heard from passing travelers that ass's milk was delicious, but none had tasted any or knew anything about it. By chance, they came into possession of an ass, but it was a male. Since all of them wanted to milk him, they fought to he the first to get him in their hands. One person grabbed the ass's head, while another got hold of his car. Someone else grabbed his tail and another held on to his leg. Finally, the ass was secured and somebody ran to get a howl.
When he returned with the bowl and placed it beneath the ass, one of' the others grabbed the ass's penis and, mistaking it for an udder, began to pull on it, trying to get milk. Of course, try as they might, these fools ended up with nothing and just wore themselves out. When people heard this story, they laughed a good long time.
People outside the Way can be like this. They hear others explain what should be avoided by practitioners of the Way, but they misinterpret what they hear and adopt all sorts of wrong practices. They go naked and starve themselves or throw their bodies onto sharp rocks or into fires. As a result they end up falling into the unwholesome realms. They are just like the fools who tried to get milk from a male ass.
A CHILD WHO TRAVELED ALONE t ne evening, man cram ago, a man and hi. ,on \\crr hating supper vyhen the father said, "lomorrovc I will take you to the next village where there is something waiting for us."The child heard this but, despite the plan to go with his father, he awoke at daybreak and set out for the neighboring village alone. When he arrived at the village he ryas very tired, and he had no idea where to go or what to look for. 1 le also was starring. Finally, he turned around and returned to his father.
When the father saw his child looking as he did, he scolded him harshly and said, "You are a very ignorant hoc. Why didn't you wait for me, rather than going so pointlessly by yourself Look at the trouble you've gotten into by going alone."
People with little understanding are also like this. They leave the household and shave their heads-they even put on the three kinds of monk's robes29-but then they do not seek a good teacher to study the dharma. As a result, they lose the many benefits of meditation and the excellent fruits of being a monk. They are just like the foolish child who went away alone in the morning and returned with nothing for his effort. Although they look like monks, they accomplish nothing at all.
THE KING'S ARMREST One time there was a king who wished to visit the Asoka Gardens to rest and enjoy the pleasant surroundings. He summoned one of his courtiers and said, "Get an armrest and take it to the garden so that I may recline comfortably (luring my visit." For some reason, the courtier was ashamed to get the armrest and told the king, "I'm sorry,Your Majesty, but I can't carry it on my hack." When the king heard this, he had thirty-six armrests loaded onto the courtier's hack and ordered him to carry all of them into the garden. This fool was laughed at by everyone.
Those who have little understanding act like this. They see a strand of a woman's hair on the ground and think, "I will keep the precepts and not pick that up:' Later on, they are confused by their passions and don't think that the thirty-six parts of the body, such as hair, nails, teeth, excrement, and so on, are ugly. They feel no shame or reluctance about the body whatsoever and, as a result, they are not free from the body's afflictions until they die. This is like the fool who would not carry the single armrest on his back and so was made to carry thirty-six.
ENEMA WATER A long time ago there was a man whose stomach hurt so much that he traveled to a doctor, hoping to he cured. After examining the man, the doctor said, "If you want to he well again, cleanse your bowels by. taking an enema into your bottom."
The man went home and gathered together the implements for making an enema, but instead of administering it according to the doctor's advice he drank the enema water. His belly became so swollen that he feared he would (lie and sent word to the doctor, begging him to visit him at home. When the doctor arrived and saw the state the man was in, he asked him, "What in the world did you do?"
The man answered, "Not long after I saw you, I prepared the enema water and then drank it."
The doctor couldn't believe his ears and scolded the man harshly. "What a great fool you are to do a thing like that. Can you really understand so littler" Then the doctor gave him some medicine to drink, which made the man throw up the enema water and cured him of his ills.
There are many people who act like this. They want to practice meditation, but when they should be meditating on impurity they count their breaths, and when they should be counting their breaths they contemplate the six great ele- ments.30 Though they have no foundation, and, therefore, can't even tell up from down, they do not consult a good teacher. As a result, they end up wasting their practice and their lives. This is just like the fool who swallowed the undrinkable enema water.
THE BEAR AND THE CHILD A long time ago, a father and his child were walking past a nearby forest. The child ran off to play among the trees and, without warning, he was attacked by a bear that bit him and scratched him with its clay s.The child fled the forest in pain and ran to where his father was standing. When his father saw him, he said, "My goodness, child, what in the world happened to you?"
The child was still in shock and all he could say was, "Something with a hairy body attacked me while I was in the forest."
The father picked up his how and arrows and ran to the forest to kill whatever had attacked his child. He came upon a sorcerer with long hair and uncut nails. Immediately, he strung an arrow into his how but was stopped by another man who saw him about to shoot.
"Why are you going to shoot him?" the man asked. "He doesn't hurt anyone. In fact, he's the healer people seek out to ease their pains."
Fools are like this. They put on a monk's robe, but if they are abused by someone they take it out on a person who has done nothing to harm them. This is like the father who was going to kill the long-haired sorcerer when, in fact, his child had been injured by a bear.
SOWING IN THE FIELD A country fellow came upon a farm where he saw young wheat growing in abundance. He approached the farmer who was working nearby and asked, "What did you do to make the wheat in this field grow so well?"
The farmer answered, "Well, I leveled the land and then just added dung and water. It's been growing like this ever since."
So the country fellow decided to follow the farmer's method, and he hurried home to get started right away. He fertilized a field with dung and water, just as he had been told, and then he began to sow the seeds with great care. But as he worked, he became afraid that while sowing the seeds his feet would tamp down the earth so hard that the wheat would not he able to grow. This caused great concern and he thought about it long and hard. Finally, he came up with an idea. "I will sit on a chair," he thought, "and have other men carry me while I sow the seed from up in the air. That will take care of this problem for sure."
And that is what he did. He hired four men to carry him to his field, each one holding a leg of a chair. Then he sowed the seeds from up in the air while the others carted him around. Because now the earth was trampled by eight feet instead of two, of course, it became harder than ever before. Everyone had a good laugh when they heard about this incredible fool.
Many people are like this. They practice in the field of precepts until healthy buds are about to blossom. It is the perfect time for them to make inquiries of a teacher, receive instruction, and allow the dharma buds to grow. Instead, they complicate their lives by trampling the precepts and doing many misdeeds, which causes the dharma buds to wither. This is like the man who was afraid of harming the field with his own two feet but caused it to be trampled by eight feet instead.
THE MONKEY AND THE MEAN MAN Long ago, a monkey took a terrible beating from a man, but he was unable to get revenge or do anything about it. So the next morning, when the monkey saw the man's child, he held a grudge against the child, and continued to do so for the rest of his days.
Ordinary people and fools are like this. They become angry with someone but, because life is ruled by impermanence, eventually this person dies. Then they transfer their anger to the man's children, believing that the children are the same as their parent. They remain angry until this disease grows so deep within them that they become no different from this foolish monkey. He was beaten by a man and, for no reason at all, he transferred his anger to an innocent child.
LUNAR ECLIPSE In ancient days, the Asura31 king saw the Sun and the moon, bright and pure, shining in the heavens. He raised his hand and covered the moon, which caused it to eclipse. When a man saw the eclipse, he kicked an innocent (log that happened to be walking by, foolishly believing that the (log had caused the moon to disappear from the sky.
It is not uncommon for people to act this way. They torture themselves and others with their greed, anger, and ignorance because they do not understand the true nature of reality. They lie on beds of thorns and burn their bodies with the five fires,32 but this is as ignorant as the man who kicked the dog, blaming it for the lunar eclipse.
A WOMAN'S EYES Two women were having a conversation one day when one of them suddenly complained that she often had a terrible pain in her eyes. The other woman asked, "Are your eyes sore right now?"
"Yes," the first woman said, "they are very sore right now.
The second woman thought for a moment, and then said, "It seems that if you have eyes, they will he sore and cause you trouble now and then. My eyes do not trouble me right now, but I think I'm going to gouge them out because I'm afraid they will cause me trouble later on."
A woman standing nearby was horrified by what she overheard. "If you have eyes," she said, "then sometimes they will hurt you and sometimes not. But if you don't have eves to begin with, you will he troubled all of your life. Please think it over before you do anything rash."
Foolish people are like this. They hear the teaching that wealth causes trouble, but still they do not give any away. Their wealth continues to grow until it overflows and their troubles follow right along, exactly the same. If they are fortunate, someone tells them, "If you practice giving there will be either pleasure or pain, but if you do not practice giving, a life of great pain will surely be yours" But how many people listen? Most are like the woman who was willing to gouge out her eyes and suffer the pain forever.
THE GOLD EARRINGS Many years ago a father and his child were walking along a road together when suddenly they saw robbers heading toward then. The child was wearing gold earrings and the father feared the earrings would he stolen. Quickly, he tried to remove the earrings with his hands, but they were so firmly attached to his child's ears that he could not get them off. So in order to save the earrings from the robbers, he pulled out his saber and cut off the child's head.
After the robbers saw that the man had nothing to steal and had passed by, the father placed the child's head back on its shoulders, but of course it could not be attached again. Never before had people heard of such a fool. He was ridiculed by everyone.
For the sake of fame and to gain some small advantage over others, those with little understanding engage in foolish arguments about one thing or another. They battle over the existence of the next life, whether there is an intermediate realm after death, or whether the mind's various functions really exist or not. Their arguing just creates confusion and they fail to grasp the true teachings. Then, when someone who teaches the authentic Way comes along and destroys their arguments, they defend themselves, saying, "I never said that:' Such nonsense and greed cause them to lose the benefits of their monkhood and they descend into the three unwholesome realms. This is like the fool who cut off his child's head in order to save a small possession.
THE BLAND CLOTH In a distant land, there roved a hand of thieves who were very clever at what they did. One day they went out robbing houses and travelers and came hack with more property than they had ever stolen before. They began to divide up the stolen goods and discovered among the valuables a cloth whose color was very bland. "What a worthless thing this is," said the leader, and he tossed it to the weakest thief as his share.
The man who received the bland cloth resented this and cried out that if this was to be his share of the bounty it was unfair, but he took the cloth so that at least he would have something. The next day, this thief went to the city to sell the cloth. As soon as a wealthy merchant saw it, he offered the thief a considerable price. Of course, the thief sold it right away and, in the end, he gained twice as much as the others. This caused him great satisfaction and joy.
People are like this. They do not know if an act of giving will bring them a reward or not, but they practice a little giving and thereby obtain birth in the realm of the gods where they experience immeasurable bliss. Then they regret not having practiced giving more when they'd had the chance. Consider the practice of giving to be like that bland woolen cloth that turned out to be very valuable indeed. It creates great happiness and the wish that one had done more.
MONKEY BEANS Long ago, a monkey who held a handful of beans dropped one by mistake on the ground. When he saw this, he threw all the others away so that his hand would he free to pick up the bean he had dropped. However, before he could do that, all the beans he had tossed away were descended upon and eaten by some nearby chickens and clucks.
Many monks are like this. They hold the precepts in their hands, but some small mistake or error causes them to break one and they do not regret it. This lack of regret weakens their resolve to maintain the precepts and they end up throwing away everything, including their futures. They are like the monkey who lost one bean and so foolishly threw the others away.
A GOLDEN SKUNK In ancient days, after a man had walked along a road for a very long time, he looked down and saw a skunk made of gold. The thought of having the skunk for a companion pleased him, so he put it in his pocket and continued on his travels.
Eventually, the man came to a river and decided to make his way across. He removed his clothes and placed them carefully on the ground. As he did, the golden skunk crawled out of his pocket and turned into a live snake. The man observed this and he felt very compassionate toward the snake. "I would rather he killed by this viper than ahan- don it here," he thought, reaching for the snake, "so I will keep it in my pocket."
The viper was so touched by the man's kindness that it turned into gold again. As it did, a fool who happened upon the scene observed the viper turning into gold. "Gee," the fool thought, "I bet this happens all the time."
So the fool went in search of a viper. Eventually he found one. When he tried to put it into his pocket, the viper hit him on the hand and the poor fool died.
There are many fools who observe a good person gaining merit and, hoping to gain a bit of advantage, take up some of the teachings. But they are insincere and In the end fall into the unwholesome realms anyway. They are just like the man who tried to catch the viper, hoping it would turn into gold, but instead received a fatal bite.
COUNTING COINS A poor man decided to go for a walk. While he wandered about, he happened upon a hag of gold coins. He couldn't believe his good fortune, and he immediately began to count them to see how much he had found. Before he was able to finish counting, however, the owner of the coins suddenly appeared and reclaimed his property. This left the poor man with nothing but regret for not departing immediately with his find.
Those who meet the Buddha dharma are sometimes like this. Although they have arrived in the field of the Three Treasures, they neither practice skillful means nor do good deeds, and when their lives come to an end they fall into the three unwholesome realms. This is like the foolish man who found the gold coins but lost them when the owner came to take them back. It is explained in this verse:
Today he follows this, Tomorrow he makes that. Attached to only pleasures, he sees no pain. Not understanding that the robber death is coming, He is busy with his own affairs. A person with such little understanding Is no different from this fool, Counting coins in the middle of the road.
LITTLE PROPERTY Long ago there was a man who was poor, but he did have a few things he could call his own. One day he observed a wealthy man passing by and he became possessed with a strong desire to he the rich man's equal. But try as he might, he couldn't imagine how to do this, and in despair he took the fey things he possessed and threw them into the center of a lake. A man who saw this approached him and said, "You poor fool. What you possess may not be much but, still, it is enough to maintain you for quite some time. Why did you throw it all away%"
Foolish monks are like this. They leave their households and receive a little respect and merit, but their minds are always filled with desires, which makes them discontent. When they see monks of higher virtue receiving some offerings with respect-like the old and virtuous teachers who are venerated by all-they grow resentful that they do not receive the same treatment. But they have not yet earned it, and so they lose heart and want to leave the path. This is like the poor fool who wanted to be equal to the rich man but couldn't, and so he threw away all the good things he had.
THE GREEDY CHILD One day, a nursemaid who was carrying a child a long distance grew very tired and decided to lie down by the side of the road to take a nap. While she was sleeping, a man came along and stopped to look at the child. He took some sweet cakes out of his parcel and handed them to the child, who ate them greedily, without a care in the world. While the child ate, with the nursemaid sleeping deeply at his side, the man removed the child's necklace. Then he took his other jewels and clothes, and fled as quickly as he could.
Many monks are like this. They enjoy affairs of the world, and are greedy for a little respect, but passion sits like a thief within them and steals their virtues and the jeweled precepts. This Is like the child who was greedy for a bit of food and, as a result, lost all he had to the robber.
THE WOMAN AND THE BEAR A long time ago, an old woman was enjoying a rest in the forest beneath a tree. Suddenly a hear appeared and tried to claw her, but the old woman jumped up just in time and ran around the tree to get away. The bear followed her and held on to the tree with one paw while trying to grab the woman with the other. The old woman suddenly pulled the tree branches together and trapped the pear's arms so that it couldn't move.
Just then a man came along and the old woman called, "Catch this hear with me, help me kill him, and we can share the meat." This sounded good to the man and, since he had no reason to mistrust the old woman, he grabbed the hear from behind. When the old woman saw that the man had caught the hear and held him firmly, she ran away and left the man to handle the angry hear on his own. Such a fool was laughed at by one and all.
People with little understanding are like this. They devise many theories and develop their arguments with long, confusing sentences and fancy words. In the end, they can't follow their own logic and abandon their theories entirely. Years later, people who find these theories try to understand them, but their effort only leaves them misguided and confused. Just like the fool who trusted the old woman and caught the bear, they are hopelessly entangled.
She wanted him to escape through the water conduit, but since mani can also mean "jewel," the man misunderstood her and instead began hunting through the house, hoping to find the jewel. While he was searching, the hushand got tired of waiting. He rushed into the house and killed the man without a word.
People of little understanding are told, "In the world of birth and death there is impermanence and pain, emptiness and no-self. Abandon the false views of nothingness and permanence, and abide in this middle path. If you do, you will attain liberation:' But they misconstrue these words and seek to know whether the world has an end or lasts forever; whether there is a self or not. They ask all kinds of questions, which confirms that they do not understand the meaning of the middle path. Soon enough, because of the truth of impermanence, their lives come to an end and they fall into the three unwholesome realms. This is like the fool who misunderstood what he was told and looked for a jewel instead of a water conduit; he lost his life while wasting time.
A PAIR OF DOVES A pair of doves, one male and one female, shared a nest together. In autumn, when the nuts were ripe, they gathered them and filled their nest. After some time, however, the nuts dried up and shrank. This caused them to fill up only half the nest. When the male dove noticed this, he became angry with his mate. "It was hard work gathering these nuts," he said, "and now you have eaten half of them."
The female dove answered, "I didn't eat them. All of the nuts are here, but they have become smaller."
The male dove did not believe her and became furious. "If you didn't eat them," he said, "then why do we have less?" In his rage, he pecked at the female dove with his sharp beak until she was dead.
Several days later a heavy rain fell, the nuts got wet, and again there seemed to be as many as before. When the male dove saw this he felt terribly ashamed and thought, "She didn't eat them after all. I have killed her for no reason."
Then he cried out in grief, "Where are you? Where have you gone?"
There are many people who carry confusion in their pockets. They pursue pleasure as if it could last forever and do not understand impermanence. They do whatever they please and break important prohibitions, and later they feel remorse and grief. What good is that? They are like the foolish dove that mistakenly killed his mate.
THE MAN WHO PLUCKED OUT HIS EYES There was once a craftsman who worked for a demanding king. After many years of enduring all the hardship this entailed, he decided that he couldn't go on. So he lied and let it he known that he had gone blind. Sure enough, when the king heard about the man's blindness, he relieved him of his job. Another craftsman heard about this and, to avoid hard and thankless labor as well, he went one step further and plucked out his own eyes. "Unbelievable!" said a man who had come to see him. "Why in the world would you injure yourself and cause such pain? It makes no sense at all." When others heard the tale, they laughed at what a fool he was.
People who understand little are like this. For the sake of a little fame or advantage they make false statements and break the precepts. Then, when they die, they fall into the three unwholesome realms. This is just like the fool who, for the sake of a small benefit, plucked out his eyes.
THE HIDDEN COIN One day, two men were traveling together through a wild moor. One was dressed in fine clothing. Suddenly they were attacked by a robber who demanded the fine clothes right off the man's back. While the thief was busy, the other man escaped into the tall grass nearby.
Before the journey, the man whose clothes were being stolen had sewn a gold coin into the lining, so he said to the robber, "This clothing is worth a piece of gold to me. I beg you, please let me buy it back."
The robber found this agreeable but demanded to see the gold. The man removed the gold coin from the lining and showed it to the robber. "This is real gold," he told him. "If you don't belies e nie, ask the goldsmith hiding there in the grass."
The robber went over to the grass where the other man was hiding, found the goldsmith, and took his clothes too. In the end, this fool not only lost his clothing and his gold coin but caused another man to lose his property as well.
Many people practice meditation and engage in virtuous deeds, but they remain trapped by their passions. As a result, they lose their good practices and the merit they have gained. They act in such a way that they not only lose their own fruits of the Way but they cause others to lose theirs as well. Then, when they die, they fall into the three unwholesome realms. This is like the fool who lost his clothing and his coin and also caused harm to befall another man.
THE TORTOISE Long ago, a child who was playing on the beach found a large tortoise. He wanted to kill it but he didn't know how. As he stared at his catch an old man came by, so the child asked, "How can I kill this tortoise%" The old man told the child, "All you need to do is throw it in the water. It will die right a%% ay."
The child believed the man and immediately did as he was told. Of course, as soon as the tortoise felt the water, it quickly swam away.
Many people are like this child. They want to guard the six sense roots and practice virtuous deeds, but they don't know how and indiscriminately ask others, "What is the path of liberation?" Then, misguided teachers or people with wrong views tell them, "Simply follow your own will, let your desires roam freely, and you will certainly attain liberation:'
Fools do not consider this carefully; they just follow what they are told. Sure enough, when their bodies decay and their lives come to an end, they fall into the three unwholesome realms. This is like the foolish child who was told to throw the tortoise into the water.
This treatise I have made is mixed with amusing words and laughter. But even these words could injure the true teaching, so observe for yourself whether they really do seem true. This treatise is like hitter medicine mixed with sugar; it destroys disease. Laughter in the midst of right teaching may he compared to the elixir of Buddha's calm and tranquil Way; it illuminates the world. With these stories I have tried to reveal this equanimity. Like purging the bowels or covering the body with fragrant oils, like the medicine of immortality wrapped in a leaf, after applying the medicine the leaf is thrown away. Laughter is like the leaf wrapper, the true teaching is inside; those who are wise should take the true teaching and throw the laughter away.
Monk Sanghasena has completed the flower garland of the fools.
KAZUAKI TANAHASHI is an artist, writer, translator, and peacc and em ironmcntal activist born and trained in Japan in painting and calligraphy. Among his many publications as author or translator are Moon in a Dewdrop: Writings of Zen Master Dogen, Essential Zen, Brush .blind, Miracles of the Moment, Penetrating Laughter: Hokum's Zen and Art, and Enlightenment Unfolds.
PETER LEVITT is a past recipient of the prestigious Lannan AN%ard in Poetry and the author of Bright Root, Dark Root; One Hundred Butterflies; and the recently published Fingerpainting on the Moon. He also edited and '.Tote the Introduction to Jakusho Kwong Roshi's No Beginning, No End: The Intimate Heart of Zen and the best-selling book The Heart of Understanding by Thich Nhat Hanh.
A NOTE ON THE ILLUSTRATIONS 'hhc illustrations for A Flock of h,ol, were prepared especiallv for this book by Kazuaki Tanahashi.
A NOTE ON THE TYPOGRAPHY The text of this hook was set in Pcrpetua, the fir>t typeface designed by Eric Gill (1882-1940), a stonecaryer, sculptor, and type designer. The font Was to he based on Gill's roman lettering, itself an adaptation of the classic Roman letterforms found on theTrajan column. It takes its name from the limited edition book for Which it was first used, The Passion of Perpenm and Felicity, published in 1928. The italic form was originally called Felicity. Perpetua letters are simple and classical in their form. Its clean chiseled look recalls Gill's stonecutting work and makes an excellent text typeface. The serifs in particular are sharply cut. It was released by the Lanston Monotype Corporation, London, circa 1928. Its flowing grace, elegance, and stately structure makes it one of the most beautiful of typefaces.
Composed and designed In Charles Rue Woods
I'roducrd he Muriel Jorgensen
Printed and hound by R. R. Donnelley & Sons,
Crays l,rdscillc, Indiana
