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The Priest Who Gambled With a Life
[Misguided Morality]
Story 62

Once upon a time, there was a king who loved to gamble with his royal priest. When he threw the dice, he always recited this lucky charm:
"If tempted any woman will, for sure,Give up her faithfulness and act impure."
Amazing as it may seem, by using this charm the king always won! Before long, the royal priest lost almost every penny he owned.
He thought, "I have lost almost all my wealth to the king. It must be because of his lucky charm. I need to find a way to break the spell and win back my money. I must find a pure woman who has never had anything to do with a man. Then I will lock her up in my mansion and force her to remain faithfull to me!"
This seemed like a good plan to him. But then he started having doubts. He thought, "It would be nearly impossible to keep a woman pure after she had already become accustomed to men. Therefore I must find the purest woman possible - one who has never even seen a man!"
Just then he happened to see a poor woman passing by. She was pregnant. The royal priest was an expert in reading the meaning of marks on the body. So he could tell that the unborn baby was a girl. And the thought occurred to him, "Aha! Only an unborn baby girl has never seen a man!"
The royal priest was willing to do anything to beat the king at dice. So he paid the poor woman to stay in his house and have her baby there. When the wonderful little girl was born, the priest bought her from her mohter. Then he made sure she was raised only by women. She never saw a man - except of course the royal priest himself. When she grew up, he still kept her completely under his control. It ws just as if he owned the poor girl!
The cruel priest did all this only because of his gambling habit. While the girl was growing up , he had avoided playing dice with the king. Now that she was of age, and still his prisoner, he challenged the king to a game of dice once again.
The king agreed. After they had made their bets, the king shook the dice and repeated his favourite lucky charm:
"If tempted any woman will, for sure,Give up her faithfulness and act impure."
But just before he threw down the dice, the priest added:
"Except my woman - faithful evermore!"
Lo and behold, the king's charm didn't work. He lost that bet, and from then on the priest won every throw of the dice.
The king was puzzled by this turn of events. After considering, he thought, "This priest must have a pure woman locked up at home, one who is forced to be faithful to him alone. That's why my lucky charm doesn't work anymore."
He investigated and discovered what the cruel priest had done. So he sent for a well-known playboy character. He asked him if he could cause the lady's downfall. He replied, "No problem my lord!" The king paid him handsomely and told him to do the job quickly.
The man bought a supply of the finest perfumes and cosmetics. He set up a shop just outside the royal priest's mansion. This mansion was seven stories high, with seven entrance gates - one on each floor. Each gate was guarded by women, and no man except the priest was allowed to enter.
The priest's lady was waited on by only one servant. She carried everything in and out, including perfumes and cosmetics. The priest gave her money for her purchases.
The playboy saw the servant going in and out of the priest's mansion. Soon he realised she was the one who could get him inside. So he devised a plan and hired some cronies to help him.
The next moring, when the serving lady went out to do her shopping, the playboy dramatically fell to the ground before her. Grabbing her knees tearfully cried, "Oh my dear mother, it's so wonderful to see you again after such a long time!"
Then his cronies chimed in, "Yes yes, this must be she! She looks the same - her hands anf feet and face and type of dress. Yes yes, this must be she!" They all kept saying how amazing it was that her looks had changed so little in all that time.
The poor woman must have had a long lost son, for soon she was convinced this must be he. She hugged the king's clever playboy, and both sobbed tears of joy over their miraculous reunion.
In between bouts of sobbing, the man was able to ask her. "Oh dear dear mother, where are you living now?" "I live next door," she said, "in the royal priest's mansion. Night and day I serve his young woman. Her beauty is without equal, like the mermaids sailors love to praise."
He asked, "Where are you going now, mother?" "I'm going shopping for her perfumes and cosmetics, my son." "There's no need, mother," he said, "from now on I will give you the best perfumes and cosmetics free of charge!" So he gave them to her, along with a bouquet of lovely flowers.
When the priest's lady saw all these, much better quality than usual, she asked why the priest was so happy with her. "No no," said the serving woman, "these are not from the priest. I got them at my son's shop." From then on she got perfumes an cosmetics from the playboy's shop, and kept the priest's money.
After a while the playboy began the next part of his plan. He pretended to be sick and stayed in bed.
When the servant came to the shop she asked, "Where is my son?" She was told he was too sick to work, and was taken to see him. She began massaging his back and asked, "What happened to you, my son?" He replied, "Even if I were about to die, I couldn't tell you, my mother."
She continued, "If you can't tell me, whom can you tell?" Then according to his plan, he broke down and admitted to her, "I was fine until you told me about your beautiful mistress - 'like the mermaids sailors love to praise'. Because of your description, I have fallen in love with her. I must have her. I can't live without her. I'm so depressed, without her I'll surely die!"
Then the woman said, "Don't worry, my son, leave it up to me." She took even more perfumes and cosmetics to the priest's lady. She said to her, "My lady, after my son heard from me about your beauty, he fell madly in love with you! I don't know what to do next!"
Since the priest was the only man she had ever seen, the lady was curious. And of course she resented being locked up by force. So she said, "If you can sneak him into my room, it's all right with me!"
Everything the servant took in and out was searched by the woman guards at the seven gates. So she had to have a plan. She swept up all the dust and dirt she could find in the whole mansion. Then she began taking some of it out each day in a large covered flower basket. Whenever she was searched, she made sure some of the dust and dirt got on the guard women's faces. This made them sneeze and cough. Pretty soon they stopped searching her when she went in and out.
Finally one day she hid the playboy in her covered flower basket. He was trim and fit, not heavy at all. She was able to sneak him past all seven guarded gates, and into the priest's lady's private chamber. The two lovers stayed together for several days and nights. So the palyboy was able to destroy her perfect faithfulness, which had been forced on her by the coldhearted priest.
Eventually she told him it was time to go. He said, "I will go. But first, since the old priest has been so mean to you, let me give him one good blow to the head!" She agreed and hid him in a closet. This too was part of his secret plan.
When the priest arrived, his lady said, "My lord and master, I"m so happy today! I'd like to dance while you play the guitar."
The priest said, "Of course, my beauty." "But I'm too shy to dance in front of you," she added, "so please wear this blindfold while I dance." Again he agree to her request and she put a blindfold over his eyes.
The priest played a pretty tune on his complicated Indian guitar, while his lady danced. After a bit she said, "As part of my dance, won't you let me give you a tap on the head?" "As you wish, my dear," he said.
Then she motioned to the playboy, who came out of the closet, snuck up from behind, and hit the old priest on the head! His eyes nearly popped out, and a bump began rising from the blow. He cried out and the lady put her hand in his. He said, "Such a soft hand sure can deliver a wallop, my dear!"
The playboy returned to the closet. The lady removed the priest's blindfold and put some ointment on his bump. When he had left, the serving woman hid the playboy in her flower basket and smuggled him out of the mansion. He went immediately to the king and told him the whole story, in a very boastful way of course.
The next day the royal priest went to the palace as usual. The king said, "Shall we gamble on the throw of the dice?" The priest, expecting to win once more, agreed. Just as before, the king recited his lucky charm:
"If tempted any woman will, for sure,Give up her faithfulness and act impure."
As usual the priest added:
"Except my woman - faithful evermore!"
But lo and behold the dice fell in the king's favour and he took the priest's money.
The king said, "Oh priest, your woman is no exception! True faithfulness cannot be forced! Your plan was to snatch a newborn baby girl, lock her up behind seven gates guarded by seven guards, and force her to be good. But you have failed. Any prisoner's greatest wish is freedom!"
"She blindfolded you and then her playboy lover gave you that bump on your old bald head - which proves your gates and guards were useless!"
The priest returned home and accused his lady. But in the meantime, she had come up with a plan of her own. She said, "No no, my lord, I have been completely faithful to you. No man has ever touched me except you! And I will prove it in a trial by fire. I will walk on fire without being burned to prove I speak the truth."
She ordered the old servant woman to fetch her son, the playboy. She was to tell him to take the lady by the hand and prevent her from stepping in the flames. This the woman did.
On the day of the trial by fire, the priest's lady said to the crowd of onlookers, "I have never been touched by any man except this priest, my master. By this truth, may the fire have no power over me."
Then, just as she was about to step into the fire, the playboy leaped from the crowd and grabbed her hand. He shouted, "Stop! Stop! How can this priest be so cruel as to force this tender young lady into a raging fire!"
She shook her hand free and said to the priest, "My lord, since this man has touched my hand, the trial by fire is useless. But you can see my good intention!"
The priest realised he had been tricked. He beat her as he drove her away forever. At last she was free of him, and mistress of her own fate.
The moral is: You can't force someone to be good

A Prince of Monkeys
[Carefulness]
Story 58
Once upon a time there was a cruel monkey king who ruled in the Himalayas. All the monkeys in his band were his own wives and children. He was afraid that one of his sons might grow up and take over as king. So it was his policy to bite each son after he was born. This altered him so he would be too weak to ever challenge his father.
A certain wife of the monkey king was pregnant. Just in case the unborn one was a son, she wanted to protect him from the cruel policy of her husband. So she ran away to a forest as the foot of a distant mountain. There she soo gave birth to a bright little baby boy monkey.
Before long this baby grew up to be big and strong. One day he asked his mother, "Where is my father?" She told him, "He is a king of a band of monkeys living at the foot of a far-off mountain. That makes you a prince!"
The prince of monkeys said, "Kindly take me to my father." His mother said, "No my son, I am afraid to do so. Your father bites all of his sons in order to weaken them for life. He is afraid one of his sons will replace him as king." The prince said, "Don't be afraid for me, mother. I can take care of myself." This gave her confidence, so she agreed and took him to his father.
When the cruel old king saw his strong young son, he thought, "I have no doubt that when this my son grows stronger he will steal my kingdom from me. Therefore I must kill him while I still can! I will hug him, pretending it is out of love for him. But really I will squeeze him to death!"
The king welcomed his son, saying, "Ah, my long lost son! Where have you been all this time? I have missed you dearly." Then he took him in his arms and hugged him. He kept squeezing harder and harder, trying to squeeze the life out of him! But the prince of monkeys was as strong as an elephant. He hugged his father right back. He squeezed him tighter and tighter, until he could feel the old king's rib bones starting to crack!
After this terrible greeting, the monkey king was even more terrified that one day his son would kill him. He thought, "Nearby there is a pond possessed by a water demon. It would be easy to get him to eat my son. Then my problems would be over!"
The monkey king said, "Oh my dear son, now is the perfect time for you to come home. For I am old and I would like to hand over my band of monkeys to you. But I need flowers for the coronation ceremony. Go to the nearby pond and bring babck two kinds of white water lilies, three kinds of blue water lilies and five types of lotuses."
The prince of monkeys said, "Yes my father, I will go and get them."
When he arrived at the pond, he saw that there were many kinds of water lilies and lotuses growing all over it. But instead of jumping right in and picking them, he investigated carefully. He walked slowly along the bank. He noticed there were footprints going into the pond, but none coming out! After considering, he realised this was a sure sign the pond was possessed by a water demon. He also realised his father must have sent thim there to be killed.
He investigated further, until he found a narrow part of the pond. There, with great effort, he was able to jump from one side clear across to the other. In the midst of his leap he reached down and picked flowers, without actually getting into the water. Then he jumped back again, picking more flowers. He continued jumping back and forth, collecting lots of flowers.
Suddenly the water demon stuck his head up above the water. He exclaimed, "In all the time I've lived here, I have never seen anyone, man or beast, as wise as this monkey! He has picked all the flowers he wanted, without ever coming within the grasp of my power, here in my kingdom of water."
Then the ferocious demon made a path for himself through the water and came up onto the bank. He said, "My lord, king of monkeys, there are three qualities that make a person unbeatable by his enemies. It appears that you have all three - skill, courage and wisdom. You must be truly invincible! Tell me, mighty one, why have you collected all those flowers?"
The prince of monkeys replied, "My father wants to make me king in his place. He sent me to gather these flowers for the coronation ceremony."
The water demon said, "You are too noble to be burdened by carrying these flowers. Let me carry them for you." He picked up all the flowers and followed him.
From a distance, the monkey king saw the water demon carrying the flowers and following the prince. He thought, "I sent him to get flowers, thinking he would be eaten by the demon. But instead he has made the water demon his servant. I am lost!"
The monkey king was afraid all his unwholesome deeds had caught up with him. He went into a sudden panic, which caused his heart to bread into seven pieces. Of course this killed him on the spot!
The monkey band voted to make the strong young prince the new king.
The moral is: It pays to be careful.

Mr. Monkey and Sir Crocodile
[Good Manners]Story 57

Once upon a time, Mr. Monkey was living by himself near a riverbank. He was very strong, and he was a great jumper.
In the middle of the river there was a beautiful island covered with mango, jackfruit and other fruit trees. There happened to be a rock sticking out of the water halfway between the bank and the island. Although it looked impossible, Mr. Monkey was used to jumping from the riverbank to the rock, and from the rock to the island. He would eat fruits all day and then return home by the same route each evening.
A high class couple was living next to the same river - Sir Crocodile and Lady Crocodile. They were expecting their first brood of baby crocks. Because she was pregnant, Lady Crocodle sometimes wished for strange things to eat. So she made unusual demands on her faithful husband.
Lady Crocodile had been amazed, just like the other animals, by the way Mr. Monkey jumped back and forth to the island. One day she developed a sudden craving to eat the heart of Mr. Monkey! She told Sir Crocodile about her desire. To please her, he promised to get Mr. Monkey's heart for her in time for dinner.
Sir Crocodile went and laid himself down on the rock between the riverbank and the island. He waited for Mr. Monkey to return that evening, planning to catch him.
As usual, Mr. Monkey spent the rest of the day on the island. When it was time to return to his home on the riverbank, he noticed that the rock seemed to have grown. It was higher above water than he remembered it. He investigated and saw that the river level was the same as in the morning, yet the rock was definitely higher. Immediately he suspected the cunning Sir Crocodile.
To find out for sure, he called out in the direction of the rock, "Hi there, Mr. Rock! how are you?" He yelled this three times. Then he shouted, "You used to answer me when I spoke to you. But today you say nothing. What's wrong with you, Mr. Rock?"
Sir Crocodile thought, "No doubt on other days this rock used to talk to the monkey. I can't wait any longer for this dumb rock to speak! I will just have to speak for the rock, and trick the monkey." So he shouted, "I'm fine, Mr. Monkey. What do you want?"
Mr. Monkey asked, "Who are you?"
Without thinking, the crocodile replied, "I'm Sir Crocodile."
"Why are you lying there?" asked the monkey.
Sir Crocodile said, "I'm expecting to take your heart! There's no escape for you, Mr. Monkey."
The clever monkey thought, "Aha! He's right - there's no other way back to the riverbank. So I will have to trick him."
Then he yelled, "Sir Crocodile my friend, it looks like your've got me. So I'll give you my heart. Open your mouth and take it when I come your way."
When sir Crocodile opened his mouth, he opened it so wide his eyes were squeezed shut. When Mr. Monkey saw this, he immediately jumped onto the top of Sir Crocodile's head, and then instantly to the riverbank.
When Sir Crocodile realised he'd been outsmarted, he admired Mr. Monkey's victory. Like a good sport in a contest, he praised the winner. he said, "Mr. Monkey, my intention towards you was unwholesome - I wanted to kill you and take you heart just to please my wife. But you wanted only to save yourself and harm no one. I congratulate you!"
Then Sir Crocodile returned to Lady Crocodile. At first she was displease with him, but when the little ones came they forgot their troubles for a time.
The moral is: A good loser is a true gentleman

Two Mothers
[Renunciation] Story 61

Once upon a time there was a very well-known teacher in the city of Takkasila, in northern India. He taught religion, as well as all other subjects. His knowledge was enormous and his teaching ability made him world famous.
At that time a son was born to a rich family in Benares. The family kept a holy fire burning constantly from that day on. When the son turned 16, they gave him a choice. They said, "This holy fire has been burning since your birth. If you wish to be reborn in a high heaven world, take it into the forest and worship the fire god."
"However, if you wish to live the home life of a family man, you must learn how to manage the wealth of our family in the affairs of the world. If that is the life you choose, go and study under the world famous teacher of Takkasila."
The young man said, "I don't want to be a holy man. I would much rather be a family man. Then I will be happy for the rest of my life." So his parents went him to the world famous teacher. They gave him a thousand gold coins to pay for his lessons.
After several years the man graduated with honours and returned home to Benares.
Meanwhile, his parents had come to wish more and more that he would become a holy man in the forest. This was just as they had wished on the day he was born. His mother wanted the best life possible for her son. She thought, "My son wants to marry and raise a family. He does not realise how dangerous a wicked woman can be to a man. I must find a way to get his teacher to teach him this."
So the wise woman asked her son, "Did you earn only the Ordinary Degree without also obtaining the higher Unhappiness Degree?" Her son replied, "I have earned only the Ordinary Degree."
His mother said, "How can you be called educated in the ways of the world if you have learned nothing about unhappiness? Return to the great teacher and ask for the Unhappiness Degree." The son dutifully followed his good mother's advice and returned to Takkasila.
It just so happened that the world famous teacher had a mother who was 120 years old. She was blind and very weak. The teacher bathed and fed and cared for her with his own hands. Since it took more and more of his time, he was forced to give up teaching. He and his mother moved into a forest hut, where he looked after her day and night.
When the young student arrived from Benares he found that his old teacher was no long at the college. Hearing that he had retired to the forest, he went and found him there.
After greeting each other, the teacher asked him, "Why have you come back so soon?" He replied, "Honourable professor, you did not give me the Unhappiness Degree." "Who told you about that degree?" asked the teacher. "My mother, sir," he said.
The teacher thought, "I've never heard of such a degree! No doubt his wise mother wanted me to teach him how wicked some women can be. For they bring great unhappiness to men."
He said, "All right, I will teach you so you can earn this high degree. The course is a work-study program. Your lessons will consist of taking care of my old mother for me. You will bathe, feed and care for her tenderly with your own hands."
"While you are washing and massaging her body, you must say, 'Dear lady, even in your old age your skin remains fair and beautiful.' You must constantly exaggerate her beauty in this way, saying, 'When you were young, you must have been even more beautiful!' And if she says anything to you, you must tell me without shame, whatever it is, hiding nothing."
"If you do these things correctly, you will earn the Unhappiness Degree. Then your mother will be proud of you."
The student agreed and began tending to the 120 year-old lady. He bathed and fed her with his own hands. He massaged her arms, legs, back and head.While doing this he said, "Madam, it is marvelous indeed! Even in such great old age, your arms and legs are so very beautiful! I can guess how beautiful yo were in your youth!" In this wasy he exaggerated her beauty again and again, for many days.
Gradually, desire began to arise in the old lady's mind. Even though she knew she was blind and her body was rotten from old age, she thought, "No doubt this young man would like to live with me like a husband." So she asked him, "Do you want to be with me like a husband and wife?"
The man replied, "Oh yes of course, madam. I want to very much. But how can I? Your son is my teacher and he is very respectable. It would cause such a scandal! I will not dishonour my teacher."
Then the teacher's mother said, "Well in that case, if you really want to be with me, then kill my son.!"
The student said, "How can I kill him when I have been studying with him for so long? How can I kill him just because of this desire for you?" Then she said, "If you will stay with me and not desert me, I will kill him myself!"
As he had agreed, the student went to the world famous teacher and told him all that had taken place. Amazingly, the teacher did not seem surprised. He said, "You have done well to tell me this, my pupil. I appreciate your good work."
Then he examined his mother's horoscope and discovered that this was to be the day of her death. He said, "I will arrange a test for her."
The teacher carved a statue from the soft wood of a tree limb. He made it look exactly like himself, life-size. He laid it in his own bed and pulled the sheet up over it. He attached a long string to it and gave it to his pupil. He told him, "Now take this string and axe to my mother. Tell her it is time to do the killing."
Obediently the student returned to the blind old lady. He said, "Madam, my master is sleeping in his bed. If you follow this string it will lead you to him. Then kill him with this axe, if you really can do such a thing!"
She replied, "If you do not abandon me, I will do it." He said, "Why should I abandon you?"
Then she took the axe in her hands. She trembled as she stood up. Slowly she followed the string to her son's bed. She felt the statue and thought she recognised her son. She pulled down the sheet from the head and raised the axe. Thinking to kill him with one blow, she struck the neck as hard as she could with the axe. But it made a thumping sound, so she knew she had struck wood.
The teacher asked, "What are you doing, my mother?" Suddenly she realised she had been decieved and discovered. The shock was so overwhelming that she dropped dead on the spot! This time the horoscope had been correct.
The world famous teacher respectrully burned his mother's body and offered flowers on her ashes.
Then he said to his pupil, "My son, there really is no such thing as the 'Unhappiness Degree'. Wicked women cause unhappiness. You are fortunate to have such a good and wise mother. By sending you here to earn the Unhappiness Degree, she wanted you to learn how evil some women can be."
"You have seen with your own eyes how my mother was filled with craving and vanity. She has taught you this lesson. Now return to your wise mother, who cares so much for your well-being."
When he arrived home his mother asked, "My dear son, have you finally earned the high degree in the subject of Unhappiness?" He replied, "Yes mother."
Then she said, "I ask you again, my son, do you wish to leave the worldy life and go into the forest to worship the fire god? Or do you wish to marry and lead the family life?"
Her son replied, "I do not wish to lead the family life. I have seen with my own eyes how evil some women can be. There is no limit to their craving and vanity. Therefore I want nothing to do with family life. I will seek peace as a forest monk."
He respectfully took leave of his parents. After many years of peaceful meditation in the forest, he eventually died and was reborn in a high heaven world.
The moral is: Wickedness between women and men brings unhappiness to both.

A Huge Lump of Gold
[Moderation]
Story 56
Once upon a time there was a rich village. The wealthiest of the villagers decided to hide a huge lump of gold to protect it from bandits and robbers. So he buried in in a nearby field.
Many years later, the village was no longer rich, and the rice field was abandoned and unused. A poor farmer decided to plow the field. After some time plowing, it just so happened that his plow struck the long-forgotten buried treasure.
At first he thought it must be a very hard tree root. But when he uncovered it, he saw that is was beautiful shining gold. Since it was daytime he was afraid to try and take it with him. So he covered it up again and waited for nightfall.
The poor farmer returned in the middle of the night. Again he uncovered the golden treasure. He tried to lift it, but it was far too heavy. He tied ropes around it and tried to drag it. But it was so huge he couldn't budge it an inch. He became frustrated, thinking he was lucky to find a treasure, and unlucky to not be able to take it with him. He even tried kicking the lump of gold. But again it wouldn't budge an inch!
Then he sat down and began to consider the situation. He decided the only thing to do was to break the lump of gold into four smaller lumps. Then he could carry home one piece at a time.
He thought, "One lump I will use for ordinary day-to-day living living. The second lump I will save for a rainy day. The third lump I will invest in my farming business. And poor and needy and for other good works."
With a calm mind he divided the huge lump of gold into these four smaller lumps. Then it was easy to carry them home on four separate trips.
Afterwards he lived happily.
The moral is: "Dont bit off more than you can chew."

Story 55

Prince Five-Weapons and Sticky-Hair
[The Diamond Weapon]
Once upon a time, the Enlightenment Being was born as the son of the King and Queen of Benares. On the day of his naming, 800 fortune tellers were invited to the palace. As jpresents, they were given whatever they desired to make them happy for the moment. The they were asked to tell the forturne of the newborn prince. This was so they could find a good name for him.
One of the fortune tellers was an expert in reading the marks of the body. He said, "My lord, this is a being of great merit. He will be king after you."
The fortune tellers were very clever. They told the king and queen whatever they wanted to hear. They said, "Your son will be skilled in five weapons. He will become famous as the greatest master of all five weapons throughout India." Based on this, the king and queen named their son 'Prince Five-Weapons'.
When the prince turned 16, the king decided to send him to college. He said, "Go, my son, to the city of Takkasila. There you will find a world famous teacher. Learn all you can from him. Give him this money as payment." He gave him a thousand gold coins and sent him on his way.
The prince went to the world famous teacher of Takkasila. He studied very hard and became his best pupil. When the teacher had taught him all he knew, he gave the prince a special graduation award. He gave him five weapons. Then he sent him back to Benares.
On his way home he came to a forest which was haunted by a monster. The local people warned Prince Five-Weapons, "Young man, don't go through the forest. There is a monstrous demon called Sticky-Hair living there. He kills everyone he sees!"
But the prince was self-confident and fearless like a young lion. So he pushed on into the forest, until he came to the dreadful monster. He was tall as a tree, witha head as big as the roof of a house and eyes as big as dishes. He had two big yellow tuskes sticking out of his gaping white mouth filled with ugly brown teeth. He had a huge belly with white spots, and his hands feet were blue.
The monster roared and growled at the prince, "Where are you going in my forest, little man? You look like a tasty morsel to me. I'm going to gobble you up!"
The prince had just graduated from gollege and had won the highest award form his teacher. So he thought he knew just about everything, and that he could do just about anything. He replied, "Oh fierce demon, I am Prince Five-Weapons, and I have come on purpose to find you. I dare you to attack me! I will kill you easily with my first two weapons - my bow and poison-tipped arrows."
Then he put a poison arrow in his bow and shot straight at the monster. But the arrow just stuck fast to his hair, like glue, without hurting him at all. Then The prince shot, one after another, all the rest of his 50 poisen-tipped arrows. But they also fast to the hair of the one called Sticky-Hair.
Then the beast shook his body, from ugly rooftop-sized head to blue-coloured feet. And all the arrows fell harmlessly to the ground.
Prince Five-Weapons drew his third weapon, a 33-inch-long sword. He plunged it into his enemy. But it just stuck fast in the coat of sticky hair.
He threw his fourth weapon, his spear, at the monster. But this too just stuck to his hair.
Next he attacked with the last of his five weapons, his club. This also stuck fast onto Sticky-Hair.
Then the prince yelled at him, "Hey you, monster, haven't you ever heard of me, Prince Five-Weapons? I have more than just my five weapons. I have the strength of my young man's body. I will break you into pieces!"
He hit Sticky-Hair with his right fist, just like a boxer. But his hand just stuck to the hairy coat, and he couldn't remove it. He him him with his left fist, but this too just stuck fast to the gooey mess of hair. He kicked him with his right foot and then his left, just like a martial arts master. But they both stuck onto him like his fists. Finally he butted him as hard as he could with his head, just like a wrestler. But, lo and behold, his head got stuck as well.
Even while sticking to the hairy monster in five places, hanging down from his coat, the prince had no fear.
Sticky-Hair thought, "This is very strange indeed. He is more like a lion than a man. Even while in the grasp of a ferocious monster like me, he does not tremble with fear. In all the time I've been killing people in this forest, I've never met anyone as great as this prince. Why isn't he afraid of me?"
Since Prince Five-Weapons was not like ordinary men, Sticky-Hair was afraid to eat him right away. Instead he asked him, "Young man, why aren't you afraid of death?"
The prince replied, "Why should I be afraid of death? There is no doubt that anyone who is born will definetly die!"
Then the Enlightenment Being thought, "The five weapons given to me by the world famous teacher have been useless. Even the lion-like strength of my young man's body has been useless. I must go beyond my teacher, beyond my body, to the weapon inside my mind - the only weapon I need."
The prince continued speaking to Sticky-Hair, "There's one small detail, oh monstrous one, I haven't told you about yet. In my belly is my secret weapon, a diamond weapon you cannot digest. It will cut your intestines into pieces if you are foolish enough to swallow me. So if I die - you die! That's why I'm not afraid of you."
In this way the prince used his greatest inner strenght in a way that Sticky-Hair could easily understand. He knew this greatest of all weapons, the one inside his mind, was the precious diamond gem of his own intelligence.
Sticky-Hair thought, "No doubt this fearless man is telling the truth. Even if I eat as much as a pea-sized tidbit of such a hero, I won't be able to digest it. So I will let him go." Fearing his own death, he set Prince Five-Weapons free.
He said, "You are a great man. I will not eat your flesh. I let you go free, just like the moon that reappears after an eclipse, so you may shine pleasantly on all your friends and relatives."
The Enlightenment Being had leaned from this battle with the monster Sticky-Hair. He had learned the only worthwile weapon is the intelligence inside, not the weapons of the world outside. And with this diamond weapon he also knew that destroying life brings only suffering to the killer.
In gratitude, he taught the unfortunate demon. He said, "Oh Sticky-Hair, you have been born as a murderous blood sucking flesh eating demon because of unwholesome deeds in your past. If you continue killing in this way, it will lead only to suffering for you - both in this life and beyond. You can only go from darkness to darkness."
"Now that you have spared me, you won't be able to kill so easily. Hear this - destroying life leads to misery in this world, and then rebirth in a hell world, or as and animal or a hungry ghost. Even if you were lucky enough to be reborn as a human being, you would have only a short life!"
Prince Five-Weapons continued to teach Sticky-Hair. Eventually the monster agreed to follow the Five Training steps. In this way he transformed him from a monster into a friendly forest fairy. And when he left the forest, the prince told the local people about the change in the onetime demon. From then on they fed him regularly and lived in peace.
Prince Five-Weapons returned to Benares. Later he became king. Finally he died and was reborn as he deserved.
The moral is: The only weapon you need is hidden inside you

The Whatnot Tree
[Prudence]

Once upon a time there was a caravan leader. He went from country to country selling various good. His caravans uaually had at least 500 bullock carts.
On one of these trips his path led through a very thick forest. Before entering it, he called together all the members of the caravan. He warned them, "My friends, when you go through this forest be careful to avoid the poisonous trees, poisonous fruits, poisonous leaves, poisonous flowers and even poisonous honeycombs.
"Therefore, whatever you have not eaten before - whether a fruit, leaf, flower or anything else - must not be eaten without asking me first." They all said respectfully, "Yes sir."
There was a village in the forest. Just outside teh village stood a tree called a 'whatnot tree'. Its trunk, branches, leaves, flowers and fruits look very similar to a mango tree. Even the colour, shape, smell and taste are almost exactly the same as a mango tree. But unlike a mango, the whatnot fruit is a deadly poison!
Some went ahead of the caravan and came upon the whatnot tree. They were all hungry, and the whatnot fruits looked like delicious ripe mangos. Some started eating the fruits immediately, without thinking at all. They devoured them before anyone could say a word.
Others remembered the leader's warning, but they thought this was just a different variety of mango tree. They thought they were lucky to find ripe mangos right next to a village. So they decided to eat some of the fruits before they were all gone.
There were also some who were wise that the rest. They decided it would be safer to obey the warning of the caravan leader. Although they didn't know it, he just happened to be the Enlightenment Being.
When the leader arrived at the tree, the ones who had been careful and noot eaten asked, "Sir, what is this tree? Is it safe to eat these fruits?"
After investigating thoughtfully he replied, "No no. This may look like a mango tree, but is isn't. It is a poisonous whatnot tree. Don't even touch it!"
The ones who already eaten the whatnot fruit were terrified. The caravan leader told them to make themselves vomit as soon as possible. They did this, and then were given four sweet foods to eat - raisins, cane sugar paste, sweet yogurt and bee's honey. In this way thier taste buds were refreshed after throwing up the poisonous whatnot fruit.
Unfortunately, the greediest and most foolish ones could not be saved. They were the ones who had started eating the poisonous fruit immediately, without thinking at all. It was too late for them. The poison had already started doing its work, and it killed them.
In the past, when caravans had come to the whatnot tree, the people had eaten its poisonous fruits and died in their sleep during the night. The next morning the local villagers had come to the campsite. They had grabbed the dead bodies by the legs, dragged them to a secret hiding place, and buried them. Then they had taken for themselves all the merchandise and bullock carts of the caravan.
They expected to do the same thing this time. At dawn the next morning the villagers ran towards the whatnot ree. They said to each other, "The bullocks will be mine!" "I want the carts and wagons!" "I will take the loads of merchandise!"
But when they got to the whatnot tree they saw that most of the people in the caravan were alive and well. In surprise, they asked them, "How did you know this was not a mango tree?" They answered, "We did not know, but our leader had warned us head of time, and when he saw it he knew."
Then the villagers asked the caravan leader, "Oh wise one, how did you know this was not a mango tree?"
He replied, "I knew it for two reasons. First, this tree is easy to climb. And second, it is right next to a village. If the fruits on such a tree remain unpicked, they cannot be safe to eat!"
Everyone was amazed that such lifesaving wisdom was base on such simple common sense. The caravan continued on its way safely.
The moral is: The wise are led by common sense; fools follow only hunger

A Gang of Drunkards
[Sobriety]

Once uopn a time, when Brahmadatta was king, the Enlightenment Being was born in a wealthy family. He became the richest man in Benares.
There also happened to be a gang of drunkards who roamed the streets. All they ever thought about was finding ways to get alcohol, the drug they thought they couldn't live without.
One day, when they had run out of money as usual, they came up with a scheme to rob the richest man in Benares. But they din't realise that he was the reborn Bodhisatta, so he wouldn't be so easy to fool!
They decided to make a 'Mickey Finn', which is a drink of liquor with a sleeping drug secretly added to it. Their plan was to get the rich man to drink the Mickey Finn. Then when he fell asleep they would rob all his money, jewelry, and even the rich clothes he wore. So they set up a temporary little roadside bar. They put their last remaining liquor into a bottle, and mixed in some strong sleeping pills.
Later the rich man came by on his way to the palace. One of the alcoholics called out to him, "Honorable sir, why not start your day right - by having a drink with us? And the first one is on the house!" Then he poured a glass of the dishonest liquor.
But the Enlightenment Being did not drink any form of alcohol. Nevertheless, he wondered why these drunkards were being so generous with their favorite drug. I just wasn't like them.
He realised it must be some kind of trick So he decided to teach them a lesson. He said, "It would be an insult to appear before the king in a drunken state, or with even the slightest smell of liquor on my breath. But please be so kind as to wait for me here. I'll see you again when I return from the palace."
The drunkards were disappointed. They would not be able to drink again as soon as they wanted. But they decided to be pateint and wait.
Later that day the rich man came back to the little roadside bar. The alcoholics were getting desperate for a drnk. They called him over, "Honorable sir, why not celebrate your visit to the king? Have a drink of this fine liquor. Remember, the first one is free!"
But the rich man just kept looking at the liquor bottle and glass. He said, "I don't trust you. That and glass of liquor are exactly as they were this morning. If it were as good as you say it is, you would have tasted some yourselves by now. In fact, you couldn't help but drink it all! I'm no fool. You must have added another drug to alcohol."
The richest man in benares went on his way, and the gang of drunkards went back to their plotting and scheming.
The moral is: Keep sober - and keep your common sense

King Fruitfull and Queen Sivali
Chapter 3
[Givining Up Power]

This story happened very long ago, at a time when people lived much onger lives, even 10,000 years! After King Fruitful had ruled for about 7,000 years, it just so happened that the royal gardener brought flowers. He especially wonderful collection of fruits and flowers. He liked them so much that he wanted to see the garden. So the gardener arranged and decorated the garden, and invited him to visit.
The king set out on a royal elephant, followed by the entire court and many of the ordinary people of Mithila. When he entered through the garden gate he saw two beautiful mango trees. One was full of perfectly ripe mangos, while the other was completely without fruit. He took one of the fruits and enjoyed its delicious sweet taste. He decided to to eat more of them on his return trip.
When the people saw that the king had eaten the first fruit, they knew it was all right for them to eat. In no time at all the mangos had been eaten. When the fruits were gone, some even broke twigs and stripped the leaves looking for more.
When King Fruitful returned he saw that the tree was stripped bare and nearly destroyed. At the same time the fruitless tree remained as beutiful as before, its bright green leaves shining in the sunlight.
The king asked him ministers, "What happened here?" They explained, "Since your majesty ate the first fruit, the people felt free to devour the rest. Searching for more fruits they even destroyed the leaves beautiful, since it has no fruit."
The king was saddened by this. He thought, "This fruitful tree was destroyed, but the fruitless one was spared. My kingship is like the fruitful tree - the more the power and possessions, the greater the fear of losing them. The holy life of a simple monk is like the fruitless tree- giving up power and possessions leads to freedom from fear."
So the Great Being decided to give up his wealth and power, to leave the glory of kingship behind, to abandon constant task of protecting his position. Instead he decided to put all his effort into living the pure life of a simple monk. Only then could he discover lasting deep happiness, which would spread to others as well.
He returned to the city. Standing next to the palace gate, he called for the commander of the army. He said, "From now one, no one is to see my face a servent bringing food and a servant bringing water and toothbrush. You and the ministers will rule according to the old law. I will live as simple monk on the top floor of the palace."
After he had lived for a while in this way, the people began to wonder about the change in him. One day a crowd gathered in the palace courtyard. They said, "Our king is not as he was before. He no longer wants to see dancing or listen to singing or watch bull fights and elephant fights or go his pleasure garden and see the swans on the servants who brought the king his food and water, "Does he tell you anything?"
They said, "He is trying to keep his mind from thinking desirable things, so it will be peacful and wholesome like the minds of his old friends, the Silent Buddhas. He is trying to develop the purity of the ones who own nothing but good qualities. Once we even heard him say out loud, 'I can think only of the Silent Buddhas, free from truly happy - who will take me to where they live?'"
King Frutful had been livng on the top floor of the palace trying to be a simple monk for only about four months. At that point he realised there were too many distractions in the beautiful kingdom of Mithila. He saw them as only an outer show keeping him from finding inner peace and Truth. So he decided, once and for all, to give up everything and become a forest monk and go live in the Himalaya Mountains.
He had the yellow robes and beggings bowl of a monk brought to him. He orderd the royal barber to shave his head and beard. Then early the next morning, he bagan walking down the royal staircase.
Meanwhile Queen Sivali had heard about his plans. She gathered together the 700 most beautiful queens of the royal harem and took them up the staircase. They passed King Fruitful coming down, but didn't recognise him dressed as a monk. When they got to the top floor, Queen Sivali found it empty, with only the king's shaven hair and beard still there. Instantly she realised the unknown monk must be her husband.
All 701 queens ran down the stairs to the palace courtyard. There they followed the king-turned-monk. As Queen Sivali had instructed them, they all let down their hair and tried to entice the king to stay. They cried and cried, pleading with him, "Why are you doing this?" Then all the people of the city became very upset and began following him. They were weeping as they cried out, "We have heard that our king has become a simple monk. How can we ever find such a good and fair ruler again?"
The 700 harem queens, wearing all their lovely veils and rich jewelery, crying and begging, did not change the mind of the Enlightenment Being. For he had made his decision and was determined to stick to it. He had given up the gold anointing bowl of state, which had passed the power of the royal family to him. Instead he now carried only the plain clay begging bowl of a humble monk, a seeker of Truth.
Finally Queen Sivali stopped crying. She saw that the beautiful queens from the harem had not stopped her husband. Sho she went to the commander of the army. She told him to set a fire among the slum houses and abandoned buildings that were in the king's path. She told him to set fires of brush and wet leaves in different areas of the city, to make a lot of smoke.
When this was done she fell to the ground at the king's feet and cried, "All Mithila is burning, my lord! The beautiful buildings with their valuable art works, precious metals and jewels, and treaures are all being destroyed. Return, oh king, and save your riches before it is too late."
But the Enlightenment Being replied, "All these things belong to others. I own nothing. So I'm not afraid of losing anything. And losing things can't manke me sad. My mind is at peace."
Then he left the city through the northern gate, still followed by all 701 queens. According to Queen Sevali's instructions, they showed him villages being robbed and destroyed. There were armed men attacking, while others seemed wounded and dead. But what looked like blood was really just red dye, and the dead were only pretending. The king knew it was a trick, since there were no actual robbers and plunderers in the kingdom in the first place.
After walking still farther, the king stopped and asked his ministers, "whose kingdom is this?" "Yours, oh lord," they said. "Then punish any who cross this line," he ordered, as he drew a line across the road. No one, including Queen Sivali, dared to cross the line. But when she saw the king continuing on down the road, with his back to her, she was grief-stricken. Beating her breast she fell across the line. Once the line was crossed, the whole crowd lost its fear and followed her.
Queen Sivali kept the army with her as the entire crowd kept following King Fruitful. He continued for many miles, heading for the Himalayas in the north.
Meanwhile, there was a very advance monk named Narada, who lived in a golden cave in the Himalayas. He was a very wise man. By great mental effort he had gained supernatural powers that only the highest holy men are said to have. After meditating in a wonderful trance for a full week he suddenly shouted, "What happiness! Oh what happiness!"
Then, using his special powers, he looked out over all India to see if there was anyone who was sincerely seeking that same happiness, free of all the distractions of the world. He saw only King Fruitful, the Bodhisatta who would someday become the Buddha. He saw that he had given up all his earthly power. And yet he was still following him from his prevous worldly life. In order to help and encougrage him, he magically flew through the air and floated in front of the king.
He asked King Fruitful, "Oh monk, why is this crowd with all its noise following you?" The king replied, "I have given up the power of kingship and left the world for good. This is why my former subjects follow me, even though I leave them happily."
The holy monk said, "Don't be too confident, oh monk. You haven't succeeded in leaving the world quit yet. For there are still obstacles insideof you. These are the 'Five Hindrances' - the desire for ordinary pleasures of sight, sound and so forth; the desire to harm others; laziness; nervous worrying; and unreasonable doubts. Therefore, practice the Perfections, be patient, and don't think either too much or too little of yourself."
He finished by saying, "I give you my blessing - may goodness, knowlege and Truth protect you on your way." Then he disappeared and reappeared back in his golden cave.
Due to this wise advice, King Fruitful became even less concernd with the crowd outside, realizing that the greatest obstacles, or hindrances, are the ones inside.
Meanwhile Queen Sivali fell at his feet once again. She pleaded, "Oh king, hear the wails of your subjects. Before leaving them for good, comfort them by crowning your son to rule in you place."
He replied, "I have already left my subjects, friends, relatives and my country behind. Have no fear, the nobles of Mithila have trained Prince Longlife well, and they will protect and support you both."
She continued,"Oh king, becoming a monk you are leaving me without a husband. What a shame! What am I to do?"
He said, "Only be careful to teach the prince no unwholesome thoughts, words or deeds. Otherwise you would bring painful results to yourself."
As the sun set, the queen made camp while the king went into the forest to sleep at the foot of a tree. The next day she continued to follow him, bringing the army with her. They approached a small city.
It just so happened that a man in the city had bought a fine piece of meat from a butcher. After cooking it he placed it on a table to cool, when a stray dog grabbed it and ran off. The man followed the dog as far as the southern gate of the city. There he gave up because he was too tired to continue.
The escaping dog crossed the path of King Fruitful and Queen Sivali. Frightened by them, he dropped the meat on the road. The king saw that it was a good piece of meat and that the real owner was unknown. So he cleaned the meat, put it in begging bowl, and ate it.
Queen Sivali, who was used to eating the delicacies of the palace, was disgusted. She said to him, "Even at the point of death a high class person would not eat the leaving of a dog! Eating such disgusting food shows you are completely unworthy!" But he replied, "It is your own vanity that keeps you from seeing the value of this meat. If rightfully obtained, all food is pure and wholesome!"
As they continued to approach the city, King Fruitful thought, "Queen Sivali keeps following me. This is a bad thing for a monk. People say, 'He his given up his kingdom, but he can't ge rid of his wife!' I must find a way to teach her she must go."
Just then they came upon some playing children. Among them was a girl with one bracelet on one wrist and two on the other. Thinking she was a wise child, the king asked her, "My child, why does your one arm make noise with every movement, while the other does not?"
The little girl replied, "Oh monk, it's because on one arm there are two bracelets, while on the other there is only one. Where there is two, it's the second that clangs against the first and makes noise. The arm with only one bracelet remains silent. So if you would be happy, you must learn to be contented when alone."
The Bodhisatta said to the queen, "Do you hear the wisdom of this child? As a monk I would be ashamed to let you stay with me in front of her. So you go your way and I'll go mine. Whe are husband and wife no more - good-bye!"
The queen agreed and they took separate path. But she became grief-stricken again and returned to follow the king. They entered the city together, so he could collect alms food.
They came to the house of and arrow maker. They watched him wet the red-hot arrow, and straighten it while sighting down the shaft with only on eye open. The king asked him, "Friend, to make the arrow perfectly straight, why do you view it with one eye open and the other shut?"
The arrow maker answered, "With both eyes open, the wide view of the second ey is destracting. Only by concentrating my view in one eye can I truly see the straightness of the arrow. So if you would be happy, you must learn to be concentrated when alone."
The king collected alms food and then they left the city. He said to the queen, "Did you hear the same wisdom again from that craftsman? As a monk I would be ashamed to let you stay with me in front of him. So you go your way and I'll go mine. We are husband and wife no more - good-bye!" But still followed him.
Then the Great Being cut a stalk of tall grass. He said to Queen Sivai, "Just as the two pieces of this stalk of grass cannot be joined again, so I will not join you again in the marriage bed! We two can never be joined together again. Like a full stalk of uncut grass, live on alone, my ex-wife Sivlai."
On hearing this the queen went crazy with shock and grief. She beat herself with both hands until she fell to the ground - completly unconscious. Realising this, the Bodhisatta quickly left the roadway. he earased the footsteps and disappeared into the jungle.
First he had given up the power and wealth of a king. Now he had given up the power and desire of a husband. At last he was free to follow the path of a Truth-seeking wandering monk. He made his way to the Himalayas and in only one week he was able to develop special mental power. Never again did he return to the ordinary world.
Meanwhile the royal ministers, who had been following at a distance, reached the fainted queen. They sprinkled water on her and revived her. She asked, "Where is my husband the king?" They said, "We don't know. Don't you know?" In a panic she orderd, "Search for him!" They looked and looked, but of course he was gone.
When Queen Sivali recovered from her fear and greif, she realised she felt no anger, jealousy or vengeance towards the monk Frutful. Instead she admired him more that at any time since the frist day they met, when she gave him her hand and led him to the throne.
She had monuments erected to honor the courageous King Fruitful on four sites: where he had spoken with the floating holy man Narada, where he had eaten the good meat left by the dog, where he had questioned the little girl, and also the arrow maker.
Beside the two mango trees in the royal garden, she had Prince Longlife crowned as the new king. Together with the army and crowds of followers, they returned to the city of Mithila.
In spite of herself, Queen Sivali had learned something by following, and finally losing, her husband King Fruitful. She too had tasted freedom!
The wise lady gave up her royal duties. She retired to meditate in the garden by the mango trees. With great effort, she gained a high mental state leading to rebirth in a heaven world.
The moral is: It's easier to gain power that to give it up

King Fruitfull and Queen Sivali

Chapter 2
[Gaining Power]

The baby grew into a little boy. His friends took to making fun of him for not being of high class birth like they were. So he went and asked his mother who his father was. She told him to pay no attention to what the other children said. She told him his father was the dead King Badfruit of Mithila, and how the throne had been stolen by his brother, Prince Poorfruit. After that, it didn't boher him when the ofhers called him "son of a widow."
Before he was 16, the bright young Fruitful learned all there was to know about religion, literature and the skills of a warrior. He grew into a very handsome young man.
He decided it was time to regain his rightful crown, which had been stolen by his uncle. So he went and asked his mother, "Do you have any of the wealth that belonged to my father?" She said, "Of course! I did not escape empty-handed. Thinking of you, I brought pearls, jewels and diamonds. So there is no need for you to work for pay. Go directly and take back your kingdom."
But he said, "No, mother, I will take only half. I will sail to Burma, the land of gold, and make my fortune there." His mother said, "No my son, it is too dangerous to sail abroad. There is plenty of fortune here!" He said, "I must leave half with you, my mother, so you can live in comfort as a queen should." So saying, he departed by ship for Burma.
On the same day that Prince Fruitful set sail, his uncle King Poorfruit became very ill. He was so sick that he could no longer leave his bed.
Meanwhile, on the ship bound for Burma there were some 350 people. It sailed for seven days. Then there was a violent storm that damaged and weakend the ship. All except the prince cried out in fear and prayed for help to their various gods. But the Bodhisatta did not cry out in fear; the Enlightenment Being did not pray to any god for help. Insead he helped himself.
He filled his belly with concentrated butter mixed with sugar, since he didn't know how long it would be before his next meal. He soaked his clothes in oil to protect himself for the cold ocean water and help him stay afloat. Then when the ship began to sink underwater, he pulled himself up the mast.
Meanwhile his trembling praying shipmates were sucked underwater and gobbled up by hungry fish and huge turtles. Soon the water all around turned red from blood.
As the ship sank, Prince Fruitful reached the top of the mast. To avoid being devoured in the sea of blood, he jumped mightly from the tip of the mast - in the direction of the kingdom Mithila. And at the same time as he saved himself from the snapping jaws of the fish and turtles, King Poorfruit died in his bed.
After his mighty leap from the top of the mast, the prince fell into the emerald-coloured sea. His body shined like gold as he swam for seven days and seven nights. Then he saw it was the fasting day of the full moon . So he purified his mouth by washing it out with salt water and observed the 'Eight Training Steps'.
Once upon a time in the very distant past, the gods of the four directions had appointed a goddess to be the protector of the oceans. They had told her that her duty was to protect especially all those who honour and respect their mothers and other elders. All such, who did not deserve to fall into the sea, were to be protected by her.
It just so happened that Prince Fruitful was one who deserved the protection of the ocean goddess. But for the seven days and seven night thats he had been swimming through the sea, the goddess had not been paying attention and doing her duty! She had been to busy enjoying heavenly pleasures to remember to keep watch on the oceans.
Finally she remembered her duty and looked over the oceans. Then she saw the golden prince struggling in the emerald sea after seven days and seven nights of swimming. She thought, "If I let this Prince Fruitful die in the ocean, I will no longer be welcome in the company of the gods. For truly, he is the Enlightenment Being!"
So she took on a form of splendour and beauty, and floated in the air near him. Wishing to learn Truth from him, she asked, "Without seeing the shore of the ocean, why are you trying to reach the ocean's end?"
Hearing those words the prince thought, "For the seven days I've been swimming, I have met no one. Who can this be?" When he saw the goddess above him he said, "Oh lovely goddess, I know that effort is the way of the world. So as long as I am in this world, I will try and try, even in mid-ocean with no shore to be seen."
Wishing to learn more from him, she tested him by saying, "This vast ocean stretches much further than you can see, without reaching a shore. Your effort is useless - for here you must die!"
The prince replied, "Dear goddess, how can effort be useless? For he who never gives up trying cannot be blamed, either by his relatives here below or by the gods above. So he has no regrets. No matter how impossible it seems, if he stops trying he causes his own downfall!"
Pleased with his answers, the protecting goddess tested him one last time. She asked, "Why do you continue, when there really is no reward to be gained except pain and death?"
He answered her again, like a teacher to a pupil, "It is the way of the world that people make plans and try to reach their goals. The plans may succeed or fail - only time will tell - but the value is in the effort itself in the present moment.
"And besides, oh goddess, can't you see that my actions have already brought results? My shipmates only prayed and they are dead! But I have been swimming for seven days and seven nights - and lo and behold here you are, floating above me! So I will swim with all my might, even across the whole ocean, to reach the shore. While I have an ounce of strength I'll try and try again!"
Completely satisfied, the ocean goddess who protects the good said, "You who bravely fight the mighty ocean against hopeless odds, you who refuse to run from the task before you, go wherever your heart desires! For you have my protection and no one can stop you. Just tell me where I may carry you to."
The prince told her he wished to go to Mithila. The goddess gently lifted him like a bouquet of flowers and laid him on her chest, like a loving mother with her newborn babe. Then she flew through the air, while the Enlightenment Being slept, cradled against her heavenly body.
Arriving at Mithila, she laid him on a sacred stone in a garden of mangos, and told the garden goddesses to watch over him. Then the protector goddess of the oceans returned to her heaven world home.
The dead King Poorfruit had left behind only a daughter, no sons. She was well educated and wise, and her name was Princess Sivali.
When the king was dying, the ministers asked him, "Who will be the next king?" King Poorfruit said, "Whoever can satisfy my daughter Sivali; whoever recognises the head of the royal square bed; whoever can string the bow that only a thousand men can string; or whoever can find the 16 hidden treasures."
After the funeral of the king, the ministers began searching for a new king. First they looked for one who could satisfy the princess. They called for the general of the army.
Princess Sivali wished to test him, so Mithila could be ruled by a strong leader. She told him to come to her. Immediately he ran up the royal staircase. She said, "Top prove your strength, run back and forth in the palace." Thinking only of pleasing her, the general ran back and forth until she motioned for him to stop. Then she said, "Now jump up and down." Again the general did as he was told without thinking. Finally the princess told him, "Come here and massage my feet." He sat in front of her and began rubbing her feet.
Suddenly she put her foot against his chest and kicked him down the royal staircase. She turned to her laidies in waiting and said, "This fool has no common sense. He thinks the only strength is in running around and jumping up and down and following orders without thinking. He has no strength of character. He lacks the will power needed to rule a kingdom. So throw him out of here at once!"
Later the general was asked about his meeting with Princess Sivali. He said, "I don't want to talk about it. She is not human!"
The same thing happend with the treasurer, the cashier, the keeper of the royal seal and the royal swordsman. The princess found them all to be unworthy fools.
So the ministers decided to give up on the princess and find someone who could string the bow that only a thousand men can string. But again they could find no one. Similarly, they could find no one who knew the head of the royal square bed, or who could find the 16 treasures.
The ministers became more and more woried that they could not find a suitable king. So they consulted the royal family priest. He seaid to them, "Calm down, my friends. We will send out the royal festival carriage. The one it stops for will be able to rule ober all India."
So they decorated the carriage and yoked the four most beautiful royal horses to it. The high priest sprinkled the carriage with holy water from a sacred golden pitcher. He proclaimed, "Now go forth, riderless carriage, and find the worthy one with enough merit to rule the kingdom."
The horses pulled the carriage around the palace and then down the main avenue of Mithila. They were followed by the four armies- the elephants, chariots, cavalry and foot soldies.
The most powerful politicans of the city expected the procession to stop in front of their houses. But instead it left the city by the eastern gate and went straight to the mango garden. Then it stopped in front of the sacred stone where Prince Fruitful was sleeping.
The chief priest said, "Let us test this sleeping man to see if he is worthy to be king. If he is the one, he will not be frightened by the noise of the drums and instruments of all four armies."So they made a great clanging noise, but the prince just turned over on his other side, remaining asleep. Then they made the noise again, even louder. Again the prince simply rolled over from side to side.
The head priest examined the soles of the feet fo the sleeping one. He said, "This man can rule not only MIthila, but the whole world in all four directions." So he awakened the prince and said, "My lord, arise, we beg you to be our king."
Prince Fruitful replied, "What happened to your king?" "He died," said the priest. "Did he have any children?" asked the prince. Then Prince Fruitful agreed to be the new king.
The chief priest spread jewels on the sacred stone. After bathing, the prince sat among the jewels. He was sprinkled with perfumed water from the gold anointing bowl. Then he was crowned King Fruitful. The new king rode in the royal chariot, followed by a magnificent procession, back to the city of Mithila and the palace.
Princess Sivali still wished to test the king. So she sent a man to tell him she wished him to come at once. But King Fruitful ignored him, simply continuing to inspect the palace with its furnishings and works of art.
The messenger told this to the princess and she sent him back two more times with the same results. He reported back to her, "This is a man who knows his own mind, not easily swayed. He paid as little attention to your words as we pay to the grass when we step on it!"
Soon the king arrived at the throne room, wher the princess was waiting. He walked steadily up the royal staircase - not hurrying, not slowing down, but dignified like a strong young lion. The princess was so impressed by his attitude that she went to him, respectfully gave him her hand and led him to the throne. He gracefully sat on the throne.
Then he asked the royal ministers, "Did the previous king leave behind any advice for testing the next king?" "Yes lord," they said, "'Whoever recognises the head of the royal square bed head.'" The king took a golden hair pin from his head and gave it to Princess Sivali, saying, "Put this away for me." Without thinking, she put it on the head of the bed. As if he had not heard it the first time, King Fruitful asked the ministers to repeat the question. When they did, he pointed to the golden hair pin.
"Was there another test?" asked the king. "Yes lord," replied the ministers, "'Whoever can string the bow that only a thousand men can string.'" When they brought the bow, the king strung it without even rising from the throne. He did it as easily as a woman bend the rod that untangles cotton for spinning.
"Are there any more tests?" the king asked. The ministers said, "'Whoever can find the 16 treasures.' These are the last tests."
"What is the first on the list?" he asked. They said, "The first is the treasure of the rising sun." King Fruitful realised that there must be some trick to finding each treasure. He knew that a Silent Buddha is often compared to the glory of the sun. So he asked, "Where did the king go to meet and feed Silent Buddhas?" When they showed him the place, he had them dig up the first treasure.
The second was the treasure of the setting sun. King Fruitful realised this must be where the old king had said good-bye to Silent Buddhas. In the same manner he found all the hidden treasures.
The people were happy that he had passed all the tests. As his first official act, he had houses of charity built in the center of the city and at each of the four gates. He donated the entire 16 treasures to be given to the poor and needy.
Then he sent for his mother, queen of the dead King Badfruit, and also for the kind wise man of Campa. He gave them both the honour they deserved
All the people of the kingdom came to Mithila to celebrate the restoration of the royal line. The decorated the city with fragrant flower garlands and incense. They provided cushioned seats for visitors. There were fruits, sweets, drinks and cooked foods everywhere. The ministers and the wealthy brought musicians and dancing girls to entertain the king. There were beautiful poems recited by wise men, and blessings chanted by holy men.
The Enlightenment Being, King Fruitful, sat on the throne under the royal white umbrella. In the midst of the great celebration he seemed as majestic as the heavenly god, King Sakka. He remembered his great effort struggling in the ocean against all odds, when even the ocean goddess had abandoned him. Only because of that almost hopeless effort, he himself was now as magnifiecent as a god. This filled him with such joy that he spoke this rhyme-
"Things happen unexpectedly, and prayers may not come true,
But effort brings results that neither thoughts nor prayers can do."
After the wonderful celebration, King Fruitful ruled in Mithila with perfect righteousness. And he humbly gave honour and alms food to Silent Buddhas - enlightened ones living in a time when their teachings could not be understood.
In the fullness of time Queen Sivali gave birth to a son. Because the wise men of the court saw signs of a long and glorious life ahead of him, was named Prince Longlife. When he grew up, the king made him second in command.

King Fruitfull and Queen Sivali
Chapter 1

Once upon a time in the city of Mithila, there was a king who had two sons. The older son was named Badfruit, and his younger brother was called Poorfruit.
While they were still fairly young, the king made his older son the crown prince. He was second in command and next in line for the throne. Prince Poorfruit became commander of the army.
Eventually the old king died and Prince Badfruit became the new king. Then his brother became crown prince.
Before long, a certain servant took a disliking to Crown Prince Poorfruit. He went to King Badfruit and told a lie - that his brother was planning to kill him. But after the servant kept repeating the lie, the king became frightened. So he had Prince Poorfruit put in chains and locked up in the palace dungeon.
The Prince thought, "I am a righteous man who deserve these chains. I never wanted to kill my brother. I wasn't even angry at him. So now I call on the power of Truth. If what I say is true, may these chains fall off and the dungeon doors be opened!" Miraculously the chain broke into pieces, the door opened, and the prince fled to an outlying village. The people there recognised him. Since they respected him they helped him, and the king was unable to capture him.
Even though he lived in hiding, the crown prince became the master of the entire remote region. In time he raised a large army. He thought, "Although I was not an enemy to my brother at first, I must be an enemy to him now." So he took his army and surrounded the city of Mithila.
He sent a message to King Bad fruit - "I was not your enemy, but you have made me so. Therefore I have come to wage war against you. I give you a choice - either give me your crown and kingdom, or come out and fight." Hearing of this, most of the city people went out and joined the prince.
King Badfruit decided to wage war. He would do anything to keep his power. Before going out with his army, he went to say goodbye to his number one queen. She was expecting a baby very soon. He said to her, "My love, no one knows who will win this war. Therefore, if I die you must protect the child inside you." Then he bravely went off to war and was quickly killed by the soldiers of his enemy brother.
The news of the king's death spread through the city. The queen disguised herself as a poor dirty homeless person. She put on old rags for clothes and smeared dirt on herself. She put some of the king's gold and her own most precious jewelry into a basket. She covered these with dirty rice that no one would want to steal. Then she left the palace carrying the basket on her head. It was still before sunrise and no one recognised her.
She left the city by the northern gate. Since she had always lived inside the city, the queen had no idea where to go from there. She had heard of a city called Campa. She sat down at the side of the road and began asking if anyone was going to Campa.
It just so happened that the one who was about to be born was no ordinary baby. This was not his first life or his first birth. Millions of years before, he had been a follower of a long-forgotten teaching 'Buddha' - a fully 'Enlightened One'. He had wished with all his heart to become a Buddha just like his beloved master.
He was reborn in many lives - sometimes as poor animals, sometimes as long-living gods and sometimes as human beings. He always tried to learn from his mistakes and develop the 'Ten Perfections'. This was so he could purify his mind and remove the three root causes of unwholesomeness - nonattachment, loving-kindness and wisdom.
This 'Great Being' had been a humble follower of the forgotten Buddha. His goal was to gain the same enlightenment of a Buddha - the experience of complete truth. So people call him 'Bodhisatta', which means 'Enlightenment Being'. No one really knows about the millions of lives lived by this great hero. But many stories have been told - including this one about a pregnant queen who was about to give birth to him. After many more rebirths, he became the Buddha who is remembered and loved in all the world today.
At the time of our story, the Enlightenment Being had already achieved the Ten Perfections. So the glory of his coming birth caused a trembling in all the heaven worlds, including the Heaven of 33 ruled by King Sakka. When he felt the trembling, being a god he knew it was caused by the unborn babe inside the disguised Queen of Mithila. And he knew this must be a being of great merit. So he decided to go and help out.
King Sakka made a covered carriage with a bed in it, and appeared at the roadside in front of the pregnant queen. He looked just like an ordinary old man. He called out, "Does anyone need a ride to Campa?" The homeless queen answered, "I wish to go there, kind sir." "Come with me then," the old man said.
Since the birth was not far off, the pregnant queen was quite large. She said, "I cannot climb up into your carriage. Simply carry my basket and I will walk behind." The old man, the king of the gods, replied, "Never mind! I am the cleverest driver around. So don't worry. Just step into my cart!"
Lo and behold, as she lifted her foot, King Sakka magically caused the ground under her to rise up! So she easily stepped down into the carriage. Immediately she knew this must be a god, and fell fast asleep.
Sakka drove the cart until he came to a river. Then he awakened the lady and said, "Wake up, daughter, and bathe in this river. Dress yourself in this fine clothing I have brought for you. Then eat a packet of rice." She obeyed him, and then lay down and slept some more.
In the evening she awoke and saw tall houses and walls. She asked, "What is this city, father?" He said, "This is Campa." She asked, "In so short a time? I heard it was a long way to Campa." King Sakka replied, "I took a short cut. Now that we are at the southern gate of the city, you may safely enter in. I must go on to my own far-off village." So they parted and sakka disappeared in the distance, returning to his heaven world.
The queen entered the city and sat down at and inn. There happened to be a wise man living in Campa. He recited spells and gave advice to help people who were sick or unfortunate. While on his way to bathe in the river with 500 followers, he saw the beautiful queen from a distance. The great goodness of the unborn one within gave her a soft warm glow, which only the wise man noticed. At once he felt a kind and gentle liking for her, just as if she were his own youngest sister. So he left his followers outside and went into the inn.
He asked her, "Sister, what village are you from?" She replied, "I am the number one queen of King Badfruit of Mithila." He asked, "Then why did you come here?" "My husband was killed by the army of his brother, Prince Poorfruit," she said. "I was afraid, so I ran away to protect the unborn one with me." The wise man asked, "Do you have any relatives in this city?" She said, "No sir." Then he said, " Don't worry at all. I was born in a rich family and I myself am rich. I wil care for you just as I would for my own young sister. Now you must call me brother and grab hold of my feet and cry out."
When she did this, the followers came inside. The wise man explained to them that she was his long lost youngest sister. He told his closest followers to take her to his home in a covered cart. He told them to tell his wife that this was his sister, who was to be cared for.
They did exactly as he had said. The wife welcomed her, gave her a hot bath, and made her rest in bed.
After bathing in the river the wise man returned home. At dinner time he asked his sister to join them. After dinner he invited her to stay in his home.
In only a few days the queen gave birth to a wonderful little baby boy. She named him Fruitful. She told the wise man this was the name of the boy's grandfather, who had once been King of Mithila

King Goodness the Great

Once upon a time, in Benares in northern India, the Enlightenment Being was born into the royal family. When he became king he was called Goodness the Great. He had earned this title by trying to do good all the time, even when the results might not benefit him. For example, he spent much of the royal treasury on the building and running of six houses for charity. In these houses food and aid were given freely to all the poor and needy who came along, even to unknown travellers. Soon King Goodness the Great became famous for his patience, loving-kindness and compassion. It was said that he loved all beings just like a father loves his young children.

Of course King Goodness observed the holy days by not eating. And naturally he practiced the 'Five Training Steps', giving up the five unwholesome actions. These are: destroying life, taking what is not given, doing wrong in sexual ways, speaking falsely, and losing one's mind from alcohol. So his gentle kindness became more and more pure.

Since he wished to harm on one, King Goodness the Great even refused to imprison or injure wrongdoers. Knowing this, one of his highest ministers tried to take advantage of him. He cooked up a scheme to cheat some of the women in the royal harem. Afterwards it became known by all and was reported to the king.

He called the bad minister before him and said, "I have investigated and found that you have done a criminal act. Word of it has spread and you have dishonored yourself here in Benares. So it would be better for you to go and live somewhere else. You may take all your wealth and your family. Go wherever you like and live happily there. Learn for this lesson."

Then the minister took his family and all his belongings to the city of Kosala. Since he was very clever indeed, he worked his way up and became a minister of the king. In time he became the most trusted adviser to the king of Kosala. One day he said, "My lord, I came here from Benares. The city of Benares is like a beehive where the bees have no stingers! The ruling king is very tender and weak. With only a very small army you can easily conquer the city and make it yours."

The king doubted this, so he said, "You are my minister, but you talk like a spy who is leading me into a trap!" He replied, "No my lord. If you don't believe me, send your best spies to examine what I say. I am not lying. When robbers are brought to the King of Benares, he gives them money, advises them not to take what is not given, and then lets them go free."

The king decided to find out if this was true. So he sent some robbers to raid a remote border village belonging to Benares. The villagers caught the looters and brought them to King Goodness the Great. He asked them, "Why do you want to do this type of crime?"

The robbers answered, "Your worship, we are poor people. There is no way to live without money. As your kingdom has plenty of workers, there is no work for us to do. So we had to loot the country in order to survive." Hearing this , the king gave them gifts of money, advised the to change their ways, and let them go free.

When the King of Kosala was told of this, he sent onother gang of bandits to the streets of Benares itself. They too looted the shops and even killed some of the people. When they were captured and brought to King Goodness, he treated them just the same as the first robbers.
Learning of this, the KIng of Kosala began marching his troops and elephants towards Benares.
In those days the King of Benares had a mighty army which included very brave elephants. There were mamy ordinary soldiers, and also some who were as big as giants. It was known that they were capable of conquering all India.

The giant soldiers told King Goodness about the small invading army from Kosala. They asked permission to attack and kill them all.

But King Goodness the Great would not send them into battle. He said, "My children, do not fight just so I may remain king. If we destroy the lives of others we also destroy our own peace of mind. Why should we kill others? Let them have the kingdom if they want it so badly. I do not wish to fight."

The royal ministers said, "Our lord, we will fight them ourselves. Don't worry yourself. Only give us the order." But again he prevented them.

Meanwhile the King of Kosala sent him a worning, telling hm to give up the kingdom or fight. King Goodness the Great sent this reply: "I do not want you to fight with me, and you do not want me to fight with you. If you want the country, you can have it. Why should we kill people just to decide the name of the king? What does it matter even the name of the country itself?"
Hearing this, the ministers came forward and pleaded, "Our lord, let us go out with our mighty army. We will beat them with our weapons and capture them all. We are much stronger than they. We would not have to kill any of them. And besides, if we surrender the city, the enemy army would surely kill us all!"

But King Goodness would not be moved. He refused to cause harm to anyone. He replied, "Even if you do not wish to kill, by fighting many will be injured. By accident some may die. No one knows the future - whether our present actions are right or wrong. Therefore I will not harm, or cause others to harm, any living being!"

Then King Goodness ordered the city gates be opened up for the ivaders. He took his ministers to the top floor of the palace and advised them, "Say nothing and try to remain calm."
The King of Kosala entered the city of Benares and saw that no one was against him. He surrounded the royal palace. He found that even the palace doors ere open to him. So he and his soldiers entered and went up to the top floor. They captured the innocent King Goodness the Great. The soldiers tied the hand of the defeated king and all his ministers.

Then they were taken to the cemetery outside the city. They were buried up to their necks, standing straight up, with only their heads above ground. But even while the dirt was being trampled down around his neck, the Great Being remained without anger in his mind and said nothing.

Their discipline and obedience to King Goodness were so great that not a single minister spoke a word against anyone. But the King of Kosala had no mercy. He said roughly, "Come nighttime, let the jackals do as they please!"

And so it came to pass that, at midnight, a large band of jackals wandered into the cemetery,. They could smell a feast of human flesh waiting for them.

Seeing them coming, King Goodness and his ministers shouted all at once and scared the jackals away. Twice more this happened. Then the clever jackals realised, "These men must have been put here for us to kill and eat." No longer afraid, they ignored the shouts. The jackal king walked right up to the face of King Goodness.

The king offered his throat to the beast. But before he bould bite into him, the king grabbed the jackal's chin with his teeth. Not harming him, King Goodness gripped him tightly so that the jackal king howled in fear. This frightened his followers and they all ran away.

Meanwhile the jackal king thrashed back and forth, trying madly to free himself from the mighty jaws of the human king. In so doing, he loosened the dirt packed around the king's neck and shoulders. Then King Goodness released the screaming jackal. He was able to wiggle himself free from the loosened earth and pull himself up onto the ground. Then he freed all his frightened ministers.

Nearby there was a dead body. It just so happened that is was lying on the border of the territories claimed by two rival demons. They were arguing over the division of the body, insulting each other in ways that only demons can.

Then one demon said to the other, "Why should we continue quarreling instead of eating? Right over there is King Goodness the Great of Benares. He is famous in all worlds for his righteousness. He will divide the dead body for us.

They dragged the body to the king and asked him to divide it between them fairly. He said, "My dear friends, I would be glad to divide this for you. But I am filthy and dirty. I must clean myself first."

The two demons used their magic powers to bring scented water, perfume, clothing, ornaments and flowers from the king's own palace in Benares. He bathed, perfumed himself, dressed, and covered himself with ornaments and flower garlands.

The demons asked King Goodness if there was anything else they could do. He replied that he was hungry. So, again by their magic powers, the demons brought the most delicious flavoured rice in a golden bowl and perfumed drinking water in a golden cup - also from the royal palace in Benares.

When he was satidfied, King Goodness asked them to bring him the sword of state from the pillow of hte King of Kosala, who was sleeping in the palace in Benares. With magic this too was easily done. Then the king used the sword to cut the dead body in two halves, right down the spine. He washed the sword of state and strapped it to his side.

The hungry demons happily gobbled up the fairly divided dead body. Then they gratefully said to King Goodness, "Now that our bellies are full, is there anything else we can do to please you?"
He replied, "By your magic, set me in my own bedroom in the palace next to the King of Kosala. In addition, pu all my ministers back in their homes." Without a word, the demons did exactly as the king had asked.

At that moment the King of Kosala was fast asleep in the royal bed chamber. King Goodness the Great gently touched the belly of the sleeping king with the sword of state. The king awoke in great surprise. In the dim lamplight he was frightened to see King Goodness leaning over him with sword in hand. He had to rub his eyes to make sure he was not having a nightmare!

Then he asked the great king, "My lord, how did you come here in spite of all my guards? You were buried up to your neck in the cemetery - how is it you are spotlessly clean, sweet smelling, dressed in your own royal robes, and decorated with fine jewelry and the loveliest flowers?"
King Goodness told him the story of his escape from the band of jackals. He told of the two demons who came to him to settle their quarrel. And he told how they gratefully helped him with their magic powers.

On hearing this, the King of Kosala was overcome by his own shame. He bowed his head to King Goodness the Great and cried, "Oh great king, the stupid ferocious demons, who live by eating the flesh and drinking the blood of dead bodies - they recognised your supreme goodness. But I, who was lucky enough to be born as an intelligent and civilised human being - I have been too foolish to see how wonderful you pure goodness is."

"I promise never again to plot against you, my lord - you who have gained such perfect harmlessness. And I promise to serve you forever as the truest of friends. Please forgive me, great king." Then, as if he were a servant, the King of Kosala laid King Goodness the Great down on the royal bed, while he himself lay on a small couch.

The next day the King of Kosala called all his soldiers into the palace courtyard. There he publicly praised the King of Benares and asked his forgiveness once again. He gave back the kingdom and promised that he would always protect King Goodness. Then he punished his adviser, the criminal minister, and returned to Kosala with all his troops and elephants.
King Goodness the Great was sitting majestically on his golden throne, with its legs like those of a gazelle. He was shaded from the sun by the pure white royal umbrella.

He taught his loyal subjects saying, "People of Benares, wholesomeness begins with giving up the five unwholesome actions once and for all. The highest qualities of the good person, whether ruler or subject, are loving-kindness and compassion. Filled with these qualities, one cannot harm another - no matter what the reason or the cost. No matter how dangerous the threat, one must persevere until the greatness of the good heart wins in the end."

Throughout the rest of his reign, the people of Benares lived peacefully and happily. King Goodness the Great continued performing wholesome works. Eventually he died and was reborn as he deserved.

The moral is: Refusing to harm others, the good heart wins over all

RAVI DHURANDHAR

Photo of Ravi Dhurandhar