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a lesson or two
should he be taught
so thought buddha
of a troubling bikkhu…
so spoke buddha:
a matted-haired ascetic
once lived in a hermitage
built on charity and
his needs taken care of
by a noble soul who
in him saw an epitome
of saint-hood…
the noble soul buried
his gold with confidence
in the hermitage
‘hermits set not their eyes
on what’s not theirs…’
assured the matted-haired
no more fear
for my future
thought the ascetic
contemplating the gold
as days passed…
and to another spot did
he move the gold coins
by the road he intended to take…
to remain at one place
is not ascetic nature
he declared one day
and left the hermitage
in spite of noble protestations
mid way the matted-mind
had a flash and went back
just to return a straw
locked in his matted locks
from the noble house
awed at the honesty
a rare one indeed
thought the noble soul
of the ascetic…
now a merchant
bodhisatta, the witness
lost no time to see through…
of the straw and the saint
enquire he did of the noble soul
who rushed to the hermitage
only to find the coins amiss…
the two ran after the rogue
is straw of more worth than
the gold you stealthily carry
no more tricks, you hypocrite…
said the buddha to the
wolf in sheep's clothing...
now,
the ascetic is
the conniving bikkhu
declared the buddha
to the followers...
Source: The Jataka; or, Stories of the Buddha's Former Births, edited by E. B. Cowell
03oct07
15.08hrs
indira babbellapati
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