| J.268 |
Aaraamaduusaka Jaataka |
Once in Benares, there was a festival and all the townsfolk assembled to keep holiday.
The king’s gardener, wishing to join the festivities, approached the king of the
monkeys that lived in the royal garden and, pointing out to him all the benefits
the monkeys had derived from their residence there, asked him if he would get the
monkeys to water the trees in the gardener’s for seven days. The monkey-king agreed
and, when the man had gone, distributed the water pots and water skins among the
monkeys. In order that water should not be wasted, he gave instructions to the monkeys
that they should pull out the trees by the roots and give plenty of water to those
plants whose roots went deep and little to those with small roots. A young nobleman
from Benares, happening to see this being done, and reflecting how with every desire
to do good, the foolish only succeed in doing harm, rebuked the monkey-king. The
story was told by the Buddha when staying in Dakkhinagiri. The squire of the village
invited the Buddha and his monks to a meal and at the conclusion of the meal gave
them leave to stroll about in the grounds. In their walk the monks came across a
bare patch of land and learned from the gardener that it was caused by a lad who
had been asked to water the plants there and who, before watering them had pulled
them out to see how they grew. This was reported to the Buddha, who related the story
of the past. |
58/142 |
Jaataka |
Khuddhaka |
J.ii.345ff. |
fools |