| J.164 |
Gijjha Jaataka |
Once the Bodhisatva was born among the vultures on Gijjakutapabbata. On one occasion
there was a storm of wind and rain and the vultures were forced to seek shelter in
a ditch outside Benares. A merchant, seeing them, provided them with a warm fire
and food. When the weather cleared, the vultures returned to their haunts, and decided
to repay their debt of gratitude to the merchant with whatever finery and jewellry
they should find during their wanderings. They dropped the jewellry etc. in the merchantís
garden. The king, hearing that the vultures were stealing finery, set traps and caught
a vulture, who confessed the reason for taking the jewellry. The merchant corroborated
the truth. The vulture was set free and the goods returned to their owners. Ananda
was the king and Sariputta the merchant. The story was told in reference to a monk
who was charged with having supported his poor parents. The Buddha praised the monkís
action, saying that such gratitude was an excellent virtue. |
57/094 |
Jaataka |
Khuddhaka |
J.ii.050ff. |
gratitude |