| J.346 |
Kesaa Jaataka | Kesava Jaataka |
The ascetic Kesava lived in the Himavanta forest with five-hundred pupils. The Bodhisatva,
having been born as Kappa, a brahmin of Kasi, joined him and became his senior pupil.
When the ascetics went to Benares for salt and vinegar, the king lodged them in his
park and fed them. When the ascetics returned to the Himavanta forest, the king persuaded
Kesava to stay behind. Kesava fell ill of loneliness and the five royal physicians
could not cure him. At his own request, he was taken to the Himavanta by the kingís
minister Narada, and there, on seeing again his familiar haunts and his pupil Kappa,
he immediately recovered in spite of the fact that his medicine comprised only the
broth of wild rice. The king of the Jataka was Ananda, Narada was Sariputta and Kesava
was Baka Brahma. The story was related to Pasenadi. Having discovered that Anathapindika
daily fed five hundred monks in his house, the king gave orders that the same should
be done in his palace. One day he discovered that the monks would take the food from
his palace, but preferred to eat the food served to them by familiar supporters elsewhere.
When the king reported this to the Buddha, the Buddha explained that the best food
was that which was given in love. |
58/679 |
Jaataka |
Khuddhaka |
J.iii.142ff. |
familiarity |