百喻經

42. Covering the Camel Hide

Long ago, a merchant and his two disciples took a camel to a foreign land to seek a livelihood. They brought with them a small quantity of incomparably precious silk and exceedingly fine bedding; all the goods were carried on the camel’s back. Halfway through their journey, the camel died. The merchant then flayed the camel and left its hide behind. Preparing to go on ahead, he told his two disciples to remain and watch over it. As he departed, he instructed them:

– You two must carefully look after these things. Stretch out the camel hide and do not let it get wet.

Not long after the merchant had left, a heavy rain began to fall. Fearing that the camel hide would get wet, the two disciples covered it with the precious silk and fine bedding. Yet those precious goods, worth hundreds of thousands of times more than the camel hide, were all ruined and rotted away.

** This story is an analogy: Those who study the Buddha-Dharma may refuse to observe the pure precepts strictly, cultivate concentration, and develop wisdom, while concerning themselves solely with accumulating merit through material giving, such as building stupas, establishing monasteries, and making offerings to the Sangha. To act in this way is to abandon the root and pursue the branches; one cannot escape birth and death or attain the fruit of nirvana.

Therefore, Buddhists must first devote themselves to rigorously upholding and protecting the precepts, and only afterward practice material giving and other wholesome deeds. Likewise, the merchant’s two disciples should first have protected the precious goods and only afterward looked after the camel hide. That would have been the proper course.

43. Grinding a Stone

Long ago, there was a man who devoted himself each day to grinding a large stone. After many years, it became a small stone, but in the end it could only be used as a plaything and was of no practical use whatsoever. The man had spent much time and labor on a task, yet achieved nothing of consequence.

** This story is an analogy: Those who diligently endure hardship in their cultivation and study should aspire to the sublime fruit of the Path. Instead, many seek only a little fame and gain. They exert great effort but reap very little; or, if they unfortunately go astray, they only increase their transgressions without end.

44. Eating Cakes

Long ago, when a man was hungry, he went to a cake shop and bought cakes to eat. He ate six in succession but was still not full. He bought a seventh, and after eating only half of it, he was satisfied. At that moment, he deeply regretted what he had done, slapped himself on the mouth, and said:

– How foolish I am not to have known how to be frugal! If I had known earlier that eating only half of the last cake would fill me, I should have bought just half of that cake. Why did I waste money buying and eating the first six cakes?

** This story is an analogy: Practitioners must cultivate and study diligently through hardship over a long period before they can one day attain penetrating understanding and realization. Some people lack perseverance in diligent practice and merely hope to attain realization quickly. Like the man who ate the cakes, they hold a pitiably mistaken view.

45. Guarding the Property

Long ago, a man had to travel to a distant place. Before departing, he called his servant and instructed him:

– While you remain at home, carefully guard the doors and check whether the rope tethering the donkey is secure. Do not let it break free and run away.

After the master had left, singing and instrumental music were performed one day in a nearby village and sounded most delightful. When the servant learned of this entertaining performance, excitement stirred restlessly within him, and he wished to go watch it. He therefore removed the door, tied it onto the donkey’s back, and led the donkey away to watch the performance.

After the servant had gone, thieves entered the house and took all the belongings and money, leaving nothing behind.

When the master returned and saw that every possession and all the money in the house had vanished, he found it exceedingly strange and immediately questioned the servant:

– How could such a strange thing have happened?

The servant replied:

– Master, you told me to guard the property and watch the rope tethering the donkey and the donkey itself. All three things are still here, and not one is missing. As for everything else, I know nothing about it.

Hearing this, the master became furious and angrily rebuked the servant:

– You fool! I told you to guard the property precisely so that you would protect the valuables in the house. Now that all the valuables are gone, what use are these doors that remain?

** This story is an analogy: The Tathagata teaches us always to gather and restrain our thoughts and guard the six sense gates, not allowing the thieves of the six sense objects to enter. Some people refuse to heed the Buddha’s teaching. Instead, they crave fame and gain, dream of delicious food, fine clothing, and abundant wealth, securely guard the donkey of ignorance and the rope of craving, and throw wide open the great doors of the six sense faculties. Consequently, the thieving band of the six sense objects and afflictions enters. All their treasures of merit, virtue, and the qualities of the Path are lost, and they continually wander in utter poverty through the ocean of birth and death.

46. Stealing an Ox

Long ago, some men from the same village stole an ox, killed it, and ate its flesh. The man who had lost the ox searched for it and came to that village. When he saw them, he asked:

– Is my ox in your village?

The ox thieves replied:

– We have no village.

– There is a pond in your village, and you killed my ox and ate its flesh beside that pond, did you not?

– We have no pond.

– Is there not a grove of trees beside the pond?

– There is no grove either.

– Did you not steal the ox to the east?

– There is no east.

– Did you not steal the ox at noon?

– There is no noon.

– According to what you say, there is no village, no pond, and no grove. Let that pass. But how could there be no east and no noon in the universe? From this, I know with certainty that all your words are deceitful and cannot be trusted. You must have stolen my ox and eaten it; there is no way for you to deny it any longer.

The villagers could find no further way to deny it and had to bow their heads and confess their guilt in stealing the ox.

** This story is an analogy: Those who practice according to the Buddha’s Dharma yet break the precepts and violate fasting rules often conceal their wrongdoing. They refuse to disclose their faults, repent, and turn from evil toward good. Instead, they continually invoke all manner of reasoning to defend their views. In the end, however, they cannot conceal the evil deeds they have committed and must endure every kind of suffering, anguish, and sorrow. Only those who courageously acknowledge the transgressions they have committed and earnestly declare their repentance can enter the Buddha’s path of liberation.

47. Imitating the Cry of a Mandarin Duck

Long ago, in a certain kingdom, on days of festive celebration, the women wore a rare and beautiful flower called the utpala in their hair as an exquisite ornament.

At that time, there was a poor man who dearly loved his wife. As the festive day drew near, all the other women had already prepared these beautiful flowers as adornments, but his wife had none. Knowing with complete certainty that she would lose face, she complained to her husband:

– If you can somehow obtain an utpala flower for me to wear, I shall remain your wife forever. If not, I will divorce you.

Hearing this, the husband became extremely alarmed and afraid. He was, however, skilled at imitating the cry of a mandarin duck so perfectly that it sounded exactly like the bird. He then thought: “There are many utpala flowers in the king’s pond. I shall find a way to steal a few blossoms. If the keeper of the pond happens to discover me, I shall imitate the cry of a mandarin duck.”

Having thought this, he went to the king’s pond to steal the flowers. Just as he reached out to pluck them, he disturbed the water’s surface and made it ripple. The keeper of the pond noticed this and called out:

– Who is there in the pond?

Startled and flustered, the man forgot to imitate the cry of a mandarin duck and blurted out:

– I am a mandarin duck,

The pond keeper heard the sound and recognized it as a human voice. He therefore came to the pond, seized the man, and took him before the king to be punished.

While on the way, the man imitated the cry of a mandarin duck, reproducing its voice exactly. The pond keeper sneered and said:

– You did not imitate its cry earlier. Is it not useless to imitate it only now?

** This story is an analogy: Whenever one wishes to do something, one must do it promptly at the proper time. One should not continually postpone today’s work until tomorrow and the days thereafter. Once the favorable opportunity has passed, even hurried efforts will be too late. Some people commit evil throughout their lives and never examine themselves. Only when they are about to die do they awaken, repent, practice good, and shun evil. Alas, how can there still be time? They must undergo the retribution of their evil karma according to its due course.

48. The Dog and the Tree

Once there was a dog sleeping beneath a tree. Suddenly a gust of wind arose, and a branch broke off and fell upon its back. Terrified, it ran to an open place and stopped there. Its eyes remained shut, so it did not see that a branch from the tree had broken and struck its back, nor did it return to inspect that tree. By evening it was still resting there. After a while, however, it opened its eyes and looked in every direction. In the distance it saw a gust of wind sweep through the rows of trees, causing their branches and leaves to sway without cease. It said to itself, “The tree is calling me back to my former place.”

It then eagerly ran back beneath the old tree.

** This story is an analogy: Those who study and practice the Buddha-Dharma must keep their resolve firm and unwavering. They should not wish to leave simply because their teachers scold or admonish them. During the time they are separated from their teachers and companions, they encounter many adverse circumstances and suffer distress; only then do they regret leaving and wish to return to remain close to their teachers.

Going away and returning again merely wastes time. It is truly a mistaken and pitiable course of action.

49. The Confused Sage

Once, two children were playing by a riverbank when they found a hair floating on the water. They began to argue about it. One said it was a sage’s whisker, while the other said it was a tiger’s hair. Each maintained that his own reasoning was more correct, and each claimed to have sound evidence. Neither was willing to yield.

Just then, a sage approached along the riverbank. The children went to him and asked him to decide the matter for them. The sage did not immediately answer their question. Instead, he reached into his bag, took out a handful of sesame seeds and rice, placed them in his mouth, and chewed them thoroughly. He then spat them onto his fair palm, held them out for the children to see, and said:

– Children, what is in my hand truly resembles sparrow droppings.

The two children understood nothing.

The sage’s answer did not address their question.

** This story is an analogy: Some who teach the Dharma delight in speaking empty theories that are far-fetched, vague, and obscure, while refusing to expound the true principle. They bring no benefit to others and merely exhaust their own minds. Such conduct, which harms both themselves and others, is just like the sage’s irrelevant answer and is equally deserving of ridicule.

50. Straightening a Hunchback

Once there was a hunchback who invited a skilled physician to treat him. The physician applied a little milk to his back, then pressed the man between two planks and laid him on the veranda like an ordinary person. The man suffered unimaginable pain, and both his eyeballs bulged out. In the end, his hunched back still was not cured.

** This story is an analogy: Some people wish to cultivate merit and practice generosity, yet employ unlawful, greedy, and deceitful methods, skillfully contending and seizing improperly acquired wealth for their use. They use it to build stupas and monasteries, give alms, make offerings to the Sangha, and erect Buddha images. Such people are like the skilled physician who pressed the hunchback between two planks in the hope of straightening him. By acting in this way, they merely create additional evil karma leading to continued transmigration and increase their suffering; they cannot perfect even the slightest merit of generosity.

51. The Maidservant

Once, five men pooled their money to hire a maidservant. One of the five said to her:

– Wash my clothes.

The others also told her to wash their clothes.

All five ordered her to do their washing at the same time, placing the maidservant in an extraordinarily difficult situation with no way to satisfy them all. She thought to herself:

– I can only wash for one person first, and afterward wash for the second.

She then began by washing one man’s clothes. When the second man saw this, he flew into a rage:

– We all contributed money to hire you. Why are you washing only that man’s clothes?

He immediately struck the maidservant ten times with a cane. Because the maidservant had begun by washing for only one master, all the other masters became furious with her, and each of them gave her exactly ten blows.

How pitiable that the maidservant was beaten through no fault of her own.

** This story is an analogy: According to the Buddhist sutras, this body is formed through the convergence of the causes and conditions of the afflictions. Therefore, this body is continually oppressed by birth, aging, sickness, and death and cannot free itself, just as the maidservant was beaten by her five masters.

52. False Amusement

Once there was a renowned musician whom the king invited to perform in the palace, promising to pay him one thousand gold coins.

When the performance was over, the king refused to pay. The musician repeatedly demanded his payment, but the king was determined not to give it and said:

– You played music for me merely to let me enjoy an illusory amusement. Likewise, my promise to pay you was merely intended to give you an illusory joy.

** This story is an analogy: What the world regards as happiness is, in truth, entirely false. In this impermanent and illusory life, arising and ceasing and changing from moment to moment without a single instant of rest, all things are like the moon reflected in water or an image in a mirror. How, then, could one find eternal, true, and lasting peace and happiness?

If people do not understand this principle, they will only give rise to afflictions within themselves.

53. The Teacher Who Was Tormented

Once there was an elderly teacher attended by two disciples. Because his legs were afflicted with an illness and could not be straightened, he often walked with crutches and relied upon those two disciples. The disciples, however, were constantly at odds with each other. Each would say:

– It is not that I hate you; it is you who hate me.

The two regarded each other as karmic enemies.

One day, one of them went elsewhere on an errand. The disciple who remained at home took a stone and broke the teacher’s leg that the absent disciple ordinarily massaged. When the other returned and saw what had happened, he became exceedingly enraged and resolved to take revenge. He immediately took a stone and broke the teacher’s other leg, the one that the disciple who had remained at home ordinarily massaged.

** This story is an analogy: Those who study and practice the Buddha-Dharma often behave in this way. Followers of the Mahayana denounce the Hinayana, or followers of the Hinayana disparage the Mahayana, or one religion groundlessly opposes another. When Buddhists quarrel in this manner, they are themselves destroying the Buddha’s scriptural teachings with their own hands.

54. The Snake’s Head and Tail Quarrel

One day, the snake’s head and the snake’s tail began quarreling with each other.

The snake’s tail said:

– Today, let me go first.

The snake’s head replied:

– I always go first. Why do you now demand to proceed contrary to the usual order?

The snake’s head and the snake’s tail each believed its own argument was more reasonable, and they continued to quarrel. In the end, the snake’s head began to move forward, whereupon the tail coiled tightly around a tree trunk and refused to let go. The head could not proceed and had no choice but to allow the tail to lead the way. Because the tail had no eyes, it backed into a fire pit beside the road, causing the snake’s entire body to be burned to a char in the flames.

** This story is an analogy: Teachers and disciples should respect and cherish one another. Some disciples disparage their teachers as old and confused and seek to seize their teachers’ authority, showing no respect for their masters. Yet because the disciples are still young and inexperienced and do not respect discipline and rules, they frequently go astray in their undertakings and suffer grievous failures.

They themselves must bear the tremendous loss.

55. Shaving the King’s Beard

Long ago, there was a king who had a trusted attendant. This attendant was ordinarily very loyal, and the king placed extraordinary trust in him. On one occasion, the king led his army into a perilous battle. Heedless of his own life, the attendant courageously rushed in to break the encirclement, rescue the king, and protect him from harm. The king was therefore deeply moved. He then asked:

– Worthy minister, whatever you desire, We shall grant it to you.

The attendant replied:

– Your servant asks for nothing else. I ask only to shave Your Majesty’s beard.

The king answered with a smile:

– If that is what you desire, We are entirely willing to let you fulfill your wish.

Afterward, when people heard of this matter, they mocked him as a fool. Had he asked the king to grant him half of the splendid realm to govern, or perhaps to provide him with a favorable opportunity for study, the king would certainly have consented. Why did he not request those necessary things, but ask only to shave the king’s beard? He was truly an utter fool.

** This story is an analogy: It is exceedingly difficult to be born in a human body, and even more difficult to hear the Buddha-Dharma. We have been blessed to obtain human bodies and to hear the Buddha-Dharma, thus possessing both of these causes and conditions that are difficult to encounter. How could we remain narrow-minded, merely observing a few precepts and immediately considering ourselves wholly accomplished, without seeking further progress or pursuing the wondrous Dharma of nirvana? We remain forever adrift in the cycle of birth and death, yet regard this as a great benefit. Thus, life after life, we continue in delusion and error, belonging to the same laughable class as the attendant who asked only to shave the king’s beard.

56. That Which Does Not Exist

Long ago, two men were traveling along a road when they saw a man pushing a cart laden with unprocessed sesame plants. The cart had become mired in the mud and could not be pulled out. The man pushing the cart asked the two travelers:

– Friends, please help pull this cart out of the mud.

The two men asked together:

– If we help pull your cart, with what will you repay us?

The man pushing the cart replied:

– There is nothing with which to repay you.

The two men then joined together and helped pull the cart from the mud. Afterward, they pursued the man pushing the cart and demanded repayment.

– Give us the “nothing,” they said.

The man pushing the cart again replied:

– There is nothing at all.

One of the two men stubbornly demanded:

– Give us the “nothing.” Although I do not know what the “nothing” is like, it must be the “nothing.”

Having said this, he kept his hand extended, waiting to take hold of the “nothing,” and refused to draw it back. The man pushing the cart was bewildered and did not know how to settle the matter.

At that moment, the other man understood the true meaning and said to his companion with a laugh:

– Come, we should leave. There is no need to exchange so many words. When the man pushing the cart said, “There is nothing at all,” he had already given us the “nothing.”

** This story conveys the meaning that, within the realm of “emptiness and nonexistence,” one says that nothing whatsoever exists, yet then clings to that very “nonexistence.” It is like a person who comprehends the principle of “emptiness and nonexistence” but then clings to an apparent form of “emptiness and nonexistence” and consequently falls into the heavenly realm of the sphere of nothingness.

The one of the two men who understood that there is no such thing as the “nothing” is like a person who has entered into accord with the principle of true emptiness: “emptiness,” “signlessness,” and “wishlessness.”

57. Having His Teeth Kicked Out

Long ago, there was a wealthy man surrounded by many attendants who served him respectfully. In his presence, they constantly praised and extolled him. The wealthy man suffered from an illness that caused him frequently to spit phlegm. Whenever he spat, all the attendants competed to tread upon his spittle.

Among them was one man who always arrived too late and could never tread upon the phlegm the wealthy man had spat out. He was deeply distressed and thought to himself: “If I wait until the phlegm has been spat upon the ground before trying to tread on it, I will never succeed. It would be better to tread first, just as the wealthy man is about to spit.”

Having resolved upon this, he waited until the wealthy man had just cleared his throat and was about to spit. He hurriedly shoved everyone aside, rushed in, and planted a firm kick directly upon the wealthy man’s face. He kicked with such force that the wealthy man’s teeth were knocked out, his lip was split, and his mouth was twisted out of shape.

In intense pain and distress, the wealthy man asked:

– How could you bring yourself to kick me and split my lip?

The man replied:

– I admire you greatly and have always hoped to tread upon your phlegm. But whenever I try to do so, others compete with me and push me away. Therefore, today I struck first, kicking your face just as your phlegm was about to reach your mouth.

When the wealthy man heard this, he was at once enraged and amused.

** This story is an analogy: No matter what one undertakes, one must await the proper opportunity. If the time has not yet arrived, even if one acts by force, one will not succeed and will instead give rise to much suffering and distress. Therefore, whenever one needs to do something, one must carefully consider and observe whether the time is appropriate. Only then should one act, and success will assuredly be complete and splendid.

58. Dividing an Inheritance

Long ago, in the kingdom of Mala, there was a man of the Kshatriya caste who contracted a rare and grievous illness. Knowing that he was about to die, he summoned his two sons and gave them his final instructions:

– After your father dies, divide my property equally between yourselves.

Before long, the father died. In accordance with his will, the two sons divided his property into two equal shares. Yet no matter how many times they divided it, they could not make the shares equal. The elder brother said that the younger brother’s share was larger, while the younger brother said that the elder brother had not divided it equally. The two brothers quarreled endlessly until they went to an old man and asked him to settle their dispute. The old man told them:

– I have a method that will satisfy both of you: Cut every object into two pieces, and let each person take one half. Would that not be equal?

After hearing this, both brothers agreed. They cut every garment into two pieces. They likewise divided pots, jars, cups, bowls, and all other belongings, such as tables, chairs, mats, and beds. Whatever the object might be, they divided it into two parts. They even chopped their coins in half. Thus, all the possessions and wealth in the household were rendered useless.

** This story is an analogy: The principles and methods of cultivation within the Buddha Dharma are all intended to release beings from bondage. The Dharma is taught according to the capacities of those addressed, in keeping with appropriate circumstances and principles. There are teachings of equality and teachings of distinction, all applied appropriately as conditions require.

This is unlike foolish non-Buddhists, who regard their own prejudiced views as correct and cling rigidly to a single teaching as complete. Consequently, when the perfectly wholesome true Dharma falls into their hands, it is corrupted and adulterated until it becomes a useless false teaching. Therefore, practitioners should not follow non-Buddhist false teachers, abandon right conduct, or disparage the true Dharma, thereby incurring an immeasurably grave offense.

59. Watching a Pot Being Made

Long ago, two men were traveling together to attend an assembly. Along the way, they saw a potter skillfully making earthenware pots, so they stopped to watch. Afterward, one of them realized that he had been watching for a long time and hurried to the assembly so as to arrive on time. At the assembly, a magnificent banquet was held, and exceedingly precious gifts were bestowed.

The other man remained there watching the pots being made, thinking, “I shall leave after I have watched him finish one pot.” But after the potter finished one, he began making another. The man continued watching them one by one until evening, yet he was still there. He failed to attend the assembly, and his stomach was ravenously hungry; in the end, he accomplished nothing at all.

** This story is an analogy: People of the world are often bound by worldly affairs and vainly let the precious days and hours of human life pass away. Regarding liberation from birth and death and realization of the Buddha Vehicle, they refuse to diligently advance, understand, study, and practice, but keep procrastinating day after day, thus resigning themselves to sinking into the sea of suffering. Therefore, Buddhists must awaken to the impermanence of life and the preciousness of time, and strive to cultivate the Buddha Dharma before it is too late.

60. Seeing Gold Beneath the Water

Long ago, a man came to the bank of a pond and saw a piece of gold glittering at the bottom. He entered the water to search for it, but though he groped about for a long time, he found nothing and became utterly exhausted. He climbed onto the bank and sat down to think. After a while, when the water had become still and clear, he looked down and again saw the gold glittering. He entered the water and searched once more, looking throughout the entire pond, yet still found nothing. He then sat down again, gazing longingly into the pond.

Later, his father came looking for him and found him sitting there with a bewildered and haggard expression. He asked what he was doing. The son replied:

– I saw gold beneath the water and went in twice to search for it, but found nothing except mud. Now my body is so exhausted that I can bear it no longer.

The father went to the pond’s edge and looked into the water. He then understood that what they saw was merely the reflection of a piece of gold, while the gold itself must be in a nearby tree.

He told his son:

– Climb the tree and look for the gold!

Not understanding, the son asked his father:

– It is clearly beneath the water. Why should I search for it in the tree?

The father said:

– There is only the gold’s reflection in the water; the gold itself must be in the tree. Climb up and look for it. Perhaps a bird carried it in its beak and left it there.

Obeying his father, the son climbed the tree and searched. Sure enough, a piece of gold was lodged there.

** This story is an analogy: Ordinary beings dwell amid the false and illusory phenomena of the world, which have no true permanence, like a reflection in a mirror or the moon in water, yet through mistaken understanding they regard them as real. Deludedly clinging to the existence of a true and permanent self, they do not turn back to seek their own fundamental mind and nature, but ceaselessly pursue external conditions and revolve within the sea of suffering. Abandoning the root to follow the branches, they exhaust themselves in vain and gain no benefit whatsoever.

61. Fashioning a Human Figure

Followers of the Brahmanical religion often proclaimed to everyone that the Great Brahma, Lord of Heaven, was the sovereign creator of all things and that everything was created by him.

Brahma had a disciple who conceived the idea of creating a human being. One day, he personally molded a strange human figure: its neck was thin and its head large; its hands were enormous, while its arms were extraordinarily slender; its feet were tiny, while its heels were astonishingly large. He brought the figure to Brahma and asked:

– Master, look at this human figure I have made. What does it resemble?

Brahma replied:

– It resembles a demon!

** This story is an analogy: Non-Buddhists often imitate the unobstructed, perfectly integrated, dynamic, and practical principles of the Buddha Dharma. Yet because they lack genuine learning and authentic cultivation, they understand only a little but wish to make a show of the Buddha Dharma. Their teachings often appear consistent with the Buddha Dharma but are actually erroneous, ultimately becoming false teachings characterized by attachment, ignorance, usurpation of the name, and deceptive appearances.

The claim that Brahma created human beings is merely an allegorical tale. In truth, the bodies of sentient beings are produced by the causal karma created by beings themselves, not by Brahma.

The Buddha Dharma clings to neither of the “two extremes.” It clings neither to annihilation nor to permanence, but explains that all sentient beings and all phenomena arise through causes and conditions.

62. Eating Chicken

Long ago, a man became gravely ill and invited a renowned physician to examine his pulse.

The physician told him:

– You should regularly eat the meat of young chickens. Your illness will gradually improve.

The patient followed the physician’s advice and sent someone to buy a young chicken for him to eat. After eating one, however, he ate no more. When the physician returned to examine his pulse, he asked how his condition had been after eating the boiled young chicken.

The man replied:

– I do not know. I ate only one small chicken. I thought that tasting it once would be the same as eating it continually.

The physician said:

– Why did you not continue eating it? You must eat it regularly for the treatment to cure you. How could eating only one chicken possibly heal you?

** This story is an analogy: Those who study and practice the Buddha Dharma must constantly learn broadly, inquire extensively, and diligently continue their genuine cultivation. Ordinary beings and non-Buddhists often cling to only one teaching or cease after gaining a little understanding. Lacking perseverance, they naturally cannot cure the virulent illness of affliction and ignorance.

63. Fleeing

Long ago, in the kingdom of Gandhara, there was a theatrical troupe. Because a severe famine arose in the kingdom, they packed their belongings and set out to perform in another land. Their route took them across Mount Balatan, where a rakshasa demon was said to dwell and frequently devour human beings. By the time they reached the mountain, however, night had fallen, and they could not continue to the marketplace, so the troupe had no choice but to spend the night there.

The mountain was windy, and it grew increasingly cold. They had to kindle a fire for warmth, and the whole group lay down to sleep beside it. One member of the troupe was suffering from alternating fever and chills and could not endure the cold air outside. He therefore took a theatrical costume to put on, but mistakenly chose the costume used for portraying the rakshasa demon. Wearing it, he sat beside the fire to warm himself.

Afterward, one of the men awoke, raised his head, and saw beside the fire someone sitting there dressed as a rakshasa. Without looking carefully, he hastily assumed that a real demon was sitting there watching them. He immediately scrambled to his feet and fled headlong.

Hearing the commotion, the whole group awoke with a start. Not knowing what had happened, they too fled after him as fast as they could. Now the man dressed as a rakshasa saw everyone running swiftly away.

Not understanding what was happening, he also ran after them. As those in front ran, they kept looking back and saw a rakshasa pursuing them close behind. Overwhelmed with terror, they exerted all their strength and ran like madmen, heedless of thorns and brambles, streams and rivers, ditches and ravines.

They fled for their lives until all of them were injured and their minds utterly distraught. When dawn came, they looked back carefully and saw that the person running behind them in the rakshasa costume was not a real demon. Only then did they recover their composure and stop.

** This story is an analogy: Sentient beings are constantly bound within the cycle of afflictions and lost in the forest of the “view of self.” Because of this, ignorance delusively arises within the originally pure mind, causing them to revolve through birth and death and continually endure immeasurable suffering, distress, and fear, without a moment of freedom or liberation. If they can destroy the deluded “view of self” and eliminate the habitual tendencies of the afflictions—“when the deluded mind comes to an end, that itself is bodhi”—then, amid the activities of daily life, the true-suchness mind, originally pure, perfectly luminous, quiescent, and illuminating, will manifest.

What then would remain to cause anxiety or terror? This is precisely the meaning of the saying: “Originally, there is no trouble under heaven and on earth; foolish people merely disturb themselves.”

64. The Ghost in the Old House

Long ago, there was an old house in which no one had lived for a long time. It was widely rumored that a ghost dwelled there, so everyone was exceedingly frightened and dared not sleep inside. At that time, a man who considered himself very courageous declared to everyone:

– I am not afraid of anything. This evening I will go in there and sleep, and you shall see!

That evening, he indeed went into the house to sleep. Another man then arrived and rushed up to push open the door. The man who had arrived first thought that a ghost had come, so he lifted a screen and braced it across the doorway to prevent the other man from entering. Meanwhile, the man outside, pushing against the door, was certain that a ghost must be inside. He strained with all his might to force the door open, intending to enter and fight the ghost. Eventually, he burst inside, and the two men fought fiercely. They continued fighting until dawn. Only when they could clearly see each other’s faces did they realize that neither of them was a ghost, and their savage battle finally ceased.

** This story is an analogy: In the world, two opposing parties often dispute with each other, each believing that he is in the right; in truth, both are mistaken.

You should understand that all things in the world temporarily arise through the conjunction of causes and conditions; when those causes and conditions separate and disperse, all things return to destruction and dissolution. Upon careful analysis, there is nothing within them that is fixed, unchanging, or capable of being an autonomous master—a self—that creates them. Yet most people in the world do not understand this principle. Amid the illusory and confused arising and dispersing of phenomena, they compete and struggle in stubborn attachment, just like the two men who mistook each other for ghosts and fought one another. All are pitiable fools.

65. Eating Poisoned Cakes

Long ago, there was a woman who did not love her husband but instead harbored an aversion toward him. She wanted a divorce, but the law did not permit it. Deeply distressed, she spent every moment seeking a way to murder her husband. She pondered the matter again and again but found no convenient opportunity to act.

One day, her husband was about to travel to a foreign country. Seizing this fortunate opportunity, she made five hundred cakes, secretly mixed poison into them, and told her husband to take them as provisions for his long journey. She said to him:

– You are going abroad. Whenever you are hungry, eat these cakes.

The husband knew nothing of the true situation. Deeply moved by his wife’s kindness, he sorrowfully bade her farewell, made his preparations, and set out for the distant land.

On the first day, the man traveled very swiftly and had already reached the foreign country shortly after noon. Because he was not hungry, he did not eat a single one of the cakes he had brought. That evening, he slept in a forest.

Fearing wild beasts, he climbed a tree and lay down to sleep in safety, forgetting the five hundred cakes beneath it. That very night, in the depths of the forest, five hundred bandits arrived after having stolen five hundred horses and many precious objects from the king of a neighboring country. They intended to sleep beneath the tree.

Having traveled far by many roads, they were ravenously hungry. Suddenly, they saw the five hundred cakes under the tree. They divided them among themselves, exactly one cake for each man, with none left over and none lacking.

After all the bandits ate the poisoned cakes, they dropped dead beneath the tree.

The man slept in the tree until morning. Upon awakening, he saw a great many bandits lying dead in disarray beneath the tree. He took up a sharp knife, went to each bandit, and cut the corpse several times, making it appear that he had killed them. Afterward, he gathered up the treasures and horses and brought them to present to the king of the neighboring country, hoping to receive a reward.

The king himself had led a contingent of soldiers in pursuit of the bandits. Halfway along the road, he encountered the man leading the horses and carrying the treasures toward him.

The king asked:

– Who are you? Where did you capture these five hundred horses?

The man replied:

– I am a foreigner. While traveling, I encountered five hundred bandits and fought them fiercely. In the end, I killed them all, and their corpses are still lying scattered beneath a tree. I hastened to bring the horses and treasures before the king and ask that the king grant me a reward. If the king does not believe me, please come with me to the tree and see for yourself.

The king immediately sent trusted men to investigate. They returned and reported that everything was exactly as the man had said. Upon hearing this, the king was overjoyed and regarded it as an unprecedented feat. He then brought the man back to the capital with him, bestowed many precious rewards upon him, and appointed him as an official in one of the regions.

However, some of the kingdom’s veteran ministers became exceedingly jealous and resentful of him. They therefore reported to the king:

– This man is a foreigner. Your Majesty should not trust him too much. Your Majesty now rewards him lavishly and favors him above all the veteran ministers. We fear this may lead to something improper.

When the man heard that they had slandered him before the king in this way, he flew into a rage and loudly challenged them in a show of might:

– If anyone possesses extraordinary strength and is able to contend with me in combat, I invite him to enter the arena and fight me so that we may test our abilities.

Hearing this terrifying threat, the veteran ministers did not dare utter a word. But on the following day, they devised a scheme. At that time, there was a dangerous and desolate forest in the kingdom. Within it lived an exceedingly ferocious lion that often wandered onto the road, seized people, and devoured them. No one had been able to eliminate this menace. The ministers therefore reported to the king:

– Since this foreigner is a mighty man of extraordinary strength whom no one can defeat, we now ask Your Majesty to send him to kill that ferocious lion and thereby remove this great scourge from our kingdom.

The king accepted their proposal and gave the man a sword and a staff, ordering him to go and kill the lion. Having received the king’s command, the man could not refuse to go. Thus, mustering his courage and risking his life, he entered the dense forest to seek out and kill the lion.

As soon as the lion saw him approaching, it let out a terrifying roar and sprang at him. Panic-stricken, he hastily climbed a tree to escape. The lion opened its mouth wide like a basin of blood, glared upward, then raised its head toward him and roared thunderously. Trembling in the tree, the man was nearly driven mad with fear. At some point, the knife he had been holding fell beneath the tree without his even realizing it. Yet, by an extraordinary coincidence, it fell directly into the lion’s throat. Mortally wounded, the lion died at once.

The man was overjoyed beyond words. He brought the lion’s carcass back and presented it to the king. The king rewarded him many times more richly than before, and most of the ministers came to admire and respect him.

** In this story, the poisoned rice cake placed beneath the tree represents impure giving; slaying the five hundred bandits represents severing the five sensual desires and afflictions and attaining the first fruit, that of stream-entry. His later encounter with the king of the neighboring country represents meeting sages and noble ones. The former ministers’ jealous plot to harm him represents non-Buddhists who slander and maliciously obstruct wholesome conduct. Slaying the lion represents subduing the afflictions, demons, and adversaries. Receiving a great reward and title represents attaining the fruit of the Path.

The principal meaning of this story is that, although one may initially lack a pure mind, there are times when, through the cause of impure giving and with the assistance of a spiritual friend, one may encounter supreme conditions for advancing in cultivation and attaining the fruit of the Path. Even impure giving can sometimes give rise to merit and wholesome Dharma. How much more, then, when we give with right view, a wholesome mind, sincerity, and joy: the merit and wholesome benefits thereby produced will naturally be many times more excellent and advantageous.