The Buddha : Wild In The Country

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yawares
Posts: 1531
Joined: Fri Mar 09, 2012 3:23 pm

The Buddha : Wild In The Country

Post by yawares »

Dear Members,

I would like to thank "James the Giant" who replied my post with this wonderful story. :anjali:
And since I use many Elvis songs in my Dhammapada stories presentation, I pray that Elvis also get merits from the Buddha. I wish Elvis be reborn in one of those high heavens. :heart: :anjali:

The Elephant And The Monkey
[By James the Giant]


Wild In The Country: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzRbmRlWvyk" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The Buddha left Jetavana monastery in Savatthi, and spent the vassa, residence period of the rains, all alone in Rakkhita Grove near Palileyyaka forest.

So then this noble elephant withdrew from the herd and drew near to Parileyyaka, to Protected Forest, to the foot of the beautiful Sal-tree; even to where the Exalted One was, thither did he draw near. And when he had drawn near and paid obeisance to the Exalted One, he looked all about for a broom. And seeing none, he smote with his foot the beautiful Sal-tree below and hewed away with his trunk at the Sal-tree above. And taking a branch, he then swept the ground.
Then he took a water-pot in his trunk and procured drinking-water. And as hot water was required, he prepared hot water. (How was that possible?) First he produced sparks with a fire-drill which he worked with his trunk; then he dropped sticks of wood on the sparks. Thus did he kindle a fire. In the fire he heated small stones; these he rolled along with a stick and dropped into a little depression in the rock. Then, lowering his trunk and finding the water hot enough, he went and made obeisance to the Teacher. The Teacher asked, “Is your water hot, Parileyyaka?” and went there and bathed. After that the elephant brought various kinds of wild fruits and presented them to the Teacher.


Now when the Teacher enters the village for alms, the elephant takes his bowl and robe, puts them on top of his head, and accompanies him. When the Teacher reaches the vicinity of the village, he bids the elephant bring him his bowl and robe, saying, “Parileyyaka, farther than this you are not permitted to go. Fetch me my bowl and robe.” The Teacher then enters the village, and the elephant stands right there until he returns. When the Teacher returns, the elephant advances to meet him, takes his bowl and robe just as he did before, deposits them in the Teacher’s place of abode, pays him the usual courtesies, and fans him with the branch of a tree. At night, to ward off danger from beasts of prey, he takes a big club in his trunk, says to himself, “I’ll protect the Teacher,” and back and forth in the interstices of the forest he paces until sunrise. (From that time forth, we are told, that forest was called “Protected Forest.”) When the sun rises, the elephant gives the Teacher water wherewith to bathe his face, and in the manner before related performs all of the other duties.

Now a monkey saw the elephant up and doing each day, performing the lesser duties for the Tathāgata, and he said to himself, “I’ll do something too.” One day, as he was running about, he happened to see some stick-honey free from flies. He broke the stick off, took the honey-comb, stick and all, broke off a plantain-leaf, placed the honey on the leaf, and offered it to the Teacher. The Teacher took it. The monkey watched to see whether or not he would eat it. He observed that the Teacher, after taking the honey, sat down without eating. “What can be the matter?” thought he. He took hold of the stick by the tip, turned it over and over, carefully examining it as he did so, whereupon he discovered some insect’s eggs. Having removed these gently, he again gave the honey to the Teacher. The Teacher ate it.

The monkey was so delighted that he leaped from one branch to another and danced about in great glee. But the branches he grasped and the branches he stepped on broke off. Down he fell on the stump of a tree and was impaled. So he died. And solely because of his faith in the Teacher he was reborn in the World of the Thirty-three in a golden mansion thirty leagues in measure, with a retinue of a thousand celestial nymphs.

Buddha's Verse 118. If a man(in this case"a monkey/elephant") does what is good, let him do it again; let him delight in it: happiness is the outcome of good.
*************
:heart: Love Buddha's dhamma,
yawares/sirikanya
:heart:
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James the Giant
Posts: 791
Joined: Sat Oct 17, 2009 6:41 am

Re: The Buddha : Wild In The Country

Post by James the Giant »

Nice story, it's from Buddhist Legends: Dhammapada Origin Stories, translated by E. W. Burlingame.
http://readingfaithfully.org/book-sourc ... dle-ebook/
I really like the glee of the monkey dancing and being so excited. Not so much the subsequent horrible fatal impaling.
Then,
saturated with joy,
you will put an end to suffering and stress.
SN 9.11
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yawares
Posts: 1531
Joined: Fri Mar 09, 2012 3:23 pm

Re: The Buddha : Wild In The Country

Post by yawares »

James the Giant wrote:Nice story, it's from Buddhist Legends: Dhammapada Origin Stories, translated by E. W. Burlingame.
http://readingfaithfully.org/book-sourc ... dle-ebook/
I really like the glee of the monkey dancing and being so excited. Not so much the subsequent horrible fatal impaling.

yawares: I'm so happy that the monkey reaped the great merits/benefits !! :thumbsup:
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