The ladle
which serves the delicacies
There was an old man in Sravasti who was wealthy but
stingy. His only interest was to build for himself a glamourous
and luxurious residence. Including a balcony for summer and an attic for warmth
in winter, there were a few dozen rooms in all. As the conservatory at the
backyard was not yet completed, the old man was day and night supervising its
construction.
One day, the Buddha came by the
entrance of his house with Ananda. While stopping for
a rest, he asked the old man:" Do you feel tired and exhausted over this
load of work? What are you using all these rooms for?"
The old man replied:" The
front reception hall is for guests; the room behind it is my living room; the
quarters on the east and west are for my son and his family, my other
possessions and the servants. In summer, I would go onto the balcony for the
cool breeze, and in the winter I would reside in the heated room for
warmth....."
The Buddha told him:" I
have heard of you for a long time. I have a gatha to
give you, and wonder if you have time to discuss it with me?"
The old man said:" Please
come another time as I am too busy today. As for the gatha,
perhaps I can hear it first."
So, the Buddha spoke the gatha: "Having sons, grandchildren and money, yet
being always busy; I am honestly not always me, so why should I worry for them?
In the heat I will live here, in the cold I will live there; The
stupid never stops worrying, unaware of the myriad changes in store for the
future. The deluded do not perceive the truth, yet they think they know
everything; Those who say they are better than the
wise, are actually the most ignorant of all."
On hearing this, the old man
said:" The meaning carried in the gatha is not
bad, but I am really too occupied today to discuss it with you, so please come
another day!"
In vain, the Buddha could only
leave in disappointment.
Soon after the Buddha had left,
the old man carried on with his construction work. Unexpectedly, a wooden plank
fell down and hit his head. He was seriously injured, and did not survive. As
the Buddha was at the farther end of the village, he met a group of Brahmans
who asked where he had come from.
The Buddha said:" I just happened to pass by the rich man's residence when I wanted to speak with him about the Dhrama. However, he did not trust my words and was ignorant of the unpredictability of impermanence. Now that he is suddenly gone, I feel really sorry for him!"
The Buddha then repeated the
same gatha he had told the old man to the Brahmans, who were delighted to hear
it and instantly perceived its meaning.
The Buddha therefore said
another gatha: "The stupid and ignorant who acquaint the wise, is like the ladle serving delicious
food; Although it always goes with the food, it does not know its taste. The
bright and open-minded who acquaint the wise, is like
the tongue which tastes of food; Although it lasts for just a while, the
essence of the Way is perceived."
On hearing this gatha, the Brahmans' faith in the Buddha was reinforced,
and they paid their homage before leaving happily.
[ It says in the
Sutra: 'The Buddha delivers those who are karmically
conditioned to meet him'. Even if the Buddha is right before them, the deluded
will not grasp the opportunity of acquainting with the Dharma. This is like the
ladle used for serving delicacies which cannot taste of the food. How to create
the karmic condition for deliverance is something Buddhist followers should
seriously deliberate on.]