The Straw Worth More
Than Gold (from Jataka Tales)
The Buddha told
this story at Jetavana about a conniving bhikkhu, who was the source of much
trouble to other bhikkhus.
Long, long ago,
when Brahmadatta was reigning in Baranasi, a shifty ascetic with long, matted
hair, lived near a certain little village. The landowner had built a modest
hermitage in the forest for him, and daily provided him with excellent food in
his own house.
The landowner
had a great fear of robbers and decided that the safest course to protect his money
was to hide it in an unlikely place. Believing the matted-haired ascetic to be
a model of sainthood, he brought a hundred pieces of gold to the hermitage,
buried them there, and asked the ascetic to keep watch over the treasure.
"There's no
need to say more, sir, to a man like me who has renounced the world. We hermits
never covet what belongs to others."
"That's
wonderful," said the landowner, who went off with complete confidence in
the hermit's protestations.
As soon as the
landowner was out of sight, the ascetic chuckled to himself, "Why, there's
enough here to last a man his whole life!"
Allowing a few
days to elapse, the hermit dug up the gold and reburied it conveniently by the
road. The following morning, after a meal of rice and succulent curries at the
landowner's house, the ascetic said, "My good sir, I've been staying here,
supported by you, for a long time. Frankly, living so long in one place is like
living in the world, which is forbidden to ascetics like me. I really cannot
remain here any longer; the time has come for me to leave."
The landowner
urged him to stay, but nothing could overcome the hermit's determination.
"Well,
then," said the landowner, "if you must go, good luck to you."
Reluctantly, he escorted the ascetic to the outskirts of the village and
returned home.
After walking a
short way by himself, the ascetic thought it would be a good thing to cajole
the landowner. Sticking a straw in his matted hair, he hurried back to the
village.
"What
brings you back again?" asked the surprised landowner.
"I just
noticed that a straw from your roof got stuck in my hair. We hermits must not
take anything which has not been given to us, so I have brought it back to
you."
"Throw it
down, sir, and go your way," said the landowner. "Imagine!" he
said to himself. "This ascetic is so honest he won't even take a straw
which does not belong to him. What a rare person!" Thus, greatly impressed
by the ascetic's honesty, the landowner bid him farewell again.
At that time the
Bodhisatta, reborn as a merchant, was traveling to the border on business and
happened to stop at that same little village, where he witnessed the ascetic's
return with the piece of straw. Suspicion grew in his mind that the hermit must
have robbed the landowner of something. He asked the rich man whether he had
deposited anything in the ascetic's care.
"Yes,"
the landowner answered rather hesitantly, "a hundred pieces of gold."
"Well, why
don't you just go and see if it's still safe?" the merchant suggested.
The landowner
went to the deserted hermitage, dug where he had left his money, and found it
gone. Rushing back to the merchant, he cried, "It's not there!"
"The thief
is certainly that long-haired rascal of an ascetic," said the merchant.
"Let's catch him."
The two men ran
after the rogue and quickly caught him. They kicked him and beat him until he
showed them where he had hidden the gold. After they had gotten back the money,
the merchant looked at the coins and scornfully asked the ascetic, "Why
didn't this hundred pieces of gold trouble your conscience as much as that
straw? Take care, you hypocrite, never to play such a trick again!"
When his life ended, the merchant passed away to fare according to his deserts.
When he had
ended his lesson, the Buddha said, "Thus you see, monks, that this monk
was as conniving in the past as he is today." Then he identified the Birth
by saying, "This monk was the scheming ascetic of those days, and I was
the wise and good merchant."
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Notes
1. The Uposatha
is the full, new, and half-moon days, when many Buddhists observe the Eight
Precepts.
2. Yojana: a
unit of distance, about seven miles.
3. The Realm of
Brahma refers to the highest heavens, where beings enjoy radiant bliss.
4. Devadatta was
a cousin of the Buddha. He tried to kill the Master several times, but always
failed. See Jataka No.3, immediately below.
5. Devas are celestial beings, ranging from the
highest gods to simple tree spirits.
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