English
There, it is said, the venerable Mahākassapa was staying in Āḷavī at the Aggāḷava shrine. Then indeed, Venerable Mahākassapa, in the morning, having dressed, and taking his bowl and robe, entered Āḷavī for alms. The people, seeing Venerable Mahākassapa, were startled, were terrified, fled, went by another way, turned their faces away, and even closed their doors. Then indeed, Venerable Mahākassapa, having wandered for alms in Āḷavī, after his meal, having returned from his alms round, addressed the bhikkhus: "Formerly, friends, this Āḷavī was well-fed, easy to get alms, easy to sustain by gleaning and gathering; but now this Āḷavī is ill-fed, difficult to get alms, not easy to sustain by gleaning and gathering. What now, friends, is the reason, what is the cause, why this Āḷavī is ill-fed, difficult to get alms, not easy to sustain by gleaning and gathering?" Then indeed, those bhikkhus reported this matter to Venerable Mahākassapa. 343. Then indeed, the Blessed One, having stayed in Rājagaha as long as he wished, set out on a wandering tour towards Āḷavī. Wandering by stages, he arrived at Āḷavī. There, it is said, the Blessed One dwelt in Āḷavī at the Aggāḷava shrine. Then indeed, Venerable Mahākassapa approached the Blessed One; having approached, and having saluted the Blessed One, he sat down to one side. Sitting to one side, Venerable Mahākassapa reported this matter to the Blessed One. Then indeed, the Blessed One, on this occasion, on this matter, having gathered the assembly of bhikkhus, questioned the bhikkhus of Āḷavī: – "Is it true, monks, that you have huts built by begging, without an owner, for yourselves, of immeasurable size? They do not get finished. And you live full of asking, full of entreating— 'Give a man, give a man to help... give grass, give clay.' People, harassed by begging, harassed by entreating, seeing monks, are startled, are terrified, flee, go another way, turn their faces away, even close their doors. They even flee seeing a cow, thinking it is a monk!" "It is true, Blessed One." The Buddha, the Blessed One, rebuked them... "How can you, foolish men, have huts built by begging, without an owner, for yourselves, of immeasurable size! They do not get finished. And you will live full of asking, full of entreating— 'Give a man, give a man to help... give grass, give clay'! This, foolish men, is not for the conversion of the unconverted... Having rebuked them, and given a discourse on Dhamma, he addressed the monks: 344. "Formerly, monks, two brother ascetics lived near the river Ganges. Then, monks, Maṇikaṇṭha, the Nāga king, crossed the river Ganges and approached the younger ascetic. Having approached, he encircled the younger ascetic seven times with his coils, and making a great hood above his head, he stood there. Then, monks, the younger That ascetic, from fear of that nāga, became thin, withered, discolored, pale and jaundiced, his body covered with veins. Then, bhikkhus, the elder ascetic saw the younger ascetic thin, withered, discolored, pale and jaundiced, his body covered with veins. Having seen the younger ascetic, he said to him: "Why are you, sir, thin, withered, discolored, pale and jaundiced, your body covered with veins?" "Here, sir, the nāga king Maṇikaṇṭha, having crossed the Gaṅgā river, came to where I was. Having come, he encircled me seven times with his coils, and making a great hood over my head, he stood there. From fear of that nāga, sir, I became thin, withered, discolored, pale and jaundiced, my body covered with veins." "Do you wish, sir, for that nāga not to come again?" "I wish, sir, for that nāga not to come again." "Do you, sir, see anything of that nāga?" "I see, sir, a jewel worn on his neck." "Then, sir, ask that nāga for the jewel: 'Give me the jewel, sir; I have need of the jewel.'" Then, bhikkhus, the nāga king Maṇikaṇṭha, having crossed the Gaṅgā river, came to where the younger ascetic was. Having come, he stood to one side. To the nāga king Maṇikaṇṭha, who was standing to one side, the younger ascetic said: "Give me the jewel, sir; I have need of the jewel." Then, monks, Maṇikaṇṭha the Nāga king, thinking, "The monk asks for the gem, the monk has need of the gem," quickly went away. A second time, monks, Maṇikaṇṭha the Nāga king, having crossed the river Gaṅgā, approached the younger ascetic. The younger ascetic, monks, saw Maṇikaṇṭha the Nāga king coming from afar. Having seen Maṇikaṇṭha the Nāga king, he said to him: "Give me the gem, sir; I have need of the gem." Then, monks, Maṇikaṇṭha the Nāga king, thinking, "The monk asks for the gem, the monk has need of the gem," turned back from there. A third time, monks, Maṇikaṇṭha the Nāga king crossed the river Gaṅgā. The younger ascetic, monks, saw Maṇikaṇṭha the Nāga king crossing the river Gaṅgā. Having seen Maṇikaṇṭha the Nāga king, he said to him: "Give me the gem, sir; I have need of the gem." Then, monks, Maṇikaṇṭha the Nāga king addressed the younger ascetic with verses: "My food and drink, abundant and excellent, arises because of this gem. I will not give it to you, you are too importunate; Nor will I come to your hermitage. Like a dog with paws washed clean of gravel, you frighten me by begging for the rock. I will not give it to you, you are too importunate; Nor will I come to your hermitage." Then, monks, Maṇikaṇṭha the Nāga king, thinking, "The monk asks for the gem, the monk... "The ascetic needs the jewel," and he departed. Having thus departed, he did not return again. Then, monks, the younger ascetic, due to the disappearance of that beautiful nāga, became exceedingly thin, withered, discolored, pale and yellowish, his body covered with veins. Then, monks, the elder ascetic saw the younger ascetic exceedingly thin, withered, discolored, pale and yellowish, his body covered with veins. Having seen the younger ascetic, he said this to him: "Why, friend, are you exceedingly thin, withered, discolored, pale and yellowish, your body covered with veins?" "Due to the disappearance of that beautiful nāga, friend, I am exceedingly thin, withered, discolored, pale and yellowish, my body covered with veins." Then, monks, the elder ascetic addressed the younger ascetic with a verse: "Do not beg from one whose favor you desire, He becomes hateful through excessive begging; The nāga, begged for his jewel by the brahmin, Only went into hiding because of it." Indeed, monks, even for those animal beings, begging will be unpleasant, entreaty will be unpleasant. How much more so for human beings! 345. Once upon a time, monks, a certain bhikkhu was dwelling in the Himālaya region, in a certain forest grove. Not far from that forest grove, monks, a deep hollow, a pool. Then, it goes to dwell. Then, bhikkhus, that bhikkhu, disturbed by the noise of that flock of birds, approached me; having approached me and paid homage, he sat down to one side. As that bhikkhu was sitting to one side, bhikkhus, I said to him—‘Is it tolerable, bhikkhu, is it maintainable, have you come a long way without much fatigue? And from where, bhikkhu, have you come?’ ‘It is tolerable, Blessed One, it is maintainable, Blessed One. And I have come, venerable sir, a long way without much fatigue. There is, venerable sir, near the Himalayas, a great forest grove. Not far from that forest grove, venerable sir, is a great deep hollow, a pool. Then, venerable sir, a great flock of birds, having fed in that pool during the day, goes to that forest grove to dwell in the evening. From there, Blessed One, I come—disturbed by the noise of that flock of birds.’ ‘Do you wish, bhikkhu, for that flock of birds not to come?’ ‘I wish, Blessed One, for that flock of birds not to come.’ ‘Then, bhikkhu, go there, penetrate that forest grove, and during the first watch of the night, three times make this sound heard—‘May you hear me, sirs, birds, as many as have come to dwell in this forest grove, I have need of a feather. May each of you, sirs, give me a feather.’ During the middle watch of the night… during the last watch of the night, three times to make a sound: ‘Hear me, sirs, you birds, as many as have come to dwell in this forest grove, I have need of leaves. Give me, sirs, one leaf each.’ “Then, bhikkhus, that bhikkhu went there, entered that forest grove, and during the first watch of the night, three times he made a sound: ‘Hear me, sirs, you birds, as many as have come to dwell in this forest grove, I have need of leaves. Give me, sirs, one leaf each.’ During the middle watch of the night… during the last watch of the night, three times he made a sound: ‘Hear me, sirs, you birds, as many as have come to dwell in this forest grove, I have need of leaves. Give me, sirs, one leaf each.’ Then, bhikkhus, that flock of birds— ‘The bhikkhu asks for leaves, the bhikkhu has need of leaves’— flew away from that forest grove. They flew away and did not return. Indeed, bhikkhus, for those animal beings, asking must be unpleasant, requesting must be unpleasant. How much more so for human beings!” 346. “Formerly, bhikkhus, the father of the clansman Raṭṭhapāla addressed the clansman Raṭṭhapāla with a verse: ‘I do not know you, Raṭṭhapāla, many people; They come to me and ask, why do you not ask me?’ ‘One who asks is disliked, one who does not give when asked is disliked; Therefore, I do not ask you, m 'My insight has arisen.' "Indeed, monks, a young man, a ruler of a country, will speak thus to his own father. How much more so one person to another! 347. "For householders, monks, wealth is difficult to accumulate, and even when accumulated, it is difficult to guard.