English
The fifth story, about the Tiger. 16. The story in order, about the piece of wood given. It is said that in Savatthi, a man, Setting out on the road, thinking, "I will go to the north country," In the summer month, at midday, tired by the intense heat, Entered the shade of a tree, and sat on a plank, chewing betel. Then, coming from the north country, another, Tired by the heat, came and sat near the first one, And asked, "Friend, is there water?" The other said, "There is no water." Then he said, "Friend, give me betel too, I am thirsty," But did not receive it. Having bought a betel leaf for four kahapanas, He sat there, chewed it, relieved his thirst, And, with that kindness, having made affection for him, Went to his destination. Then, later, having gone to the port, Going by ship for trade, reached the middle of the sea. Then, on the seventh day, the ship broke. The people became food for fish and turtles. That same man, unharmed, Holding a piece of wood to his chest, floated in the sea. Then, that other one too, the ship having broken, Being the only one left, floating in the sea, met the first one. Then, for seven days, floating in the sea, They recognized each other. Of those, the one who bought and took betel for kahapanas, Holding a piece of wood to his chest, floated. The other did not have it. Then, remembering the kindness of the one who gave betel, Having taken kahapanas, to himself... She gave him a piece of wood. He lay on it, crossed over, and left it behind. Another, crossing without support, weakened and began to sink in the water. At that moment, a goddess named Maṇimekhalā, dwelling in the sea, seeing him sinking, remembering his virtues, thinking "he is a good man," quickly went and, by her power, brought him to the seashore. She also brought the other one to the shore by the power of his virtues. Then the man who had crossed with the plank, seeing him, astonished, asked, "How did you get here first?" He said, "I do not know. But indeed, I reached the shore easily." Then the goddess, making her form visible, declaring that she had brought him, said: 1. "Whoever here supports mother or father righteously, the gods always protect him, whether in the sea or on land. 2. And whoever has gone for refuge to the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Sangha, the gods always protect him, whether in the sea or on land. 3. The fivefold, the eightfold, and the restraint of the Pātimokkha, whoever guards it, they protect him, the gods everywhere, always. 4. With body, speech, and mind, whoever here lives a good life, the gods always protect him, whether in the sea or on land. 5. Whoever, established in the virtues of a good man, is grateful here, the gods always protect him, whether in the sea or on land." Then he said: 6. "I gave no alms, nor did I keep precepts; by what meritorious deed of mine do the deities protect me? I ask you my doubt, explain that to me, O goddess." The goddess said: 7. "In the impassable, fearful ocean, difficult to cross, when your boat was broken, crossing, you held a plank, thinking of another. 8. Standing in the virtues of a good man, not considering yourself, to a man known for a moment, you gave your own plank. 9. That friendship of yours, and your giving of the plank, became your support in the sea; know this, O mortal." Having said this, she satisfied them with divine food and Having adorned him with his power, he established them in Savatthi itself. From then on, making him their object of devotion, giving alms, keeping precepts, observing the Uposatha, at the end of their lives, they were destined for heaven. 10. Thus, even with a little merit, in the ocean, Beings obtain refuge through the deities; You too, not destroying your goodness, May you not be negligent, always applying yourselves to merit. The sixth story is about the giver of a piece of fruit. 17. In the story of the thief's friend, this is the sequential account: After our Blessed One had passed away, in Jambudipa, in the city of Devadaha, a certain man, afflicted, wandering here and there, went to a border village and took up residence in a certain family's house. There, the people sustained him by giving him rice gruel and food. Then, having made friendship and intimacy with the people there, having lived there for some days, he went elsewhere and, in the future, made a living by committing theft. Then one day, as he was stealing, the king's men seized him and brought him to the king. The king commanded, "Imprison him in the jail!" They took him to the jail, bound him with chains, handed him over to the guards, and departed. Twelve years passed while he was living in the jail. Then, in the future, his former friend, a resident of the border village, came to Devadaha on some business, wandering here and there, and saw him bound in the jail. Seeing him, his heart trembled. He wept, lamented, and asked, "What can I do for you, friend?" Then he said, "Friend, twelve years have now passed since I have been living in this jail. For so long, I have been experiencing great suffering due to bad food and the like. Before I can seek food, eat, and return, find a way to release me from here." When he was told this, that good man... 1. What is the use of beauty, Devoid of virtue and morality, Of a deceitful mind, A cheat with false intentions? What is the use of wealth, devoid of generosity? What is the use of a friend, who turns away in times of trouble? Having said this, and "Good sir, I will vouch for him," he went to the guards and said, "Sirs, this fellow is going to eat and will return. I will be his guarantor. Release him." They said, "Sir, it is not possible to release him. However, until he returns, you must sit bound by an iron chain. Then we will release him, otherwise not." He said, "So be it, sir," and having removed the chain from his foot, he placed it on his own foot, entered the prison, and had the other man released. That wicked man, freed from prison, never returned to that place. Alas, it is difficult to know the nature of the ungrateful. As it is said: 2. As in a flood, a pit, what is uneven becomes even; Thus the nature of the good man, is perceived in the mind. 3. They speak one thing with their mouth, but think another in their mind; They do one thing with their body; such is the nature of the wicked. 4. He who understands their nature, is truly a wise man; Even if very learned, he alone, is the knower of others' minds. Then, while he was living in the prison, twelve years passed. During all that time, though afflicted by hunger, he never begged anyone for food. The days he did not receive leftover food were far more numerous than the days he did. Then, after the passing of twelve years, a son was born to the king. At that time, the king ordered all the prisons in his kingdom to be opened. Even birds and animals were released from captivity. As soon as the door was opened, the people in the prison went wherever they wished. But he alone, not going with them, lingered. When the guards asked him, "Sir, why do you not go?" he replied, "Sirs, because I am now known, I will not go. I am too weak. I will go in the dark." Having said this, when darkness fell, he went out and, trusting in the inner city, Thinking, "Without alms, how shall I get food?" he went out into the pitch-black night to a charnel ground. "Here I shall get food," he thought. There he saw a freshly discarded human corpse, and cutting off the flesh with a human bone, he put it in a skull, placed it on a hearth made of three human heads, made a fire with embers taken from a pyre, and sprinkling water used for washing corpses with a human bone to extinguish the charnel ground, he cooked the flesh, took it down, covered his nakedness with a branch, made a windbreak of rags, and sat down. At that moment, a deity dwelling in a fig tree there, seeing his actions, thought, "I will question him," and approaching him, said this: "Sir, in this dense, dark night, in this charnel ground filled with scattered human bones, crowded with jackals and carrion crows, haunted by flesh-eating ogres and demons, in this terrifying charnel ground with many blazing pyres, why are you cooking human flesh?" 5. In the pitch-black night, amidst carrion crows, In the charnel ground, You cook human flesh on skulls, Tell me, what is your purpose? Then he said: 6. Not for sacrifice, nor for giving, In the charnel ground I cook flesh; There is nothing like hunger for a man, I cook this to destroy hunger. Then the deity said to him, "So be it. You make a windbreak with these rags. Why is this?" 7. A branch for covering nakedness, Rags you spread there; And you make a windbreak, good sir, Tell me, when asked, why is this? He, explaining to her, said: 8. A cold wind mixed with good and bad, Of itself, without intention, Touching the body of one who is ungrateful, A betrayer of friends. 9. Bringing together, if on my body, It touches me, that wind, having entered; It gives pain. Sir, turn away from this wretched robe that binds. The deity said: 10. What did that ingrate do to you, sir? Did he destroy your wealth and grain? Mother, father, relatives, fields, and property, Were they ruined by him? Tell me what it is. Then he said: 11. The great fear that comes from the king, The taking of all, even execution; That comes from an ungrateful, ignoble person, Sir, such a one should be avoided from afar. 12. Whatever fear of thieves and enemies exists in the world, Or even from water or fire; All that comes from an ungrateful person, Sir, such a one should be avoided from afar. 13. Taking life, taking what is not given, Going to another's wife, and lying; Drinking intoxicants, quarrels, and slander, Idle talk, association with gamblers. 14. All misfortune, inauspiciousness, and undesirability, Leading to misery, endless suffering;