1. Learning to Listen
Once, the Bodhisattva was born as an ascetic. He had five hundred followers, who lived with him in his mountain abode. Once day, half of his followers, including their chief had gone away looking for food. Suddenly, the Bodhisattva fell sick and took to bed.
The followers who had remained with him at the abode reached his bedside to tent to him. They asked him what his life’s achievement was. The Bodhisattva replied, “Nothing.” The followers failed to understand the true meaning of the wise man’s words.
They considered him to be a failure because he had achieved nothing. Soon after, the Bodhisattva died. The foolish followers gave him a simple burial, without any ceremony. When the chief of the other half of the followers …show more content…
He became an ascetic and had a number of disciples. One day, while the Bodhisattva was walking through the forest with his disciple Ajita, he saw a hungry tigress about to eat her own cubs. Deeply moved, the Bodhisattva decided to offer himself as food for the tigress. He feared that his disciple would stop him from sacrificing his life and so the Bodhisattva sent Ajita away on an errand and placed himself in front of the tigress. “Grr…” growled the tigress and ripped the Bodhisattva apart. She and her cubs fed on him …show more content…
One evening he was about to meditate when his eye caught the almost complete orb of the moon in the distant sky. He remembered that the coming day was the holy fifteenth day of the brighter half of the month – the day on which one should not eat a single morsel before offering food to the guest first. The Bodhisattva felt worried as he had no food that was good enough for a guest. After much thought, he decided to offer his body as food to anyone who may come to visit him. Now, Sakka, the King of Gods, learning about the Bodhisattva’s resolve, appeared in the forest the next day to test his strength of character. He took the guise of a Brahmin and pretended to be in dire need of food. Seeing the Brahmin, the Bodhisattva lit a fire by striking two stones and jumped into the raging flames. Sakka was stunned by this act of sacrifice. The hare’s soul went up to heaven and Sakka, in his honour, adorned the moon with the hare’s
Once, the Bodhisattva was born as an ascetic. He had five hundred followers, who lived with him in his mountain abode. Once day, half of his followers, including their chief had gone away looking for food. Suddenly, the Bodhisattva fell sick and took to bed.
The followers who had remained with him at the abode reached his bedside to tent to him. They asked him what his life’s achievement was. The Bodhisattva replied, “Nothing.” The followers failed to understand the true meaning of the wise man’s words.
They considered him to be a failure because he had achieved nothing. Soon after, the Bodhisattva died. The foolish followers gave him a simple burial, without any ceremony. When the chief of the other half of the followers …show more content…
He became an ascetic and had a number of disciples. One day, while the Bodhisattva was walking through the forest with his disciple Ajita, he saw a hungry tigress about to eat her own cubs. Deeply moved, the Bodhisattva decided to offer himself as food for the tigress. He feared that his disciple would stop him from sacrificing his life and so the Bodhisattva sent Ajita away on an errand and placed himself in front of the tigress. “Grr…” growled the tigress and ripped the Bodhisattva apart. She and her cubs fed on him …show more content…
One evening he was about to meditate when his eye caught the almost complete orb of the moon in the distant sky. He remembered that the coming day was the holy fifteenth day of the brighter half of the month – the day on which one should not eat a single morsel before offering food to the guest first. The Bodhisattva felt worried as he had no food that was good enough for a guest. After much thought, he decided to offer his body as food to anyone who may come to visit him. Now, Sakka, the King of Gods, learning about the Bodhisattva’s resolve, appeared in the forest the next day to test his strength of character. He took the guise of a Brahmin and pretended to be in dire need of food. Seeing the Brahmin, the Bodhisattva lit a fire by striking two stones and jumped into the raging flames. Sakka was stunned by this act of sacrifice. The hare’s soul went up to heaven and Sakka, in his honour, adorned the moon with the hare’s