🧚 Opening, part 10 · page 2

In the course of time the nimbs grew up.79 Roots with roots, branches with branches, were in contact, entangled, intertwined.80 Merely through this contact with the sour, unpalatable nimbs, the sweet fruit of the mango turned bitter, and its flavor became like the flavor of the leaves of the nimbs.81 The gardener, knowing that the fruit of the mango had turned bitter, fled.82

The king went to the garden and ate a mango fruit.83 As soon as he put the mango into his mouth, perceiving that the juice tasted like the vile juice of the nimb, he was unable to swallow it, and coughing it up, spat it out.84 Now at that time the Future Buddha was his counsellor in temporal and spiritual matters.85 The king addressed the Future Buddha: “Wise man, this tree is just as well cared for now as it was of old.86 But in spite of this, its fruit has turned bitter.87 What, pray, is the reason?”88 And by way of inquiry he uttered the first stanza:89

Color, fragrance, flavor, had this mango before.90 Receiving the same honor, why has the mango bitter fruit?91

Then the Future Buddha told him the reason by uttering the second stanza:92

Your mango, O king, is surrounded with nimbs, Root touches root, branches entwine about branches.93 Through contact with the bad, therefore your mango has bitter fruit.94

The king, hearing his words, had every one of the nimbs and pot-herbs chopped down, the roots pulled up, the sour earth round about removed, sweet earth put in its place, and the mango fed with milk and water, sweetened water, and perfumed water.95 Through contact with sweet juices the mango became perfectly sweet again.96 The king gave the regular gardener sole charge of the garden, and after living out his allotted term of life, passed away according to his deeds.97

15.98 _A Buddhist Henny-Penny.99

_Much ado about nothing.100

Jātaka 322: iii.101 74-78.102

On a certain occasion the Teacher, referring to the self-mortification of the Hindu ascetics, said to the monks: “Monks, there is no value, no merit, in their self-mortification.103 It is like the ‘rat-a-tat’ the little hare heard.”104 Said the monks: “We do not understand what you mean by saying that it is like the ‘rat-a-tat’ the little hare heard.105 Tell us about it, Reverend Sir.”106 So in response to their request the Teacher related the following Story of the Past:107

In times past, when Brahmadatta ruled at Benāres, the Future Buddha was reborn as a lion, and when he grew up, lived in a forest.108 At that time, near the Western Ocean, grew a grove of cocoanut trees intermingled with Vilva trees.109 There, at the foot of a Vilva tree, under a cocoanut sapling, lived a little hare.110 One day, returning with food, he lay down under a cocoanut leaf and thought: “If this earth should collapse, what would ever become of me?”111

At that very instant a Vilva fruit fell on top of the cocoanut leaf.112 At the sound of it the little hare thought: “This earth is certainly collapsing!”113 And springing to his feet, back he ran, without so much as taking a look.114 As he was running away as fast as he could in fear of death, another little hare saw him and asked: “Why, pray, are you running away in such a fright?”115 “Oh, don’t ask me!”116 And he kept right on running, in spite of the fact that the other little hare kept asking: “Oh! what is it?117 Oh! what is it?”118 The other little hare turned around, and without so much as taking a look, said: “The earth is collapsing here!”119 He also ran away, following the first.120

In the same way a third little hare saw the second, and a fourth the third, until finally there were a hundred thousand little hares running away together.121 A deer saw them,--also a boar, an elk, a buffalo, an ox, a rhinoceros, a tiger, a lion, and an elephant.122 Seeing, each asked: “What’s this?”123 “The earth is collapsing here!”124 Each ran away.125 Thus, in the course of time, there was an army of animals a league in size.126

At that time the Future Buddha, seeing that army running away, asked: “What’s this?”127 “The earth is collapsing here!”128 When the Future Buddha heard this, he thought: “No such thing!129 The earth is collapsing nowhere!130 It must certainly be that they failed to understand something they heard.131 But if I do not put forth effort, they will all perish.132 I will grant them their lives.”133

With the speed of a lion he preceded them to the foot of a mountain and thrice roared the roar of a lion.134 Terrified with fear of the lion, they turned around and stood all huddled together.135 The lion made his way in among them and asked: “Why are you running away?”136 “The earth is collapsing!”137 “Who saw it collapsing?”138 “The elephants know.”139 He asked the elephants.140 Said the elephants: “We don’t know; the lions know.”141 Said the lions: “We don’t know; the tigers know.”142 The tigers: “The rhinoceroses know.”143 The rhinoceroses: “The oxen know.”144 The oxen: “The buffaloes.”145 The buffaloes: “The elks.”146 The elks: “The boars.”147 The boars: “The deer.”148 The deer: “We don’t know; the little hares know.”149

When the little hares were asked, they pointed out that little hare and said: “He’s the one that told us.”150 So the lion asked the little hare: “Friend, is it true, as you say, that the earth is collapsing?”151 “Yes, master, I saw it.”152 “Where were you living when you saw it?” asked the lion.153 “Near the Western Ocean, in a grove of cocoanut trees mingled with Vilva trees.154 For there, at the foot of a Vilva tree, under a cocoanut sapling, beneath a cocoanut leaf, I lay and thought: ‘If the earth collapses, where shall I go?’155 That very instant I heard the sound of the earth collapsing.156 So I ran away.”157

The lion thought: “Evidently a Vilva fruit fell on top of that cocoanut leaf and made a ‘rat-a-tat,’ and this hare here, hearing that sound, came to the conclusion: ‘The earth is collapsing!’158 I will find out for a fact.”159 So the lion, taking the little hare with him, reassured the throng, saying: “I am going to find out for a fact whether or not the earth collapsed at the spot where the little hare saw what he saw; having so done, I will return.160 Until I return, all of you remain right here.”161

So taking the little hare on his back, he sprang forward with the speed of a lion.162 And setting the little hare down in the cocoanut grove, he said: “Come, show me the spot where you saw what you saw.”163 “I don’t dare, master.”164 “Come, don’t be afraid.”165 The little hare, not daring to approach the Vilva tree, stood no great distance off and said: “That, master, is the spot where it went ‘rat-a-tat.’”166 So saying, he uttered the first stanza:167

“Rat-a-tat” it went,--I wish you luck,-- In the region where I dwell.168 But as for me, I do not know What made that “rat-a-tat.”169