Verses on Dhamma 7.9.98_5

7.9.98_5

Bhikkhave, ito ekanavutikappe vipassī bhagavā loke uppajjitvā ekasmiṃ samaye janapadacārikaṃ caritvā pitu nagaraṃ paccāgamāsi. Rājā buddhappamukhassa bhikkhusaṅghassa āgantukadānaṃ sajjetvā nāgarānaṃ sāsanaṃ pesesi ‘‘āgantvā mayhaṃ dāne sahāyakā hontū’’ti. Te tathā katvā ‘‘raññā dinnadānato atirekataraṃ dassāmā’’ti satthāraṃ nimantetvā punadivase dānaṃ paṭiyādetvā rañño sāsanaṃ pahiṇiṃsu. Rājā āgantvā tesaṃ dānaṃ disvā ‘‘ito adhikataraṃ dassāmī’’ti punadivasatthāya satthāraṃ nimantesi, neva rājā nāgare parājetuṃ sakkhi, na nāgarā rājānaṃ. Nāgarā chaṭṭhe vāre ‘‘sve dāni yathā ‘imasmiṃ dāne idaṃ nāma natthī’ti na sakkā hoti vattuṃ, evaṃ dānaṃ dassāmā’’ti cintetvā punadivase dānaṃ paṭiyādetvā ‘‘kiṃ nu kho ettha natthī’’ti olokentā allamadhumeva na addasaṃsu. Pakkamadhu pana bahuṃ atthi. Te allamadhussatthāya catūsu nagaradvāresu cattāri kahāpaṇasahassāni gāhāpetvā pahiṇiṃsu. Atheko janapadamanusso gāmabhojakaṃ passituṃ āgacchanto antarāmagge madhupaṭalaṃ disvā makkhikā palāpetvā sākhaṃ chinditvā sākhādaṇḍakeneva saddhiṃ madhupaṭalaṃ ādāya ‘‘gāmabhojakassa dassāmī’’ti nagaraṃ pāvisi. Madhuatthāya gato taṃ disvā, ‘‘ambho, vikkiṇiyaṃ madhu’’nti pucchi. ‘‘Na vikkiṇiyaṃ, sāmī’’ti. ‘‘Handa, imaṃ kahāpaṇaṃ gahetvā dehī’’ti. So cintesi – ‘‘imaṃ madhupaṭalaṃ pādamattampi na agghati, ayaṃ pana kahāpaṇaṃ deti. Bahukahāpaṇako maññe, mayā vaḍḍhetuṃ vaṭṭatī’’ti. Atha naṃ ‘‘na demī’’ti āha, ‘‘tena hi dve kahāpaṇe gaṇhāhī’’ti. ‘‘Dvīhipi na demī’’ti. Evaṃ tāva vaḍḍhesi, yāva so ‘‘tena hi idaṃ sahassaṃ gaṇhāhī’’ti bhaṇḍikaṃ upanesi.

Monks, ninety-one cycles of time ago the Exalted Vipassī appeared in the world, and on a certain occasion making an alms-pilgrimage in the country, returned to the city of his father. The king prepared hospitable offerings for the Congregation of Monks presided over by the Buddha and sent word to the citizens, "Come and share in my offerings." Having done so, they made up their minds, "We will give offerings yet more abundant than those given by the king." So they invited the Teacher, prepared offerings on the following day, and sent an invitation to the king. The king came and seeing their offerings, invited the Teacher for the following day, saying to himself, "I will give offerings yet more abundant than these." But the king could not outdo the citizens, nor the citizens the king; the sixth time the citizens resolved, "To-morrow we will give such offerings that it will be impossible for the king to say that this or that is lacking in our offerings." So on the following day they prepared offerings, and looking to see what might be lacking, they observed that there was plenty of honey in cooked form, but no fresh honey. Therefore they sent men out of the four gates of the city to seek fresh honey, providing each man with a thousand pieces of money.

Now it happened that a certain countryman, going to see the village headman, caught sight of a honeycomb on the branch of a tree by the side of the road. Driving the flies away, he cut off the branch and taking honeycomb, branch and stick, he entered the city, intending to give it to the village headman. One of the men who had been sent out to seek fresh honey saw him and asked him, "Sir, is that honey for sale?" "No, master, it is not for sale." "Never mind, take this penny and give me the honey." The countryman thought to himself, "This honeycomb is not worth even a farthing, but this man offers me a penny for it. I suppose he has a great many pennies; I had best raise the price." So he replied, "I will not give it to you for that." "Well then, take twopence." "I will not give it to you for so little as twopence." The countryman continued to raise the price until finally the man offered him a thousand pieces of money, whereupon he let him have the honey.