Disclaimer: This translation does not guarantee complete accuracy, please confirm with the original page text.
Chapter 2: Collection of Examples
113
Opportunity, Spread, Dialogue, and Agent were merchants in the city of Kshemila. ||19||
They loaded their carts with goods and set out on their journey. They entered a waterless forest and traveled some distance. ||20||
The five of them, parched and traveling on the desert path, searched for water throughout the vast forest. ||21||
Wandering, Opportunity saw a five-peaked, thorny bush. He showed it to the four friends. ||22||
They all together quickly broke the eastern peak of the bush. They obtained water from it, drank it, and regained their health. ||23||
Then Spread said, "This thorny bush is long. We will surely get something else from it." ||24||
Then Opportunity said, "Digging is not appropriate for this. A serpent will rise from it, for it is the abode of the wealthy." ||25||
Dialogue spoke, and there was disagreement. "A serpent did not rise from the broken eastern peak." ||26||
Opportunity again said, "By chance, there was water here. Agent, by chance, there will be wealth here." ||27||
Having said this, Agent began to dig. Opportunity, saying, "This is not my opinion," went away. ||28||
Bhalana said, "Opportunity has gone. If he goes, we will dig without him." They all dug. ||29||
From that thorny bush, they immediately obtained wealth. They divided it, and the four took their share. ||30||
They tasted the fourth peak and obtained gold. Then, out of greed for gold, they dug for silver. ||31||
Thinking that there would be jewels in the fifth peak, they tasted it, blinded by greed. Greed increases from gain. ||32||
From the very deep pit, like a fierce poison, a venomous serpent rose. ||33||
That serpent, standing on the top of an anthill, looked at the sun and then at them. He turned the four, along with Opportunity and the bull, into ashes. ||34||
Opportunity, free from greed, and the bull, were saved. The serpent's goddess protector granted Opportunity the desired place. ||35||
"I will burn your teacher, the serpent, and then the four, just as I have burned them. I will free you, Opportunity," said the serpent. ||36||
Then, with his begging incomplete, Ananda went to the Lord. He was worried, thinking, "What will I ask?" ||37||
"I will turn him into ashes," was what Gosala had said. "Was that a madman's speech? Is he capable of doing that?" ||38||
Then the Lord said, "He is capable of doing that to others, but not to the worthy. A wicked mind can only cause suffering to the worthy." ||39||
"Go and tell Gautama and the others that they should not be afraid of him. They do not drive away those who come here with righteous motivation." ||40||
Going to them, Ananda then told Gosala. Gosala came before his master and said, ||41||
"O Kashyapa! Gosala, the son of Mankhala, says that I am his resident. That is a false statement of yours." ||42||