________________
The Value of Forbearance
67
DEX ILX UDALAN
PATENT
MANAGEMODINA
night. He said to Meghakumar, "where is your patience? Recall your previous life. You were then an elephant. You cleaned an area in a dense forest in order to ward off forest fire. Suddenly once the forest caught fire, all animals gathered at that place. It was so filled with animals that there was no place for putting a single foot down. You had an itching sensation. As soon as you lifted your leg to scratch a hare sat in the vacant place below your lifted foot.
"You wanted to put your foot down but looking at the hare you thought, 'If I put my foot on the ground, this hare will be crushed. It will be an act of sin. Because of your feelings of caring and compassion, you kept on standing for three days. Then the fire wast extinguished and the animals went back to the forest. The hare also left. So at last. seeing the empty place you wanted to put your foot down, but it was too stiff. You fell down and breathed your last. Thus you had shown extra-ordinary tolerance. Now where is your tolerance?"
As Meghakumar went into deep meditation, he attained the jatis-marengyana. He recollected his past life, realized his mistake and sought to have better control over his emotions. Now, truly understanding the value of forbearance, Meghakumar again continued in his monkhood.
-alue
