________________
68
Non-possessiveness and charity
wwwwww
them at the gates of the palace. He told them to give him their roțī and in return he would make them king. When none of them believed him, he asked for half their roți in return for which he promised to make them a minister.
The beggars said, "Master, why do you make fun of us?" And they moved on, none parting with his roțī, not even with a bit of it. Many beggars later, a young boy passed him. There was a strange light in the boy's eyes.
As he was leaving the gate, he was asked, "What did you get? Are you satisfied with whatever you received?" The boy answered, “This roțī is what I have received and I humbly accept it. After all, what else can befit a beggar's destiny?"
The monk thought, "There is the essence of renunciation in this boy's voice. Misfortune may have made him a beggar but his tone implies that he is not a pessimist. I am sure he has faith in the future but at present he is living within the confines of his circumstance." Thus thinking, the holy man said, "Alright son, give me this roţi. I will make you the king."
The boy said innocently, "Whether you make me a king or not, please take this roți. I came here with great hopes, but I am content with what I have received. However, I will gladly part with it if you need it." The monk asked him to stand aside and wait awhile, while he continued his search among the beggars for another one who would be generous with his roți. At last, another boy passed by who tore his roți into half and gave it to the monk.
Happy at the end of his search, the monk said to the king and the minister, “Here are the two capable sons that I promised you would have. A king should be large-hearted, and willing to sacrifice his all. These qualities are evident in the first boy. The roți was important to him, it was all he had, but unlike the others, he relinquished it without any hesitation. Therefore, he is worthy of being groomed to become the heir-apparent.
"The other boy may not have such generosity; nevertheless he parted with half of his roțī. It is a minister's role to be cautious
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
