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APRIL, 1896.]
The rats having reached their holes consulted together for revenge. Said they, the hermit, though apparently of mild exterior, has a heart black with anger, and deserves to be expelled from the monkish order. Because we had taken a mere morsel of his offerings, he has inflicted on us an unheard-of punishment! Speaking thus they determined to fight him out, and they came and seated themselves before him upon a table.
THE RECLUSE AND THE RATS.
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On seeing them, the hermit rebuked them and threatened to behead them, if they did not confess their crime; but the rats assumed a more daring attitude than before and said :-"Can every spoken threat be carried out? Can every mere wish be performed in deed? You have inflicted on us a punishment unheard of in the laws of kings and religion. If you do not repent and ask our forgiveness, we will gather 100,000 Dzara rats and 10,000 mice, and bring you to justice."
Now, at this time, there was a partridge with its young one, which the rats had formerly harmed. This young partridge addressing his mother said: "Mother! just look at the burnt faces and cut ears and tail of the two rats. How true is the Jina's (Buddha's) word that the sins of one's misdeeds are visited upon oneself." The mother delighted to hear such news, smiled and said:"O my son, old women are indeed glad to see such sights, even though their knee-joints ache in going. Come, let us go to congratulate them. Let us afflict them with taunts."
So saying they went to the rats, and having flapped their wings thrice, said: "Ki-ki swaswa! The sun is warm to-day. We have heard such good news to-day. You often used to injure our nest, so we are glad that your ill-deeds have met their reward. As the smith is killed by the sword which he himself has forged, so the weapon of your misdeeds has wounded yourself. At this we are glad. How ridiculous you now look without whiskers and eye-lashes and with cut ears and tail. Ere we die we shall spread the news of this great joke and good news throughout the world." On this the partridges flew away, leaving the rats abashed.
Near by were two other birds, one of whom, mCh'u-rin-ma with the long bill, said to the other Tin-tin-ma:-"The parent crow suffers great hardships in feeding its young, yet these young cruelly drive their parent away. A wicked man, though treated with kindness, will eventually become an enemy. These two rats have returned the hermit's kindness with evil. Therefore let us go and console the hermit."
Again, outside the cave were two other rats named Glory (bKra-s'is) and The Obtained Wish (Don-grub), who said to each other:-" Let us go and smother the flames of this quarrel in its outset, and be the mediators between our kinsmen and the hermit. For one bad man disturbs the whole country. One Garuda moves the ocean to its depths. One bad piece of food disorders the whole body. One bad servant raises a quarrel between the master and the whole of his servants." They then advised the two rats to cease quarreling with the hermit, but the rats indignantly refused to hear them, and said: "Mind your own business. Geese are not caught in a fish-trap. You had better go and count the lice in your bosom."
Meanwhile the hermit was very sad and inclined to abandon religion. Seeing an eagle skimming the sky, he addressed it saying:-"O sage among the birds, you have no kin, nor attachment to any one country, but can go wherever you wish. I much envy your position. I am in great sorrow. I was born here, in Tibet, through the force of my karma, and if I am to agree with the people, then I must abandon religion; while if I lead a pious life the people annoy me. Acting according to the holy Law makes enemies of both high and low; and if I render service to others I receive injury in return." The eagle replied:-" You are fortunate to have attained the human form, and you should fully utilize your superior opportunities. The prophet Padma Sambhava said, wicked men drive away good men, and the wicked The founder of Lamaism, see my Buddhism of Tibet, pp. 22-33, 380, eto.
