17. Dragon Jewel-Neck.
Nobody loves a beggar.
Vinaya iii. 145-147.
On a certain occasion the Exalted One reproved the monks for begging. Said he:
On a certain occasion the Exalted One reproved the monks for begging. Said he:
Inolden times two ascetics, brothers, lived by the Ganges river. Now Jewel-neck, a dragon-king, came out of the Ganges, approached the younger ascetic, and having approached, encircled the younger ascetic seven times with his coils and rose and spread his huge hood over his head. And the younger ascetic, for fear of that dragon, became lean, dried-up, pale, yellow as ever was yellow, his body strewn with veins.
The older ascetic saw the younger ascetic lean, dried-up, pale, yellow as ever was yellow, his body strewn with veins. Seeing, he said this to the younger ascetic: “Why are you lean, dried-up, pale, yellow as ever was yellow, your body strewn with veins?” “While I was here, Jewel-neck, a dragon-king, came out of the Ganges river, approached me, and having approached, encircled me seven timeswith his coils and rose and spread his huge hood over my head. For fear of him I am lean, dried-up, pale, yellow as ever was yellow, my body strewn with veins.”
“But do you wish that dragon never to come back again?” “I wish that dragon never to come back again.” “Well, but do you see anything on that dragon?” “I see he wears a jewel on his neck.” “Well then, ask that dragon for the jewel, saying: ‘Give me the jewel! I want the jewel!’”
Now Jewel-neck the dragon-king came out of the Ganges river, approached the younger ascetic, and having approached, stood aside. As he stood aside, the younger ascetic said this to Jewel-neck the dragon-king: “Give me the jewel! I want the jewel!” Thereupon Jewel-neck the dragon-king, reflecting, “The monk begs the jewel, the monk wants the jewel,” quickly enough departed.
Three times did the younger ascetic beg the jewel of Jewel-neck the dragon-king, and three times did Jewel-neck the dragon-king depart. The third time, Jewel-neck the dragon-king addressed the younger ascetic with stanzas:
My food and drink, abundant, choice,I get by the power of this jewel.This I will not give you,—you ask too much;Nor will I even come back again to your hermitage.Like a lad with sand-washed sword in hand,You frighten me, asking for the stone.This I will not give you,—you ask too much;Nor will I even come back again to your hermitage.
My food and drink, abundant, choice,I get by the power of this jewel.This I will not give you,—you ask too much;Nor will I even come back again to your hermitage.Like a lad with sand-washed sword in hand,You frighten me, asking for the stone.This I will not give you,—you ask too much;Nor will I even come back again to your hermitage.
My food and drink, abundant, choice,I get by the power of this jewel.This I will not give you,—you ask too much;Nor will I even come back again to your hermitage.
My food and drink, abundant, choice,
I get by the power of this jewel.
This I will not give you,—you ask too much;
Nor will I even come back again to your hermitage.
Like a lad with sand-washed sword in hand,You frighten me, asking for the stone.This I will not give you,—you ask too much;Nor will I even come back again to your hermitage.
Like a lad with sand-washed sword in hand,
You frighten me, asking for the stone.
This I will not give you,—you ask too much;
Nor will I even come back again to your hermitage.
Thereupon Jewel-neck the dragon-king, reflecting, “The monk begs the jewel, the monk wants the jewel,” departed. When he departed, he departed indeed, and never came back again. And the younger ascetic, because he saw no more that dragon so fair to see, became more than ever lean, dried-up, pale, yellow as ever was yellow, his body strewn with veins.
When the older ascetic saw the younger ascetic altered in appearance, he inquired the reason. The younger ascetic told him. Then the older ascetic addressed the younger ascetic with a stanza:
One should not beg or seek to get what is dear to another.Odious does one become by asking overmuch.When the Brahman asked the dragon for the jewel,Never again did the dragon let himself be seen.
One should not beg or seek to get what is dear to another.Odious does one become by asking overmuch.When the Brahman asked the dragon for the jewel,Never again did the dragon let himself be seen.
One should not beg or seek to get what is dear to another.
Odious does one become by asking overmuch.
When the Brahman asked the dragon for the jewel,
Never again did the dragon let himself be seen.
“For, monks, to living beings in the form of animals, begging is said to have been offensive, hinting is said to have been offensive. How much more so must it be to human beings!”
“For, monks, to living beings in the form of animals, begging is said to have been offensive, hinting is said to have been offensive. How much more so must it be to human beings!”
Jātaka 258: ii. 283-286.
On a certain occasion the Exalted One reproved the monks for begging. Said he: “Monks, begging is offensive even to dragons, though the World of Dragons wherein they dwell is filled to overflowing with the Seven Jewels. How much more so must it be to human beings, from whom it is as difficult to wring a penny as it is to skin a flint!” So saying, he related the following Story of the Past:
On a certain occasion the Exalted One reproved the monks for begging. Said he: “Monks, begging is offensive even to dragons, though the World of Dragons wherein they dwell is filled to overflowing with the Seven Jewels. How much more so must it be to human beings, from whom it is as difficult to wring a penny as it is to skin a flint!” So saying, he related the following Story of the Past:
In times past, when Brahmadatta ruled at Benāres, the Future Buddha was reborn in a Brahman household of great wealth. When he was old enough to walk and could run hither and thither, another being of merit also received a new existence as his brother. When both brothers reached manhood, their mother and father died. In agitation of heart over their death, both brothers adopted the life of ascetics, and building leaf-huts on the bank of the Ganges, took up their residence there. The older brother’s hut was up the Ganges; the younger brother’s hut was down the Ganges.
Now one day a dragon-king named Jewel-neck came forth from the World of Dragons, walked along the bank of the Ganges disguised as a Brahman youth, came to the hermitage of the younger ascetic, bowed, and sat down on one side. Thedragon-king and the younger ascetic greeted each other in a cordial manner, and became fast friends and inseparable companions.
Every day Jewel-neck would come to the hermitage of the younger ascetic and sit down and talk and converse with him. When it was time for him to go, out of affection for the ascetic he would lay aside his human form, encircle the ascetic with his coils, and embrace him, holding his huge hood over his head. Having remained in this position for a time, and having dispelled his affection, he would unwind his body, bow to the ascetic, and go back again to his own abode.
The ascetic, for fear of him, became lean, dried-up, pale, yellow as ever was yellow, his body strewn with veins. One day he went to visit his brother. The latter asked him: “Why are you lean, dried-up, pale, yellow as ever was yellow, your body strewn with veins?” He told him the facts. The older ascetic asked: “But do you or do you not wish that dragon never to come back again?” The younger ascetic said: “I do not.” “But when that dragon-king comes to your hermitage, what ornament does he wear?” “A jewel.”
“Well then, when that dragon-king comes to your hermitage, before he has a chance to sit down, ask, saying: ‘Give me the jewel.’ If you do so, thatdragon-king will depart without so much as encircling you with his coils. On the next day you must stand at the door of your hermitage and ask him just as he approaches. On the third day you must stand on the bank of the Ganges and ask him just as he comes out of the water. If you do so, he will not come back to your hermitage.”
Every day Jewel-neck the dragon-king would encircle him with his coils.Every day Jewel-neck the dragon-king would encircle him with his coils.
Every day Jewel-neck the dragon-king would encircle him with his coils.
Every day Jewel-neck the dragon-king would encircle him with his coils.
“Very well,” assented the ascetic, and went to his own leaf-hut. On the next day the dragon-king came and stopped at the hermitage. The moment he stopped, the ascetic asked: “Give me this jewel you wear.” Without so much as sitting down, the dragon-king fled. On the second day the ascetic, standing at the door of the hermitage, said to the dragon-king just as he approached: “Yesterday you would not give me the jewel; to-day I must have it.” Without so much as entering the hermitage, the dragon-king fled. On the third day the ascetic said to the dragon-king just as he came out of the water: “This is the third day I have asked; give me this jewel now.” The dragon-king, still remaining in the water, refused the ascetic, reciting these two stanzas:
My food and drink, abundant, choice,I get by the power of this jewel.This I will not give you,—you ask too much;Nor will I even come back again to your hermitage.Like a lad with sand-washed sword in hand,You frighten me, asking for the stone.This I will not give you,—you ask too much;Nor will I even come back again to your hermitage.
My food and drink, abundant, choice,I get by the power of this jewel.This I will not give you,—you ask too much;Nor will I even come back again to your hermitage.Like a lad with sand-washed sword in hand,You frighten me, asking for the stone.This I will not give you,—you ask too much;Nor will I even come back again to your hermitage.
My food and drink, abundant, choice,I get by the power of this jewel.This I will not give you,—you ask too much;Nor will I even come back again to your hermitage.
My food and drink, abundant, choice,
I get by the power of this jewel.
This I will not give you,—you ask too much;
Nor will I even come back again to your hermitage.
Like a lad with sand-washed sword in hand,You frighten me, asking for the stone.This I will not give you,—you ask too much;Nor will I even come back again to your hermitage.
Like a lad with sand-washed sword in hand,
You frighten me, asking for the stone.
This I will not give you,—you ask too much;
Nor will I even come back again to your hermitage.
So saying, that dragon-king plunged into the water, went back to his own World of Dragons, and never came back again. And that ascetic, because he saw no more that dragon-king so fair to see, became more than ever lean, dried-up, pale, yellow as ever was yellow, his body strewn with veins.
Now the older ascetic, thinking, “I will find out how my younger brother is getting on,” went to visit him. Seeing that he was suffering more than ever from jaundice, he said: “How comes it that you are suffering more than ever from jaundice?” “Because I see no more that dragon so fair to see.” “This ascetic cannot get along without the dragon-king,” concluded the older ascetic, and recited the third stanza:
One should not beg or seek to get what is dear to another.Odious does one become by asking overmuch.When the Brahman asked the dragon for the jewel,Never again did the dragon let himself be seen.
One should not beg or seek to get what is dear to another.Odious does one become by asking overmuch.When the Brahman asked the dragon for the jewel,Never again did the dragon let himself be seen.
One should not beg or seek to get what is dear to another.
Odious does one become by asking overmuch.
When the Brahman asked the dragon for the jewel,
Never again did the dragon let himself be seen.
Having thus addressed him, the older ascetic comforted him, saying: “Henceforth grieve not;” and went back again to his own hermitage.
Said the Teacher: “Thus, monks, even to dragons, though the World of Dragons wherein they dwell is filled to overflowing with the Seven Jewels, begging is offensive. How much more so must it be to human beings!” And having completed this parable, he identified the personages in the Birth-story as follows: “At that time the younger brother was my favorite disciple, but the older brother was I myself.”
Said the Teacher: “Thus, monks, even to dragons, though the World of Dragons wherein they dwell is filled to overflowing with the Seven Jewels, begging is offensive. How much more so must it be to human beings!” And having completed this parable, he identified the personages in the Birth-story as follows: “At that time the younger brother was my favorite disciple, but the older brother was I myself.”