The Conceited Mendicant

Once upon a time the Bodhisatta was born in a
merchant family and plied his trade. At that time a
certain religious mendicant, clad in a leather garment, in
going his rounds for alms, came to the rams' fighting
ground, and on seeing a ram falling back before him, he
fancied it did this as a mark of respect, and did not him-
self retire. " In the whole world," he thought, " this ram
alone recognises my merits," and raising his joined hands in
respectful salutation he stood and repeated the first stanza:

The kindly beast obeisance makes before
The high-caste brahmin versed in holy lore.

Good honest creature thou,
Famous above all other beasts, I vow!

At this moment the wise merchant sitting in his stores,
to restrain the mendicant, uttered the second stanza :

Brahmin, be not so rash this beast to trust,
Else will he haste to lay thee in the dust,

For this the ram falls back,
To grain an impetus for his attack.

While this wise merchant was still speaking, the ram
came on at full speed, and striking the mendicant on the
thigh, knocked him down. He was maddened with the pain
and lay groaning. The Master, to explain the incident, gave
utterance to the third stanza :

With broken leg and bowl for alms upset,

His damaged fortune he will sore regret.

Let him not weep with outstretched arms in vain,

Haste to the rescue, ere the priest is slain.

Then the mendicant repeated the fourth stanza :

Thus all that honour to the unworthy pay,
Share the same fate that I have met to-day;
Prone in the dust by butting ram laid low
To foolish confidence my death I owe.

Thus lamenting he there and then came by his death.