DhammapadaVerse 24 Kumbhaghosakasetthi Vatthu Utthanavato satimato sucikammassa nisammakarino sannatassa dhammajivino appamattassa yaso bhivaddhati. Verse 24: If a person is energetic, mindful, pure inhis thought, word and deed, and if hedoes everything withcare and consideration, restrains his senses, earns his living according to the Law (Dhamma) and is not unheedful, then, the fame and fortune of thatmindfulperson steadily increase. The Storyof Kumbhaghosaka, the Banker While residing at the Veluvana monastery, the Buddha utteredVerse (24) of this book, withreferenceto Kumbhaghosaka, the banker. Atone time, a plague epidemic broke outinthe city of Rajagaha. In the house of the city banker, the servants died onaccount ofthis disease; the banker and his wife were also attacked by the same. Whenthey were bothdown with the disease they toldtheir young son Kumbhaghosaka to leave them and flee from the house and toreturnonlyafter a longtime. They also told himthatat such and such a place they had buried a treasureworthforty crores. The son leftthe city and stayed ina forestfor twelve years and then came back to the city. By that time, hewas quite a grown up youth and nobody in the city recognized him. He went tothe place where the treasurewas hidden and found itwas quite intact. Buthe reasoned and realized thatthere was noone whocould identify him and that if he were tounearththe buried treasureand make use of itpeople might thinka young poor man had accidentally come upon buried treasureand they mightreport itto the king. Inthat case, his property would be confiscated and he himself might be manhandled or put in captivity. So heconcluded itwas not yet time to unearththe treasureand that meanwhile he must find work for his living. Dressed in old clothes Kumbhaghosaka looked for work. He was given the work of waking up and rousing the people toget up early in the morning and of going round announcingthat itwas time to prepare food, time tofetch carts and yoke the bullocks, etc. Onemorning, King Bimbisara heard him. The king,who was a keen judge of voices, commented, This is the voice of a man of great wealth. A maid, hearing the kings remark, sent someone toinvestigate. He reported that the youthwas onlya hireling of the labourers. In spite of thisreport the kingrepeated the same remark on two subsequentdays. Again, enquiries were made but withthe same result. The maid thought thatthis was very strange, so she asked the kingtogive her permission togo and personally investigate. Disguised as rustics, the maid and her daughter set outtothe place of the labourers. Saying that theywere travellers, theyasked for shelter and was given accommodation inthe house of Kumbhaghosaka justfor one night. However, they managed to prolong their stay there. Duringthat period, twice the kingproclaimed that a certain ceremony must be performed in the locality of the labourers, and thatevery household must make contributions. Kumbhaghosaka had no ready cash for such an occasion. So he was forced to get some coins (Kahapanas) from his treasure. As these coins were handed over tothe maid, she substituted them withhermoney and sent the coins to the king. Aftersome time, she senta message to the king asking him tosend some men and summon Kumbhaghosaka to the court. Kumbhaghosaka, very reluctantly, went along withthe men. The maid and her daughteralso went to the palace, ahead of them. Atthe palace, the kingtold Kumbhaghosaka tospeak outthe truthand gave him assurance that he would notbe harmed on thisaccount. Kumbhaghosaka then admitted that those Kahapanas were his and also that he was the son of the city banker of Rajagaha, who died in the plague epidemic twelve years ago. He further revealed the place where the treasure was hidden. Subsequently, all the buried treasurewas broughtto the palace; the king made him a banker and gave his daughterin marriage to him. Afterwards, taking Kumbhaghosaka alongwith him, the kingwent to the Buddha at the Veluvana monastery and told himhow the youth, though rich, was earninghis livingas a hirelingof the labourers, and how he had appointed the youtha banker. Then the Buddha spoke in verseas follows: Verse 24: If a person is energetic, mindful,purein his thought,word and deed, and if he does every thing withcare and consideration, restrainshis senses, earns his living according tothe Law (Dhamma) and is notunheedful, then, the fame and fortuneof thatmindfulperson steadily increase. Atthe endof the discourse, Kumbhaghosaka attained Sotapatti Fruition.
Posted on: Sun, 25 Jan 2015 00:56:58 +0000
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