Week 11 Reading Notes Part C: Shedlock. Eastern Stories and Legends

Wreath, Wikicommons

THE HAWK AND THE OSPREY: This story does not have an embodiment of Buddha like most of the other stories in this collection. It tells of a story of unlikely friends at the shores of a lake. The friends are a hawk, osprey, lion, and tortoise. The hawk is urged by his wife to make friends with the animals around the lake since he had no friends and was vulnerable. The hawk does and then comes a day where he needs his friends help. His friends help out and rescue his children multiple times. They all then talk about how friendship is good and die holding their bond.

GRANDMOTHER'S GOLDEN DISH: This story returns to the almost standard of Bodisat as the main character of good will. In this story Bodisat is a merchant and he ends up helping a young girl and her grandmother when he happens upon their home. The two had been previously met with a unruly merchant that disregarded a gold pot they had claiming it was worthless. Bodisat being virtuous recognized the pot was worth 100,000 and gave everything he had to the two to buy it, minus 8 pennies for boat fair. The unruly merchant eventually came back to buy the pot at a much lower price, but it was already gone. He was overcome with rage and died trying to chase Bodisat. Bodisat went on to live a prosperous life where he gave to the poor.

THE ELEPHANT WHO SPARED LIFE: In this story Bodisat is a very fair prince. He does many good deeds in the kingdom and withholds the five commandments. Previously there was a man who collected money from people who did not withhold the commandments. He was angered that his flow of money had nearly stopped. He decides to go to the king and accuse some people of breaking the commandments. The king sentences them to death by trampling by elephants. The elephants do not trample the people and it is revealed that the elephants withhold the five commandments. The wrong accuser is sentenced to servitude under the people he accused.

HOW THE ANTELOPE WAS CAUGHT: In this story an antelope is visiting a garden and eating fruits he would not normally eat. The king notices and plots to catch the antelope. A trap is made and baited with honey. The antelope wanders into the trap and is caught and instantly terrified. The king speaks to the antelope of how his lust was too great and releases him.

THE BANYAN DEER: Bodisat was reincarnated as a deer king. A neighboring human king eats meat with every meal and so do his people. He hunts the deer without refrain. One day an agreement is made that one deer will sacrifice itself instead of the herd being hunted. The sacrifice eventually falls upon a mother who has young. Bodisat seeing that this is wrong takes her place. Bodisat had been granted immunity by the king. The king meets and asks what he is doing. The king is struck by Bodisat's virtue and decides to grant all creatures immunity. The deer start to push their limit and eat the people's crops. This is then stopped when they realize it is wrong.

THE PUPIL WHO TAUGHT HIS TEACHER: Buddha was born into a Brahmin family. Buddha tests the will of the father by telling that his son is danger. The Brahmin does not falter and proves that he is a man of virtue. Buddha is satisfied by the Brahmin and alerts him that his son is in no danger, and that it was a test.

THE MAN WHO TOLD A LIE: A festival for the gods is held in a town. Four gods descend and are adorned with wreaths of very unique flowers. A man who is a liar comes up with the idea of lying to the gods in order to attain their wreaths. It works on the first god, pressing his luck he tries on the next. This continues until he has all four wreaths. The gods leave the town and the wreaths begin to tighten around the liar's head. They cannot be removed and cause great pain to the liar.