“Exalted station breeds a fool great woe; He proves his own and others’ mortal foe.”
“And now, good-by,” said he to the King as he ended this rebuke; and rising in the air, he passed to Benares and halted in mid-air, over the royal courtyard. And there was a great stir in the city and all cried out, “Look at the state-elephant that has come through the air for our King and is hovering over the royal courtyard.” And with all haste the news was conveyed to the King, too, who came out and said, “If your coming is for my behoof, alight on the earth.” And the Bodhisatta descended from the air. Then the mahout got down and bowed before the King, and in answer to the King’s enquiries told the whole story of their leaving Rajagaha. “It was very good of you,” said the King, “to come here”; and in his joy he had the city decorated and the elephant installed in his state-stable. Then he divided his kingdom into three portions, and made over one to the Bodhisatta, one to the mahout, and one he kept himself. And his power grew from the day of the Bodisatta’s coming till all India owned his sovereign sway. As Emperor of India, he was charitable and did other good works till he passed away to fare according to his deserts.
Kisāgotamī is the name of a young girl, whose marriage with the only son of a wealthy man was brought about in true fairy-tale fashion. She had one child, but when the beautiful boy could run alone, it died. The young girl in her love for it carried the dead child clasped to her bosom, and went from house to house of her pitying friends asking them to give her medicine for it. But a Buddhist mendicant, thinking, “She does not understand,” said to her: “My good girl, I myself have no such medicine as you ask for, but I think I know of one who has.” “Oh, tell me who that is!” said Kisāgotamī. “The Buddha can give you medicine: go to him,” was the answer.
She went to Gautama, and doing homage to him, said: “Lord and Master, do you know any medicine that will be good for my child?”
Now it was the custom for patients or their friends to provide the herbs which the doctors required, so she asked what herbs he would want. “I want some mustard-seed,” he said; and when the poor girl eagerly promised to bring some of so common a drug, he added: “You must get it from some house where no son, or husband, or parent, or slave has died.” “Very good,” she said, and went to ask for it, still carrying her dead child with her. The people said: “Here is mustard-seed, take it.” But when she asked, “In my friend’s house has any son died, or a husband, or a parent, or slave?” they answered: “Lady! what is this that thou sayest; the living are few, but the dead are many.” Then she went to other houses, but one said: “I have lost a son”; another, “We have lost our parents”; another, “I have lost my slave.”
