Chinese Æsop:

Once upon a time, there was a man who was seriously ill. A skilful physician prescribed that he could be cured by eating some pheasant meat. After he finished eating one, the patient did not eat it again. Afterwards, the doctor came to him and asked, "How do you feel now?" The patient replied, "You have told me to eat some pheasants. Now that I have eaten it, I dare not eat it again." The physician said, "But why not? How can you expect to be cured with only one pheasant?" This is also true with all the heretics. They should understand what the mind means on hearing such wise and skilful doctors as Buddha's and Bodhisattva's preaching. However, they cling to the view of permanence thinking that there is only one mind from the past, present through future, which does not undergo any change. This is just like the patient eating only one pheasant that his illness of ignorance and worries cannot be cured. All Omniscient Buddhas teach the heretic...

Brahmans say that the Great Brahma was both father of the world and creator of all things. One of the Great Brahma's disciples once said he also had the power to create things. He was too stupid to be wise. To the great Brahma, he said, "I can create everything." The Great Brahma replied, "Don't talk like that. You can't. Since you don't listen to me, I wonder how you do it." After seeing what his disciple had created, the Great Brahma said, "The man's head that you have made is too big and the neck too thin. The hands are too long and the arms too bony. The feet are too small and the legs too fat. It looks like a Pisacah devil." Through the Great Brahma's words, we should realize that human beings are created by their own deeds resulting from Karma and not by the power of the Great Brahma. Buddha's preaching is not ambiguous. As they preach the Eightfold Noble Path, they cling neither to the view of total annihilation n...

Once upon a time, there was a man who went to a large pond where he thought he had seen the shadow of pure gold at the bottom of water. He gave a cry of joy and jumped into the water to feel about the mud and search for it. A few moments later, he began to feel very tired. He could not find any gold and he then got out of the pond. But as soon as he was out of the water that became clear in no time, the golden shadow turned up again. Then he dived once again to do more searching. Still he found nothing. At this point, his father came looking for him. Seeing the state he was in, his father asked, "What have you been doing to get so tired?" The son replied, "There is pure gold under water. I searched for it, but could find nothing." The father could also see the shadow of pure gold in the water. But he soon realized that it was in the trees. So he knew what was in the water was mere reflection. Then he told his son that it was held by the bird's beak and bro...

Once two men went to a potter's field where they watched a tread-wheel making urns. They were delighted at seeing the work without satiety. One then left for the great assembly where he was well received with excellent food and got precious teachings as well. The other stayed on at the plant and said, "I'll get a good look at how urns are made." Thus he stayed till the sun set without realizing how hungry he really was or how chilly it had gotten. So are the stupid who engage themselves in their housework without being aware that all things are subject to change. People are inclined to be very fickle nowadays. Apparition of Buddhas and Great Dragons thunders all over the world. The rain of Buddhist teachings fertilizes all beings, except for those who stick to trifles. Being unconscious of death that could come any time, people miss the opportunity to attend to Buddhist assemblies. They are unable to be inspired by the precious teachings as a treasure and al...

Once upon a time, there was a Ksatriya of the Makara Kingdom who fell seriously ill, and was aware of the fatal hour. To his two sons he ordered, "After my death, divide between the two of you evenly my effects and money." After his death, the two sons followed their father's will. But the elder brother complained against the younger of unfairness in their shares. An old man nearby said, "Let me teach you how to divide equally your father's fortune." "How!" they asked. The old man replied, "Cut all the valuable garments into two parts. Then break everything else into two equal parts, such as tray, bottle, bowl, dish, money and so forth." People laughed at his suggestion. Such folly is just like those heretics who use one-sided method of separate answer to all questions. There are four ways to answer questions as follows: 1. Affirmative answer. For instance: All human beings are mortal 2. Separate answer For instance: The dead ...

Once upon a time there was an extremely wealthy elder whose attendants were eager to please him by paying him all due deference. When he spat, the attendants rubbed it with their feet. Among them was this stupid man who said to himself, "When he spits on the ground, others rub it with their feet, Now I'm going to be the first one to render the service of rubbing it when he spits next time." So when the Elder was about to cough and spit out, the man kicked up his foot and trod on the elder's mouth. He broke the old man's lips and teeth. To the stupid man, the elderly man said, "What did you do that for?" The stupid man replied, "Though I would like to serve you, I have always fallen behind others. So I thought by kicking up my foot when you were about to spit out from your mouth, I would be the first to please you." People have to pick the right time to do the right thing. They will get into trouble otherwise, even using every possible mea...

Once upon a time, two men walking together saw another fellow trying in vain to pull a chariot loaded with sesame out of a hole on the road. To the two men, the fellow said, "Please give me a hand." The two men replied, "What are our, rewards?" The fellow said, "Nothing." In spite of the answer, the two men helped to get the chariot out of the hole. They demanded, "Now give us something." The fellow replied, "I'll give you nothing!" Again the men said, "Give us "Nothing" then!" Half smiling, one of them said, "He doesn't want to give us anything. No use getting upset." The other one replied, "He said he'd give us 'nothing'. We'll settle for that 'nothing'." When one of them says 'nothing', that 'nothing' is composed of two words, which constitute an unreal name. If the vulgar and common people cling to 'nothing', they will be born...