Parable: The Poor Man Who Feigned the Crow of a Mandarin Duck
Hundred Parables Sutra
Parable: The Poor Man Who Feigned the Crow of a Mandarin Duck
Once upon a time, in a certain foreign country, the people were celebrating one of their special holidays. All the women wore blue lotus flowers on their hair as ornaments. A woman said to her husband, a poor man, “If you can find me a blue lotus, I will remain your wife. Otherwise, I will leave you.”
The husband was skilled at crowing like a mandarin duck. He then went to the king’s pond and started to crow like a mandarin duck, intending to steal a blue lotus. He was caught by the warden of the pond, who asked him, “Who are you?”
With a slip of the tongue, the poor man answered, “I’m a duck.” Thereupon he was arrested and brought before the king. On his way the poor man again crowed like a duck. The warden said to him, “You didn’t crow properly before. What’s the use of crowing now?”
Stupid people of the world are like this, too. Throughout their lives they cruelly harm others with many evil deeds, refusing to regulate their minds to do good. Only at the end of their lives do they claim, “I wish to cultivate good acts.” But the guardians of the hells will take them before King Yama. Even if they wish to cultivate good they are too late, just like that foolish man who crowed like a duck when he was on his way to see the king.
