Difference between revisions of "The Gospel of Buddha:Chapter 63: The Widow's Two Mites and the Parable of the Three Merchants"

Latest revision as of 19:43, 31 December 2013

There was once a lone widow who was very destitute,
and having gone to the mountain
she beheld hermits holding a religious assembly.
Then the woman was filled with joy, and uttering praises, said,
"It is well, holy priests!
but while others give precious things
such as the ocean caves produce,
I have nothing to offer."
Having spoken thus
and having searched herself in vain for something to give,
she recollected that some time before
she had found in a dungheap two coppers,
so taking these she offered them forthwith
as a gift to the priesthood in charity. [1]

The superior of the priests,
a saint who could read the hearts of men,
disregarding the rich gifts of others
and beholding the deep faith dwelling in the heart of this poor widow,
and wishing the priesthood to esteem rightly her religious merit,
burst forth with full voice in a canto.
He raised his right hand and said,
"Reverend priests attend!" and then he proceeded: [2]

"The coppers of this poor widow

To all purpose are more worth

Than all the treasures of the oceans

And the wealth of the broad earth. [3]

"As an act of pure devotion

She has done a pious deed;

She has attained salvation,

Being free from selfish greed." [4]

The woman was mightily strengthened
in her mind by this thought, and said,
"It is even as the Teacher says:
what I have done is as much
as if a rich man were to give up all his wealth." [5]

And the Teacher said:
"Doing good deeds is like hoarding up treasures,"
and he expounded this truth in a parable: [6]

"Three merchants set out on their travels, each with his capital;
one of them gained much, the second returned with his capital,
and the third one came home after having lost his capital.
What is true in common life applies also to religion. [7]

"The capital is the state a man has reached, the gain is heaven;
the loss of his capital means that a man will be born in a lower state,
as a denizen of hell or as an animal.
These are the courses that are upon to the sinner. [8]

"He who brings back his capital, is like unto one who is born again as a man.
Those who through the exercise of various virtues become pious householders
will be born again as men, for all beings will reap the fruit of their actions.
But he who increases his capital is like unto one who practises eminent virtues.
The virtuous, excellent man attains in heaven to the glorious state of the gods." [9]

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{DisplayImages|1208|763|988|1243|1807|1917|1861|1796|1860|172|1815|1591|1987|868|2013|1763}}
+{{DisplayImages|1208|763|988|1243|1807|1917|1861|1796|1860|172}}
-There was once a lone widow who was very destitute,<br/>
+There was once a lone {{Wiki|widow}} who was very destitute,<br/>
 and having gone to the mountain<br/>
-she beheld hermits holding a religious assembly.<br/>
+she beheld [[hermits]] holding a [[religious]] assembly.<br/>
-Then the woman was filled with joy, and uttering praises, said,<br/>
+Then the woman was filled with [[joy]], and uttering praises, said,<br/>
-"It is well, holy priests!<br/>
+"It is well, {{Wiki|holy}} {{Wiki|priests}}!<br/>
-but while others give precious things<br/>
+but while others give [[precious]] things<br/>
-such as the ocean caves produce,<br/>
+such as the ocean [[caves]] produce,<br/>
 I have nothing to offer."<br/>
 Having spoken thus<br/>
 and having searched herself in vain for something to give,<br/>
-she recollected that some time before<br/>
+she recollected that some [[time]] before<br/>
 she had found in a dungheap two coppers,<br/>
-so taking these she offered them forthwith<br/>
+so taking these she [[offered]] them forthwith<br/>
-as a gift to the priesthood in charity. [1]<br/>
+as a [[gift]] to the priesthood in [[charity]]. [1]<br/>
 <br/>
-The superior of the priests,<br/>
+The {{Wiki|superior}} of the {{Wiki|priests}},<br/>
-a saint who could read the hearts of men,<br/>
+a [[saint]] who could read the hearts of men,<br/>
 disregarding the rich gifts of others<br/>
-and beholding the deep faith dwelling in the heart of this poor widow,<br/>
+and beholding the deep [[faith]] dwelling in the [[heart]] of this poor {{Wiki|widow}},<br/>
-and wishing the priesthood to esteem rightly her religious merit,<br/>
+and wishing the priesthood to esteem rightly her [[religious]] [[merit]],<br/>
-burst forth with full voice in a canto.<br/>
+burst forth with full {{Wiki|voice}} in a canto.<br/>
 He raised his right hand and said,<br/>
-"Reverend priests attend!" and then he proceeded: [2]<br/>
+"[[Reverend]] {{Wiki|priests}} attend!" and then he proceeded: [2]<br/>
 <br/>
-:"The coppers of this poor widow<br/>
+:"The coppers of this poor {{Wiki|widow}}<br/>
 :To all purpose are more worth<br/>
-:Than all the treasures of the oceans<br/>
+:Than all the [[treasures]] of the oceans<br/>
-:And the wealth of the broad earth. [3]<br/>
+:And the [[wealth]] of the broad [[earth]]. [3]<br/>
 <br/>
-:"As an act of pure devotion<br/>
+:"As an act of [[pure]] [[devotion]]<br/>
-:She has done a pious deed;<br/>
+:She has done a pious [[deed]];<br/>
-:She has attained salvation,<br/>
+:She has attained {{Wiki|salvation}},<br/>
-:Being free from selfish greed." [4]<br/>
+:Being free from [[selfish]] [[greed]]." [4]<br/>
 <br/>
 The woman was mightily strengthened<br/>
-in her mind by this thought, and said,<br/>
+in her [[mind]] by this [[thought]], and said,<br/>
-"It is even as the Teacher says:<br/>
+"It is even as the [[Teacher]] says:<br/>
 what I have done is as much<br/>
-as if a rich man were to give up all his wealth." [5]<br/>
+as if a rich man were to give up all his [[wealth]]." [5]<br/>
 <br/>
-And the Teacher said:<br/>
+And the [[Teacher]] said:<br/>
-"Doing good deeds is like hoarding up treasures,"<br/>
+"Doing [[good deeds]] is like hoarding up [[treasures]],"<br/>
-and he expounded this truth in a parable: [6]<br/>
+and he expounded this [[truth]] in a [[parable]]: [6]<br/>
 <br/>
-"Three merchants set out on their travels, each with his capital;<br/>
+"Three {{Wiki|merchants}} set out on their travels, each with his capital;<br/>
 one of them gained much, the second returned with his capital,<br/>
 and the third one came home after having lost his capital.<br/>
-What is true in common life applies also to religion. [7]<br/>
+What is true in common [[life]] applies also to [[religion]]. [7]<br/>
 <br/>
-"The capital is the state a man has reached, the gain is heaven;<br/>
+"The capital is the state a man has reached, the gain is [[heaven]];<br/>
 the loss of his capital means that a man will be born in a lower state,<br/>
-as a denizen of hell or as an animal.<br/>
+as a denizen of [[hell]] or as an [[animal]].<br/>
 These are the courses that are upon to the sinner. [8]<br/>
 <br/>
 "He who brings back his capital, is like unto one who is born again as a man.<br/>
-Those who through the exercise of various virtues become pious householders<br/>
+Those who through the exercise of various [[virtues]] become pious householders<br/>
-will be born again as men, for all beings will reap the fruit of their actions.<br/>
+will be born again as men, for all [[beings]] will reap the fruit of their [[actions]].<br/>
-But he who increases his capital is like unto one who practises eminent virtues.<br/>
+But he who increases his capital is like unto one who practises {{Wiki|eminent}} [[virtues]].<br/>
-The virtuous, excellent man attains in heaven to the glorious state of the gods." [9]<br/>
+The [[virtuous]], {{Wiki|excellent}} man attains in [[heaven]] to the glorious state of the [[gods]]." [9]<br/>
 {{The Gospel of Buddha}}

Difference between revisions of "The Gospel of Buddha:Chapter 63: The Widow's Two Mites and the Parable of the Three Merchants"

Latest revision as of 19:43, 31 December 2013

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