Precepts are let go of
when the poisons of
greed, hatred and delusion
are instead taken up.– Stonepeace | Books
One day, a nursemaid who was carrying a child a long distance grew very tired and decided to lie down by the side of the road to take a nap. While she was sleeping, a man came along and stopped to look at the child. He took some sweet cakes out of his parcel and handed them to the child, who ate them greedily, without a care in the world. While the child ate, with the nursemaid sleeping deeply at his side, the man removed the child’s necklace. Then he took his other jewels and clothes, and fled as quickly as he could.
Many monks are like this. They enjoy affairs of the world, and are greedy for a little respect, but passion sits like a thief within them and steals their virtues and the jewelled precepts, This is like the child who was greedy for a bit of food and, as a result, lost all he had to the robber.
A Flock Of Fools:
Ancient Buddhist Tales Of Wisdom And Laughter
From The One Hundred Parable Sutra
Translated And Retold By Kazuaki Tanahashi And Peter Levitt
