The story of Mayha

At the Buddha's time, in Savatthi, there was a businessman, who was very rich. But he was
very greedy and stingy; he never helped the poor with his property, or offered monks
anything. He also did not spend money buying anything valuable for him. When people gave
him worthy things, he just stored them. He used to wear normal clothes, chip food, and
normal chariots. One day, he died, and because he did not have any wife or children, his
property was brought to the palace for the king.

 One day, King Pasenadi, who had received all the property of that man, went to Jetavana to
visit Buddha, and he asked Buddha’’ Master, there was a rich businessman in Savatthi. When
he was alive, he did not use his money to help others, and he did not use money to buy things
to serve himself. Why was that greedy and stingy person very rich? And why didn’t he use
his property to serve for himself?’’

‘’ Sir, everything is not out of the Law of cause and effect’’. Buddha answered calmly. And
then he told a story,

Long ago, when king Bramadatta was the king in  Varasani, there was a rich and successful
businessman living in Varasani. He was not so religious and devout in any religion.
Therefore, he seemed never to offer food to monks, or poor people. One day, on his way to
the palace’s king, he met a Pretyakabuddha, who was named Tagarasikhi and was on his way
for alms. He paid respect to Pretyakabuddha and then asked, “Ven. Did you get something
from people?

“No, not yet”. Answered Pretyakabuddha.

The businessman ordered his servants,’’ Please, take him to my house and offer him a meal
with all kinds of food that I used to eat.’’

The servants took the Pretyakabuddha to the house of the businessman and gave the
Pretyakabuddha sitting on the chair that the Businessman used to sit on. Then the wife of the
businessman prepared tasty food and took it to offer Pretyakabuddha. The Pretyakabuddha
put all the food into his bowl and left the house’s businessman.

On the way to get back, Pretyakabuddha met the businessman again; The businessman asked
Pretyakabuddha, ‘did you receive food from my relatives?’’

“Yes, thanks for the food.’’ smiled happily, the Pretyakabuddha.

The businessman looked at the bowl of the Pretyakabuddha; the bowl was full of delicious
food. The businessman was regretted for his offering,’’ if my servants can eat those foods,
they can do many hard works for me.’’

Continuously, Buddha said,’’ because that businessman offered food to a Pretyakabuddha in

a life in the past; it is the cause for his prosperity in this life, but he regretted after offering;
that is the cause to make him not enjoy his property.
“Why didn’t he have any children?” King Panessadi continued to ask Buddha.

“If you want to know, I am going to tell you another story.” Buddha replied peacefully.

Long ago, when king Bramadatta was the king of Savarani, there was a rich man, who lived
happily and was diligent to help others. He had a son, and when his son was in the age of
practicing walking, he decided to become a monk. And he asked his brother to take care of
his wife and his son as well as his property, then he went to a mountain in Himalaya to
practice meditation.

  A few years later, his brother, who was very greedy, thought,” my brother has only one son,
and his son will take all this property when he becomes an adult. So I have to kill it.” To
accomplish his tactic, one day, he took his nephew out for a trip, and he killed it by
submerging it into a river. When he came back, he said to his sister-in-law,” I took it to a
river, and then it got down into the river to swim, and I could not find it, maybe it was dead.”

His sister in law just cried because she did not know what happened to her son, but his
brother, an ascetic monk, knew about his bad action by his power of meditation.  The ascetic
monk, one day, decided to come back to visit his family. On the way back; he realized that
the offering house was closed. A little bit angry, he went directly to his house to meet his
brother, but he was able to calm his mind when he first met his brother. His brother threw a
party to welcome him. And before eating, he asked his brother, ‘’ Why don’t I see my son
here? “ .

“It may die by falling down to the river”, answered his brother.

Ascetic monk said,’’ Be honest, I know how you kill it. You kill it to keep this property, but
can you keep this property from stealing from thieves, taking by king or invaders.  You are
similar to one kind of bird, Mayha‘’

After that ascetic monk advised his brother to continue to use his property to help others, and
then he came back to the Himalaya.

Buddha said that an ascetic monk was Buddha in the past, and the brother of ascetic monk
was a businessman. Because he killed the son of his brother, the effect of that bad action is
that he didn’t have any children in his life.

Note: Mayhaka is a kind of bird which is very greedy.

Hatyai, Songkhla, Thailand

Pandit

05/09/2558