The Mercenary Man
- There was a good-looking man who was both cleaver and rich.
- All the people praised and admired him.
“Fantastic.”
“How nice if I could be like him.”
“Oh, it’s him.”
- A fool claimed that the rich man was his elder brother.
“Hey, he is my elder brother”
- He did so because he knew that the rich man had money and would distribute it to those in need.
“Hi, brother.”
- One day the rich man suffered a setback in his life and fell on hard times.
- He’s not my brother. I claimed him to be my brother because he was rich. A pauper like him is no brother of mine!
“What a mercenary man!”
- People were amused at him for his flattery.
Explanation:
This case may be compared with some heretics who, have heard the good words of the Buddha, stole them and make use of them as their own. When people try to teach them how to practice the good words, they do not want to listen. They declared that they use the good words of the Buddha to instruct the other people in order to earn a living. There is no need that they should bother to know how to practice it. Those heretics are just like the stupid man who calls the rich man elder brother for his money. |
