Himalayan Times (1951)

July 20, 1951

Hi Ml CTimr*

Seven

TALES FROM THE SACRED BOOKS
OF TIBET.

( Collected from Mr. Ralston't English
translation of Prof. Srhiefner't German
Edition of the Tibetan Kah-gyur)
The Jackal Ssves The Lion.

In lost pant times the Bodhisat
remained in M incompl te state of merit-
accumulation I c lived in a certain hill
district as a lion, king of the heast.
In the neighbourhood of the hill there
dwelt live hundred jackals which followed
after him and devoured wl at he left.

When the lion had killed any arrival
and had eaten of its pood flesh and
drunks of its good blood, he used to
leave it laying on the ground an.l go
away. This state of things lasted a long
time.

Once when lion, king of heasts was
hunting beasts at night, he fell into a
well, and all the five hundred jackals,
with one exception, dispersed in diverse
directions. Only ono of the jackals paid
any attention to the lion, sitting by the
edge of the well, and thinking in what
way he could draw the lion out.

While running to and fro in 'he neigh-
bourhood of the well, he saw a small
lake at no great d'stance. Having ob-
served it, he dug a canal on one side
and filled the well with water from the
lake so that the lion was able to get out.

A deity uttered this verse:—''The
mighty as wel! as the rest must make
themselves friends. See how the jackal
rescued the linn from out of an old well."

Incredulity Punished.

In long past times, in a spot well
provided with (lowers and fruits, in the
neighbourhood of a hill-tonn. there lived
two chit fsol monkeys troops, each of which
was composed of five liiindrcd monkeys

One of the two chiefs dreamed ono
night that he was placed alive in a
caldron, together with a retinue of livo
hundred monkeys. At this he was grealy
a'armed, and he gave way to lamentation.
Before the break of day ho aroso and
called the monkeys together an 1 began
to rolate to them his dreams.

"Honoured Sirs, last night I dreamed
an evil dream, in conseepjenoe whereof
we will leave this place."

The monkeys said, "Let us do so
and tet forth".

As Bodhisats have droams which
are full of significance the august b"ing
said to Ihe cheif of the other band of
monkeys," As I have dreamed such a
dream, it is to be ho|>ed that you Till
move some where else."

The other cheif answered incredulously,
" Do dreams th»n turn out ttao'. If
you want to go, in that case go But
as I possess a widely extenJed dumain
I shall not go."

When the first monkey chief saw
that the other did not believo in him,
iio himself together with his band went
away. One day after this as a servant
maid was roasing barley on the earth
in one of the houses of the hill-town
a wandering sheep came by bad luck
that way and began to eat the grain.
The maid struck the sheep with a fire
brand, and sheep ran blazing into the
king's elephant stable. From the Haines
the elephant stable caught firo, and many
elephants were scorched.

The king sent for tho doctor and
asked how the elephants which had been
scorched, by the tire ought to be trea
ted The doctor proscribed monkeys
cooked in barley meal Accordingly ord
ers were given to the hunters who cangh
all the monkeys residing in the neigh
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