Seri-Vanija Jathaka Katha
Buddhist Jataka tale
Description: A tale about the past lives of the Buddha, focusing on ethics and the consequences of lack of perseverance.
Main Characters: The Bodhisattva as Kacchaputa, a fair trader, and Seri, a greedy trader.
Moral: Teaches the value of perseverance and ethics in business and personal conduct.]
The Jātaka Story
Once upon a time, in a place called Serri, there were two salesmen who sold pots, pans, and beautiful handmade trinkets.
They decided to split the town between them, agreeing that one could try to sell in the area where the other had already been.
One day, as one of the salesmen was walking down a street, he encountered a poor little girl who wished for a bracelet.
She turned to her grandmother and asked if they could buy her one, but the old woman sadly replied, "We are too poor to afford bracelets."
The little girl then had an idea and said "Since we don't have any money, could we trade our old, so-covered plate for a bracelet?"
The old woman decided to give it a try and invited the salesman inside.
The salesman saw that these people were poor and kindhearted, but he didn't want to waste his time with them.
Despite the old woman's pleas, he claimed he had no affordable bracelets.
When she asked if they could trade their old plate for one, he took it and pretended to inspect it.
To his surprise, he found a golden plate hidden beneath the suit!
Instead of revealing this discovery, he decided to deceive the poor family to get the plate for very little.
He told them, "This is worthless, it's not even worth a single bracelet. I don't want it."
He left, planning to return later when they would accept even less.
Meanwhile, the other salesman finished his sales in his part of town and followed the first salesman as they had agreed.
He arrived at the same house.
Once again, the little girl pleaded with her grandmother to trade the old plate for a bracelet.
This time, the grandmother saw the second salesman as a kind and honest man and invited him in.
She offered the same soot old plate in exchange for a bracelet.
As the second salesman examined the plate, he too discovered that it was pure gold beneath the dirt.
Unlike the first salesman, he was honest and said to the old woman, all my goods and money combined aren't worth as much as this valuable golden plate.
The woman was amazed by his honesty and agreed to the trade.
He offered to exchange all his pots, pans, trinkets, and money for the golden plate, except for eight coins in his balancing scale, which he would use to carry the plate.
After the trade, he went to the river and paid the ferryman eight coins to take him across.
Meanwhile, the first greedy salesman returned, thinking he could make a huge profit from the plate.
He offered a few cents, but no bracelets, for the seemingly worthless plate.
However, the old woman calmly informed him of the trade she had just made with the honest salesman.
Realizing he had been deceived, the greedy salesman hurried down to the river, shouting at the ferryman to come back.
But the honest salesman advised the ferryman to continue, and he did.
Frustrated and filled with hatred, the greedy salesman had a fit of rage, jumping and beating his chest.
His anger was so intense that he coughed up blood and suffered a heart attack, collapsing on the spot and meeting his unfortunate end.
The story teaches us a valuable lesson about honesty and deceit.
It shows that being truthful and fair in our dealings with others is not only the right thing to do, but also leads to better outcomes.
In our own lives, it's essential to remember that honesty and integrity build trust and goodwill.
Deception, on the other hand, may lead to temporary gains, but can ultimately bring harm and regret.
So, let this story be a reminder that honesty and kindness are virtues that lead to lasting success and a good reputation.
When faced with choices, always choose the path of honesty, for it's a path that ultimately brings the greatest rewards.
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