Salikedara Jātaka
Buddhist Jathaka Tales
Description: A wise old price-maker is replaced by a young, inexperienced one who ultimately devalues the kingdom, leading the king to rehire the seasoned expert.
The Bodhisattva: Represented by the wise old price-maker.
Moral: Experience and wisdom are more valuable than short-sighted decisions driven by greed.
The Jātaka Story
A long time ago, in a distant land called Baranas, there was a wise king.
This king had a minister known as the Royal Pricemaker, a man of great honesty.
It was the Pricemaker's duty to determine fair prices for anything the king wished to buy or sell.
Sometimes, the king wasn't happy with the prices the Royal Pricemaker set.
He thought he should make more profit when he bought things and pay less when he sold
them.
So, he decided to replace the honest pricemaker with someone else.
One day, the king noticed a young man who looked smart and thought, this young fellow will
make a good pricemaker.
He dismissed the honest pricemaker and appointed the young man as the new pricemaker.
The new pricemaker had only one thought in his mind, to make the king happy by setting very low buying prices and very high selling prices, no matter what things were actually worth.
This pleased the greedy king and brought him lots of money.
However, it made everyone else, including the other ministers and common people, very unhappy.
One day, a horse merchant arrived in Benares with 500 horses to sell.
These horses included stallions, mares and colts.
The king asked the merchant to visit the palace and called upon the new pricemaker to set a price for all 500 horses.
Wanting only to please the king, the new pricemaker said, "The whole herd of horses is worth just one cup of rice."
So, the king ordered that a mere cup of rice be given to the horse dealer and all the horses were taken to the royal stables.
The merchant was understandably upset, but he couldn't do anything at that moment.
Later, he heard about the former pricemaker, known for being fair and honest.
The merchant decided to seek his advice to get a proper price from the king.
The old pricemaker advised the merchant to satisfy the new pricemaker with a valuable gift and ask him to explain the value of one cup of rice in the presence of the king.
If the new pricemaker agreed, the old pricemaker would go with him to see the king.
Following this advice, the merchant offered a valuable gift to the new pricemaker, who, now happy with the gift, agreed to meet the king.
The merchant then informed the old pricemaker and together, they approached the king.
In the royal meeting hall, the merchant asked the king, "My Lord, I've learned that in your country, my entire herd of 500 horses is worth one cup of rice. Before I return home, I'd like to understand the value of one cup of rice in your kingdom."
The king turned to the new pricemaker and asked, "What is the value of one cup of rice?"
The foolish new pricemaker, who had earlier set the price of the horses at one cup of rice to please the king, now wanted to please the merchant too.
So, he replied in a very serious manner, "Your Worship, one cup of rice is worth the entire city of Baranas, including your herm, as well as all the suburbs of the city. In other words, it's worth the whole kingdom of Banaris."
During this, the royal ministers and wise men in the assembly hall burst into laughter, slapping their sides with amusement.
Once they composed themselves a bit, they said, "First, we heard that the kingdom was priceless, and now we hear that all of Banaras, with its palaces and mansions, is worth just a cup of rice. The decision of the royal pricemaker is indeed strange. Where did Your Highness find such a man? He's only good at pleasing a king like you, not at setting fair prices for merchants who travel from one country to another."
Hearing the laughter and words of his entire court, the king felt ashamed.
So, he brought back the former pricemaker to his official position.
They agreed to a new, fair price for the herd of horses, as set by the honest pricemaker.
When learned a valuable lesson, the king and his kingdom began to live justly and prosper.
And so, this story teaches us a valuable lesson about honesty and fairness.
It reminds us that greed and dishonesty may bring temporary gains, but they often lead to problems and embarrassment in the end.
Just like the wise old pricemaker, it's important to be honest and fair in our dealings with others.
Whether it's setting prices, making decisions, or simply being truthful, these qualities will earn us respect and trust from those around us.
Remember, in the long run, it's the path of honesty and fairness that leads to true prosperity and respect.
So, as you go about your own journey in life, keep this story in mind and strive to be like the honest pricemaker, making choices that benefit not only yourself but also the well-being of others.
Post a Comment