86. HITTING A MOSQUITO
108 Buddhist Parables
On one occasion the Buddha went from the city of Sravastti to the kingdom of Magadha, and journeying about from place to place in that kingdom, he arrived at a certain little village. Now that village was inhabited by some foolish men. One day these foolish men assembled and took counsel together, saying, “When we enter the forest and do our work, the mosquitoes eat us up, and because of this our work is interrupted. Let us, every one, take bows and weapons, go and fight with the mosquitoes, pierce and cut all the mosquitoes, and thus make way with them.”
Then they went to the forest with these thoughts in their minds. But instead of piercing mosquitos, they pierced and hit one another. In grief, they returned and laid down within in the village-square.
It so happened that the Buddha with his group of monks entered that village for alms. Seeing wounded men lying here and there, the Blessed One asked the village inhabitants, “Here are many injured men. What have they done?”
“O Blessed One, these men started out with the thought in their minds to have a fight with the mosquitoes. But instead of mosquitos, they pierced one another.”
Said the Buddha, “Not only in their present state of existence these foolish men ended up hurting themselves; in a previous state of existence they also were the very men who wanted to hit mosquitos but ended up hitting something very different.”
Then he related the story of the past, “In the old times, when King Brahmadatta ruled at Benares, the Future Buddha made his living by trading. At that time, in the kingdom of Kasi, in a certain village, dwelt many carpenters. One of these carpenters, an old man, was planting a tree in his garden. Suddenly, a mosquito settled on his head and pierced his skin. The carpenter told his son, ‘Son, a mosquito is stinging me on the head. Shoo him away!’ ‘Father, wait a moment! I’ll kill him with a single blow!’ the son exclaimed. It so happened that the Future Buddha, having reached that village, was sitting in the carpenter’s hut. So, the son took his stand immediately behind his father. Thinking to only hit a mosquito, he raised aloft a big axe and hit his father’s head killing the carpenter on the spot.”
Then the Buddha uttered this verse:
Better an enemy with sense,
Than a friend without it,
For with the words, “I’ll kill a mosquito!”
A son, — both deaf and dumb! — split his father’s skull!
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All parables in printed book format: 108 Buddhist Parables and Stories
