--- title: Opening, part 7 — The grateful elephant · full text with trees · page 2 description: Opening, part 7, «The grateful elephant» by Eugene Watson Burlingame: the whole chapter, every sentence with its dependency tree and pragmatics. It begins: Thereupon Brahmadatta king of Kāsi exclaimed: “O how wonderful, O how marvelous, that this Prince Dīghāvu should understand in its fulness a mat --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg74064/7/page/2/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [tales](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/) / [The grateful elephant](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg74064/) / Opening, part 7 # Opening, part 7 · page 2 [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg74064/7/) **2** The Future Buddha thought: “Since I have been ruling righteously, no men at all have come for litigation, the hubbub has ceased, the place of litigation has become abandoned.[93](../../93/ "tree and pragmatics") The time has come for me to find out whether I have any fault.[94](../../94/ "tree and pragmatics") If I know, ‘This, for example, is a fault in me,’ I will get rid of it and have to do with good qualities only.”[95](../../95/ "tree and pragmatics") From that time on he mingled with indoor-folk and tested them with the question, “Is there anybody who says I have a fault?”[96](../../96/ "tree and pragmatics") He met with no one who said he had a fault, but heard mentioned only his own good qualities.[97](../../97/ "tree and pragmatics") “It may be because these people are afraid of me that they refrain from mentioning faults in me and speak only of my good qualities.”[98](../../98/ "tree and pragmatics") He tested the outdoor-folk, but among them also met no one.[99](../../99/ "tree and pragmatics") He tested those who dwelt within the city.[100](../../100/ "tree and pragmatics") He took his stand in the settlements at the four gates and tested those who dwelt without the city.[101](../../101/ "tree and pragmatics") Among them also he met with no one who said he had a fault, but heard mentioned only his good qualities.[102](../../102/ "tree and pragmatics") “I will test the countryside,” thought he.[103](../../103/ "tree and pragmatics") So turning over the kingdom to his ministers, he mounted his chariot, departed from the city in disguise, accompanied only by his charioteer, and went as far as the frontier testing the countryside.[104](../../104/ "tree and pragmatics") Meeting with no one who said he had a fault, but hearing mentioned only his good qualities, he turned back from the frontier and started back for the city on the highway.[105](../../105/ "tree and pragmatics") Now at this time a king of Kosala named Mallika, a righteous ruler, was also trying to find out whether he had any faults.[106](../../106/ "tree and pragmatics") Meeting with no one among either indoor-folk or others who said he had a fault, but hearing mentioned only his own good qualities, he went to that region testing the countryside.[107](../../107/ "tree and pragmatics") Both kings met face to face in a single wagon-track leading through a swamp.[108](../../108/ "tree and pragmatics") There was no room for either chariot to turn out.[109](../../109/ "tree and pragmatics") Now King Mallika’s charioteer said to the charioteer of the king of Benāres: “Get your chariot out of the way!”[110](../../110/ "tree and pragmatics") Said the charioteer of the King of Benāres: “Master charioteer, get your chariot out of the way\![111](../../111/ "tree and pragmatics") In this chariot sits the lord of the realm of Benāres, the mighty king Brahmadatta!”[112](../../112/ "tree and pragmatics") Retorted King Mallika’s charioteer: “Master charioteer, in this chariot sits the lord of the realm of Kosala, the mighty king Mallika\![113](../../113/ "tree and pragmatics") Get your chariot out of the way\![114](../../114/ "tree and pragmatics") Make room for the chariot of our king!”[115](../../115/ "tree and pragmatics") Thought the charioteer of the king of Benāres: “He also is every inch a king, to be sure.[116](../../116/ "tree and pragmatics") What’s to be done?”[117](../../117/ "tree and pragmatics") He came to the conclusion: “This is the way: I will find out the ages of the two kings and cause the chariot of the younger to turn out and make room for the chariot of the older.”[118](../../118/ "tree and pragmatics") Accordingly the charioteer of the king of Benāres asked the other charioteer the age of the king of Kosala.[119](../../119/ "tree and pragmatics") Comparing the ages of the two kings, he discovered that both kings were of exactly the same age.[120](../../120/ "tree and pragmatics") He then made inquiry regarding the extent of his kingdom, his army, his wealth, his reputation, and his position in respect of caste, race, and family.[121](../../121/ "tree and pragmatics") He discovered: “Both are lords of kingdoms three hundred leagues in extent; they are equals as regards army, wealth, and reputation; they are in the same position in respect of caste, race, and family.”[122](../../122/ "tree and pragmatics") Then he thought: “I will make room for that king who is more advanced in the practice of morality.”[123](../../123/ "tree and pragmatics") Accordingly the charioteer of the king of Benāres asked the charioteer of the king of Kosala: “What is your king’s practice of morality like?”[124](../../124/ "tree and pragmatics") The charioteer of the king of Kosala replied: “Such-and-such is our king’s practice of morality.”[125](../../125/ "tree and pragmatics") And proclaiming, as though they were good qualities, only the faults of his own king, he uttered the first stanza:[126](../../126/ "tree and pragmatics") Firmness he flings in the face of the firm; Mallika overcomes kindly with kindness, Good with good, evil with evil.[127](../../127/ "tree and pragmatics") Such is this king.[128](../../128/ "tree and pragmatics") Charioteer, turn out of the road.[129](../../129/ "tree and pragmatics") But the charioteer of the king of Benāres said to him: “What\![130](../../130/ "tree and pragmatics") Are these the good qualities of your own king which you have just recited?”[131](../../131/ "tree and pragmatics") “Yes.”[132](../../132/ "tree and pragmatics") “Well\![133](../../133/ "tree and pragmatics") If these are his good qualities, what must his faults be like?[134](../../134/ "tree and pragmatics") Now then, listen.”[135](../../135/ "tree and pragmatics") So saying, the charioteer of the king of Benāres uttered the second stanza:[136](../../136/ "tree and pragmatics") He overcomes anger with kindness, He overcomes evil with good, The stingy with gifts, the liar with truth.[137](../../137/ "tree and pragmatics") Such is this king.[138](../../138/ "tree and pragmatics") Charioteer, turn out of the road.[139](../../139/ "tree and pragmatics") Hearing these words, King Mallika and his charioteer both got down from the chariot, unharnessed the horses, removed the chariot, and gave the road to the king of Benāres.[140](../../140/ "tree and pragmatics") The king of Benāres admonished King Mallika, saying: “Thus and so must one do.”[141](../../141/ "tree and pragmatics") Having so said, he went to Benāres, gave alms and performed the other works of merit, and when his term of life was come to an end, fulfilled the Path to Heaven.[142](../../142/ "tree and pragmatics") As for King Mallika, he accepted the admonition of the king of Benāres, tested the countryside, met with no one who said he had a fault, and went to his own city.[143](../../143/ "tree and pragmatics") Having given alms and having performed the other works of merit, when his term of life was come to an end, he also fulfilled the Path to Heaven.[144](../../144/ "tree and pragmatics") \_9.[145](../../145/ "tree and pragmatics") A Buddhist Tar-Baby.[146](../../146/ "tree and pragmatics") \_Keep the Precepts.[147](../../147/ "tree and pragmatics") Jātaka 55: i. 272-275.[148](../../148/ "tree and pragmatics") \_The man whose heart clings not.[149](../../149/ "tree and pragmatics") \_ This parable was related by the Teacher while he was in residence at Jetavana with reference to a monk who relaxed effort.[150](../../150/ "tree and pragmatics") For, addressing that monk, the Teacher asked: “Monk, is it true, as they allege, that you have relaxed effort?”[151](../../151/ "tree and pragmatics") “True, Exalted One!”[152](../../152/ "tree and pragmatics") “Monk,” said the Teacher, “in former times wise men exerted themselves on an occasion when it was necessary for them to exert themselves, and by so doing attained the glory of dominion.”[153](../../153/ "tree and pragmatics") So saying, he related the following Story of the Past:[154](../../154/ "tree and pragmatics") In times past, when Brahmadatta ruled at Benāres, the Future Buddha received a new existence as the child of the chief consort of that king.[155](../../155/ "tree and pragmatics") On the day when he received his name, his parents, after delighting eight hundred Brahmans with all of the Pleasures of Sense, inquired regarding the signs.[156](../../156/ "tree and pragmatics") The Brahmans, skilled in the discernment of signs as they were, seeing that he possessed the signs of a Great Man, made the following prediction: “Great king, the prince possesses merit; upon your decease he will attain the sovereignty; he will become the foremost man in the Land of the Rose-apple, and will be celebrated, will be renowned, for his deeds with the five weapons.”[157](../../157/ "tree and pragmatics") His parents, hearing these words of the Brahmans, in selecting a name for the prince, gave him the name Prince Five-weapons.[158](../../158/ "tree and pragmatics") Now when he reached the age of discretion, when he was about sixteen years of age, the king addressed him.[159](../../159/ "tree and pragmatics") “Son,” said the king, “acquire the arts and crafts.”[160](../../160/ "tree and pragmatics") “Under what teacher shall I acquire them, your majesty?”[161](../../161/ "tree and pragmatics") “Son, go acquire them under a world-renowned teacher who resides in the city of Takkasilā in the kingdom of Gandhāra; here is the fee for you to give to this teacher.”[162](../../162/ "tree and pragmatics") So saying, he gave him a thousand pieces of money and sent him on his way.[163](../../163/ "tree and pragmatics") [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg74064/7/) **2** - ← previous: [page 1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg74064/7/) - next →: [Opening, part 8](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg74064/8/) - ↑ back to [The grateful elephant](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg74064/)