Petavatthu(Ghost stories)1.4

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1.4 The Biscuit Doll

While the Teacher(Buddha) was staying at Savatthi in Jetavana grove, he told this incident :

A nurse had given Anathapindika's (a rich man & a follower of Buddha) grand-daughter a biscuit doll as a plaything. The child let it fall one day and it broke. She cried out, "My daughter is dead" and wept, and none of the servants could pacify her.

Now at that time the Lord Buddha was in the home of the householder Anathapindika, who was seated near him. The nurse took the child and went to the rich man, who said "Why is the girl crying?" took her on his lap and then had made her happy by saying "I will give you another gift". Anathapindika then said to the Lord Buddha "Reverend Sir, for the sake of my grand daughter, on account of the biscuit doll only, I am anxious to bestow a gift. therefore consent to come tomorrow to my house with five hundred monks". Lord Buddha agreed.

Accordingly the Lord Buddha came, and after the meal, he gave thanks and spoke these words :

1. "With whatever concern the liberal one should give a gift to the forefathers and the departed or also to the deity gods."

2. "And to the four great kings, the celestial guardians of the world, Kuvera, Dhatarattha, Virupakkha, and Virulaka ; with this they are worshipped and the givers are not without reward."

3. "For mere weeping and grief or any other lamentation is of no avail; all this is of no help to the petas. Such a practice have the kinsmen".

4. "But indeed this gift given to the Sangha(monks order) is well acknowledged, with immediate effect serves a long time for the benefit of the departed & of petas and is well rewarding.

Thus Lord Buddha taught the practice of appeasing petas & departed with the donations and then left. The rich man's wife and his relatives too followed his example. Thus they gave great gifts for a month. Then King Pasendi (Prasenjit) of Kosala hearing this also presented bounteous gifts to the assembly. When the citizens saw this, they in turn did as the king for a whole month practised great giving, a great generosity which has its origin in the humble biscuit doll.