One peasant's white lilies began to bloom. Usually at this time the flowers were not yet blooming. The peasant was very happy about such a curiosity and decided to sell them at a profit. He knew that in the morning a very rich man would go past their village to visit Buddha, and decided to offer him beautiful lilies.
In the morning, when he offered flowers to a rich man, he was delighted, although the price was high.
A prince from a neighboring province was passing by; he was also on his way to see Buddha. Seeing the flowers, he exclaimed:
- Wait, don’t sell them, I’ll give you twice as much!
With flowers in his hands, the happy prince appeared before the Buddha. Buddha looked at him, at the flowers and said:
- Drop it!
The prince thought that it was not good to give flowers to the Buddha with his left hand and, transferring them to his right, handed them to the Buddha, feeling guilty. He laughed and said:
- Drop it!
And the prince had to throw away the flowers. "But why?" - he thought puzzled. And when both hands were empty, the Buddha laughed and said again:
- Drop it!
Now there was nothing left to throw, so the prince looked around - what to do? Ananda said:
“Buddha didn’t mean for you to throw the flowers.” The one who brought the flowers should be abandoned. Nothing will happen from throwing flowers. Why don't you dump the one who brought the flowers?
The prince understood and fell at the feet of the Buddha. He never returned to his palace.
His chief minister came and told him:
- What are you doing? Even if you want to renounce, why be in such a hurry? Think a little. Your wife, your children, and all your kingdom and your affairs...
The prince replied:
“If a person understands, then it always happens right away.” If a person wants to deceive himself, he says: “Tomorrow I will decide, I will do it, but not now.”
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru