In ancient times, the state of Bagan was ruled by the powerful and fair King Dhamma. He performed all his deeds in strict accordance with the laws, and the fame of his justice reached the borders of paradise, where Tijamin reigned. And Tijamin decided to check whether King Dhamma is really so impeccable, whether he sometimes deviates from the truth? For this purpose, Tijamin built an iron trap that grabbed the hand of every liar and wicked person who broke the law.
And just at that time, near the village, in a dilapidated hut, there lived a pious old man who was preparing to become a monk and at the same time was practicing alchemy. One of the laywomen constantly brought him alms and, imbued with deep respect for his person, gave him a hundred pieces of gold for safekeeping.
Day after day passed, and the time came when the woman’s children demanded a division of the inheritance. She went to the elder:
- Honorable teacher! Please return my gold, which you kept so carefully and for a long time, the children are demanding a division of the inheritance.
-What kind of gold? – the old man was indignant. – I have never held a single gram of gold in my hands!
“No way, does he intend to take my gold?” – the woman became alarmed and complained to the judge.
On the appointed day, the plaintiff and the accused appeared in court. The judge ordered them to approach the iron trap in order to test their honesty. The woman, feeling that she was right, immediately followed the judge’s instructions, and the trap, of course, did not work. It was the elder's turn.
Holding in his hands a round wicker basket in which he had hidden the gold, the old man hesitantly stomped on the spot.
- Well, why are you standing there? Come! – the Judge strictly ordered.
“How unpleasant all this is to me,” Elder Retz began to lament, “I hope to become a monk, but I am suspected of fraud.” Dark deeds are incompatible with monastic rank! And the most annoying thing is that all this happens in front of the laity.
And, as if by the way, he turned to the woman he had offended:
“It’s not convenient for me to carry a basket with me.” Hold her for a minute. - And, handing the basket of gold to its true owner, he approached the trap. The trap didn't work again. And the old man, taking the basket from the woman, proudly left.
Having learned how this sad story ended, T-jamin became worried:
“If this continues, people will lose faith in me!” “And he destroyed the trap.”
Nevertheless, since then there has been a proverb in the world: “A monastic elder is able to confuse even a pagan trap.”
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru