Thursday, May 08, 2014

"called the children of God" - Another Poor Widow



Tokyo


Another Poor Widow

There is a similar story in Buddhist scriptures to an episode about a poor widow who donated all the money, though small, she had to  the temple.
Luk 21:1 And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury.
Luk 21:2 And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites.
Luk 21:3 And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all:
Luk 21:4 For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had.
In a Buddhist scripture, an old woman heard that the Buddha was delivering holy preaching.  And, a king, rich merchants, and leading citizens were offering votive lights in a large quantity to the ceremonial place for the Buddha.  So, the old woman wanted to join this occasion as she wanted to be spiritually saved, gaining enlightenment.

She started to beg any little oil from people.  After waking around market and streets, she finally got some amount of oil for a light.  Then she sent it to the ceremonial place where the Buddha stayed.  With other votive lights, her humble light was lit while the Buddha was preaching.

When the preaching was over, the audience was dismissed.  The Buddha and his followers were waiting for all the voting lights to go out.  But, there was one light that continued to be lit for a long time.  However, till all the lights went out, the Buddha would not retire for the night.  So, Buddha's best disciple tried to put it off.  He pinched the wick of the light in vain.  Then, he used a fan to blow it off only in vain.  Finally he tried to crush the light only in vain again.  Finally the Buddha asked his best disciple, "What are you doing, Ananda?"  Ananda relied, "Sir, I cannot extinguish this small light."  Then, the Buddha said, "It is a light an old woman provided as she made a wish to be saved and achieve enlightenment.  You cannot put it off."  Accordingly, the small and humble light continued to burn and emit light so cleanly all through the night.

What this story means is, rather, that only a poor old woman could sincerely wish to be saved from a chain of tragic fates of a human being and cleansed of worldly sins so as to achieve eternal enlightenment.  

If a rich man donates big money or big candles to a preaching congregation held for a holy man, he cannot wish satisfactorily to be saved.  Strength and purity of his wish are far less than a poor old woman who can offer only a very small donation.

If you have no money, whatever donation you can make will be enough, if you get it by begging it from others.   But if you have an asset worth one million dollars, you will be required to donate one billion dollars.

The more you have, the more you will be unable.




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Mat 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.