"That is the value of a Measure of rice"--This the
Teacher told while sojourning at Jetavana, about a monk
called Udayin the Simpleton.
At that time the Elder named Dabba, a Mallian by birth,
held the office of steward in the Order. When he issued
the food-tickets in the morning, Udayin sometimes received
a better kind of rice, and sometimes an inferior kind. One
day when he received the inferior kind, he threw the
distribution-hall into confusion, crying out, "Why should
Dabba know better than any other of us how to give out
the tickets?"
When he thus threw the office into disorder, they gave
him the basket of tickets, saying, "Well, then, do you
give out the tickets to-day!"
From that day he began to distribute tickets to the
Order; but when giving them out he did not know which
meant the better rice and which the worse, nor in which
storehouse the better was kept and in which the worse.
When fixing the turns, too, he did not distinguish to
what storehouse each monk's turn had come; but when
the monks had taken their places, he would make a
scratch on the wall or on the floor, to show that the turn
for such and such a kind of rice had come thus far, and
for such and such a kind of rice thus far. But the next
day there were either more or fewer monks in hall. When
they were fewer, the mark was too low down; when they
were more, the mark was too high up; but ignoring the
right turns, he gave out the tickets according to the signs
he had made.
So the monks said to him, "Brother Udayin! the mark
is too high, or too low." And again, "The good rice is
in such a storehouse, the inferior rice in such a store-house."
But he repelled them, saying, "If it be so, why is the
mark different? Why should I trust you? I will trust
the mark rather!"
Then the boys and novices cast him out from the hall of
distribution, exclaiming, "When you give tickets. Brother
Udayin, the brethren are deprived of their due. You
are incapable of the office. Leave the place!"
Thereupon a great tumult arose in the hall of distribution. The Teacher heard it, and asked of Ananda the
Elder, "There is a great tumult, Ananda, in the hall.
What is the noise about?"
The Elder told the Successor of the Prophets how it
was.
Then he said, "Not now only, Ananda, does Udayin by
his stupidity bring loss upon others, formerly also he did
the same."
The Elder asked the Blessed One to explain that
matter. Then the Blessed One made manifest an occurrence hidden by change of birth.
"Long ago, Brahmadatta was king in Benares, in the
land of Kasi. At that time our Bodhisattva was his Valuer.
He valued both horses, elephants, or things of that kind;
and jewelry, gold, or things of that kind; and having
done so, he used to have the proper price for the goods
given to the owners thereof.
"Now the king was covetous. And in his avarice he
thought, 'If this valuer estimates in this way, it will
not be long before all the wealth in my house will come
to an end. I will appoint another valuer.'
"And opening his window, and looking out into the
palace yard, he saw a stupid miserly peasant crossing the
yard. Him he determined to make his valuer; and
sending for him, asked if he would undertake the office.
The man said he could; and the king, with the object of
keeping his treasure safer, established that fool in the
post of valuer.
"Thenceforward the dullard used to value the horses
and elephants, paying no regard to their real value, but
deciding just as he chose: and since he had been appointed to the office, as he decided, so the price was.
"Now at that time a horse-dealer brought five hundred
horses from the northern prairies. The king sent for that
fellow, and had the horses valued. And he valued the five
hundred horses at a mere measure of rice, and straightway
ordered the horse-dealer to be given the measure of rice,
and the horses to be lodged in the stable. Then the
horse-dealer went to the former valuer, and told him
what had happened, and asked him what he should do.
"'Give a bribe to that fellow,' said he, 'and ask him
thus: "We know now that so many horses of ours are
worth a measure of rice, but we want to know from you
what a measure of rice is worth. Can you value it for
us, standing in your place by the king?" If he says he
can, go with him into the royal presence, and I will be
there too.'
"The horse-dealer accepted the Bodhisattva's advice, went
to the valuer, and bribed him, and gave him the hint
suggested. And he took the bribe, and said, 'All right!
I can value your measure of rice for you.'
"'Well, then, let us go to the audience-hall,' said he;
and taking him with him, went into the king's presence.
And the Bodhisattva and many other ministers went there
also.
"The horse-dealer bowed down before the king, and said,
'I acknowledge, O king, that a measure of rice is the
value of the five hundred horses; but will the king be
pleased to ask the valuer what the value of the measure of
rice may be?'
"The king, not knowing what had happened, asked,
'How now, valuer, what are five hundred horses worth?'
"'A measure of rice, O king!' said he.
"'Very good, then! If five hundred horses are worth
only a measure of rice, what is that measure of rice
worth?'
"'The measure of rice is worth all Benares, both within
and without the walls,' replied that foolish fellow.
"For the story goes that he first valued the horses at a
measure of rice just to please the king; and then, when
he had taken the dealer's bribe, valued that measure of
rice at the whole of Benares. Now at that time the
circumference of the rampart of Benares was twelve
leagues, and the land in its suburbs was three hundred
leagues in extent. Yet the foolish fellow estimated that
so-great city of Benares, together with all its suburbs, at
a measure of rice!
"Hearing this the ministers clapped their hands, laughing, and saying, 'We used to think the broad earth, and
the king's realm, were alike beyond price; but this great
and famous royal city is worth, by his account, just a
measure of rice! O the depth of the wisdom of the
valuer! How can he have stayed so long in office?
Truly he is just suited to our king!' Thus they laughed
him to scorn.
"Then the Bodhisattva uttered this stanza:
"'What is a measure of rice worth?
"Then the king was ashamed, and drove out that fool,
and appointed the Bodhisattva to the office of Valuer. And
in course of time the Bodhisattva passed away according to
his deeds."
When the Teacher had finished preaching this discourse,
and had told the double story, he made the connection,
and summed up the Jataka by concluding, "He who was
then the foolish peasant valuer was Udayin the Simpleton,
but the wise valuer was I myself."