The old man Kulapati had two sons. On his deathbed, he confided his final wish to his eldest son. “Your brother is still young. You must look after and protect him.” After Kulapati’s death, the brothers lived together in peace, according to their father’s instructions.
In time, however, the elder brother’s wife started to complain: “When your brother comes of age, he’s sure to ask for a share of the inheritance. Isn’t it better to turn him out now, so we can avoid this?” At first, the elder brother paid his wife no heed, but he was eventually worn down by her nagging. He betrayed his father’s dying wish and decided to kill his younger brother.
One day, the two brothers were walking outside the city when they came upon a quiet and secluded graveyard. Sensing an opportunity, the older brother seized the younger one then tied him to a tree. But before he could kill his brother, he suddenly remembered their kinship and lost all heart. Instead, he decided to leave the young man tied up, so tigers, wolves, or perhaps ghosts would finish the job. Before he left, the older brother lied, “You’ve been misbehaving lately, so you can spend the night here as punishment. Please reflect on your misdeeds. I’ll come back early tomorrow morning and take you home.” Then, the elder brother left without looking back.
In the black of night, with wild beasts screeching and howling around him, the young man thought, “I’m finished! Who can help me now? Who can comfort me now?” At that moment, the Buddha saw the young man in meditation. Suddenly, the sky was filled with light and the ropes turned loose. The Buddha came and asked the boy, “What do you wish for?” The boy knew it was the Buddha who freed him, so he said, “May I walk the Bodhisattva Way and attain buddhahood so I may liberate all sentient beings from suffering and bring them true joy.” At once, the Buddha taught him Dharma and showed him the right way to practice.
After hearing the Buddha’s teaching, the boy said, “Though my brother had evil in his heart and left me to die, because of this, I was able to meet the Buddha, hear his teaching, and set forth on the bodhisattva path. I should repay my brother for his kindness!”
When the boy went home, his brother and sister-in-law were so ashamed that they could not look at him. The young man said to his brother, “Even though you listened to your wife’s evil words and left me to die, because of this, I was able to hear the Buddha’s teaching and cast off all suffering. For this, you have my eternal thanks.” From that time on, the younger brother began to teach the Dharma to his family and they lived together in peace.
REFLECTION
Forgiveness is the end of resentment; a thankful heart is the bastion of tolerance. From forgiveness and tolerance, we begin to bring harmony and peace to our lives and our society. They are the source of virtue for ourselves and others.