Dhamma Talks - A Bird And A Farmer :: Buddhapadipa Thai Temple

In life, it is believed that money is very necessary to life. So how to make money is the first education we do in early life. Some people can make a lot of money but have no happiness. It just causes them more worry or suffering. Why is that? It is because they attach to the money and don’t know how to spend it. We learn only how to make money, but we have never learned how to spend it. How can we spend it and be happiest with our treasure? This story, Jataka, a bird and a farmer, illustrate this very well. Here is the story:

There lived a farmer who cultivated a land of paddy. That year, his land was very rich in paddy and he thought that he would be rich when he harvested his crops and sold it. One day he noticed that his crops were destroyed by some animals. He found out later that there was a group of birds eating his crops every day. That worried him, therefore, he tried many ways to stop that. He also noticed that one bird not only ate the paddy but also carried some in his beak. Then he cast a net to catch the birds. Most of the birds could escape from the net. There was only the bird which was carrying the ears of paddy could not.

Then the farmer asked, “You, greedy bird, eat my crops and take them home full of your mouth. Why are you so greedy?”

The bird answered, “I am not greedy; I don’t take them for myself”.

The farmer asked the bird, “Whom do you bring them for, then?”

The bird answered, “Three ears of paddy I take to repay the debt, lend it and burry it”.

The farmer asked, “What do they mean?”

The bird answered, “The first ear means that I repay my old debt of my parents because they took a good care of me when I was young. So it is my duty to repay them when they are old. The second ear I lend it to my children as they are young. They cannot go out to find food to eat so I feed them. This means I lend them. The third ear I burry it. This means I make merit by giving to the sick who cannot help themselves, to the old or disable who have no support. It is believed that making merit is to burry the treasure for the future life”.

When the farmer heard that, he had faith in the bird that that bird was grateful to parents, loved family and was kind-hearted and compassionate towards to neighbour and fellow friends.

The bird added, “The paddy that I ate means to throw into valley which is unfilled. I must eat every day because if I don’t eat, I feel hungry and it causes suffering”.

When the bird finished, the farmer said, “Bird, you are wise. At first I thought that you were greedy as the other birds ate and flew away, but you carry some more with you. When you explained, I understood that. You are good bird”. Then the farmer untied the bird, set him free and granted him to come to eat and take some paddies for his family and friends.

The bird blessed the farmer, “Thank you very much indeed, may you be well and happy and look after your family”. The farmer also said thank you to the bird for a good advice and he applied that to his way of life throw out his life.

The story shows that we must be wise to make money and spend it. Otherwise, we can be suffered from what we earn and have. We must learn how to manage our money so that it can be help and meaningful to our life, family and friends now and future. The advice of the bird is very helpful as it is regarded this is the best way to deal with our treasure;

1. Repay the debt

2. Lend it

3. Burry the treasure for the future life.