Dhamma Talks - The Mind Of Man :: Buddhapadipa Thai Temple

The Human mind is a complicated thing; cunning and mischievous at times…as illustrated by the following folk tale:

A long, long time ago, men and animals were friends and were able to live together in harmony. One day, men came upon a new invention, called liquor, and this new drink was shared amongst them all for merriment. As they became intoxicated, their perceptions changed and they began to think and act in ways that they would not normally have done.

One man, in his drunken state, thought that it would be a good idea to go and find something that they could eat with the liquor. And so it was agreed that they would kill a chicken and cook it for food. So this killing spree went on and on…until they became bored with the chicken and so started on the duck.

Eventually, the chicken and ducks became frightened and, fearing for their lives, they held a meeting to see if they could come up with a way to resolve the problem. At the meeting, it was agreed that they needed make the Deva King aware of the situation, and so the Chickens and the Ducks selected a representative, each, to represent them.

When word got out to men, they feared punishment, so they too held a meeting of their own. They agreed that they would send a representative to the Deva King, but their representative was to take with him a bottle of liquor and a meal of chicken and ducks; as a gift for the King, in order to please him.

When the human handed the gift to the Deva King, he was totally outraged, and threatened to curse all men for their evil ways. The human apologized profoundly for the error of his ways, and knelt down to accept the full blast of the curse. But before the Deva King could utter such words, the man suggested that the King should at least taste the offerings that he had brought with him. And so, the Deva King obliged. He drank the liquor and as soon as he did so, the plate of cooked chicken and ducks became rather appealing. After the meal, the Deva King was so impressed with the gifts that he allowed mankind to continue to drink and eat as they pleased and granted them permission to eat other animals too; on the condition that they bring him his share.

While man was delighted, and celebrated with joy, the chickens and ducks listened in with terror. They ran home and vowed never to speak to man again.

This story shows how cunning mankind can be. They can find many ways to gain self-pleasures, even if it is at the expense of others. This type of pleasure is wrong view, as the pleasure felt is a mere illusion. It is also wrong action as the seeking of such happiness Is followed by suffering.

Knowing this, we should avoid doing that which is wrong and cultivate that which is right, by spreading good will towards all living beings.