Week 11 Reading Notes: Part B from Eastern Stories and Legends

 The Bull That Demanded Fair Treatment

The Bodisat was reincarnated as a bull. A Brahmin was gifted this bull when it was a young calf. The Brahmin named the young calf, Nandi Visala. Nandi was cherished by the Brahmin and basically raised it as his son. He fed it gruel and rice. Nandi was well aware of the amount of work the Brahmin has put into raising him, so he wanted to repay the Brahmin. Nandi knew that no other bull in all of India was as strong as him, so he wanted to show the Brahmin his strength for sustenance. 

The bull told the Brahmin to find a rich farmer and bet him a thousand pieces that his ox will move a hundred laden carts. The Brahmin did exactly that. The rich farmer told the Brahmin that there are no ox's that compare to his own. The bet was made between the two that Nandi could move a hundred ladens. The Brahmin filled a 100 carts full of sand, gravel, and stones and tied them all in a row. The Brahmin prepared Nandi and took a seat on the pole. As he was commanding the bull to push the carts, he called Nandi a brute and a wrench. The bull got offended and stood still, which caused the Brahmin to lose the bet. The bull furiously explained to the Brahmin why he was offended and commanded the Brahmin to bet the rich farmer two thousand pieces this time. The farmer did exactly that and reloaded another 100 carts for Nandi to pull. This time the Brahmin called Nandi a "beauty" and Nandi dragged all 100 carts. Nandi brought wealth to the Brahmin, but all he wanted was the respect he has always had. 

The Horse That Held Out To The End 

Buddha reincarnated into a horse, but more specifically a fully-bred horse. This horse was the King's Destrier and he was raised with three year old rice, which was placed in a very expensive bowl made of gold. He lived in a stall that was surrounded in pretty scented perfumes, curtains, and covered with a canopy with stars made of gold. Seven kings threatened the King of Benares, the owner of the horse. They gave the King of Benares an ultimatum of going to battle or forfeiting his kingdom. Discussing with the ministers of the kingdom, the King of Benares decided to send a knight to battle the seven kings with hopes of having them fall back. The knight told the king that using his Destrier he could not only eliminate the 7 opposing kings, but all kings in India! The king of Benares easily agreed to the offer. The horse and the knight were able to capture 6 of the 7 kings, but the horse was wounded. The knight was thinking about replacing the wounded horse, but the horse explained that if he were replaced all of their work would go down the drain. The horse got back up on his feet and was ready for battle. As expected, the horse and the knight took down the last king and brought him back to the king of Benares. Upon Arrival, the horse commanded the king of Benares to free the seven kings with a peace treaty. As the mail was removed from the horse, it passed away. He was buried with respect and great honor. The king of Benares ruled in righteousness and justice, just how the horse wanted it to be. 

Bibliography: Eastern Stories and Legends by Marie L. Shedlock


A horse and chariot resembling buddha as horse and the knight from wikipedia.


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