9.6 The Story about the Rich Man Biḷālapādaka
Biḷālapādakaseṭṭhivatthu

“One should not despise one’s merit,” {3.17} this Dhamma teaching was given by the Teacher while he was in residence at Jetavana with reference to the rich man Biḷālapādaka.

For once upon a time the residents of Sāvatthī banded themselves together and gave alms to the Saṅgha of bhikkhus presided over by the Buddha. Now one day the Teacher, in returning thanks, spoke as follows:

“Lay disciples, here in this world one man himself gives, but does not urge others to give; in the various places where he is reborn, such a man receives the blessing of wealth but not the blessing of a retinue.

A second man does not himself give, but urges others to give; in the various places where he is reborn, such a man receives the blessing of a retinue but not the blessing of wealth.

A third man neither himself gives nor urges others to give; in the various places where he is reborn, such a man receives neither the blessing of wealth nor the blessing of a retinue, but lives as an eater of leftovers.

Lastly, a man both himself gives and urges others to give; in the various places where he is reborn, such a man receives both the blessing of wealth and the blessing of a retinue.”

Now a certain wise man who stood listening to the Teacher’s discourse on the Dhamma, thought to himself: “This is indeed a wonderful thing! I will straightaway perform works of merit leading to both of these blessings.” Accordingly he arose and said to the Teacher, as the latter was departing: “Venerable Sir, accept our offering of food tomorrow.” – “But how many bhikkhus do you need?” – “All the bhikkhus you have, venerable Sir.” The Teacher {3.18} graciously consented to come.

Then the lay disciple entered the village and went here and there, proclaiming: “Mothers and fathers, I have invited the Saṅgha of bhikkhus presided over by the Buddha for tomorrow. Give rice and whatever else be needed for making rice-porridge and other kinds of food, each providing for as many bhikkhus as his means permit. Let us do all the cooking in one place and give alms in common.” [29.273]

Now a certain rich man, seeing that the lay disciple had come to the door of his shop, became angry and thought to himself: “Here is a lay disciple who, instead of inviting as many bhikkhus as he could himself accommodate, is going about urging the entire village to give alms.” And he said to the lay disciple: “Fetch here the vessel you brought with you.” The rich man took grains of rice in his three fingers, and presented them to the lay disciple; similarly with different kinds of kidney-beans. Ever after that the rich man bore the name of Biḷālapādaka. AJ: a Biḷālapādaka (Cat’s Foot) is a very small weight, so he was giving the smallest possible amount, hence his name. Likewise in presenting ghee and jaggery to the lay disciple, he placed a basket in the lay disciple’s vessel, and allowing a corner to remain empty, dribbled out his offering pellet by pellet, giving him only a very little.

The lay disciple placed together the offerings which the rest presented to him, but placed apart by themselves the offerings of the rich man. When the rich man saw the lay disciple do this, he thought to himself: “Why does he place apart by themselves the offerings I have presented to him?” In order to satisfy his curiosity, he sent a servant with orders to follow the lay disciple, saying to the servant: “Go find out what he does with my offerings.” The lay disciple took the offerings with him, and saying: “May the rich man receive a rich reward,” put two or three grains of rice into the porridge and cakes, distributing beans and drops of oil and jaggery-pellets in all the vessels. The servant returned {3.19} and told the rich man what the lay disciple had done. When the rich man heard his report, he thought to himself: “If the lay disciple blames me in the midst of the assembled company, I will strike him and kill him the moment he takes my name upon his lips.”

On the following day, therefore, the rich man secreted a knife in a fold of his undergarment and went and stood waiting at the refectory. The lay disciple escorted into the refectory the Saṅgha of bhikkhus presided over by the Buddha, and then said to the Fortunate One: “Venerable Sir, at my suggestion the populace has presented these offerings to you. All those persons whom I urged to give have given rice and other provisions according to their respective ability. May all of them receive a rich reward.”

When the rich man heard this, he thought to himself: “I came here with the intention of killing the lay disciple in case he took my name upon his lips by way of blame; in case, for example, he said: ‘So and So took a pinch of rice and gave it to me.’ But instead of so doing, this lay disciple has included all in his request for a blessing, both those who measured out their gifts in measures and those who took pinches of food and gave, saying: ‘May [29.274] all receive a rich reward.’ If I do not ask so good a man to pardon me, punishment from the king will fall upon my head.” And straightaway the rich man prostrated himself before the lay disciple’s feet and said: “Pardon me, master.” – “What do you mean?” asked the lay disciple. Thereupon the rich man told him the whole story.

The Teacher seeing this act, asked the steward of the offerings: “What does this mean?” Thereupon the lay disciple told him the whole story, beginning with the incidents of the previous day. Then the Teacher asked the rich man: “Is his story correct, rich man?” – “Yes, venerable Sir.” Then said the Teacher: “Disciple, one should never regard a good deed as a small matter and say: ‘It is a mere trifle.’ One should never regard lightly an offering given to a Buddha like me, {3.20} or to the Saṅgha of bhikkhus presided over by the Buddha, and say of it: ‘It is a mere trifle.’ For wise men who do works of merit, in the course of time, become filled with merit, even as a water-vessel which stands uncovered becomes filled with water.” So saying, he joined the connection, and teaching the Dhamma, pronounced the following verse:

122. Māppamaññetha puññassa: na maṁ taṁ āgamissati.
udabindunipātena udakumbho pi pūrati,
dhīro pūrati puññassa, thokathokam-pi ācinaṁ.

One should not despise one’s merit
thinking: it will not come to me,
through the falling of water drops
even the water-pot is filled,
the wise one is filled with merit,
accumulating bit by bit.

At the end of the teaching that rich man reached the fruition of Stream-entry, and those who had assembled also had benefit from the Dhamma teaching.

last updated: August 2024