The story of a discontented monk.

 

When the monk was away engaged in study, his father fell sick and died before his son could be summoned to see him.

 

The father, on his death-bed, left with his other, younger son, a hundred pieces, to be given to the monk.

 

At first the monk refused to accept the money, but later he felt a desire to take it and to return to the lay life.

 

Indecision made him ill and he was taken before the Buddha.

 

The latter, by getting him to enumerate the things which he could buy with the money, made it clear to him that the amount of his inheritance would be very little, and that no amount of wealth could ever be sufficient to gratify one's needs, relating the Mandhātā Jātaka to illustrate the truth of his words. DhA.iii.238-45.


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