Reading Notes:Eastern Stories and Legends Part C

The Buddha was reborn into a family that were Law Keepers. When he got to school age, his father sent him off to be the student of the best teacher. When he got there, the teacher's son had dies. The student was confused as to why such a young person would die since in his family only the old die. Everyone at the funeral upon hearing that his family never dies young questioned him about it. When the professor heard, he decided to go to the student's father and ask him how his entire family lives to be old. He put the student in charge of the class and left. On the way to meet with the father, the professor picked up some goat bones and when he arrived, he presented the bones as the father's dead son's bone. The father laughed saying that was impossible, but the professor insisted. The father claimed that he was wrong because no one in their family died young because he said "We walk in righteousness. We speak no ill. We flee from things that are evil. We take no heed of the foolish. We follow the counsel of the wise. We delight in giving gifts. We feed the hungry. We are faithful in our marriage vows. We are versed in sacred knowledge. Therefore, the young amongst us never die." The professor was happy upon hearing this because now he too knew the key to keeping his family alive. 


Bibliography: Eastern Stories and Legends, Marie Shedlock, 1920. source

Image Information: Classroom, Wikimedia Commons, Source