A
Gang of Drunkards
(Sobriety)
Once upon a time, when Brahmadatta was king, the Bodhisattva
was born in a wealthy family in Benares and became the richest man there. At
that time, there was a gang of drunkards who roamed the streets. All they ever thought
about was how to get alcohol, the addictive substance they felt they couldn’t live
without.
One day, when their pockets were emptied completely, they
decided to rob the richest man in Benares. But they didn’t realise he was a
Bodhisattva and so wouldn’t be so easy to fool! They discussed and planned to
brew some ‘Mickey Finn’. They would then lace the drink secretly with sleeping
drugs before offering it to the rich man. Once the drugs took effect, they
would rob him of all his wealth, jewellery and luxurious clothes.
In order to carry out their scheme, they set up a temporary
little roadside bar. They poured their last bit of liquor into a bottle, and
mixed in some strong sleeping pills. Later, when the rich man was on his way to
the palace, one of the alcoholics called out, “Honourable sir, why not start
your day right — by having a drink with us? The first one is on the house!”
Then he poured a glass of the drugged liquor. But the Bodhisattva did not drink
any form of alcohol. Nevertheless, he wondered why these drunkards were so
generous with their favourite drink. It just wasn’t like them. He realised it
must be some kind of a trick. So he decided to teach them a lesson and said,
“It would be an insult to appear before the king in a drunken state, or with
even the slightest smell of liquor on my breath. But please be so kind as to
wait for me here. I’ll see you again when I return from the palace.”
The drunkards were disappointed but they decided to be
patient and wait. Later that day, the rich man came back to the little roadside
bar. The alcoholics were getting desperate for they had not had a sip the
entire day. They called him over and said, “Honourable sir, why not celebrate
your visit to the king by having a drink of this fine liquor. Remember, the first
one is free!” The rich man peered hard at the liquor bottle and glass and then
replied, “I don’t trust you. That bottle and glass of liquor are exactly as
they were this morning. If it were as good as you say so, you would have tasted
some yourselves by now. In fact, you would have drunk it all! I’m no fool. You
must have spiked the drink.” The richest man in Benares went on his way, and
the gang of drunkards went back to their plotting and scheming.
The moral is ✏ stay sober at all
times, and always keep your common sense with you.
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