“Bitterness is like swallowing poison and waiting for the other person to die.”  Angry with each other over a matter they could not resolve, the monks of Kosambi sought out the Buddha for his wisdom. The Buddha told them a story.

In the old days, King Brahmadatta reigned over the great and prosperous Kingdom of Kasi. The king lived in a splendid palace in the city of Benares. The monarch owned many treasures and commanded a mighty army.

Nearby, Dighiti the Long-Suffering, struggled to rule the tiny, poverty-stricken kingdom of Kosala. But Brahmadatta was not satisfied with his wealrth and lusted for more. Seeing the kingdom of Kosala, he thought to himself, “Dighiti’s army is weak and small. I can easily defeat him and extend my kingdom.”

He called his generals together, assembled the army, and rode out to conquer Kosala.

Will Brahmadatta conquer Dighiti?

Next time: “Dighiti’s Decision”