“Bitterness is like swallowing poison and waiting for the other person to die.”  King Brahmadatta’s army rode out to conquer king Dighiti.

Brahmadatta’s army thundered across the land, the horses hooves pounding against the ground. When Dighiti’s watchmen felt the earth tremble beneath them, they looked out and saw Brahmadatta’s powerful army with their swords raised, emerging from a cloud of dust. They ran to inform the king of the terrible sight.

Dighiti realized that his puny forces could not resist Brahmadatta, and compassion filled his heart. He addressed his generals, “We cannot hope to win a battle against Brahmadatta. He will slaughter our people and destroy their homes. If we wish this kingdom to survive, we must surrender.”

Then he turned to his wife and said, “We must leave this place. If Brahmadatta finds us, he will publicly humiliate and execute us. Let us go to Benares. It is a big city and Brahmadatta will not expect us to flee to our enemy’s home. He will never look for us in his own city.”

Disguising themselves as wandering ascetics, they made their way to Benares, where they came upon an abandoned potter’s hut. They settled on the outskirts of the city. Every day, Dighiti went into the streets with his bowl and begged for alms to feed his wife and himself.

What will become of Dighiti and his wife?

Next time:”The Birth of a King?”

“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”

“Bitterness is like swallowing poison and waiting for the other person to die.”  Our new series is a story about letting go of bitterness. I have adapted this story from “Peace that Lasts” found in Wisdom in the Telling by Lorraine Hartin-Gelardi.

Once, an argument broke out in the community of monks who resided at Kosambi in India. The disagreement divided the community against itself. Accusations and insults flew back and forth until, unable to settle their dispute, the monks swarmed the Buddha like angry bees seeking his help in resolving their differences.

“Be wary of causing divisions,” the Buddha warned them. “Do not cling to thoughts of past harm. Respect one another.”

However, the monks did not fully understand his teaching and they continued to argue, reaching the point of violence. The people of Kosambi lost respect for the monks and withdrew their support. When this happened, the monks returned to the Buddha again and sought his counsel. The Buddha assembled the monks and told them a story.

Next time: “Story of the Past”