Other Translations: Deutsch
From: ,
Jātaka Stories of Past Lives 46
Ekakanipāta The Book of the Ones
Atthakāmavagga Wanting to Help
6. Ārāmadūsakajātaka Spoiling the Park: a past life story
“Na ve anatthakusalena, Surely not with one who misunderstands the meaning A lazy groundskeeper asks the monkeys in the park to water the trees in his absence. They set to work with all good cheer. However, misconstruing the instructions, they pull up each tree to examine the size of the roots before watering, thus ruining the park despite their good intentions.
atthacariyā sukhāvahā; does good conduct lead to happiness. The verse plays on two meanings of attha. In the opening line, attha is “meaning, basis” (as per Snp 1.8:1.1 or AN 5.169:3.1), and it is glossed āyatane kāraṇe (“reason, cause”). Here it means “good, benefit” and is glossed vuḍḍhi (“growth”).
Hāpeti atthaṁ dummedho, The simpleton destroys the good,
kapi ārāmiko yathā”ti. like the monkey groundskeeper.
Ārāmadūsakajātakaṁ chaṭṭhaṁ.