Dhammapada 49
As a bee takes nectar and flies away without harming a flower's color or scent, so let a sage move…
As a bee takes nectar and flies away without harming a flower's color or scent, so let a sage move through a village.
Translated from the Pāli by Banya
Pāli
Yathāpi bhamaro pupphaṁ,
vaṇṇagandhamaheṭhayaṁ;
Paleti rasamādāya,
evaṁ gāme munī care.
In plain words
A sage walking through a village is asked to be like a bee that takes nectar without damaging the flower. Traditionally this concerns collecting alms; a lay application is to consider the effect of what you take.
Key words
- muni
- sage — The verse's subject is a contemplative, not a shopper or traveler in general.
The story behind the verse
The story of the stingy treasurer Kosiya (Macchariyakosiyaseṭṭhivatthu)
Kosiya wants to eat cakes without sharing them, so he has them prepared away from other people. The monk Moggallāna arrives and challenges that stinginess. The commentary includes miraculous events that make withholding the cakes difficult. Kosiya and his wife eventually take the food to the Buddha and the monastic community.
Retold by Banya from the traditional commentary, after E. W. Burlingame, Buddhist Legends (1921).
To reflect on
What do you receive from others, and how do you receive it?
Try it today
When receiving one favor, avoid adding an unnecessary demand.
Practise it with
Compassion (karuṇā)
Explanation by Banya. Traditional readings vary.