Feliciana sentinel. [volume] (St. Francisville, La.) 1877-1892, 1880-08-21
' A BUDDHIST LEGEND.

ipOSSeSSOr OF u newly Ioullu treasure, loi
his face was like a golden cloud, his eyes
fair and tender as blue lotus, and his
smile bright and beaming like the mort
ing light upon the dewy flowers. But
when the boy was able to walk, and
could run about the house, there came a
day when he suddenly fell sick ana aied.
And Keesab, not understanding what
had happened to her fair lotus yed boy,
clasped hi Ill to her bosom. praying and
weeping, and beseeching the good people
| to give her some medicine to cure her
baby. Bnt the villagers and ,neighbo's
on seeing her said,-
is the girl mad, that she still bears
about on her breast the dead body of her
child p
At length Il holy man pitying the girls
sorrow, said to himself
ALAS, this Keesah does not understand
the law of death; will try and comfort
her. And he answered her, and said,-
MY good girl, I cannot myself give you
| any medicine to cure your boy, but
kno " of a holy and wise physician who
can.'
'Ohv said the young mother, do tell
me who he is, that I may go at once to
him.
And the holy man repled,-
'He is called the Buddha; he alone can
cure thy child
Then the keesah, op hea, ing this, was
comforted, and set ont to find Buddha,
still clasping to her heart the lifeless bo-
dy of her child. And when she found him
she bowed down before him and said,-
% my lord and master! do you know Of
any medicine that will cure my babyF
And the Buddl,a replied and sad,-
Yes, know of one, but you must get 1t
for me- And she Asked
what medicine do you want Tell ME
that may hasten in search Of it,
And the Buddha said,-
4 want only few grains of mustard
seed. Leave here the boy, and then YOU
go and bring them to me-
The girl refused to part with her baby,
but promised to get the seed for him. AS
she was about to set out the pitiful Budd-
ha, calling her. said,-
'My sister, the mustard seed that l re-
oured must be taken from a house where
no child, parent, husband, wife, relative,
has ever died.
The young mother replied,-
sVery good, my lord;' end went her
way, taking her boy with her, and SET
ting him astride on her hip, with his life
less head resting on her bosom. Thus
she went from house to house, from pal
ace to hut begging for some grains OF
mustard seed. The people said to he'll
Here are the seeds: take them, and go
thy way But she first askcd,-
IN this, my friends house, has there
ever died q child, husband, parent, or
a slavee q And they one ard all replied,-
'Laty, What is that thou hast said
Knowest thou not that tho living are
> few, but that the dead arc many =? There
:, is no such house as thou seektst:'
O Then she went to another house ana
begged the grains ofmustard seed, which
) they gladly gave her, but to her 4nes'
| tioning one said.--
Il have lost a son another, 1 have lost
:, a parent : anothel, Il have lost slave );
. and every one ard all of them made some
:. such reply.
AT last, not being able to discover
single house free from the dead, whence
she could obtain the mustard seed, ant
:, feeling utterly faint and weary. She sal
herself down upon stone, with her ba
by in her lap, and, thinking sadly, salt
al to berlelf,-
Alas this is heavy task 1 havo un
- dcrtaken 1 am not the only one VIII
:, .oses her baby. Everywhere children ar
dying, loved ones are dying, and every
- where they tell me that the dead ar
:, more Numerous than the living. Shall
then think only of my sorrow =
Thinking thus, she suddenly sunmone
70 courage to put away her sorrow for nj
-, dead baby, and she carried him to I'll
forest and laid him Gowr to rest uuder
tree and havirg covered him over wit
,o tender leaves. and taking her last look
,o his .ovcd face, she betook herself ono
;, more to the Buduha.
,;s Aud he said TO her.
be SISTER. have thou found tho mustard
lis seed =
az have not, my Lord she replied, f'
Of the pconle in the village tell mo there
h. no home in which some has not died; II
is the living are few but the dead are many
at And where is your baby:'
Id Il have laid him under tree i'll II
* forest. my lord.' said Keesak, gently.
". Then said the Bnldha to her,
at You have found the grains of mustar
seed; You thought that you alone b:
ms lost a son, but now you have learned th
ct- tho law of death and of suffering isamol