Page:Buddhist Birth Stories, or, Jātaka Tales.djvu/445

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And again he said to him, "Householder! although the gift you are giving is but poor, you are giving it to the Eight Noble Beings. Now when I was Velāma, and gave away the Seven Treasures, ransacking the whole continent of India to find them, and kept up a great donation, as if I had turned the five great rivers into one great mass of water, yet I attained not even to taking refuge in the Three Gems, or to keeping the Five Precepts, so unfit were they who received the gifts. Let not your heart be troubled, therefore, because your gifts are trifling." And so saying, he preached to him the Velāmika Sutta.

Now the Fairy, who before had not cared to speak to the Merchant, thinking, "Now that this man has come to poverty, he will listen to what I say," went at midnight to his chamber, and appeared in visible shape before him.

"Who's there?" said the Merchant on seeing her.

Tis I, great Merchant; the Fairy who dwells in the turret over the fourth gate."

"What are you come for?"

"Because I wish to give you some advice."

"Speak, then."

"O great Merchant! you take no thought of your last days. You regard not your sons and daughters. You have squandered much wealth on the religion of Gotama