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| Sunday, 5 June 2005 |
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The rich old woman and the robbers Sunday parable by Sunanda Mahendra "That old woman is very rich, and it is not difficult to rob her wealth," said a robber leader, to his gang, pointing towards a rich old woman who was on her way to the village temple.
"Because she leaves a lone servant girl to take care of the house when she is away. There is quite a lot that we can rob from her house. She inherited valuable treasures, from her father. However, her children are not to be seen. I suppose they come from time to time, to see her and are not interested in her wealth." "So how are we going to rob her?" asked the deputy leader. "I will follow her to the temple, and sit beside her, and you do the rest. If she tries to come home, I will let you know about it, so that you all can escape into the forest with whatever you have robbed." While the robber leader, followed the rich old woman to the temple, the rest of them, slowly surrounded the house. Meanwhile, in the temple, the chief monk, commenced the sermon. The topic was craving and attachment to one's life and to wealth. The rich woman inculcated the habit of listening to sermon with great interest and as a result she had become pious and had no desire to acquire more and more wealth. She also was in the habit of giving away some of her possessions to the needy. As a result of her desire to give her wealth she was also known by the term danapatini or benefactress. When poor women come to see her, she would give them valuable pots and pans and plates and various other items left over by he father as a treasure trove. "There is some more wealth left to be distributed among the needy," thought the rich old woman, while she was listening to the preaching. All of a sudden the servant girl appeared before her. The rich old woman was meditatively listening to the preaching. The leader robber saw the appearance of the servant girl. He wanted to know what the servant girl was upto. She whispered something to the rich old woman which the robber leader over heard. "Madame there are robbers inside our house," said the servant girl. "Don't disturb me girl," said the rich old woman. "Madame do something soon, they will rob the whole house." "Let them do if they so like to rob what ever I have with me." "But they will plunder all your wealth if you don't come soon." "Leave me alone, dear girl, I want to listen to this bana preaching, which is much more important than my wealth." The servant girl felt that her lady was immersed in a meditative mood. The leader robber too heard the dialogue that ensued between them. " So you are not going to drive away the robbers?" asked the servant girl softly without disturbing others in the congregation hall. "I don't think they are robbers. They could be common folk in need of my wealth. So go and tell them that they can select whatever they want from my house or they can afford to wait until I return home from this temple premises so that I can meet them face to face and distribute what they want from me. I am not worried even if they plunder all my belongings, I am not going to take any single little item to the other world when I die." The servant girl did not speak any thing further than that. But she was bewildered by what her lady said softly. The robber leader, who over heard also felt sorry for the rich old woman. "Why should I plunder her wealth?" he thought, "It is immoral on our part to rob her wealth I must tell my gang she should not be robbed. I am ashamed that I directed them to rob her wealth." So the robber leader stood up and walked out. When he came closer to the house of the rich woman , he saw how his gang had robbed the wealth and piled them up to be removed through the forest to the other side of the village. "Stop it, will you" he shouted "Don't remove her wealth." "What's got with you?" his deputy was amazed. "I think I misdirected you all. Please forgive me. We should not rob her wealth." "Why?" "It is a grave sin to rob her wealth, she is ready to give away anything if we care to ask her." "How do you know that?" "She told her servant girl. The servant girl came to the temple to see her." "Yes we saw her running do that." The members of the robber gang felt that there was something wrong with their leader for he showed a clear difference to what he was earlier. "We got to keep all her possessions inside her house and leave her alone to live for some time happily." Once again the robbers kept all her wealth inside her house in their respective places and waited outside to see her return. It took sometime for the rich old woman to return home with the servant girl. The rich old woman walked slowly and unperturbed. She walked into the house as usual and looked around to see that everything was perfectly all right "I don't see any thing of this house being robbed and I don't see any robbers around. See for yourself if there is anything lost," said the rich old woman in a pensive mood. "No madame," said the girl looking around. "This is surprising, there is absolutely nothing lost." |
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"Why do you say it is not difficult?" asked one of the robbers. 
