The Nomad and the Ascetic: A Lesson in Simple Wisdom

The Tale
Long ago, the Bodhisatta was living as an ascetic by the banks of the Ganges River, near a great city. One day, a clever nomadic pilgrim arrived in town, eager to debate. The townspeople, knowing of the Bodhisatta’s wisdom, directed him to the ascetic. The nomad, confident in his ability to outwit anyone, approached the Bodhisatta’s leaf hut, and a crowd gathered to watch.

The Bodhisatta greeted the pilgrim, asking, “Will you drink the water of the Ganges?” The nomad, thinking he could trip the ascetic, replied with a question of his own, “What is the Ganges? It could be sand, water, or the banks on either side.”

The Bodhisatta calmly responded, “Besides the sand, water, and the banks, what other Ganges could there be?” The nomad was stumped, unable to answer, and walked away, defeated by the Bodhisatta’s simple yet profound wisdom.

In the Lifetime of the Buddha
Many years later, a wandering ascetic who loved to debate arrived near the Buddha’s monastery. Seeking a worthy opponent, he asked the townspeople if anyone could match his intellect. They directed him to the Buddha. He asked the Buddha a question, and the Buddha gave a perfect answer. The ascetic, unable to answer the Buddha’s counter-question, stood up and left, his pride shattered.

The Buddha then told the gathered people that this was not the first time the ascetic had been defeated. In a past life, the Bodhisatta had answered a similar question from the same man, leaving him just as defeated as before.

Moral
Wisdom often lies in simplicity. The cleverest minds may be undone by the straightforward truths they cannot grasp. True knowledge doesn’t seek to confuse, but to enlighten.