The King’s Generosity: A Tale of True Almsgiving and Merit

Once upon a time, in a prosperous kingdom nestled in the heart of India, there lived a wise and generous king whose name was renowned far and wide. His acts of charity were legendary, and he gave alms to anyone who sought them, striving to earn great merit. However, despite his endless generosity, the king grew disillusioned. The people who received his gifts were often wicked and failed to follow the simple precepts of morality. This troubled the king greatly, for he wished his almsgiving to be a means of true spiritual merit, not simply a transaction with those who had no interest in righteousness.

Seeking advice, the king turned to his most trusted advisor, the Bodhisatta, a man of deep wisdom and compassion. “I want to give alms to the most virtuous and righteous people in my kingdom,” the king said. “But I fear that many who seek my charity are not deserving. Can you find me those who are truly virtuous?”

The Bodhisatta pondered this request and replied, “There are indeed righteous men, Your Majesty, but not all of them are in the land you see. There are five hundred private Buddhas—those who have attained enlightenment but do not teach the path to others—who live deep in the Nandamula Cave in the Himalayas. They are beings of the highest virtue, and they would be worthy recipients of your generosity.”

The king, overjoyed by this revelation, immediately instructed the Bodhisatta to invite these private Buddhas to his court. The Bodhisatta, knowing the journey would not be an easy one, devised a plan. He told the king, “Before I send for them, it is essential that the entire city be prepared to receive such holy beings. All citizens must decorate their homes, give alms, observe the holy-day vows, and pledge themselves to virtue. Only then will their arrival be blessed.”

The king agreed to this noble endeavor and gave the order. The next morning, as the sun’s first light touched the earth, the Bodhisatta and the king stood together in the royal palace, and with great reverence, they cast eight handfuls of flowers into the air. These flowers, touched by magic, soared across the land, carried by the wind to the faraway Nandamula Cave.

The private Buddhas, sensing that this invitation came from one who embodied the seed of Buddhahood, accepted with gratitude. When the flowers did not return to the palace, the Bodhisatta knew their arrival was imminent.

The following morning, a remarkable sight unfolded in the palace courtyard. Five hundred private Buddhas, radiant with wisdom and virtue, descended from the sky, their forms glowing like stars in the twilight. The king, overwhelmed by their presence, welcomed them with lavish offerings and great honor. For an entire week, the Buddhas were treated to feasts and gifts, and the king’s heart swelled with joy as he realized he had finally given his alms to those who truly deserved them.

After a week of honoring the king’s generosity, the private Buddhas took their leave, soaring back to their mountain home in the Himalayas. The king was left with a deep sense of peace, knowing that his almsgiving had borne fruit in the form of true merit.

The Incomparable Gift

In a later life, the Bodhisatta would be reborn as King Pasenadi of Kosala, a ruler devoted to righteousness and the Buddha. One day, King Pasenadi invited the Buddha to his palace, and the people of the city eagerly prepared to give alms in honor of the great teacher. The king, always eager to surpass the generosity of his subjects, gave a grand offering the next day. But the people, inspired by the king’s example, presented even more lavish gifts. Six times the people bested the king’s offering.

Determined to outdo them, Queen Mallika, the king’s wise and astute chief queen, took charge of organizing the next almsgiving. She arranged for five hundred disciples to sit in a wooden pavilion adorned with golden boats. Above them, five hundred elephants held white parasols, while high-caste girls waved fans and scattered sweet fragrances through the air. The king, with immense generosity, gave the Buddha everything in his alms hall, plus four priceless treasures: a white parasol on a jeweled stand, a couch, a stool, and a footstool.

The Buddha, upon hearing his disciples discussing the king and queen’s unmatched almsgiving, shared this tale with them. He told them that in a past life, he himself had given an extraordinary gift, one that was carefully thought out and offered with a pure heart.

Moral of the Tale: True generosity comes not from the abundance of gifts, but from the purity of the heart and the righteousness of the giver. Almsgiving, when done with mindfulness and virtue, becomes a means of spiritual merit and growth—not just for the giver, but for all those touched by the act.