Sutra of the Wise and the Foolish Vol.3, The Chapter on Ashoka’s Offering of Soil

   

      Buddha was once at Shravasti Jetavana Vihara. One morning, the World-Honored One and Ananda entered the city to go on an alms round.

   They came across a group of children along their way, playing with soil, building and creating palaces and warehouses to store treasures and grains. One of the exuberant children saw the approaching distinguished Buddha in the distance, immediately scooped up some soil, as his supposed “grains” with both his hands, and offered them to the Buddha respectfully. As he was small in size, he told another child: “Please allow me to step on your back so we can offer the grains to the Buddha.” This child agreed without any hesitation. With his utmost sincerity, the previous child then stepped on his friend’s back and offered the soil to the Buddha courteously. The Buddha lowered His head and bowl to accept the soil, and then passed it to Ananda, saying: “Scatter this in my room.”

 After completing their alms round, they returned to Jetavana Vihara. Ananda completed the job of scattering the soil, which covered one side of Buddha’s room; Ananda refreshed himself and then reported to the Buddha.

  The Buddha told Ananda: “That child who happily made the offering that was scattered in my monastic room, due to this virtue, he will become King Ashoka a hundred years after I enter nirvana. The child who had willingly helped him will become a high official, co-leading all the land in Jambudvipa, broadly spreading, promoting and proliferating the Three Jewels, and making offerings far and wide. He will spread my relics throughout Jambudvipa, and build eighty-four thousand stupas for me.”

  The scriptural story showed the children’s pure goodwill and respectful mind for the Three Jewels, offering whatever they could give with genuine sincerity to the Buddha, who in return had mercifully accepted and made the best usage of it. With such, we can witness the law of cause and effect, and that an individual’s disposition (C: Xinxing 心性) truly determines one’s destiny.

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