Hunter-Gatherers

I

It must be around noon in paradise. Lord Shakyamuni Buddha is walking upright, with all the composure one would expect from a Buddha. He walks over and looks into the lotus pond, and looking through it, he sees the mortal world of samsara (សង្សារ, វដ្ដសង្សារ)– where by chance he sees three men together in the jungle.

Buddha watches the men, with curiosity. They are hunting for food; some kind of animal to kill and eat. This brings heaviness to the Buddha’s heart. The Lord does not like to see the taking of life. But, he watches nonetheless. The hunters creep through the jungle quietly, looking for their prey. Instead, what they find is an injured deer. The deer had slipped off a high ledge and broken its legs. The three hunters looked at the deer.

They were each a little hungry, and the deer would provide plenty of food, but they each stood over the animal, and could not quite get themselves to kill the animal. Buddha watched closely from above.

They watched the animal for many seconds, and together they determined, without much speech, that they could not kill this animal. They collected the animal from the ground and carried it back to their camp.

The hunters agreed: the animal was too injured to take care of itself. If they wanted this animal to live, they would need to help it. The first hunter wrapped his legs and paws with plenty of fabric taken from a shirt. The second hunter held the animal down while he did so, and the third stroked the animal’s head and whispered softly into its ears. Buddha watched closely from above.

The three hunters calmed the animal, and let it rest. It would need a lot of rest in the coming days in order to heal. Days passed. The hunters went from a little hungry to hungry to very hungry. But first, they worried of the deer. What would the deer eat? Surely, not deer. The hunters went back into the jungle, and came back with many fruits, nuts, and berries. Buddha watched closely from above.

In the beginning, the deer wouldn’t eat any of the fruits, nuts, and berries they had gathered from the forest. But, the gatherers offered the deer lots of food many times each day. Eventually, the deer began to eat very few berries. Then, it ate a little bit of fruit. Finally, the deer was eating many fruits, berries, and nuts as well. Buddha watched closely from above.

The gatherers no longer dealt with too much hunger, because they learned to eat the foods they had gathered for the deer. It wasn’t much for them, but it was enough. In some way they could not explain, they felt a little bit better. Buddha watched closely from above.

After many weeks of help from the gatherers, the deer had recovered from its injury and was again able to walk and find food on its own. The three gatherers watched as their animal trotted away, into the thick underbrush of the jungle. The three gatherers stood in total silence.

Buddha appeared next to the three men, and complimented them on their compassion, and willingness to change their hearts. The Lord was very pleased.

“Few men change as of you have, and each man has lots of opportunities to do so,” said the Buddha. “Because I am so impressed with the compassion you have showed this animal, I will grant you any wish that you desire – any wish, no matter how incredible, I will grant you.”

The three gatherers looked at one another, quite surprised to see Buddha, and even more surprised to hear his offer.

“There aren’t many men that you make this offer to, are there?” the first gatherer asked.

“None. You three are there first,” said the Lord.

“Surely, no man is worthy of such a fine offer, my Lord?” said the second gatherer.

“There are very few, yes, but what you have done here has moved me, and I believe you three are,” the Buddha said.

The third gatherer remained silent.

Lord Shakyamuni Buddha granted each of the three men their wishes.

II

50 years have gone by, and the men have gone their separate ways. They are now old, with very little time left on this Earth. They each hope to leave this mortal world of samsara, and achieve nirvana (និព្វាន), or face another rebirth (ការកើតជាថ្មី). Before this happens, the men come together one last time to speak to each other, as there aren’t too many people that have actually spoken to Lord Shakyamuni Buddha himself.

The three men ask each other how their lives have gone, and what wish they had asked Buddha to grant them.

The first man says that he asked Buddha for all the gold in the world. He says he always had plenty of gold, money, and wealth – too much at times – but that he lived a happy life with little suffering.

The second man says that he asked Buddha for every woman to be madly attracted to him, so he always had many lovers – too many at times – but that he lived a happy life with little suffering.

The third man says that his life was full of suffering. He was always uncomfortable, always poor, and no one would talk to him. He didn’t have any friends. He didn’t have any family. He didn’t have any money.

The first and the second man are very surprised. They ask him, “Then, what did you ask Lord Buddha for?”

The third man says, “Well, guys, I think that’s where I really screwed up: I asked him for a pumpkinhead.”

Using the context of the story only, put the following excepts into the following four categories:

A) Large quantity

B) Small quantity

C) Zero quantity

D) More or less than you want or need

1. P1, L17: They were each a little hungry.

a. P1, L30: The hunters went from a little hungry to hungry to very hungry.

b. P2, L4: it ate a little bit of fruit.

c. P2, L8: they felt a little bit better

2. P1, L17: and the deer would provide plenty of food…

a. P1, L24: The first hunter wrapped his legs and paws with plenty of fabric taken from a shirt.

b. P3, L21: he always had plenty of gold, money, and wealth

3. P1, L20: They watched the animal for many seconds…

a. P1, L32: The hunters went back into the jungle, and came back with many fruits, nuts, and berries.

b. P2, L3: many times each day.

c. P2, L4: the deer was eating many fruits, berries, and nuts

d. P2, L10: After many weeks of help from the gatherers,

e. P2, L23: There aren’t many men that you make this offer to, are there?”

f. P3, L22: so he always had many lovers…

4. P1, L20: together they determined, without much speech, that they could not kill this animal.

5. P1, L23: The hunters agreed: the animal was too injured to take care of itself.

6. P1, L29: It would need a lot of rest in the coming days in order to heal.

7. P2, L1: In the beginning, the deer wouldn’t eat any of the fruits, nuts, and berries they had gathered from the forest.

8. P2, L2: the gatherers offered the deer lots of food…

a. P2, L17: each man has lots of opportunities to do so

9. P2, L3: the deer began to eat very few berries.

a. P2, L28: There are very few, yes,

10. P2, L6: The gatherers no longer dealt with too much hunger

11. P2, L7: It wasn’t much for them…

12. P2, L7: but it was enough.

13. P2, L17: Few men change as of you have…

14. P2, L25: None. You three are there first…

15. P2, L26: Surely, no man is worthy of such a fine offer, my Lord?”

16. P3, L13: with very little time left on this Earth…

17. P3, L16: as there aren’t too many people…

18. P3, L21: too much at times…

19. P3, L22+L25: he lived a happy life with little suffering.

20. P3, L24: too many at times

21. P3, L27: He didn’t have any friends. He didn’t have any family. He didn’t have any money.