A Small Portion Of Gruel

The Bodhisattva, in one of his births, was born as the king of Kosala. He was a benevolent king and his reign was marked by peace and prosperity. One night he dreamt of his previous life and was deeply moved by it. One the following day, the king told his court that it was only a small portion of gruel that was actually responsible for all the prosperity in the kingdom. When everyone urged him to tell them why he said so, the king narrated all that he had dreamt about his past life. In his previous birth the king had been a poor servant who could hardly make both ends meet every day. But one day, when he met a group of monks who had been starving for days, he forgot all about his own hunger and gave them his day’s meal which was just a small portion of gruel. The Gods were amazed to see this charity and they blessed the servant who was reborn as the great king of Kosala. The people of Kosala were touched to hear this story and everyone was inspired to be charitable in their own ways.

The author of this story is unknown and greatly appreciated!