The Marvelous Companion is a translation of a collection of thirty-four stories of the previous lives of the
Buddha (Jatakas), spoken by the Enlightened One himself and assembled and retold by the first-century master Aryashura. Each
story illuminates the workings of karma, the laws of cause and effect that govern life's negative and positive conditions.
Illustrating the power of compassionate selfless action and tracing the long-range results of positive deeds, Jatakas
celebrate the power of concern for the welfare of others. Based on Speyer's 1895 English, revised against the Tibetan. An
important text for studying karma and the nature of the Bodhisattva Path. With 34 line drawings. From the story "A Small Portion of Gruel,": Once, when the Buddha was still a Bodhisattva, he lived as a great kind of
Koshala. Fortune followed him everywhere like a lover, abandoning his enemies and holding his followers dear. Now it
happened one day that this king came to recall one of his previous lives, and was deeply moved. And with this recollection
he increased the gifts of charity he was used to bestowing… Intent on illustrating to his people the power of meritorious
action, every day he made the same proclamation: "Respect paid to the Buddhas, no matter how small it may seem, will never
yield insignificant fruit… Look around you, and behold the rich results produced by a small portion of gruel, saltless,
coarse, and dry!" When asked the meaning of his words, he replied, "Why I do not know, but as naturally as one awakens from
a deep sleep, the memory of one of my past lives suddenly came to me. I was living as a servant in this very town. I was
honest and trustworthy, but resigned to a dreary existence working for people elevated by wealth alone. All was toil,
contempt, and sorrow. Each day I struggled to support my family, forever in fear that I would be unable to sustain them.
Then one evening I encountered 4 monks begging for alms. Their senses subdued, they radiated the glory of monkhood. My heart
softened to them as if I were their disciple; I bowed to them and asked them into my home. Then I offered what I could, a
small portion of gruel. And from that tiny sprout has sprung this tree of greatness… Generosity is a great treasure. No
thief can steal it, no fire destroy it, no water can ruin it, no king can command it. Generosity cleanses the mind of
selfishness and greed, relieving our weariness as we travel through life. It is our best and closest friend, constantly
