THE MONKEY’S OFFERING .

[The Buddha receives an offering of honey from a monkey at Parileyya forest]

While residing in the Protected Parileyya Forest, the Buddha was attended by a noble elephant that provided him with water and wild fruits.

After observing these propitious deeds, a monkey decided that he too would give the Buddha an offering.

One day, the monkey spied some honey. He broke off a branch of honey-comb (Honey bees already left it ) which he gingerly placed on a plantain leaf and offered this gift to the Buddha.

The Teacher received the honey and sat down, but did not eat it.

Concerned as to why the Buddha would not consume it, the monkey lifted and rotated the stick revealing tiny insect’s eggs on its underside.

The monkey tenderly removed the eggs one by one, and gave the honey-comb back to the Buddha.

To the monkey’s delight, the Buddha ate the sweet honey thereby accepting the monkey’s offering.

🌷 The monkey joyously leaped among the trees. As his did this, however, a branch broke beneath him causing the monkey to fall upon a tree stump that pierced and killed him.

Due to his faith in the Buddha, the monkey was reborn in Tavatimsa Heaven as a result of his generosity. ( Parileyyaka Sutra , sn 22.8)