Parables of Wisdom
The Monkey Who Was Greedy
लालची बंदर · લાલચુ વાંદરો
Two fistfuls of peas, and one little pea that rolled away
- 3 min full story
- 2 min children's telling
- For all ages
Chintu the monkey finds a pile of green peas spilled from a farmer's cart and grabs as many as his hands can hold. Then a single pea slips through his fingers.
What it teaches Greed Contentment Aparigraha
The opening of the children's telling
One day a farmer drove his cart full of green peas down the road. A sack tore open, and peas spilled out. The farmer did not see, and he went on his way.
High up in a mango tree sat a little monkey named Chintu. He saw the shiny green peas on the road. Down he came, swinging from branch to branch. He tasted one pea. It was sweet and crunchy! So he filled both his hands with peas, so full that his fingers could not close.
Read the whole story See plans
To carry into the day
Greed chases the one thing it lacks and drops everything it has.
To talk about together
When have you felt happy with just enough?
Retold for JainStory from the traditional narrative and checked against published Jain sources. Details vary between tellings.