His companion reflected: “That wealth will have to be divided into two portions. Suppose I were to put poison in the porridge, let that fellow eat it, cause his death, and get the spoils for myself alone!” So when the porridge was done, he ate some himself, put poison in the rest, and then took it and went to the thicket.
The moment the second thief took that porridge out and set it down, the first thief cleft him in twain with his sword and flung his remains away in a secluded spot. Then he ate that porridge and himself died on the spot. Thus, by reason of that wealth, every one of those men came to ruin.
As for the Future Buddha, he returned in the course of a day or two with the ransom-money. Not seeing his teacher where he had left him, but seeing the spoils scattered all about, he reflected: “It must be that my teacher disregarded my words and caused the Rain of Riches; it must be that all of those men have come to ruin.” And he continued his walk along the highway.
As he proceeded, he saw his teacher lying on the highway, cleft in twain. Thought he: “My teacher disregarded my words and is dead.” Then he gathered firewood, built a pyre, cremated his teacher, and honored him with forest-flowers.
As he proceeded, he saw farther on five hundred thieves who had met destruction; farther on yet, two hundred and fifty; and so on until finally he came upon two. Thought he: “These thousand thieves have come to ruin save only two. There must be two thieves besides. They also could never have restrained themselves. Where can they be?”
As he proceeded, he saw the footprints of the two thieves who had entered the thicket with the spoils. Proceeding farther, he saw first a heap of riches wrapped up in a bundle, and then one of the two thieves dead with a porridge-bowl overturned beside him. Then he knew all. “Such-and-such they must have done,” thought he. Then he reflected: “Where can that fellow be?” Making a search, he found his body also flung away in a secluded spot. Then he reflected:
“Our teacher, because he disregarded my words, through his own habit of disobedience, through his own fault, has come to ruin. Moreover through him a thousand men besides have perished. Alas! By employing wrong means, for no reason at all, seeking gain for themselves, these thieves, like our teacher, must all have come to a fearful end indeed!” And he recited the following stanza:
Whoever seeks advantage by wrong means, comes to grief.
Thieves slew Vedabbha, and all met destruction.
Thus, by the recitation of this stanza, did the Future Buddha preach the Doctrine. And the spirits of the forest made the forest ring with their applause. Then said the Future Buddha: “Just as our teacher, putting forth effort by wrong means, at the wrong time, caused the Rain of Riches, and thus himself met destruction and became the cause of others’ ruin, precisely so whoever else besides shall exert himself, seeking advantage for himself by wrong means, shall himself come to ruin and shall become the cause of others’ ruin.”