61Bikshanapa

A long time ago, a man of low caste inherited a small fortune from a deceased relative. He had wanted so many things for a long time, so he went on a shopping spree, buying and spending according to his desire. It didn’t take long for his fortune to finish, and he was then left penniless.

One day, when he failed to get hold of a few scraps of food, saddened, he wondered to a lonely spot in the jungle. A Dakini took pity on him and appeared to him.

The Dakini told him she have the means to fulfill his desires, at which he begged her to teach him. Having nothing to offer for the teaching, he had a bizarre idea whereupon he bit down, fusing an upper and lower tooth. Then he knocked out all his remaining teeth and presented them as an offering to the dakini. She then gave Bhiksanapa initiation and instruction in the two-in-one union of skillful means and perfect insight.

After 7 years of meditation, he saw the truth. He continued to roam from village to town begging for food, but now he did it for the sake of those ready for instruction. After many years, he was assumed into the Paradise of the Dakinis.

em