batch.motif.buddhist-jataka-birth-stories-rhys-davids-gutenberg-l13231-l13357
---
record_id: batch.motif.buddhist-jataka-birth-stories-rhys-davids-gutenberg-l13231-l13357
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/buddhist-birth-stories-volume-1-rhys-davids.md
passage_locator:
label: END OF THE STORY OF THE FORD. / END OF THE STORY ON CONSTANCY. / END OF THE
STORY OF THE BULL WHO WON THE BET. / END OF THE STORY OF THE WISE BIRD AND THE
FOOLS.; lines 13231-13357
start: '13231'
end: '13357'
translation: Buddhist birth stories; or, Jataka tales, Volume 1
notes: Generated from OpenAI Batch run motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority;
human review required.
canonical_text:
quote: ''
summary: A turret-dwelling fairy resents the Buddha and monks entering a merchant's
mansion and tries to persuade the manager, the eldest son, and later the impoverished
merchant to stop supporting them. The manager, son, and merchant refuse. The Buddha
teaches that even poor gifts given with a believing heart are not trifling. The
merchant rebukes the fairy and expels her; she leaves with her children and goes
to the city's guardian god.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: The mansion is described as seven stories high with seven great gates and
battlemented turrets; a fairy dwells in the fourth turret.
category: setting
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: When the Buddha, chief elders, or other monks enter or leave the house, the
fairy cannot remain above in the turret and goes downstairs with her children.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:3
text: The fairy decides to prevent Gotama and his disciples from coming to the house
and first approaches the chief business manager.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:4
text: The manager refuses the fairy's request and says the merchant spends his money
on the religion of the Buddhas, which leads to salvation.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:5
text: The fairy also persuades the merchant's eldest son in the same manner, and
he refuses her.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:6
text: The merchant's wealth declines because he continually gives gifts and does
no business, but he continues to give to the Order with poorer offerings.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:7
text: The Buddha tells the merchant not to be troubled by poor gifts, saying that
if the heart is right a gift to Buddhas, Pacceka Buddhas, or disciples is right.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:8
text: The Buddha refers to his former existence as Velāma, in which he gave away
the Seven Treasures and made a great donation, but did not attain refuge or precepts
because the recipients were unfit.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: obs:9
text: At midnight the fairy appears in visible form before the merchant in his chamber
and advises him to stop going to Gotama and stop allowing disciples into his house.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: obs:10
text: The merchant says his faith is firm like the great mountain Sineru and orders
the fairy to leave his house.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: obs:11
text: The fairy leaves with her children and goes to the guardian god of the city.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Supreme Buddha / mendicant Gotama / Teacher / Master
description: The religious teacher whose entry into the house troubles the fairy
and who teaches the merchant about the value of gifts given with a right heart.
role_refs:
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:6
- ev:7
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Turret fairy
description: A fairy described as a heretic who dwells in the turret over the fourth
gate and attempts to stop Gotama and his disciples from entering the house.
role_refs:
- role:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:8
- ev:10
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: Merchant / householder / converted saintly disciple
description: A wealthy merchant who gives gifts to the Order, becomes poor, receives
teaching from the Buddha, refuses the fairy's advice, and expels her.
role_refs:
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- ev:8
- ev:9
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: Chief business manager
description: The merchant's manager whom the fairy asks to stop Gotama and his disciples
from coming; he refuses.
role_refs:
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: Merchant's eldest son
description: The merchant's eldest son whom the fairy also attempts to persuade;
he refuses as the manager did.
role_refs:
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: fig:6
name_or_label: Eighty Chief Elders and other monks / disciples / Order
description: Monks and disciples who come to the merchant's house and receive gifts.
role_refs:
- role:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:5
- ev:6
- ev:8
- id: fig:7
name_or_label: Fairy's children
description: Children whom the fairy brings downstairs and later takes by the hand
when she leaves.
role_refs:
- role:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:10
- id: fig:8
name_or_label: Guardian god of the city
description: A city guardian god whom the fairy approaches after leaving the merchant's
house.
role_refs:
- role:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
- id: fig:9
name_or_label: Velāma
description: A former identity referenced by the Buddha in a teaching about gifts
and recipients.
role_refs:
- role:8
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
roles:
- id: role:1
label: supernatural opponent and adviser
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: The fairy seeks to prevent Gotama and disciples from coming and gives advice
against further support.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:8
- id: role:2
label: faithful lay donor
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: The merchant continues giving to the Order despite poverty and refuses to
abandon Gotama and his disciples.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:8
- ev:9
- id: role:3
label: religious teacher
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: The Buddha teaches that gifts given with a right heart are not trifling and
recounts the Velāmika Sutta.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
- id: role:4
label: loyal intermediary who refuses harmful counsel
assigned_to:
- fig:4
- fig:5
basis: Both the manager and the eldest son refuse the fairy's attempt to stop support
for Gotama and disciples.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: role:5
label: religious recipients of alms
assigned_to:
- fig:6
basis: The monks and disciples come to the house and receive gifts from the merchant.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: role:6
label: dependents of the supernatural figure
assigned_to:
- fig:7
basis: The fairy brings her children downstairs and later takes them away when she
leaves.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:10
- id: role:7
label: supernatural city authority
assigned_to:
- fig:8
basis: The fairy goes to and salutes the guardian god of the city after being expelled.
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
- id: role:8
label: exemplary former donor in teaching narrative
assigned_to:
- fig:9
basis: The Buddha cites Velāma as a former self who made immense donations but lacked
fit recipients.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: seven-storied mansion with seven gates
literal_form: A mansion seven stories high with seven great gates and battlemented
turrets.
associated_figures:
- fig:2
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: sym:2
label: fourth turret
literal_form: The turret over the fourth gate where the fairy dwells.
associated_figures:
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: sym:3
label: gift of stale porridge
literal_form: A mere trifle of stale second day’s porridge given when the merchant
can no longer give the best.
associated_figures:
- fig:3
- fig:6
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: sym:4
label: believing heart
literal_form: The inner disposition described as making even a poor gift not trifling.
associated_figures:
- fig:3
- fig:1
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: sym:5
label: Seven Treasures
literal_form: Treasures said to have been given away by the Buddha when he was Velāma.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:9
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: sym:6
label: five great rivers made one mass of water
literal_form: A comparison used to describe the greatness of Velāma's donation.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:9
taxonomy_refs:
- water
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: sym:7
label: great mountain Sineru
literal_form: The mountain used by the merchant as a comparison for his firm faith.
associated_figures:
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs:
- mountain
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Fairy displaced by holy visitors
summary: In the merchant's mansion, a turret-dwelling fairy cannot remain in her
turret when the Buddha, elders, or monks come and must descend with her children.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:6
- fig:7
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: scene:2
label: Fairy attempts to use household intermediaries
summary: The fairy approaches the chief business manager and the eldest son to stop
Gotama and his disciples from coming, but both refuse.
figure_refs:
- fig:2
- fig:4
- fig:5
symbol_refs:
- sym:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: scene:3
label: Poor gift affirmed by the Buddha
summary: After the merchant's wealth declines, he tells the Buddha that only stale
porridge is still given; the Buddha teaches that a right-hearted gift to worthy
recipients is not trifling.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:3
- fig:6
symbol_refs:
- sym:3
- sym:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: scene:4
label: Velāma donation teaching
summary: The Buddha recalls being Velāma and making an immense donation with the
Seven Treasures, yet not receiving equivalent religious benefit because the recipients
were unfit.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:3
- fig:9
symbol_refs:
- sym:5
- sym:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: scene:5
label: Merchant rebukes and expels the fairy
summary: The fairy advises the impoverished merchant to abandon Gotama and his disciples;
the merchant declares his faith immovable like Sineru and orders her away.
figure_refs:
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:6
symbol_refs:
- sym:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- ev:9
- id: scene:6
label: Fairy leaves and approaches the city guardian
summary: The fairy takes her children, leaves the merchant's house, and goes to
the guardian god of the city.
figure_refs:
- fig:2
- fig:7
- fig:8
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: right-hearted offering outweighs material value
taxonomy_refs:
- sacred_exchange
basis: The Buddha teaches that even stale gruel is not a trifling gift if the heart
is believing and the recipients are Buddhas or disciples.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
confidence: high
cautions: The taxonomy label is applied broadly to religious almsgiving and spiritual
result; the passage does not use the term sacred exchange.
- id: motif:2
label: wisdom and faith resist supernatural opposition
taxonomy_refs:
- wisdom
basis: The merchant refuses the fairy's advice, invokes Wisdom's power, compares
his faith to Sineru, and expels the fairy.
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- ev:9
confidence: high
cautions: The passage emphasizes faith and Buddhist teaching as well as wisdom;
the motif label is a concise abstraction.
- id: motif:3
label: supernatural being expelled from household after opposing religious devotion
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: A turret-dwelling fairy repeatedly tries to prevent support for Gotama and
his disciples, then is ordered to leave the house and departs with her children.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:8
- ev:9
- ev:10
confidence: medium
cautions: No supplied taxonomy reference precisely names this pattern.
- id: motif:4
label: worthy recipient determines value of gift
taxonomy_refs:
- wisdom
- sacred_exchange
basis: The Velāma teaching contrasts immense gifts to unfit recipients with poorer
gifts to noble religious recipients.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
confidence: medium
cautions: This is a doctrinal teaching embedded in the passage rather than a fully
developed narrative episode.
comparison_claims: []
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: 13231-13236
quote_or_summary: The mansion has seven stories and seven gates; a heretic fairy
dwells in the fourth turret and must descend with her children when the Buddha,
elders, or monks enter or leave.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/buddhist-birth-stories-volume-1-rhys-davids.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary used.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: 13237-13252
quote_or_summary: The fairy thinks there is no peace while Gotama and disciples
come to the house, appears to the chief business manager, and urges him to prevent
their visits.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/buddhist-birth-stories-volume-1-rhys-davids.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary used.
- id: ev:3
type: quote
locator: 13253-13258
quote_or_summary: "“the Merchant in spending his money spends it on the religion
of the Buddhas, which leadeth to salvation.”"
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/buddhist-birth-stories-volume-1-rhys-davids.md
rights_note: Public domain source; short quotation.
- id: ev:4
type: summary
locator: 13259-13261
quote_or_summary: The fairy goes to the merchant's eldest son and persuades him
in the same manner, but he refuses; she does not dare speak to the merchant at
that time.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/buddhist-birth-stories-volume-1-rhys-davids.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary used.
- id: ev:5
type: summary
locator: 13262-13272
quote_or_summary: Because the merchant constantly gives gifts and does no business,
his wealth declines; he continues giving to the Order, though only poorer offerings
such as stale second-day porridge remain.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/buddhist-birth-stories-volume-1-rhys-davids.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary used.
- id: ev:6
type: summary
locator: 13273-13288
quote_or_summary: The Buddha tells the merchant not to be troubled by unpleasant
or poor gifts, because a gift given with a right or believing heart to Buddhas,
Pacceka Buddhas, or disciples is not trifling.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/buddhist-birth-stories-volume-1-rhys-davids.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary used.
- id: ev:7
type: summary
locator: 13289-13300
quote_or_summary: The Buddha says that when he was Velāma he gave away the Seven
Treasures in an immense donation likened to the five great rivers made one mass
of water, yet did not attain refuge or precepts because the recipients were unfit.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/buddhist-birth-stories-volume-1-rhys-davids.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary used.
- id: ev:8
type: summary
locator: 13301-13328
quote_or_summary: At midnight the fairy appears before the now-poor merchant and
advises him to stop going to Gotama, stop allowing disciples into the house, and
rebuild his family estate through business.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/buddhist-birth-stories-volume-1-rhys-davids.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary used.
- id: ev:9
type: quote
locator: 13329-13339
quote_or_summary: "“my faith is firm and established like the great mountain Sineru.”
The merchant rejects the fairy's words and tells her to depart from his house."
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/buddhist-birth-stories-volume-1-rhys-davids.md
rights_note: Public domain source; short quotation.
- id: ev:10
type: summary
locator: 13340-13357
quote_or_summary: The fairy dares not stay, takes her children by the hand, leaves,
and goes to salute the guardian god of the city.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/buddhist-birth-stories-volume-1-rhys-davids.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary used.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: high
notes: Passage-level figures and actions are explicit. Motif labels are abstractions
from Buddhist almsgiving and resistance-to-temptation themes; no external comparison
claims were added.
reviewer_status:
status: needs_review
reviewer: ''
reviewed_at: ''
notes: Machine-generated draft from OpenAI Batch; not human-reviewed.
extracted_by: openai_batch:gpt-5.5
extracted_at: '2026-04-28'
notes: |-
Used only supplied passage and metadata; comparison_claims left empty because the passage itself does not make comparative claims beyond its internal Buddhist doctrinal examples.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:buddhist-jataka-birth-stories-rhys-davids-gutenberg__l13231-l13357
passage_sha256=d538c1a2c5fe03d6dfc62e8ba80d36d562508cb23f2c1b1240eb21b6a3b65355