Reading guide
Four halls, four openings
Rather than waiting at his own door or proclaiming needs aloud, Nimi builds dedicated public infrastructure — four halls, each open on four sides, so that whoever approaches from any direction can reach the goods kept there.
Beasts, birds, and people together
The recipients named are not limited to human supplicants: the text specifies ‘beasts, birds, men, and so forth’, extending the scope of giving beyond any single earlier story in this chapter.
A servant's diligence, redirected
The closing simile compares Nimi's effort to a servant working to earn a raise from their employer, applying full effort ‘by body, speech, and mind’ — the same diligence, the text suggests, but aimed at ‘the wisdom born of awakening’ rather than an employer's favor.
A recognizable name from a wider tradition
A King Nemi (Nimi) is the central figure of his own jātaka, traditionally counted among a well-known set of the last ten jātakas depicted across Southeast Asian Buddhist temple art and literature — a sign that this brief Cariyapitaka verse draws on a story with a much fuller life outside this collection.
Key terms
The text
§1“Then again when I was in the capital city of Mithilā I was the great king named Nimi, astute and seeking the good.
§2Then having had constructed four halls with four openings, I provided gifts there for beasts, birds, men, and so forth.
§3Clothing and beds, food and drink to enjoy: I provided them without let, performing a great offering.
§4Suppose a servant is looking to get a raise from their boss, they’d seek to fulfill their needs by body, speech, and mind.
§5In that way in every life I shall seek the wisdom born of awakening. Having pleased beings with gifts, I wish for the supreme awakening.”
Self-check quiz
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