A matter of judgement

Gessen was a Buddhist monk who lived in the 18th century. He was a gifted painter and his talent was greatly appreciated. His charges though were exorbitant. This earned him the title of ‘The Greedy Monk’. 

One day a geisha commissioned him to paint a portrait of her. People were surprised when he took up the task, as monks were not expected to keep such company. The geisha asked Gessen how much it would cost her. Gessen mentioned an enormous amount to which the woman agreed. She sat for him accompanied by her patron. When the painting was done, she handed him the amount.

Then turning to her patron, she remarked, “This man calls himself a monk but there is none so grasping as he. His canvas should be my petticoat.” With that, she threw one at him asked him what his fee would be.  Mentioning an enormous amount, Gessen began painting. Work over, he collected his fee wordlessly.

Many years passed and then came the time when Gessen threw away his brushes and retired to the mountains. It was then that people came to know the truth about him. The village he lived in was prone to famines. Gessen had used his money to fill the granaries and save the people from starvation. He had also built roads on which people could travel safely. His last act was to build a temple in honour of his beloved teacher. All this Gessen had done in secret and then retired to live a life of contemplation and prayer.

Gessen’s story deserves to be told as it casts light on what life with a purpose can entail and mean. We are tempted to believe that acts kept under wraps are made up of unlawful ones. We overlook the fact that among us are true philanthropists who prefer anonymity. They believe that virtue is its own reward and serve society freely and selflessly. Unfortunately this causes us to make hasty judgements and come to wrong conclusions. Gessen appeared greedy because none cared to make enquiries and study his intentions. We need to pause before we judge others. As Alexander Pope said, “It is with our judgements as with our watches. None go just alike, yet each believes his own.”