The Bat

‘Venerable Nāgasena, those two qualities of the bat you say he ought to take, which are they?’
‘Just, O king, as the bat, though it enters into men’s dwelling-places, and flies about in them, soon goes out from them, delays not therein; just so, O king, should the strenuous Bhikshu, earnest in effort, when he has entered the village for alms, and gone on his rounds in regular order, depart quickly with the alms he has received, and delay not therein. This, O king, is the first quality of the bat he ought to have.
‘And again, O king, as the bat, while frequenting other folk’s houses, does them no harm; just so, O king, should the strenuous Bhikshu, earnest in effort, when visiting the houses of the laity, never give them cause for vexation by persistent requests, or by pointing out what he wants, or by wrong demeanour, or by chattering, or by being indifferent to their prosperity or adversity; he should never take them away from their chief business occupations, but desire their success in all things. This, O king, is the second quality of the bat he ought to have. For it was said, O king, by the Blessed One, the god over all gods, in the Lakkhana Suttanta:

“‘Oh! How may others never suffer loss
Or diminution, whether in their faith,
Or righteousness, or knowledge of the word,
Or understanding, or self-sacrifice,
Or in religion, or in all good things,
Or in their stores of wealth, or corn, or lands,
Or tenements, or in their sons, or wives,
Or in their flocks and herds, or in their friends,
And relatives, and kinsmen, or in strength,
In beauty, and in joy’—’Tis thus he thinks—
Longing for other men’s advantage and success!”’