The Bodhisatta was once the son of a rich merchant in Bārāṇasī. In the town was a tank tended by a leper who had lost his nose. One feast day the Bodhisatta with his two brothers went to the tank to fetch some lotuses. The brothers tried to flatter the leper, thereby making him angry, but the Bodhisatta, being honest, was given a whole bunch of lotuses.

The story was related in reference to Ānanda. Some monks once wandered all over the Lotus street to find some lotuses to offer at the Ānandabodhi (q.v.) However, they found none, and Ānanda, hearing of it, went himself to the Lotus street and returned with many handfuls of blue lotus. The incident was reported to the Buddha who related the story of the Jātaka. J.ii.321 ff.