Literary notes about mendicant (AI summary)
The term “mendicant” has been employed in literature in a variety of nuanced ways, often denoting not just a literal beggar but also symbolizing spiritual renunciation or social critique. In religious texts such as the Dhammapada and Plato’s writings, it signifies a life dedicated to asceticism and the pursuit of inner peace [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9]. In contrast, novelistic portrayals—found in works by Dumas, Dickens, Tagore, Kipling, and Emerson [10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41]—often imbue the mendicant with layers of irony, social commentary, or unexpected wisdom, highlighting the tension between material poverty and moral or intellectual richness. Through these diverse representations, “mendicant” becomes a multifaceted concept that both reflects and challenges the social and spiritual values of its time.
- Let him not despise what he has received, nor ever envy others: a mendicant who envies others does not obtain peace of mind.
— from Dhammapada, a Collection of Verses; Being One of the Canonical Books of the Buddhists - Incantations used by mendicant prophets, 2. 364 B ; in medicine, 4. 426 A .
— from The Republic of Plato by Plato - Men, driven on by thirst, run about like a snared hare; let therefore the mendicant drive out thirst, by striving after passionlessness for himself.
— from Dhammapada, a Collection of Verses; Being One of the Canonical Books of the Buddhists - Mendicant prophets, 2. 364 C .
— from The Republic of Plato by Plato - Therefore let no man be an itinerant mendicant and he will not be beset with pain.
— from Dhammapada, a Collection of Verses; Being One of the Canonical Books of the Buddhists - Prophets, mendicant, 2. 364 C .
— from The Republic of Plato by Plato - Enchantments, used by mendicant prophets, 2. 364 B ; —enchantments, i.e. tests to which the guardians are to be subjected, 3. 413 (cp.
— from The Republic of Plato by Plato - The Bhikshu (Mendicant) Chapter XXVI.
— from Dhammapada, a Collection of Verses; Being One of the Canonical Books of the Buddhists - A man is not a mendicant (Bhikshu) simply because he asks others for alms; he who adopts the whole law is a Bhikshu, not he who only begs.
— from Dhammapada, a Collection of Verses; Being One of the Canonical Books of the Buddhists - But she preferred to be a mendicant.
— from The Hungry Stones, and Other Stories by Rabindranath Tagore - At the hint from the mendicant his master made him a sign to retire, and he was obliged to obey.
— from The three musketeers by Alexandre Dumas and Auguste Maquet - “Come in,” said a voice which he recognized as that of the mendicant, whom he found lying on a kind of truckle bed.
— from Twenty years after by Alexandre Dumas and Auguste Maquet - His wife was buying, at an exorbitant price, a herb from a mendicant quack, which was said to ensure the birth of a child.
— from The Hungry Stones, and Other Stories by Rabindranath Tagore - “Not exactly,” replied the mendicant.
— from Twenty years after by Alexandre Dumas and Auguste Maquet - Athos went toward the house, while the mendicant, who had received his reward, left as fast as his legs could carry him.
— from The three musketeers by Alexandre Dumas and Auguste Maquet - " "Yes, yes, I know you, modest mendicant, you ask for all that one has.
— from The gardener by Rabindranath Tagore - And I may feel well assured that your daughter Bella,' again turning to her husband, 'does not exalt her family by becoming a Mendicant's bride.
— from Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens - I may feel—nay, know—that in uniting herself to Mr Rokesmith she has united herself to one who is, in spite of shallow sophistry, a Mendicant.
— from Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens - In a few minutes the Curator saw that his guest was no mere bead-telling mendicant, but a scholar of parts.
— from Kim by Rudyard Kipling - Before Mrs Wilfer could wave her gloves, the Mendicant's bride in her merriest affectionate manner went on again.
— from Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens - “That is right,” replied the mendicant; “dismiss your lackey.”
— from The three musketeers by Alexandre Dumas and Auguste Maquet - The eyes of the mendicant dashed with cupidity, but he quickly suppressed his emotion.
— from Twenty years after by Alexandre Dumas and Auguste Maquet - Mrs Wilfer's first visit to the Mendicant's bride at the new abode of Mendicancy, was a grand event.
— from Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens - " "Yes, yes, I know you, modest mendicant, you ask for all that one has.
— from The gardener by Rabindranath Tagore - The mendicant hesitated at first, but at the sight of the piece of silver which shone in the darkness he consented, and walked on before Athos.
— from The three musketeers by Alexandre Dumas and Auguste Maquet - The marshal then entered the Rue Saint Honore, but there he was opposed by the barricades of the mendicant of Saint Eustache.
— from Twenty years after by Alexandre Dumas and Auguste Maquet - Our reading is mendicant and sycophantic.
— from Essays by Ralph Waldo Emerson by Ralph Waldo Emerson - Day after day, the pure-souled teacher attracted new disciples while he with alms-bowl went around as mendicant and teacher.
— from The Religions of Japan, from the Dawn of History to the Era of Méiji by William Elliot Griffis - “Capital,” answered the mendicant.
— from Twenty years after by Alexandre Dumas and Auguste Maquet - “A mendicant.”
— from The three musketeers by Alexandre Dumas and Auguste Maquet - The mendicant had kept his word and made Friquet his heir.
— from Twenty years after by Alexandre Dumas and Auguste Maquet - “Thank you, my lord,” said the mendicant in a hoarse voice.
— from Twenty years after by Alexandre Dumas and Auguste Maquet - But memory is a base mendicant with basket and badge, in the presence of these sudden masters.
— from Essays by Ralph Waldo Emerson by Ralph Waldo Emerson - The mendicant sighed and threw down the bag.
— from Twenty years after by Alexandre Dumas and Auguste Maquet - “With me!” said the mendicant; “it is a great honor for a poor distributor of holy water.”
— from Twenty years after by Alexandre Dumas and Auguste Maquet - “Adieu, your holiness,” said the mendicant, opening the door and bending low before the prelate.
— from Twenty years after by Alexandre Dumas and Auguste Maquet - “I think they have some esteem for me,” said the mendicant with pride, “and that not only will they obey me, but wherever I go they will follow me.”
— from Twenty years after by Alexandre Dumas and Auguste Maquet - " "Yes, yes, I know you, modest mendicant, you ask for all that one has.
— from The gardener by Rabindranath Tagore - Thy face and thy walk and thy fashion of speech put me in mind of my Sahib, though thou art only a wandering mendicant to whom I give a dole.
— from Kim by Rudyard Kipling - The mendicant shook his head.
— from Twenty years after by Alexandre Dumas and Auguste Maquet - Chapter 5 CONCERNING THE MENDICANT'S BRIDE
— from Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens
