Jātaka Tales: Volume 4

Jātaka Tales

Folk Tales of the Buddha’s Previous Lives

Volume 4

as told and illustrated by Eric K. Van Horn

originally translated by William Henry Denham Rouse, Cambridge University

originally edited by Professor Edward Byles Cowell, Cambridge University

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Smashwords Publishing

eBook ISBN: 9780463965481

First Edition 2020

Dedicated to my children,

Without whom I might never have discovered

this wonderful literature.

Also by this author:

The Travel Guide to the Buddha’s Path

The Little Books on Buddhism series:

Book 1: The Little Book of Buddhist Meditation: Establishing a daily meditation practice

Book 2: The Little Book on Buddhist Virtue: The Buddha’s teachings on happiness through skillful conduct

Book 3: The Little Book of the Life of the Buddha

Book 4: The Little Book of Buddhist Wisdom: The Buddha’s teachings on the Four Noble Truths, the three marks of existence, causality, and karma

Book 5: The Little Book of Buddhist Mindfulness & Concentration

Book 6: The Little Book of Buddhist Daily Living: The Discipline for Lay People

Book 7: The Little Book of Buddhist Rebirth

Book 8: The Little Book of Buddhist Awakening: The Buddha’s instructions on attaining enlightenment

The Jātaka Tales series:

Jātaka Tales: Volume 1

Jātaka Tales: Volume 2

Jātaka Tales: Volume 3

Table of Contents

Introduction to Volume 4

151: Rājovāda Jātaka, Advice to a King

152: Sigāla Jātaka, The Jackal (One More Time…)

153: Sūkara Jātaka, The Pig Story

154: Uraga Jātaka, The Nāgā and the Garuḷa

155: Gagga Jātaka, Gagga’s Story

156: Alīnacitta Jātaka, The Good Heart

157: Guṇa Jātaka, Unbreakable Virtue

158: Suhanu Jātaka, Strongjaw

159: Mora Jātaka, The Peacock

160: Vinīlika Jātaka, Blue-black

161: Indasamānagotta Jātaka, The Story of Indasamānagotta

162: Santhava Jātaka, Ritual

163: Susīma Jātaka, King Susīma

164: Gijja Jātaka, The Vulture

165: Nakula Jātaka, The Mongoose

166: Upasāḷha Jātaka, The Story of Upasāḷha

167: Samiddhi Jātaka, Prosperity

168: Sakuṇagghi Jātaka, The Falcon

169: Araka Jātaka, The Teacher Araka

170: Kakaṇṭaka Jātaka, The Chameleon

171: Kalyāṇa-dhamma Jātaka, The Auspicious Act

172: Daddara Jātaka, The Jackal’s Roar

173: Makkaṭa Jātaka, The Deceitful Monkey

174: Dūbhiya-makkaṭa Jātaka, The Ungrateful Monkey

175: Ādiccupaṭṭhāna Jātaka, The Scoundrel

176: Kalāya-muṭṭhi Jātaka, A Handful of Peas

177: Tiṇḍuka Jātaka, The (Black and White) Ebony Tree

178: Kacchapa Jātaka, The Tortoise

179: Satadhamma Jātaka, The Story of Satadhamma

180: Duddada Jātaka, Easy to Give

181: Asadisa Jātaka, The Champion

182: Saṃgāmāvacara Jātaka, Engaged in Conflict

183: Vālodaka Jātaka, The Leftovers

184: Giridanta Jātaka, The Story of Giridanta

185: Anabhirati Jātaka, Discontent

186: Dadhi-vāhana Jātaka, Carried-on-the-Curds

187: Catumaṭṭaa Jātaka, The Foolish Upstart

188: Sīhakoṭṭhuka Jātaka, The Lion and the Jackal

189: Sīhacamma Jātaka, The Lion Skin

190: Sīlānisaṃsa Jātaka, The Fruits of Virtue

191: Ruhaka Jātaka, The Story of Ruhaka

192: Siri-Kāḷakaṇṇi Jātaka, The Luck of the Unfortunate Person

193: Culla Paduma Jātaka, The Small Lotus

194: Maṇicora Jātaka, The Jewel Thief

195: Pabbatūpathara Jātaka, Forgiveness

196: Valāhassa Jātaka, The Cunning Beasts

197: Mittāmitta Jātaka, True Friend

198: Rādha Jātaka, The Story of Rādha

199: Gahapati Jātaka, The Householder

200: Sādhusīla Jātaka, Right Virtue

Abbreviations Used for Pāli Text References

AN: Aṇguttara Nikāya, The Numerical Discourses of the Buddha

Bv: Buddhavaṃsa, Chronicle of Buddhas

BvA: Buddhavaṃsatthakathā, commentary to the Buddhavaṃsa

Cv: Cullavagga, the smaller book, the second volume in the Khandhaka, which is the second book of the monastic code (the Vinaya)

Dhp: Dhammapada, The Path of Dhamma, a collection of 423 verses

DhpA: Dhammapada-aṭṭhakathā, commentary to the Dhammapada

DN: Digha Nikāya, The Long Discourses of the Buddha

Iti: Itivuttaka, This Was Said (by the Buddha), a.k.a., Sayings of the Buddha

Ja: Jātaka Tales, previous life stories of the Buddha

JaA: Jātaka-aṭṭhakathā, commentary on the Jātaka Tales

Khp: Khuddakapāṭha, Short Passages

MA: Majjhima Nikāya Aṭṭhakathā, commentary on the Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha (by Buddhaghosa)

MN: Majjhima Nikāya, The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha

Mv: Mahāvagga, the first volume in the Khandhaka, which is the second book of the monastic code (the Vinaya)

Pm: Pātimokkha, The Code of Monastic Discipline, the first book of the monastic code (the Vinaya)

SN: Saṃyutta Nikāya, The Connected Discourses of the Buddha

S Nip: Sutta Nipāta, The Sutta Collection, literally, suttas falling down, a sutta collection in the Khuddaka Nikāya consisting mostly of verse

Sv: Sutta-vibhaṇga: Classification of the Suttas, the origin stories for the Pātimokkha rules

Thag: Theragāthā: Verses of the Elder Monks

ThagA: Theragāthā-aṭṭhakathā, Commentary to the Theragāthā

Thig: Therīgāthā: Verses of the Elder Nuns

ThigA: Therīgāthā-aṭṭhakathā, Commentary to the Therīgāthā

Ud: Udana, Exclamations, the third book of the Khuddaka Nikāya

Vin: Vinaya Pitaka, Basket of Discipline, the monastic rules for monks and nuns.

Introduction to Volume 4

This volume is a rich and varied collection of stories. As usual, their adherence to true Buddhist teachings is a little uneven. Still, there are many wonderful and inspiring tales.

One of the most touching is Jātaka 180. It is about generosity. It so happened that at the time that I was editing this story, I heard Ajahm Brahm (Bodhinyana Monastery in Australia) tell an inspiring story about the generosity of a brain damaged girl in Thailand. (I retell this story in the introductory notes to Jātaka 180.) One of the beauties of virtuous qualities is that you don’t have to be especially smart or accomplished or successful or anything like that to act on them. In fact, the especially smart and accomplished and successful are often the most handicapped when it comes to manifesting the profound simplicity of virtue.

We live in a world with so much negativity. Of course this is not lost in the Buddha’s teachings. It is, after all, the First Noble Truth. Bad stuff happens. But our minds are so drawn to negativity that – as also the Buddha classically taught – we are simply making our own misery.

The beauty and the gratitude that come with deeper understandings of the Buddadharma can make you increasingly sensitive to how our minds do this. I am amazed at how often I will make a simple, positive remark, and someone will push back with something negative. More often than not it is something simple like commenting on a majestic view of a mountain or the good that a charity does or something like that. It could be anything. And so often and so inevitably someone will say, Oh, that view isn’t so great or that charity has this or that problem. The mind has to go instantly for the kill. And I often wonder, Why would you even say something like that.

Even seemingly positive things like generosity can come from a negative point of view. I give to this charity because I hate the people who oppose it. It is a statement more about what you are against than what you are for.

The world has plenty of negativity. While the First Noble Truth points out the inevitability of stress in the human realm, ultimately the Buddha’s teachings are about how to find true happiness. Being kind and generous brings happiness. Being compassionate, patient, and forgiving brings happiness. The calming, healing practice of meditation brings happiness. Wisdom brings happiness. And the usual ways of searching for happiness - ways that are rooted in fear, anxiety, self-absorption, greed, anger, and delusion – do not. What you buy next at Walmart really isn’t going to do it. Really. And the poor planet suffers very time you act on that delusion.

These stories help to create a mindset that puts virtue before anything else. They encourage a culture of good qualities. And those good qualities are available to anyone. We simply have to move in that direction, away from suffering and toward greater happiness. You will be happier, and the people around you will be, too.

Eric K. Van Horn

Rio Rancho, NM

January 1, 2020

151: Rājovāda Jātaka,

Advice to a King

This is quite a remarkable story about two kings who are concerned with moral purity. They both go to great lengths to discover faults in their behavior. It is reminiscent of Confucian models of moral behavior for civil servants and governing officials.

"Rough to the rough." The Master told this story while he was living in Jetavana. It describes how a king was taught a lesson.

It is said that one day the King of Kosala had just passed sentence in a very difficult case involving moral wrong. (This story is told in Tesakuṇa Jātaka, number 521.) After his meal, with hands not yet dry, he proceeded in his splendid chariot to visit the Master. The King saluted the Master - his feet beautiful like the open lotus flower - and sat down beside him.

Then the Master addressed him in these words: Why, my lord King, what brings you here at this time of day?

Sir, he said, I missed my time visiting you because I was sitting on a difficult case. It involved moral wrong-doing. Now I have finished it. I have eaten, and here I am with my hands hardly dry to wait upon you.

My lord King, the Master replied, "to judge a cause with justice and impartiality is the right thing to do. That is the way to heaven. Now when you have the advice of a being as wise as me, it is no wonder that you should judge your case fairly and justly. But the wonder is when kings have only had the advice of scholars who are not wise, and yet have decided fairly and justly, avoiding the Four Ways of Wickedness (killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying) and observing the Ten Royal Virtues (charity, morality, altruism, honesty, gentleness, self-control, non-anger, non-violence, forbearance, uprightness). And after ruling justly they have gone to swell the hosts of heaven." Then, at the King’s request, he told this story from the past..

Once upon a time, when Brahmadatta was the King of Benares, the Bodhisatta was conceived by the King’s Queen Consort. After the ceremonies appropriate to her status were duly performed, she safely gave birth. On his name-day, they gave him the name Prince Brahmadatta.

In due course, he grew up. When he was 16 years old he went to Takkasilā University for his education. There he mastered all the branches of learning, and on his father’s death he became the King. He ruled with uprightness and righteousness, administering justice with no regard to his own will or whim. And because he ruled justly, his ministers for their part were also just. Thus, because all things were justly done, there was no one who brought a false suit into court. Eventually the bustle of all the suitors ceased within the precincts of the palace. All day long the ministers might sit on the bench and go away without seeing a single suitor. The courts were deserted.

Then the Bodhisatta thought to himself, Because of my just government not one suitor comes to try a case in court. The old hubbub is quiet. The courts of law are deserted. Now I must search inward to see if I have any faults in me. If I find any, I will abandon them and live a good life hereafter.

From that time on he tried continually to find someone who would tell him of a fault that he had. But of all those who were around him at court he could not find one such person. He heard nothing but good things about himself. Perhaps, he thought, they are all too afraid of me to say anything ill but can only say what is good.

And so he went about to try those who were outside his walls. But with these people it was the same. Then he made inquiries of the citizens at large, and outside the city he questioned those who belonged to the suburbs at the four city gates. Still there was no one who found any fault with him. All he heard were praises. Finally, intending to try the countryside, he entrusted the government to his ministers, mounted his carriage, and taking only the driver with him, left the city in disguise.

He traveled all over the country, even to the frontier. Still he did not find a single fault finder. All he heard was praise. So he turned back from the journey, and he set his face homewards again by the highroad.

Now it so happened that at this very time Mallika, the King of Kosala, had done the very same thing. He too was a just King, and he had been searching for his faults. But among those about him there was no one who found any fault. And hearing nothing but praise, he had been making inquiries throughout the country and happened to arrive at that same place.

These two met in a place where the carriage road was deeply sunk between two banks, and there was not enough room for one carriage to pass another.

Get your carriage out of the way! said King Mallika’s driver to the driver of the King of Benares.

No, no, driver, he said, get out of the way with yours! Know that in this carriage sits the great monarch Brahmadatta, lord of the kingdom of Benares!

Not so, driver! replied the other. In this carriage sits the great King Mallika, lord of the realm of Kosala! It is for you to make way and to give way to the carriage of our King!

Why, here’s a King too, thought the driver of the King of Benares. What in the world is to be done?

Then a thought occurred to him. He would ask what the ages of the two Kings was so that the younger should give way to the elder. And he asked the other driver how old his King was. However, he discovered that they were both the