115. The Story of a Bird (The Story of a Bird That Warned Others)
At one time the all-knower was living in Sāvatthi. This story was spoken about a certain housewife who was ordained among the sisters and who was too fond of food. Once she went collecting alms on a certain street, and there she was well entertained by the devoted people who offered her the daintiest food. She thought, “Let no other nun come to collect alms in this street. If such were to happen, I might miss these well prepared entertainments.” Therefore she thought further, “I must prevent other nuns from coming to this street.” Thinking so, she returned to the nunnery and told the other nuns, “On such-and-such a street there are elephants, horses, biting dogs, and other harmful animals. It is not good for anyone to go there.” The other nuns who heard this believed what she said as the truth. They completely kept away from going to that street. They even did not want to look at that place.
Then, only that nun went to that street for alms. One day she went there to a house for alms. While she was going toward the house, a certain ram ran after her and attacked her. Her thighbone was broken. The people who were in the vicinity came about her and set her thighbone with a bandage. They put her on a stretcher and took her to the nunnery.
This news was spread among the monks and nuns in the temple. On that occasion, when the Buddha came to the preaching hall in the evening and sat on the prepared platform, he asked the monks, “Oh monks, what were you talking about before I came here?” They said, “Venerable sir, we were discussing about the nun who broke her thighbone in the street.” And they related the story. The Buddha said, “Not only in this life by warning others falsely did she have to face the problem of a broken bone, but also in the past she faced death.” And then the disciples invited him to disclose the past story.
Buddha said:
Long ago in Benares when a king called Brahmadatta ruled, the Enlightenment Being was born as a king of birds. In his flock of birds, one female bird got plenty of food. And while she was eating this food, one day she thought, “If other birds come to this location, I will lose this plentiful fare. It is better not to let them come.” Thinking this way, she went back to the flock and said, “That road is packed with lots of bullocks which pull chariots, and with many other troublesome animals. It is not good to go there as it is dangerous.”
Hearing this, other birds never wanted to go there.
As she was wandering as was her wont in that location by herself, a fast chariot came up behind her. She turned her neck and saw the chariot coming up behind, but neglected to get out of the way as she was greedily eating food and thought the chariot was far off. Unfortunately, when the chariot came near her, she could not fly off. She was cut into two pieces and died. The Enlightenment Being while flying overhead in the sky, asked the other birds, “Where is that female bird who was warning others?” And they saw her dead on the road. The Enlightenment Being said, “Look at her. She died being enslaved to her own craving. Because of that, she is dead in vain.” They went away, leaving her body behind.
The female bird at that time that was warning others was the present nun. And the king of the birds at that time was I who became the enlightened one.
The moral: “It is not good to be greedy.”
Further,
“False admonitions to others have a way of befalling oneself.”
115. The Story of a Bird (The Story of a Bird That Warned Others)
#Buddhisttalesforyoungandold #Buddhiststories #storiesforkids #moralstories #Buddha #Jatakastories #PansiyaPanasJataka #JatakaTalesofSakyamuniBuddha #JatakaTales
頂禮 H.H. 第三世多杰羌佛- 眾善奉行 