136. The Story of the Golden Swan [SuvaÏÏahamÅsa-Jātaka]

While Buddha was living in Jeta grove at Sāvatthi a certain man devoted to Buddhism cultivated a garden in which he grew garlic, and he gave garlic to many monks. When people requested garlic, he used to give it to them. When the number of people became too many, he used to tell them to go into his garden and take a certain number of handfuls as he had specified. Everything was going well like this for a period of time. Even nuns used to come for garlic, and would take handfuls of cloves as he specified.¹⁵ At one time, a certain nun named Nandā came to his house with other nuns and requested garlic [for medicine?]. He said, “You may take three handfuls of garlic.” Misunderstanding him, she and each of the other nuns each took three handfuls. The watchman, seeing this, called out, “Why are you making such a mistake, and taking so much of our garlic?” Hearing of this, other nuns rebuked her.

This news went even to the Buddha. The Buddha said, “It is not good for monks and nuns to take anything which is not given.” He said further, “Through greed, much will not be gained. Be satisfied with whatever you are given, even if it is a handful.” In this way, he emphasized being satisfied with whatever one gets. “Such a one who is satisfied like that, he will gain more than one who is greedy. And what is gained will be permanently with him.” In this way, he criticized what the nuns did. Then the Buddha added, “This nun was greedy not only today. Also in the past she was greedy like this.” The monks said, “Revered sir, please disclose to us this story.” And the Buddha told the story of the past

At one time in the city of Benares, a king called Brahmadatta was ruling. At the same time, the Enlightenment Being was born in a Brahmin family and had three daughters. One was named Nandā. Another was named Nandavatī. And the third was named Sundarinandā. Unfortunately, before his daughters could be married, the father who was the Enlightenment Being died suddenly. He was born again as a golden swan that had a reminiscence of its preceding life. He understood that prior to this life, he had been born in a Brahmin family. And he learned that his wife and three daughters were living by slavery, and he decided to help them. He thought, “My feathers are golden. Therefore, they are good for making jewelry. So if I go to my wife and children, I can give them one feather, for the purpose of making jewelry, every other month.” And he went to their home, and sat on the roof. The daughters came out of the house and asked, “Who are you?” He said, “I am your father.

I came here to help you and your mother.” Saying so, he dropped a golden feather and went away. He did this several times, and each time the daughters picked up the feather. Meanwhile, the Brahmin mother thought, “This bird may change his mind at some point. If he should think in the future that he does not want to come here, then it will be a big hardship for us.” Thinking so, she summoned her daughters and said, “One day, catch your father and pluck all his feathers.”

On hearing their mother’s words, the three daughters said, “If we do so, there is no doubt that our father will feel hurt all over his body. Therefore, we do not want to do so.” When they were arguing like this one day, their father came to their home. Then the Brahmin mother said, “Please, husband, come here.” In this way, she summoned him near to her. The Enlightenment Being quickly went near to her. The woman immediately seized him and plucked all his feathers from his body.

As his golden feathers were plucked with a bad motive, they became a normal swan’s feathers. And he could not fly away as he had no feathers. He just lay in their home. As time went by, his feathers grew again, but as normal white swan’s feathers. When this happened, the family let him just fly away.

Afterwards, the Enlightenment Being never came back again to that house.

“Oh, monks. Because of her greed, she lost the chance to get golden feathers.” Concluding this story, the Buddha said, “The present nun called Nandā was the former Brahmin woman. The three daughters were this nun’s three daughters [who in this life picked garlic with her]. The golden swan was I who have become the enlightened one.” In this way, the Buddha concluded the story.

The moral: “Do not pluck fruit from your tree greedily.”

¹⁵ Garlic is not supposed to be eaten by nuns. In South Asian tradition generally, garlic and onions are considered to make one lusty, and are therefore to be avoided by women, especially widows. Also when one perspires after eating garlic, one gives off a smell that is displeasing to others. Indian law texts also note that garlic and onions are to be avoided by twice-born men.

136. The Story of the Golden Swan [SuvaÏÏahamÅsa-Jātaka]

Link: https://hhdorjechangbuddhaiiiinfo.com/2025/10/22/136-the-story-of-the-golden-swan-suvaiiahamasa-jataka/

#Buddhisttalesforyoungandold #Buddhiststories #storiesforkids #moralstories #Buddha #Jatakastories #PansiyaPanasJataka #JatakaTalesofSakyamuniBuddha #JatakaTales #SakyamuniBuddha’sPast