140. The Story of One Who Had Lost in Two Ways [Ubhatobhaææha-Jātaka]

The enlightened one told this story while he was at Jetavanārāma monastery on a certain occasion when he was assisting his own relatives. Its present story appears in the Bhaddasāla-Jātaka in the tenth book [No. 465].

[While Buddha was living in Jetavanārāma, King Kosala wanted to give alms to the monks. But on that day there was not even a single monk in the monastery. The king thought, “I always give alms. But the monks do not have full confidence in me because I am not a relative of the Buddha. If I became a relative, the monks will be more confident in and friendly to me.” Therefore, he sent a message to the Sākya king requesting him to give a Sākya virgin princess as his queen. So the Sākya king, who was afraid of the king of Kosala because he was mighty and powerful, thought, “It is good to give a girl to him. But we ought not give him a real Sākya girl. We will give him a half Sākya girl.” Thinking so, he gave him the princess Vāsabhakhattiyā, who was the daughter of the Sākya Mahānāma by a slave girl. After she had given birth to a son for him, named Vi¯ū¯abha, King Kosala eventually came to understand what had happened. At that time, he cut off Vāsabhakhattiyā’s and Vi¯ū¯abha’s royal allowances, and treated them as he would slaves.

Buddha interceded, and convinced him to reinstate Vāsabhakhattiyā and Vi¯ū¯abha to their noble status.

Eventually Vi¯ū¯abha, after he had become king of Kosala, as he harbored resentment toward the Sākyas for their insult to his father, attacked the Sākyas at Kapilavatthu. On the way, three times, Buddha met him and persuaded him not to attack. On the fourth time, the Buddha understood that because of the Sākyas’ previous Kamma, he could not prevent the attack. At that time, Vi¯ū¯abha destroyed all the Sākya families.

This news spread even among the monks. They were discussing this news one day in the Dhamma Hall, saying that the Buddha had not been able to prevent the killing of the Sākyas because of their Kamma, even though he had tried to intercede three times. Three times, however, the Buddha turned back Vi¯ū¯abha. Fully three times the Buddha tried to save his relatives from danger. Buddha is a helpful friend to his kin.]

Buddha entered and asked, “Oh monks, what were you talking about before I entered?” They said, “Bhante, we were talking about the helpfulness of yourself to your relatives, and the destruction of your relatives.” Then the Buddha said, “Monks, not only this time, but even in my previous lives I have been helpful to my relatives, protecting them from danger.” The monks said, “Please, bhante, tell us the past story, as we understand the present.” The enlightened one said:

At one time, King Brahmadatta was ruling in Benares. On a certain occasion, his Brahmin advisor was wandering in the street.  At that time, there were two crows seated on an archway.   One crow said to the other, “I would like to make droppings on this Brahmin.”  The other crow said, “This Brahmin is a very powerful person. By doing so, you will make him angry.  And then he will be angry with us. If he gets angry, there is no doubt that he can kill us all. Therefore, do not do it.”   The first crow said, “Right now I cannot stop from putting a dropping on him. Therefore, I will do it.  Whatever may happen, so be it.” The second crow said, “Do whatever you like.  The results will come upon you. I am not responsible.” Saying this, he went away. When the Brahmin came to the archway, the crow put droppings on him. The Brahmin, seeing this, got very angry and kept this in his mind.

At that time, a certain slave woman placed a little bit of paddy grain on the ground in the sunshine. A shaggy goat came there and started to eat the grain. The woman, carrying a club, hit him and chased him away. Several times, the goat came back. Each time, she hit him and chased him away. The last time, the old woman thought, “If this goat comes again to eat my grain, I may lose my profits.” So, taking a wooden branding iron in her hand and lying in hiding in a nearby spot, when the goat came again, she hit him on his matted hair which caught fire.

The burning goat, thinking of putting out the fire, ran to the king’s elephant stables where he saw a pile of hay. He rolled in the hay in order to try to put out the fire. Then the hay started to burn. And the whole elephant stable caught fire and began to burn. The elephants that were tethered there also got burnt and wounded. The king’s elephant physicians said that it would be difficult to treat the burnt and wounded elephants. The king summoned his Brahmin advisor, and asked him how to best treat the elephants.

Hearing this, the Brahmin advisor said, “Your lordship, if you can get some crow fat, then I know how to treat them.” The king, hearing these words, ordered his subjects to kill crows. In accord with this order, all citizens who lived in the city started to kill thousands of crows and made a pile of crow carcasses.

At this time, the Enlightenment Being was a king of a large group of 84,000 crows that lived near a certain cemetery. This king of crows heard the news. He thought, “It is my responsibility to save the lives of my relatives. No one else can do it.” So he, thinking of his fulfillment of the ten-fold perfections and the spreading of his loving kindness upon all living beings, said to his subjects, “I have heard that our relatives are being killed by the king. I am going to protect my relatives. Everyone will have to come with me. If this determination of mine to save their lives is in accord with truth [sacca], no harm will come to anyone.” With such a determination, he quickly went to the king’s palace. Through an open window he entered the king’s palace and perched atop the king’s throne.

Then one of the king’s security men saw the crow and came near to seize him. At this point, the crow said to the king, “Your lordship, is it good to do something just on the basis of a man’s word without looking into the truth of it? It is a very bad thing to kill all crows. It is not good for a king to act from anger. A king must examine things before he does them.” Hearing these words pleased the king. He entertained the Enlightenment Being by applying to his feathers medicinal oil prepared with hundreds of medicines, which made the Enlightenment Being very strong, and by feeding the Enlightenment Being food prepared for himself. The king laid out for the Enlightenment Being a golden cloth on which to sit, and asked him, “Why is it that crows have no fat? [I have had thousands of crows killed, and yet have obtained no crow fat.]”

The Enlightenment Being started to talk, his voice resonating through the whole palace building. “Your lordship, when a crow sees a human being, even a little child, he is afraid of him and flies away since he is always threatened by humans. Because of this, there is no fat in the body of a crow since he is living with fear, be it in the present, the past, or the future. Your Brahmin advisor wanted to destroy the entire community of crows as he was angry with us.” And he explained the story to the king. The king became very sad, and was pacified toward all crows. The king was very pleased with the Enlightenment Being, and said, “I would like to offer you my kingdom as a gift. Please accept it.” The Enlightenment Being said, “Your lordship, what is the advantage to me in having a kingdom? Be kind enough just to let my relatives live freely in your kingdom.”

The king, who was pleased with the words of the crow, gave freedom in his kingdom to all living beings. He especially advised his subjects not to kill any crows. And further, every day he laid out for the crows six bushels of variously delicately flavored cooked rice. In this way, the king did very many meritorious deeds. He eventually died according to the results of his previous deeds.

“The king of Benares at that time was the Venerable Ānanda. And I who am now the Buddha was the king of crows.” Saying so, the Buddha disclosed the Jātaka story of crows.

The moral: “Anger and vengeance cause fear and unhappiness. Loving kindness and compassion bring fearlessness and peace.”

140. The Story of One Who Had Lost in Two Ways [Ubhatobhaææha-Jātaka]

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139. The Story of One Who Had Lost in Two Ways [Ubhatobhaææha-Jātaka]

At one time the fully enlightened one was living in the Bamboo Grove. The monks who had assembled in the preaching hall in the evening at one point brought up a discussion about Devadatta. As he was not fulfilling the duties of a monk expounded by the Buddha, he was not truly a monk. He was wandering here and there in the guise of a monk. Also he was not a layman, and he had lost all the gainfulness of a layman. Therefore, he was like firewood that had been burned from both ends and had been smeared with bodily impurities in the middle. He had lost out from both sides, no longer gaining the achievements of a monk nor the perquisites of a member of a royal household.

At this time, the Buddha entered the preaching hall and asked, “Oh monks, what were you discussing before I came?” The monks told the Buddha about their discussion. The Buddha said, “Oh monks, not only today, but even in the past the Venerable Devadatta had lost in two ways.” The monks requested the Buddha to disclose the story.

“At one time, King Brahmadatta was ruling the city of Benares. At that time, the Enlightenment Being was born as a tree sprite in a forest near a pond by a remote village.

“A certain fisherman came with his son to fish in the village pond. He put his line and hook in the water in an area where there were many fish. The hook went down and got caught on a root. The fisherman tried his best to pull it out, but could not. He thought, ‘No doubt, the bait has been swallowed by a big fish.’ He spoke to his son to send a message to his wife to quarrel with the neighbors. Afterward, he tried to pull up the fishing hook. He then thought, ‘If I try more, I will break the line.’ He took off his clothes and placed them on the bank of the pond. With the intention of catching the fish, he jumped into the water. In the water there were some thistle-like roots that pricked out his eyes, and he became blind. And a robber who was passing by stole his clothes that were on the bank of the pond.

“On hearing her son’s words, the mother thought of a way of making a quarrel with the neighbors. She devised a stratagem. She put a palm leaf plug in the pierced hole of one of her ears, applied char from a pot to one of her eyes, and held in her arm a little puppy as if it were a child, pretending that she was mad. The village women said, ‘You have gone mad.’ She said, ‘Not me. You have gone mad.’ In this way, she created a quarrel. This quarrel was reported to the village headman. He, on listening to them, blamed her. He fined her, and had her beaten.

“The fisherman came out from the water and searched for his clothes, covering his bleeding eyes with his hand. But he could not find them.

“The Enlightenment Being, who was a tree sprite, was nearby.  He said on seeing this, ‘Hey, foolish fisherman!

Being a foolish man and jumping into shallow water, you wounded your eyes. And you lost your clothes that had been placed on the bank. Your wife, who was at home, was beaten and lost wealth in a fine. Because of your foolishness, you lost out in two ways.’ Saying so, the tree sprite disappeared.

“The fisherman who lost his eyes at that time was Devadatta. And the tree sprite was I who am the Buddha.” Saying so, the Buddha disclosed the story of one who had lost in two ways.

The moral: “A greedy person gains nothing.”

139. The Story of One Who Had Lost in Two Ways [Ubhatobhaææha-Jātaka]

Link: https://hhdorjechangbuddhaiiiinfo.com/2025/11/12/139-the-story-of-one-who-had-lost-in-two-ways-ubhatobhaaeaeha-jataka/

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137. The Story of the Cats [Babbu-Jātaka]

At one time the enlightened one was living in the Jeta Grove. At that time, there was an enlightened lady called KāÏā-mātā [KāÏā’s mother]. Why was she known as KāÏā’s mother? Because she had a daughter known as KāÏā who was so known not because she was blind, but because she was so beautiful. Anyone who saw her was not able to look at another woman [as if they were blind].¹⁶

Her mother had given her in marriage to someone of a similarly matched family. She lived in that family for a long time without seeing her mother. After a long time, she came to see her mother and spent a long while with her. As she was delaying returning home, her husband sent a message that he wanted her to return home quickly so he could see her. When she heard this message, KāÏā said to her mother that she had to return home.

Hearing that, her mother, KāÏā-mātā, said to her that she should not return empty-handed, but should take with her some sweetcakes. When they were preparing these sweetcakes, a monk who was going on his alms round came.

The devout KāÏā-mātā could not say there was nothing to give as she had just prepared sweetcakes. So they gave him a bowl full of sweetcakes. When he was returning to the temple, on his way, he met another monk going on his alms round and said, “Go to KāÏā-mātā’s home. She has sweetcakes.”

Hearing that, he also went there and got a bowl full of sweetcakes. In the same way, as he was returning, he met still another monk who was going on alms round. He told the same thing to him and to a fourth monk. Now, when they had given sweetcakes to four monks, the sweetcakes were all gone.

As KāÏā now had nothing to bring for her husband, she postponed her trip. A second time her husband requested her to come home. Also the second time, the sweetcakes were given to the same monks in this way. And again, she could not return home.

As she was not coming home, her husband married another woman. This was heard by KāÏā, and she started to cry. KāÏā-mātā was also very upset. The Buddha heard this, and he visited their home, sat on the prepared chair, and asked KāÏā-mātā, “Devoted lady, why is your daughter crying?” She told the Buddha what had happened. On hearing this, Buddha preached to them in an appropriate way so as to console their grief and then returned to Jetavana monastery.

On the same day, in the evening, the monks assembled in the preaching hall were discussing what had happened because of those four monks and KāÏā’s failure to return home, and how KāÏā-mātā was upset. Meanwhile, Buddha came there in the evening to preach. He asked the monks, “Oh monks, what were you discussing before I came?” When Buddha heard from them what they had been discussing, he said, “Monks, not only today, but even before these four monks have brought sorrow to KāÏā-mātā by taking her provisions.” The monks requested the Buddha to disclose this. And he explained this story:

Long ago in ancient times there was a king called Brahmadatta in Benares. While he was ruling in Benares, the Enlightenment Being was born in a family of stone-sculptors, and he became a teacher of stone-sculptors. At that time, a millionaire in a remote village who had 40 million crores of gold hidden in a certain place passed away. Later, his wife also passed away while still having a craving for the wealth. She was reborn as a female mouse living in a nearby anthill.

At one point, the Enlightenment Being came to that village, which by that time had been abandoned. Breaking rocks that were there, he took them from that abandoned village and used them for his work. And he supported himself in this way. The female mouse saw the Enlightenment Being coming once a day, and she became enamored of him. She thought, “I have much wealth. By giving my wealth to this man, I also can live a happy life. I will bring him a gold coin each day, and he will bring me good things to eat.” Thinking so, one day she brought a gold coin in her mouth, and put it down in front of the Enlightenment Being. Seeing that, he asked, “What is this?” The female mouse said, “Take this money, and bring me some meat. The remainder can be used by your lordship.”

In this way, she gave him a gold coin daily. And the Enlightenment Being brought meat, the worth of gold equal in weight to four grains of rice, and gave the meat to the mouse. The balance of the gold he used for his own purposes. As time went on, a cat that was searching for prey saw the mouse, and caught her. The mouse said, “Please let me go.” The cat said, “I am searching for something to eat. I caught you so as to eat your flesh.” The mouse said, “If you eat me today, then you will have meat for only one day. Is it better to have meat for only one day, or forever?” The cat said, “If I have meat forever, that would be good.” When the cat said this, then the mouse said, “If that is so, then please let me go. I will provide you daily with meat.” The cat agreed, saying, “Give me meat daily. If you fail to do so, then I know what to do.” In this way, he threatened the mouse, and let her go.

Since then, the mouse divided her share of meat that the Enlightenment Being gave her each day into two parts. One part she gave to the cat, and she ate the other part. Unfortunately, on another day, another cat caught her. She promised the same thing as to the first cat, and in this way got let go. In this way, she also saved herself from a third cat and a fourth cat. Having made such promises, she used to divide the meat she obtained into five parts. She ate herself only one part. And she gave the other four parts to the four cats. As she did not have enough food day by day, she became very thin and weak.

The Enlightenment Being, seeing her like this, asked, “Why are you so thin and weak?” She told him what had happened. The Enlightenment Being said, “Why did you not tell me this up to now?” Saying this, he made a cavity in a block of clear crystal stone. He said, “When the cats come to ask you for meat, insult them while you are inside this crystal cavity.” Making her promise to do so, he went away. The mouse went into the hollow of the clear crystal. The first cat came along. He asked, “Where is the meat that you promised to give me?” Then the mouse said, “What? Am I someone who is supposed to give you meat? If you need meat, eat your kittens’ flesh.” In this way, she insulted him so as to make him angry. The cat got angry and said, “Ah, are you going back on your word in this way?” He then jumped up at the mouse, and not knowing that she was inside a piece of clear crystal, he hit it hard and thereby broke his ribs. He crept away and died lying in the forest.

In this way, the other three cats as well got angry at the female mouse’s words, and jumping up forcefully at the crystal, also ended their lives.

Since then, the female mouse became more and more enamored with the Enlightenment Being. She started to give him two gold coins daily. Doing so, she eventually gave up all her 40 million crores of gold coins.

The Buddha concluded the story, comparing the four cats eating the mouse’s meat with the four monks eating the sweetcakes of the devoted KāÏā-mātā. And the Buddha imposed a regulation on monks not to accept the giving of food by going to a home without invitation, even though a monk might know that there is good food there. If invited, only then can he accept the food.

“At that time, the four cats were these four monks. The female mouse was the devoted lady called KāÏā-mātā.  The stone-sculptor was myself who became in this life the enlightened one.” In this way, the Buddha concluded the Jātaka story of the cats.

The moral: “It is not good to take advantage of generous people.”

¹⁶ KāÏā means ‘blind’, usually of one eye, occasionally of both.

137. The Story of the Cats [Babbu-Jātaka]

Link: https://hhdorjechangbuddhaiiiinfo.com/2025/10/28/137-the-story-of-the-cats-babbu-jataka/

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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]

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135. The Story of Moonbeams [Candābha-Jātaka]

When the Buddha was living in the Jeta Grove monastery, he delivered this Jātaka story with regard to the Venerable Sāriputta’s solving of questions at a time when the Buddha was descending from heaven near the gate of the town of SamÅkassa. This is the story:

At one time, a king called Brahmadatta ruled the city of Benares. At that time, the Enlightenment Being was the master of many ascetics in the Himalayan forest. On the day he was dying, the ascetics came to him and asked, “Revered one, what type of a mental achievement was gained by you?” He said, “The moon’s radiance, the sun’s radiance.” Saying so, he passed away.

Then the chief ascetic disciple, hearing the words of the master ascetic, said, “Our master has been born in the resplendent Brahma world [ābhassara].” The other disciples did not accept this. As they were not accepting it, the master who had been born in the Brahma world descended; and he verified that what the chief ascetic disciple had said was indeed so. He then returned to the Brahma world.

The chief disciple at that time was the Venerable Sāriputta. And I was the master ascetic who today has become the supreme being of this world.

The moral: “Truth will be certified by divine beings.”

135. The Story of Moonbeams [Candābha-Jātaka]

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134. The Story of Clarifying Mental Absorption (The Story of the Jewel in the Flower)

[Jhānasodhana-Jātaka (Puppharatna-Jātaka)]

At one time, when Buddha was living in Jetavana monastery, he disclosed this Jātaka. At that time, after the spring retreat of the monks, Buddha descended from heaven to the gate of the town of SamÅkassa. On that day, Venerable Sāriputta very intelligently solved the questions of the monks, which the monks appreciated. With regard to one of the Venerable Sāriputta’s solutions of a question, this story was told. This is the story:

Long ago when King Brahmadatta was ruling the city of Benares, the Enlightenment Being was living in the Himalayan forest as a leader of many ascetics.

At that time, the Enlightenment Being’s first disciple went to a nearby village to observe the spring retreat. In the meantime, the ascetic Enlightenment Being came to the end of his life. His other disciples came to the dying Enlightenment Being and asked, “Revered one, did you gain any kind of religious success from your practices of mental absorption?”

The Enlightenment Being said, “Nothing, it is not anything [akiñcanamÅ, natthi kiñci].”  While he was saying this, his consciousness disappeared and he was born in the Brahma world.

The ascetic disciples, on hearing his words, could not understand their meaning. They thought, “Alas. He has been born in a Brahma world where people who have incorrect ideas [micchā-diææhi] are born.” Thinking so, they did not perform for him an elaborate funeral.

After this, the first chief disciple returned and asked the other ascetics, “What did our master say before his death?”

The other ascetics said what they had heard. Then the chief disciple said, “Oh, if it is so, then there is no doubt he has been born among the resplendent Brahma-s [ābhassara-s].” When he said this, the others did not believe him. Then the master who had been born in the Brahma world came down and appeared before them. He said, “My chief disciple has spoken the truth.” He then returned to the Brahma world.

The chief disciple ascetic at that time was the Venerable Sāriputta. And I was the master ascetic who was born among the resplendent Brahma-s and who have obtained full enlightenment at the present time.

The moral: “Understanding is appreciated by everyone.”

134. The Story of Clarifying Mental Absorption (The Story of the Jewel in the Flower)

Link: https://hhdorjechangbuddhaiiiinfo.com/2025/10/07/134-the-story-of-clarifying-mental-absorption-the-story-of-the-jewel-in-the-flowerjhanasodhana-jataka-puppharatna-jataka/

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133. The Story of [Sacrificial Fire] Eating (or, Being Sprinkled with) Ghee [Ghatāsana-Jātaka]

At one time, the omniscient one was living in Jetavana monastery in Sāvatthi. This story was delivered in front of a certain monk who had gone to a remote village to observe the spring retreat.

A certain monk went to observe the spring retreat, and the temple in which he was living burnt down in a fire. When the monk asked his supporters to repair it, those villagers said, “Next week we have to plough.” “Next week we have to make a fence.” Similarly, giving such various excuses, they could not repair the building for the whole three months. As there were no facilities, the monk could not develop his mind so as to obtain an aura. He wasted his days. And then at the end of the spring retreat, he went to see the Buddha. He knelt down in the presence of the Buddha, and sat by his side.

The omniscient lord had a chat with him about his life during the spring retreat at the remote village. He asked, “Oh monk, how is your progress in meditation? Were you able to do your meditation successfully?” Then the monk said that he was unable to meditate, as there were no facilities in which to do so.  Then the Buddha asked, “Why did you not go to a place where facilities were available? It is necessary for you to meditate to overcome defilement. Even birds in the past went away from where they did not have proper facilities to live.” Then the Buddha was invited to disclose the past story. Buddha disclosed the past story thus:

There was a king called Brahmadatta who was ruling in the city of Benares long ago. At that time, the Enlightenment Being was a bird, and he became the leader of many birds. They lived on a tree beside a certain river.

Many birds roosted overnight on a branch of the tree that overhung the river, and they dropped their dung into the river. A certain divine cobra that was living in the river got angry because of the fouling of his water. He thought that he would burn the tree so that the birds would not live there any more. One day, when all the birds were roosting on the same branch, the divine cobra puffed out a poisonous steam that boiled the water of the river. Then, he puffed out fire. Because of this, a lot of fire and steam rose high up from the water.

On seeing this strange thing, the Enlightenment Being said to his flock of birds, “It is not good to stay here because from the water, fire has arisen. Therefore, let us go away to another place.” Some of the birds did not pay attention to that. Only a few went with him.

The fully enlightened one concluded this story saying, “I, who am now the lord Buddha, was the leader of the birds at that time.”

The moral: “One should leave a place that is inhospitable.”

Link: https://hhdorjechangbuddhaiiiinfo.com/2025/09/30/133-the-story-of-sacrificial-fire-eating-or-being-sprinkled-with-ghee-ghatasana-jataka/

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131. The Story of an Ill-Treated Gift [Asampadāna-Jātaka]

When the Buddha was living in the Bamboo Grove monastery [VeÀuvanārāma] of Rājagaha this story was delivered one day to the monks who assembled in the preaching hall. They were talking about Devadatta’s lack of gratitude.

The Buddha entered the preaching hall and asked, “Monks, what were you talking about before I came here?” They answered, “Your lordship, we were talking about Devadatta’s ungrateful nature.” Then the Buddha said, “Oh monks, not only today, but in ancient times as well he also was ungrateful.” The monks requested the Buddha to disclose the past story. The Buddha disclosed the story as follows:

At one time there was a king called Magadha in the city of Rājagaha of the Magadha kingdom. The Enlightenment Being was born in the city to a wealthy family which had 800 million crores, and he was named SanÄkha the Millionaire.

At the same time, there was another very wealthy millionaire in Benares, known as Piliya. They were friends, and kept in contact with one another.

At one point, the millionaire Piliya of Benares went bankrupt. Being in such a situation, he thought, “It is now a good time to go to see my friend SanÄkha. I can perhaps get some wealth from him to help maintain my position.” Thinking so, he left only with his wife. Leaving Benares on foot without even a vehicle, he came to the city of Rājagaha. He came to SanÄkha’s palace, and appeared before SanÄkha. SanÄkha welcomed him and asked him the reason for his coming. Piliya said, “I have become bankrupt and there is no where for me to live now. That is why I came to see you.” The millionaire SanÄkha said, “It is very good that you have come. Do not worry.” Saying so, he divided his wealth into two equal halves and gave Piliya 400 million crores from his wealth, together with servants and other necessities such as bullocks, cows, horses, elephants, chariots, and so forth. Treating him in this fashion, SanÄkha bade him to return home.

After a long time, SanÄkha fell into the same condition.

“I am now suffering because of my downfall. There is, though, my good friend Piliya to whom I have given half of my wealth. Therefore, now it is time to go to see my friend Piliya. He will help me at this time.” Thinking so, he went with his wife to Benares. He asked his wife to stay in an inn on the outskirts of the city while he went alone to see Piliya at Piliya’s house. Piliya, hearing of SanÄkha’s coming to his home, did not receive him well. When he came, he did not treat him with respect and did not even offer him a seat or chat with him in a friendly manner. He only asked the reason for his coming.

SanÄkha said, “I came to see you.” Piliya then asked, “Where are you staying?” SanÄkha said, “I have no place to stay.” On that very same day, there had arrived at Piliya’s home a thousand cartfuls of red rice. Not knowing the nature of gratitude, Piliya summoned a slave boy and said, “It is not good to send this man away empty handed. Therefore, measure him one measure of unhusked red rice and give it to this man.” He said to the millionaire SanÄkha, “Take this, cook it, and eat it anywhere you like. Do not come back to see me again.”

Hearing these words of Piliya, SanÄkha thought, “Do I take this or not?” Again he thought, “As I came here, it is not good to violate our friendship. Let whatever happens be. I will take it.” And he took the measure of unhusked red rice and went back to where his wife was. On seeing this, his wife said, “You have given him 400 million crores. Why did you take this measure of rice?” He said, “If I did not take this, there is no doubt I would have violated our friendship. Therefore, I brought it so as not to violate our friendship. Do not worry.” But SanÄkha’s wife started to cry. Meanwhile, one of SanÄkha’s former servants was passing nearby. He recognized the voices of the millionaire SanÄkha and of his wife who was crying. Recognizing them, he entered the inn and asked why SanÄkha’s wife was crying. She said, “We have given Piliya 400 million crores of wealth together with retinue. But when we are having a hard time, this man has given us a measure of unhusked red rice.” Then the former servant said, “Do not worry, your lordships. Come with me to my home.” He took them to his home. And after giving them baths, he gave them food and entertained them very well.  Introducing them to his friends, he requested them to honor SanÄkha and his wife. He went together with all of them to the royal palace, and made a clamor on account of this matter. Then the king of Benares, on hearing this noise, inquired as to its cause. He summoned both the millionaires of Rājagaha and of Benares and questioned them. Listening to them both, first he asked SanÄkha, “What did you give Piliya in his hard time?” SanÄkha said, “400 million crores of wealth.” Then he asked Piliya, “Is it true?” Piliya said, “Yes.” Then he asked, “When he came to you, what did you give?” Piliya remained silent. Then the king said, “I heard that you have given one measure of unhusked rice. Is it true?” Again, Piliya remained silent.

Then the king and his ministers censured Piliya. The king said to the millionaire SanÄkha, “You can take all of his wealth.” The millionaire SanÄkha said, “Your majesty, I do not wish to take another’s wealth. The 400 million crores that I have given him before is enough for me. I do not need another’s wealth.” So he took his wealth, and the people whom he had given to Piliya, and went to the city of Rājagaha. There in Rājagaha he put his affairs in order, and he did many meritorious deeds such as charity and so forth for the benefit of others. At the end of his life, he passed on happily.

At that time, Devadatta was Piliya. And I who have attained Buddhahood was the millionaire SanÄkha.

The moral: “Gratitude is noble.”

Link: https://hhdorjechangbuddhaiiiinfo.com/2025/09/16/131-the-story-of-an-ill-treated-gift-asampadana-jataka/

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130. The Story of a Lazy Person [Kosiya-Jātaka]

When the Buddha was living in the monastery of Jeta Grove, one Brahmin who had become a follower of the Buddha had very pious feelings toward the Buddha, the law [dhamma] and the community of monks [sanÄgha]. At that time, he had a wife who was living in his home, but as an adulterous woman. She would get up in the middle of the night and go out. During the daytime, without doing any work at home, she would recline on the bed and sleep.

The Brahmin would come home and ask, “Why are you sleeping?” The Brahmin woman would say, “I am sick.” He asked, “What is the sickness?” She would say, “I have an upset stomach.” The Brahmin asked, “What can I do for that?” She said, “I need sweet, delicious food.” Because of that, the Brahmin daily would go out and beg alms for her. But, the sickness remained, without her recovering, for days on end. Therefore, the Brahmin thought of going to the Buddha to ask for a treatment for her. As he had not gone to see the Buddha for several days, he took some fragrances, flowers and lights in both hands, and went to the monastery. Paying his respects to the Buddha, he sat by his side.

Lord Buddha saw the Brahmin and asked, “You have not come to see me for so long.  Why so?”  The Brahmin said, “Your lordship, my wife was suffering with pain, and I was searching for treatment for her and so could not come. That is why I was away.” And he continued his explanation, “Sir, even though she is sick for days, she is not weak, not lean or thin, and not of bad complexion. I have been giving her nourishing food as much as I can. Yet she does not seem to get well. Now I do not know what to do.”

Then the Buddha said, “Because it is covered by re- births in the ocean of existence, you cannot understand it. Even in the past, I was the person who prescribed medicine for this sickness of hers.” Then the Brahmin requested the Buddha to disclose the past.

The Buddha said the past story thus:

At one time when King Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares, the Enlightenment Being was born as the head teacher of the princes of a hundred and one cities. He taught both princes and Brahmin youths. One Brahmin learned completely the three Veda-s, writing, mathematics, logic, grammar, and the eighteen such subjects from the Enlightenment Being. This Brahmin would visit the teacher to serve him three times each day, and at the same time would clarify any doubts he had in his mind about the teachings. At the same time, the Brahmin’s wife was unrighteous as mentioned in the above story. The disclosure of that situation was also similar to that mentioned in the above story.

The teacher said, “It is not necessary to give her nourishment and delicious foods. Instead of that, take cow’s urine and boil in it five kinds of medicinal leaves, making a decoction.  In that, place the three kinds of condiments and the three kinds of nuts [which are hard to swallow], making a decoction out of this. Put it in a copper pot and ferment it for several days so that it takes on the flavor of the copper. Then the smell becomes like cheese. Take that decoction to her, and taking with you a rope, creeper and bundle of sticks, tell her to drink this medicine to get rid of her sickness. Warn her, if she does not do so you will seize her by her hair and beat her with the rope, the creeper or the bundle of sticks. When you do so, she will recover from her sickness.

The Brahmin went home and did as the head teacher instructed. Then the woman asked, “Who prescribed this?” The Brahmin said, “This was told me by my master who has educated me.” Then she understood there was no doubt that the teacher knew her behavior. She thought, “Why should I suffer drinking this distasteful decoction and undergoing other punishments?” She repented and determined to give up her bad behavior. She got up from her bed, and began to clean the house and do her other wifely duties.

Since then, she maintained her chastity and lived happily.

In the story of the present also, the pious Brahmin’s wife heard that the Buddha asked about her sickness and she thought, “There is no doubt that the Buddha knows the unrighteousness that I have done.” And she gave up her bad behavior as well.

“At that time, the Brahmin husband and wife were the same as today.” And the Buddha said further, “I who am the Buddha today was born as the head teacher then.”

The moral: “Truth will never be defeated by hypocrisy.”

Link: https://hhdorjechangbuddhaiiiinfo.com/2025/09/09/130-the-story-of-a-lazy-person-kosiya-jataka/

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