Jataka Tales

Jataka Tales

Bhagwan Buddha is considered to be the incarnation of lord Mahavishnu. Buddha was a prince and the son of King Shuddhodhana. He attained ‘Jnana’ knowledge while he was in meditation under the shade of Bodhi Tree. Before taking birth as Bodhisatwa and had taken several births as monkeys and human forms. Many stories and tales were compiled with Buddha’s insight into the natural laws and powers governing the existence of life on earth. These stories were known as Bodhisatwa’s stories earlier and are now popular among children and adults as Jataka Tales.

The Sandy Road

  This is a nice story from the collection of Jataka Tales. Once upon a time, there lived a merchant in a small village. The merchant dealt in different kinds of goods. He wanted to sell his goods in the town, in order to gain good sum of profits. One day, he decided to go to the town to try his fortune. He arranged for some men who could go along with him. During the journey, he had to pass through a desert, so he also arranged for water, rice and firewood.

According to the plan, he packed his goods in several carts and set out for the journey along with his mates. When they reached the desert, the sun was shining on the fine sand, making it severely hot. In the day time, no one could dare to walk on it. One could only think of travel through the desert during the night time, when the moon made the sands cool. So, the merchant and his people waited for the night to start their further journey.

With the arrival of night, they started their journey. One of them, had knowledge about the stars, so he was guiding the way to other people by reading the position of stars. They traveled for the whole night without taking any break. At daybreak, they stopped and camped. They released the oxen from the carts and fed them. They made fire, cooked the rice and ate the food to their fill. They spread a huge covering over all the carts and the oxen. Subsequently, all the men laid down under it, to rest till the sunset.

When the sun set in the early evening, they again built fire and cooked rice. After the meal, they folded the covering and tied the oxen to the carts. As soon as, the sand became cool, they again started their journey across the desert. Night after night, they traveled in such manner and rested during the day time. On the last morning, the one who was guiding the group said, “In one more night, we will cross the desert”. Every one was happy to hear this, as all of them were tired.

After taking meal in the evening, the merchant said, “Now, you people can throw the water and the firewood because tomorrow we will reach the town. Tie the oxen and start”. The Guide took his position at first in the line of the carts, but instead of sitting and guiding the drivers, he laid down in the cart on the cushions. Soon, he was in a deep slumber because he had not slept for many nights and in the daytime, the sun had been so strong that he had not slept properly.

The oxen went on, for the whole night. Near daybreak, the guide awoke and looked at the last stars fading in the light. He said to the drivers, “Stop! We are in the same place where we were yesterday. The oxen must have turned about while I slept”. They released the oxen, but there was no water for them to drink, as they had thrown away the water the previous night. They spread out the covering over the carts and the oxen rested tired and thirsty. The men lay down too, saying, “Without wood and water, we are lost”.

Every one was tired and sat down. The merchant thought, “This is no time for me to sleep. I have to find water. The oxen cannot start unless they get water to drink. The people need water other wise they cannot cook rice. If I give up, we will lose. There must be water somewhere below”. He walked down and down, keeping a close watch of the ground. Finally, he saw some grass and thought, “There must be water somewhere below otherwise that grass would not be there”.

He ran back, shrieking to the people, “Get the spade and the hammer”. All of them jumped up and ran with the merchant to the spot where he saw the grass. They started digging and after much toil, they struck a rock. After this, they could dig no further. The merchant jumped down into the hole they had dug and kept his ear to the rock. He called to them, “I can hear water running under this rock. We must not give up”. Then, the merchant came out of the hole and said to the serving boy, “My boy, if you give up, we are lost. Please go down and try”.

The boy stood up raising the hammer high above his head and hit the rock with his full strength. He didn’t give up, thinking the words of the merchant. Every time the hammer came down, he thought that everyone must be saved. Ultimately, the rock broke, the boy hardly got any time to come out of the hole and it was full of water. All the men drank water, as if they could never get enough. They watered the oxen and took bath.

After drinking and bathing, they split the extra wooden yokes and axles from their carts. They made a fire out of it and cooked their rice. They had their meal and rested through the day. They also placed a flag on the well, so that the passing travelers could see and have water. After the sunset, they started their journey and reached the town in the morning. They sold the goods making huge profits and happily returned back to their village.

Moral: With strong will and determination you can achieve everything.

The Jackal who saved the Lion

Here is another interesting story from the collection of Jataka Tales. Once upon a time, there lived a lion in a forest. One day, when he went to drink water in a river, one of his feet got stuck into the damp mushy mud of the river. He tried a lot to get out of the mud, but to no avail. He had to lie without food for days because he didn’t find any help. On one fortunate day, a kind jackal came to drink water from the river. When he saw the lion, he went closer to the lion and said, “What is the matter? Why are you resting here?”

The lion narrated him the pathetic story. The Jackal instantly made a way out from the sand but the lion was unable to move his feet. As he was set in the same posture for last several days, his body became stiff. The jackal understood the condition of the lion and helped him to get out of the mud with an extra effort. The Lion was really thankful to jackal for his kind help. He was very happy to get free after so many days.

The Lion appreciated the effort made by the jackal. He offered the jackal to live close to him and also promised to give food to him whenever he caught food. The jackal accepted the offer and started living with the lion. Thus, they lived happily sharing the food. With the passing time, they expanded their families. The lion had cubs and the jackal had kid jackals. Both, the lion and the jackal were passing their days happily. They didn’t have any idea that their friendship was not liked by their families.

One day after a long time, the lioness, lady of the lion's house, asked her cubs that she didn’t like the amity between the jackal and her husband. The cubs conveyed the message to the kid jackals. The kids complained the matter to the lady jackal. The lady jackal conveyed the complaint to her husband.

The jackal went to the Lion and asked,” I helped you without any consideration in return. You had asked me to live with you, so I started living with you. Now, if you don’t want me to live with you, you should have told me yourself. What did you involve your wife and cubs to convey this? “. The Lion was shocked to hear such words. He said, “My dear friend, what are you saying? I don’t find any problem with you or your friendship”. He assured the jackal that he had no such ill-feelings for the friendship between them.

The Lion also assured that he would talk to the lioness and solve the whole matter. The jackal was intelligent and understood the situation. He said to the lion, “Dear friend, I know you are sincere, but our families could not exactly respond the same level of friendship. So, let us stay apart and meet often as friends. We could also hunt together. It would be better, if our families stay apart”. The Lion agreed to the proposal with a heavy heart.

The two families parted from each other as friends. The Jackal and the Lion continued to share the friendship. They often met each other and hunt together. Thus, the two friends shared a healthy friendship throughout their life.

Moral : Don’t expect the same intensity of love and friendship from others as you have for others.

The Fish Who Worked a Miracle

  Once upon a time, the Enlightenment Being was born as a fish in a pond in northern India. There were many kinds of fish, big and small, living in the pond with the Bodhisattva.

There came to be a time of severe draught. The rainy season did not come as usual. The crops of men died, and many ponds, lakes and rivers dried up.

The fish and turtles dug down and buried themselves in the mud, frantically trying to keep wet and save them. The crows were pleased by all this. They stuck their beaks down into the mud, pulled up the frightened little fish, and feasted on them.

The suffering of pain and death by the other fish touched the Enlightenment Being with sadness, and filled him with pity and compassion. He realized that he was the only one who could save them. But it would take a miracle.

The truth was that he had remained innocent by never taking the life of anyone. He was determined to use the power of this wholesome truth to make rain fall from the sky, and release his relatives from their misery and death.

He pulled himself up from under the black mud. He was a big fish, and as black from the mud as, polished ebony. He opened his eyes, which sparkled like rubies, looked up to the sky, and called on the rain god Pajjunna. He exclaimed, "Oh my friend Pajjunna, god of rain, I am suffering for the sake of my relatives. Why do you withhold rain from me, who am perfectly wholesome, and make me suffer in sympathy with all these fish?"

"I was born among fish, for whom it is customary to eat other fish - even our own kind, like cannibals! But since I was born, I myself have never eaten any fish, even one as tiny as a rice grain. In fact, I have never taken life from anyone. The truthfulness of this my innocence gives me the right to say to you: Make the rains fall! Relieve the suffering of my relatives!"

He said this way one gives orders to a servant.

And he continued, commanding the mighty rain god Pajjunna: "Make rain fall from the thunderclouds! Do not allow the crows their hidden treasures! Let the crows feel the sorrow of their unwholesome actions. At the same time release me from my sorrow, which have lived in perfect wholesomeness."

After only a short pause, the sky opened up with a heavy downpour of rain, relieving many from the fear of death - fish, turtles and even humans. And when the great fish who had worked this miracle eventually died, he was reborn as he deserved.

Moral : Innocence and generosity helps relives many sufferings and pains.

Intelligent Student

  In olden days there was a centre of learning in Varanasi. There were many students. Dharmananda was the teacher. He had only one daughter. Her name was Sugunavati. She was beautiful looking girl for whom Dharmananda was searching for the right match. He preferred an intelligent student among his pupils as his son in law. But he was worried as how to judge the intelligence of his students. So he decided a plan and made a trick.

One day all the students were listening to teacher. “O my students, I wish to arrange the marriage of my daughter. But I don’t have any capacity to get her special costumes and jewels. Can anybody do that job for me,” the teacher asked. Then he continued.

Suppose any of you steal and bring then nobody should see you stealing. The students listened what their teacher said. From then onwards each one of them started bringing articles secretly and handing over them to the teacher. They were all stolen things. The teacher decided to examine them and return to the owners of those articles.

Gunasheela didn’t bring any article. He was seen depressed. Gunasheela, why did you not steal anything?” the teacher asked.

“Sir, I could have done it. But you said that nobody should see it. It was not possible. Nobody may see. But I would definitely see what I do. Is there anything more than conscience?” Gunashreela replied.

“Fine! Gunasheela! I was in search of students like you. You are intelligent. I don’t need any luxury. I just made a trick to find out the intelligent person. Stealing for a good cause is also wrong,” the teacher appreciated him.

Dharmananada ordered his pupils to return the articles to the respective owners. Sugunavati was married to Gunasheela.

Moral : Your conscience is the most important thing. You should not do anything that hurt your conscience.

Dwarf, the Valiant

  Thousands of years ago there lived a dwarf in Bharatavarsha. He was an archer. He was going daily to gardens and plucking fruits using his arrows. He was eating them, he was a clever man. The people were calling him little archer.

One day he was going to market. He was having a big bow in his hand. Few people sitting in a cart were surprised to see a small boy carrying a big bow. “How is it possible?” they asked laughing at him. The dwarf said that he is an archer.

“Be careful, the arrow you shoot may become a boomerange” they said and went. The dwarf was in agony. “No body believes I am an archer. How do the people believe “if a dwarf handles a bow! I must deploy a tall and strong person for my help.” He felt.

Once he saw a fat person sitting preparing baskets. His name was Bhimasena.

Oh! Bhimasena! Why can’t you go to the palace and become an archer!” the dwarf asked. But I don’t know archery. How can I get there?”

“I do that job. You come with me,” the dwarf said and took Bhimasena to the palace. The bow was with Bhimasena . “O King! I am an archer. I need a job. This dwarf is my assistant. I am good archer.” Bhimasena said on directed by the dwarf.

The king employed Bhimasena. He told him to kill a wild tiger that is giving trouble to the villagers since a very long time. Bhimasena feared, but agreed.

“Bhimasena, you just ride a horse and enter the village. Tell the villagers that you have come to kill the tiger. Further they take care.” The dwarf advised.

Bhimasena rode a horse and entered the village affected by the tiger. The villagers were happy. “Oh Bhimasena! The king has sent you. We will support you. You may take a few villagers” the leaders said.

Bhimasena rode the horse. Few villagers followed him. They entered the forest. The tiger roared. All the villagers hit the tiger with long sticks. Bhimasena just watched the scene. The tiger was killed. Bhimasena brought the tiger to the palace. The king was so pleased to see the dead tiger and he gave him a golden necklace.

Bhimasena and the Dwarf lived in Varanasi together. They were peaceful. Bhimasena became popular as a hero. Few days passed. The people from the other village approached the king and told him that a bison has become harmful. The king ordered Bhimasena to go and kill the bison.

Bhimasena met the dwarf and informed him about his plight. The dwarf controlled him and asked him to repeat what he did to kill the tiger. Bhimasena did the same and with the help of the villagers killed the bison. The king was surprised. He allowed Bhimasena to reside in the palace. Bhimasena was joyful. He forgot to see the Dwarf. When the dwarf approached him, he said that he is not willing to see him. Once the Dwarf met Bhimasena in a garden. Bhimasena didn’t speak to him. Instead he lifted him up and threw.

It so happened that once enemies attacked the king of Varanasi. The king summoned Bhimasena. “O King! You need not worry. I shall hit the enemies” Bhimasena said and rode on Elephant to enter the war field. The dwarf who observed in wondered felt that Bhimasena should be taught a lesson.

In the war field he fought with the army. He told Bhimasena to get out of the war field as it is not possible for him to fight. Bhimasena fell down from the elephant and ran away.

The dwarf sitting on the elephant fought alone and drove the enemies. He asked the leader of enemies. The king got the information. He understood that the dwarf is the real hero. He welcomed dwarf and honoured him. He was given huge presents and a decent job in the palace.

Moral : Never underestimate anyone.