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Kacchapa Jataka Tale – Talking Turtle

The Boddhisattva was once a greatly respected advisor to King Brahmadatta, an intelligent but excessively talkative ruler. His advisor often pondered on how to cure the king of this habit without hurting his feelings.

At this time, there lived a turtle in a mountain pond. Two wild ducks looking for food came to the pond and struck up a friendship with the turtle.  

Soon, it was time for the ducks to depart. They invited the turtle along and told him, “Clench the middle of this stick with your mouth and the two of us will lift it from both ends with our beaks. But remember – keep your mouth shut!”

Soon the three were airborne. A few children, spotting the trio, burst out laughing.
“Oh look, look at the turtle dangling between two birds! Doesn’t he look funny?”

The turtle was annoyed and shouted, “What business is it of yours, anyway?” Having opened his mouth, he lost his grip on the stick, plummeted to the ground and died.

The king went with his advisor to see the turtle. The latter guessed at what had happened. He grasped at the opportunity to make his point. “Death by a single sentence – alas! Merely by speaking at the wrong time, this turtle has brought about his own sorry plight.”

“You’re trying to tell me something, aren’t you?” asked the intelligent king.

“Whether it is you or another, great king, mishaps are inevitable for those who cannot control their tongue.”

The king accepted the Boddhisattva’s wisdom and strove to change himself.

Inner quiet, the stilling of our busy minds, is a theme that runs through all the Buddha’s teachings. Excessive talk destroys concentration.  One may have to pay a heavy price for this apparently harmless habit!

Phala Jataka Tale

Once, the Buddha was born as a wealthy merchant. On a journey with his caravan, he stopped outside a forest through which their route led.

“Beware, my brothers. This forest has many poison trees within. Eat nothing here without consulting me first.”

They nodded agreement and the caravan proceeded through the forest.

Just within the periphery of the forest was a village. On its outskirts grew a What-fruit tree, with an amazing likeness to the mango in trunk, leaves, flowers and fruit. The difference? Its fruit, when eaten, caused death. Some members of the merchant’s caravan, who’d gone ahead, stopped under this tree. They plucked the fruits and began to eat them.

The others, remembering their master’s words, waited for him to catch up. When he arrived, he exclaimed,  “This is no mango! It’s the What-fruit tree, poisonous to the core!”

Immediately, he administered an emetic to the ones who had eaten of it and gave them an antidote; all the men recovered.

What none of them knew was that the villagers living nearby were a conniving lot. Whenever any passers-by stopped to eat the What-fruit and died, the villagers would arrive, loot all their belongings and throw their corpses in a secret grave.

This time too, the villagers came, expecting much booty from the huge caravan. To their shock, all were alive and healthy!

“Why did you not eat the fruits?” they asked the merchant.

He smiled. “When I see a tree near a village, one that’s easy to climb and yet heavy with fruit, what more proof do I need?  I can only conclude that the fruit is poisonous!”

We see the world through the filters of our hopes, desires and expectations. But these emotional elements cloud our perceptions and blind the ‘inner eye’. How imperative it is to have the Right View as preached by the Buddha in the Eightfold Path – open, simple and straightforward!

Panchayudha Jataka – Five Kinds of Weapons

How do you deal with a life-threatening situation? The best-armed man, when he confronts a stronger enemy, is likely to cringe. Can weaponry alone help him? What is true courage made up of?

The Bodhisattva was once born as a son to King Brahmadatta. At his naming ceremony, the king’s priests prophesied that the prince would become a good and noble ruler, famous for his five weapons.

At sixteen, Prince Panchayudha (Five Weapons) left home for Taxila to further his education. On completing his studies, his teacher presented him with four weapons – bow and arrows, a sword, a sharp, pointed wheel and a club. While returning home, the prince was accosted by a fearsome, sticky-feathered ogre who assumed a variety of horrific shapes to threaten the prince.

 Panchayudha battled him with the four weapons and his own limbs and head. Alas, to no avail; all of them got stuck to the ogre’s feathers.

But the ogre could not kill him, transfixed as he was by the prince’s expression of calmness.

“Aren’t you afraid of dying?” he grunted.

“Not at all. I have one weapon left – a thunderbolt in my body. Eat me and you too will be destroyed.”

 Hmmm, thought the ogre…. should he take a chance? But this man seemed to be speaking the truth. He set the prince free!

The fifth weapon that the prince alluded to was his wisdom! He then preached to the ogre, convincing him to abandon his murderous ways, which would only lead to more darkness and misery in his forthcoming births. The ogre thereupon agreed to become the guardian of the forest and its nearby villages.

The ogre in this tale is a metaphor for ignorance and stupidity. In crisis-like situations, preached the Buddha, cool detachment and mindfulness will save us when all other options are exhausted.

Baka Jataka – Heron Story

One hot summer, the inhabitants of a pond became fearful for their lives as the water began drying up. A heron, sensing their panic, thought up a plan to deceive them and ensure a good supply of food for him.

“There’s a huge lake nearby. I could take you across,” he offered.

The trusting fish agreed and queued up to be carried away, one by one. Alas, none of them realized that their predecessors had already become the heron’s extended lunch. Finally, a crab was left.

“Why don’t you come along too?” invited the heron.

“Hmmm…why is he so concerned about an old crab like me? Something’s not right. On the other hand, the pond’s almost dry.... “

Making up his mind, the crab said, “Why, thanks. But I’m old, I might fall off. Let me get a grip around your neck with my claws.”

The heron agreed and off they flew. After some time, the bird alighted on a tree.

“Hey, good friend, where’s the lake? And all my old friends whom you rescued?”

“You’ll see them soon enough, inside my belly!” sneered the heron and made ready to kill him.

But the crab tightened his grip on the heron’s neck, twisting it until the bird screamed for mercy.

“Take me back, you deceiver!”

The heron flew the crab back, but when it was about to release him into the water, the crab cut the heron’s neck with his pincers.

The Bodhisattva, who was then a tree spirit near the pond, remarked that one always reaps the consequence of his actions – this is the law of karma. If we harm others, we will sooner or later face the same fate. In difficult times, mindfulness – as in the crab’s example – will save us from danger.

Jataka Tales

Gautama Buddha’s birth as Prince Siddhartha – during which he attained Nirvana – was the last of several thousand births as a bodhisattva, an enlightened being who chooses to be reborn on earth so as to help others. The Jataka tales are a compilation of parables that recount 547 of the Buddha’s former lives. The Buddha used these tales to explain to his followers the essence of his philosophy, laying down guidelines for right conduct and good values. As storytellers carried them to wherever Buddhism took root in Asia, the Jatakas inspired paintings, sculpture and architecture. To this day, they continue to be performed as dances, plays and recitals in Cambodia, Laos and Thailand.

Where is the Buddha?

A monk embarked on a long pilgrimage to find the Buddha. He wandered fruitlessly for several years until he reached a river. Across the river, it was said, was the home of the Buddha. The monk got into the boat, excited at the prospect of reaching his goal. As the boatman rowed, the monk saw a corpse in the water, floating towards their boat.

The body drifted close to touching distance and the monk saw to his horror that the corpse’s face was – his own! Unable to control himself, he broke down, screaming and crying. That was the beginning of his enlightenment.

The Buddha is everywhere. But how do we find him? With the help of our body or by casting off the body?

Learning – the Zen way

There lived a Prime Minister of the Tang Dynasty, a leader celebrated for his statesmanship and military prowess. Rich and powerful though he was, he prided himself on being a humble follower of the Buddha.

He’d often visit a Zen master to further his knowledge. They spent many fruitful hours together as revered teacher and humble student and his position as Prime Minister seemed of little consequence to either of them.

One day, the Prime Minister asked his teacher, “Master, what does the Buddha have to say about egotism?”

The master’s serene expression changed. His face reddening, he asked in a loud, mocking voice, “Now what sort of foolish query is that?”

Taken aback at the insulting tone, the Prime Minister fell silent, his face showing his anger and turmoil.

The Zen master smiled. “Now sir, you know what egotism is.”

A teacher is but a guide – the answers to all questions lie within us. Are we ready for them?

Brimful

Once, a learned professor visited a Zen master. His intention was to learn about Zen. As the professor chatted about Zen and what he wished to accomplish, the master wordlessly served tea.

He poured tea into the professor’s cup, filled it to the brim, and continued to pour, even though the cup was now overflowing. The astonished visitor watched him for some moments, then no longer able to contain himself, he burst out.

“Master, the cup can hold no more! Why are you not stopping?”

“You are similar to this brimming cup. Until you empty it, how can I show you Zen?”

When our being is filled with ego, where is the space for wisdom?