| J.178 |
Kacchapa Jaataka |
The story of a tortoise who would not leave its lake, even though all the other tortoises,
knowing there would be a drought, swam in time to a neighbouring river. When the
drought came, he buried himself in a hole. There he was dug up by the bodhisatva
(a potter) who was looking for clay. The tortoiseís shell was cracked by the potterís
spade and it died, having uttered two verses on the folly of clinging to things.
The bodhisatva took the body to the village and preached to the villagers. The story
was told to a young man of Savatthi who, when the plague broke out in his house,
listened to his parentsí advice and escaped through a hole in the wall. When the
danger was past, he returned and rescued the treasure hoarded in the house, and one
day visited the Buddha with many gifts. Ananda is identified with the tortoise of
the the Jataka. |
57/156 |
Jaataka |
Khuddhaka |
J.ii.079ff. |
attachment, obedience |