| J.153 |
Suukara Jaataka |
The bodhisatva was a lion living in a mountain cave. On the banks of a nearby lake
lived many boars and in the neighbourhood, some hermits. One day the lion, having
eaten some game, went to the lake to drink, but after drinking, seeing a boar, he
slunk away without scaring it, thinking if food should become scarce, he could more
easily hunt it down. The boar saw the lionís behaviour, and assumed the lion to be
scared of him, so challenged the lion to a fight. The lion agreed to fight a week
later. The boar was overjoyed and told his relations, but they all warned him and
advised him to spend the next seven days rolling in the hermitís dunghill. When the
dirt was dry, he was to moisten his body with dew and go to the meeting place early,
standing upwind. This he did, and when the lion came and smelt the filth, the boar
was allowed to go away uninjured. The Jataka was related in reference to an old and
foolish monk. One night the Buddha returned to his cell late at night after preaching.
Moggallana then asked Sariputta various questions which the latter explained. The
people stayed on, entranced with Sariputtaís explanations. An old monk, wishing to
attract attention, stood up and asked a foolish question. Sariputta, reading his
thoughts, rose from his seat and walked away, and so did Moggallana. The laymen who
were present were annoyed with the old monk and chased him away. As he ran, he fell
into a cesspit and was covered with filth. The layman then felt remorse and visited
the Buddha to ask forgiveness. The old monk is identified with the boar. |
57/017 |
Jaataka |
Khuddhaka |
J.ii.009ff. |
arrogance |