Once upon a time when Brahmadatta was king in Benars, the Bodhisatta was born in the womb of a monkey, and lived in the king’s garden with a retinue of five hundred monkeys. Devadatta was also born in the womb of a monkey, and lived there also with a retinue of five hundred monkeys. Then one day when the king’s family priest had gone to the garden, bathed and adorned himself. One tricky monkey going ahead of him sat above the gateway arch of the garden and let excrement fall on the priest’s head as he went out.

When the priest looked up, he let it fall again in his mouth. The priest turned back, saying in threat to the monkey, “Very well, I shall know how to deal with you,” and went away. The monkeys told the Bodhisatta that the priest went away in angry. had been angry. The Bodhisatta said, “Let the whole troop of monkeys flee and go elsewhere.” A disobedient monkey took his own retinue and did not flee, saying, “I will see about it afterwards.” The Bodhisatta took his own retinue and went to the forest. One day a female slave pounding rice had put some rice out in the sun and a goat was eating it; getting a blow with a torch and running away on fire, he was rubbing himself on the wall of a grass-hut near an elephant-stable. The fire caught the grass-hut and from it the elephant-stable; in it the elephants’ backs were burnt, and the elephant doctors were attending the elephants. The family priest was always going about watching for an opportunity of catching the monkeys. He was sitting in attendance on the king, and the king said, “Sir! Tell me the remedy to cure the elephants.” The priest said, “Monkey’s fat, great king.” “How shall we get it?” “There are many monkeys in the garden.” The king said, “Kill monkey in the garden and get their fat.” The archers went and killed five hundred monkeys with arrows. One wounded old monkey fled and fell when he came to the Bodhisatta’s place of abode. The monkeys said, “He had died when he reached our place of abode,” and told the Bodhisatta that he was dead from a wound he had got. He came and sat down among the assembly of monkeys, and spoke:“Men living near their enemies perish in this way.”

Let not the wise man dwell where dwells his foe

One night, two nights, so near will bring him woe.

A fool’s foe to all who trust his word:

One monkey brought distress on all the herd.

A foolish chief, wise in his own conceit,

Comes ever, like this monkey, to defeat.

A strong fool is not good to guard the herd,

Curse to his kindred, like the decoy-bird.

One strong and wise is good the herd to guard,

Like Indra to the Gods, his kin’s reward.

Who virtue, wisdom, learning, do possess,

His deeds himself and other men will bless.

Therefore virtue, knowledge, learning, and himself let him regard,

Either be a lonely Saint or o’er the flock keep watch and ward.

So the Bodhisatta, becoming king of monkeys, explained the way of learning the Discipline.

After the lesson, the Master identified the Birth: “At that time the disobedient monkey was Devadatta, his troop was Devadatta’s company and the wise king was myself.”