Once upon a time when Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares, the Bodhisatta was conceived by an elephant in the Himalayas. When born, he was white all over, like a mighty mass of silver. His eyes were like diamond balls, and his mouth was red; his legs were like a pillars as if polished with lac. When he grew up, all the elephants of the Himalayas followed him as their leader. Whilst he was leading his life thus, he became aware that there was sin in the herd. So, detaching himself from the rest, he lived in solitude in the forest, and the goodness of his life won him the name of Good King Elephant.

Now a forester of Benares came to the Himalayas, and made his way into that forest in quest of the implements of his craft. Losing his way, he roamed to and fro, stretching out his arms in despair and weeping with the fear of death. Hearing the man’s cries, the Bodhisatta was moved with compassion and decided to help him in his need. So he approached the man. But at sight of the elephant, off ran the forester in great terror. Seeing him run away, the Bodhisatta stood still, and this brought the man to a standstill too. Then the Bodhisatta again advanced, and again the forester ran away; When the Bodhisatta halted, he also halted once more. Hereupon the truth dawned on the man that the elephant stood still when he himself ran, and only advanced when he himself was standing still. Consequently he concluded that the creature could not mean to hurt, but to help him. So he valiantly stood his ground this time. And the Bodhisatta drew near and said, “Why are you wandering about here lamenting?”

The forester replied, “Mylord!I have lost my way, crying out of fear of death.”

Then the elephant brought the man to his own dwelling, and there entertained him with fruits of every kind for some days. The Elephant took the forester to a place where men lived. But the forester thought to himself, that, if questioned, he ought to be able to reveal everything. So, as he traveled along on the elephant’s back, he noted the landmarks of tree and hill. At last the elephant brought him out of the forest and set him down on the high road to Benares, saying, “There lies your road. Tell nobody, whether you are questioned or not, of the place of my living.” And with this, the Bodhisatta made returned back to his own place.

Arrived at Benares, the forester came to the ivory workers bazaar, where he saw ivory being worked into divers forms and shapes. And he asked the craftsmen whether they would give anything for the tusk of a living elephant.

“What makes you ask such a question?” was the reply. “A living elephant’s tusk is worth a great deal more than a dead one’s.”

The forester said,”Oh! then, I’ll bring you some ivory.” He went to Bodhisatta’s dwelling with a sharp saw. When asked what had brought him back, he told that he is in a poor state where he could not make a living anyhow. Therefore, he had come to ask for a bit of the king elephant’s tusk to sell for a living! The Bodhisatta said,”Certainly; I will give you a whole tusk, if you have a saw to cut it off with.”

“Oh, I brought a saw with me, sir.”

The Bodhisatta said,”Then saw my tusks off, and take them away with you.” And he bowed his knees till the forester sawed off both of the Bodhisatta’s chief tusks! When they were off, the Bodhisatta took them in his trunk and told the forester: “Don’t think that it is because I don’t value these tusks that I give them to you. But a thousand times, a hundred thousand times, dearer to me are the tusks of omniscience which can comprehend all things. And therefore may my gift of these to you bring me omniscience.” With these words, he gave the pair of tusks to the forester as the price of omniscience.

And the forester took them off, and sold them. And when he had spent the money, back he came to the Bodhisatta, saying that the two tusks had only brought him enough to pay his old debts, and begging for the rest of the Bodhisatta’s ivory. The Bodhisatta consented, and gave up the rest of his ivory after having it cut as before. And the forester went away and sold this also. Returning again, he said, “it’s no use. I can’t make a living anyhow. So give me the stumps of your tusks.”

The Bodhisatta answered, “So be it.” Then he sawed out the stumps and went away. But when the forester crossed some distance, the earth split into two and fire broke out from the depth and swallowed him.

Then the tree fairy that lived in that forest said: “Not even the gift of worldwide empire can satisfy the thankless and ungrateful!”

The Bodhisatta, lived out his life, passing away at last to fare according to his deserts.