Monthly Archives: January 2014
76. The Bodhisatta – As An Acrobat
Once upon a time, while Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares, the Bodhisatta was born as one of a family of poor acrobats, that lived by begging. So when he grew up, he was needy and squalid, and by begging he lived.
There was at the time, in a village of Kasi, a Brahmin whose wife was bad and wicked, and did wrong. And when the brahmin was away, and her lover watching this went to brahmin’s house. After she had received him, he said, “I will eat a bit before I go.” So she made ready the food, and served up rice hot with sauce and curry, and gave it him, requested him eat. She herself stood at the door, watching whether the brahmin is coming. And while the lover was eating, the Bodhisatta stood waiting for a morsel.
75. The Bodhisatta – As A Vulture
Once upon a time, when Brahmadatta was king of Benares, the Bodhisatta came to life as a young Vulture on the Vulture Hill, and had his mother and father to nourish.
Once there came a great cyclone. The Vultures could not withstand; half frozen, they flew to Benares, and there they sat near the wall and near the ditch, shivering with the cold.
74. The Bodhisatta – As A Young Quail
Once upon a time, when Brahmadatta was king in Benares, the Bodhisatta came into the world as a young Quail. He got his food in hopping over the clods left after ploughing.
One day he thought he would leave his feeding ground and try another; so he went to the edge of a forest. As he picked up his food there, a Falcon saw him, and attacked him fiercely. He was get caught.
73. The Bodhisatta – As A Young Hare
Once upon a time when Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares, the Bodhisatta came to life as a young hare and lived in a wood. On one side of this wood was the foot of a mountain, on another side a river, and on the third side a border-village. The hare had three friends–a monkey, a jackal and an otter. These four wise creatures lived together and each of them got his food on his own hunting-ground, and in the evening they again came together. The hare in his wisdom by way of admonition preached the Truth to his three companions, teaching that alms are to be given, the moral law to be observed, and holy days to be kept. They accepted his admonition and went each to his own part of the jungle and lived there.
