Betrayal, Justice, and Survival: A Jataka Tale

In this story, the Bodhisatta was once a crown prince. He had six younger brothers, and together they served their father, the king, with loyalty. However, the king was paranoid and feared that one of his sons might kill him to seize the throne. In his fear, he banished all of his sons from the kingdom, instructing them not to return until after his death. The brothers were sad but agreed to leave.

They wandered aimlessly, taking their wives with them. Eventually, they found themselves in a desolate forest where they could find no food or water. The suffering became unbearable, and in their desperation, the brothers made the horrifying decision to kill the youngest brother’s wife, slicing her into thirteen parts (one part for each person) and eating her. For the next five days, they repeated this gruesome act, with the Bodhisatta and his wife sharing one part between them each day while saving another portion.

On the seventh day, the time came to sacrifice the Bodhisatta’s wife. However, he decided to give the saved portions of meat to his brothers, sparing his wife. That night, the Bodhisatta and his wife fled. When she grew tired, he carried her on his shoulders, and when she grew thirsty, he cut his knee and let her drink his blood. Eventually, they reached the Ganges River, where they revived themselves with fruit and water and built a simple hut to live in.

The Thief, Betrayal, and Survival

While the Bodhisatta and his wife lived in the hut, a convicted thief who had been severely punished (with his hands, feet, nose, and ears cut off) was drifting down the river in a small boat. The Bodhisatta, hearing the thief’s groans, took pity on him and rescued him, bringing him into the hut to treat his wounds and save his life. However, over time, the Bodhisatta’s wife became enamored with the thief. She began an affair with him, and as her desire grew, she plotted to have the Bodhisatta killed. One day, she pushed him off a cliff, hoping he would die.

But, unbeknownst to her, the Bodhisatta survived the fall by landing on the top of a fig tree. Unable to climb up or down, he remained there, surviving on figs. An iguana who visited the tree daily to eat fruit eventually spoke with the Bodhisatta. Upon hearing the Bodhisatta’s story, the iguana took pity on him and, with the strength to carry him, helped him descend the cliff and escape the forest.

Return to the Kingdom

The Bodhisatta made his way to a nearby village, where he stayed until he learned of his father’s death. With his father’s passing, he returned to take the throne. As king, he ruled with wisdom and generosity, ensuring that his subjects received daily alms from six alms halls that he established for their benefit.

Meanwhile, his wife, having carried her lover out of the forest on her shoulders, lived as a beggar. Eventually, they found food through the pity of others. Someone advised her to bring her husband in a basket to the capital, where the new king might show mercy and provide them with riches. They did as suggested, and after arriving in the capital, they lived comfortably from the alms distributed at the six alms halls.

The Confrontation and Punishment

One day, while the Bodhisatta was riding his elephant through the streets, distributing alms, he saw his wife. She did not recognize him, but he immediately recognized her. He summoned her and declared to the citizens who she was and what she had done to him. He explained that she deserved to die for her betrayal, but he would spare her life. Instead, he had the basket with her lover tied tightly to her head, ensuring she could not remove it, and then he banished them both from the kingdom.

In the Lifetime of the Buddha

This Jataka contains a reflection of the Buddha’s wisdom and teachings. One of the Buddha’s disciples, while out on a morning alms round, saw a beautiful woman and immediately fell in love with her. The disciple became so distracted by his love that he became weak and could no longer focus on his meditation or studies. The Buddha, observing his suffering, told this story to remind the disciple that women can often lead men astray, causing them unnecessary pain and sorrow.

In the context of the Buddha’s past lives, the six brothers were earlier births of the Buddha’s six elder disciples, his wife was an earlier birth of Cinca-Manavika, a woman who falsely claimed the Buddha had impregnated her, the thief and the iguana were earlier births of Devadatta, a disciple who later became the Buddha’s nemesis, and Ananda, one of the Buddha’s closest and most devoted disciples.

Moral of the Story

The story conveys important lessons about betrayal, survival, and the consequences of immoral actions. The Bodhisatta’s compassion and wisdom saved both the thief and his wife, even though she later betrayed him. The story also highlights the dangers of attachment and lust, and the Buddha uses this tale to remind his disciples that love and desire can lead to suffering and spiritual downfall.

The Bodhisatta’s journey, his eventual return to power, and his just decision to spare his wife’s life yet banish her, demonstrate the importance of wisdom and forgiveness, but also the necessity of upholding justice for the greater good.

Moral Lesson

The story teaches that wisdom, patience, and understanding are key to overcoming life’s difficulties, while attachment to worldly desires can lead to great suffering. It also reminds us that true justice should be tempered with mercy, but not at the cost of righteousness.