The Bandhanagara Jataka: Breaking the Bonds of Attachment

In the Bandhanagara Jataka, the Bodhisatta is born as a poor man who takes care of his mother after his father’s death. His mother forces him into a marriage against his will, and soon after, he decides to renounce worldly life and become an ascetic.

However, his wife is pregnant, and she asks him to stay until the child is born. The Bodhisatta agrees. After the child is born, she asks him to stay until it is weaned, and again he agrees. But when she conceives a second child, the Bodhisatta realizes she will continue to delay his ascetic life. So, he secretly leaves in the middle of the night, evading the city guards and fleeing to the Himalayas. There, he finds peace and reaches supernatural attainment. Eventually, he is reborn in heaven, free from worldly attachments.

In the Lifetime of the Buddha

In the Lifetime of the Buddha, thirty disciples from the countryside visit the Buddha and see prisoners bound in chains, suffering from the consequences of their crimes. They ask the Buddha if there is any bond stronger than the chains they see.

The Buddha answers that the bond of craving—for wealth, food, family, and other desires—is a thousand times stronger than the physical chains of prisoners. To illustrate this point, the Buddha tells the disciples the story of his own past life, where his desire to free himself from the bonds of family and material attachment led him to renounce the world and attain supernatural powers.

Moral Lessons and Teachings

1. The Power of Desire: The central theme of the Bandhanagara Jataka is that attachment and craving are the most binding forces in human life. The Bodhisatta’s desire for freedom from his familial bonds leads him to renounce his worldly life. This highlights the Buddha’s teaching that desire, particularly attachment to family and material possessions, can keep people trapped in cycles of suffering.
2. The Importance of Renunciation: The Bodhisatta’s journey reflects the importance of renunciation in Buddhist practice. By leaving behind his family and worldly desires, he finds spiritual liberation and ultimately attains supernatural powers. This shows the transformative power of renouncing worldly attachments and following the path of an ascetic.
3. Freedom from Attachment: The story teaches that true freedom lies not in escaping external constraints, like physical chains, but in overcoming internal attachments and desires. This inner freedom leads to greater peace and spiritual attainment.

Conclusion

The Bandhanagara Jataka illustrates the strong and binding nature of craving and attachment, particularly to family, wealth, and material desires. The Bodhisatta’s renunciation of these attachments serves as a powerful reminder of the Buddhist teachings on the importance of overcoming desire and attachment to achieve true freedom and enlightenment. The story emphasizes that it is not external constraints that bind us, but our own desires, and that true liberation comes from letting go of these attachments.