The Greedy King and the Wise Physician: A Lesson in Letting Go

In a past life, the Bodhisatta was Indra, the king of the gods. He became aware of a king who was consumed by greed, so the Bodhisatta decided to teach him a lesson. Disguised as a young brahmin, the Bodhisatta approached the king with a proposal. He told the king that there were three prosperous cities which, with a small army, could be easily conquered. The king, always eager to expand his kingdom, eagerly accepted the plan and agreed to march into battle the next morning.

However, after agreeing to the plan, the Bodhisatta left and returned to his divine realm in heaven. When the king’s soldiers searched for the brahmin, they found no trace of him. Realizing he had been tricked, the king grew disheartened and called off the war. His mood soured, and he soon fell ill, struck by a high fever and bloody diarrhea. Despite consulting the finest doctors in the land, his condition worsened, and none could cure him.

A few days later, the Bodhisatta returned to the king’s palace, this time disguised as a physician. The king, desperate for help, initially refused to see the Bodhisatta, since he did not recognize him as the same person who had deceived him earlier. But when the Bodhisatta assured the king that his treatment would be free of charge, the king allowed him in.

The Bodhisatta, after showing due respect, asked the king what had caused his sickness. The king explained the source of his ailment—the deceitful brahmin and his plan, which had filled him with greed. The Bodhisatta then responded, “It is desire that causes all suffering. Your greed has brought you this illness, and I will cure you not with medicine but with knowledge.”

The Bodhisatta spoke at length about how desire leads to suffering and how it is the root of all evil. Upon hearing this, the king’s fever immediately subsided, and his body healed. With a newfound understanding of the harm caused by unchecked greed, the king turned into a righteous ruler. He began to govern with generosity and wisdom, and from that day forward, he worked to rid himself of desire.

In the Lifetime of the Buddha:

The greedy king in this story was an earlier birth of a brahmin who had a deep attachment to material wealth. One day, the Buddha divined that the brahmin was on the verge of a spiritual breakthrough. As the Buddha was collecting alms, he visited the brahmin’s field, where the brahmin was preparing to cultivate the land. The Buddha spoke with him during each step of the process—when clearing the roots, plowing the soil, and planting the crops.

The brahmin, misunderstanding the Buddha’s visits, believed the Buddha was merely seeking some of the grain after the harvest. So, the brahmin promised to give the Buddha some of his grain once the crops were ready. However, a heavy rainstorm the night before the harvest flooded the river, destroying the entire crop. Devastated, the brahmin lay crying in bed the next day, mourning the loss.

The Buddha visited the brahmin again and, seeing his sorrow, explained that there is no reason to grieve over what has already been lost. “What is gone cannot be changed,” the Buddha told him, and with these words, the brahmin found peace and reached a new level of understanding.

Later, the Buddha heard his disciples discussing this interaction and told them this story so they could understand that in a past life, he had also helped the brahmin overcome his grief. In this way, the Buddha taught his disciples the importance of letting go of attachments and desires to achieve peace of mind.

Moral:

1. The Danger of Greed: The story of the greedy king highlights how unchecked desire can lead to illness, suffering, and misfortune. The king’s illness was a direct result of his greed, showing that when one is consumed by desire, it can ruin their life.
2. The Power of Knowledge Over Medicine: The Bodhisatta’s cure for the king’s illness was not a physical remedy, but a spiritual one. His wisdom about the dangers of desire healed the king’s body and mind. This emphasizes the power of understanding and self-awareness in overcoming internal struggles.
3. Grief and Letting Go: In the story of the brahmin, the Buddha teaches that sorrow comes from attachment to what is fleeting. The brahmin’s grief was cured when he learned to accept the impermanence of life and let go of his attachment to material things.
4. Transforming Through Wisdom: Both the king and the brahmin were transformed by the Bodhisatta’s wisdom. The king became a righteous ruler, and the brahmin learned to detach from his material desires. This shows the power of spiritual guidance in overcoming the negative impacts of greed and attachment.
5. The Cycle of Learning and Transformation: The Buddha shows that spiritual growth is not limited to the present life. The transformation of both the king and the brahmin illustrates how lessons learned in one life can carry over, and how wisdom passed down through generations leads to true inner peace.

Lesson: Greed and attachment to material wealth lead to suffering, but wisdom and self-awareness can cure the illness of desire. By letting go of attachments and understanding the impermanent nature of life, one can attain peace and transformation.