The Prince and His Wife: A Tale of Desire and Enlightenment

In a distant past, the Bodhisatta was an ascetic living peacefully in the Himalayas. Around the same time, the crown prince’s wealth and splendor grew so magnificently that his father, the king, grew fearful of an uprising. To protect his throne, the king banished his son, who, along with his wife, left the kingdom. They settled in a humble leaf hut near the Bodhisatta’s hermitage.

One day, the prince, while wandering through the forest, saw a woodland fairy and was instantly captivated by her beauty. He became so enamored with the fairy that he completely ignored his wife and set off in pursuit of her, hoping to marry her. His wife, feeling rejected and disrespected, decided that she would no longer remain in this marriage. She went to the Bodhisatta, seeking peace and enlightenment, and through his guidance and her own meditation, she made swift progress in her spiritual practice.

Meanwhile, the prince returned, exhausted and unsuccessful, having failed to find the fairy. To his surprise, his wife, now filled with a sense of calm and deep insight, rose into the air and told him that she had found true happiness. She no longer suffered from desire and had transcended worldly attachments. She thanked the prince for unintentionally leading her to the holy life through his own bad behavior. She then departed, flying off to a new, peaceful life.

The prince, overwhelmed by regret, lamented the loss of his wife. He realized that his desires for wealth, lust, and power had caused him to lose what was truly valuable. He remained alone in the wilderness until his father’s death, at which point he returned to claim the throne.

In the Lifetime of the Buddha:

The prince and princess in this story were earlier lives of a beautiful, joyful woman and her husband, who was often neglectful and absent from home. She spent her time studying the teachings of the Buddha’s top disciples and eventually gained permission from her parents to become a disciple herself. Through dedicated practice, she attained the state of an arahant, a fully enlightened being.

When the Buddha heard his disciples discussing her achievement, he told them this story to illustrate how she had once before sought the highest spiritual attainment through her own efforts, and that her progress toward enlightenment had not been hindered by the trials and sufferings of her past.

Moral:

1. Desire Leads to Suffering: The prince’s pursuit of fleeting desires—his infatuation with the fairy and his neglect of his wife—ultimately led him to regret and loss. The story underscores the truth that desires, especially those rooted in lust and materialism, can lead to pain and emptiness.
2. Transformation Through Suffering: The prince’s bad behavior, which led to his wife’s decision to leave him, unintentionally guided her to spiritual awakening. This teaches that even negative experiences can become opportunities for growth and transformation when we choose to respond with wisdom and seek the path of liberation.
3. True Happiness Lies Beyond Attachment: The wife’s spiritual progress and ultimate liberation from desire illustrate that true happiness comes from letting go of attachments and desires. By overcoming the pull of worldly temptations, she found a deeper, lasting peace.
4. The Power of Self-Realization: The wife’s ability to rise above the prince’s behavior and achieve insight shows the importance of self-realization. Her focus on spiritual practice, rather than dwelling on her suffering, allowed her to transform her life completely.
5. Regret and Redemption: The prince’s journey reflects the potential for regret to lead to self-awareness. His realization of the consequences of his actions and the loss of his wife served as a turning point in his life, reminding us of the importance of recognizing our mistakes and seeking a higher path.

Lesson: This Jataka highlights how desire can lead to ruin and how spiritual practice, rooted in wisdom and self-discipline, offers the path to true peace. It also demonstrates that life’s trials—whether caused by others’ actions or our own—can become turning points that guide us toward enlightenment, provided we choose to respond with insight and determination.