Bodhisatta’s Virtue Test: Integrity and Righteousness

In a previous life, the Bodhisatta was a student of a highly respected teacher, renowned for his wisdom and virtue. The teacher had a daughter who was of marriageable age, and he wished to give her hand to one of his students. To determine which of his students was truly virtuous, the teacher devised a test. He told his students that his daughter was getting married and needed dresses and ornaments. He instructed them to steal these items, but with one condition: he would only accept what was taken secretly, without the knowledge of the owners.

While all the students brought stolen goods to the teacher, the Bodhisatta was the only one who did not comply. When asked why, the Bodhisatta explained that there could be no secrecy in wrongdoing, for the gods see all things, everywhere. The teacher was impressed by the Bodhisatta’s integrity and wisdom. He revealed that he had no need for the stolen goods, as he had plenty of wealth for the wedding preparations. The entire exercise had been a test of virtue. The teacher then instructed the other students to return the stolen items and announced that the Bodhisatta had won his daughter’s hand in marriage for his honesty and righteousness.

In the Lifetime of the Buddha

In a later life, five hundred of the Buddha’s disciples, after hearing his teachings, decided to renounce the world and become monks. One night, however, they were troubled by thoughts of desire, and their minds wavered. The Buddha, ever vigilant over his disciples, knew of their struggles. He called them together and delivered a lecture, explaining that there is no secrecy in wrongdoing because everything is known to the gods. He told them this story of the Bodhisatta to illustrate the importance of virtue and integrity, even in the face of temptation.

Upon hearing the story, all five hundred disciples attained arahantship, having freed themselves from desire and gained insight into the importance of maintaining purity of mind and action.

Moral: True virtue is not just about actions, but about the integrity behind those actions. As the Bodhisatta demonstrated, even when one might think no one is watching, there is no true secrecy in wrongdoing. The highest form of righteousness is doing what is right, not for the sake of praise or recognition, but because it is intrinsically good.