Bodhisatta & Partridge: A Tale of Intention and Karma

In an earlier life, the Bodhisatta was an ascetic living in the Himalayas. One day, he traveled to a village to collect salt and vinegar. The villagers were so impressed by his demeanor that they built him a small leaf hut to stay in during his visit.

In this village, a hunter kept a partridge in a cage. He used the bird as bait to attract other partridges, which he would catch and kill. The partridge, feeling guilt for helping to lure his fellow birds to their doom, stopped singing, but when the hunter struck him on the head with a piece of bamboo, the bird cried out in pain. The sound attracted more partridges, and the cycle continued. The partridge began to wonder if his actions, even though involuntary, were sinful, and whether they would harm his karma.

One day, after catching a full basket of birds, the hunter stopped by the Bodhisatta’s hut to drink some water. While the hunter rested and fell asleep, the partridge, seizing the opportunity, asked the Bodhisatta about his troubled conscience. The Bodhisatta reassured the partridge that there is no sin when there is no ill intent. The partridge, having no malice in his heart, was freed from his sorrow and regret.

In the Lifetime of the Buddha

The partridge in this story was a previous birth of Rahula, the Buddha’s son. As a young novice, Rahula was diligent and never sought special treatment because of his royal lineage. After the Buddha preached about proper conduct for monks, many of the disciples and novices would fall asleep in the sermon hall, instead of going to their quarters as instructed. The Buddha, disapproving of this behavior, made it a formal offense for novices to sleep in the same room as the disciples.

The next evening, the disciples, fearing they would break this new rule, did not set up a bed for Rahula, as they had done before. Rahula, ever obedient, refused to sleep anywhere a disciple might later enter. To avoid any possible issue, he slept in the Buddha’s outhouse. This incident prompted the Buddha to revise his rule, allowing novices to stay in a disciple’s quarters for up to two days when necessary.

When the Buddha heard his disciples discussing Rahula’s exemplary conduct, he shared this story with them to show that Rahula had always been virtuous and disciplined, not only in his current life but also in his past lives.

Moral: The story teaches the importance of intention. The partridge, despite unwittingly luring other birds to their death, was not guilty because he did not act out of malice. Similarly, Rahula’s actions in the Buddha’s time show his dedication to following rules and his willingness to learn from guidance. The story illustrates the Buddhist principle that the heart’s intention behind an action is what determines its moral value, rather than the action itself.