Bodhisatta & Monkey: A Tale of Envy and Destruction

In an earlier life, the Bodhisatta was a bird living in the Himalayas. He had built a nest that kept him dry and comfortable, even during the rainy season. One day, he saw a cold and wet monkey sitting nearby, shivering from the weather. The Bodhisatta, feeling sympathy, asked the monkey why, with hands like a human, he had not built a home for himself.

The monkey, feeling insulted, replied, “I may have hands like a human, but I lack their wisdom. I cannot build like you do.” Despite the Bodhisatta’s suggestion to try and build his own shelter, the monkey, who was full of envy, became angry. In his frustration, he tried to catch the Bodhisatta, and in his fit of rage, he destroyed the bird’s carefully built nest.

In the Lifetime of the Buddha

In a later life, the monkey’s envy and destructive nature manifested as a wicked novice living in a forest with the elder Maha Kassapa, one of the Buddha’s top disciples. The elder and his two novice attendants were staying in the forest, and while one of the novices diligently took care of the elder, the other was lazy and dishonest. This wicked novice would often take credit for the good deeds done by the other novice.

The good novice, tired of the lies, decided to expose the wicked one’s deceit. One day, he prepared water for Maha Kassapa’s bath and hid it in a back room. When the wicked novice called the elder to bathe, he found there was no water. The good novice then brought in the water he had prepared, revealing the wicked novice’s dishonesty.

The bad novice was furious at being caught and humiliated by the elder. The next day, he refused to join the morning alms round and instead went to a family that supported the three of them. He lied to the family, telling them that Maha Kassapa was sick and that he would bring food back for him. However, when the elder visited the family the next day, he learned about the wicked novice’s lie.

Enraged by the continued dishonesty, the wicked novice took revenge. He smashed all the cooking utensils with a hammer and set fire to the elder’s leaf hut. His destructive behavior led to his eventual demise, and he was reborn in hell as a consequence of his wicked actions.

When some of the Buddha’s disciples came to visit him at his monastery, they told him about the wicked novice’s actions. The Buddha, understanding the connection, shared the story of the monkey and the Bodhisatta’s encounter. He explained that the bad novice’s destructive nature in his past life had been reflected in his actions in the present, much like the monkey who had once destroyed the Bodhisatta’s nest in a fit of envy.

Moral: The story highlights the dangers of envy, dishonesty, and destructive behavior. The monkey’s jealousy and lack of wisdom led to the destruction of his own shelter, just as the wicked novice’s envy and dishonesty led to his downfall. The tale serves as a reminder that negative emotions like envy can lead to harmful actions that not only damage others but also harm oneself in the long run. Through wisdom and self-reflection, one can avoid such destructive paths.