The Heron’s Revenge: A Jataka Story of Forgiveness

In a past life, the Bodhisatta was a wise and just king who ruled with fairness and integrity. He had a loyal heron who served him as a messenger, carrying important messages across the kingdom. One day, when the heron was away on an errand, two mischievous boys who lived in the palace took advantage of her absence. They cruelly squeezed the heron’s two young chicks to death.

The heron returned to find her children lifeless, and grief-stricken by the loss, she sought revenge. Nearby, a tiger was kept chained in the palace grounds, and the heron, filled with fury, grabbed the boys and threw them to the tiger, who devoured them both.

Afterward, the heron approached the king and confessed what she had done. She told him that, while she understood her actions were driven by a powerful desire for revenge, she could no longer stay in the palace. The king, though saddened by the deaths of the boys, understood the heron’s grief and the justice behind her actions. However, the heron, despite the king’s understanding, felt she could not live in the palace any longer. She took flight, leaving for the distant Himalayas to find peace.

In the Lifetime of the Buddha
In the Buddha’s present life, the heron had reincarnated as a messenger bird serving a king. One day, when the heron was away, two boys killed her chicks, just as it had happened in a previous life. Driven by the same desire for vengeance, the heron again threw the boys to the tiger, ensuring they met the same fate. Afterward, feeling satisfied but no less sorrowful, the heron flew off to the Himalayas once more.

When the Buddha heard his disciples discussing the heron’s actions, he shared this story with them to explain that even in past lives, the heron had exacted vengeance in similar ways. The lesson, he explained, was that while revenge may bring temporary satisfaction, it never truly heals the pain of loss.

Moral:
Revenge may offer fleeting satisfaction, but it cannot replace what has been lost. True peace comes not from vengeance, but from forgiveness and understanding.