Bodhisatta’s Wisdom vs. Superficial Knowledge

In this past life, the Bodhisatta was a king’s advisor to King Vedeha. Four other advisors, who were envious of the Bodhisatta’s wisdom, framed him for stealing from the king, forcing the Bodhisatta to flee for his life. While he was gone, the goddess who resided in the king’s royal parasol, missing the Bodhisatta’s wise counsel, decided to take matters into her own hands. She wanted him back in the palace.

One night, the goddess visited King Vedeha and presented him with four riddles. These riddles were designed to test the king’s advisors, but they were quite difficult, and none of the king’s advisors could answer them. The riddles were:

1. Who is dearer than a husband?
2. How can you make fire from fireflies?
3. How do you know the weight of something?
4. Where should you squeeze to get milk?

King Vedeha, troubled, brought these riddles to his four advisors. However, none of them could answer, and they were baffled.

The next night, the goddess returned and rebuked the king for not being able to solve the riddles. She chided him for relying on Senaka, the chief advisor, and the others, saying, “When you need fire, you do not blow on a firefly. You do not put fireflies under grass or cow dung to make them burn. When you want milk, you squeeze a cow’s udder, not its horn. To measure weight, you use a balance, not your hand.” She compared the Bodhisatta to a bonfire of wisdom and explained that if the king did not bring the Bodhisatta back, he would face certain destruction.

The goddess’s words were a clear message to the king: only the Bodhisatta, with his wisdom and clarity, could answer the riddles correctly. The king was warned that his reliance on superficial advice would lead him to ruin.

In the Lifetime of the Buddha

In the time of the Buddha, one day, some of his disciples were discussing his supreme wisdom. They marveled at how the Buddha had humbled and converted not just common people, but also brahmins, ascetics, thieves, goblins, gods, and others, showing his profound understanding of the nature of all beings. When the Buddha overheard this discussion, he told them this story from his past life to demonstrate that even in earlier births, he had been blessed with perfect wisdom.

In this lifetime, King Vedeha was an earlier birth of Laludayi, one of the Buddha’s elder disciples. Laludayi was so shy that he could not speak comfortably when around more than one other person, and he often struggled with his speech, saying one thing when he meant another.

Senaka, the chief advisor who failed to answer the riddles, was an earlier birth of Saccaka, a Jain who later converted to be a disciple of the Buddha. The other advisors—Potthapada, Ambattha, and Pilotika—were earlier births of three ascetics who came to respect the Buddha and later became his disciples.

Moral of the Story

This story teaches that true wisdom does not come from titles or surface knowledge but from deep insight, clarity, and an understanding of the true nature of things. The Bodhisatta’s wisdom was compared to a blazing bonfire, in contrast to the “fireflies” of lesser knowledge. The king’s reliance on superficial advisors and shallow learning was ultimately a recipe for his downfall, while the Bodhisatta’s true wisdom could not be replaced by mere appearances.

The Khajjopanaka Jataka thus reminds us that wisdom, true leadership, and insight come from a pure and clear mind, and that those who rely on superficial knowledge will always fall short. It also emphasizes that wisdom is a precious resource—one that is earned through deep understanding and inner clarity, not simply external appearances.