Bodhisatta Jataka: The Dangers of Attachment and False Love

In a distant past, the Bodhisatta was born as a notorious thief, known across the land for his strength, audacity, and skill in plundering. His fame spread far and wide, and one day, he broke into the home of a wealthy merchant. The crime caused an uproar, and the people demanded that the king capture the thief. The king ordered that men be posted throughout the city to find and arrest him.

Soon, the Bodhisatta was caught with the stolen treasure in his possession. He was bound, whipped, and sentenced to death. As he was led to the place of execution, a high-class prostitute named Sama saw him and was struck by a deep, instant love for him. Determined to save him, she offered the king a bribe of a thousand coins. However, the Bodhisatta was too infamous to be released so easily.

The governor, seeing Sama’s desperation, agreed to set him free on one condition: she must find someone to take the Bodhisatta’s place. When one of her regular clients, a wealthy young merchant, arrived later that evening, Sama seized the opportunity. She lied, claiming that the Bodhisatta was her brother and that she wanted to save him. The merchant, eager to help, agreed to pay the thousand-coin bribe. However, once he handed over the money, he was seized by the governor’s men, and the Bodhisatta was quietly taken away in a covered carriage. In the dead of night, the execution was carried out, and the merchant’s headless body was publicly displayed as if it were the Bodhisatta’s.

The Bodhisatta, now free, was taken to Sama’s home. She was overjoyed, and they began to live together in peace. But the Bodhisatta soon realized that their arrangement was precarious. If Sama were to fall in love with someone else, his life would be in danger again. So, he devised a plan to escape.

One day, he suggested that they have a picnic in a beautiful garden. Sama, dressed in her finest jewelry, eagerly agreed. In the solitude of the garden, the Bodhisatta lured her into a thicket, where he embraced her tightly until she lost consciousness. Seizing her jewelry, he jumped over the garden wall and fled.

When Sama awoke and found herself abandoned, she assumed that the Bodhisatta’s actions were the result of an intense, overwhelming passion. She believed he had run off in fear, thinking he had accidentally killed her in his embrace.

Heartbroken, Sama returned home and vowed to find him. She hired a troupe of minstrels to sing a song about her love and sent them to every town and village in the kingdom. The song went:
“‘Twas the joyous time of spring;
Bright with flowers on each tree;
From her swoon awakening;
Sama lives, and lives for thee.”

She believed that, upon hearing the song, the Bodhisatta would come to her and hear her plea.

The song eventually reached a remote village, where the Bodhisatta overheard it. He approached the minstrels and, with a heavy heart, told them that Sama’s love was fickle and that he would never return. Fearing eventual betrayal, he had decided to leave for good.

The minstrels returned to the city and conveyed the Bodhisatta’s message to Sama. Deeply regretful and sorrowful, Sama resumed her former life as a prostitute, having lost the man she once loved.

A Lesson from the Past: The Buddha’s Wisdom
In the Buddha’s lifetime, one of his junior disciples, who had recently joined the Sangha, was struggling with his food and health. His meals were poor and unsatisfying, and he began to feel weak and disheartened. Missing his former life, he started to return to his wife, who had been a prostitute in a past life. She would provide him with delicious food, and they shared moments of comfort and familiarity. This led the disciple to reconsider his path.

One day, the Buddha shared this story of the Bodhisatta’s past life with the disciple, explaining that his wife had caused his beheading in a former life. He helped the disciple understand that attachments to the past could cause suffering and hinder spiritual progress. With this insight, the disciple was able to let go of his old attachments and refocus on his spiritual practice.

Moral of the Story:
The tale of the Bodhisatta’s life as a thief teaches us about the impermanence of love, the danger of attachment, and the importance of true spiritual wisdom. Love, when driven by desire or fear, can lead to betrayal and sorrow. True peace comes from letting go of the past and understanding the fleeting nature of all things.