The Monkey’s Envy: A Lesson on Wisdom and Destruction

In a past life, the Bodhisatta was a wise bird living high in the Himalayas. His nest, built with great care, kept him warm and dry even during the cold and rainy seasons. One day, as he was perched nearby, he noticed a wet and shivering monkey sitting on the ground. The Bodhisatta, seeing the monkey’s misery, asked, “Why are you sitting here in the cold and rain? You have hands, like humans. Why don’t you build a shelter for yourself?”

The monkey, feeling ashamed but not willing to admit his lack of wisdom, replied, “Though I have hands like a human, I do not have their wisdom. I cannot build a home like you can.”

The Bodhisatta, ever the teacher, encouraged the monkey, saying, “Why not try? You might be able to build a shelter for yourself.” However, the monkey took the Bodhisatta’s advice as an insult. His envy grew, and in his anger, he decided to destroy the bird’s nest. The monkey attempted to catch the Bodhisatta and, in the process, smashed the carefully built nest.

A Lesson from the Buddha’s Lifetime
In the time of the Buddha, the monkey from the Jataka was reborn as a wicked novice monk. He lived in a forest with the elder Maha Kassapa, one of the Buddha’s chief disciples. While the elder and another novice worked diligently to care for their daily needs, the bad novice shirked his responsibilities. Instead, he would take credit for the work done by others.

The responsible novice, tired of the deceitful behavior, decided to expose the bad novice. One day, he secretly heated water for Maha Kassapa’s bath and placed it in a back room. When the bad novice called the elder to bathe, the elder was surprised to find no water prepared. At that moment, the good novice brought the heated water from the back room, exposing the bad novice’s dishonesty.

The elder Maha Kassapa, now aware of the bad novice’s actions, scolded him, telling him not to lie or take credit for others’ work. The bad novice, furious at being caught, refused to join the morning alms round the next day. Instead, he went to a family who supported the monks and falsely told them that Maha Kassapa was sick and needed food delivered to him.

The next day, when Maha Kassapa visited the same family, they informed him of the bad novice’s deceit. The elder again scolded the wicked novice for his lies.

In his anger, the bad novice retaliated by destroying all the cooking utensils with a hammer and even setting fire to the elder’s leaf hut. Soon after, the wicked novice died and was reborn in hell, suffering the consequences of his destructive actions.

Moral of the Story:
The Kutidusaka Jataka teaches us that envy and lack of wisdom can lead to destructive behavior. The monkey’s attempt to destroy the Bodhisatta’s nest is a symbol of how negative emotions like envy can lead us to harm others rather than learning from their wisdom. In the same way, the wicked novice’s lies, deceit, and destructive actions ultimately led him to ruin.

The story also highlights the value of wisdom and responsibility. The good novice in the Buddha’s time showed integrity and took the right action by exposing the bad novice’s behavior, while the elder Maha Kassapa’s wise leadership led to the resolution of the issue. In contrast, the bad novice’s refusal to learn and his destructive actions resulted in his downfall.

Through these stories, the Jataka teaches that wisdom, self-discipline, and respect for others lead to peace and harmony, while envy and destruction only bring suffering.