The Peacock and the Crow: The Triumph of True Virtue

In a distant time, the Bodhisatta was born as a magnificent peacock, renowned for his beauty and his exceptional ability to dance and sing. One day, a group of merchants set sail to a kingdom where no birds were known to exist. On their ship was a crow, perched on the mast, its feathers catching the eye of the locals. The people of the kingdom, enchanted by the crow’s appearance, bought it from the merchants for a hefty sum of one hundred coins. The crow was placed in a golden cage, where it received much admiration and gained considerable fame.

When the merchants returned to the same land on their next voyage, they brought with them the Bodhisatta, the peacock. This time, the peacock had been trained to perform intricate songs at the snap of fingers and to dance gracefully at the clap of hands. The people, captivated by the Bodhisatta’s beauty and talents, eagerly bought him for one thousand coins and placed him in a cage adorned with the seven precious jewels.

As time passed, the Bodhisatta’s fame far surpassed that of the crow. The people lost interest in the crow, whose once-celebrated beauty now seemed dull compared to the splendor and grace of the peacock. The crow, realizing that it was no longer valued, flew away and found refuge on a dunghill, living out the rest of its days in obscurity.

In the Lifetime of the Buddha:

The Buddha, observing his disciples discuss how certain religious leaders lost their honor and influence after he began spreading his teachings, shared the story of the peacock and the crow. He explained that, just as the crow was once highly esteemed for its beauty but eventually faded into obscurity when the peacock arrived with true virtue and talent, so too did those who gained fame through superficial means lose their glory when faced with someone truly endowed with genuine virtue.

The crow, in this past life, was identified as Nigantha Nathaputta, a leader of the Jain sect, whose honor and reputation were diminished in the presence of the Buddha, who embodied the true path to enlightenment.

Moral: True virtue and genuine talent outshine superficial beauty and fleeting glory. Those who seek recognition based on empty appearances will eventually be overshadowed by those who embody real worth.