The Consequences of Disrespect: The Sarabhanga Jataka

The Sarabhanga Jataka (Jataka #522) tells the story of the Bodhisatta’s previous life as an ascetic who, despite his great worldly success and skills, chose the path of renunciation to avoid the temptations of power, wealth, and family. This tale illustrates the profound spiritual strength of the Bodhisatta, his ability to inspire others, and the consequences of disrespecting holy men. It also highlights the theme of fate and the importance of virtue over material gains.

The Plot

The Bodhisatta’s Early Life and Archery Skills

In this Jataka, the Bodhisatta is born as a son of the royal chaplain. On the day of his birth, a prophecy foretold that he would grow up to be the greatest archer in India. The prophecy proves true, and as he matures, the Bodhisatta becomes renowned for his extraordinary archery skills. He earns a salary of one thousand coins per day by serving as the king’s royal archer.

When the king’s advisors express doubt about the Bodhisatta’s abilities—suggesting that he has not demonstrated his prowess in public—the king arranges a grand demonstration of the Bodhisatta’s skills. He summons the entire city to witness this event.

The Bodhisatta’s Archery Demonstration

The Bodhisatta prepares for his demonstration by donning a splendid coat of armor and a jeweled crown. Four renowned archers, skilled in extraordinary feats of archery (such as splitting hairs or shooting by sound rather than sight), are stationed at the corners of a pavilion. The Bodhisatta stands in the center and challenges them to try their best to wound him with arrows. However, with his exceptional skills, he dodges all their arrows and shoots them down, rendering them unconscious. The crowd is amazed and showers him with money and jewels.

Delighted by the Bodhisatta’s display, the king asks him to perform more tricks. The Bodhisatta obliges, performing twelve archery tricks, including feats like shooting plantains at all four corners of the pavilion with a single arrow, and shooting arrows through thick planks of wood, copper, and iron. He finishes his demonstration by piercing a single hair from two hundred meters away. The king, impressed and grateful, offers him one hundred thousand coins and promises to appoint him commander-in-chief the next day.

Renunciation and the Path to Asceticism

However, after the performance, the Bodhisatta reflects on his life. He realizes that power, family, and wealth are temptations that could lead him down a path of suffering and hell in the future. Overcome by a desire for spiritual freedom, he sneaks away in the middle of the night and retreats to the forest, renouncing all material comforts to become an ascetic.

Upon hearing of the Bodhisatta’s renunciation, Indra, the king of the gods, sends Vissakamma, the chief builder of heaven, to construct a monastery for the Bodhisatta and the many followers he would attract. The Bodhisatta lives in the monastery, subsisting on roots, berries, and the simple fare he gathers in the forest. He attains the eight supernatural attainments and the five supernatural faculties, which grant him extraordinary spiritual powers.

The King’s Visit and the Power of Dharma

Soon, word of the Bodhisatta’s spiritual prowess spreads, and the king, eager to learn from him, visits the monastery with his entourage. The Bodhisatta, using his supernatural abilities, floats in the air and delivers a profound sermon on the nature of Dharma and the misery caused by sensual desires. The king and his entourage, moved by the Bodhisatta’s words, renounce the world and join him in the forest to lead an ascetic life.

Kisavaccha and the Courtesan’s Ritual

As the Bodhisatta’s fame grows, more and more people come to join him in the forest, leading to overcrowding at the monastery. To ease the situation, the Bodhisatta sends six of his best disciples to other places to establish new centers of spiritual practice. One of these disciples, Kisavaccha, settles in a royal park near the palace of a king.

In the park, Kisavaccha encounters a disgraced courtesan who, believing that his presence is a sign of bad luck, spits on him and performs a small ritual to reverse her own misfortune. Soon after, the king rehires her, and she believes her actions are responsible for her restored position. The courtesan later advises the king’s chaplain to repeat the ritual to regain his job when he is dismissed. He follows her advice, and sure enough, he is reinstated.

Later, when the king faces a rebellion in a border region, the chaplain insists on repeating the ritual with Kisavaccha to ward off bad luck before the king goes into battle. The chaplain brings an entire army to the park to spit on Kisavaccha. However, the commander-in-chief of the army, who arrives last, does not engage in the disrespectful ritual. Instead, he helps Kisavaccha remove the toothpicks from his hair and cleanses him.

The commander-in-chief then asks Kisavaccha what will happen to the king because of his disrespect. Kisavaccha calmly explains that while he harbors no anger, the gods are angered by the king’s treatment of a holy man, and as a result, disaster will strike the kingdom in seven days. The commander-in-chief, alarmed, warns the king and then flees the city with his family. Kisavaccha, too, leaves, but due to the abuse he endured, he dies soon after returning to the Bodhisatta’s monastery. During his funeral, flowers rain from heaven, a sign of his spiritual greatness.

The Kingdom’s Destruction

Despite the warning, the king dismisses Kisavaccha’s prediction. He goes on to win the battle against the rebels and returns victorious with his prisoners. However, on the seventh day, the gods send a flood that washes away all the dead bodies from the battlefield. The flood is followed by rain of flowers, then coins, and eventually, blazing weapons. These weapons cause widespread destruction across the kingdom, leaving it in ruins.

When neighboring kings learn of the fate of the king who disrespected holy men, they inquire about his rebirth, and the Bodhisatta confirms that those who harm holy men are reborn in hell. He answers many questions about patience, wisdom, and righteousness, leaving the kings enlightened and filled with bliss. Endowed with supernatural powers, the kings fly back to their homes, while Indra also departs, satisfied with the Bodhisatta’s wisdom.

The Later Life of Kisavaccha

Kisavaccha, who had been a great disciple of the Bodhisatta, is later identified as Moggallana, one of the Buddha’s chief disciples. Moggallana was known for his ability to visit heaven and hell, and he often spoke of the fate of those who followed false teachings. His tragic death, after being attacked by a bandit hired by heretics, mirrors Kisavaccha’s fate. Despite his painful end, Moggallana was honored with flowers raining down during his cremation, just as Kisavaccha had been.

In the Lifetime of the Buddha

In the Buddha’s time, the story of Kisavaccha (Moggallana) is told to explain how he, like the Bodhisatta in his past life, was revered even after death. The Buddha recounts this story to demonstrate the respect due to holy men and how those who mistreat them will face destruction. The other five disciples who helped spread the Bodhisatta’s teachings were also identified as previous births of the Buddha’s top disciples: Sariputta, Maha Kassapa, Anuruddha, Maha Kaccana, and Ananda.

Conclusion

The Sarabhanga Jataka teaches the profound consequences of disrespecting holy men, the power of renunciation, and the importance of wisdom over material gain. It emphasizes that spiritual purity and moral integrity are far more important than worldly success, and it demonstrates how one can find true freedom and bliss by following the path of Dharma. The story also illustrates the supernatural consequences of mistreating virtuous individuals and the eventual karma that unfolds for such actions.