Atthana Jataka: Renunciation and the Dangers of Attachment

In a past life, the Bodhisatta was a wealthy merchant who spent a lavish sum of one thousand coins each day on the services of a high-class prostitute. He had a close friendship with the king and often advised him. One day, after a business meeting at the palace, the Bodhisatta was unable to go home to fetch money for the prostitute, so he went directly to her house. However, the prostitute, unreasonably refusing to allow him to pay the next day, had him thrown out of her house. This treatment ignited a profound anger and disillusionment in the Bodhisatta, especially towards women. He became fixated on their greed and deceit, feeling disgusted by his past behavior and the exploitation involved.

Overcome with frustration, he left his home and the city, heading into the forest. There, he renounced his former life, living as an ascetic and subsisting on wild roots and fruits. The king, missing his trusted advisor, summoned the prostitute to find the Bodhisatta and bring him back to the city, threatening her with execution if she failed. She set out to find him, and upon meeting the Bodhisatta, she apologized profusely, offering to give him all the wealth in her house if he would return. However, the Bodhisatta had already found peace in his new ascetic life and had no intention of returning to his old ways. He gave her an impossible list of conditions, saying he would return only if these miraculous events happened—such as the Ganges River becoming calm like a lotus pond, or mice climbing a ladder to eat the moon.

The prostitute returned to the king and shared the Bodhisatta’s response. The king, realizing the depth of the Bodhisatta’s renunciation, chose to spare her life.

In the Lifetime of the Buddha: A Lesson on Attachment

In the Buddha’s time, one of his disciples struggled with overcoming attachment to women. The Buddha recounted the Atthana Jataka to remind him of the dangers of attachment, particularly to untrustworthy and treacherous beings. The Buddha used this story to emphasize that attachment to the senses leads to suffering, and the ungratefulness of those one becomes attached to can often lead to profound disappointment and pain.

The king in this Jataka story was an earlier incarnation of Ananda, one of the Buddha’s chief disciples, who was deeply devoted to the Buddha and played a key role in spreading his teachings.

Moral of the Story:

The Atthana Jataka teaches that true renunciation comes from a deep understanding of the futility of sensory attachment. The Bodhisatta’s disgust with his previous life is not about women themselves, but about the emptiness of attachment and the suffering it causes. The merchant’s renunciation is a profound example of seeking liberation from worldly desires. The story also serves as a reminder that attachment to the senses can cloud one’s judgment and lead to suffering, while renunciation, born out of wisdom, can lead to peace and liberation.