The Bodhisatta and Musila: A Lesson in Humility and Virtue

The Tale
Long ago, the Bodhisatta was the greatest musician in India. One day, some merchants hired a musician named Musila to play for them, but no matter how Musila tuned his lute, the men showed no interest in his music. Confused and upset, Musila asked them why they weren’t enjoying his playing. They replied, “We thought you were just tuning your lute, not playing.”

When they mentioned the greatest musician in the city, Musila decided to seek him out. He found the Bodhisatta’s home and began to play the Bodhisatta’s lute. The Bodhisatta’s blind parents, hearing the sound, mistook it for rats gnawing at the instrument and cried out in distress. Musila introduced himself, but the Bodhisatta, sensing something wrong with Musila’s character, initially refused to teach him. However, after further pleading from Musila and his parents, the Bodhisatta agreed.

The Bodhisatta taught Musila everything he knew. When Musila wanted to work for the king, the Bodhisatta went to the palace on his behalf. The king offered Musila half the pay the Bodhisatta received, but Musila insisted he should be paid the same, claiming to have learned everything from the Bodhisatta. The king agreed to pay him equally, but only if he could prove his skill. A musical contest was arranged to take place in seven days.

The Bodhisatta, uncertain of his ability and fearing disgrace, went into the forest to die. However, after reconsidering, he returned home and continued to struggle with his thoughts. On the sixth day, the king and the people gathered at the palace to watch the contest. The two musicians played the same piece, brilliantly, but then the Bodhisatta’s strings began to break, one by one. To the amazement of the crowd, the music continued, and even when the lute was reduced to its body alone, the sound remained beautiful.

Indra, the king of the gods, intervened to ensure the Bodhisatta’s victory, using his magic to break Musila’s strings, causing no sound to emerge from them. Finally, as the Bodhisatta threw three dice into the air, nine hundred celestial nymphs descended and began to dance. The crowd, seeing the miracle, turned on Musila, accusing him of disrespecting his teacher, and they beat him to death.

The king and the people celebrated the Bodhisatta with gifts, and Indra took him to heaven to play his lute for the gods. In heaven, the Bodhisatta played better music than even the heavenly musicians. He asked to hear the stories of the goddesses’ virtuous deeds that earned them their place in heaven, and for a week, he listened to tales of generosity, kindness, and patience.

After returning to Earth, the Bodhisatta shared his teachings, preaching the glory of small acts of virtue.

Moral
True greatness is rooted in humility and respect for one’s teachers, and those who boast of self-sufficiency often fall short of their potential. Humble deeds, no matter how small, lead to the greatest rewards.