Bodhisatta and Bhimasena: A Lesson in Humility and Honesty

In a past life, the Bodhisatta was once a dwarf archer who, despite his exceptional archery skills, believed his small stature would make it impossible to get a job with the king. To overcome this, he hired a tall, muscular man named Bhimasena to front for him at the palace.Bhimasena presented himself to the king, claiming to be the best archer on the continent. The king, impressed by Bhimasena’s appearance and boasts, hired him, along with the Bodhisatta, who was introduced as his assistant.When a fierce tiger in the forest began to terrorize the area, eating many people, the king sent Bhimasena to kill it. The Bodhisatta devised a plan and instructed Bhimasena on how to accomplish the task. Bhimasena took a group of villagers with him to the forest, and when they found the tiger, he jumped into a thicket while the villagers ran forth and killed the tiger. After the tiger was dead, Bhimasena emerged with a vine, feigning anger, and claimed he was going to tie up the tiger and take it back to the king alive. He demanded to know who had killed it, but everybody kept their mouths shut out of fear, so Bhimasena received the credit from the king.This same trick was successfully used later to kill a dangerous wild buffalo, and both times, the Bodhisatta and Bhimasena collected hefty rewards from the king.However, Bhimasena grew arrogant over these successes and began to disrespect the Bodhisatta, believing he could now get by on his own. When a rival army besieged the city, the king sent Bhimasena out atop an armored war elephant to lead his troops in battle. The Bodhisatta sat in the rear.As they reached the front lines, Bhimasena began to shake with fear and soiled himself. The Bodhisatta told Bhimasena to climb down and then dashed into battle alone, capturing the rival king and taking him back to the palace. The king, now aware of the truth about the pair, lavished honor on the Bodhisatta and sent Bhimasena back to his home in shame1.

In the Lifetime of the Buddha

This tale has a significant connection to the Buddha’s later life. Bhimasena was an earlier birth of one of the Buddha’s disciples who boasted about his noble and ultra-wealthy upbringing, claiming that his family’s slaves dressed and ate better than most regular people. However, it was later discovered that these stories were all lies.When the Buddha heard other disciples discussing how this dishonest disciple had not yet detached himself from desire, he told them this story to illustrate that the dishonest disciple had the same flawed personality in the past. This narrative served to remind the disciples that such behavior was not new and that the individual had a history of deceit and arrogance1.

Moral

The Bhimasena Jataka teaches us about the dangers of arrogance, deceit, and the importance of humility. The story emphasizes that true strength and capability come from within and that relying on false pretenses can lead to downfall. The Bodhisatta’s actions serve as a model for how to handle situations with wisdom and courage, while Bhimasena’s fate serves as a cautionary tale about the consequences of arrogance and dishonesty. This tale underscores the Buddhist principle of honesty and the importance of recognizing and valuing true merit rather than superficial appearances.