The Bodhisatta’s Lesson: Choices and Consequences

In a time long past, the Bodhisatta was the wise leader of a herd of deer, known for his keen knowledge of the forest and its dangers. One day, his sister approached him with a request. She asked him to teach her son the essential tricks to avoid the hunters that roamed the woods. The Bodhisatta agreed, setting an appointment to begin the lessons. But when the time came, his nephew failed to show up. The Bodhisatta waited, but the young deer was nowhere to be found.

Days later, while roaming the forest alone, the young deer became careless and was caught in a hunter’s snare. The hunter, unaware of the deer’s importance, took the creature’s flesh home for his meal.

When the young deer’s mother learned of her son’s fate, she rushed to the Bodhisatta, grieving for the loss. She asked why her son had not learned to avoid such dangers. The Bodhisatta, however, showed no sympathy for his nephew’s disobedience. He told his sister that her son’s fate was deserved, for he had ignored wise counsel and failed to prepare for the perils of the forest. “Do not mourn for him,” the Bodhisatta said. “He made his own choices and reaped the consequences.”

Moral:
Ignoring wise advice and disobeying the lessons of experience leads to inevitable consequences. In life, discipline and listening to guidance are essential for survival and success.