Bodhisatta and Curse: Wisdom Over Superstition

In a past life, the Bodhisatta was once a treasurer who lived a life of wealth and responsibility. One of his childhood friends, named Curse, fell upon hard times and sought his help. Despite the unfortunate name and the man’s wretched condition, the Bodhisatta hired Curse to look after his property.However, the Bodhisatta’s friends and advisors thought it was inappropriate to have someone with such a name around the house, especially given Curse’s miserable state. They advised the Bodhisatta to fire Curse, citing superstitions about the ill fortune associated with his name. The Bodhisatta, however, insisted that superstitions about names were pure folly and rejected their advice.One time, while the Bodhisatta was traveling, a band of armed thieves who knew about his trip surrounded his house to break in. Curse, who was alone at the house, suspected that thieves were coming and stayed up all night waiting. When he heard the thieves arrive, Curse ran around the house making loud noises to convince them that there were many people present. This ruse succeeded, and the thieves, believing the house was heavily guarded, threw down their weapons and left.The next morning, the people who had previously wanted Curse banished now glorified him for his wisdom and bravery. When the Bodhisatta returned home, he mocked his friends for their earlier advice, pointing out that if he had listened to them, he would now be a beggar due to the loss of his wealth.

In the Lifetime of the Buddha

This tale has a significant connection to the Buddha’s later life. Anathapindika, a wealthy supporter of the Buddha known for his extreme generosity, told the Buddha a story about how his friend named Curse had cleverly saved all his wealth from thieves while he was away from home.The Buddha, upon hearing this story, told Anathapindika this Jataka tale to illustrate that the exact same thing had happened in the past to a man also named Curse. This narrative highlighted the recurring theme of loyalty and wisdom.

Earlier Births

Curse from the past was revealed to be an earlier birth of Ananda, one of the Buddha’s top disciples. This connection underscored the continuity of virtuous behavior across different lifetimes.

Moral

The Kalakanni Jataka teaches us about the importance of loyalty, wisdom, and the folly of superstition. The story emphasizes that true character and ability are more important than names or appearances. The Bodhisatta’s decision to trust Curse despite his name serves as a model for how to judge individuals based on their actions rather than superficial factors. This tale underscores the Buddhist principle of looking beyond external appearances and valuing inner qualities such as loyalty and wisdom.