Bodhisatta’s Love and Desire: The Mudu-Pani Jataka

In the past, the Bodhisatta was a king who made a decision regarding his daughter’s future marriage. Initially, he had planned for his daughter to marry his nephew, the crown prince, and upon his death, they would take the throne together. However, when the children reached marrying age, the Bodhisatta changed his mind and decided it would be more practical to arrange a marriage for his daughter to a king from another kingdom, while bringing in a new woman for his nephew from a different realm.

Knowing the deep love between his daughter and the crown prince, the Bodhisatta took steps to separate them by moving his nephew to a house outside the palace, away from the princess. Undeterred, the nephew devised a plan to help the princess escape and be with him.

He gave one of his fingernails to the princess’s servant, instructing her to pass on a secret message. The next time the servant visited the princess, while picking insects out of her hair, she accidentally scratched her scalp with the prince’s fingernail. Recognizing the nail, the princess understood that the prince was planning to help her escape. She then sent a cryptic message through the servant: “A soft hand, a well-trained elephant, and a black rain cloud give you what you want.”

The prince, understanding the coded message, set his plan in motion. He bribed the mahout of the royal elephant and hired a soft-handed page boy to assist him. On a rainy day, when thick black clouds filled the sky, the prince mounted the elephant and rode to the palace. He waited outside the Bodhisatta’s bedchamber, where the princess slept.

Since changing his mind about the marriage, the Bodhisatta had kept his daughter under close supervision, even sleeping in the same room as her. When the rain began to fall, the princess asked her father if she could bathe in it. The Bodhisatta, ever protective, stood inside the room and held one of her hands while she stepped out onto the balcony. At that moment, she extended her free hand to the prince, who removed her bangles and placed them on the page boy’s arm. The princess then took the boy’s hand and gave it to her father, as if it were her own. The Bodhisatta, not noticing the switch, took the boy to her bed. It wasn’t until the morning that he realized he had been tricked.

Feeling heartbroken and dejected, the Bodhisatta finally came to terms with the situation. Recognizing that the desires of women, and the power of love, could not be controlled, he forgave the couple, allowed them to marry, and even named his nephew the crown prince as originally intended.

In the Lifetime of the Buddha

In the time of the Buddha, one of his disciples became distracted by strong desires, which led to a loss of focus in his meditation and studies. To guide the disciple back to his spiritual path, the Buddha recounted the story of the Mudu-Pani Jataka. The Buddha explained that even wise and disciplined men could not fully control the cravings and desires of others, particularly women, who often pursue their own desires despite the best efforts to control them.

The Buddha’s purpose in telling this story was to remind his disciple that even great wisdom and effort cannot always prevent desire from taking its course. The story served as a lesson on the nature of human desires and the importance of understanding, rather than attempting to suppress, the forces that drive us.

Moral of the Story

The Mudu-Pani Jataka highlights the theme of love, desire, and the inevitability of human emotions. The king’s attempt to control his daughter’s marriage based on practical considerations was ultimately undermined by the powerful bond of love between the princess and the crown prince. Despite the Bodhisatta’s best efforts to separate them, love and desire found a way to unite the couple.

The story teaches that while one may try to impose control over others, especially in matters of love, desires are powerful forces that can’t easily be suppressed. The Bodhisatta’s eventual acceptance and forgiveness of the couple’s actions reflect a deep understanding of the human condition. It also underscores the idea that controlling others’ desires is often futile, and wisdom lies in accepting and navigating them with compassion.

For the Buddha’s disciple, the story was a way to remind him that even the most disciplined practitioners may struggle with distractions caused by desire. The Buddha’s teachings encourage the recognition of these desires and the cultivation of wisdom and self-control, but without the illusion of total mastery over the forces of craving and attachment.