The Bodhisatta and the Monkey: A Lesson in Discipline and Wisdom

Long ago, in the rugged mountains of the Himalayas, the Bodhisatta lived as an ascetic. His life was one of quiet solitude and spiritual practice, dedicated to the pursuit of wisdom and inner peace. Though the Bodhisatta lived alone, nearby there was a band of ascetics who, unlike him, spent most of their time idly laughing and joking. They were carefree and uncommitted, preferring light-heartedness to meditation and discipline. They also kept a pet monkey, who was as mischievous and vulgar as they were.

One day, the carefree ascetics traveled to a nearby town to gather salt and seasoning. Seizing the opportunity, the Bodhisatta decided to take up residence in their monastery. The building was empty, and he felt it would be a peaceful place to meditate. However, he had not been there long when the mischievous monkey, curious about the newcomer, decided to play a prank on him.

The monkey, eager for a bit of fun, tried to disturb the Bodhisatta’s meditation. The Bodhisatta, however, was not shaken. Calmly, he turned to the monkey and said, “You must learn to behave properly. This foolishness will only lead you astray.” The monkey, understanding the gentle wisdom in the Bodhisatta’s words, took them to heart and decided to change his ways.

When the carefree ascetics returned, they were surprised to find their monkey behaving in a calm and composed manner. The monkey no longer played pranks or made a fuss. Instead, he told his keepers, “I have learned proper behavior from the Bodhisatta. I wish to meditate now, just as he does.” But the ascetics, unimpressed, laughed at him. “You are just a monkey,” they said. “You will never meditate like we do. It is not your place to seek such things. We do not like you now, for you are boring and serious.”

The monkey, though disheartened by their words, continued to practice self-discipline. He had tasted the peace that came from proper behavior and inner focus, and though the ascetics mocked him, he felt content in his newfound path.

In the Lifetime of the Buddha

In the time of the Buddha, some of his disciples were often loud and boisterous, paying little attention to the true teachings of impermanence and mindfulness. One day, as the Buddha sat in deep meditation, he heard their raucous laughter echoing from a room below. The noise disturbed him, and so he called upon Moggallana, one of his chief disciples, to quiet them.

Moggallana, using his extraordinary abilities, floated up into the air and gently touched the foundation of the building with his large toe. At once, the house shook so violently that the noisy disciples fled outside in fear. The shaking was enough to startle them into silence, and they quickly realized their behavior was inappropriate.

Later, the Buddha overheard some of the disciples discussing how the noisy ones had not yet grasped the core teachings of impermanence and mindfulness. To help them understand, the Buddha shared the story of the Bodhisatta’s past life as an ascetic, and the way the monkey had learned from his example. “Just as the monkey learned to discipline himself and follow the proper path,” the Buddha said, “so too must you learn to control your minds and find peace within.”

Moral: The path to wisdom is not always easy, but it is always worth pursuing. Those who live without discipline and without regard for the true teachings will never find the inner peace they seek. Even the most unlikely of creatures can learn virtue if they are shown the way.