Bodhisatta and the Poisoned Die: A Lesson on Honesty

In a past life, the Bodhisatta was once a skilled dice player. One day, he discovered that one of the men he played with was a cheat. This cheat would often put one of the dice in his mouth to pretend it was lost, thereby ending the game at an opportune time for himself.Determined to expose and stop the cheat, the Bodhisatta devised a plan. The next time they played, the Bodhisatta covered his dice in a dried poison. As the game progressed and the cheat started to lose, he resorted to his usual trick and popped a die into his mouth.The Bodhisatta immediately called him out for his scam and warned him about the poison. The cheat, realizing what he had done, grew faint and doubled over in pain. The Bodhisatta then gave him a medicine to make him vomit, saving his life. He sternly advised the cheat not to cheat again, emphasizing the severe consequences of such actions.

In the Lifetime of the Buddha

This tale has a significant connection to the Buddha’s later life. The Buddha observed that many of his disciples were careless in the use of the four requisites (clothing, food, lodging, and medicine) provided to them. This carelessness was so severe that it could result in rebirth in hell or the animal world.To address this issue, the Buddha made specific rules about the proper use of these requisites. He told his disciples this story to illustrate the dangers of using things thoughtlessly, comparing it to taking poison. The story served as a cautionary tale to emphasize the importance of mindfulness and responsible use of the resources provided.The Buddha did not identify any earlier births other than his own in this context, focusing instead on the moral lesson and its relevance to the monks’ behavior.

Moral

The Litta Jataka teaches us about the importance of honesty, responsibility, and the consequences of careless or deceitful actions. The story emphasizes that using resources thoughtlessly or engaging in deceit can have severe repercussions, much like the physical harm caused by the poisoned die. The Bodhisatta’s actions serve as a model for how to address and correct wrongdoing, while the cheat’s fate serves as a warning against dishonest behavior. This tale underscores the Buddhist principle of mindfulness and the responsible use of resources, highlighting the need for careful and ethical conduct in all aspects of life.