Culla-Kunala Jataka: Trust, Betrayal, and Overcoming Grievances

In the Culla-Kunala Jataka, the Bodhisatta was once a king who was deeply in love with his queen. However, the queen, despite her royal position, was unfaithful to her husband and took a servant from the palace as a lover. Each night, after the king fell asleep, she would secretly slip out of the window to meet him, and upon returning, she would wash herself and lie down next to the king as if nothing had happened.

One night, the Bodhisatta, sensing something was amiss, noticed that his queen’s body was unusually cold under the covers. This raised his suspicions, and the next night, he pretended to fall asleep but secretly followed her. To his dismay, he discovered the queen meeting her lover, and the betrayal was confirmed.

The next day, the Bodhisatta summoned the queen before his advisors and exposed her infidelity. Despite the grave nature of her crime, the Bodhisatta chose not to punish her with death, mutilation, or imprisonment, as her offense might have warranted. Instead, he stripped her of her high rank and chose another woman to be his chief queen. His reasoning was that all women were prone to sin, and he took this personal betrayal as a lesson in the impermanence of trust.

In the Lifetime of the Buddha:

In a later life, during the Buddha’s time, five hundred new disciples were dissatisfied with their decision to ordain. These men had originally been princes from two neighboring clans who had nearly gone to war over water rights for their crops. The Buddha intervened and convinced both clans to resolve their dispute peacefully. In a gesture of atonement for their past conflict, both clans sent two hundred fifty princes each to ordain as disciples of the Buddha.

However, these men had joined the Sangha not out of a sincere desire for spiritual growth, but as an act of respect for the Buddha and as an atonement for their former quarrels. Additionally, their unresolved feelings for their former wives caused discontent among them. To help them overcome their dissatisfaction and frustration, the Buddha told them a story from his past life as a cuckoo, where he had once preached a sermon on the inherent wickedness of women. In that sermon, the story of Culla-Kunala was included as an example to demonstrate the risks of misplaced trust and the betrayal that can sometimes arise in relationships.

The Buddha’s intention was not to vilify women entirely, but rather to teach the men about the consequences of attachment and to encourage them to rise above such grievances. He used this past-life story to help them understand the deeper teachings of compassion and renunciation.

Moral Reflection:

The story of Queen Kunala’s Betrayal serves as a cautionary tale about the risks of misplaced trust and the deep pain that betrayal can cause. It also reflects the human tendency to generalize negative experiences—how the Bodhisatta, despite his wisdom, allowed his personal experience to shape his view of women in general. While he acted justly by stripping the queen of her rank, the story invites reflection on the importance of overcoming bitterness and the need for a compassionate perspective, even in the face of betrayal.

This Jataka also ties into the Buddha’s teachings on overcoming attachments and grievances. The Buddha used this story to help his disciples understand that, while personal experiences may influence our views, spiritual progress requires us to rise above those attachments and maintain compassion. The ultimate lesson is that one should not let past betrayals lead to hatred or generalizations about others, but instead seek understanding and cultivate inner peace.