The Danger of Ingratitude: Silavanaga Jataka Tale

In a past life, the Bodhisatta was once a magnificent white elephant, leader of a herd of eighty thousand elephants. However, when he discovered that some of his herd members were sinners, he decided to leave and live alone to maintain his own purity and virtue.One day, a forester got lost in the forest and cried out in despair, fearing death. The Bodhisatta, hearing the man’s cries, invited him to his home and fed him a variety of fruits for several days. After the forester had recovered, the Bodhisatta took him on his back and guided him to the road so he could return home.Upon returning to the city, the forester approached some ivory workers and inquired if they would buy elephant tusks from him. Receiving a positive response, he returned to the Bodhisatta’s home with a saw. He moaned about his inability to earn enough money and asked the Bodhisatta if he could cut off parts of his tusks to sell. The ever-generous Bodhisatta agreed to this request.The forester returned twice more, each time feigning poverty and asking for more of the Bodhisatta’s tusks. The first time, he claimed the money from selling the tusks was only enough to pay off his old debts. The second time, he begged for the rest of the tusks, saying he needed to dig out the stumps. Each time, the Bodhisatta, driven by his compassion and generosity, agreed to the forester’s requests.However, after the third request, as the forester walked home, the earth split open, and the flames of hell dragged him down. A tree fairy, who had witnessed the entire event, commented to all the forest creatures that there is nothing in the world that can satisfy ungrateful beings.

In the Lifetime of the Buddha

This tale has a significant connection to the Buddha’s later life. The forester in the story was an earlier birth of Devadatta, a disciple of the Buddha who later became his nemesis. One day, the Buddha overheard his disciples discussing how Devadatta was ungrateful for all that the Buddha had provided. The Buddha told them this story to explain that even in the past, Devadatta had been an ingrate and lacked virtue.The tree fairy who commented on the forester’s fate was an earlier birth of Sariputta, one of the Buddha’s top disciples. By sharing this story, the Buddha highlighted the recurring pattern of Devadatta’s ingratitude and the importance of gratitude and virtue.

Moral

The Silavanaga Jataka teaches us about the dangers of ingratitude and the importance of virtue and generosity. The story emphasizes that true generosity and kindness should be met with gratitude, and that ungratefulness can lead to severe consequences. The Bodhisatta’s selfless acts serve as a model for how to live a life of compassion and virtue, while the forester’s actions illustrate the negative outcomes of greed and ingratitude. This tale underscores the Buddhist principle of cultivating gratitude and recognizing the value of kindness and generosity.