Dhumakari Jataka: The Perils of Favoritism

In the Dhumakari Jataka, the Bodhisatta is born as a king’s chaplain. The king has a tendency to favor his new soldiers, sidelining the veterans who have served loyally for years. One day, the king must suppress a rebellion in a frontier province, but when the time comes for battle, neither the new soldiers nor the old ones are willing to fight. Each group assumes that the other will take on the task. As a result, the king suffers a defeat.

Realizing that his partiality towards the new soldiers had caused this disaster, the king seeks the Bodhisatta’s wisdom. He asks if any other king had been defeated in a similar manner. The Bodhisatta responds with a story from the past, recounting the tale of a goatherder.

The Goatherder’s Tale:

Once, during the rainy season, a goatherder began to care for a herd of golden-hued deer that wandered into his forest. The deer captivated him, and he neglected his goats in favor of the new arrivals. However, when the rains ended and the deer moved on to the higher mountains, the goatherder discovered that his goats had died from neglect. Stricken with guilt and sorrow, the goatherder fell ill with jaundice and eventually died from the stress of his actions.

Hearing this story from the Bodhisatta, the king feels comforted, realizing that his own behavior mirrors the goatherder’s mistake. He thanks the Bodhisatta with a large donation of wealth and, from that point on, resolves to treat all his soldiers fairly, giving respect to both the new and the old.

In the Lifetime of the Buddha:

The Buddha later tells this story to King Pasenadi of Kosala, who had once made a similar mistake. King Pasenadi had shown excessive favor to some newly arrived soldiers and neglected the veterans. When he needed to quell a disturbance in a frontier province, neither the new soldiers nor the old would fight, each believing the other would take the responsibility. The king suffered a defeat and, seeking advice, asked the Buddha if any other king had experienced a similar situation.

The Buddha then recounts the Dhumakari Jataka, explaining that the goatherder was an earlier birth of King Pasenadi, and the lesson the king needed to learn was that neglecting those with experience for the sake of the new or untested can have disastrous consequences.

The king of the past, in his previous life as the goatherder, had been an earlier birth of Ananda, one of the Buddha’s top disciples.

Moral of the Story:
The Dhumakari Jataka teaches a valuable lesson about the dangers of favoritism and neglecting those with experience. The goatherder’s neglect of his goats in favor of the deer symbolizes the king’s neglect of his veteran soldiers in favor of the new recruits. Favoritism toward the new, while ignoring the old, weakens a system or community, whether it’s a king’s army or a goatherder’s herd. True leadership lies in recognizing the value of both experience and novelty, treating all members with fairness and respect.

Key Takeaways from the Jataka:

• Neglecting the Old in Favor of the New Leads to Ruin: The goatherder’s failure to tend to his goats and the king’s failure to respect the veterans both result in disaster. In leadership, all members must be valued, regardless of their experience.
• Leadership Requires Balance: A good leader recognizes the importance of both the new and the experienced, knowing that each group has unique strengths to offer.
• The Consequences of Favoritism: Whether in war or daily life, favoritism can lead to imbalance and failure. The Dhumakari Jataka is a cautionary tale about the dangers of neglecting those who have already contributed.

Conclusion:
The Dhumakari Jataka is a profound lesson in leadership, showing that a wise leader values the contributions of all, both new and old. The story reminds us that neglecting the experienced in favor of the new can be harmful and that true strength comes from balancing all elements within a community or group. By recognizing the value in all members, whether they are veterans or newcomers, a leader can foster unity and success.