The False Accusation: A Jataka Story of Integrity

In a past life, the Bodhisatta was born as Indra, the king of the gods. There was a wicked ascetic who lived in a mango orchard, a man who engaged in false religious practices while collecting the ripe fruit from the trees to eat and share with his relatives. His deceitful behavior had been noticed by the Bodhisatta, who, seeking to teach him a lesson, decided to scare the ascetic.

One day, while the ascetic was out gathering alms, the Bodhisatta used his magical powers to make all the mangoes in the orchard disappear, as if they had been stolen by thieves. When the ascetic returned and found the fruit gone, he became enraged. Just then, four daughters of a wealthy merchant, who had been bathing in a nearby river, entered the orchard. The ascetic immediately accused them of stealing the mangoes. When they denied the accusation, the ascetic demanded they take an oath to prove their innocence. Each woman swore that they had not eaten the fruit, and the ascetic, satisfied with their oaths, allowed them to leave.

But then, the Bodhisatta appeared before the ascetic in a terrifying form, revealing the truth of his trickery. The ascetic, frightened beyond measure, fled in fear, realizing he had been wrong to falsely accuse the women.

In the Lifetime of the Buddha
In the Buddha’s present life, the wicked ascetic was reincarnated as a man who had become an ascetic in his old age. He built a leaf hut in a mango orchard and engaged in the same deceitful practices. One day, thieves came and stole all the mangoes, and when the ascetic returned, he found four daughters of a wealthy merchant in the orchard. He falsely accused them of stealing the fruit, just as he had in his past life. The women took an oath to prove their innocence, and the ascetic, satisfied with their words, let them go.

When the Buddha heard his disciples discussing the ascetic’s false accusations, he shared this story, teaching them that the ascetic had done the same thing in his past life. The moral was clear: making false accusations, especially out of selfishness or malice, harms others and only brings shame upon the accuser.

Moral:
False accusations and dishonesty harm others, even when made out of selfish motives. Truth and integrity are always the path to peace.