The Gagga Jataka: The Power of Words and Redemption

The Gagga Jataka recounts a story of a brahmin’s son (the Bodhisatta) and his father, who, while traveling, encounter a dangerous situation in a haunted building. The tale illustrates the power of words and blessings, as well as themes of compassion, redemption, and the consequences of past actions. This Jataka also serves as the origin story for the custom of offering a blessing after sneezing, which the Buddha later addresses with his disciples.

The Story:

In this Jataka, the Bodhisatta and his father arrive in a city only to find the gates shut for the night. The only place they can stay is a haunted building, which has a grim history. The goblin king Vessavana, in gratitude for twelve years of service, had given one of his goblins permission to eat anyone who entered the building unless they blessed the goblin with a specific phrase after a sneeze. The blessing required was “Long life to you!”.

Upon settling in the building, the goblin, eager to claim his meal, raised a cloud of fine dust, causing the father to sneeze. However, the Bodhisatta, understanding the danger, did not remain silent. Instead, he quickly said, “I pray that you live one hundred years and twenty more,” thereby fulfilling the necessary blessing and thwarting the goblin’s attempt to harm them.

Yet, when the father sneezed, he failed to offer the proper blessing, and the goblin moved toward him to strike. Seeing this, the father, realizing his mistake, quickly corrected himself and said, “I pray that you also live one hundred years and twenty more,” thus saving his own life.

Once the immediate danger was over, the Bodhisatta asked the goblin to share his life story. The goblin explained that his miserable existence was a result of his bad deeds in past lives. However, the Bodhisatta advised him that if he stopped killing people, he could break the cycle of bad karma and avoid such a fate in the future. The goblin, moved by this wise counsel, became much calmer and docile.

The next day, the king of the city, hearing of how the goblin had been subdued, appointed the Bodhisatta as his commander-in-chief, and the goblin was made a tax collector, symbolizing his transformation from a dangerous being to a more peaceful one.

In the Lifetime of the Buddha:

In the Buddha’s lifetime, the story of the goblin and the blessing after sneezing resurfaces in a different context. One day, while the Buddha was talking with his disciples, he sneezed. The disciples, as was the custom, immediately cried out, “Long life to the Buddha!” However, this loud interruption disturbed the conversation, and the Buddha, mocking the superstition, decided to enact a rule forbidding his disciples from responding to sneezes with blessings.

From that moment on, whenever the disciples sneezed, laypeople would still offer the customary “Long life to you!” blessing, but the disciples refrained from responding. This behavior puzzled the people, and when they asked the disciples why they no longer answered, the disciples explained the Buddha’s new rule. Upon hearing this, the Buddha, for the sake of politeness, relaxed the rule slightly. He allowed his disciples to respond to blessings with “The same to you,” but they were not to speak the blessing themselves.

When the disciples asked the Buddha about the origin of the custom of blessing someone after a sneeze, the Buddha shared the story of the goblin and the Bodhisatta, explaining that this was the time when the custom had first come into being.

Moral Lessons:

1. The Power of Words: The story emphasizes the significance of words and blessings. The Bodhisatta’s use of the correct blessing saves his father’s life and diffuses a dangerous situation. The story suggests that even a simple utterance, made with the right intention, can have a profound impact.
2. The Power of Compassion and Wisdom: The Bodhisatta’s compassionate approach in dealing with the goblin and his wise counsel ultimately leads to the goblin’s redemption. The Jataka shows that even a being with a history of cruelty can change if they are given the wisdom and opportunity to do so.
3. Consequences of Past Actions: The goblin’s current fate is a direct result of his bad actions in previous lives. This highlights the Buddhist principle of karma, where one’s actions in past lives have a direct impact on their present and future circumstances. However, the story also offers hope, showing that one can change their future by cultivating virtuous behavior.
4. Politeness and Etiquette: In the Buddha’s later teachings, the story shifts to focus on the etiquette surrounding sneezing blessings. The Buddha’s mockery of superstition and his establishment of a new rule for his disciples shows the importance of maintaining politeness without being bound by unnecessary customs or superstitions.
5. Transformation and Redemption: The goblin’s transformation from a dangerous, cruel being into a docile, reformed creature mirrors the theme of redemption and spiritual growth. This reinforces the idea that through wisdom and compassion, even the most seemingly negative or harmful beings can change for the better.

Conclusion:

The Gagga Jataka teaches us several important lessons: the power of words, the potential for redemption through compassion and wisdom, the consequences of karma, and the significance of politeness in everyday life. It also provides the origin story of a widely practiced custom (offering blessings after sneezing) while offering insight into how the Buddha used stories from his past lives to convey deeper moral teachings. Ultimately, the story shows that through kindness, understanding, and right action, both individuals and societies can break free from cycles of violence and hatred and find peace.