The Godha Jataka: The Danger of False Appearances

In a past life, the Bodhisatta was born as a lizard living in the forest. One day, an ascetic moved into the forest near the Bodhisatta’s home. Believing him to be a true holy man, the Bodhisatta would often visit him to offer respect.

One day, a supporter of the ascetic, unaware of the lizard’s nature, offered him some lizard meat. The ascetic, finding the meat delicious, developed a craving for more and decided he would capture and eat the Bodhisatta. To prepare, he gathered all the necessary cooking ingredients—ghee, curds, condiments, and the like—and sat in front of his leaf hut, hiding a mallet beneath his robe, waiting for the lizard to come.

When the Bodhisatta arrived, he sensed that something was amiss. Realizing the ascetic’s intentions, he walked downwind, where the scent of the preparation confirmed his suspicions. Instead of approaching, he turned and made his escape. The ascetic, startled, threw his mallet at the Bodhisatta, but it only struck the tip of his tail. The Bodhisatta, safe and unhurt, taunted the ascetic, saying, “You may have missed me this time, but you will not escape your punishment in hell,” and ran to hide in an anthill.

From his safe hiding spot, the Bodhisatta peered out through a different hole and mocked the false ascetic, threatening to expose his wickedness to the villagers. Fearing the consequences of being revealed as a fraud, the ascetic fled the area.

In the Lifetime of the Buddha
This story was shared by the Buddha to explain the past conduct of one of his disciples, who had been exposed as a cheat and deceiver. The Buddha used the story of the lizard and the false ascetic to illustrate that the disciple’s current dishonest behavior was a continuation of his negative tendencies from past lives.

Moral of the Story
The Godha Jataka teaches that deceitful behavior and dishonesty are not new traits but patterns that can persist across lifetimes. The story also emphasizes the importance of discerning true holiness from false appearances. The Bodhisatta, through his awareness and wisdom, was able to escape the ascetic’s treachery and expose him for what he truly was—a rogue hiding behind a mask of piety. This serves as a lesson on the dangers of superficial appearances and the value of discernment in recognizing true virtue.