The Grieving King and the Rebirth of the Queen

In the Assaka Jataka, the Bodhisatta is born as an ascetic living at the foot of the Himalayas. The story revolves around a king who is devastated by the death of his beloved queen, whose beauty was renowned and almost godlike. In his sorrow, the king refuses to eat and mourns for seven days, keeping her body under his bed, despite efforts from his courtiers, family, and priests to comfort him.

From his retreat, the Bodhisatta learns of the king’s deep grief through his divine insight and decides to intervene. He travels to the royal park, where a young man greets him and suggests that the Bodhisatta might be able to free the king from his sorrow, as all other attempts have failed. The Bodhisatta agrees, saying that if the king comes to see him, he can reveal where the queen has been reborn, and they can speak together.

The young man goes to the king with the news, and the king, eager for any possible relief, visits the Bodhisatta in the park. The Bodhisatta tells him that the queen has indeed been reborn, but her former actions in life were unvirtuous, and so she has been reincarnated as a dung beetle. The king is astonished by this claim but follows the Bodhisatta to a spot where they find two dung beetles rolling a ball of cow dung.

The Bodhisatta calls the dung beetles forward and gives the one that was the queen the ability to speak. The former queen, now in her dung beetle form, confirms that she was once the king’s wife. She also expresses a deep hatred and unfulfilled desire to harm the king, saying that if she could, she would kill him and cover her dung beetle husband’s feet with his blood.

This shocking revelation lifts the king’s spirits. He is no longer consumed by his grief, and he thanks the Bodhisatta for helping him break free from his sorrow. The king returns to the palace, orders his queen’s body to be removed, and eventually remarries, ruling his kingdom with wisdom and justice.

In the Lifetime of the Buddha

In the Lifetime of the Buddha, the king and queen from this Jataka are identified as earlier births of one of the Buddha’s disciples and his wife. The story is shared to teach the disciple about his attachment to his wife, reminding him that she had caused him great suffering in a past life, and thus he should not crave her in his current life.

The young man who conversed with the Bodhisatta is revealed to be an earlier birth of Sariputta, one of the Buddha’s foremost disciples, known for his wisdom and clarity. This highlights the role of Sariputta as a wise advisor, much like the young man who understood the king’s plight and suggested the Bodhisatta’s intervention.

Moral Lessons and Teachings

1. The Illusory Nature of Attachment: The core lesson of the Assaka Jataka revolves around the illusory nature of attachment. The king’s intense grief for his wife shows how attachment to worldly things, especially loved ones, can lead to great suffering. The revelation that the queen had been reborn as a dung beetle serves as a powerful reminder of the transient and sometimes foolish nature of worldly attachment, even to those we love.
2. The Consequences of Unvirtuous Living: The queen’s rebirth as a dung beetle reflects the consequences of an unvirtuous life. Despite her external beauty and royal status, she had been vain and lacked true spiritual merit. This Jataka emphasizes that physical beauty and wealth are fleeting, and it is virtue and inner goodness that shape one’s future rebirth.
3. The Power of Insight: The Bodhisatta’s intervention highlights the power of insight and the wisdom of those who see beyond the immediate emotional pain. By revealing the true nature of the queen’s rebirth, he helps the king move past his despair, showing the importance of seeing things as they truly are, rather than being overwhelmed by attachment and grief.
4. Healing Through Truth: The Bodhisatta’s act of revealing the truth, no matter how harsh, ultimately heals the king’s emotional suffering. This reflects the idea that facing reality—even when it is unpleasant—can bring liberation from mental suffering. By confronting the truth of the queen’s actions in her past life, the king is able to detach from his grief and move forward.
5. The Role of Wise Counsel: The young man who suggested the Bodhisatta’s intervention, and his connection to Sariputta, underscores the importance of wise counsel in moments of emotional or mental distress. Seeking advice from those with insight can help people move past their own illusions and attachments, leading to spiritual growth and clarity.

Conclusion

The Assaka Jataka offers a profound lesson on the nature of attachment and the consequences of unvirtuous living. Through the Bodhisatta’s wisdom, the story illustrates how facing the truth can lead to healing and liberation. It emphasizes that true beauty lies in virtue and wisdom, not in external appearances or worldly attachments. The king’s eventual recovery from his grief teaches the value of detachment and the importance of seeking truth to overcome suffering, while the queen’s fall into a dung beetle’s form serves as a cautionary tale about the importance of living a virtuous life.