King Maha Panada’s Tale: Lessons on Attachment and Wealth

In a previous life, the Bodhisatta was Indra, the king of the gods. During this time, Prince Maha Panada was born to King Suruci, and his arrival was met with immense joy. The people celebrated by bringing coins to the king, wishing that the prince would never lack anything in life. Raised in unimaginable luxury, Prince Maha Panada was perfect in every way. By the time he reached the age of sixteen, King Suruci decided it was time to pass on the throne to his son and ordered the construction of a grand new palace to mark the occasion.

The king’s men went out to find the perfect location for the palace, but the Bodhisatta, sensing the warmth of the throne, decided to intervene. He sent Vissakamma, the divine builder of heaven, to assist with the project. When Vissakamma arrived, he told the workers to take a break for breakfast. Left alone, he struck the ground with his staff, and a magnificent palace rose from the earth in an instant, complete with all the splendor fit for a king.

The ceremony to consecrate Prince Maha Panada, along with his marriage and palace blessing, was grand and extravagant. For seven years, the festivities continued, filled with feasts, entertainment, and celebrations. But as time passed, the people began to grow weary of the endless festivities and wanted them to end. King Suruci declared that the celebration could not conclude until his son, the prince, laughed.

To entertain the prince, thousands of acrobats and jugglers were brought in, including a performer who had the ability to chop himself into pieces and reassemble. However, none of these spectacles could make the prince smile, as he still remembered the divine entertainment he had witnessed in heaven. The people grew frustrated with the prince’s unamused demeanor, and so, once again, the Bodhisatta intervened. He sent down a divine dancer who performed the “half-body dance,” where only one hand, foot, eye, and tooth moved while the rest of the body remained still. This odd but captivating dance brought a faint grin to the prince’s face.

This small smile was enough to satisfy King Suruci, and he declared that the festival could finally come to an end. With the conclusion of the celebrations, King Suruci’s reign ended, and Prince Maha Panada took the throne. He ruled with the same wisdom, generosity, and righteousness that his father had, ensuring that his reign was marked by fairness and justice.

In the Lifetime of the Buddha

In the time of the Buddha, a wealthy merchant’s only son, Bhaddaji, lived a life of extravagance. Bhaddaji had houses for each of the three seasons, and his family would move from one to another with great spectacle every few months. Every time they moved, the people would gather to watch, marveling at the grandeur of his lifestyle.

The Buddha, having realized that Bhaddaji was ready for spiritual awakening, decided to use this situation as an opportunity for teaching. After spending three months near Bhaddaji’s city, the Buddha announced that he and his disciples would depart the next day, coinciding with the day that Bhaddaji was moving houses.

The people, eager to bid farewell to the Buddha, gathered to see him off, leaving Bhaddaji’s grand procession unnoticed. This upset Bhaddaji, and he went to listen to the Buddha’s sermon. Standing with his entourage, he listened intently, and by the end of the sermon, Bhaddaji attained the state of an arahant, completely freed from his attachment to material wealth and desires.

The Buddha then spoke to Bhaddaji’s father, telling him that his son could either remain on earth to continue his duties or immediately enter nirvana. The father, not wanting to lose his son, requested that Bhaddaji stay. The Buddha accepted his request and ordained Bhaddaji as a disciple.

Later, while traveling on a pilgrimage, the Buddha and his disciples crossed the Ganges River by raft. As they crossed, the Buddha revealed to Bhaddaji that he had been King Maha Panada in a past life. The immense palace that had been constructed for him in that life now lay submerged beneath the river. To demonstrate the truth of his words, the Buddha lifted the palace with just one finger and held it aloft in the sky, while Bhaddaji floated beside him.

The Buddha explained that many of Bhaddaji’s former family members, who had been so attached to the palace, had been reborn as various aquatic creatures—fish, frogs, and turtles—so they could continue to live near the palace. As they saw the palace rise from the water, the creatures swam toward it, but the Buddha instructed Bhaddaji to return the palace to the river.

After they crossed to the other bank, the Buddha sat down, and the disciples, curious about Bhaddaji’s past, asked more about his former life. The Buddha then recounted the tale of how Bhaddaji had obtained his vast palace in his past life as King Maha Panada.

Moral of the Story

The Maha-Panada Jataka illustrates the dangers of attachment to wealth and luxury, and the fleeting nature of material pleasure. Prince Maha Panada’s life of excess and splendor is contrasted with his eventual realization that true happiness and fulfillment come not from external riches, but from wisdom, generosity, and righteousness. The story also highlights the importance of spiritual awakening, as demonstrated by Bhaddaji’s transformation from a life of extravagance to one of enlightenment.

The Buddha’s teaching about Bhaddaji’s past life serves as a reminder that even the greatest of worldly achievements—like the immense palace of King Maha Panada—are impermanent and ultimately meaningless in the pursuit of true liberation. The lesson here is that material wealth, fame, and luxury are not sources of lasting happiness, and the path to spiritual fulfillment lies in detachment and the cultivation of wisdom.

For Bhaddaji, his journey from a life of luxury to one of spiritual renunciation mirrors the teachings of the Buddha: that true freedom comes when one overcomes attachment and desires.