The Lazy Prince and the Advisor: A Lesson in True Wisdom

The Tale
Once, the Bodhisatta served as an advisor to a king. When the king passed away, the advisors gathered to choose a successor. They decided to select the young prince, but the Bodhisatta disagreed, believing the prince to be too lazy for the role. To test the prince, they arranged a mock trial, where they intentionally made the wrong decision. When they asked the prince for his opinion, he simply curled his lip in response, which the Bodhisatta took as a sign of wisdom, thinking the prince had seen through their ruse.

The next day, they held another trial, but this time they made the correct judgment. Again, they asked the prince for his opinion, and once more, he curled his lip. This time, the Bodhisatta realized that the prince was not wise, but simply lazy and incapable of clear thought. He concluded that the prince was a fool.

In the end, the Bodhisatta was made king instead.

In the Lifetime of the Buddha
In a later life, the lazy prince was reborn as Laludayi, a disciple of the Buddha. One day, after Sariputta and Moggallana, two of the Buddha’s wisest disciples, had discussed a complex question, the other disciples praised their understanding. Laludayi, in his foolishness, thought his knowledge was equal to theirs. He curled his lip in scorn, dismissing their wisdom.

When the Buddha heard about Laludayi’s disrespect, he shared this story with his disciples, showing them that Laludayi’s arrogance and foolishness had manifested in the same way, even in a past life, through his lip curling.

Moral
True wisdom is shown through understanding, not through displays of scorn or arrogance. Those who mock others without real knowledge are blind to the true value of wisdom. Humility and discernment are the marks of a true leader, not pride or lazy judgment.