The Lion’s Son and the Danger of Bad Company

In a time long ago, the Bodhisatta was born as a mighty lion, living peacefully with his family in the jungle. His son, a young and strong lion, did all the hunting for the family—his father, mother, sister, and wife. One day, while hunting, the son came across a jackal who begged to become his servant. The son, feeling generous, agreed, and the jackal moved into the lion’s den.

The Bodhisatta, seeing this new arrangement, cautioned his son against befriending the jackal. “Jackals are wicked creatures,” he warned, “and they often give bad advice. You should never trust them.” But the young lion, eager to show kindness, ignored his father’s warning and allowed the jackal to stay.

The jackal, not content with the simple meals the lions hunted, developed a strong desire for horse flesh—meat he had never tasted before. He convinced the lion’s son that they should go to the city and steal a horse. Reluctantly, the son agreed, and together they went down to the river where the horses bathed. The lion’s son grabbed a horse and threw it over his back, carrying it back to their den.

As the Bodhisatta ate the horse meat, he again warned his son, “All horses are royal property, and any lion who harms a horse will not live long. You must be cautious.” But the son was blinded by greed and refused to listen, continuing to steal horses even after the king built a stable in the town to protect them.

Soon, the king grew furious and sent an archer to hunt the lion down. The archer climbed a tower, waiting for the right moment to strike. One day, the lion’s son jumped over the wall, swiftly grabbed a horse, and was running back to his den before the archer could take aim. However, the weight of the horse slowed him down, and just as he reached the entrance to his den, the archer released an arrow that struck the lion’s son directly in his body.

With his last breaths, the young lion dragged himself to his den, but there, he fell lifeless. The Bodhisatta, upon seeing the bloody body of his son, mourned deeply, knowing that this tragic end came from following the foolish advice of the jackal. The jackal, seeing the consequences of his deceitful actions, fled and returned to the wild, no longer welcome in the lion’s den.

The Bodhisatta’s family wept for the lost son, lamenting that a life led astray by bad company inevitably leads to disaster.

The Moral:

The company one keeps has a profound impact on their life. Listening to the wrong advice or following misguided influences can lead to ruin, even when one’s own instincts and wisdom may be warning against it. It is crucial to be discerning about the friends and advisors we trust, for their influence can either guide us toward prosperity or pull us into destruction. True wisdom comes from following the advice of those who are virtuous and experienced, not from those who are driven by selfish desires or harmful intentions.

In the Lifetime of the Buddha:

In the time of the Buddha, the Bodhisatta’s son in this story was an earlier birth of one of the Buddha’s disciples. This disciple, like the lion’s son, had been influenced by bad company. He was persuaded by a friend—who had been a jackal in the past—to skip his morning alms rounds and indulge in the pleasures of fancy meals at the monastery of Devadatta, the Buddha’s former cousin and rival. Devadatta, much like the jackal in the tale, had a corrupting influence on those around him, leading many astray.

The Buddha recounted this story to the wayward disciple and those who had reported his misbehavior. He explained that this was not the first time the disciple had been swayed by bad advice, as seen in his previous birth as the lion’s son. By sharing this parable, the Buddha hoped to teach the disciple a lesson on the importance of choosing the right company and following the guidance of those who lead with wisdom and virtue.

The Bodhisatta’s wife, in this story, was an earlier birth of the Buddha’s wife, and his daughter and daughter-in-law were earlier births of two of the Buddha’s top female disciples—Uppalavanna and Khema. Through these connections, the Buddha’s teachings demonstrated how the relationships and choices in one’s past life can shape their future, emphasizing the need for careful discernment in all actions and relationships.