Lomasakassapa Jataka: The Power of Overcoming Temptation

In a past life, the Bodhisatta was an ascetic who had renounced the world and gone to the Himalayas to live a life of austerity. Before this, he had been the son of the king’s chaplain and grew up alongside the crown prince. When the prince became king, the Bodhisatta knew he would be offered great power, but he had no desire for worldly things, so he left for the forest to live a life of asceticism. His intense virtue and austerity were so powerful that they even shook the throne of Indra, the king of the gods.

Fearing that the Bodhisatta’s growing power might surpass his own, Indra devised a plan to destroy the Bodhisatta’s righteousness. He appeared to the king in the middle of the night, glowing with divine light, and promised the king immortality and rule over all of India if he could tempt the Bodhisatta to perform an animal sacrifice. The king eagerly accepted the plan and sent an advisor to the Bodhisatta, offering him land and power in exchange for the sacrifice. The Bodhisatta, however, refused without hesitation.

Indra, undeterred, returned to the king and suggested that he offer his beautiful daughter as a wife to the Bodhisatta. The king did as Indra advised, sending his daughter to the forest with the advisor. When the Bodhisatta saw the princess, he was immediately overwhelmed by passion. His moral sense faltered, and he agreed to perform the sacrifice, succumbing to the desire for the woman.

At the sacrificial ceremony, the Bodhisatta stood ready to kill the royal elephant in the pit, but as he raised his sword, the terrified cries of the elephant and the other animals caused him to pause. His remorse overcame him, and he realized the gravity of what he was about to do. The king, eager to entice him further, added his entire kingdom and the seven precious jewels to the offer, but the Bodhisatta, now filled with wisdom, refused. He sat cross-legged in the air and gave the king a sermon on proper behavior, urging him to cease his sinful actions and destroy the sacrificial pit. He then flew back to his hermitage, vowing never again to succumb to temptation.

In the Lifetime of the Buddha: A Lesson in Overcoming Temptation

One of the Buddha’s disciples, having longed for the worldly life he had left behind, was on the verge of returning to his old ways. In an effort to convince him to stay, the Buddha told this story from his own past. The Buddha explained how, in a previous life, he too had succumbed to temptation but ultimately overcame it. The disciple, inspired by the Bodhisatta’s struggle and victory over temptation, regained his determination and reached enlightenment.

The king’s advisor in this story was an earlier birth of Sariputta, one of the Buddha’s foremost disciples, known for his wisdom and close connection with the Buddha.

Moral of the Story:

The Lomasakassapa Jataka teaches that even the most powerful temptations—whether in the form of wealth, power, or lust—can cause a person to lose their moral direction. However, true strength lies in recognizing these temptations for what they are and having the wisdom and determination to overcome them. The Bodhisatta’s refusal to succumb to the lure of power and the princess, and his subsequent act of guiding the king back to righteousness, highlights the importance of inner discipline and the ability to maintain one’s integrity even in the face of overwhelming external pressure.

The story also emphasizes the transformative power of self-reflection and remorse. The Bodhisatta’s moment of realization, when he saw the suffering of the animals in the sacrificial pit, led him to regain his clarity and make the right choice. His actions show that, even when we falter, it is possible to correct our course and seek redemption through virtuous actions.

For the Buddha’s disciple, hearing the story served as a powerful reminder that even great spiritual beings like the Bodhisatta have struggled with temptation. It helped the disciple realize that overcoming such challenges is part of the path to enlightenment.