Mahabodhi Jataka: Wisdom, Karma & Overcoming Corruption

The Mahabodhi Jataka (Jataka #528) is a story about wisdom, karma, and the power of righteous living. It demonstrates how the Bodhisatta, in a previous life as an ascetic, used his profound wisdom to confront corruption and teach important lessons about the consequences of actions. This story illustrates the importance of ethical conduct, critical thinking, and spiritual integrity.

The Plot

The Bodhisatta as an Ascetic

In this Jataka, the Bodhisatta is born as a wise ascetic living in the Himalayas. During a rainy season, he travels to the city and stays in the royal park. The king, impressed by the Bodhisatta’s calm demeanor, invites him to the palace for a meal. The Bodhisatta’s teachings captivate the king, who then invites him to live in the city permanently and stay in the royal park.

For twelve years, the Bodhisatta lives under the king’s patronage, receiving food and care, all the while teaching the king and others about spiritual matters. However, the king’s five advisors are greedy, corrupt, and reject the concept of karma. They hold various heretical beliefs that directly oppose the Bodhisatta’s teachings.

The Advisors and Their Heresies

Each of the five advisors holds a different erroneous belief:

1. The first advisor believes that beings are purified at birth and that past actions do not affect their future lives.
2. The second advisor believes everything is controlled by a supreme being.
3. The third advisor believes everything is predestined and that past lives determine our actions.
4. The fourth advisor believes death leads to complete annihilation, with no rebirth or continuation.
5. The fifth advisor believes one should prioritize self-interest above all, even if it means killing family members when necessary.

In addition to their flawed beliefs, these advisors routinely accept bribes, ruling unjustly in favor of the rich and corrupt, and causing good people to lose their property.

The Bodhisatta as Judge

One day, a man who had been unjustly stripped of his property by the advisors’ corrupt judgments pleads with the Bodhisatta for help. The Bodhisatta enters the court, examines the case, and returns the man’s property. The public cheers his decision, and the king, seeing the people’s support for the Bodhisatta, asks him to become a judge. Although reluctant, the Bodhisatta agrees, and he begins to preside over cases, bringing justice to the land.

The Advisors’ Plot

The advisors, unable to bribe the Bodhisatta, feel threatened by his integrity. They convince the king that the Bodhisatta is plotting to overthrow him, citing the large following the Bodhisatta has gained. Although the king is initially skeptical, the advisors’ arguments and the Bodhisatta’s growing influence convince him to act.

To subtly pressure the Bodhisatta into leaving, the king gradually diminishes the respect and privileges the Bodhisatta had been receiving at the palace. Each day, the Bodhisatta is given less comfort:

• On the first day, he sits on a simple couch instead of the royal one.
• The next day, he receives regular food mixed with the royal food.
• On the third day, his food is served at the top of the stairs.
• On the fourth day, he is given only rice dust broth.

Despite these insults, the Bodhisatta does not leave, showing great patience and self-control.

The King’s Guilt and the Warning from the Dog

Seeing that the Bodhisatta does not leave, the advisors convince the king that the Bodhisatta’s refusal to leave proves he is plotting to seize the throne. Fearing for his life, the king orders the Bodhisatta’s execution. However, that night the king is overwhelmed by guilt. He cannot sleep, reflecting on the Bodhisatta’s kindness and wisdom over the years. His chief queen reassures him that, for the sake of his safety, even his own son must be sacrificed if there is a threat.

One of the king’s pet dogs, which the Bodhisatta had often fed, overhears the conversation and decides to help the Bodhisatta. The dog knows that the Bodhisatta’s life is in danger and vows to warn him.

The Bodhisatta’s Escape

The next morning, the advisors lie in wait near the palace door, and the dog stands at the threshold, watching for the Bodhisatta. When the Bodhisatta approaches, the dog barks fiercely and bares its teeth, signaling to him that danger is near. Recognizing the dog’s unusual behavior, the Bodhisatta understands that the king intends to have him killed and quickly turns away.

The king, watching from his window, sees the Bodhisatta leaving and follows him. He wonders whether the Bodhisatta is leaving because he is plotting against the king or because he is simply in danger. When the king confronts the Bodhisatta in the park, the Bodhisatta reveals that he knows the king’s intentions because he could read the dog’s thoughts. The king, realizing his mistake, apologizes, but the Bodhisatta refuses to return, deciding to leave the city for good.

The Advisors’ Continued Corruption and the Queen’s Murder

After the Bodhisatta’s departure, the advisors return to their corrupt practices, taking bribes and cheating the citizens. Fearing that the Bodhisatta might return and restore justice, they decide to eliminate the queen, who is a close friend of the Bodhisatta. They falsely accuse her of plotting against the king and manipulating him with the Bodhisatta to overthrow him.

The king, believing their lies without investigation, orders the queen’s assassination. After her murder, the queen’s four sons vow to take revenge on their father. The news reaches the Bodhisatta, who knows that only he can prevent the princes from committing murder and save them from evil actions.

The Bodhisatta’s Return

The Bodhisatta returns to the city in disguise, receiving monkey meat from the villagers as alms. He carries the skin of the monkey with him and uses it to teach the princes a lesson. When the Bodhisatta arrives at the royal park, he sits on the monkey skin. The park-keeper informs the king, who joyfully goes to meet the Bodhisatta, accompanied by his five advisors.

The Bodhisatta, without answering the king’s greeting, continues stroking the monkey skin. When the king inquires why he is so focused on the monkey skin, the Bodhisatta uses the moment to teach a moral lesson. He explains that the monkey had once helped him by carrying his water, cleaning his hut, and performing other tasks. He further suggests that the monkey’s sacrifice was for naught—because it had been a simple creature, it had been killed and consumed.

The advisors, misunderstanding the Bodhisatta’s words, accuse him of killing the monkey and betraying a creature that had helped him, which, according to their belief system, would make him a hypocrite. The Bodhisatta takes this opportunity to criticize their heretical beliefs about karma. He points out that if there is no karma, then he has done no wrong in eating the monkey, and thus the advisors’ accusation makes no sense.

The King’s Realization and the Advisors’ Downfall

The Bodhisatta’s wisdom silences the advisors, and the king realizes how foolish he has been to trust them. He forgives the princes, who had been planning to kill their father, and orders the execution of the five wicked advisors. However, the Bodhisatta prevents the king from taking extreme measures. Instead of killing the advisors, the king has them stripped of their wealth, clothes, and status, and they are sent into exile in a shameful state.

The Bodhisatta’s Departure

The Bodhisatta advises the king to be more vigilant in his choice of advisors and to follow the path of righteousness. The king, deeply remorseful, vows to rule with integrity. The Bodhisatta, having taught the king a valuable lesson, returns to the Himalayas to continue his life of spiritual practice and meditation.

In the Lifetime of the Buddha

In the time of the Buddha, some of his disciples were discussing the Buddha’s supreme wisdom when the Buddha overheard them. To illustrate his past wisdom, he told them the story of how, in a previous life, he had been able to outsmart his adversaries using profound insight and understanding of karma.

The five advisors were identified as the previous lives of Purana Kassapa, Makkhali Gosala, Pakudha Kaccayana, Ajita Kesakambala, and Nigantha Nathaputta, all religious leaders who rejected the concept of karma. The dog that warned the Bodhisatta was identified as Ananda, one of the Buddha’s chief disciples.

Themes and Moral Lessons

1. The Importance of Karma: The story emphasizes the belief in karma (the law of cause and effect), which governs the consequences of our actions. The Bodhisatta uses his wisdom to demonstrate that the advisors’ rejection of karma leads them to hypocrisy and misguided behavior.
2. Wisdom vs. Corruption: The Bodhisatta’s wisdom and integrity stand in sharp contrast to the corruption and greed of the advisors. Despite their influence and power, the advisors’ wickedness is ultimately revealed and punished, while the Bodhisatta’s righteousness remains unshaken.
3. The Power of Non-Violence: Even when wronged, the Bodhisatta does not seek revenge or violence. He chooses to resolve conflicts through wisdom, teaching, and spiritual guidance.
4. The Importance of Discernment: The story teaches the value of discernment in choosing whom to trust. The king’s poor judgment in selecting advisors leads to suffering, but his eventual recognition of the Bodhisatta’s wisdom brings peace.
5. The Role of Compassion: The Bodhisatta’s compassion for the king and the princes, as well as his willingness to help them avoid evil, underscores the importance of benevolent and just action for the greater good.

The Mahabodhi Jataka teaches that through wisdom, integrity, and compassion, one can overcome corruption and suffering, ultimately leading others toward a more just and virtuous life.