The Mahout and His Student: A Lesson in Knowledge and Humility

In a past life, the Bodhisatta was a wise and skilled mahout (elephant driver). He took a young villager under his wing, teaching him everything he knew about working with elephants. True to the nature of all Bodhisattas, the Bodhisatta shared all his knowledge with the student without holding anything back, ensuring the boy learned every trick and skill needed for the job.

Once the student had mastered the craft, he sought work with the king. The Bodhisatta, wishing to help his pupil, went to the palace on his behalf. The king, however, offered the student only half of what the Bodhisatta earned. The student, feeling he deserved more, demanded equal pay, claiming that he had learned all of the Bodhisatta’s knowledge. The king, curious, agreed that if the student could demonstrate equal skill in an elephant-handling exhibition, he would be paid the same as the Bodhisatta.

The next day, a large crowd gathered at the palace for the competition. The student performed well, but the Bodhisatta, ever clever, had prepared his elephant in a unique way. The night before, he had taught the elephant commands that reversed the usual responses. For example, when the Bodhisatta said “Stand!” the elephant would lie down; when he said “Drop it!” the elephant would pick something up. The elephant followed these instructions flawlessly, and the crowd was thoroughly impressed by the Bodhisatta’s extraordinary skill.

The student, on the other hand, was humiliated, as he could not perform in such a creative manner. The crowd, upset by his arrogance and disrespect toward his master, turned on the student. They pelted him with sticks and dirt until he was dead.

After the event, the Bodhisatta addressed the king and the gathered crowd. He explained that knowledge is valuable, but it must be applied with wisdom and respect. He compared the student’s situation to an ill-fitting shoe: although it was meant to protect, it caused pain because it was not properly suited to its wearer. The Bodhisatta’s wisdom and humility earned him great honor, and the king rewarded him generously.

In the Lifetime of the Buddha:

In a later birth, the student was reborn as Devadatta, one of the Buddha’s disciples who became his greatest rival and nemesis. Devadatta harbored resentment toward the Buddha, even attempting to kill him on several occasions. One day, some of the Buddha’s disciples were discussing Devadatta’s betrayal and disrespect. To help them understand Devadatta’s ungratefulness and arrogance, the Buddha recounted this past life story, explaining that Devadatta had once acted with the same disrespect and misguided confidence.

The Buddha used this story to teach his disciples the importance of humility and the dangers of pride, especially when one fails to recognize the depth of their own ignorance or the value of their teacher’s wisdom.

Moral:

1. Knowledge Without Humility Leads to Destruction: The student’s lack of humility, despite his acquired knowledge, led to his downfall. His arrogance and disrespect toward his teacher, the Bodhisatta, were his undoing. The crowd’s reaction to his behavior teaches us that respect for one’s teacher and for the knowledge passed down is essential to using that knowledge wisely.
2. The Importance of Wise Application of Knowledge: Knowledge is not merely about knowing facts or skills, but about knowing how to apply them appropriately. The Bodhisatta’s creative use of commands with the elephant showed that wisdom and insight are necessary to make the best use of one’s abilities.
3. Arrogance Can Blind One to Truth: The student’s refusal to accept that he still had much to learn, despite having received the Bodhisatta’s teaching, was a form of arrogance. This blinded him to the deeper aspects of the craft and caused him to act rashly. His demise at the hands of the crowd is a direct consequence of his pride and overconfidence.
4. True Greatness Lies in Humility and Respect: The Bodhisatta, on the other hand, showed that true greatness comes not just from skill or knowledge, but from humility and respect for others. His wisdom and composure in the face of the student’s challenge earned him the respect and admiration of all who witnessed the event.
5. Cycle of Behavior and Karma: The Buddha’s recounting of this story shows how patterns of behavior, like arrogance and disrespect, can persist through lifetimes. Devadatta’s actions in the past mirrored his later behavior, illustrating the concept of karmic cycles. This serves as a reminder to always strive for humility, respect, and understanding in our actions.

Lesson: The tale teaches that while acquiring knowledge is important, it must always be tempered with humility, respect, and wisdom. Without these qualities, even the most skilled individuals can fall into arrogance, leading to their downfall. True greatness is not in the quantity of what one knows, but in the quality of how one applies that knowledge with wisdom and respect for others.