The Monkey King’s Mistake in the Aramadusaka Jataka

In a past life, the Bodhisatta was a wise and respected man living in a city where a large festival was underway. The king’s gardener, eager to join the festivities, asked the monkeys living in the royal park to water the young trees in the garden while he was away. The monkeys, who benefited from eating the bountiful fruits and shoots of the garden, agreed to help.The monkey king, determined to do a good job, instructed the other monkeys to conserve water to ensure they did not run out before watering all the trees. He advised them to pull up each tree to see the size of its roots and give lots of water to those with big roots and just a little water to those with small roots.However, this method was misguided and harmful. The Bodhisatta, walking past the park, observed the monkeys at work and asked why they were pulling up the trees. The monkeys explained that they were following their king’s orders. The Bodhisatta rebuked the monkey king for his foolishness, commenting to his followers that this was an example of how ignorant people who desire to do good can end up doing harm.

In the Lifetime of the Buddha

This tale has a significant connection to the Buddha’s later life. While the Buddha was on an alms pilgrimage, he was invited to eat lunch at a man’s home, where they dined in his lush garden. As the Buddha and his disciples walked around the garden, they noticed a bare patch and asked the gardener what had happened.The gardener explained that he had hired a boy from the village to do the watering, but the boy had pulled up all the young trees to judge how much water they needed based on the size of their roots. This misguided action caused the trees to wither and die, resulting in the bare patch they saw.When the disciples later told the Buddha about the boy’s actions, he shared the story of the monkey king to illustrate that this was not the first time the boy had destroyed a garden. The monkey king was revealed to be an earlier birth of this village boy, highlighting the recurring pattern of his foolish and harmful actions.

Moral

The Aramadusaka Jataka teaches us about the importance of wisdom and proper understanding in our actions. The story highlights that even with good intentions, ignorance and lack of knowledge can lead to harmful consequences. The Bodhisatta’s rebuke of the monkey king serves as a reminder that it is crucial to act with wisdom and foresight to avoid causing unintended harm. This tale underscores the Buddhist principle that actions driven by ignorance can have negative outcomes, and it emphasizes the need for education and wise guidance in all endeavors.