Monkey’s Mischief: The Bodhisatta’s Lesson on Nature

In a previous life, the Bodhisatta was a householder, living a life of normalcy and routine. One day, while walking in a park, he came upon a gardener who was climbing a tree, collecting large leaves to use as bowls. As the gardener worked diligently, a monkey nearby began to destroy the leaves as they fell to the ground. The Bodhisatta, noticing the monkey’s destructive actions, assumed the monkey was simply unaware of the gardener’s efforts and was perhaps trying to help. He approached the monkey and told him to stop his mischief.

The monkey, however, was not interested in helping the gardener. Instead, he responded in a matter-of-fact tone, saying, “I am not trying to help anyone. Destruction is simply the nature of monkeys. I destroy things because that is what I do.” The Bodhisatta, observing the situation, realized that the monkey was in a curious position. He was neither malicious nor ignorant; he was simply acting according to his own nature, which, in this case, was one of destruction. The Bodhisatta noted that the monkey’s actions were both proper and improper at the same time—the monkey was being true to himself, but his behavior was harmful to others. After understanding this, the Bodhisatta calmly told the monkey to go away and not disturb the gardener.

In the Lifetime of the Buddha

In the time of the Buddha, some of the Buddha’s disciples witnessed a similar scene. The gardener’s young son, much like the monkey in the Bodhisatta’s past life, was up in the tree helping his father gather leaves for bowls, while his son, still mischievous and carefree, was destroying them as they fell. The disciples, recognizing the similarity to the story they had heard from the Buddha, went to him and shared what they had observed. The Buddha, upon hearing their account, smiled gently and told them this story from his own past life.

He explained that the boy’s actions were not new; in fact, he had been destroying things in the past, just as the monkey had done. The Buddha’s point was that the boy’s behavior was in accordance with his nature, much like the monkey in the earlier life of the Bodhisatta. In both cases, destruction was simply an instinctive behavior.

The story serves as a reminder that some people’s actions, while seemingly disruptive or destructive, stem from their nature and understanding. The Buddha often used such stories to teach his disciples about the importance of understanding the deeper causes of behavior, and that even actions that seem foolish or harmful at first may be rooted in ignorance or instinct, rather than malice. It also points to the idea that, through mindfulness and wisdom, one can change o