The Prince and the Teacher: A Lesson in Discipline

The Tale
In a past life, the Bodhisatta was a teacher of great renown. A king sent his son to study under the Bodhisatta at the university in Taxila. Unlike most students who worked as servants in exchange for their education, the prince paid a thousand coins and was treated with the utmost respect, almost like a son.

One day, the Bodhisatta and the prince went to the river to bathe. As they passed an old woman sun-drying white seeds, the prince, without asking, took a handful of seeds and ate them. The woman said nothing, but the next day, the prince repeated the action. Again, the old woman remained silent. On the third day, however, when the prince did the same thing, the woman became upset and yelled, “The great teacher is letting his students rob me!”

The Bodhisatta, hearing the commotion, approached the woman. She explained what had been happening, and the Bodhisatta, though sympathetic, told her to stop crying and assured her that the prince would be made to pay for what he had done. But the woman did not want money; she simply wanted the prince taught a lesson. So, the Bodhisatta took a bamboo stick and struck the prince’s back three times.

The prince, humiliated and angry, vowed to take revenge on the Bodhisatta one day. However, he kept his temper in check, focused on his studies, and returned to his kingdom when his education was complete.

The king, impressed by his son’s newfound knowledge, abdicated the throne so that his son could rule. But the prince did not forget the punishment he had received. His anger grew over the years, and he invited the Bodhisatta to the palace with the intent to kill him.

Suspicious of the invitation, the Bodhisatta initially declined to visit. Years later, feeling the time had come to make peace, he agreed to meet the king.

When the Bodhisatta arrived at the palace, the king flew into a rage and shouted to his advisors, “The spot on my back where the teacher struck me still hurts! Today, he will die for what he did to me!”

The Bodhisatta calmly replied, “Those blows were not out of anger but to correct you. Had I not struck you, you would have continued to steal small things, which could have led to greater crimes, even murder. You would have eventually been punished for them, and your life would have been destroyed.”

The Bodhisatta went on, “All the prosperity you now enjoy as king is because I disciplined you that day. It was for your own good.”

The king, deeply moved by the Bodhisatta’s wisdom, realized the truth of his words. Grateful, he offered the Bodhisatta the throne. But the Bodhisatta, with humility, declined the offer, stating that he had no interest in ruling. Instead, the king appointed him as royal chaplain, and the Bodhisatta became a trusted advisor, treated with great respect for the rest of his life.

In the Lifetime of the Buddha
The prince in this story was an earlier incarnation of one of the Buddha’s disciples, a man who had a quick temper and would often become angry over even the smallest of slights. When the Buddha told this story to his disciple, he explained that the man had once been as bitter and quick to anger as the prince, but had eventually learned to overcome these passions through his teachings.

Moral
Discipline, even when painful, can be a powerful tool for guiding others towards wisdom and growth. What may seem like harshness at the time can, in hindsight, be seen as a vital lesson that prevents greater harm in the future. True wisdom lies in seeing beyond immediate feelings of hurt or resentment, understanding that correction, though difficult, often leads to greater prosperity and peace in the long run.