The Putimansa Jataka: Wisdom, Caution, and Sensory Control

In the Putimansa Jataka, the Bodhisatta was born as a tree fairy. This story takes place in the Himalayas, where a large herd of goats lived in a cave. Among them, there was one wise she-goat who was particularly sharp and cautious. Near the goats’ home, a pair of jackals lived in a nearby cave, and over time, they had consumed all the goats except for the wise one. The jackals had tried repeatedly to kill her, but they failed each time.

Realizing their previous tactics were ineffective, the jackals devised a new plan. The she-jackal would befriend the wise goat, gaining her trust. Once the goat was sufficiently comfortable with her, the she-jackal’s husband would pretend to be dead. The she-jackal would then ask the goat to help her bury him, and when the goat arrived to help, the jackal would jump up and bite the goat’s neck, killing her.

The she-jackal began to befriend the goat, and in time, they became quite close. When the moment was right, the jackals put their plan into action. The she-jackal pretended that her husband had died, and she called on the goat to help her bury him.

Initially, the goat was suspicious and refused to help, fearing that the jackals might betray her. The she-jackal, however, coaxed the goat, convincing her that since the jackal was already dead, he could not hurt her. The goat, though still cautious, decided to go along with the plan. She followed the she-jackal to the body of her husband, but as she approached, she noticed the jackal’s body moved slightly.

Realizing that the jackal was faking death, the goat immediately fled back to her cave, avoiding the trap. The jackals were furious—the she-jackal blamed her husband for moving, and he blamed her for failing to bring the goat to him.

Determined to outwit the goat, the she-jackal returned to the goat’s home. She thanked the goat for unknowingly helping her husband regain consciousness and invited her to meet him. This time, however, the goat was prepared. She responded with a clever deceit of her own, telling the jackal that she would bring four of her dog friends and two thousand guard dogs to the meeting. If there wasn’t enough food for all the dogs, the dogs would eat the two jackals instead. Fearing for their lives, the jackals fled, never to return.

The Bodhisatta, as a tree fairy, witnessed this entire encounter, observing how the goat’s wisdom and caution had saved her life.

In the Lifetime of the Buddha: A Lesson on Sensory Control

In the Buddha’s time, many of his disciples struggled to control their senses, particularly their desire for physical appearance and external beauty. The Buddha, aware of their struggles, called an assembly and criticized the disciples for focusing too much on their looks, warning them that such attachment to appearance would lead them down a dangerous path, one that could ultimately lead to hell.

To illustrate his point, the Buddha told the Putimansa Jataka. He compared the disciples’ failure to control their desires to the jackals’ deceitful tactics. Just as the jackals failed to capture the wise goat, the disciples would fail in their spiritual journey if they continued to focus on worldly appearances and pleasures. The story of the jackals, the wise goat, and the clever deception served as an example of how those who stray from the right path will ultimately fail.

The Buddha did not identify the earlier births of any characters besides his own, focusing the lesson on the failure that arises when one lacks wisdom and falls prey to sensory indulgence.

Moral of the Story:

The Putimansa Jataka highlights the value of wisdom, prudence, and caution. The wise goat avoided the traps set by the deceitful jackals, and through her cleverness, she saved herself from their manipulative schemes.

In the Buddha’s teachings, this story was used to demonstrate how attachment to sensory experiences—such as physical beauty or superficial desires—can lead one astray, causing failure and suffering. The story serves as a reminder that true wisdom comes from self-control and discerning judgment, not from yielding to superficial temptations.

The goat’s escape from the jackals illustrates that cleverness and foresight can overcome even the most devious plots, and that wisdom is a powerful tool for avoiding harm in the world.