The Sanjiva Jataka: A Tale of Karma and Pride

The Sanjiva Jataka teaches a powerful lesson about karma and the consequences of helping the wicked. It illustrates how even good intentions, when used to assist those who are morally corrupt, can lead to disaster. This tale, like many Jataka stories, highlights the importance of virtuous conduct and the dangers of engaging in actions that are rooted in pride or the pursuit of self-glory.

The Story:

In the Sanjiva Jataka, the Bodhisatta is reborn as a teacher with a group of students. One day, one of the Bodhisatta’s students, who has been taught a powerful spell to raise the dead, encounters a dead tiger while gathering wood in the forest with his fellow students. Eager to show off his magical powers, the student announces that he can bring the tiger back to life.

Despite the warnings of his fellow students, who are fearful of the tiger’s dangerous nature, the student decides to demonstrate his skills. He recites the spell and strikes the tiger’s body with a piece of broken pottery. Immediately, the tiger springs to life and lunges at the student, attacking him and killing him instantly. However, as soon as the student is dead, the tiger drops dead again as well.

The surviving students return to the Bodhisatta, who listens to their account of the tragic event. He explains to them that when you assist evil beings, you only invite misfortune upon yourself. In this case, the student’s desire to show off and his decision to resurrect a dangerous creature, without considering the potential consequences, led to his own death.

In the Lifetime of the Buddha:

The student killed by the tiger in the Jataka is identified as an earlier birth of King Ajatasattu, the son of King Bimbisara. In his present life, King Ajatasattu is notorious for his support of Devadatta, a former disciple of the Buddha who became his nemesis. Devadatta, driven by jealousy and ambition, sought to harm the Buddha, even attempting to kill him on several occasions.

Ajatasattu’s support of Devadatta and his subsequent involvement in the patricide (killing his own father, King Bimbisara, to seize the throne) led to deep spiritual corruption. After the earth swallowed Devadatta, sending him to hell for his evil deeds, Ajatasattu feared that his own actions would lead him to a similar fate. Consumed with guilt, he sought peace and guidance from the Buddha.

However, Ajatasattu hesitated to approach the Buddha directly because of his deep shame and fear of retribution. Instead, he asked Jivaka, the Buddha’s doctor, to introduce him to the Buddha. At a festival, Ajatasattu sat among a group of men and asked them who their respected religious teacher was. When Jivaka praised the Buddha, Ajatasattu pretended ignorance and feigned curiosity, agreeing to meet the Buddha.

The Buddha, understanding the king’s troubled soul, explained to him the path of righteousness and moral conduct, offering him peace of mind. After hearing the Buddha’s words, Ajatasattu felt a sense of calm and returned to his palace. However, the Buddha, who knew the full extent of Ajatasattu’s past actions, told his disciples that while the king had the potential for spiritual progress, his actions, particularly supporting Devadatta and committing patricide, had created immense karmic consequences that would hinder his path to enlightenment.

The Buddha also pointed out that if Ajatasattu had not made such terrible choices in the past, he might have attained the first path of understanding—a key milestone in the Buddhist spiritual path. However, because he had followed Devadatta and committed such grievous actions, Ajatasattu was doomed to further misery and spiritual suffering.

Later, when the Buddha overheard his disciples discussing the king’s karmic burden due to his patricide, he recounted the story of the Sanjiva Jataka, explaining that the king’s past suffering for helping the wicked was not an isolated incident but part of his long-standing karma.

The Moral Lessons:

1. The Dangers of Helping the Wicked: The core lesson of the Sanjiva Jataka is that assisting evil or corrupt individuals only leads to harm and misfortune. The student’s attempt to raise the tiger from the dead, without considering the nature of the beast, was a fatal mistake. Similarly, in King Ajatasattu’s life, his support for Devadatta and his heinous actions contributed to his spiritual downfall. This teaches that aligning oneself with harmful or evil influences can have long-lasting consequences, both in this life and in future ones.
2. Karmic Consequences: The story illustrates the law of karma—that every action has consequences. The Bodhisatta explains that the student’s fate was sealed not because of his magical powers, but because of his pride and his decision to resurrect a dangerous creature. Similarly, King Ajatasattu’s karmic burden from his past deeds continues to affect him. His guilt over patricide and his involvement with Devadatta left him spiritually damaged. The story shows that good deeds lead to positive results, while evil deeds lead to misfortune and suffering.
3. Pride and Self-Glory: The student’s desire to show off his abilities and impress his peers leads directly to his death. This highlights the danger of pride and the temptation to use one’s talents for self-glory rather than for virtuous purposes. It teaches the importance of humility and the need to act with wisdom and consideration rather than acting impulsively out of a desire to impress others.
4. Spiritual Redemption: The story also offers a glimpse of spiritual redemption. Despite Ajatasattu’s past misdeeds, he still seeks guidance from the Buddha and feels a sense of peace after hearing the Buddha’s teachings. This suggests that no matter how grave one’s mistakes, there is still an opportunity for spiritual growth and peace through understanding and right action. However, the story also underscores that past actions can still shape one’s destiny and spiritual progress, and that some karmic debts take time to resolve.
5. The Importance of Guidance: In both the Jataka story and in the Buddha’s teaching to King Ajatasattu, wise guidance plays a crucial role in leading individuals toward positive change. The Bodhisatta’s lesson to his students and the Buddha’s teachings to the king both show how guidance from a wise teacher can help redirect a person from harmful paths to one of moral integrity and peace.

Conclusion:

The Sanjiva Jataka is a profound story that teaches the dangers of pride, the importance of aligning oneself with virtuous influences, and the consequences of helping the wicked. It emphasizes the power of karma, the need for humility, and the possibility of spiritual redemption even for those who have committed grave wrongs. The story serves as a cautionary tale about the destructive nature of ego and pride and the importance of acting wisely and with compassion in all endeavors.