Sarabha-Miga Jataka: The Power of Compassion and Wisdom

In the Sarabha-Miga Jataka, the Bodhisatta was once a deer, known for his intelligence and moral integrity. The story begins with a king who prided himself on being the manliest man in the kingdom. He was an avid hunter and enjoyed chasing wild animals through the forest. One day, while hunting, the king’s courtiers surrounded a thicket and began beating the ground with clubs, driving the Bodhisatta out of his hiding place and straight toward the king.

The king, eager for the thrill of the hunt, let loose an arrow, but the Bodhisatta was clever enough to roll swiftly out of the way, avoiding the strike. When the king believed he had struck the deer, he cheered, but to his embarrassment, the Bodhisatta rose and ran away, much to the mockery of the king’s courtiers.

In his anger, the king chased after the Bodhisatta, but he did not notice a deep pit filled with water, hidden by weeds. The king fell into the pit and began to struggle, unable to swim. The Bodhisatta, upon hearing the king’s cries for help, felt compassion, not anger, for the king. Despite the king’s attempt to harm him, the Bodhisatta’s pity led him to rescue the king from the pit.

The king, deeply grateful, invited the Bodhisatta to become his ruler, but the Bodhisatta refused, asking instead that the king follow the five precepts and encourage his people to do the same. The king, deeply moved by the Bodhisatta’s righteousness, shed tears of gratitude.

The King’s Conversion and the Spread of Virtue:

The king returned to his palace and proclaimed by the sound of a drum that all people should follow the five precepts—although he did not reveal the story of his near-death experience that led to his decision. The next morning, the king’s chaplain overheard the king chanting his aspirations to live a righteous life and guessed the true cause of the king’s transformation. Impressed by his chaplain’s wisdom, the king rewarded him with a generous gift.

The king’s newfound commitment to giving alms and doing good deeds set a shining example, and soon the people followed his lead. So many people turned to virtue that the heavens began to fill with new gods, causing Indra, the king of the gods, to take notice. Curious, Indra divined the cause and saw that the Bodhisatta’s perfect virtue had set this transformation into motion. Wanting to make the Bodhisatta’s greatness known, Indra arranged an encounter with the king.

One day, while the king was target shooting, Indra made the Bodhisatta appear in front of the target. Indra then possessed the king’s chaplain, urging the king to shoot the deer, suggesting that deer meat is for warriors. The king, however, explained that he could not kill this noble deer because it had rescued him and preached to him about living a virtuous life. Indra, impressed by the king’s words, appeared in the air and praised the king for his wisdom.

In the Lifetime of the Buddha:

In the Buddha’s time, the king from this story was an earlier birth of Ananda, one of the Buddha’s top disciples. The story illustrates the wisdom and compassion that Ananda exhibited in his past lives and serves as a powerful example of the qualities that would later make him a revered disciple of the Buddha.

In an incident during the Buddha’s life, Pindola Bharadvaja, one of the Buddha’s foremost disciples, had used his supernatural powers to rise into the air to retrieve a sandalwood bowl. The Buddha rebuked him for using his powers in such a trivial and unworthy manner. He then issued an order forbidding his disciples from performing miracles for selfish or pointless reasons.

Soon after, some heretics who sought to create division among the Buddha’s followers mistakenly believed the Buddha would no longer perform miracles. To challenge him, they announced they would perform a miracle twice as powerful as the Buddha’s. Surprising the heretics, the Buddha accepted their challenge, explaining that as a Buddha, the rules did not apply to him in the same way they applied to his disciples.

The Buddha had the king announce that, in seven days, the Buddha would perform the Twin Miracle beneath a mango tree. In an attempt to thwart the Buddha’s miracle, the heretics cut down all the mango trees in the city.

On the appointed day, the royal gardener gave the Buddha a mango, which the Buddha ate. The Buddha then instructed the gardener to plant the seed from the mango in the ground, and in an instant, a giant tree grew, bearing ripe mangoes. The Buddha then performed the Twin Miracle, where flames shot from one half of his body and water streamed from the other, with rays of light shining from every pore of his skin. This miracle filled the entire crowd, both human and divine, with awe and faith.

After the miracle, the Buddha spent the rainy season in heaven, preaching to the gods, including his birth mother. When it was time to return to the human realm, the Buddha descended on a triple staircase, accompanied by Indra, Brahma, and Suyama. He was greeted by Sariputta, the wisest of his disciples, who had been the chaplain in a previous life. The Buddha then began asking everyone difficult questions, with only Sariputta able to answer the final question fully and correctly, just as if the Buddha himself had spoken the answer.

Afterward, the Buddha shared the story of Sariputta’s wisdom from his past life as an example for his disciples, showing how Sariputta had been able to discern the truth from just a small piece of information.

The king, in this previous life, was an earlier incarnation of Ananda, who was known for his wisdom, compassion, and ability to learn quickly from the teachings of the Buddha.

Moral Reflection:

The Sarabha-Miga Jataka teaches us the transformative power of compassion, wisdom, and righteous leadership. The king’s transformation from a boastful hunter to a wise and righteous ruler is a powerful reminder that even those with selfish, violent tendencies can change through the influence of virtue and wisdom. The Bodhisatta’s compassion in rescuing the king and urging him to follow the five precepts set into motion a series of events that brought about positive change, not only in the king’s life but in the lives of his people.

The king’s devotion to righteous living set an example for his subjects, creating a ripple effect that reached the heavens and led to the emergence of new gods. This story emphasizes the idea that righteous leadership is not only about personal virtue but also about leading others toward goodness, which has profound effects on society as a whole.

The Buddha’s miracle in the later part of the story reinforces the idea that true wisdom and compassion are beyond superficial displays of power. The Twin Miracle demonstrates the Buddha’s ability to use his supernatural powers in a way that serves the greater good, unlike the trivial tricks of the heretics who sought to challenge him. Similarly, the king’s wisdom and compassion were not for self-aggrandizement, but were shared with others to foster a virtuous and harmonious society.

Final Takeaway:

The Sarabha-Miga Jataka teaches us that true greatness lies not in power or pride, but in the ability to act with compassion, lead with virtue, and inspire others to follow a path of righteousness. By living a life guided by wisdom and compassion, even the most flawed individual can transform and uplift not just themselves, but an entire society.