The Sigala Jataka: A Lesson on Greed and Deceit

In a past life, the Bodhisatta was a tree fairy who watched over the world and observed the actions of beings. During one particular festival, the city was filled with people offering sacrifices to ogres. Fish, meat, and large pots of liquor were scattered all around the city as part of the ritual. As night fell, a hungry jackal, driven by his greed, sneaked into the city through the sewer system. He feasted on the abundant food and drink, overindulging to the point of passing out in the bushes.

When he awoke the next morning, the jackal realized he could not escape the city safely during the daylight, so he hid beside a road, waiting for an opportunity to get away. Soon enough, he saw a lone brahmin walking by, and the jackal, knowing that rich men were often greedy and easily tricked, decided to use the brahmin to help him escape.

The jackal called out to the brahmin, offering him a deal: he would pay two hundred gold coins if the brahmin agreed to carry him out of the city under his robe. The brahmin, eager for the reward, agreed to the arrangement without hesitation. The two of them set off together, heading toward the cemetery.

Upon arriving, the jackal instructed the brahmin to spread his robe on the ground and dig up a tree to retrieve the gold. As the brahmin followed the jackal’s instructions, the sly creature quietly walked over to the brahmin’s robe and defecated on it in five places, causing the robe to be covered in filth. After completing his trick, the jackal swiftly walked away into the forest, leaving the brahmin to clean up the mess.

The Bodhisatta, who had been watching the whole scene unfold, mocked the brahmin for his foolishness, pointing out how easily he had been deceived by the jackal’s cunning.

The Buddha’s Teaching

In the time of the Buddha, some of his disciples were discussing the troubles caused by Devadatta, a fellow monk who had become the Buddha’s nemesis. Devadatta was known for his lies and his attempts to sow discord within the monastic community. When the Buddha overheard their conversation, he told this story to remind his disciples that Devadatta’s deceitful nature had not appeared in his current lifetime alone.

In fact, the jackal in the story was an earlier birth of Devadatta himself. Just as the jackal had tricked the brahmin in the past, Devadatta had similarly used lies and manipulation to deceive others and create chaos. The Buddha’s lesson was clear: Devadatta’s actions in his current life were nothing new—they were a continuation of his past tendencies toward trickery and dishonesty.

The Sigala Jataka, like many of the Jataka tales, offers a deeper insight into the nature of character and the consequences of one’s actions. It serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of greed and deceit and highlights the importance of wisdom and discernment in dealing with others.

Through this story, the Buddha teaches that people’s negative traits, such as dishonesty or greed, can persist across lifetimes, and it is only through cultivating wisdom and virtue that one can break free from these harmful patterns.