The Snake and the Frog: A Lesson in Karma and Fairness

In a past life, the Bodhisatta was a frog living in a river. One day, a hungry water snake came upon a wicker fish trap, expecting an easy meal. The snake crawled into the trap and found itself surrounded by fish, who, realizing they were in danger, began attacking the snake. They bit the snake until it was forced to crawl out, wounded and bleeding, and lie exhausted on the riverbank.

At that moment, the Bodhisatta, in the form of a frog, leapt into the trap by accident. The snake, still furious, asked the Bodhisatta whether he approved of the fish’s behavior in defending themselves. The Bodhisatta, without hesitation, replied that since the snake itself ate fish when it entered their domain, it was only fair that the fish retaliated when the snake entered theirs. His answer satisfied the fish, and they rushed out of the trap, killing the snake.

In the Lifetime of the Buddha:

The snake in this story was an earlier birth of King Ajatasattu, who, in a later life, became a notorious king responsible for the murder of his father, influenced by his support of Devadatta, the Buddha’s rival. After this heinous act, King Ajatasattu’s mother died of grief, and his uncle, King Pasenadi of Kosala, sought revenge for the loss of his sister by waging war against Ajatasattu.

Whenever King Ajatasattu won a battle, he returned to his city with great celebration. But when he lost, he would return without any fanfare, in a state of deep despair.

Upon hearing his disciples discussing the king’s actions, the Buddha told them this story. He explained that Ajatasattu’s behavior, seeking joy in victory and sorrow in defeat, was not new. In fact, it was a pattern of behavior he had exhibited in past lives as well, symbolized by the snake in this Jataka.

Moral:

1. Karma and Repetition: This Jataka illustrates the idea of karma, where actions in one life lead to consequences in future lives. King Ajatasattu’s actions—both in the past life as the snake and in his present life as a king—reflect a tendency to feel elation in victory and despair in defeat, indicating that his emotional reactions were deeply rooted, perhaps from his past behavior.
2. The Principle of Fairness: The Bodhisatta’s response to the snake reflects the principle of fairness. Just as the snake hunts the fish in its domain, so too the fish defend themselves in their own space. This teaches that what happens within a given context is often just a natural consequence of one’s actions.
3. The Cycle of Victory and Defeat: King Ajatasattu’s emotional ups and downs after battle reflect the cycle of success and failure that many people experience. The Buddha used this story to show that such emotional reactions, driven by attachment to victory and aversion to defeat, are part of the unwholesome patterns of the mind that bind people to suffering.
4. Learning from Past Lives: The story emphasizes how the patterns of behavior from one life to another continue to shape an individual’s experiences and reactions. In King Ajatasattu’s case, his earlier life as a snake mirrored his later emotional instability. This teaches that if one does not work to overcome their attachments and aversions, they may continue to repeat the same patterns across lifetimes.

Lesson: This story highlights how fairness and the natural consequences of actions shape the unfolding of events in both past and present lives. It also teaches that emotional attachment to victory and defeat only leads to suffering, and that wisdom and balance are required to overcome the karmic cycle of joy and sorrow.