The Ayoghara Jataka: The Prince’s Renunciation

The Ayoghara Jataka is a powerful tale of a prince’s spiritual awakening and renunciation, which parallels the Buddha’s own journey of self-realization and the decision to renounce royal life for a quest of enlightenment. This Jataka is an exploration of the themes of impermanence, the futility of attachment to worldly possessions, and the transformative power of wisdom and renunciation.

The Plot

In this Jataka, the Bodhisatta is born as a prince, but his early life is marked by tragedy. The queen, his mother, had lost two children to a goblin who had been her rival in a past life. In that former life, the queen and the goblin had been co-wives of the king, but the goblin had been jealous of the queen’s fertility and prayed for vengeance in her next life, vowing to eat the queen’s children. As a result, the goblin was born into the world with the malevolent intention of devouring the queen’s offspring. The queen’s first two children were devoured by the goblin shortly after birth, leaving her devastated.

For her third pregnancy, in an effort to protect the unborn child, the king ordered the construction of an iron house, which was to be guarded by blacksmiths and warriors. This precaution was meant to keep the goblin out, and the Bodhisatta was born and raised safely inside this iron house, under constant guard.

Despite the unusual and isolated conditions of his upbringing, the Bodhisatta grew to be wise and strong. When he reached the age of sixteen, his father, seeing that he had survived the perils that had taken the lives of his siblings, decided to allow him out of the iron house. The prince was then given the crown and led in a grand procession through the city.

For the first time, the Bodhisatta saw the beauty of the city—its parks, lakes, and homes—and he was struck by the contrast between the free lives of the people outside and his own confinement. The advisors explained to him that he had been kept inside the iron house for his protection, to safeguard him from the goblin that had killed his two brothers.

The Realization

Despite the explanations, the Bodhisatta was profoundly moved by the sights he had seen. He began to contemplate life and the nature of existence. He realized that, while he had escaped the goblin’s wrath and the confines of the iron house, there were other forces far greater than any goblin or iron prison that he could not escape—disease, old age, and death were inevitable for all beings. He saw that the accumulation of wealth and worldly attachments were ultimately futile, as they could not prevent these inevitable truths of existence.

With this realization, the Bodhisatta decided to renounce his royal life and seek a path of spiritual liberation. When he presented his decision to his father, he explained that the pursuit of wealth and power was pointless because everything in the material world is impermanent. He told his father that only a holy life, dedicated to the search for truth, could prepare a person for the future. He emphasized that the impermanence of life was a universal truth, and that the only true refuge lay in renouncing attachment and living a life of simplicity and wisdom.

The Renunciation

The Bodhisatta’s words had such a profound impact on his father that the king, too, decided to renounce his royal position. The message of renunciation spread through the kingdom, and soon, the entire city followed suit. The king, his family, and the people of the city all gave up their worldly possessions, joining the Bodhisatta in seeking a life of spiritual fulfillment.

As the procession of people leaving the city grew, it caught the attention of Indra, the king of the gods. Indra, seeing the immense spiritual energy in the Bodhisatta’s movement, sent Vissakamma, the chief builder of heaven, to construct a monastery in the Himalayas. This monastery would serve as a sanctuary for all those who followed the Bodhisatta’s example, creating a space where they could live a life of asceticism and spiritual practice.

In the Lifetime of the Buddha

The Buddha, while discussing his Great Renunciation—the pivotal moment in his life when he left behind his royal life to seek enlightenment—told this story to his disciples to illustrate that he had made similar choices in past lives. The Bodhisatta in the Ayoghara Jataka was an earlier incarnation of the Buddha. His father and mother were previous births of the Buddha’s own father and birth mother, and all the people who followed the Bodhisatta in his quest for asceticism were earlier lives of the Buddha’s disciples in his present life.

Moral Lessons

1. Impermanence (Anicca): The Bodhisatta’s realization that disease, old age, and death are inevitable is a central teaching in Buddhism. His decision to renounce the throne and seek spiritual truth highlights the understanding that all things are impermanent, and thus, attachment to them only leads to suffering.
2. Renunciation of Worldly Attachments: The Ayoghara Jataka emphasizes that true freedom comes not from wealth or power, but from renouncing attachment to these temporary pleasures. The Bodhisatta’s decision to leave behind his royal inheritance and follow a path of asceticism shows the value of spiritual pursuits over material wealth.
3. The Impact of Wisdom: The Bodhisatta’s wisdom was so profound that it led to the renunciation of not only his own life but that of his father, his kingdom, and the people around him. This demonstrates the power of wisdom in transforming both individual lives and society as a whole.
4. The Role of Teachers: The Bodhisatta’s example inspired others to follow him, and his words sparked a chain of renunciations. This illustrates the importance of wise teachers who can guide others toward the path of liberation.
5. The Power of Example: The Ayoghara Jataka shows how one individual’s decision to live according to higher principles can have a ripple effect on an entire community. The renunciations of the king, the queen, and the people in the city demonstrate the transformative power of one person’s wisdom and integrity.

Conclusion

The Ayoghara Jataka is a poignant story about the Bodhisatta’s realization of life’s impermanence and his decision to renounce the throne for a higher spiritual purpose. It serves as a reminder of the Buddhist teachings on the fleeting nature of worldly life and the value of seeking liberation through wisdom and renunciation. The story also highlights the profound impact of one person’s wisdom and integrity, as the Bodhisatta’s decision to seek enlightenment inspired an entire community to follow his example.