The Bodhisatta’s Journey: From Laborer to King and Wisdom

The Bodhisatta, in a past life, was once a king. Before attaining this high status, he had been a poor laborer who worked for a wealthy, virtuous merchant. The merchant and his family were devout, observing six holy days each month. However, the Bodhisatta was not informed of these practices when he was hired.

When the next holy day arrived, the merchant provided his workers with rice early in the morning, before they began their fasts and meditations. The Bodhisatta, however, was so diligent in his work that he did not notice it was a fasting day, and he continued his tasks throughout the day. By evening, he realized his mistake and immediately went to the merchant, apologizing and promising to fast and perform the holy-day duties for the remainder of the evening.

Despite feeling terrible for his oversight, the Bodhisatta refrained from taking any medicine offered by the merchant, determined to complete his fast. However, by morning, he was on the verge of death. In his last moments, he prayed that in his next life, he would be born into royalty, as a reward for his devotion to the holy day. His prayer was answered, and the Bodhisatta was reborn as the son of a king, eventually ascending to the throne.

The Water Carrier and His Half-Penny Coin

Moral: The things we desire can often hold us back from achieving true contentment, but overcoming attachment to material things can bring great rewards.

One day, while the Bodhisatta was gazing out from his palace window, he saw a poor water carrier walking under the scorching sun. The man was singing happily, despite the intense heat. Curious, the Bodhisatta sent a servant to bring the man to the palace.

The water carrier explained that he was going to retrieve a hidden half-penny coin, which he had buried in a brick near the north gate of the city. He was eager to spend this treasure on perfumes, liquor, and garlands for a celebration. The Bodhisatta asked the man if his treasure was worth a hundred thousand coins, and then progressively asked if it was worth lesser and lesser amounts, down to a half-penny. Each time, the water carrier answered “no,” until he finally admitted that it was, indeed, only a half-penny coin.

The Bodhisatta, moved by the man’s obsession with such a small amount, offered him the half-penny to save him the trouble of walking further in the heat. But the man, despite the generous offer, insisted on retrieving his hidden coin. The Bodhisatta then offered increasingly large sums of money, even up to a billion coins, but the water carrier refused. Finally, the Bodhisatta offered him half the kingdom, and only then did the man agree to part with his coin. However, he chose to take the northern half of the kingdom, as it contained the treasure he so cherished.

The water carrier, now King Half-Penny, ruled alongside the Bodhisatta in harmony. However, the desire to possess the entire kingdom soon grew in King Half-Penny’s heart. Unable to shake the thought, he confessed his obsession to the Bodhisatta, who forgave him and offered to give him his half of the kingdom. But King Half-Penny, understanding that such desires would lead him to ruin, chose to become an ascetic in the Himalayas.

This event led the Bodhisatta to reflect on his own life. He realized that he had never been so attached to material things, and that little desire had brought him great rewards. Filled with ecstasy, he sang a song expressing his joy at having forsaken desires: “Little desire has brought me great fruits and glory. Standing firm in forsaking desires brings mighty gain.”

A Story of Transformation: From Laborer to King

Moral: True happiness comes not from material wealth, but from cultivating wisdom, virtue, and a peaceful heart.

The Bodhisatta, now king, was praised by his chief queen for his wisdom and restraint. Yet, she wanted to understand the deeper meaning behind his song. She conspired with the royal barber, whom the Bodhisatta disliked for his clumsy way of using the razor, to extract the secret of the song’s meaning. The queen knew that if the barber followed a different routine, the Bodhisatta might grant a wish. The plan worked, and the Bodhisatta, though embarrassed about his past life as a laborer, agreed to explain his journey from poverty to kingship.

He built a magnificent jeweled pavilion at the palace gates and publicly shared his story with the whole city. His transformation from a laborer to a king inspired many, including the barber. The barber, moved by the Bodhisatta’s story, left his family behind and became an ascetic in the Himalayas, eventually achieving perfect insight and becoming a private Buddha—a being who achieves enlightenment independently.

Years later, the private Buddha, now enlightened, returned to the city to meet the Bodhisatta. He greeted the Bodhisatta informally, calling him by his family name rather than his royal title. The queen mother and others were horrified, as a low-caste man was addressing the king in such a casual manner. However, the Bodhisatta explained that everyone must salute an enlightened person. He invited the private Buddha to stay in the royal park, but the private Buddha, now free from attachments, chose to return to his mountain home.

In the Lifetime of the Buddha

In the lifetime of the Buddha, he praised his lay followers for observing holy days and practicing generosity, kindness, and self-control. The Buddha shared the story of the Bodhisatta’s past life to show that even small acts of virtue, like fasting or keeping a holy day, can lead to great rewards and glory.

King Half-Penny, the poor water carrier who became king, was reborn as Ananda, one of the Buddha’s chief disciples. The Bodhisatta’s chief queen was reborn as Yasodhara, the Buddha’s wife, symbolizing her own path toward enlightenment through virtue and wisdom.

Moral of the Story:

This Jataka story highlights the power of forsaking material desires and cultivating inner peace. The Bodhisatta’s journey shows that little desire leads to great fruits, both in this life and the next. True happiness, glory, and wisdom come not from the pursuit of wealth or power, but from self-discipline, generosity, and virtue.