The Deceptive Monkey

Long ago, in the deep woods, the Bodhisatta was a tree fairy, watching over the creatures below. One rainy season, he observed a curious situation unfold.

A large monkey, soaked to the skin from the pouring rain, wandered through the forest. Cold and miserable, it spotted a small monkey sitting comfortably at the entrance of its cave home, sheltered from the storm. Envious of the small monkey’s warm and dry refuge, the large monkey devised a plan to take the cave for itself.

To trick the smaller monkey, the large one puffed out its belly, making it appear as though it had recently eaten a hearty meal. It strutted past the entrance to the cave and called out to the small monkey, “There are many ripe figs just over the hill, delicious and waiting to be picked. Come with me, and you’ll feast.”

The small monkey, intrigued and eager for the promised feast, scampered off in search of the figs. But after a long, fruitless search, it returned to the cave, tired and empty-handed—only to find the large monkey now comfortably settled inside, occupying its home.

Realizing that it could not simply push the larger monkey out, the small monkey instead decided to outwit it. “Thank you for your kindness in telling me about the figs,” it said sweetly, trying to mask its frustration.

But the large monkey was not fooled and scoffed, “Your trick is weak, little one. I am not going anywhere.”

Knowing it could not outmatch the large monkey physically, the small monkey left, but not without a plan of its own. And the Bodhisatta, watching from the trees, saw how cunningness and greed had played out in the lives of these two creatures.

In the Lifetime of the Buddha

In the Buddha’s time, two of his disciples had a situation very similar to the one the Bodhisatta had witnessed long ago. The elder of the two monks lived in a small, peaceful home on the outskirts of a friendly village. It was a quiet, happy place, and the monk lived simply but contentedly.

One day, a younger disciple came upon this house while out collecting alms. The elder monk, ever kind, invited him in to stay for a few days. The younger monk, however, did not wish to leave. Instead, he began to hatch a plan to take the house for himself.

The younger monk told the elder, “If you wish to visit the Buddha, I will take care of your home while you are away.” Grateful for the offer, the elder monk agreed, and went to visit the Buddha.

During the elder’s absence, the younger monk began to spread false rumors about the elder, telling lies to the villagers about his character. When the elder returned, the younger monk refused to let him back into his own home. The villagers, now believing the lies, turned their backs on the elder and refused him food.

With no other recourse, the elder monk returned to the Buddha’s monastery, now homeless and in despair. When the Buddha learned of this injustice, he called his disciples together and shared the story of the two monkeys from the past.

“This is not the first time,” the Buddha said, “that the wicked one has cast out the good. In earlier lives, the same deceit was practiced. Like the large monkey, the younger disciple seeks to take what does not belong to him.”

Moral: Deceit and greed may seem clever in the short term, but they only lead to harm and suffering. True strength lies not in cunning or force, but in kindness, honesty, and wisdom. Those who deceive others for selfish gain will always face the consequences of their actions, in this life and beyond.