The Timeless Friendship of Citta and Sambhuta

In ancient times, the Bodhisatta was born as an untouchable named Citta, and he grew up alongside his cousin, Sambhuta, who was of the same humble station. The two were inseparable, sharing a bond of deep affection and camaraderie. One day, as they were performing street acts at the city gates, the daughters of a wealthy merchant and a chaplain passed by on their way to the royal park. Seeing the two men, the women believed the presence of untouchables was an omen of bad luck, so they flushed their eyes with scented water to cleanse themselves. The crowd, upset at having their day in the park interrupted, grew violent and beat Citta and Sambhuta until they were senseless.

This experience of cruelty and rejection filled the two cousins with sorrow. They decided that in order to live a better life, they would leave their hometown and travel to Taxila, where no one knew their lowly status. Disguised as brahmins, they sought to study under a renowned teacher.

One day, their teacher, unable to attend a feast hosted by a man in the city, entrusted the Bodhisatta with the task of leading the others and offering blessings in his place. At the feast, the hosts asked the guests to wait as the rice cooled. However, Sambhuta, in his impatience, ignored the warning and burned his mouth on the rice. Crying out in pain, he yelled, “Hot!” The Bodhisatta, in his concern, told him to spit it out. But in the heat of the moment, both cousins accidentally spoke in their untouchable dialect, revealing their true identity. The other students, who were not amused by the deception, beat them and drove them out of the city. The two fled to the forest to live as ascetics, but their lives were short, and they passed away not long after.

Their story did not end there, however. In their next lives, the Bodhisatta and Sambhuta were born as deer, where they continued to share their inseparable bond. They slept close together, head-to-head and horn-to-horn, until a hunter killed them with a spear. Their next birth was as ospreys, where they again remained inseparable, lying head-to-head and beak-to-beak, until a man captured them for food.

In their next life, the Bodhisatta was born as the son of a chaplain, and Sambhuta was born as a prince. Both retained memories of their past lives together. As they grew older, the Bodhisatta went to the Himalayas to live as an ascetic, while his cousin, Sambhuta, became king. Despite his royal status, the Bodhisatta longed for his cousin to join him in the ascetic life.

For fifty years, the Bodhisatta waited for the right moment to convince Sambhuta to renounce the throne and follow the path of asceticism. One day, he overheard a young boy singing a coronation hymn that celebrated the greatness of King Sambhuta. The song included the lines, “Sambhuta is doing great. Who knows if Citta is too?” The Bodhisatta saw an opportunity to create a change and devised a plan. He taught the boy a new verse to add to the song, instructing him to sing it to the king, promising that the king would be pleased by the new lyrics.

The boy went home, and his mother dressed him in his finest clothes before taking him to the palace. There, the king listened to the boy sing the hymn. After hearing the original verse, the boy responded with the new one: “Behold, my Lord, Citta is at the park gate; and like you, he is doing great.”

The king, intrigued and excited by the verse, immediately asked the boy where he had learned it. The boy explained that it had come from Citta himself. In a rush, the king ordered his royal chariot and raced to the park where the Bodhisatta was waiting. Upon seeing Citta, the king sat beside him, overwhelmed with joy and respect for his old friend. He offered to build him a palace and give him half of his kingdom, but the Bodhisatta, ever wise, declined the offer. “Wealth cannot bring true happiness,” he said, “and all things in this world are impermanent.”

The king, deeply moved by the Bodhisatta’s wisdom, realized the truth of his words. He decided to give the throne to his eldest son and join the Bodhisatta in the ascetic life. The two left the royal palace together and sought a life of spiritual fulfillment in the forests of the Himalayas.

In the Lifetime of the Buddha:

In the time of the Buddha, two of his top disciples, Ananda and another monk, shared an incredibly close bond, living together, sharing everything, and never able to be apart for long. When other disciples praised the depth of their friendship, the Buddha explained that such a bond in one life was not extraordinary. He then shared the story of Citta and Sambhuta to show that a true, unbroken friendship can endure across multiple lifetimes. The Buddha revealed that Ananda, the beloved disciple, had once been the Bodhisatta’s companion in this long-lasting friendship, stretching across four lifetimes.

Moral of the Tale: The story of Citta and Sambhuta teaches the enduring power of friendship and loyalty, which transcends time and even the bounds of mortality. Their bond was so strong that it lasted through many lifetimes, from humble beginnings as untouchables, to animals, and then into lives as ascetics and kings. The story also highlights the importance of wisdom over wealth, and the fleeting nature of material gains. True happiness lies not in power or possessions, but in spiritual growth and understanding.