Wise Leadership and False Advice: The Chaplain’s Tale

Once, the Bodhisatta was a king who owned a magnificent horse with exquisite tack. He gave this horse to his chaplain, and when the chaplain rode it through the city for the first time, the people marveled at the beauty of the horse and its beautiful adornments. When the chaplain returned home, he proudly shared the story with his wife.

The wife, being wicked and deceitful, told her husband that the people weren’t admiring the horse itself, but its beautiful tack. She further convinced him that if he wore the saddle and harness himself and rode through the streets, everyone would praise him, as they had praised the horse.

The chaplain, foolishly believing his wife, decided to act on her suggestion. He put on the saddle and harness and paraded through the city, expecting to be showered with praise. However, as he paraded down the street, the people only laughed at him, seeing him as a fool. Embarrassed and upset, the chaplain rushed home to confront his wife. But she, having planned his humiliation, quickly fled through a side door and hid at the palace for a few days.

When the king learned of the chaplain’s troubles, he summoned him to suggest a solution. The king advised the chaplain to forgive his wife, saying that all women have faults, but they can be corrected. However, the chaplain, deeply humiliated and frustrated, decided it would be easier to replace her. He sent her away and married another woman.

In the Lifetime of the Buddha

In a later lifetime, the chaplain was reborn as one of the Buddha’s disciples. As a new monk, his food was often poor—lumpy gruel made from stale ingredients, with dried or burnt sprouts. He longed for the comforts of his previous life, and to his dismay, he found himself missing his former wife. She encouraged him to return to her, promising him delicious food and comfort. The disciple, swayed by her words, began to leave the monastery each morning to visit her.

Seeing this, the Buddha understood what was happening and shared this story with the disciple. He explained that in a previous life, the disciple’s wife had been wicked, and she was once again causing him to stray from the path to salvation. She had led him away from his noble religious life, just as she had once embarrassed him with her deceit.

Upon hearing the story, the disciple realized that his attachment to his former life and to his wife was hindering his spiritual progress. With newfound understanding, he chose to remain in the Sangha and continue his path to enlightenment.

Moral of the Story

This Jataka teaches the dangers of being misled by unwise advice and the importance of overcoming attachments to worldly comforts, especially those that hinder spiritual growth. Just as the chaplain was fooled by his wife’s wicked suggestions in a previous birth, the disciple was once again tempted by her and distracted from his path to liberation. The Buddha used this story to show that harmful attachments can prevent one from following the righteous path.

Moral Lesson

False advice and attachments to the past can lead one away from wisdom and spiritual progress. It is important to discern the truth and stay committed to the path of righteousness.