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| Jataka Tales Shedloc |
The Pupil Who Taught His Teacher
A teacher seeks to discover why one of his pupil’s says that young people do not die in his family. The teacher first plays a trick on the Brahmin father by bringing a goat’s bones and claiming that they are his son’s. The Brahmin laughs and says that for seven generations his family has not known death in the tender years. The teacher inquired as to why and the Brahmin answered that his family is righteous, speaks no ill, avoids evil, doesn’t heed the foolish, listens to the wise, delights in giving, feeds the hungry, holds faithful in marriage vows, and is versed in sacred knowledge.The teacher was overjoyed and wrote the words on a leaf and returned to his students.
Image - picture of ancient city of Taxila
The Man Who Told a Lie
A false teacher desires so much for those around him to believe that what he says about himself is true that he declares to each of four divine beings who had come to the Earth that he should be given and allowed to wear the wreaths of the divine flowers that were fit only for those with great powers. Being that only the virtuous could wear the wreaths, the false teacher went to each of the divine beings and told them that he was due the honor of wearing them. When the fourth divine being placed the wreath on the teacher and left, the teacher became violently ill. He begged that the flowers be removed. However, only after, in the presence of the people, the Gods said that the teacher’s words were a lie, they removed the flowers.
Image - wreath of flowers native to India
The Crow that Thought It Knew
This story is all about greed and insistence on trying what one is unable to do. Savitthaka sees Viraka succeeding during a famine, the greedy crow seeks to have what Viraka has, so he becomes his servant. Viraka, being the ever self-sacrificing character agreed to Viraka servancy. Viraka would eat enough fish to keep him alive, then give the remaining to Savitthaka, who would eat until he was full and only then give the fishes to his wife. Fully encompassed at first by greed, next by pride, Savitthaka decides that he is everything that Viraka is and seeks to catch his own fish. Viraka warned him that he was not a water worthy crow, but Savitthaka insisted, became caught in the weeds, and died.
Image of a Crow
The River Fish and the Monkey
The unfamiliar world “filch” is used in this story. New Oxford Dictionary defines it as: to pilfer or steal (something, especially a thing of small value) in a casual way. The would be thief in this story is the Bodhisatta’s younger brother. The younger brother wishes to trick his older brother thus gaining all the money that the two had received after their father’s death. Little did the younger brother know, the river spirit who had accepted gifts of leftover food from Bodhisatta, was watching out for Bodhisatta. In an odd set of circumstances the money finds its way back to Bodhisatta, who despite better advice, gives his brother part of the money.
Image - picture of the city of Benares (or Varanasi) in the kingdom of Kasi
The Poisonous Trees
A simple story about the warning issued by the Bodhisatta, who in this story is a merchant, regarding the Poison-trees that looks just like a mango. The greed of the villagers is apparent as they pick off the wares of the people sickened and dead from eating the mango look-alike poison fruit. However, those that listened to the Bodhisatta to not eat the fruit until it was checked by him were safe. The villagers wondered how the merchant knew the tree was poisonous. He responded that since the tree held so much fruit and was easily climbable that it must be poisonous.
Image of a mango or mango tree
The Wise Physician
An endearing tale of a mother’s mourning for the death of her child and her endless quest to bring him back to life. The single mustard seed from a house who had not had death was what the Buddha needed for medicine for the child. The mother soon realizes from going house to house, that all had mustard seed and all had death in their homes. “The living are few, but the dead are many.” The mother returns to Buddha and learns from him. Understanding death and accepting it she becomes a disciple of Buddha.
Image- Budda
Bibliography: Shedlock, Jataka Tales, http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/05/story-source-eastern-stories-and.html
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