Jataka Tales 16: Tipallattha Miga

Tipallattha Miga Jataka The Monks heard this story from the Buddha， while He was residing in the Badarika Monastery in Kosambi. It was about Rahula (the Buddha's son), who had set his heart to keep the rules of the Monks. At that time，the Buddha was dwelling in the Aggalava Temple，close to the town of Alavi. At that time，many female lay disciples and nuns would flock there to hear the Buddha discourse on the Truth. This was in the daytime.

At the beginning，many of them attended but later only the monks and men disciples were present. Then，the discourses were given in the evening, after which the senior monks would return to their own rooms. The junior ones and lay disciples would remain to rest in the service-hall. After they fell asleep, there would be loud snoring, snorting and gashing of teeth from some of them.

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A few, after a short slumber noticed this, and reported the matter as an impropriety they had seen. The Buddha said: "If a brother sleeps in the company of novices, it is a Pacittiya offense (confession and absolution needed)." After establishing this as a monk's precept, He went to Kosambi.

The monks had treated Novice Rahula kindly.

They had provided him with a bed and bedding and allowed him to use their accommodation as if it was his. They had done so because Rahula had the desire to observe the rules of the monkhood. Now they said to him: "Rahula , this precept had been laid down by the Buddha.

Please find quarters of your own."

So Rahula left their quarters. He did not go to find the Buddha; nor to Sariputta, his Preceptor; Moggallana, his teacher; or Ananda, his uncle.

Instead he went and used the Buddha's privy, as though it was a heavenly mansion.

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It was not because it had a levelled floor of sweet-smelling earth, with flowers and garlands hanging on the walls, or that a light burns there all night long. It was because the monks had told him to find his own quarters, he revered instructions, and he wanted to observe the rules of monkhood.

From time to time the monks would test his practice. Things would be left when they saw him coming and asked who had been there.

Someone would say: "Rahula came that way."

Rahula heard this but did not argue over the matter; instead he would remove whatever litter was there and humbly asked to be pardoned for the supposed offence. He would not go away until he was sure he had been pardoned. He was that anxious to observe the rules.

Now although day had not yet dawned, the Blessed One halted at the door of the privy, which was always closed and made a coughing sound to announce Himself.

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Rahula coughed in reply. So the Buddha asked: "Who is there?" "It is I, Rahula ", came the reply, and he came out and bowed low to the Buddha.

"Why are you sleeping here, Rahula?" "Because I had nowhere to go to.

Up to the present time the monks had been kind to me; but such is their fear of breaking the precepts that they will not give me shelter any more. So I come here to sleep because it is a spot that I would not come into contact with anyone else."

Then the Buddha thought: "If they could treat Rahula thus, what will they not do to other youths they admit to the Order?" And His heart was moved for the Truth. So at an early hour, the monks were assembled, and He questioned Sariputta, He asked: "I suppose you are aware where Rahula is now having his quarters?" "No, Lord, I do not."

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"Sariputta, Rahula was living this day in the privy. Sariputta, if you treat Rahula like this, what will be your treatment of youths you admit to the Order? Such treatment will not retain those who join the Brethren. In future, keep your novices for a day or two in your own quarters and then take care to acquaint yourself with their lodging." And this rider was added to the precept.

Later, gathering in the Dharma Hall, the monks discussed the virtues of Rahula . "See, venerables, how keen the Novice Rahula was to keep the monks’ rules. When told to find his own quarters, he did not say, `I am the son of the Buddha; you turn out.' But he did not do that.

Instead he went to live in the privy."

While this was going on, the Buddha entered the hall. He took His seat, and He asked them: "What is the subject of your talk, monks?"

"Lord", they replied, "we were talking about how anxious Rahula was in keeping the monk's rules, nothing else."

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Then the Buddha said: "Not only now but also in the past when he took life as an animal." Then, He told them this story of the past.

Story of the past Once long, long ago, a certain king of Magadha was ruling from Rajagaha. In those days, the Bodhisattva was born a stag and was the leader of a herd of deer. Then one day, a sibling doe brought her son to him. "Brother, teach him the ruses of a deer so that he may protect himself."

The Bodhisattva agreed. Then he told the young deer the time to present himself for instructions.

Each day, he came punctually and was taught the tricks a deer should know.

One day, when roaming in the forest, he was caught alive in a trap. He uttered a plaintive cry and the other deer fled and informed his mother.

She went to the Bodhisattva to ask whether his nephew had been taught a deer's tricks.

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"Do not fear," he told her, "your son has learnt a deer's tricks and will come back to your great happiness." Then he spoke thus: "That deer has learned all this tricks a deer should master to save himself."

Thus, the Bodhisattva consoled his sister by getting her to understand how thoroughly her son had mastered a deer's tricks.

Meanwhile, the young stag did not struggle. He had lain full length on his side and threshed his hoofs to shower the earth and grass around; relieved nature; let his head fall; with tongue lolled out; lathered his body with sweat; swelled up with indrawn air; holding himself rigid and stiff to look like a corpse. Even flies swarmed round him; and here and there crows settled waiting for his flesh.

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The hunter came upon him and smacked his belly. Seeing its condition he thought: "He's going bad already," and thinking he was already dead, freed the stag from the trap. He decided to skin and cut him up as he lay there.

He decided to eat some sweet venison before taking the rest home, so he went to gather dried sticks to make a fire. As soon as he walked away, the young stag rose, shook himself, stretch out his neck and was off like the wind, speeding away to his mother.

End of story of the past After saying that Rahula showed no less anxiety in the past to keep rules and even in the present, the Buddha identified the past births and made the connection between the two stories. He said: "Rahula was the young stag of those days, Upalla-vatta, (a nun) was his mother, and I, the stag, his uncle."

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