Jataka Tales 21: Kuruniga Miga

Kuruniga Miga Jataka While residing at the Bamboo-grove at Rajagaha, the Buddha told this story about Devadatta (his cousin). At that time the monks were gathered in the Hall of Truth (Dharma Hall), and were speaking reproachfully about Devadatta who had acted with evil intent upon the Buddha's person.

They were saying: "Venerable sir, with evil intent to destroy the Buddha, the monk Devadatta had hired bowmen, hurled down a rock and set the elephant Dhana-palaka (Nalagiri) loose; in various ways he went about to harm the Lord of Wisdom."

When the Buddha entered the hall and had seated himself on his prepared seat, he asked them: "Monks, on what subject were you in discussion?"

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"Venerable Sir," they answered, "it was about the wickedness of Devadatta who was always scheming and attempting to cause you great harm." Then the Buddha told them: "Not only in these days that he acted thus; in bygone days with similar intent he tried it, but was not successful." Having said this he told them this story.

Story from the past Once in a time long ago Brahmadatta was ruling from Benares. The Bodhisatta was then born as an antelope and lived on the products of his domain in the forest. During a certain period he was existing on the fruits of a sepanni-tree.

A villager who hunted deer would build a platform in a tree whenever he discovered a deer's footprints at the foot of such trees. He would then wait for a deer to come to eat its fruits.

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When one comes he would spear it and sell its flesh for a living. One day he discovered the tracks of the Bodhisatta and he built such a platform in the tree. After an early breakfast he went to his platform and waited on it with his spear.

The Bodhisatta also went early to the tree, but he was cautious of the platforms he had discovered in trees. He knew that sometimes hunters hid there to wait for their prey. When he saw the platform at the tree he would visit, he wondered whether it was being used by a hunter at that moment. So he stopped at a safe distance. He had to find out.

When the hunter saw that he did not approach the tree he threw some fruit down to him to draw him nearer. The Bodhisatta saw the fruit falling in his direction and wondered whether the platform truly hid a hunter.

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So he looked this way and that and discovered the hunter in the tree. Pretending not to have seen the man he shouted to the tree. "My wonderful tree so far you have always let your fruit fall straight to the ground. Today you have not behaved like a tree. I must therefore also change and look for fruit under another tree."

After saying this he spoke thus: "The deer can recognize the fruit dropped by a hunter. As I do not like such fruit, I will seek other." Then he went away. The hunter, angry at losing his prey, threw his spear at the Bodhisatta and said: "Go away then; I've missed you this time."

The Bodhisatta stopped, turned round and said to him: "It's true you have missed me; but depend on it that you have not missed the reward of your conduct, which are the eight large and sixteen lesser hells and the five forms of bonds and suffering." With these words the deer bounded off and the hunter too went on his way.

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End of story of the past The Buddha then repeated what he had said earlier about Devadatta also trying to kill him in the past. He showed the connection and identified the birth. He said: "Devadatta was the platform hunter of those days, and I, myself, was the deer."

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