Jataka Tales 32: Nacca

Nacca Jataka While at Jetavana the Blessed One told this story about a monk with many possessions. The occasion is similar to the Devadhamma Jataka.

After the monks had brought him before the Buddha he was asked: "Is what they said true, brother, that you have many possessions?"

"Yes, Lord." "Why have you come to own many possessions?"

Without hearing patiently beyond this point he tore off his robes and stood naked before them, and exclaimed: "I'll go about like this!" "Oh, shame!' exclaimed the other monks. The man ran away and went back to being a layman.

When the monks were gathered later in the Dhamma Hall, the monks talked about his coarse behaviour before the Buddha. After the Buddha came in he asked them the subject of their discussion.

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They said: "Lord, we were discussing about the impropriety of that brother monk and saying that in your presence and right before the four classes of your disciples he had lost his sense of shame to stand without a stitch of clothes on him, and then finding disapproval from others lost faith and reverted to his former status."

The Buddha said: "Monks, this is not the only time he suffered loss due to his lack of shame; in bygone days he lost a jewel of a wife just as he has now lost the jewel of faith." After saying this he told this story of the past.

Story of the past Once, in times gone by, in the first cycle of the world, the four legged creatures chose the Lion as their king. The fishes chose a swan fish named !nanda Ananda, and the birds, the Golden Mallard.

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It seemed that King Golden Mallard had a lovely daughter and her royal father had granted her to fulfil any wish she might ask. Eventually she asked to have the right to choose her husband herself. So the king gathered all the birds in the Himalayan region.

All kinds of birds came, including swans, peacocks. And they all stood on a great bare rock to wait their king's pleasure. Then the king said to his daughter she might go and choose the husband after her own heart. As the royal princess looked over the birds, she saw the peacock with a neck shining like jewels and a tail of beautiful colours.

She decided on him and said: "Let him be my husband." Then the assembly of birds spoke to the peacock and said: "Friend peacock, the princess has decided and her choice is you.

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Carried away by extreme joy the peacock exclaimed: "Until now you have not seen how active I can be." Not giving any deference to etiquette he spread his wings and began to dance. Now he did not look handsome nor dignified.

Feeling the shame of his behaviour, King Golden Mallard said: "This fellow neither has modesty in his heart nor decency in his behaviour; I will not give my daughter to anyone so shameless." And amidst the assembly of birds he spoke this way: "You look beautiful. Your colours are bright. But you look the pride when you danced."

And he chose a young mallard, a nephew of his, and gave him his daughter as wife. Covered with shame at the loss of the mallard princess the peacock rose in the air and flew away. Then everyone else returned to their own places.

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End of story of the past "It was in this manner, Monks, that his breach of modesty has caused him loss of a jewel of a wife in those days; just as it has now caused him to lose the jewel of faith," said the Buddha.

After the lesson ended he showed the connection and identified the Births: "The wayward brother with many belongings was the peacock of those days, and I myself was the Royal Mallard."

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