Jataka Tales 11: Lakkhana Miga

Lakkhana Miga Jataka There are several stories about Devadatta. The present one came about as a result of failing to get the Five Points that he proposed, to be adopted in the rules of the Sangha. And for this, he caused a schism and five hundred of his followers followed him, to dwell at Gaya-sisa.

Not long afterwards, these followers arrived at a riper knowledge.

The Blessed One was aware and called for His two Chief Disciples. Then He spoke to Sariputta: "Sariputta, your five hundred disciples who were misled by Devadatta's opinions and went off with him, have now come to a riper understanding.

Go there with a number of monks. Preach the Truth to them. Enlighten these wanderers, respecting the Paths and Fruits, and bring them back with you."

Lakkhana Miga Jataka

1/5

The two Chief Disciples went as bidden with a few monks, enlightened them respecting the Paths and Fruits, and the next day at dawn, came back with them to the Bamboo Grove in Rajagaha. After saluting the Buddha, Sariputta stood to one side.

Then the monks said: "Venerable Sir, bright is the virtue of our brother Sariputta. He has returned with five hundred monks and Devadatta has lost all his following.”

The Buddha said: "This is not the only time that the glory belongs to Sariputta, who returned with his kinsfolk. Such glory was his too in bygone days. So too this is not the only time Devadatta has lost his following; he lost it also in bygone days."

When the monks heard this, they asked the Buddha to make it clear to them what rebirth had concealed. The Buddha then told them the following story.

Lakkhana Miga Jataka

2/5

Story from the past In bygone days, in the time when a certain king ruled the city of Rajagaha, in Magadha, the Bodhisatta came to life as a stag. Growing up, he became the leader of a herd of a thousand deer. He had two young ones called Lakkhana (Luckie) and Kala (Blackie). They grew up strong and eventually the Bodhisatta gave each half the herd to lead.

Towards harvest time, danger abounds around them. Peasants set up traps to protect their crops. Attracted by the crops, deer from other herds would fall into pits with stakes and were killed. There were many different kinds of traps.

So many deer were killed.

When the old leader noticed that it was harvest time, he advised the new leaders to take the young strong deer to the hills and return only after the crops were harvested.

Lakkhana Miga Jataka

3/5

The danger to them would be much less.

However, men who lived along the route came to know that deer would go to the hills and then return to the fields. They would ambush and kill many of them. So there was still danger for them.

Of the two leaders, Blackie was not that bright and resourceful. He hardly took notice of the proper times to travel safely and to halt. When his herd was on the move, it was seen and hunted. The herd even passed close to villages.

Thus, in ambush or in the open, he lost many members of his herd.

Luckie never allowed his herd to come close to villages. He only travelled in the dead of night.

So his herd escaped death from hunters and every deer reached the safety of the forested hills. After harvest time they would return to the fields. Blackie and his herd went just as before.

Lakkhana Miga Jataka

4/5

Without taking any precautions, he eventually lost the rest of his herd, returning only by himself. Luckie, still using his wits, brought back his herd of deer safely.

When the old stag, the Bodhisatta, saw this, he said thus for the remaining herd of deer to repeat: "Rewards are won by the kindly and the upright. Those who do not have these qualities, fail." Living to a ripe old age in the forest, the Bodhisatta passed away.

End of story of the past Then, after saying again that both Sariputta and Devadatta had parallels in the past, the Buddha showed the link between the two stories.

He said: "Devadatta was Kala (Blackie) in those days; his followers who strayed were Blackie's following; Sariputta was Lakkhana (Luckie) and his following, the Buddha's followers; and I, myself, was the father."

Lakkhana Miga Jataka

5/5