Jataka Tales 13: Kandina

Kandina Jataka At one time, the Buddha, while at Jetavana, told the monks about the temptations caused to monks, by the wives of their secular lives.

At the time, the Buddha spoke to a monk about his former relationship with a woman: "Monk, it was because of this very woman, that in bygone days you met your death and was roasted over glowing embers." The monks asked the Buddha to make it clear to them this story of the past.

Story of the past In ancient times, there was a country called Magadha, and its chief city was Rajagaha. Deer lived in forests, near villages and also in the mountains. Deer living in the mountains, had little knowledge of men and their ways. Those that lived near villages were more wary of men, who hunted and killed them for food.

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Every year, deer from the lowlands would go to find fresh grass in the mountains. At that time, there was a mountain stag that became attached to a doe, that came from a nearby village.

It would follow the doe everywhere. The time came for the doe to return to the lowlands. It wanted to follow the doe. It told the stag that it was only a simple forest stag. In the surroundings of villages, it would be too dangerous for it to wander about. But strongly attached to the doe, it refused to leave and followed it down from the mountains.

When the men in the villages knew the deer were returning from the mountains, they took up ambush positions. One of the hunters was waiting by a path in a grove that the pair were travelling. The doe detected the man's scent and suspected a hunter was waiting.

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So it allowed the stag to overtake and take the lead. With a single arrow, the hunter brought the stag down and the doe seeing this, took off in a flash. Then, the hunter skinned the dead stag.

He lit a fire and roasted some of its sweet flesh over the glowing embers. After eating and drinking his fill, he carried the rest of the bleeding carcass on his pole and took it home for his children to enjoy themselves.

In those days, the Bodhisatta was a forest spirit, living in that very grove where this incident happened. He saw and noted what had taken place. He thought: "It was not father or mother, but passion alone that is the destroyer of the foolish deer.

The beginning of passion is bliss; but its ending is always in sorrow and suffering. Then, there is the painful loss of lands, and the misery of five forms of bonds and blows.

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To cause another's death is noted as wickedness in the world; infamous, too, is the land under a woman's sway and rule; and despicable are the men who yield themselves to the supremacy of women."

After this was said, the other spirits showed their appreciation and offered flowers and perfumes to him. Then the Bodhisatta spoke thus and wove the three infamies into his advice, as he taught the truth in these words.

"The arrow of love brings pain to men. A land under the rule of women is blighted. Men who bow to the woman's sway are blighted." Thus, the Bodhisatta indicated in this one statement, three infamies that affected happiness, and as he did so, the woods reflected the truth he had taught, with the mastery and grace of a Buddha.

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End of story of the past When His lesson ended, the Buddha discoursed on the Four Truths and when He had done so, the love-sick brother was established in the Fruit of the First Path. Then, the Blessed One showed the connection in the two stories.

He said: "In those days, the love-sick brother was the mountain stag, his mundane wife was the young doe, and I, myself, was the forest spirit, who showed the truth about the pitfalls of passion."

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