Jataka Tales 9: Makhadeva

Makhadeva Jataka This story was told by the Buddha, while at Jetavana, about the great Renunciation. On that occasion, before the Buddha entered the Dharma Hall, the monks were gathered there praising the Renunciation of the Lord of Truth, the Buddha.

After the Buddha entered the hall and sat on the Buddha-seat, He asked the monks: “Monks, what is your subject of discussion?”

Answered the monks: “It is nothing else than praises of your own Renunciation. “ Then the Buddha told them: “Not only in these latter days has the Tathagata renounced the world but in the past He had done the same.”

Then the monks asked the Buddha to make this clear to them. He consented and made clear what rebirths had concealed from them.

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Story of the past Once in Mithila, in the kingdom of Videha, there was a King Makhadeva who was wise and ruled righteously.

For successive periods of eighty-four thousand years, he had lived happily as prince, ruled as viceroy, and reined as king. Then one day he said to his barber: “Tell me, my friend, when you see grey hairs on my head.”

Years and years passed and one day the barber found a single grey hair and told the king. He was told to pull it out. He did so with his golden tongs and placed it in the king’s palm.

At that time the king still had eighty-four thousand years more to live but the sight of that one grey hair filled him with great emotion. Tears rolled down his cheeks. He seemed to see the king of Death standing over him.

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It was as if he was trapped in a burning house and unable to escape. “Foolish Makhadeva,” he cried out: “Grey hair has appeared and you have not yet got rid of your sensuous enjoyments.”

And as he thought more and more about this, his body grew hot and sweat rolled down his body.

His kingly robes seemed to oppress him. He was thoroughly unhappy. Then the thought came that he should renounce the world. He decided to do so that very day to become a recluse.

In gratitude to the barber, who was speechless, he gave him the grant of a village, which drew an income of a hundred thousand pieces of money.

To his eldest son he said: “My son, I am grown old. I have had my fill of human joys and now I desire to taste the divine. The time for my renunciation has come. You will rule the realm.

As for me I will live as a recluse in a pleasure park to be called Makhadeva’s Mango Grove.”

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Thus he made arrangements to abdicate the throne. When his ministers came to hear of this, they came to ask him the reason for his decision.

Showing them the grey hair that lay in his palm, the king said to them: “The grey hair indicate that I should now give up worldly things and seek inner peace.”

After pronouncing these words, he abdicated that same day and lived as a recluse. With his abode in that mango grove, during eighty-four thousand years he fostered the four perfect states and dying with insight, was reborn in the realm of Brahma.

After passing from there, he again became king of Mithila under the name of Nimi. Once more, he became a hermit in that same mango grove and winning again the four perfect states, passed away once more to the Realm of Brahma.

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End of story from the past At the end of the Teaching, the Buddha discoursed to them the four Truths. Some entered the first path, some the second and some the third.

Showing the connection between the two stories the Buddha said: “In those days Ananda was the barber, Rahula was the son, and I myself was King Makhadeva.”

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