Tittira-Jātaka3

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Source: Adapted from Archaic Translation by H.T. Francis and R.A. Neil
JATAKA No. 319

TITTIRA-JATAKA

"Happy life," etc.--This was a story told by the Master while living in the Badarika Monastery near Kosambi, regarding the Elder Monk Rahul. The introductory story has been already told in full in the Tipallattha Birth. (*1) Now when the Brethren(Monks) in the Hall of Truth were setting on the praises of the venerable Rahul, and speaking of him as fond of instruction, scrupulous and patient of rebuke, the Master came up and on hearing from them the subject of their discourse said, "Not now only, but formerly also Rahul possessed all these virtues." And then he told them a legend of the past.

Once upon a time when Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares, the Bodhisattva was born in a brahmin family. And when he grew up, he studied all the arts at Taxila, and giving up the world devoted himself to the ascetic life in the Himalaya country, and developed all the Faculties and Attainments. There enjoying the pleasures of ecstatic meditation he lived in a pleasant grove, from where he journeyed to a frontier village to procure salt and vinegar. The people, on seeing him, became believers, and built him a hut of leaves in a wood, and providing him with all that a Buddhist requires, made a home for him there.

At this time a hunter in this village had caught a decoy partridge bird, and putting it in a cage carefully trained and looked after it. Then he took it to the wood, and by its cry decoyed all the other partridge birds that came near. The partridge bird thought: "Through me many of my family come by their death. This is a wicked act on my part." So it kept quiet. When its master found it was quiet, he struck it on the head with a piece of bamboo. The partridge bird from the pain it suffered uttered a cry. And the hunter gained a living by decoying other partridge birds through it. Then the partridge bird thought: "Well, suppose they die. There is no evil intention on my part. Do the evil consequences of my action affect me? When I am quiet, they do not come, but when I utter a cry, they do. And all that come this fellow catches and puts to death. Is there any sinful act here on my part, or is there not?" From then on the only thought of the partridge bird is, "Who truly may resolve my doubt?" and it goes about seeking for such a wise man. Now one day the hunter snared a lot of partridge birds, and filling his basket with them he came to the Bodhisattva's hermitage to beg a part of water. And putting down the cage near the Bodhisattva, he drank some water and lay down on the sand and fell asleep. The partridge bird observing that he was asleep thought, "I will ask this ascetic as to my doubt, and if he knows he will solve my difficulty." And as it lay in its cage, it repeated the first stanza in the form of a question:

Happy life I lead all day, Food abundant falls to me: Yet I'm in a parlous way, What's my future state to be?

The Bodhisattva solving this question uttered the second stanza:

If no evil in your heart Prompts to deed of villainy, should you play a passive part, Guilt attaches not to you.

The partridge bird on hearing this uttered the third stanza:

"Lo! our kinsman": thus they cry, And in crowds they flock to see. Am I guilty, should they die? Please resolve this doubt for me.

On hearing this, the Bodhisattva repeated the fourth stanza:

If no sin lurks in the heart, Innocent the deed will be. He who plays a passive part From all guilt is counted free.

Thus did the Great Being console the partridge bird. And through him the bird was freed from remorse. Then the hunter waking up saluted the Bodhisattva and took up his cage and made off.

The Master, having ended his lesson, identified the Birth: "At that time Rahul was the partridge bird, and I myself was the ascetic."

Footnotes:

(1)No. 16