Tittira-Jātaka

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Source: Converted from Archaic translation by Robert Chalmers
JATAKA No. 37

TITTIRA-JATAKA

"For they who honour age."--This story was told by the Master(Buddha) while on his way to Shravasti city, about the way in which the Elder Monk Sariputra was kept out of a night's lodging.

For, when Anatha-pindika had built his monastery, and had sent word that it was finished, the Master left Rajgraha city and came to Vaishali city, setting out again on his journey after stopping at the latter place as per his liking. It was now that the disciples of the Six hurried on ahead, and, before quarters could be taken for the Elder Monks, monopolized the whole of the available lodgings, which they distributed among their superiors, their teachers, and themselves. When the Elder Monks came up later, they could find no quarters at all for the night. Even Sariputra's disciples, for all their searching, could not find lodgings for the Elder Monk. Being without a lodging, the Elder Monk passed the night at the foot of a tree near the Master's quarters, either walking up and down or sitting at the foot of a tree.

At early dawn the Master coughed as he came out. The Elder Monk coughed too. "Who is that?" asked the Master. "It is I, Sariputra, sir." "What are you doing here at this hour, Sariputra?" Then the Elder Monk told his story, at the close of which the Master thought, "Even now, while I am still alive, the Brethren(Monks) lack courtesy and subordination; what will they not do when I am dead and gone?" And the thought filled him with anxiety for the Truth. As soon as day had come, he had the assembly of the Brethren called together, and asked them, saying, "Is it true, Brethren, as I hear, that the adherents of the Six went on ahead and kept the Elder Monks among the Brethren out of lodgings for the night?" "That is so, Lord Buddha," was the reply. Upon that, with a rebuke to the adherents of the Six and as a lesson to all, he addressed the Brethren, and said, "Tell me, who deserves the best lodging, the best water, and the best rice, Brethren?"

Some answered, "He who was a nobleman before he became a Brother(Monk)." Others said, "He who was originally a brahmin, or a man of means." Others forcefully said, "The man versed in the Rules of the Order; the man who can teach the Righteous Path; the men who have won the first, second, third, or fourth stage of mystic ecstacy (trance)." while others again said, "The man in the First, Second, or Third Path(Trance) of Nirvana (Salvation), or an Arhat(Enlightened equal to Buddha); one who knows the Three Great Truths; one who has the Six Higher Knowledges."

After the Brethren had stated whom they critically thought worthiest of precedence in the matter of lodging and the like, the Master said, "In the dhamma(path) which I teach, the standard by which precedence in the matter of lodging and the like is to be settled, is not noble birth, or having been a brahmin, or having been wealthy before entry into the Order; the standard is not familiarity with the Rules of the Order, with the Suttas, or with the Metaphysical Books (*1); nor is it either the attainment of any of the four stages of mystic ecstacy (trance), or the walking in any of the Four Paths of salvation (nirvana). Brethren, in my path it is seniority which claims respect of word and deed, salutation, and all due service; it is seniors who should enjoy the best lodging, the best water, and the best rice. This is the true standard, and therefore the senior Brother(Monk) should have these things. Yet, Brethren, here is Sariputra, who is my chief disciple, who has set rolling the Wheel of Minor Truth, and who deserves to have a lodging next after myself. And Sariputra has spent this night without a lodging at the foot of a tree! If you lack respect and subordination even now, what will be your behaviour as time goes by?"

And for their further instruction he said, "In times past, Brethren, even animals came to the conclusion that it was not proper for them to live without respect and subordination one to another, or without the ordering of their common life; even these animals decided to find out which among them was the senior, and then to show him all forms of reverence. So they looked into the matter, and having found out which of them was the senior, they explained him all forms of reverence, by which they passed away at that life's close to people heaven." And so saying, he told this story of the past.

Once upon a time, hard by a great banyan-tree on the slopes of the Himalayas, there lived three friends, a partridge bird, a monkey, and an elephant. And they came to lack respect and subordination one to another, and had no ordering of their common life. And the thought came to them that it was not seemly for them to live in this way, and that they should find out which of their number was the senior and to honour him.

As they were engaged thinking which was the oldest, one day an idea struck them. Said the partridge bird and the monkey to the elephant as they all three sat together at the foot of that banyan-tree, "Friend elephant, how big was this banyan when you remember it first?" Said the elephant, "When I was a baby, this banyan was a mere bush, over which I used to walk; and as I stood astride of it, its topmost branches used just to reach up to my belly. I've known the tree since it was a mere bush."

Next the monkey was asked the same question by the other two; and he replied, "My friends, when I was a youngling, I had only to stretch out my neck as I sat on the ground, and I could eat the topmost sprouts of this banyan. So I've known this banyan since it was very tiny."

Then the partridge bird was asked the same question by the two others; and he said, "Friends, of old there was a great banyan-tree at such and such a spot; I ate its seeds, and voided them here; that was the origin of this tree. Therefore, I have knowledge of this tree from before it was born, and am older than the pair of you."

On this the monkey and the elephant said to the sage partridge bird, "Friend, you are the oldest. From now on you shall have from us acts of honour and veneration, marks of reverence and homage, respect of word and deed, salutation, and all due acts of homages; and we will follow your advices. You for your part from now on will please impart such advice as we need."

From then on the partridge bird gave them advice, and established them in the Commandments, which he also undertook himself to keep. Being thus established in the Commandments, and becoming respectful and subordinate among themselves, with proper ordering of their common life, these three made themselves sure of rebirth in heaven at this life's close.

"The aims of these three"--continued the Master--"came to be known as the 'Holiness of the partridge bird,' and if these three animals, Brethren(Monks), lived together in respect and subordination, how can you, who have embraced a Faith the Rules of which are so well-taught, live together without due respect and subordination? From now on I make rule, Brethren, that to seniority shall be paid respect of word and deed, salutation, and all due service; that seniority shall be the title to the best lodging, the best water, and the best rice; and never let a senior be kept out of a lodging by a junior. Whosoever so keeps out his senior commits an offence."

It was at the close of this lesson that the Master, as Buddha, repeated this stanza:-

For they who honour age, in Truth are versed; Praise now, and bliss hereafter, is their wage.

When the Master had finished speaking of the virtue of reverencing age, he wade the relation and identified the Birth by saying, "Moggallyana was the elephant of those days, Sariputra the monkey, and I myself the sage partridge bird."

Footnotes:

(1)i.e. the three divisions, or 'three baskets,' of the Buddhist scriptures also known as Tipitaka or Tripitaka