This document was created by Dr. Naomi Appleton in 2010 as part of a project funded by a British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowship. This document is provided freely to scholars and other interested parties for personal and research use only. Please do not reproduce, circulate or cite without first obtaining permission from the author. All comments and questions can be sent to t o
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[email protected]. All the stories about rebirth are summarised below, largely paraphrased from Eugene Watson Burlingame (trans.) Buddhist Legends, 3 vols. (Cambridge MA: Harvard University Press, 1921). I have also noted stories which mention the Buddha telling a j ātaka, even where that jātaka is not actually narrated in the text.
1. The Elder Mahāpāla attains arahatship the same night as going blind. In explanation the Buddha tells the story of the wicked physician and the woman: the woman promised to become the physician’s slave if he cured her eyes, but later repented of her promise and pretended her eyes were getting worse, not better. In anger the physician – Mahāpāla – gave her ointment that made her blind. 2. A niggardly brahmin’s son is about to die because he refuses to pay for a doctor. The Buddha visits the boy and the boy declares his faith in the Buddha. He is reborn in the heaven of the thirty-three, and returns to his father in human form to convert him. 3. Tissa, a kinsman of the Buddha, is rude to some monks, and refuses to apologise. The Buddha says this is not the first time and tells the story of Devala and N ārada: Devala caused a quarrel with his fellow ascetic N ārada, and Nārada cursed Devala that his head would split into seven pieces at sunrise. Then he felt bad and stopped the sun from rising, but Devala (Tissa) still refused to beg forgiveness. f orgiveness. 4. A barren wife (A) was jealous of her co-wife (B), and caused her to have abortions, eventually killing the mother as well. As she died, she vowed to devour the barren wife’s children in a future birth. Reborn as cat (A) who ate hen’s (B) eggs. Hen vowed revenge. Reborn as Leopardess (B) who ate children of Doe (A), who vowed revenge. Reborn in present time as Ogress (A) who devours the children of young woman (B) who runs to Buddha for protection. Both are converted and live as friends. 7. Devadatta is given a robe but everyone says it doesn’t suit him. The Buddha says this is not the first time, and tells the story of the elephant hunter and the noble elephant: Hunter saw elephants revering some paccekabuddhas and decided to steal one of their yellow robes as a disguise. He managed to kill one of the elephants. Bodhisatta was leader of the herd – the hunter attacked him next, and rather than crush the hunter the elephant merely remarked that his robes didn’t suit him. 8. Upatissa (Sāriputta) and Kolita (Moggall āna) become the Buddha’s chief monks, and some people complain that such an honour has gone to newcomers rather than other more established disciples. The Buddha explains that everyone gets what he
wants: Añña-Koṇḍañña made many gifts to past buddhas and earnestly wished he might be first to comprehend the law; Yasa and his 54 companions made merit in time of previous buddha and resolved to become arahats; thirty noble youths much the same (also with some later bad conduct); three brothers Kassapa also resolved to become arahats, and their three serving men were greedy and reborn as ghosts, only to be freed by Bimbisāra’s merit transfer in time of Gotama Buddha; Sāriputta and Moggallāna, as Sarada and Sirivaḍḍha, served Buddha Anomadass ī and resolved to become chief disciples of a future buddha. 9. The Buddha promises Nanda he will have celestial nymphs if he concentrates on the spiritual path. After he wins arahatship, the Buddha says this is not the first time he has been made obedient by promise of a woman, and tells the story of Kappaṭa and the donkey: A she-donkey comisserated with a he-donkey (Nanda) on his hard load, and he became dissatisfied and refused to work. In order to get him to work again, his owner promised to procure him a mate. 12. Devadatta’s attempts to kill the Buddha and split the saṅ gha are described, and the Buddha refers to several jātakas as examples of Ānanda’s previous service to the Buddha (533, 534, 267), and Devadatta’s evil actions (11, 210, 204, 143, 308, 21, 139, 72, 313, 358, 240).
1. Story cycle of Udena. (One sub-story) Ghosaka is cast away seven times, because in the past he was a treasurer called Kotūhalaka who cast away his son. He later, as a dog, was very affectionate towards a paccekabuddha. (Another sub-story) Tree spirit tells of his past deeds as a servant to Anāthapiṇḍaka who observed the uposatha fast. (Another sub-story) A loyal supporter of the Buddha and good wife, Queen Sāmāvat ī is burned to death in her palace with her five hundred attendants, as a result of a past life when they tried to burn a paccekabuddha to death. Her hunchbacked attendant was hunchbacked because of previously mocking a paccekabuddha, but attained the fruit of conversion because of previously waiting on some paccekabuddhas, and was an errand girl because she once asked a nun to do a menial service for her. 3. The story of Little Wayman (Culla Panthaka). Because he ridiculed a dullard monk in a previous existence he cannot even master a single stanza and is expelled from the monastery by his elder brother. But the Buddha helps him achieve arahatship, and tells a story of how he was also a bit dim in the past, and had to be helped out by the Buddha: the Bodhisatta was a teacher who helped a dim pupil of his (Panthaka) to attain riches through a simple charm. 7. The Buddha is asked about Sakka and tells the story of his origin: Magha and thirty-two companions kept the precepts and built a rest-house, aided by three of his female relatives. All were reborn in the heaven of the thirty-three (Magha as Sakka, and the carpenter as Vissakamma). A fourth female relative who didn’t help at all was reborn successively as a crane (tested for piety by Sakka), a potter’s daughter (rewarded for piety by Sakka), and an asura princess who somehow managed to escape as Sakka’s wife.
9. Nigamavās ī Tissa Thera gains a reputation for being frugal, contented, pure and resolute. The Buddha says it was the same in the past: A king of parrots (Tissa) was very contented, and Sakka (Bodhisatta) tested him by withering his tree.
2. A lay woman is able to read the minds of monks and so administer to them well. A monk attains arahatship and is able to see that in ninety-nine past births this woman had murdered him. He is filled with negative thoughts. She (silently) tells him to recall one further birth – where she spared his life. The joy of this thought pervades him as he passes into nibbāna. 5. A monk returns to the lay life six times before finally attaining arahatship, to the surprise of his fellow monks. The Buddha says that even he once did the same: A wise man called Kudd āla (the Bodhisatta) left the monastic life six times because of affection for his spade, but eventually threw it into the river, conquering desire. 7. Tissa Thera is plagued with boils and abandoned by his co-monks, but the Buddha helps him attain arahatship. He explains: A fowler (Tissa) used to break the bones of birds to stop them escaping, but he also gave alms to a monk, so he was able to attain arahatship later, albeit with the suffering of boils.
3. A layman complains to the Buddha that his monks don’t want to come to his house. The Buddha says that also in the past monks went only to a place worthy of their confidence: King Kesava and his treasurer Kappa renounced and became ascetics, and were invited – along with their retinue – to stay with the King of Benares. But noisy elephants made the place unbearable, so gradually all the ascetics left and even Kesava begged to be sent away. 5. Story of the present (Moggallāna receives cakes from a niggardly brahmin) told and reference made to the Buddha telling the Ill ī sa jātaka. 8. Story of Visākha’s youth and marriage and gifts to the saṅ gha. Buddha tells of her merit in the past: Vis ākha made offerings to past buddhas and resolved to become foremost amongst the lay women.
1. King Pasenadi lusts after a certain man’s wife and so tries to find an excuse to have the man executed. He hears fearful noises at night, and his brahmins suggest he needs to make a large sacrifice. But Queen Mallikā takes him to see the Buddha, who explains that they are the noises of hell beings: In the time of Buddha Kassapa four men committed adultery and so were born in Av ī ci and then in the Hell Pot. Every sixty-thousand years they reach the rim and utter a syllable of cry before being sucked down again. Pasenadi repents and releases the beings assembled for the sacrifice. The Buddha says this is not the first time innocent beings have been saved by Mallikā: In the past, the King of Benares promised to sacrifice 100 kings and 100 queens to a tree spirit. Queen Dinnā, who was withchild, was captured but
convinced the King that the tree spirit did not help him achieve the throne. She cried then laughed, and explained: In the past she once killed a ewe for food, and as a consequence suffered much torment in hell including having her head cut off as many times as there were hairs on the ewe’s fleece. But her suffering was now over. The King repented and released everyone. 2. A rebellious pupil of the Elder Kassapa burns down his hut. The Buddha says this is not the first time: In the past a bird (Kassapa) rebuked a monkey (the pupil) for his inconstancy, and in retaliation the monkey destroyed his nest (Ku ṭidūsaka jātaka). 3. A niggardly treasurer called Ānanda instructs his son Mūlasiri to be careful with his money and shows him his five stores of treasure. He dies and is reborn in a family of Caṇḍālas, and brings them bad luck. He begs at his old house but is thrown in the rubbish heap. The Buddha is passing and explains who he is, proven by his ability to point out the locations of the treasure. M ūlasiri takes refuge in the Buddha. 6. Thirty youths are converted and attain arahatship very fast. The Buddha explains this is because of previous merit and relates the Tuṇḍila jātaka. 7. A leper gains the fruit of conversion. Sakka tests him by saying he will give him great wealth if he denies his faith, but the leper will not. On the way home he is killed by a heifer. This is because: In the past four youths robbed and killed a courtesan, but she resolved to become an ogress. She disguised herself as a heifer to kill the leper, who was one of the youths. He was a leper because he once spat on a paccekabuddha. 11. In the dispensation of Buddha Kassapa, a monk was jealous of a visiting monk’s attentions, and so told him that he might just as well eat excrement than the food offered by his supporter, and better tear out his hair than have it shaved by the layman’s barber, and better go naked than wear the offered robe, and better sleep on the ground than on a bed offered by the layman. The jealous monk was reborn as Jambuka, who only eats excrement and refuses to wear clothes. His parents send him to live with the naked ascetics. The Buddha converts him. 12. Moggallāna relates an interaction with a crow-ghost, where the ghost explained that in the past he was a crow who had eaten some food intended for some monks. The Buddha says he also knows the past deeds of a snake-ghost: In the past he was a farmer who was angry at the damage done to his field by visiters to a paccekabuddha, and so he burnt down the paccekabuddha’s hut. 13. Again Moggallāna sees a ghost being constantly hit with sledge-hammers, and the Buddha explains his past deeds: In the past he was a stone-thrower’s pupil who hit a paccekabuddha and subsequently beaten to death by indignant people. 14. The layman Citta is insulted by the monk Sudhamma, but the latter apologises. When he goes to the Buddha there is a rain of flowers from heaven. The Buddha explains: In the dispensation of Buddha Kassapa, Citta was a hunter who gave
offerings to a monk and wished that his future births might be gladdened by presents and a rain of flowers. 15. Sāriputta visits a poor brahmin Mahāsena who gives him the only food he has, resolving that he might have a happy future birth. He becomes the child (called Tissa, after Sāriputta) of lay supporters and gives gifts to S āriputta and becomes a novice at age seven. He is very good at getting gifts, and has a sound understanding. The Buddha discourses with him (at one stage telling him the Upas āḷhaka jātaka to demonstrate that someone has died on every patch of ground).
1. Sāriputta appreciates the generosity of a modest gift from a poor man, and admits him as a disciple. The Buddha comments that this is not the first time S āriputta has been grateful: In the past he was an elephant who had a thorn in his foot. Some carpenters removed it, and he served them (Al ī nacitta jātaka). 4. In the time of Buddha Padumuttara Kappina made a resolve. Later he was born as a weaver, and with his wife he entertained a thousand paccekbuddhas. In the time of Buddha Kassapa’s dispensation they were householders of Benares who erected a monastery. The wife gave a robe the colour of Anoja flowers to Kassapa Buddha and made a resolve. They became King Kappina and Queen Anoj ā, and renounce in the Buddha’s community. 5. A poor man and his wife, assisted by Sakka, entertained the Buddha Kassapa. As a result their house was rained on with jewels. The poor man is reborn as a child of a lay supporter and becomes a novice disciple of Sāriputta’s at age seven. He is very wise (and called Paṇḍita) 7. The mother of Kāṇā gives so generously to the monks that she is rejected by her husband. Kāṇā is angry at the monks, but the Buddha calms her down. She makes a good marriage. It is not the first time she has obeyed the Buddha – he relates the Babbu jātaka. 8. A pack of vagabonds are allowed to stay in the monastery but they misbehave. The Buddha remarks that this is not the first time, and relates the Vālodaka jātaka.
9. The story of Revata, and the Buddha’s visit to him with S ī vali. The monks ask why S ī vali had to be in his mother’s womb for seven years, why he was in hell, and why he later achieved greatness. The Buddha explains: In the time of Buddha Vipass ī he made an offering of honey, but later as King of Benares he laid seige to a city for seven years.
2. B āhiya Dāruc ī riya is directed to the Buddha by a deity who was formerly a blood relative of his (a slight explanation of this connection is given).
11. A discontented monk was also discontented in the past.
3. A young woman gives alms to Elder Mah āKassapa and is reborn as a goddess who secretly attends to his cell. He asks her to stop, to avoid gossip. 8. A hunter and his wife have seven sons and seven daughters in law. The Buddha converts them and tells a story of the past: A country treasurer (the hunter) and a city treasurer vied for the larger share in builiding a shrine for Buddha Kassapa’s relics. The city treasurer out-bid the country treasurer, who was poorer, the latter resolved to serve the shrine, together with his wife and seven sons and daughtersin-law. 9. A hunter sets his dogs on a monk, who climbs a tree. His robe falls on the hunter, and the dogs devour their master thinking he is the monk. The Buddha says that: In the past a doctor (the hunter) wanted more patients so set a snake on some youths, but they threw the snake back at him and it killed him. 11. Three parties of monks each have a strange experience on the way to meet the Buddha: (i) see a crow burned to a crisp mid-air; (ii) see the wife of a sea captain thrown overboard; (iii) are imprisoned for seven days in a cave. When they reach the Buddha he explains: (i) the crow was once a farmer who burned a lazy ox to death; (ii) the wife in a previous birth drowned her dog; (iii) the seven monks were once seven cowherds who allowed a lizard to be imprisoned in an ant hill for seven days. The Buddha concludes that there is no escape from the consequences of evil deeds.
4. A monk is accompanied everywhere by the phantom of a woman, invisible to himself but visible to everyone else. In a previous existence the monk was a goddess who took the form of a woman to creat dissent between two monks. 6. Moggallāna describes seeing a boa-consrictor ghost. The Buddha explains: In the past he was a thief who repeatedly attacked the property of a treasurer. The treasurer just kept rebuilding, and even transferred some merit to the thief, and which point he repented. 7. Moggallāna is killed. This is because in a previous life he killed his parents. 8. The Buddha rebukes a monk for indulging in luxuries. Angered, he strips to his loincloth. The Buddha says: In the past the Bodhisatta was Prince Mahiṃsāsa and had two younger brothers called Princes Moon and Sun. Sun’s mother demanded he become heir – the king refused but sent the others into exile for their safety. Sun accompanied them. Sun and Moon were captured by a water demon and rescued by the Bodhisatta. 9. Santati is rewarded for good service by being made king for seven days. He indulges in all pleasures with his nautch girl and lots of liquor. On the seventh day
the Buddha declares he will become an arahat. As she dances for him, the girl drops dead, and Santati goes to the Buddha. Before he passes into nibbāna the Buddha asks him to relate his previous meritorious deeds: In the dispensation of Buddha Vipass ī he was a teacher of the law and attracted the attention of a king. 11. The treasurer Gandha decided to enjoy his wealth, and refused to give a bowl of rice to a the labourer Bhattabhatika. The latter worked for him for three years to earn the bowl of rice, then offered it to a paccekabuddha. Bhattabhatika is born into the family of lay supporters and becomes a novice disciple (called Sukha) of Sāriputta. He attains arahatship.
6. Queen Mallikā commits bestiality with her pet dog, and later denies it. She is reborn in hell for seven days, but then achieves heaven for her many good deeds. 7. A certain monk always says the wrong thing. The Buddha comments: In the past, a brahmin named Aggidatta (the monk) had a son named Somadatta (the Buddha). Aggidatta farmed and Somadatta waited on the king. One of A’s oxen died and he asked his son to request another from the king. The son insisted A do it, and taught him what to say. But A accidentally offered his remaining ox to the king instead of requesting an ox. The king was so pleased he gave him sixteen.
1. Prince Bodhi has a magnificent palace erected (and then his builder runs away in a giant wooden bird) and invites the Buddha. He asks why he is destined to remain childless and the Buddha explains that in the past he and his wife, having survived a shipwreck, ate birds’ eggs to survive. 2. A greedy monk settles a dispute between two monks by taking the best portion of the disputed property himself. The Buddha explains: In the past he was a jackal who settled a similar dispute between two otters who could not agree how to divide a fish. 4. A nun greets her son (Kumāra Kassapa) warmly, and he speaks harshly to her to help her detach. She attains arahatship. The Buddha tells the Nigrodha Miga j ātaka. 5. The layman Mahā Kāla is mistaken for a thief and beaten to death. The Buddha explains: In the past he was a soldier who fell in love with a traveler’s wife, and falsely accused the traveler of stealing from him so he could justify killing him.
2. After a magical shower of rain the Buddha narrates the Vessantara jātaka. 9. Ciñcā pretends to have been sleeping with the Buddha, and fakes pregnancy. She is revealed as a liar and the earth swallows her up. The Buddha tells a story: In the past Ciñcā was the chief consort of a king, and step-mother to the Bodhisatta. She asked him to sleep with her, and when he refused accused him to the king of having
tried to. The king tried to have him killed, later repented, and had Ciñc ā killed instead (Mahā Paduma jātaka).
2. The Buddha prepares to perform the Twin Miracle. Various followers offer to help by performing miracles of their own. The Buddha refuses help, relating the Ka ṇha Usabha jātaka and Nandi Visāli jātaka. He later ascends into the heaven of the thirty three. As a tangent we hear that the deity Indaka outshines the deity A ṅkura because whilst in a previous existence the latter gave abundant alms, the former gave a spoonful of his own food. The Buddha teaches the Abhidhamma, S āriputta listens then teaches it to his five hundred followers – they are the first to hear it because in a previous existence they were little bats who heard two monks recite the Abhidhamma. Upon alighting on the earth with all the deities and speaking to Sāriputta and his monks, the Buddha relates the Parosahassa j ātaka. 3. A monk breaks off a piece of grass and is reborn as a nā ga. He puts his daughter in his hood and has her sing and dance and pronounce a riddling stanze. Uttara sings in reply a stanza taught to him by the Buddha and the nā ga realises there is a buddha in the world and goes to tell him his story. The Buddha discourses on the difficulty of attaining human birth. 5. The father of a young monk dies, leaving him some money, and the monk decides to leave the Order. The Buddha proves to him that the money is not enough to satisfy his desires and relates the Mandhātu jātaka.
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2. The Buddha comforts a layman whose son has died, telling him the Uraga j ātaka.
1. Elder Anuruddha advises his sister to perform acts of merit in order to cure the eruptions on her skin. The Buddha explains that her skin disease is caused by anger: In the past she was a queen jealous of one of the nautch girls – she rubbed her all over with powder that made her covered in sores. But as a result of her gift of an assembly hall (as advised by her brother) she is reborn as a celestial nymph and becomes Sakka’s darling. 5. A brahmin and his wife greet the Buddha as their son. The Buddha explains that they were his parents in five hundred previous births. 6. A female slave makes a modest offering which the Buddha accepts, relating the Kuṇḍaka-sindhavapotaka jātaka.
3. A monk dies and is reborn as a louse in his own robe. When his fellow monks come to divide up the robe he runs up and down screaming at them for stealing. The Buddha hears him and orders that the cloth be left aside for seven days, enough time for the louse to die and be reborn in the Tusita heaven. 4. A proud monk boasts of his ability to expound the Dhamma but fails and is driven away with sticks and falls in a cess pool. The Buddha says this is not the first time and relates the Sūkara jātaka. 5. A young man with a wicked wife visits the Buddha and the Buddha relates the Anabhirati jātaka. 8. A novice finds fault in everyone and boasts of his ancestry, which, however, is discovered to be very humble. The Buddha comments that it is not the first time and relates the Kaṭāhaka jātaka. 9. Five laymen go to listen to the Dhamma. The first falls asleep, the second digs at the earth with his finger, the third shakes a tree, the fourth gazes at the sky, and the fifth listens attentively. The Buddha tells Ānanda that in five hundred existences the first was a nā ga, the second an earthworm, the third a monkey, the fourth an astrologer and the fifth a reciter of the Vedas. They are all acting out of habit. 10. Treasurer Ram is so called because he made an offering in the dispensation of Buddha Vipass ī of an elephant stable adorned with golden rams. As a result he has golden rams. He and his family also have magical powers because of having offered rice to a paccekbuddha during a time of famine.
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5. A monk who is behind with his practice tries to meditate all night but falls over and injures himself. His fellow monks stop and help him in the morning, thereby missing out on some promised offerings. The Buddha comments that this is not the first time and relates the Varaṇa jātaka. 6. Moggallāna sees a pig ghost. The Buddha explains: In the past he destroyed a friendship between two monks by teling them (falsely) about the ill feelings of the other. 8. Some monks are befriended by an old woman and are very upset when she dies. The Buddha relates a story: In the past they were a flock of crows who tried to bale out the sea to retrieve a female crow who had drowned (Kāka jātaka).
1. The monks express surprise at the Buddha’s supernormal powers and his ability to destroy plagues aflicting Vesāli. He says it is the result of merit: In the past he was a Brahmin Saṃkha whose son became a paccekabuddha. Saṃkha made offerings at his shrine. 2. Repeat of story 1.4, with five hundred births of hatred between that of leopardess/doe and the time of Buddha.
2. Moggallāna sees a skeleton ghost, a monk soaring through the air aflame, and five other co-religionists tormented by fire. The Buddha explains that they were all monks in deispensation of Buddha Kassapa who failed to act according to their profession. 4. Anāthapiṇḍika’s nephew Khema is so handsome that all the women who see him fall in love with him, and he spends his time chasing other men’s wives. The Buddha converts him and explains that this is the result of a past existence where he made an earnest wish that all the women who saw him might fall in love with him.
3. An elderly brahmin makes over his wealth to his sons, but then they drive him from the house. The Buddha intervenes and the sons are frightened into taking proper care of him. The Buddha relates a story: In the past the elephant Dhanap āla refused to eat in captivity for love of his mother (Mātuposaka Nāgarā ja jātaka). 5. A novice reaches manhood and leaves the order, returning to his mother’s house. She tries and fails to convince him to return to the Order. Then an ogress who was his mother in a previous birth attacks him. Then he does return to the Order.
1. A monk behaves insolently towards his fellow monks and is reborn in Av ī ci. Five hundred bandits take up the precepts and are reborn in the devaloka. The insolent monk is later reborn as a stinking but ruddy golden fish. The Buddha explains that because he previously preached the Dhamma he is golden coloured, but because he was insolent he has stinking breath. He invites the fish to tell his story. 2. The Buddha sees a young sow and smiles. He explains to Ānanda that she was previously (in the dispensation of Kakusandha) a hen that listened to a meditation formula. She was reborn as a princess and entered the first trance by contemplating some maggots. Then she was reborn in the Brahmaloka, but now is a sow. The sow later became a princess in Suva ṇṇabhūmi, then in Benares, then in Supp āraka Port in a family of horse-dealers, then at Kav ī ra Port in a mariner’s family, then in a nobleman’s family in Anur ādhapura, then as a householder’s daughter called Sumanā in the southern village of Bhokkanta, married to the prime minister. One day Elder Anula comments on the wonder of a sow becoming wife of the prime minister. She acquires the ability to see her past births, and becomes a nun who achieves arahatship, relating her previous births to fellow nuns.
4. Some monks see some bound prisoners. The Buddha comments that the bonds of craving are even stronger, and that the wise would do well to cut them: In the past the Bodhisatta wanted to renounce but his wife was pregnant and asked him to remain until she had given birth. Then she asked him to stay until the baby was weaned. Meanwhile she conceived a second child. The Bodhisatta left. 6. A young man marries an acrobat’s daughter and becomes an acrobat himself. Later he hears the Buddha preach and becomes an arahat. The Buddha tells a story: In the past a husband and wife gave alms to an Elder and made an earnest wish. Knowing this wish would come true the Elder smiled, prompting the woman to say he must be an actor. Because the husband agreed he was destined to hang around with acrobats, but because he gave alms he became and arahat. 7. A young monk is tempted by the attentions of a young woman. The Buddha tells him: In the past the wisest man in India was slain by a bandit because of the treachery of his wife. The bandit took her as his wife, but feared treachery and so left her. She was that young woman. 11. A treasurer dies childless, and the king takes his wealth and tells the Buddha. The Buddha says: In the past he gave alms to a paccekabuddha but later regretted it – this is why he was reborn as a treasurer but took no delight in its pleasures. Because he killed his nephew for financial gain he was childless. 12. A repeat of the story of Indaka and Aṅkura’s gifts.
1. Five monks who are each able to guard one door of the senses argue over which is more important. The Buddha tells them they must guard them all, otherwise they will be destroyed again: In the past they were travellers eaten by Ogresses who tempt them with the pleasures of the senses. 2. The Buddha tells a monk off for not scrupling to kill a goose, when people of the past had scruples about tiny things: In the past there was a drought in Kali ṅga but plenty of rain in Kuru. The King of Kali ṅga decided he should keep the Kuru precepts to make rain fall and asked the King of Kuru to write these down for him. For a long time the Kuru household were reluctant to do this as they were not totally sure that they had kept them all. Reassured by some brahmins, they finally did so. (Kurudhamma j ātaka) 3. The monk Kok ālika reviles Sāriputta and Moggallāna and goes to hell. The Buddha comments that this is not the first time: In the past he was a tortoise who couldn’t keep his mouth shut and therefore fell to the ground and died. (Bahubh āṇi or Kacchapa jātaka) 5. A monk hangs out with Devadatta’s sect for a while and the Buddha rebukes him, telling a story: In the past, after listening to the conversation of thieves and murderers a well-behaved elephant (the monk) became unruly and killed its
keepers but after hearing a conversation between wise men was reformed again. (Mahilāmukha jātaka) 12. In the dispensation of Buddha Padumuttura a young man gave alms and wished to become foremost of those that possess supernatural vision. Buddha Padumuttara predicted that he would become Anuruddha in time of Gotama Buddha. He was reborn as a poor man Annabh āra, servant of a rich man called Sumana. He made an offering to a paccekabuddha, wishing to be released from poverty and never again hear the word “isn’t.” At Sumana’s request, he made over to him the merit of his gift. After he has become Anuruddha and attained arahatship, he sees that Samana has been reborn as Culla Samana and takes him on as a disciple. Samana does battle with a nā ga and wins.
11. A certain brahmin repeatedly hangs from a tree and demands money from passers-by, threatening to let go and destroy the city otherwise. The Buddha comments that this is not the first time: In the past he was a false ascetic who had a taste for lizard meat. Using trickery he tried to kill a lizard living nearby. 25. A certain monk is in the habit of calling people by an epithet only used of outcastes. When the monks complain to the Buddha he contemplates the monk’s previous lives and sees that he was a brahmin in five hundred existences, and so this is merely force of habit. 30. In the dispensation of Buddha Kassapa, a forester and a merchant exchanged gifts and then contributed to a sandlwood shrine to honour the relics of the Buddha. The forester, who made a sandalwood disc for the shrine, is reborn as a brahmin who has a disc of light emanating from his navel (and so is named Cad ābha). This light, however, disappears in the presence of Gotama Buddha. He renounces and becomes an arahat. 32. A courtesan tries to tempt a monk, but fails. The Buddha comments that this is not the first time that this monk has been bound with craving and relates the Vātamiga jātaka. 33. The stories of Jotika and Ja ṭila. In the past the younger of two brothers made an offering to a paccekabuddha on their behalf and wished for three attainments – his brother wished for arahatship. In the time of Buddha Vipass ī the younger was Aparā jita and the elder was Sena. Sena renounced and became an arahat. He suggested that Aparā jita should build a perfumed chamber, which he duly did, out of numerous jewels. He resolved that people should not be able to deprive him of his property. He is reborn as the treasurer Jotika. Jaṭila’s birth and youth are narrated. He has a mountain of gold which only his youngest son is able to touch. This is because in the past he was a goldsmith who made an angry statement to an Elder in Buddha Kassapa’s retinue. This is why he was thrown into the water as a child. He later gave an offering at the shrine of the Buddha Kassapa with the help of his youngest son (the eldest refused). Ajātasattu tries to steal Jotika’s wealth and cannot. But this depresses Jotika, who renounces and becomes an arahat. His wealth spontaneously disappears.
