DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.45392#0376
Buddha & the Gospel of Buddhism
‘ supernatural generosity ’ of the Bodhisattva in his last
incarnation before the attainment of Buddhahood.
Chaddanta Jdtaka
Introductory episode: A well-born girl of Savatthi,
recognizing the misery of the worldly life, had adopted
the homeless state, and was one day seated with others
of the Sisters, hearing the Master’s teaching; and the
thought came into heart, ‘Was I in some former life
an attendant of his wives ? ’ Then she remembered that
in the time of the elephant Chaddanta, she herself had been
his wife, and her heart was filled with joy. But ‘Was I
well or ill-disposed to him? ’ she thought, ‘for the greater
part of women are ill-disposed to their lords.’ Then
she remembered that she had borne a grudge against
Chaddanta, and had sent a hunter with a poisoned arrow
to take his tusks. Then her grief awoke, and her heart
burned, and she burst into sobs and wept aloud. On
seeing that, the Master smiled, and being asked by the
company of the Brethren, ‘What, Sir, was the cause of
your smiling,’ he said, ‘ Brethren, this young Sister wept
for an injury she did me long ago.’ And so saying he told
a story of the past.
Once on a time the Bodhisatta was born as the son
of the chief of a herd of elephants in the Himalayas.
He was pure white, with red feet and face; when he
grew up he became the chief of a great herd, and he
worshipped private Buddhas. His two chief queens were
Cullasubhadda and Mahasubhadda. One year it was
reported, ‘ The great sal-grove is in flower ’; and with
all his herd he went to take his pleasure there. As he
went along he struck a sal tree with his forehead, and
because Cullasubhadda was standing to windward, twigs
290
‘ supernatural generosity ’ of the Bodhisattva in his last
incarnation before the attainment of Buddhahood.
Chaddanta Jdtaka
Introductory episode: A well-born girl of Savatthi,
recognizing the misery of the worldly life, had adopted
the homeless state, and was one day seated with others
of the Sisters, hearing the Master’s teaching; and the
thought came into heart, ‘Was I in some former life
an attendant of his wives ? ’ Then she remembered that
in the time of the elephant Chaddanta, she herself had been
his wife, and her heart was filled with joy. But ‘Was I
well or ill-disposed to him? ’ she thought, ‘for the greater
part of women are ill-disposed to their lords.’ Then
she remembered that she had borne a grudge against
Chaddanta, and had sent a hunter with a poisoned arrow
to take his tusks. Then her grief awoke, and her heart
burned, and she burst into sobs and wept aloud. On
seeing that, the Master smiled, and being asked by the
company of the Brethren, ‘What, Sir, was the cause of
your smiling,’ he said, ‘ Brethren, this young Sister wept
for an injury she did me long ago.’ And so saying he told
a story of the past.
Once on a time the Bodhisatta was born as the son
of the chief of a herd of elephants in the Himalayas.
He was pure white, with red feet and face; when he
grew up he became the chief of a great herd, and he
worshipped private Buddhas. His two chief queens were
Cullasubhadda and Mahasubhadda. One year it was
reported, ‘ The great sal-grove is in flower ’; and with
all his herd he went to take his pleasure there. As he
went along he struck a sal tree with his forehead, and
because Cullasubhadda was standing to windward, twigs
290