Reading Notes: Francis and Thomas. Jataka Tales Part A

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The King and the Stick-Gatherer

  • The king, Benares Brahmadatta was roaming around looking for fruits and flowers when he stumbled across a woman who was picking up sticks in the grove
  • The king fell in love with her at first sight and became intimate with her right then and there, which is when Bodhisatta was conceived
  • The woman felt heavy from within as though weighed down with the bolt of Indra, she knew that she was going to become a mother and told the king
  • The king gave her the signet-ring from his finger and said "if it be a girl, spend this ring on her nurture; but if it be a boy, bring ring and child to me"
  • The woman gave birth to a boy and eventually questioned his mother about who his father was
  • The mother told him he was the son of the King of Benares
  • The boy asked her for proof and she explained to him the ring story
  • After the story, the boy asked her to take him to his father
  • The mother took Bodhisatta to the king and told the king this was his son
  • He did not believe her even after she explained the ring story to him
  • Thus, she told him "Wherefore, if this child is yours, I pray that he may stay in midair; but if not, may he fall to earth and be killed"
  • After saying this, she took Bodhisatta by the foot and thew him up in the air; Bodhisatta sat cross-legged in the air and said "Your son am I, great monarch; rear me, Sire! The king rears other, but much more his child"
  • The king finally believed that this was indeed his son! He made Bodhisatta's mother his queen-consort
  • At the death of the King, Bodhisatta was given the title King Katthavahana
The Cold Half of the Month
  • There once was a tiger and lion who lived in the same cave and the two became friends
  • The Bodhisatta lived at the foot of the same hell, as a hermit
  • The two friends had a dispute over the cold
  • The tiger said it was cold in the dark half of the month, while the lion said it was cold in the light half; however, they were both right
  • The Bodhisatta said they were both right because the cold is caused by the wind
  • After that, there was peace between the friends

Image result for tiger and lion
Lion vs. tiger. Source: pixabay.
Bibliography: http://iereadingguides.blogspot.com/search/label/Guide%3A%20Francis.%20Jataka%20Tales


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