The Story of a Buffalo |
Once, the Bodhisatta was born as a buffalo in Himava. He was dark and dirty-looking. Though born in the animal-state he believed in righteousness... |
 Once, the Bodhisatta was born as a buffalo in Himava. He was dark and dirty-looking. Though born in the animal-state he believed in righteousness; and exerted his best to uphold the value of a good conduct. In the same forest there lived a wicked monkey, who used to tease and bully him. Sometimes he would leap upon the back of the sleeping buffalo. Sometimes he would obstruct him from grazing the grass. Sometimes he would climb on his head by holding his horns and swing down by holding his tail. Sometimes he would mount on his back with a brandishing stick to counterfeit Yamaraja - the lord of death. [It may be noted that in the Indian mythologies buffalo is said to be the vehicle of Yamaraja]. The gentle animal bore all the unbecoming behavior of the monkey to practice the virtue of forbearance.
In the same region there lived a yaksa, as a spirit of a tree. He resented the monkey’s acts. So, one day he advised the buffalo to punish the monkey by using his greater strength. The gentle buffalo declined to do so by saying,
Inflicting grief on others -
To overcome one’s own discomfort
Is no virtue:
As the result of such acts
Shall not bear the fruits of true happiness.
Yet, he added that one day the monkey would have his lesson; but then he would be saved from the guilt of inflicting any pain on the other.
Indeed, a few days later, when the gentle buffalo was away, a savage buffalo came and stood on the same spot. The wicked monkey thinking him to be the same buffalo jumped on his back and tried the same games. The other buffalo in no time shook him off on the ground and pierced the horns straight into his heart and trampled him with his hoofs.
The monkey was thus killed in no time.
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Tags: Bodhisatta, Buffalo in Himava, Story of Buffalo, Animal State, Monkey, Grazing Grass, Brandishing Stick, Yamaraja, Lord of Death, Indian Mythologies Buffalo, Vehicle of Yamaraja, Virtue of Forbearance, Yaksa
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