Reading Notes A: Eastern Stories and Legends

(All these stories have the Buddha reincarnated as a different being, image provided by Wikimedia)  

For this week, I wanted to explore some more Jatakas Tales but decided to look at a different version of them! For these recaps, I will again be looking at the biggest message the stories try to tell the audiences. As I was reading, I realized that these are the same stories as the Jataka Tail but retold differently, so it was fun to explore how this version differed from the original one! In all these stories Buddha is the main character and he is reborn as a different animal or being.

The Hare That Ran Away: Similar to The Foolish, Timid Rabit story, here again, the rabbit thinks the earth is falling apart. However, what is different here is that Buddha is reborn as the Lion. The lesson we can take away from this is that life is not a game of telephone, so be more mindful of what you hear and how you interpret it.

The Monkey and the Crocodile: In this version of the story, the Crocodiles are husband and wife, and the monkey is Buddha. The monkey again cons the crocodile and can get figs. One lesson to learn here is that you shouldn’t lie to others to try to get your way and you should definitely not try to harm others.

The Spirit That Lived in a Tree: In this tale, Buddha is re-born as a tree spirit. In this tale, a King decides to cut down the tree in which the spirit lives. But the spirit convinces the King to not cut him down and save his baby trees. One lesson we can learn from this story is the power of trying. We should not give up just because it seems the easiest path to not try.

The Hare That Was Not Afraid to Die: In this story, Buddha is reborn as a Hara that teaches his friend about the moral code, that all alms should be given to the poor and The Holy Day should be kept.

The Parrot That Fed His Parents: In this tale, the Buddha is reborn as a Parrot who is given leadership of the flock by his father. Since his parents are old, the Parrot takes the seeds to his old parents that couldn't fly. I think one lesson we can learn from this is to always care about others. Especially in Corona times, many people do need help, and maybe some us need to be parrots and help those around us!

The Man Who Worked to Give Alms: in this story, the Buddha is born as a merchant. The merchant would often give our alms to others and the King thought this was just a plot to dethrone him. But when the King learns that the Merchant did not want Sakkahood or Bhraminshod, but just to help, he says it is fine. One lesson we can learn is that when we do service for others, it should be with a pure heart, not with the desire to get anything in return.

King Who Saw the Truth: This is about Buddha's childhood as a wisdom child and one day when mediating, he considered that he had not given people part of himself, just monetary goods. So he decided to give his eyes to someone who could not see. In doing so, he understood the true meaning of giving. So I think one lesson is to learn about the joy of giving.

Bibliography:
Title: Eastern Stories and Legends

Author: Marie Shedlock
Year: 1920 (originally published in 1910)