Jataka Vol. II: Book II. Dukanipāta: No. 177. Tiṇḍuka-Jātaka
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No. 177.
TIṆḌUKA-JĀTAKA.
"All around us see them stand," etc.--This is a story told by the Master whilst
at Jetavana, about perfect knowledge. As in the Mahābodhi Birth 1, and the
Ummagga Birth 2, on hearing his own knowledge praised, he remarked, "Not this
once only is the Buddha wise, but wise he was before and fertile in all
resource;" and told the following old story.
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Once upon a time, when Brahmadatta was king in Benares, the Bodhisatta was born
as a Monkey, and with a troop of eighty thousand monkeys he lived in Himalaya.
Not far off was a village, sometimes inhabited and sometimes empty. And in the
midst of this village was a tiṇḍuka 3 tree, with sweet fruit, covered with twigs
and branches. When the place was empty, all the monkeys used to go thither and
eat the fruit.
Once, in the fruit time, the village was full of people, a bamboo palisade set
about it, and the gates guarded. And this tree [77] stood with all its boughs
bending beneath the weight of the fruit. The monkeys began to wonder: "There's
such and such a village, where we used to get fruit to eat. I wonder has that
tree fruit upon it or no; are the people there or no?" At last they sent a scout
monkey to spy. He found that there was fruit on the tree, and the village was
crammed with people. When the monkeys heard that there was fruit on the tree,
they determined to get that sweet fruit to eat; and waxing bold, a crowd of them
went and told their chief. The chief asked was the village full or empty; full,
they said. "Then you must not go," said he, "because men are very deceitful."
"But, Sire, we'll go at midnight, when everybody is fast asleep, and then eat!"
So this great company obtained leave o great their chief, and came down from the
mountains, and waited on a hard by until the people retired to rest; in the
middle watch, when people were asleep, they climbed the tree and began eating of
the fruit.
A man had to get up in the night for some necessary purpose; he went out into
the village, and there he saw the monkeys. At once he gave the alarm; out the
people came, armed with bow and quiver, or holding any
p. 54
sort of weapon that came to hand, sticks, or lumps of earth, and surrounded the
tree; "when dawn comes," thought they, "we have them!"
The eighty thousand monkeys saw these people, and were scared to death. Thought
they, "No help have we but our Chief only;" so to him they came, and recited the
first stanza:
"All around us see them stand, warriors armed with bow and quiver,
All around us, sword in hand: who is there who can deliver?"
[78] At this the monkey Chief answered: "Fear not; human beings have plenty to
do. It is the middle watch now; there they stand, thinking--'We'll kill them!'
but we will find some other business to hinder this business of theirs." And to
console the Monkeys he repeated the second stanza:
"Men have many things to do; something will disperse the meeting;
See what still remains for you; eat, while fruit is left for eating."
The Great Being comforted the monkey troop. If they had not had this crumb of
comfort they would have broken their hearts and perished. When the Great Being
had consoled the monkeys, he cried, "Assemble all the monkeys together!" But in
assembling them, there was one they could not find, his nephew, a monkey named
Senaka. So they told him that Senaka was not among the troop. "If Senaka is not
here," said he, "have no fear; he will find a way to help you."
Now at the time when the troop sallied forth, Senaka had been asleep. Later he
awoke, and could not see any body about. So he followed their tracks, and by and
bye he saw all the people hastening up. "Some danger for our troop," thought he.
Just then he spied, in a hut on the outskirts of the village, an old woman, fast
asleep, before a lighted fire. And making as though he were a village child
going out to the fields, Senaka seized a firebrand, [79] and standing well to
windward, set light to the village. Then did every man leave the monkeys, and
hurried up to quench the fire. So the monkeys scampered away, and each brought
one fruit for Senaka.
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When this discourse came to an end, the Master identified the Birth: "Mahānāma
Sakka was the nephew Senaka of those days; Buddha's followers were the monkey
troop; and I myself was their Chief."
Footnotes
53:1 No. 528.
53:2 No. 538 (Westergaard).
53:3 Diospyros Embryopteris (Childers).
Next: No. 178. Kacchapa-Jātaka
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