Ja 226 The Birth Story about the (Impatient) Owl (2s)

In the present the king of Kosala wants to go on an expedition with his army, but first he sought the counsel of the Buddha, who tells a story of an owl who came to a bamboo thicket at the wrong time and was killed by a bunch of crows.

The Bodhisatta = the wise minister (paṇḍitāmacca),
Ānanda = the king (of Benares) (rājā).

Present Source: Ja 176 Kalāyamuṭṭhi,
Quoted at: Ja 226 Kosiya.

Keywords: Contentment, Timing, Animals, Birds.

One rainy season, disaffection broke out on his borders. The troops stationed there, after two or three battles in which they failed to conquer their adversaries, sent a message to the king. In spite of the season, in spite of the rains, he took the field, and encamped before Jetavana. Then he began to ponder. “ ’Tis a bad season for an expedition; every crevice and hollow is full of water; the road is heavy: I’ll go visit the Teacher. He will be sure to ask ‘whither away;’ then I’ll tell him. It is not only in things of the future life that our Teacher protects me, but he protects in the things which we now see. So if my going is not to prosper, he will say ‘It is a bad time to go, sire;’ but if I am to prosper, he will say nothing.” So into Jetavana he came, and after greeting the Teacher sat down on one side.

“Whence come you, O king,” asked the Teacher, “at this unseasonable hour?” “Sir,” he replied, “I am on my way to quell a border rising; and I come first to bid you farewell.” To this the Teacher said: “So it happened before, that mighty monarchs, before setting out for war, have listened to the word of the wise, and turned back from an unseasonable expedition.”

In the past, the king of Benares having started for the field of war at an unseasonable time, set up a camp in his park. At that time an owl entered a thicket of bamboos, and hid in it. There came a flock of crows, “We will catch him,” they said, “so soon as he shall come out.” And they compassed it around. Out he came before his time, nor did he wait until the sun should set; and tried to make his escape. The crows surrounded him, and pecked him with their beaks till he fell to the ground. The king asked the Bodhisatta, “Tell me, wise sir, why are the crows attacking this owl?” And the Bodhisatta made answer, “They that leave their dwelling before the right time, great king, fall into just such misery as this. Therefore before the time one should not leave one’s [2.147] dwelling place.” And to make the matter clear, he uttered this pair of verses:

In this connection, going at the right time is good, great king, going out is called going out or advancing at a suitable, very suitable, time is good.

Not going at the wrong time is good, but going out at the wrong time to go to another place from your own place of residence, going out or advancing is not good.

At the wrong time and so on, amongst the four lines, by joining the first line with the third line, and the second line with the fourth line, so is the meaning to be understood. I do not really follow this, as the verse makes perfect sense as it is, and would be hard to understand if reordered in the way suggested here. From his own place of residence, whatever person, at the wrong time, having gone out, or having advanced.

Nothing explains the meaning, he is unable to generate even an insignificant development for himself, then alone, and with the many folk, with the many hostile folk, at the wrong time going out or advancing, alone, or being surrounded by folk, he is led to complete destruction.

In this connection, this is the simile: like the owl with the army of crows, like this army of crows, at the wrong time going out or advancing, they lead the owl to complete destruction by attacking him with their beaks, so therefore, beginning with animals, no one, at the wrong time, and from his own place of residence should go out or advance.

In the second verse, the wise one means the wise one. Dhīra can mean wise or firm. The commentary clarifies which meaning is intended here.

The rules means the traditions established by the wise men of old.

Commands means the divisions or the commands.

Follows the faults means knowing and following a fault.

Bringing means bringing under his own control.

The owl means from this foolish owl likewise to another wise owl.

This is what is said: he who is wise, thinking: “At the right time I should go out, I should advance, but, at this time I should not go out, I should not advance.” What are known as the traditions established by the wise ones of old, the rules and what is reckoned as the divisions, or the commands, he knows his rules, commands, his undertaking of the commands, he knows the rules and commands. And knowing the faults of others, of his foes, like for sure a wise owl at what is reckoned as night, in his own time going out and advancing, cutting the crows’ heads off as they lie right there, having brought all foes under control, he will live happily. So the wise one at the right time, having gone out, having advanced, having brought all of his foes under his control, will be happy, without suffering.