Ja 242 The Birth Story about (the Gnawing) Dog (2s)

In the present the monks are talking about a dog who had been brought up near to their monastery, been sold and taken away, but quickly found his way back home. The Buddha told a similar story from the past of a dog who was tied on a leash, but bit through it when his new owners slept and made his escape.

The Bodhisatta = the wise man (paṇḍitapurisa),
the dog = the same in the past (sunakha).

Keywords: Skill, Familiarity, Animals.

“Foolish Dog.” This story the Teacher told while living in Jetavana, about a dog that used to be fed in the resting hall by the Ambala tower.

It is said that from a puppy this dog had been kept there and fed by some water-carriers. In course of time it grew up there to be a big dog. Once a [2.171] villager happened to see him; and he bought him from the water-carriers for an upper garment and a rupee; then, fastening him to a chain, led the dog away. The dog was led away, unresisting, making no sound, and followed and followed the new master, eating whatever was offered. “He’s fond of me, no doubt,” thought the man; and let him free from the chain. No sooner did the dog find himself free, than off he went, and never stopped until he came back to the place he started from.

Seeing him, the monks guessed what had happened; and in the evening, when they were gathered in the Dhamma Hall, they began talking about it. “Friend, here’s the dog back again in our resting hall! How clever he must have been, to get rid of his chain! No sooner free, than back he ran!” The Teacher, entering, asked what they were all talking about as they sat together. They told him. He rejoined, “Monks, this is not the first time our dog was clever at getting rid of his chain; he was just the same before.” And he told them a story.

In the past, when Brahmadatta was king of Benares, the Bodhisatta was born in a rich family of the kingdom of Kāsi; and when he grew up, he set up a house of his own. There was a man in Benares who had a dog which had been fed on rice till it grew fat. {2.247} And a certain villager who had come to Benares saw the dog; and to the owner he gave a fine garment and a piece of money for the dog, which he led off bound by a strap. Arrived at the outskirts of a forest, he entered a hut, tied up the dog, and lay down to sleep. At that moment the Bodhisatta entered the forest on some errand, and beheld the dog made fast by a thong; whereat he uttered the first verse:

In this connection, you could be free means you could be made free; This is the causative form of the same word. or, this is a reading. It seems the commentator is unsure whether to take pamoceyya as a definition, or as an alternative reading.

Gnawing you could go home, having gnawed Asita is a word with many meanings, in this context I take it it is a past participle of the verb asati, eat; but here we need to say something closer to gnawed or chewed through. away satisfactorily, you could go to your own dwelling place.

In this connection, in my mind I am steadfast, you must say this: The determination in my mind is just this, I have fixed my heart, and now all your words have become fixed in my heart.

I await the time means I wait for the time.

When the folk have fallen asleep, when this great people have fallen asleep, will have dropped into sleep, I am waiting for that time. Otherwise: “This dog runs away,” and should a roar arise, from there in the night-time when everyone is lying down, having chewed through this leather strap, I will run away.

So spake he; and when the company were asleep, he gnawed through the strap, and returned to his master’s house in great glee. {2.248}