Ja 271 Udapānadūsakajātaka
The Birth Story about Spoiling the Well (3s)
In the present one jackal fouls the well he drinks from, and is driven off by the novices. The Buddha tells a story of how a similar event happened in a previous life and how he had admonished the jackal who avowed that his ancestors did ever behave this way.
The Bodhisatta = the leader of a group (gaṇasatthā),
the jackal = the one who fouled a well (udapānadūsaka).
Keywords: Civility, Custom, Animals.
“This well a forest-ascetic.” This story the Teacher told while dwelling at Isipatana, about a jackal that fouled a well.
We learn that a jackal used to foul a well where the monks used to draw water, and then used to make off. One day the novices pelted him with clods of earth, and made it uncomfortable for him. After that he never came to look at the place again.
The monks heard of this and began to discuss it in the Dhamma Hall. “Friend, the jackal that used to foul our well has never come near it since the novices chased him away with clods!” The Teacher came in, and asked what they were talking about now as they sat together. They told him. Then he replied, “Monks, this is not the first time that this jackal fouled a well. He did the same before,” and then he told a story of the past.
In the past, in this place near Benares called Isipatana was that very well. At that time the Bodhisatta was born of a good family. When he grew up he embraced the ascetic life, and with a body of followers dwelt at Isipatana. A certain jackal fouled the well as has been described, and took to his heels. One day, the ascetics surrounded him, and having caught him somehow, they led him before the Bodhisatta. He addressed the jackal in the lines of the first verse:
1. Āraññikassa isino cirarattatapassino,
Kicchākataṁ udapānaṁ kathaṁ samma avāhayī ti?
For the seer in the wilds who lives austere for many nights, dear friend, why did you spoil this well which was made with difficulty?
This is the meaning: for the one living in the wilderness is in the wilds.
One who searches for virtue is a seer.
One who for many nights lives depending on asceticism is who lives austere for many nights.
Made with difficulty, the well which was made with difficulty and suffering.
Why, what was the purpose, dear friend jackal, for you to spoil it, drown it, corrupt it, with urine and excrement, or, having brought it to this place, spoil it with urine and excrement, destroying it?
On hearing this, the jackal repeated the second verse:
2. Esa dhammo siṅgālānaṁ, yaṁ pitvā ohadāmase,
Pitupitāmahaṁ dhammo, na taṁ ujjhātum-arahasī ti.
This is the nature of jackals, having drunk I must urinate, it is our fathers’ and grandfathers’ nature, you should not blame us.
In this connection, this is the nature means this is the character.
Having drunk I must urinate, dear friend, in whatever place we drink water, there we must urinate, pass water, this is our jackal nature, this is the explanation.
Our fathers’ and grandfathers’ means it is our fathers’ and grandfathers’ nature.
You should not blame us, this is our tradition, our way and our character, you should not blame us, it is not suitable to be angry here.
Then the Bodhisatta replied with the third:
3. Yesaṁ vo ediso dhammo, adhammo pana kīdiso?
Mā vo dhammaṁ adhammaṁ vā, addasāma kudācanan-ti!
Those for whom such is natural, what would be unnatural? Don’t let me see your natural or unnatural any time!
In this connection, don’t let me see your, we did not see your being natural or unnatural at any time.
Thus the Great Being admonished him, and said: “Do not go there again.” Thenceforward he did not even pause to look at it.
When the Teacher had ended this discourse he declared the Truths and identified the Jātaka, “The jackal that fouled the well is the same in both cases; and I was the chief of the ascetic band.”