Baradiya Jathakaya

Retold by Risitha Deelaka WICKMAL SUBASINGHE

One day when Lord Buddha was staying at Jethavanarama in Savath Nuwara, a group of monks came and complained of a headstrong novice monk (Samanera) who was in the habit of disobeying the senior monks. The group requested Lord Buddha to look into the matter and advise the opinionated the monk.

The Buddha using his psychic powers realised that in his previous birth was a stubborn creature and in this life too, he had the similar qualities. The Buddha summoned the junior monk and said, "I have received a lot of complaints about you. Is it true that you do not listen to anyone?" "Yes", he replied, with slant respect. "Not only in this life. You were very stubborn in your previous births too", connected the Buddha and then preached the story of an obstinate deer that had to meet with an untimely death due to his folly.

"Once upon a time during the rein of king Brahmadatta in Varanasi, there lived a deer family near a monastery. The leader had a younger sister. One day the younger sister asked her brother to teach her son the art of escaping from traps. "That's a very important thing for a deer to know as to how to save his life. Yes, sister, tell my nephew to come and see me for seven days.

I would teach him the art. But, you must tell him to come in the mornings", the leader told his sister.

The delighted sister went to her son and conveyed the message that his uncle would teach him the art to defend himself when there is danger.

The little deer was very headstrong who would never listen because he always thinks he knew everything. The little deer simply ignored the command of his uncle and never bothered to learn the art.

After seven days the mother of the little one went to her brother and asked him, "Brother, I hope that you have taught my son. Now I am not at all afraid to send him alone because he can look after himself".

"No, I could not teach him" replied the brother. "Why didn't you teach my son, after all he is your nephew, your own sister's son. Tell me why"

"Sister, your son has no interest at all to learn anything and, not only that because he is very headstrong.

He hardly listens to anyone. He did not come to me to learn, but ignored me whenever he sees me. That's entirely his fault," admonished the brother.

One day when the little deer went into the jungle, he got caught to a trap set by a hunter and later lost his life.

The Buddha told this story to the novice monk and said "You are that headstrong little deer, your mother in that life was Uppalawanna Therani, and the leader of that deer gang and the uncle of the little deer was me."