Reading Notes: Shedlock Eastern Stories and Legends: Part A
Eastern Stories and Legends
Buddha is reborn as a lion and begins to help fellow animals. He begins to help a nervous hare who was afraid that the earth is going to fall in. A large fruit fell and hit the floor which scared the hare and caused her to become afraid. She told all the other hares who followed her. Then all the larger animals heard and followed her. The lion stops them and asks to be shown where the earth was falling in. They go back and see that it was just fruit.
The Bodhisatta turned into a monkey and came from the Himalayas. A Crocodile was in the Ganges and wanted to eat the big monkey. She prayed to her gods. She tempted the monkey to cross the river. The monkey climbed on top of the crocodile and they traveled across the Ganges. The crocodile then plunged down into the water. The monkey convinces the crocodile that his heart is on the trees with fig. He tricked the crocodile and then made fun of him. He gave him some fruit to eat and called him a fool.
The Buddha was reborn as a tree-spirit. The king of the area wanted to build a palace on one column instead of many. He also ordered that the most respected tree be cut down. The tree traveled to the king's bedroom and pleaded that he is not cut him down because he was a god. He showed the king that he was here not for himself, but rather for his children and the king spared the tree.
The Buddha was reborn as a hare and lived with a monkey, jackal, and an otter. The hare taught his friends that moral law should be upheld. He told them that tomorrow is a fast day and they should give the beggars their own food; this made them mad. That day, all the animals gathered their own food, but the hare gathered no food and lied down in the grass. A brahmin came by and asked all the animals for food. They all gave it to him, including the hare who offered his life. The fire Sakka used turned out to be icy cold when the hare fell on it. He asked what this was about and Sakka explained that it was a test. He returned the heaven and the hare remained on earth and lived with the animals.
The Buddha was reborn as a parrot. He took his position as a leader among the flock and lead them to the Himalayans to feed. He would gather enough food for his family and come back to feed them. The person in charge of the rice field was afraid that there would be no rice left. He went to his master to see what he should do and he suggested setting a trap. He did and when the birds came to feed the parrot king was captured. He decided not to cry out so the other birds could get their food. The parrot came before the Brahmin who questions him and the parrot explained himself and gave the Brahmin wisdom. He returned
The Buddha was born as a merchant. He was liberal and fond of alms-giving. The other Kings were suspicious because they thought by scattering his alms, he was stirring up other problems throughout India. They were all self-centered. They finally gave away all they could and could not find anything else to give away. He then found some grass to mow and mowed it until he could no longer due to exhaustion. He chose to give his time, in order to receive knowledge and joy. This pleased Sakka who blessed him on his almsgiving.
The would-be Buddha was born as a king. The king was kind and gave away all the alms to the poor and gave work to everyone. He realized one day that all he had given his people were outside things and material possessions. He states to himself that he will give all of himself that day if someone asks him to. Sakka heard this and decided to test him. A blind man asks him for his eyes and so he states that he will give it to him. People question his intentions but he states that it is for the joy of giving. His eyesight was returned to him days later, but this time it was the eyes of absolute truth.
Bibliography: Marie Shedlock, Eastern Stories and Legends, 1920
(Tales of Jataka: Wikimedia Commons)
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