Jataka 390
Mayhaka Jātaka
The Mayhaka Bird
as told by Eric Van Horn
originally translated by H.T. Francis and R.A. Neil, Cambridge University
originally edited by Professor Edward Byles Cowell, Cambridge University
This is a story about karma and the ultimate result of being stingy. Some people do not like this somewhat Christina notion of punishment for bad behavior. But in Buddhism, the reason you do good deeds is not for a good rebirth. It is simply for the joy of doing good and being good.
“Did we joy.” The Master told this story while he was living at Jetavana. It is about a stranger merchant. There was a stranger merchant in Sāvatthi. He was rich and had great wealth. But he did not enjoy his wealth, nor did he give it to others. If choice food of fine flavors was served, he would not eat it. He would only eat broth of rice dust with sour gruel. If silken clothes perfumed with incense were brought him, he had them removed. He would only wear clothes of coarse hair-cloth. If a chariot adorned with jewels and gold and drawn by high bred horses were brought him, he had it taken away. He would travel in a broken-down old chariot with a parasol of leaves overhead. For his entire life he did give charitable gifts or perform other acts of merits. And when he died, he was born in the Roruva hell. (Roruva is a hell realm where beings have hot flames blown into their bodies. One of the reasons beings are born there is because of miserliness.) He had no heirs, so the King’s men carried his wealth into the palace for seven days and nights.
After it was carried in, the King went—after breakfast—to Jetavana. There he saluted the Master. When he was asked why he did not wait regularly on Buddha, he answered, “Lord, a stranger merchant has died at Sāvatthi. We spent seven days carrying his wealth into my house. He left no heir. And although he had all that wealth, he neither enjoyed it himself nor gave it to others. His wealth was like lotus ponds guarded by demons. One day he fell into the jaws of death after refusing to enjoy the flavor of choice meats and the like. Now why did that selfish and undeserving man gain all that wealth, and for what reason did he not enjoy it?”
This was the question he put to the Master. “Great King, the reason why he gained his wealth and yet did not enjoy it, was this.” And so at his request the Master told this story from the past.
Once upon a time when Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares, the Bodhisatta was born into a merchant’s family. They had a worth of eighty crores (about 800 million rupees). When he grew up, at his parents’ death, he provided for his younger brother and took care of the household. He built an alms chamber at the house door, and he lived as a householder giving a great deal to charity.
One son was born to him. And when the son could walk, the Bodhisatta saw the misery of desires and the blessing of renunciation. So he handed over all his wealth along with his wife and child to his younger brother. He encouraged him to continue almsgiving with diligence. Then he became a recluse. He lived in the Himālaya where he gained the Five Faculties (1) faith/confidence, 2) energy, 3) mindfulness, 4) concentration/samadhi and 5) wisdom/insight) and the Attainments (jhānas).
The younger brother took that one son. But seeing him grow up he thought, “If my brother’s son lives, the estate will be divided into two parts. I will kill my brother’s son.” So one day, he drowned the son in a river. After he had bathed and come home, his brother’s wife asked him, “Where is my boy?” “He was playing in the river. I looked for him but could not find him.” She wept but said nothing.
The Bodhisatta knew what had happened. He thought, “I will make this business public.” So he flew through the air and landed at Benares. He stood at the door of the house. He did not see the alms chamber, so he thought, “That wicked man has destroyed the chamber.”
The younger brother heard that his brother had arrived. He went and saluted the Bodhisatta. He took him up to the roof and gave him fine food to eat. And when the meal was over, he stayed seated for some friendly talk. He said, “I do not see my son. Where is he?”
“Dead, my lord.”
“How did he die?”
“At a bathing place, but I do not know exactly what happened.”
“Not know, you wicked man! I know what you did. Wasn’t it you who killed him? Will you be able to keep that wealth when destroyed by kings and others for your actions? What difference is there between you and the Mayha bird?”
So the Bodhisatta expounded the Dharma with the ease of a Buddha. He spoke these stanzas:
There is a bird called Mayhaka, in mountain cave it lives,
On pipal trees with ripening fruit, “mine, mine” the cry it gives.
The other birds, while thus he plains, in flocks about him fly,
They eat the fruit, but still goes on the Mayha’s plaintive cry.
And even so a single man enormous wealth may win,
And yet may not divide it fair between himself and kin.
Not once enjoyment does he reap, of clothing or of food,
Of perfumes or of garlands gay, nor does his kinsfolk good.
“Mine, mine,” he whimpers as he guards his treasures greedily.
Not kings, or robbers, or his heirs that wish to see him die
Pillage his wealth, yet still goes on the miser’s plaintive cry.
A wise man, gaining riches great, is helpful to his kin,
’Tis thus he’ll win repute on earth and heaven hereafter win.
Figure: “Mine! Mine!”
So the Great Being expounded the Dharma to him. He made him renew the alms giving. Then he went back to the Himālaya where he pursued meditation without interruption. And when he died, he was reborn in the Brahmaloka heaven. (Brahmaloka is the highest celestial world. It is where Brahma lives.)
After the lesson, the Master said, “So, great King, the stranger merchant had neither son nor daughter for all that time because he killed his brother’s son.” Then he identified the birth: “The younger brother was the stranger merchant, and I was the elder brother.”
