The Jataka tales are a collection of ancient Buddhist stories that illustrate moral and ethical lessons through the lives of animals and humans. These tales depict the importance of compassion, wisdom, and mindfulness in one's life and have been widely read and admired throughout the world. In this article, I will tell you about the Jataka Tales called Death of Somadatta. I hope that this story will be useful for life here.
Jatak Tales In English - Death of Somadatta
One day when the monk had gone out of the hut, Somadatta ate a lot of food alone. He didn't even know how much he should eat in the taste of different fruits. There was no one there to stop him. He went on eating till his stomach burst. He died soon after his stomach burst.
When the ascetic returned to the cottage in the evening, he found Somadatta dead there. Separation from Somadtta was unbearable for him. There was no limit to his sorrow. He started crying loudly. When Sakka (Shakra; Indra) saw a sanyasi like him crying and wailing, he came down to explain to him.
Sakka said, O Sanyasi! You were a rich householder. But today you have become a monk by renouncing the worldly attraction. Is your attachment to the world and the world proper?" That ascetic did not have the answer to Sakka's question. He immediately became aware of his folly and attachment. He then stopped lamenting for the dead Somadatta.
Jatak Tales- Death of Somadatta tells a story about a monk who finds and raises a baby elephant in the Himalayan forest. The elephant, named Somadatta, eats too much and dies, causing the monk to become inconsolable. The god Sakka questions the monk's attachment to the world and he realizes his folly and attachment to Somadatta. The story teaches about the dangers of attachment and the impermanence of life.
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