The Jakata Tales

King Asoka gave up fighting and stopped eating meat because of the teachings of the Buddha. Many of these teachings are written down in one of India’s most famous books. It has a very long name—the Mahayana Tripitaka.

One of these stories, called “The Hare,” teaches that generosity will be rewarded. Here is how the story goes:

nce upon a time, a hare, an otter, a jackal, and a monkey lived together in a deep wood near a village. Through the deep wood wound a long, dark path. Many travelers walked along the path, traveling to the village on the forest’s other side.

One night, the hare, the otter, the jackal, and the monkey sat together around their evening meal. “Tomorrow is a special day in the village on the other side of the forest,” the hare said. “We should be ready to give food to anyone who is traveling to the village. Let’s be generous and give our best to any traveler who asks.”

The otter, the jackal, and the monkey agreed. The next morning, the otter went out to the river nearby to hunt for food. Now, that same morning a fisherman had caught seven red fish and buried them in the damp sand to keep them fresh. Then he had gone off downstream to fish some more. The otter smelled the fish and dug them up. “Whose are these?” he asked, looking around. “I don’t see anyone to claim them. I’ll take them home and eat them myself.”

The jackal went out to the edge of the village on the other side of the forest and sniffed around a poor man’s hut.

The monkey climbed up a forest tree and picked mangoes for himself. He scurried back down the tree and hid the mangoes in his own bed. “Later,” he said, “I’ll eat these myself.”

The hare went out into the field and started to pick grass. Grass was his favorite food. But then he stopped and thought, “A traveler will not want to eat grass! What else can I feed a hungry man who asks for food? I have nothing else! If someone begs me for a meal, I will offer myself for his dinner.”

From up above, the god Sakka heard the hare’s promise. “Can this be true?” he said to himself. “Will this hare really be so generous and unselfish as to give his own life? I will go down to the earth and see.”

So Sakka disguised himself as a priest and went down to the earth. He walked along the forest path. Soon he saw the monkey. “Monkey, monkey,” he cried, “I am so hungry! Will you give me food?”

“I could share a mango or two,” the monkey offered.

“Thank you,” said Sakka. “I’ll come back for it tomorrow.”

Next he saw the jackal. “Jackal, jackal,” he cried, “I am so hungry! Will you give me food?”

“Well,” the jackal said, “you can have one of my pieces of meat, and a drink of my milk.”

“Thank you,” said Sakka, “I’ll come back for it tomorrow.”

A little further along the way, he saw the otter. “Otter, otter,” he cried, “I am so hungry! Will you give me food?”

“You can have two or three of my fish,” the otter suggested.

“Thank you,” said Sakka. “I’ll come back for it tomorrow.”

Finally, Sakka met the hare. “Hare, hare,” he said, “I am so hungry! Will you give me food?”

“All I have is myself,” said the hare, “but you are welcome to eat me.”

“But I am a follower of the Buddha!” Sakka objected. “I cannot kill an animal for food!”

“Then light a fire,” the hare said, “and I will jump into it myself. Then I will be roasted for you to eat—and you won’t have to kill me.”

So Sakka built a fire. The hare shook himself, crouched down, and jumped into the flames. But although the fire licked at his fur, he felt no heat.

“Why isn’t this fire hot?” the hare asked. “It won’t roast me so that you can eat!”

“Because I am no priest,” Sakka said. “I am the god Sakka, come down to earth to see whether you would be as generous as you promised. Now, good and generous hare, live happily the rest of your life with my blessing.” And he made the hare a nest of soft grass, and returned to his place in the sky. The hare lived happily ever after, and when he died he was rewarded for his kindness.

Note to Parent: The Mauryan Empire lasted from 321–233 BC/BCE. Asoka ruled from 268–233 BC/BCE; the Mauryan empire began to disintegrate after his death.