In Buddhism

Theravada (major branch of Buddhism)

Source: Pali Kanon: Pali Proper Names

The king of Benares once had a very talkative chaplain. Outside the city gate was a cripple, who lived under a banyan tree, so clever that he could cut the leaves of the tree into various shapes by throwing stones at them. The king, seeing him, engaged his services to cure his chaplain. The cripple obtained a peashooter filled with dry goats dung, and, sitting behind a curtain with a hole in it, he shot pellets of dung into the mouth of the chaplain as he talked away ceaselessly. When half a peck had thus been shot, the king revealed the plot to the chaplain and advised an emetic. The chaplain realized his folly and did not offend again. The cripple was given four villages, bringing in four thousand a year.

The story was told in reference to a novice on the banks of the Aciravati who, challenged by his companions, shot a pebble through the eye of a swan in flight, the pebble emerging through the other eye.

The novice is identified with the cripple and Ananda, with the king. The Bodhisatta was one of the kings courtiers. See also Sunetta (3). J.i.418f.; cf. DhA.ii.69f.; Pv.iv.16; PvA.282f.

context information

Theravāda is a major branch of Buddhism having the the Pali canon (tipitaka) as their canonical literature, which includes the vinaya-pitaka (monastic rules), the sutta-pitaka (Buddhist sermons) and the abhidhamma-pitaka (philosophy and psychology).

See also (Relevant definitions)

Partial matches: Salittaka, Jataka.

Full-text: Aciravati, Satthikuta Peta, Sunetta, Kurudhamma Jataka.

Relevant text

Search found 1 books and stories containing Salittaka Jataka, Sālittaka-jātaka; (plurals include: Salittaka Jatakas, jātakas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:

The Jataka tales [English], Volume 1-6 (by Robert Chalmers)

Jataka 107: Sālittaka-jātaka < [Book I - Ekanipāta]

show preview