Bodhisatva as a Lion

Once the Bodhisatva was born as a lion, when he grew strong and beautiful animal, he made his home in a forest near the western ocean. On the shores of the western ocean there lived a hare. One day, the hare after feeding, laid himself down to sleep under a young palm tree which stood under a vixlva tree. He could not get sleep but lay awake thinking, "If the earth should be destroyed, "thought the hare, "what would become of me ?". Just as this thought came to the mind of the hare, a large fruit of the Bilva tree fell on a palm leaf and made a

75 noise like thunder. The hare mistook the noise for the collapse of the earth and took fight, and took to flight to escape from the impending doom. On his way, another hare saw him scampering and asked where was he running? "Don't ask me friend," said fleeing hare; "the earth is collapsing and I am trying to escape while there is yet time. The second hare on hearing the dreadful news also took to flight. Other hares saw these two fleeing and hearing from them that the earth was collapsing joined them without enquiring about details. Thus all the hares of the forest started running, no one knew where, to get away from the end of the world. A herd of deer saw the hares crying aloud that the earth was collapsing joined them, soon, baffaloes, rhinoceroses, tigers, elephants, all the other animals of the forest were in full flight, all crying, that the earth was collapsing. Now they came near the home of the lion that was the Bodhisatva, when he heard them crying aloud that the earth was collapsing, he looked about him and saw there was nothing wrong with the earth surely that it must be some noise which was misunderstood by them. "If I don't make an effort and stop them, all these foolish animals will perish." So he went to the middle of the forest and roared three times. This frightened the beasts all the more but they stopped running and took cover. Then the lion went to them and asked them why they were running. The elephant answered him "The earth is collapsing", "who saw the collapse of the earth ?" he asked again. "The tigers" said the ལ

76 elephants. The Bodhisatva asked the tigers and they said that the rhinoceroses knew all about it. The rhinoceroses, however, did not happen to know, and referred him to the wild oxen. The wild oxen were no wiser, nor did the buffaloes, boars and deer see the collapse of the earth. At last the Bodhisatva came to the hares and on enquiries found out the hare that had started the flight. "Did you see the earth collapsing?" he asked the hare. "Yes my lord; said the hare still trembling with fear. "I saw it myself in the palmgrove and heard the sound of its collapse." The Bodhisatva now asked the animals to remain where they were and took to the palmgrove. There he inspected the place pointed out by the hare, saw the palm tree and the fruit of the Vilva tree and guessed the cause of the noise aright. Then he came back to the beasts and told them the whole story. The animals went away to their homes much relieved and praised the wisdom of the Bodhisatva.