The Bodhisatta was once a merchant. An ascetic wearing leather clothes out on an alms round passed by a ram fighting area. When a ram saw him approaching, it stepped back, and the ascetic thought it was showing him respect, like a person would. The Bodhisatta saw this happening and tried to warn the ascetic that the ram was about to attack, but before he finished his sentence, the ram charged at full speed and knocked the ascetic over. He lay on the ground groaning in pain and regretting his foolish confidence. He died soon after.
In the Lifetime of the Buddha
An ascetic wearing leather clothes out on an alms round passed by a ram fighting area. When a ram saw him approaching, it stepped back, and the ascetic thought it was showing him respect, like a person would. But then it charged at full speed and knocked the ascetic over, killing him.
When the Buddha heard some of his disciples discussing the ascetic’s death, he told them this story so they knew that the exact same thing had happened to the same ascetic in an earlier birth.
