The Bodhisatta was once a judge. One day, while driving his chariot to his estate, the king’s chaplain came upon an oxcart caravan blocking the road. Enraged because the men would not move out of his way, he threw his goad stick at the first driver. It hit the chariot and bounced back, striking the chaplain in his forehead and leaving a large bump.
The chaplain returned to the palace and told the king that the caravan workers had attacked him. The king summoned them and immediately ordered all their property seized. The Bodhisatta reminded the king that sometimes people lie, and he should listen to both sides before declaring guilt. The king took the Bodhisatta’s advice, and when all the information was presented it was clear the caravan workers had done nothing wrong.
In the Lifetime of the Buddha
One day, while driving his chariot to his estate, the king’s chaplain came upon an oxcart caravan blocking the road. Enraged because the men would not move out of his way, he threw his goad stick at the first driver. It hit the chariot and bounced back, striking the chaplain on his forehead and leaving a large bump.
The chaplain returned to the palace and told the king that the caravan workers had attacked him. These men were summoned to the palace, and the judges hearing the case listened to both sides and ruled they had done nothing wrong.
When the Buddha heard some of his disciples discussing the matter, he told them this story so they knew that the wicked chaplain had done the exact same thing in an earlier birth.
