Kasava Jataka (#221)
The Bodhisatta was once an elephant. A man put on the yellow robe of a private Buddha (those who reach enlightenment on their own and do not teach the path to others) and killed the last elephant of the herd as it walked by him. The Bodhisatta chose to rebuke the man’s behavior instead of killing him.
Cula-Nandiya Jataka (#222)
The Bodhisatta was once a monkey. His mother was blind and depended on care from him and his brother. When a hunter came to shoot her, they offered their lives in exchange for hers, but the hunter killed all three. Right after this, lightning struck the hunter’s house, killing his family, and the earth opened up and swallowed him into hell.
Puta-Bhatta Jataka (#223)
The Bodhisatta was once a king’s advisor. As a prince was traveling to the city, he was given some food to eat and did not share it with his wife. After the prince became king, he completely ignored his wife, so the Bodhisatta shamed him into giving her the respect she deserved.
Kumbhila Jataka (#224)
(Duplicate of Jataka #57) The Bodhisatta was once a monkey. Every day he hopped onto a lone rock to reach an island full of fruit. When a crocodile who wanted to eat the Bodhisatta sat on the rock, he got across the river safely by convincing it to close its eyes, and then jumping on its head.
Khanti-Vannana Jataka (#225)
The Bodhisatta was once a king. One of his best assistants was sleeping with a woman from the harem. When this assistant found that one of his own servants was sleeping with his wife, he went to the Bodhisatta, who said you must forgive people who are valuable.
Kosiya Jataka (#226)
The Bodhisatta was once a king’s advisor. One time the king set off for war during the rainy season. He saw an owl try to fly away from some crows before nighttime, and they pecked it to death. The Bodhisatta used this to explain that those who do things at the wrong time will suffer misery.
Gutha-Pana Jataka (#227)
The Bodhisatta was once a tree fairy. He saw a drunk dung beetle challenge an elephant to a fight. Choosing the most appropriate way to fight a dung beetle, the elephant dropped a large dung ball on the beetle, killing it.
Kamanita Jataka (#228)
The Bodhisatta was once Indra, king of the gods. To teach a greedy king a lesson, he offered his help conquering three other kingdoms, but then he scuttled the plan, and this made the king ill. The Bodhisatta cured him by explaining that misery is caused by desire.
Palayi Jataka (#229)
The Bodhisatta was once a king. Another king came to capture the Bodhisatta’s kingdom, but when he saw the massive towers on the city gate, he realized he could never defeat such a glorious king, and he fled back home.
Dutiya-Palayi Jataka (#230)
The Bodhisatta was once a king. Another king came to capture the Bodhisatta’s kingdom, but when the Bodhisatta appeared and declared that he would be victorious, the rival was filled with fear and fled back home.
Upahana Jataka (#231)
The Bodhisatta was once a mahout. One of his students was offered a job with the king, but demanded pay equal to the Bodhisatta. An exhibition was arranged, and the Bodhisatta far outperformed the student. Everybody was angry at the student for disrespecting his master by claiming to be equal, so they killed him.
Vina-Thuna Jataka (#232)
The Bodhisatta was once a merchant. After the woman he chose for his son to marry saw a ceremony to honor a right royal bull, she figured a hunchback must be a great man because he also had a hump on his back. So she ran off with him, but the next day the Bodhisatta convinced her to go through with the marriage to his son.
Vikannaka Jataka (#233)
The Bodhisatta was once a king. He regularly fed rice to fish in a lake, and when a crocodile discovered this, it came and ate some of them. The king ordered it to be captured. After being struck by a harpoon, the crocodile managed to swim away, but it died soon after.
Asitabhu Jataka (#234)
The Bodhisatta was once an ascetic. A prince and princess banished from their kingdom lived near him. One day the prince became enamored with a fairy and chased after her. His angry wife discussed religion with the Bodhisatta and found bliss, so she left to go live a religious life elsewhere.
Vaccha-Nakha Jataka (#235)
The Bodhisatta was once an ascetic. One time he visited a city and became friends with a rich man there. This man wanted the Bodhisatta to give up his unpleasant life, but the Bodhisatta answered that lay life was really the bad life because one can never be at peace.
Baka Jataka (#236)
The Bodhisatta was once a fish. Others in his school saw a crane sitting peacefully and they thought it was pious, but the Bodhisatta told them it was trying to trick them into coming close so it could eat them.
Saketa Jataka (#237)
(Duplicate of Jataka #68) The Bodhisatta was once a son, nephew, and grandson of the same man in one thousand five hundred successive lives, and then again in another one thousand five hundred successive lives to one woman.
Ekapada Jataka (#238)
The Bodhisatta was once a merchant. His young son asked what one word best explained how to be successful, and he answered, “skill.”
Harita-Mata Jataka (#239)
The Bodhisatta was once a frog. A snake entered a fish trap to eat, but the fish inside attacked him. The snake asked the Bodhisatta about the fish’s behavior, and he answered that it was appropriate since the snake tried to eat the fish.
Mahapingala Jataka (#240)
The Bodhisatta was once a king. His father was a cruel king hated by everyone, and there was great joy when he died. But a palace gatekeeper cried after the king’s death because he feared the king would hit the gatekeeper of hell and be sent back to earth.
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