Reading Notes : Jataka In Detail, Part E
Banyan Deer
- Once upon a time there was a gold deer with a red flowerlike mouth and bright hoofs. He resided in the forest and was the king amongst 500 other deers. They lived close to the Monkey deer population. Townspeople wanted to make the deer locked into a park so they could carry on with their errands. They drove the deer there and shut the gate and told the king. The king would hunt the deer from that stable. The Banyan deer king had been granted his life so he will not be killed by the king and one day, a mother of the baby deer was chosen to fall and since the Banyan deer put himself as tribute, the king ordered that no more deer in the park or the forest will be hunted because of his kindness.
This jataka stood out to me as it shows us the value of friendship and treating people the way you want to be treated. Even though the Banyan Deer King had the opportunity to save himself and not get his life taken away and to choose someone to get killed by the king, he still put himself up for tribute and risked his own life for the sake of a pregnant deer's life. Although this may not have ended the way we would have wanted, the happy ending was something definitely worth having as all the deer were freed and the king valued the Banyan Deer King's choices and granted all the deer their freedom.
- Once upon a time there was a gold deer with a red flowerlike mouth and bright hoofs. He resided in the forest and was the king amongst 500 other deers. They lived close to the Monkey deer population. Townspeople wanted to make the deer locked into a park so they could carry on with their errands. They drove the deer there and shut the gate and told the king. The king would hunt the deer from that stable. The Banyan deer king had been granted his life so he will not be killed by the king and one day, a mother of the baby deer was chosen to fall and since the Banyan deer put himself as tribute, the king ordered that no more deer in the park or the forest will be hunted because of his kindness.
This jataka stood out to me as it shows us the value of friendship and treating people the way you want to be treated. Even though the Banyan Deer King had the opportunity to save himself and not get his life taken away and to choose someone to get killed by the king, he still put himself up for tribute and risked his own life for the sake of a pregnant deer's life. Although this may not have ended the way we would have wanted, the happy ending was something definitely worth having as all the deer were freed and the king valued the Banyan Deer King's choices and granted all the deer their freedom.
This was so symbolistic as the deer was giving up his life for a pregnant deer being put up to get killed. This shows and leaves an example of how some people should go about with their lives as looking out for each other will get rewarded at some times.
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