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Buddha Short Story - Why Should be a Good Listener?

September 13, 2021 , ,

Why is it So Important to be a Good Listener?

Buddha Short Story - Why Should be a Good Listener?
Why Should be a Good Listener

Why Should be a Good Listener?

During the Buddha's time, a certain monk was being very stubborn. He would not listen to instruction or criticism. His monk brothers, hoping to help him, brought him to the Buddha. The Buddha asked him, "Is it true monk? Is it true that you are headstrong and stubborn and refuse to listen to the advice of others?" The monk responded, "Yes my lord, I think I am right and they are wrong. I think I know what I am doing. So I do not listen."

Lord Buddha then said, "Monk, this is not the first life that you are headstrong and stubborn. You have been like this in past lives. And in that past life, your stubbornness in not the following advice caused you to die from the bite of a snake!" All the monks present respectfully requested for the Buddha to reveal the past which was hidden to many by numerous rebirths.

A long time ago, when Brahmadatta was ruling in Benares, the Bodhisatta was born into a wealthy family. The family members spent their lives searching for and experiencing pleasure. As he grew, the Bodhisatta observed how having riches and power led to pleasure. But the pleasure led to greed, bad personality traits, anger, self-importance, and other problems.

The power and the wealth led to ego and the assumption of being better than others. That in turn led to abusing and hurting those they saw as lesser than them. But regardless, at some point, all will die and leave all these temporary things behind, taking nothing with them. And so, the Bodhisatta renounced desire and ordained as an ascetic and lived in the Himalayan Mountains.

He spent his days contemplating the truth of life and meditating upon it. Eventually, he achieved great spiritual gains. Over time, his fame spread and he became the teacher of five hundred hermits. One day, a baby snake slithered up to the hut of one of the hermits. Because it was so cute and small, the young hermit became fond of the baby snake and began to care for it, housing it in some bamboo.

The young hermit would feed the baby snake small rodents he caught. Because it lived in bamboo, the snake was named Veluka, and the young hermit was called "Veluka's father." When the Bodhisatta found out that one of his hermits was keeping a snake, he called for Veluka's father. The Bodhisatta asked, "Young hermit that is it true, you are keeping a snake as a pet?" Veluka's father answered, "Yes sir, my snake is named Veluka and is very cute!"

The Bodhisatta said, "A snake is naturally a dangerous being. A snake will eventually be true to its nature. It cannot be trusted to act against its nature for long. Do not keep it any longer; it is a danger to you and could cost you your life." The young hermit responded, "Veluka would never harm me. I have raised him since he was a small viper. I have loved him and fed him and cared for him. He has always been friendly and peaceful with me; he has never shown me any violence. I love him as a father loves a son, as a master loves his pupils. I could not live without him."

So, Veluka's father refused to part with Veluka, despite the Bodhisatta's sincere warnings. Knowing he could not change the mind of one who wished his mind not to be changed, the Bodhisatta resisted giving any more advice on the matter. Not too long after that, the hermits went off on a fruit-gathering mission. Veluka's father expected the trip to be short, so he left Veluka in his bamboo prison; thinking he would return before too long.

However, the mission ended up lasting longer than expected. Veluka's father spent the whole time worrying about his viper at home. "Will Veluka be ok?" "Will Veluka be hungry, when I get back?" "Will he be mad at me?" "Oh, I miss my Veluka so much!"

Once the hermit got back, he rushed to see Veluka, thinking Veluka would miss him as much as he missed Veluka. He quickly opened the bamboo prison expecting to receive a warm welcome from his viper son. However, what he didn't know was that Veluka was hungry and angry that he was locked in prison for 3 days with no way out.

All Veluka felt was anger and hunger. True to his nature, he lashed out and bit his long-time benefactor. Veluka's father died immediately and Veluka made his escape into the forest. Not too long after that, Veluka's father's friends found him dead on the ground. They went and told the Bodhisatta and were told to cremate the body. And the Buddha concluded the Jataka (Astrology).

He said, "Veluka's father did not listen when the wise warned him. And because of that, he paid for his stubbornness with this life. You were Veluka's father in that life. I was the wise hermit who tried to warn you. Now in this life, you have kept the same trait - stubbornness. Will you choose to change or follow the same path you have followed in countless lives, all which ended in your suffering and death?"

 

Conclusion:

The moral of the story is, maybe you are very intelligent, maybe you know many facts about the world, maybe you are well educated or highly educated but sometimes you should practice to listening others also. I'm not telling that every time you should listen to others, but only listen to wise advice and think about it, is it truly beneficial to you or not, after it implements on it if you find helpfulness in it. Remember that the last decision always will be yours.

 

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