"...It panicked and bolted back into the forest; please grant me the old pond so I may use it as a decoy to lure the other one back." The King replied, "There has never been a case of a pond being brought from the forest; if such a thing did not exist, how could the order have been issued for the *Bokkharani* pond to be brought and presented?"
17- *Udyana* (Royal Park): The King ordered that a new park, complete with trees and fresh foliage, be transported to the royal palace. The townspeople went to consult Mahosadha Bodhisatta. He instructed a few men to take ropes and staffs and go to the palace, telling the King, "I have brought a magnificent park to present to Your Majesty, but as it is accustomed to the forest, it panicked upon seeing the city and bolted back into the wild. Please grant me the old park so I may use it to tame and lure the other one." The King remarked, "There has never been a park brought from the forest." The men replied, "If such a thing did not exist, how could Your Majesty have ordered the new park to be brought?" 18- Katrako (The Mule): When the King’s mule broke its leg, he ordered Mahosadha to procure a replacement equal or superior to a royal mule. Mahosadha presented a mule, explaining that a superior mule is born of a thoroughbred mare and a male donkey; the King accepted the animal and even adopted Mahosadha as his own son.
19- Mani (The Gem): A precious gem lay in a crow's nest atop a palm tree near the Bokkharani pond, casting its radiance into the water. The King tasked the teacher Pasenaka with retrieving it, but he failed completely. The King of Mithila then asked Mahosadha if he could secure the gem. Mahosadha replied that the task was not difficult; he demonstrated this by placing a vessel of water near the palm tree. Upon seeing the light reflected in the vessel, he informed the King that the gem was indeed located at the top of the palm tree. Insight #38: A Unique Buddhist Concept
One who engages in any form of warfare with the noble aim of fostering well-being and peace—much like the Bodhisatta Mahosadha did when contending against the four sages and King Cullanībrahmadatta—will eventually attain Buddhahood. The Pali verse reads:
"Nesā dhammo Mahosadha yo’haṃ senāya nāyako, senāṅgaṃ parihāpetvā attānaṃ parimocayye."
(Su. Khu. Jātaka, Vol. 62 — Homage to the Buddha)
Some young people have asked me why elders of the past used to offer blessings such as: "May you be as clever as Amara and as wise as Mahosadha?" To explain this fully requires recounting the entire story; however, the tale is too long to tell in one go. Therefore, I will present it in brief, serialized parts. If any of you wish to understand the details more clearly, you can purchase the book to read further on your own. The Story of Mahosadha (Part 1):
"Why was he named Mahosadha?"
It is told that in the kingdom of Mithila, ruled by King Videha, there were four royal preceptors: Senaka, Kaminda, Devinda, and Pakkura. One night, shortly before dawn, the King dreamt that flames were blazing fiercely in all four directions around the royal palace; suddenly, a ball of fire emerged from the center of the palace, shining even more brilliantly than the flames in the four directions. Upon waking, the King summoned the four preceptors to interpret the dream. They explained that a royal child—a sage possessing wisdom surpassing even theirs—was destined to be born. In that kingdom, there lived a wealthy man named Sirivaddhana and his wife, Sumanadevi. At that time, Sumanadevi conceived and gave birth to a son. Upon his birth, the infant was found clutching a miraculous medicinal herb in his hand—a remedy that would later be used to cure many people of various ailments. Consequently, his parents decided to name him Mahosadha. Upon reaching the age of seven, the child Mahosadha rallied his 1,001 friends, each contributing one *damlung* of silver, to construct five halls: one for merchants; one for ascetics, Brahmins, and elders; one for the destitute and pregnant women; one for gathering to resolve riddles and disputes; and one for recreational games. (To be continued)
The Story of Mahosadha (Part 2):
"Mahosadha Uses Wisdom to Solve a Problem"
One day, the four royal advisors left the palace to visit the local village and stumbled upon the five halls Mahosadha had built. Astonished, they reasoned that such a project could not have been accomplished without the guidance of a wise person. Calculating the timeline, they realized that seven years had passed since the King’s prophetic dream, meaning the wise child would now be seven years old. Understanding the situation, they reported the matter to the King. Although the King wished for the advisors to bring Mahosadha to meet him, the advisors—fearing the loss of their own status and privileges—told the King that the wise child was still too young and the time was not yet right for him to come to court. Still not fully convinced, the king dispatched a court official to gather more information about the child Mahosadha. One day, a poor man was traveling to buy a cow; halfway there, overcome by fatigue, he tethered the cow to graze and fell asleep. A thief seized the opportunity to steal the cow and lead it away. Upon waking and seeing his cow being taken, the man ran to reclaim it, but the thief insisted the cow belonged to him; consequently, the two went to Mahosadha to resolve the dispute. Mahosadha asked the thief what he fed the cow, and the thief replied that he fed it rice porridge; he then asked the true owner what he fed it, and the owner answered that it ate grass. After the questioning, Mahosadha instructed them to mix an emetic into a basin of water and have the cow drink it; after drinking, the cow vomited up nothing but grass. Realizing he was exposed, the thief confessed his deed before the crowd. Later, a woman went down to bathe; before entering the water, she removed her necklace and placed it on the bank alongside her clothes. Shortly after, another woman arrived at the spot; seeing the necklace and admiring its beauty, she asked to try it on but then made off with it. The owner emerged from the water and chased after her to reclaim the necklace, but the other woman insisted it belonged to her. The dispute was brought to Mahosadha for resolution. Mahosadha asked the woman accused of theft what flowers she had used to scent the necklace; she replied that she had scented it with *Chuang Chan* (sandalwood) flowers. He then asked the owner what flowers she had used; she answered, "I am poor and have no money to buy *Chuang Chan* for scenting; I only use *Prayong* flowers." Upon hearing this, Mahosadha ordered a tray of water to be brought and had the necklace soaked in it. He then asked a servant to smell the water, and the servant reported the scent of *Prayong* flowers. The woman who had stolen the necklace then confessed on the spot. On another occasion, a poor woman was out gathering cotton to spin into thread for weaving, keeping the cotton seeds at the bottom of her basket. On her way home, she stopped to bathe. While she was bathing, another woman walked by...
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