MahÄdhammapÄla JÄtaka (No. 447)
In DhammapÄla, a village of KÄsi, there lived a family whose head was MahÄdhammapÄla. The Bodhisatta was his son, and was called Dhammapala-kumÄra. He went to study at TakkasilÄ. There the teacher’s eldest son died, but among all the lamentations it was noticed that DhammapÄla did not weep. When questioned by his fellows as to how he could refrain, he answered that as it was impossible for anybody young to die, he did not believe his friend was dead. The teacher asked him about this, and found that in DhammapÄla’s family no one died young. Wishing to know if this were true, he left TakkasilÄ and went to the home of DhammapÄla, carrying with him the bones of a goat. After his welcome had subsided, he announced to DhammapÄla that his son was dead, and begged him not to grieve. However, DhammapÄla clapped his hands and laughed, saying that such a thing could never be as no member of their family ever died young. He then told the brahmin, in answer to his query, that they owed their longevity to the fact that they lived good lives.
The story was related to Suddhodana, who told the Buddha how, when the Buddha was practising severe penances, some gods came to him (Suddhodana) and said that he was dead. However, he refused to believe them. Suddhodana was MahÄdhammapÄla and the teacher SÄriputta (J.iv.50 55). At the conclusion of the JÄtaka Suddhodana became an Non-returner and MahÄ-PajÄpatÄ« GotamÄ« a Stream-winner. DhA.i.99; J.i.92.
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