BUDDHA'S PAST TEN LIFE STORIES

Temiraja Jataka
Perfection of Renunciation
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Temiraja was the son of King Kasika of the Kingdom of Paranasi. When he was one month old, while his father was holding him, he gave orders to punish a thief very harshly. He got scared because he had seen that his father was using his power to commit a serious misdeed and after he died he would go to hell.



He recalled that in the past he himself had been King of Paranasi for 20 years. He had been in Ussut Hell for 80,000 years. He then tried to find a way not to become a king in his present life. He stopped moving and would just sleep on his bed as if he were a cripple, and pretended that he was deaf. He would not cry when he was hungry or when he was hurting. When he reached the age of 16, his father could not accept this situation any more.



The King's adviser predicted that he would run into misfortune so the King ordered Sunan Sarathi to prepare a horse drawn carriage to take his son to bury him in the cemetery. While Sunan Sarathi was digging a hole to bury Temiraja, the latter got off the carriage in order to exercise his body, which had remained immobile for 16 years, and he lifted the carriage up the air and swung it over his head.



Later, Temiraja delivered a sermon to Sunan Sarathi about not harming friends. Sunan Sarathi believed him and returned to the King to tell him.



The King then came with the Queen to see Temiraja who had become a monk in the forest. He delivered a sermon to the King and Queen and they gave up their throne: both became monks together with all of their subjects.