The Goat That Saved the Priest
[Ignorance]
Many full moons ago, there lived
a very famous priest of a very old religion. One day, he decided it was the
right day to perform the ritual sacrificing of a goat. In his ignorance, he
thought this was an offering
demanded by his god. First, he got an appropriate goat. Then he ordered his
servants to wash the goat in the holy river and decorate it with garlands of
flowers. After that, as part of the purification practice, the servants were to
bathe themselves. At the riverbank, the goat suddenly realised that today it
would die. It also became conscious of his past births, deaths and rebirths. It
realised that the effects of his past negative deeds were about to ripen. So it
laughed an uproarious goat-laugh, like the clanging of cymbals. In the midst of
his laughter, it realised another truth - that the priest, by sacrificing him,
would suffer the same terrible end, due to his ignorance. Knowing this, it
began to cry as loudly as he had just been laughing!
The servants, who were bathing in
the holy river, were amazed to hear the laughter and weeping from the goat.
“Why did you laugh loudly only to cry later? What is the reason for this?” they
asked. “I will tell you the reason. But it must be in the presence of your
master, the priest,” replied the goat. Since they were curious to find out why,
they immediately took the sacrificial goat to the priest. They explained all
that had happened at the riverbank. The priest, too, became very curious.
He respectfully asked the goat: “Sir, why did you laugh loudly only to cry later?” The goat, remembering his past lives, answered: “A long time ago, I too was a priest who was well-educated in the sacred religious rites. Like you, I thought that the sacrifice of a goat was a necessary offering I had to perform to my god, which would benefit others, as well as myself in future rebirths. However, the truth was for my next 499 lives I had to experience the suffering of being beheaded. “While being prepared for the sacrifice today, I realised that I will lose my head once again, for the 500th time. And that, after today, I will finally be free from the negative karma of the unwholesome deeds I committed so long ago. The joy of this made me guffaw.
He respectfully asked the goat: “Sir, why did you laugh loudly only to cry later?” The goat, remembering his past lives, answered: “A long time ago, I too was a priest who was well-educated in the sacred religious rites. Like you, I thought that the sacrifice of a goat was a necessary offering I had to perform to my god, which would benefit others, as well as myself in future rebirths. However, the truth was for my next 499 lives I had to experience the suffering of being beheaded. “While being prepared for the sacrifice today, I realised that I will lose my head once again, for the 500th time. And that, after today, I will finally be free from the negative karma of the unwholesome deeds I committed so long ago. The joy of this made me guffaw.
“Then I suddenly realised that
you, as a priest, are about to repeat the same negative action that I have
committed, and would be doomed to experiencing the same outcome of having your
head chopped off in your next 500 lives! So, out of compassion and sympathy for
you, my laughter turned to tears.” Afraid that the goat might be right, the
priest said: “Well, sir goat, in that case, I will not kill you.” “Reverend
priest, even if you don’t kill me, I know that I will lose my head today for
sure and finally be released from my negative karma,” replied the goat. “Don’t
be afraid, my fine goat. I will provide the very best protection and personally
guarantee that no harm will come to you,” the priest answered. “Oh priest, your
protection is weak, compared to the power of karma.” The priest cancelled the
sacrifice, and started to have doubts about killing innocent animals.
He released the goat and, along with his servants, followed closely in order to protect it from any danger. Nonetheless, the goat was doomed to meet its end. The goat wandered into a rocky place, saw some tender leaves on a branch and stretched out to reach them, when all of a sudden, a lightning bolt struck an over-hanging rock, lopped off a sharp slab which fell and sliced off the goat’s head! It died instantly.
He released the goat and, along with his servants, followed closely in order to protect it from any danger. Nonetheless, the goat was doomed to meet its end. The goat wandered into a rocky place, saw some tender leaves on a branch and stretched out to reach them, when all of a sudden, a lightning bolt struck an over-hanging rock, lopped off a sharp slab which fell and sliced off the goat’s head! It died instantly.
Hearing this bizarre phenomenon,
hundreds of local people thronged the place. No one could understand how it
could happen. A fairy who lived in a tree nearby saw the entire incident. He
appeared, fluttering his wings gently, and taught this to the curious people:
“See what happened to this poor goat. This is the result for killing animals!
All beings who are born, suffer sickness, old age and death. But all are alike
in wanting to live and not to die. When one kills another living being, this
causes suffering to the one who kills, both now and in countless future
rebirths. “Being ignorant that the results of all deeds, good or bad, are
unavoidable. Some continue to kill and pile up more suffering on themselves in
the future. Each time they kill, a part of themselves must also die in this
present life. Not only that, the suffering continues in the form of rebirth in
hell worlds!” Those who heard the fairy speak felt they were very lucky indeed.
They gave up their ignorant killing, and led better lives that ended in
pleasant rebirths.
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