26
Ladyface
[Association]
A long time ago, the King of
Benares had a royal bull elephant. It was kind, patient and harmless. Along
with its sweet disposition, it had a lovely gentle face. Hence it was
affectionately known as ‘Ladyface’. One night, a gang of robbers gathered just
outside the elephant shed. In the darkness, they schemed and discussed about
their robbery plans. They used extremely crude and abusive language, and spoke
violently of bashing and killing their victims. Since the nights were quiet, Ladyface
listened intently to all these terrible plans and violent talk. It listened
carefully and, as elephants do, remembered it all. Having been brought up to
obey and respect human beings, it thought these men were also to be obeyed and
emulated like teachers.
After several nights of listening
to the robbers’ abusive words, Ladyface decided that to become rough and cruel
must be the correct thing to do. This usually happened when one of a gentle
nature associated with mean men of a cruel nature, and when one wished to
please others and obtain their approval. When Ladyface’s mahout came, as usual,
one morning to visit it, the elephant suddenly attacked him. Using its trunk,
Ladyface suffocated him, and smashed him to the ground, killing him instantly.
Then, it picked up two other attendants, one after another, and killed them
just as ferociously.
Soon, news spread through the
city that the once adorable Ladyface had suddenly gone mad and became a
frightening man-killer. The people ran to the king for help. It so happened
that the king had an intelligent minister who was well-known for his ability to
understand animals. The king summoned him and said: “Please go and determine
what has happened to Ladyface. Find out why it has suddenly become so insanely
violent. Is it because it is sick?” Unbeknownst to the king, this minister was
a Bodhisattva. Arriving at the elephant shed, he spoke gentle, soothing words
to Ladyface, and calmed it down. He examined the elephant and found it to be in
perfect physical health. As he spoke kindly to Ladyface, he noticed that the
elephant perked up its ears and paid very close attention. It was almost as if
the poor animal was starved for the sound of gentle words. The clever minister
figured out that the elephant must have heard abusive language or seen violent
actions and was imitating those behaviours.
“Did anyone hang around this
elephant shed, at night or any other time lately?” he asked the guards. “Yes,
Sir,” they replied, “for the last couple of weeks a gang of robbers had been
meeting here. We were afraid to do anything, since they were such mean thugs.
Ladyface could hear their every word.” The minister returned immediately to the
king. “My lord, your favourite elephant, Ladyface, is in perfect physical
health. However, I have discovered that it has learnt to be violent and cruel
after hearing the foul and vicious speech of hoodlums for many nights.
Unwholesome associations often lead to unwholesome thoughts and actions.” “What
do you propose, my minister?” asked the king. “Well my lord, we must now
reverse the process. We must station wise men and monks who have a high noble
nature for as many nights outside the elephant shed to discuss about the values
of goodness and patience that will lead to compassion, loving-kindness and
harmlessness,” answered the minister. Immediately, this was carried out. For
several nights, the kind wise ones spoke only of those wonderful qualities.
They used gentle and refined words which were intended to bring only
peacefulness and comfort to others.
Lo and behold, after hearing such
pleasant conversations for several nights, Ladyface became even more gentle and
sweet-natured than before! Seeing this complete change, the minister reported
it to the king. “My lord, Ladyface is now even more harmless and sweet-natured
than before. Now he is as gentle as a lamb!” “It is amazing and wonderful
indeed that such a madly violent elephant can be transformed by associating
with wise men and monks,” said the king. Astonished that his minister was able
to read the mind of the bull elephant, the king rewarded him appropriately.
The moral is ✏ “ associate not
with evil friends, associate not with mean men; associate
with good friends, associate with
noble men.”
- Dhammapada
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