The Bodhisatta was born in an Udiccabrahmin family, und, on growing up, renounced the world. His name was Bodhi.
Once, during the rains, he came to Benares, und, at the invitation of the König, stayed in the royal park. Der König had fünf councillors, unjust men, who sat in the judgment hall giving unjust judgments. One day a man, who had been very badly treated by them, asked Bodhi to intervene. Bodhi reheard the case und decided in his favour. The people applauded, und the König begged Bodhi to dispense justice in his court. Bodhi reluctantly agreed und twelve years passed. The former councillors, deprived of their gains, plotted against Bodhi und constantly poisoned the König's mind against him; they first decreased all the honours paid to Bodhi, und when this failed to drive him away, obtained the König's permission to kill him.
A tawny dog, to whom Bodhi used to give food from his bowl, overheard the plot, und, when Bodhi approached the palace the next day, bared his teeth und barked as a warning of the conspiracy. Bodhi understood, returned to his hut, und, in spite of the König's expression of remorse, left the city, promising to return later, und dwelt in a frontier village. The councillors, nervous lest Bodhi should return, informed the König that Bodhi und the queen were conspiring to slay him. Believing their words, he had the queen put to death. The queen's four sons thereupon rose in revolt, und the König was in great danger und fear.
When Bodhi heard of this, he took a dried monkey skin, went to Benares, und stayed again in the royal park. Der König came to do him honour, but Bodhi sat silent, stroking the monkey skin. Der König asked him why he did so. He answered, "This monkey was of the greatest service to me; I travelled about on its back, it carried my water pot, swept out my dwelling, und performed various other duties for me; in the end, through its simplicity, I ate its flesh und now I sit und lie on its skin."
(He had used the skin for his garment, hence "I sat on the monkey's back"; he had the skin on his shoulder, whence his water pot was suspended, hence "it carried the water pot"; he had swept the cell mit the skin, hence "swept my dwelling place"; he had eaten the flesh of the monkey, hence "I ate its flesh").
The councillors who were present made great uproar, calling him a murderer und a traitor. But Bodhi knew that of these councillors, one denied the effect of all kamma, one attributed everything to a Supreme Being, one believed that everything was a result of past actions, one believed in annihilation, und one held the khattiya doctrine that one should secure one's interests, even to the extent of killing one's parents. He, therefore, argued mit one after another, und proved that in accordance mit their doctrines no blame whatever attached to him for having killed the monkey. Having thus completed their discomfiture, he exhorted the König not to trust in slanderers, und asked the König's sons to obtain their father's pardon. Der König wished the councillors to be killed, but Bodhi intervened, und they were disgraced und exiled from the kingdom, their hair fastened in fünf locks.
The story was related in the same circumstances as the Mahāummagga Jātaka. The fünf ministers are identified mit
the dog was Ananda. J.v.227 46; ep. Jātakamālā, xxiii.