Week 2 Story: Retelling of the Crocodile in the River

Devadatta attempting to assassinate the Buddha. Could not find artist info. Source.

One day, as the Buddha was tending to his garden, one of his most beloved monks, Sāriputta, came to him with great concern.

"Sāriputta, what is troubling you?" the Buddha asked.

"Teacher, I must tell you that the monk Devadatta is plotting to kill you," Sāriputta said with quiet urgency. "I overheard his plan, he desires to take your place. Tell me what you want me to do, you know that I and your disciples will protect you."

The Buddha simply smiled and nodded.

"I knew this day would come," he said, not seeming nervous at all. "Since the day I encountered him in this life, I remembered. We met in a past life, I a monkey and he a crocodile, and he tried to kill me then as well so that his mate could have my heart. He wasn't successful then, and he won't be now, brother."

"But-" Sāriputta started, but was cut off with the Buddha raising his hand.

"Do not fret, Sāriputta, but instead trust me," the Buddha said in a calming voice. "Devadatta will not succeed in taking me from this life."

***

One week later, the Buddha approached Devadatta while he was alone. While the Buddha was calm, Devadatta was noticeably nervous, his eyes unable to meet his master's.

"Devadatta, why do you not look at me? Is something troubling you?"

"No, of course not, please forgive me," Devadatta said in a shaky voice, finally looking into the Buddha's eyes.

"That's not what I must forgive you for, is it?" The Buddha asked as he sat down across from the disciple who was plotting to kill him. "Devadatta, tell me, why do you wish to kill me? I have taken you as my disciple, treated you like family. But it's not enough for you, is it?"

Devadatta's eyes were now downcast again, and he fell to his knees in front of the Buddha, crying.

"Oh Teacher, please, please forgive me," he cried out. "I have been so wrong, so selfish, I don't even deserve to be in your presence."

As Devadatta cried at his feet, the Buddha thought back to the crocodile, who did not repent at his attempt to kill the monkey. And yet, he felt that Devadatta's regret was sincere.

"You don't remember, but in a past life you tried to kill me," the Buddha said. "You a crocodile, I a monkey. I escaped your jaws, but you only regretted that you weren't successful. Today, you show true remorse about your plan. I will forgive you, because today you have changed. You may stay with me, if you promise to always be satisfied with what you have."

Devadatta looked up at the Buddha, face red and eyes puffy, in disbelief. "I don't deserve this mercy. But I will not dishonor you by not accepting it. I promise to always honor you, and never want more for myself again."

And so Devadatta was a loyal and true disciple from that day on.

***

Author's Note: If you read The Crocodile in the River, you know I took this a complete different direction. I prefer human stories to animals, so I decided to use the story from the past minimally in my retelling and focus on what happened between the Buddha and Devadatta. I also like redemptive stories, so I wanted Devadatta to end up changing. I took the information about Sāriputta being a most trusted disciple from this Wikipedia page, as well as the fact that Devadatta wanted to take the Buddha's place and lead the monks with his own rules. I used this page to try and find out what the monks would have called the Buddha. I couldn't find anything specific so I felt that Teacher was safe.

Bibliography: Story source: Vanarinda Jataka, in The Jataka: Volume 1 translated by Robert Chalmers.