Jataka 162 Santhava
Santhava Jataka
Once upon a time, when Brahmadatta was king of Benares, the Bodhisatta was born in a brahmin family. When he was about sixteen years old, his father and mother took his birth fire and spoke to him thus. "Son, will you take your birth fire into the woods, and worship the fire there or will you learn the Three Vedas, settle down as a married man, and live in the world?" Said he, "No worldly life for me. I will worship my fire in the woodland, and go on the way to heaven." So taking his birth fire he bade farewell to his parents, and entered the forest, where he lived in a hut made of branches and leaves and did worship to the fire.
One day he had been invited to some place where he received a present of rice and ghee. "This rice," thought he, "I will offer to Great Brahma." So he took home the rice, and made the fire blaze. Then with the words, "With this rice I feed the sacred flame," he cast it upon the fierce flame leapt up which set his hermitage alight. Then the Brahmin hurried away in terror, and sat down some distance off. "There should be no dealings with the wicked," said he; "and so this fire has burnt the hut which I made with so much trouble!" And he repeated the first stanza.
"Nothing is worse than evil company;
I fed my fire with plenteous rice and ghee;
And lo! The hut which gave me such ado
To build it up, my fire has burnt for me."
I've done with you now, false friend!" he added; and he poured water upon the fire, and beat it out with sticks, and then buried himself in the mountains. There he came upon a black hind licking the faces of a lion, a tiger, and a panther. This put it into his mind how there was nothing better than good friends; and therewith he repeated the second stanza:
"Nothing is better than good company;
Kind offices of friendship here I see;
Behold the lion, tiger, and the pard
The black hind licks the faces of all three."
With these reflections the Bodhisatta plunged into the depths of the mountains, and there he embraced the true religious life, cultivating the Faculties and the Attainments, until at his life's end he passed into Brahma's heaven.