Forest Fire and the Baby Quail (Jataka 35)

Ken, Vesakha Kawasaki, Vattaka Jataka (Jat 35); Dhr. Seven, A. Wells (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Piercing eyes of Maitreya at Thiksey Monastery, Ladakh, India, morning sunshine (reddit.com)

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While he was on tour through the country of Magadha, the Buddha told this story of the past about extinguishing a forest fire.

One day the Buddha went on alms round in the morning through a village in Magadha. After finishing his meal he went out again accompanied by a large group of monastics. Some walked ahead of the Buddha and some behind him.

While they were on their way, a great forest fire broke out, raging fiercely and spreading rapidly, until the jungle was a roaring wall of flames and smoke.

Those monastics who had not yet attained were terrified, gripped with the fear of death. "Let's set a counter fire so the jungle fire cannot reach us over the ground we have burned!" they cried and immediately started to kindle a fire.

"What are you doing?" asked the other monastics. "You are blind to the sun rising in front of your eyes. Here you are, journeying along with the Buddha who is without equal, but still you cry, 'Let's make a counter fire!' You do not know the might of a buddha! Come with us to the Teacher."

All the monastics gathered around the Buddha who had halted as soon as he had seen the flames. The blaze whirled and roared as if to devour them. Suddenly, however, when the fire was exactly sixteen lengths from the spot where the Buddha stood, the flames went out like a torch plunged into water, extinguished and completely harmless.

The monastics burst into praises of the Buddha, "Oh, how great are the virtues of the Teacher! Even fire can not singe the spot where the Buddha stands!"

"It is no present power of mine," the Buddha explained to them, "that makes the fire go out as soon as it reaches this spot. It is the power of a former Act of Truth (saccakiriyā) of mine. No fire will ever burn this spot during the whole of this world-age. This is one of the miracles which will last until the end of this aeon."

Ven. Ananda then folded a robe in four and laid it down for the Buddha to sit on. After he had taken his seat, the monastics bowed and seated themselves respectfully around him.

"Only the present is known to us, venerable sir," they said. "The past is hidden. Please make it clear to us." At their request, the Buddha told this story of the past.

Story of the past

Long, long ago in this very spot the Bodhisatta ("Buddha-to-be") was reborn as a quail. Every day, his parents fed him food they brought in their beaks, since he was still confined to the nest and unable to forage for himself.

The baby quail did not yet have the strength to stand on his feet to walk about, much less to spread his wings and fly.

One day a great forest fire broke out. (At that time, this part of Magadha was ravaged by fire every year during the dry season). As the flames swept through the grass and forest, birds and animals fled for their lives.

The air was filled with the shrieking of adult birds flying from their nests. The parents of this young  quail were as frightened as the others and abandoned their helpless offspring to his fate. Lying there in the nest, the little quail stretched his neck to see what was happening.

When he saw the flames coming toward him, he thought to himself, "My parents, fearing death, have fled to save themselves, leaving me here completely alone. I am without protector or helper. Had I the power to take to my wings, I too would fly to safety. If I could use my legs, I would run away. What can I do?"

Buddhist Art of Gandhara (Jongeward)

"In this world," he further thought, "there exists the power of goodness and the power of truth. There are beings who, having realized all the perfections in previous lives, have attained enlightenment beneath the bodhi tree. They have become buddhas, filled with truth, compassion, mercy, and patience.

There is power in the attributes they have won. Although I am very young and very weak, I can grasp one truth that is the single principle in Nature. As I call to mind the buddhas of the past and the power of their attributes, let me perform an Act of Truth."

The little quail unified his mind by recalling the power of the buddhas long since gone beyond and declared, "With wings that cannot fly and legs that cannot yet walk, forsaken by my parents, here I lie. By this truth and by the faith that is in me, I call on you, O dreadful Fire, to turn back, harming neither me nor any of the other birds!"

At that instant, the fire retreated 16 lengths and went out like a torch plunged in water, leaving a circle 32 lengths in diameter around the baby quail perfectly unscathed.

Does speaking the truth matter that much?

From that time on, that spot has escaped being touched by fire, and so it will continue throughout this entire aeon. When his life ended the quail who had performed this Act of Truth passed away to fare according to his just deserts.

"Thus meditators," said the Teacher, "it is not my present power but the efficacy of that Act of Truth performed by me as a young quail, that has made the flames spare this spot in the forest."

Conclusion

At the end of his lesson the Buddha preached the Ennobling Truths. Some of the monastics who heard attained the first Path, some the second, some the third, and some became fully enlightened (arhats).

Then the Buddha showed the connection and identified that part life by saying, "My present parents were my parents in those days, and I myself the little quail who became king of the quails."