168 Sakunagghi Jātaka (JTA 1.71) One’s Own Territory Ashin Sarana:
May’s drawing Buddha told a story about how the Bodhisatta was born as a quail. Everyday he ate insects and worms on the farmer’s field. One day, he wondered what kind of food he might find elsewhere and saw a forest nearby so he went in to search. While eating some grass a falcon swooped down and caught the bird. The quail said he should’ve stayed in his own territory. The falcon asked the quail if he would be safe in his own territory and the quail said yes so the falcon dropped the quail there and tried catching the quail. The quail hid behind a cold and the falcon slammed into the clod and died.Andre Thu’s drawing Once, the buddha told some bikkhus that they should stay in their territory, and that they should not stray into other territories. These other territories were sensual pleasures. Then he told that, in the past, he was a quail. One time, he strayed out of his territory, and got caught by a bird. He told him that he could never get him where his territory was, but he did not believe that so they put it to the test. As the bird tried to catch the quail, he dug deep into the ground, and the eagle slammed to the ground, and he died.Kids’ drawing
