322 Duddubha Jātaka (JTA 125) The Sound the Hare Heard Ashin Sarana:
Yamona’s drawing Long ago during the Buddha time, while Bhikkhus were doing almsrounds they spotted some other ascetics who follow different religions were doing severe practices like: being naked and lying on thorns or sitting with a fire is the heat. The bhikkhus asked the Buddha if these practices were helpful. The Buddha told them that they were like the sound of the hare heard and he told them story of the past. There was a hare and he was laying under a tree thought to itself if the world ended what would happen to him. Then, a fruit fell and made a loud sound it startled the hare so much he yelled the world is ending and ran away. Another hare joined him soon many animals were running like tigers, deers, boars, and elks that they made a giant stampede. When a lion saw many animals were running dangerously , he decided to save them. He found out that the animals believe the world was ending . He found out that hare was the reason for this . When the lion understood what actually happened, he announced that they were in no danger so they all went back to their usual lives . The Buddha was the lion in that life .Valentina’s drawing One day, some bhikkhus saw some ascetics doing some harsh practices and asked the Buddha if those practices had any purpose, but the Buddha said that they didn’t, and it was like the sound that the hare heard. Long ago, a hare lay under a palm tree and thought to himself that if the earth were destroyed, what would become of him, but at that moment a ripe bael fruit fell and it made a loud thud, so the hare thought that the earth was being destroyed so he started running, and this became infectious so there was a big stampede of animals running for their lives. When a lion saw this, he asked them what was going on and the hare said that he was under a palm tree and heard the sound of the earth breaking up, so the lion realized what happened, but he wanted to make sure so he and the hare went to the palm tree and saw that there was a ripe bael fruit so the lion said to the hare not to worry because the earth really wasn’t breaking up. These animals placed themselves in danger just because they listened and believed some rumors, and if it weren’t for the lion, they would’ve died. The Buddha identified as the lion.Kids’ drawing
