Siddhartha (Buddha) and the swan
This is a story that highlights the compassion and empathy of the enlightened one, Siddhartha Gautama, who later became known as the Buddha, and how he ended up saving a mortally wounded swan. Read on to know the full story...
Â
Before he became the Buddha Siddhartha, as he was then known, was the son of a king.
Once when he was walking in the royal garden when he saw a swan fly over the wall. As the swan flew, it was hit by an arrow of a hunter, which pierced its wing. The swan fell to the ground, injured and unable to fly.
Siddhartha saw the wounded swan and was filled with compassion and empathy for the bird. He ordered his attendants to bring the swan to him, and he carefully removed the arrow from the bird's wing.
Just then Devadatta, his cousing and the person who had shot the bord came running to lay a claim to the bird. But Siddhartha refused saying that unless the bird was dead he couldn't lay a claim to it.
And so the matter came to a standstill and they presented themselves before a neutral judge.
After listening to their story, the judge ruled in favour of Siddhartha since he was trying to save the bird. Thus, Siddhartha nursed the swan back to life and let it out to freedom eventually.