Dhamma Principles › The Admonisher Jātaka: Good Only at Teaching Others
The Admonisher Jātaka: Good Only at Teaching Others
Practice

The Admonisher Jātaka: Good Only at Teaching Others

Anusāsikajātakaṃ

A bird who kept warning others not to feed on the cart road secretly fed there herself out of greed, until a cart wheel ran over her. A lesson in practising what you preach, and in watching for self-interest behind a warning.

6 points

In the Anusāsika Jātaka of the Ekanipāta in the Jātaka, Khuddaka Nikāya, there is a single verse: the sālikā bird who constantly instructs others, yet goes about greedily herself, lies with her wings broken, crushed by a wheel.

The story comes from the commentary. The Bodhisatta was leader of a flock of birds in the Himalaya. A female bird found rice and beans that had fallen from carts on a great road through the deep forest and wanted to keep them for herself. So she warned the flock that the great road was dangerous, with elephants, horses and carts drawn by fierce oxen passing, and that anyone who could not take off quickly should not go there. The flock nicknamed her "Anusāsikā", the admonisher. One day she heard a cart coming fast but, thinking it still far off, kept feeding; the cart reached her before she could fly up.

According to the commentary, the Buddha told this about a nun who, attached to the fine alms food in one district, warned other nuns that it had fierce elephants, horses and dogs so that no one would share her gains, while still going there herself, until one day a fierce goat butted her and broke her leg.

  1. 1

    Constantly instructing others Yāyaññamanusāsati

    The verse opens with a bird who is always instructing others. Teaching is not wrong, but when you teach so often that others give you a nickname for it, it's time to check whether you do what you say.

    Applying it in daily life

    Before warning someone about something, ask whether you've managed it yourself. If not, frame it as doing it together rather than lecturing.

  2. 2

    Going about greedily herself Sayaṃ loluppacārinī

    The verse says she herself goes about greedily. The commentary explains this as roaming as she pleased. Desire kept her from following the very warning she gave.

    Applying it in daily life

    Look at the rules you set for others, such as children, juniors or your team, and see which ones you exempt yourself from. Start following them first.

  3. 3

    Watch for self-interest behind a warning Anusāsikajātakaṃ

    In the commentary, the bird warns the flock because she wants the grain on the road for herself, and the nun in the present-day story warns others for fear her gains will dwindle. A warning that sounds kind may hide personal interest.

    Applying it in daily life

    When someone tells you not to invest somewhere or not to apply for a job, consider what they gain if you don't go, and check the facts yourself.

  4. 4

    The danger you warn of is real for you too Hatā cakkena sālikā

    The verse ends with the bird crushed by a wheel. The commentary relates that she heard the cart but thought it still far, and could not take off in time. The danger she used to scare others was real and made no exception for the one giving the warning.

    Applying it in daily life

    If you've warned others about drink-driving or using a phone while driving, don't assume you're skilled enough to do it without consequence.

  5. 5

    The result of not practising what you preach shows Sāyaṃ vipakkhikā seti

    The verse says she lies with scattered wings; the commentary explains, lying on the great road. In the present-day story, the nun with the broken leg is carried back, and the other nuns laugh that she loved to instruct others yet went there herself.

    Applying it in daily life

    Credibility can be lost in one moment when people see you don't do what you say. Showing by example is more powerful than repeating yourself.

  6. 6

    Teaching by example Anusāsikajātakaṃ

    In the commentary the Buddha says that nun only instructed others without practising herself, and so met with suffering. Teaching without practice behind it helps neither listener nor speaker.

    Applying it in daily life

    If you want your child to read, let them see you reading. If you want your team to be punctual, the leader should arrive on time first.

Try it in daily life

This story has two layers. The first is teaching others what you don't do yourself, which strips the teaching of weight. The second goes deeper: the bird's warning did not come from goodwill but from wanting to keep others away from her own advantage.

Notice that the danger she warned about was real. Her mistake was thinking the rule she set for others did not apply to her, and assuming there was still time.

Today, parents who forbid their children phones while staring at a screen themselves, or managers who stress safety but ignore it themselves, are doing the same thing.

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