The Hare in the Moon

The Bodhisattva was once born as a pious hare. One evening he was about to
meditate when his eye caught the almost complete orb of the moon in the distant
sky. He remembered that the coming day was the holy fifteenth day of the brighter
half of the month – the day on which one should not eat a single morsel before
offering food to the guest first. The Bodhisattva felt worried as he had no food that
was good enough for a guest. After much thought, he decided to offer his body as
food to anyone who may come to visit him. Now, Sakka, the King of Gods, learning
about the Bodhisattva’s resolve, appeared in the forest the next day to test his
strength of character. He took the guise of a Brahmin and pretended to be in dire
need of food. Seeing the Brahmin, the Bodhisattva lit a fire by striking two stones
and jumped into the raging flames. Sakka was stunned by this act of sacrifice. The
hare’s soul went up to heaven and Sakka, in his honour, adorned the moon with the
hare’s image.