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The Hare on the

Moon - a memorable fascinating story loved throughout ages!

Story of the Hare on the Moon, Goli(Guntur) AP.

Story of the Hare on the Moon, Nagarjunakonda

Once dwelling in Savatthi, the Lord Buddha extolled the virtue of charity by way ofthe popular tale, which narrates the traditional account of the mark of the hare onthe moon.

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The three friends resolving to practise the act ofcharity on the full-moon day.

The jumping hare about to fall upon the fire tooffer his roasted body to Sakka

In one of his pervious births the Bodhisatta was born as a hare in Varanasi. He hadthree friends - a monkey, a jackal and an otter. Together they resolved to practisecharity on the Uposatha day (the day of fast), that was to occur on the followingday. In the tradition it was believed that one who stood fast in moral practice andalms-giving on that day would earn a great reward. Next day, the otter brought seven red fishes abandoned on the bank of the Gangariver. The jackal wrongfully pilfered a lizard and a pot of milk -curd from somebodyshouse. The monkey brought a bunch of mangoes. All these three were willing tooffer their gifts to some beggar as act of charity. But the hare, when browsing thegrass, felt that the grass would not be a good item for alms-giving. He, therefore,decided to offer his entire body in charity. The hares resolve disturbed Lord Sakka (Indra), the king of the deva-s. To examinethe hares virtue he came down on the earth in the guise of an ascetic and accostedthe hare for food. The hare was delighted, because this provided him an opportunityto exemplify his highest act of sacrifice, which a mortal could ever perform. So, heasked the ascetic to pile the logs of wood and kindle the fire, where he would jumpto offer his roasted meat to the latter. When Sakka caused the heap of burning coals to appear, the hare shook himselfthrice lest there were any insect in his fur. Thus, offering his whole body he fell onthe heap of the burning twigs. The fire, however, did not burn him. Impressed with the act, Sakka revealed hisidentity and applauded the hares virtue. He said `O wise hare! Be thy virtue knownthrough out this whole aeon! He then by squeezing the mountain daubed the signof hare on the orb of the moon with its extracted essence.

We thus see the mark of the hare still visible on the moon to tell the saga of theGreat Sacrifice.

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Hare is about to jump upon the fire to offer his roasted body to

Sakka to exemplify the act of charity

Jc