A Gift of LifePrince Mahanama of the Sakyan clan and a
cousin of the Buddha had great confidence in
the Dhamma and was one of the Buddha's most
faithful followers.
At that time a violent king named Virudhaka of
Kosala conquered the Sakyan clan and
imprisoned them in his castle. Knowing the king
for his cruelty, Prince Mahanama went to him
and pleaded for the lives of his people, but the
king would not listen.
The Mahanama proposed, "Your Majesty,
would you release the prisoners and allow them
to escape for as long as I could remain in that
lake?”
To this the king agreed, as he smiled to himself,
thinking, "Let me see how long you can remain
under water."
As Mahanama dived into the water, the gate of
the castle was opened, and the people ran out
of their prison cells and rushed for safety.
Minutes passed and Mahanama had still not
taken his breath. Finally, when a few hundred
Sakyans had escaped from the castle, the cruel
king who was then raging mad with anger sent a
few of his soldiers into the lake.
''Your majesty," called one of the soldiers as he
came above the water, "the prince is dead. He
had tied his hair to the root of the old willow
tree."
Some people would kill themselves out of
frustration and unfulfilled desire; many would
kill others to save their own necks but only a
few, like Mahanama, would give their lives up
so that others might live.
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