"Yes, sir, I saw it," said the hare.
"Where," he asked, "were you living when you saw it?"
"Near the ocean, sir, in a grove of palms mixed with vilva trees. For as I
was lying beneath the shade of a palm sapling at the foot of a vilva tree,
methought, 'If this earth should break up, where shall I go?' And at that
very moment I heard the sound of breaking up of the earth, and I fled."
Thought the lion: "A ripe vilva fruit evidently must have fallen on a palm
leaf and made a 'thud,' and this hare jumped to the conclusion that the
earth was coming to an end, and ran away. I will find out the exact truth
about it." So he reassured the herd of animals, and said: "I will take the
hare and go find out exactly whether the earth is coming to an end or not,
in the place pointed out by him. Until I return do you stay here." Then,
placing the hare on his back, he sprang forward with the speed of a lion,
and putting the hare down in a palm grove, he said, "Come, show us the
place you meant."
"I dare not, my lord," said the hare.
"Come, don't be afraid," said the lion.
The hare, not venturing to go near the vilva tree, stood afar off and
cried, "Yonder, sir, is the place of dreadful sounds," and so saying, he
repeated the first stanza:
"From the spot where I did dwell
Issued forth a fearful 'thud';
What it was I could not tell,
Nor what caused it understood."
After hearing what the hare said, the lion went to the foot of the vilva
tree, and saw the spot where the hare had been lying beneath the shade of
the palm tree, and the ripe vilva fruit that fell on the palm leaf, and
having carefully ascertained that the earth had not broken up, he placed
the hare on his back and with the speed of a lion soon came again to the
herd of beasts.
Then he told them the whole story, and said, "Don't be afraid." And having
thus reassured the herd of beasts, he let them go.
Verily if it had not been for the Bodhisatta at that time, all the beasts
would have rushed into the sea and perished. It was all owing to the
Bodhisatta that they escaped death.
Alarmed at sound of fallen fruit,
A hare once ran away;
The other beasts all followed suit,
Moved by that hare's dismay.
They hastened not to view the scene,
But lent a willing ear
To idle gossip, and were clean
Distraught with foolish fear.
They who to Wisdom's calm delight
And Virtue's heights attain,
Though ill example should invite,
Such panic fear disdain.
These three stanzas were inspired by Perfect Wisdom.