Nalagiri

The bhikkhus heard: "It seems that Devadatta has tried to murder the Blessed One." They walked up and down and round and round the Blessed One's dwelling. They made a loud noise, a great clamour, performing recitations for the guarding, safeguarding and protecting of the Blessed One. When he heard this, he asked the venerable Ananda: "Ananda, what is this loud noise, this great clamour, this sound of recitation?" "Lord, the bhikkhus have heard that Devadatta has tried to murder the Blessed One," and he told what they were doing.

"Then, Ananda, tell those bhikkhus in my name: 'The Master calls the venerable ones.' " "Even so, Lord," the venerable Ananda replied. And he went to the bhikkhus and told them: "The Master calls the venerable ones." "Even so," they replied. And they went to the Blessed One. The Blessed One said to them: "It is impossible, bhikkhus, it cannot happen, that anyone can take a Perfect One's life by violence. When Perfect Ones attain final Nibbana, it is not through violence on the part of another. Go to your dwellings, bhikkhus; Perfect Ones need no protecting."

At that time there was a savage elephant at Rajagaha called Nalagiri, a man-killer. Devadatta went into Rajagaha to the elephant stables. He said to the mahouts: "We are known to the king and influ-ential. We can get those in low places promoted, and we can get food and wages increased. So when the monk Gotama comes down this road, let the elephant Najagiri loose into the road." "Even so, Lord," they replied.

Then when it was morning, the Blessed One dressed, and taking his bowl and outer robe, he went into Rajagaha for alms with a number of bhikkhus. Then the Blessed One entered that road. The mahouts saw him, and they turned the elephant Nalagiri loose into the road. The elephant saw the Blessed One coming in the distance.

When he saw him, he raised his trunk, and with his ears and tail erect, he charged towards the Blessed One.

The bhikkhus saw him coming in the distance. They said: "Lord, the savage elephant Najagiri, the man-killer, is loose in the road. Lord, let the Blessed One turn back; Lord, let the Sublime One turn back." "Come, bhikkhus, do not be afraid. It is impossible, it cannot happen, that anyone can take a Perfect One's life by violence. When Perfect Ones attain final Nibbana, it is not through violence on the part of another." A second and a third time the bhikkhus said the same thing and received the same answer.

Now at that time people in the palaces and houses and huts were waiting in suspense. Those of them without faith or confidence, the unwise and indiscreet, said: "The Great Monk who is so handsome will get hurt by the elephant." And the faithful and confident, the wise and discreet, said: "Soon tusker will be contending with tusker." Then the Blessed One encompassed the elephant Nalagiri with thoughts of loving-kindness. The elephant lowered his trunk, and he went up to the Blessed One and stood before him. The Blessed One stroked the elephant's forehead with his right hand and addressed him with these stanzas:

O elephant, do not attack a tusker,
For it is hurtful to attack a tusker;
There is no happy destiny beyond
For one who kills a tusker.
Have done with vanity and recklessness;
The reckless have no happy destiny.
So do you act in suchwise that you go
To a happy destination.

The elephant Nalagiri took the dust of the Blessed One's feet with his trunk and sprinkled it on his head, after which he retreated back-wards for as long as the Blessed One was in sight. Then he went to the elephant stables and stood in his own place. It was thus that he was tamed. Now at that time people sang this stanza:

Some tame by means of sticks, 

And some with goads and whips;
But here a Sage has tamed a tusker, 

Using neither stick nor weapon.

People were annoyed, they murmured and protested: "This wretch Devadatta is actually wicked enough to try to kill the monk Gotama who is so mighty and powerful!" And Devadatta's gain and honour shrank away while the Blessed One's gain and honour grew greater. 

Vin. Cv. 7:3