Courtesy as Superhuman Power (28. NANDIVISĀLA-JĀTAKA)
The bull pulls the carts only when called "friend". This is no longer about formal education: the word "friend" has a physical force capable of overcoming gravity and matter. Discover the ancient story of the bull who taught the world the power of kindness.
- Scene 2: "Harsh words are chains"
- Scene 3: "In silence healing is born"
- Scene 4: "The word 'friend' wins the matter"
- Finale: "Courtesy is superhuman power"
Animated sequence of the 5 scenes of the Nandivisāla-Jātaka in 17th-century Mughal miniature style. It opens with the Brahmin lovingly feeding the calf in a sunlit room (Scene 1). Followed by the humiliation in the marketplace, with the bull's feet planted in the ground and the laughing crowd (Scene 2). The scene shifts to the nighttime stable, where the bull watches over the sleeping Brahmin, golden lines floating between them (Scene 3). Then the triumph explodes: the bull powerfully pulls the hundred carts while the merchant loses his coins and the crowd throws flowers (Scene 4). It closes in the Jetavana grove, with the Buddha telling the story to the monks and the ethereal figures of the bull and Brahmin floating in the air (Scene 5). Music: ancient Indian instruments (sitar, tabla, tampura) in emotional crescendo, from sweet to intimate to triumphant, dissolving into peace.
There is a force that cannot be seen, cannot be touched, cannot be measured with dynamometers. Yet, it moves carts. It really moves them. It moves them better than any muscle, better than any goad, better than any shout.
It is the force of the word "friend."
Today we explore Level 3 – Courtesy as Superhuman Power, through one of the most extraordinary jātakas in the Buddhist canon: the Nandivisāla-Jātaka (No. 28).
The Story in Five Scenes
Scene 1 – A Precious Gift
In Takkasilā, in the ancient kingdom of Gandhāra, a Brahmin receives a newborn calf as a gift. He names him Nandivisāla, "Deep Joy." He feeds him rice porridge, cares for him like a son, sleeps beside him. Between the two, a bond forms that goes beyond that of man and animal: it is a sacred relationship, made of glances and presence.
Scene 2 – The Bet and the Humiliation
Grown up, Nandivisāla suggests that the Brahmin bet a rich merchant: he, alone, will pull a hundred carts loaded with stones. The Brahmin accepts, prepares the carts, washes and garlands the bull. But when he mounts the pole and shouts, "Come on, you rascal! Pull, you lazybones!", the bull does not move. His feet are planted in the ground like four pillars. The merchant wins, the Brahmin loses everything and returns home humiliated.
Scene 3 – The Dialogue in the Stable
Night. The Brahmin lies on his bed, crushed by grief. Nandivisāla approaches, rests his great head on the edge of the bed and looks at him. In that silence, lit only by an oil lamp, the true dialogue occurs. The bull asks, "Have I ever disobeyed you? Have I ever broken anything? Why did you call me a rascal?" The Brahmin understands. His words have been chains.
Scene 4 – The Resurrection of Power
The next day, the Brahmin returns to the merchant and doubles the bet. He prepares the carts again, washes the bull, puts the garland on him. Then he mounts the pole, leans down, places his hand on his back and whispers, "Come on, my friend. Pull, my noble Nandivisāla." The bull closes his eyes for a moment, savors those words, and then... springs into action. With a powerful bellow, he pulls all hundred carts until the last one stands where the first one was. The crowd erupts, the merchant loses his coins, and the Brahmin is showered with gifts.
Scene 5 – The Voice of the Master
Centuries later, in the Jetavana grove, the Buddha tells this story to the monks. The monks listen in silence. And in the air, above their heads, float the ethereal figures of the Brahmin and the bull. The story is alive. The teaching continues.
What Nandivisāla Teaches Us
This is not a children's fable. It is a treatise on spiritual physics.
In Scene 2, harsh words are represented as dark lines emerging from the Brahmin's mouth and wrapping around the bull's neck. This is not a metaphor: in ancient India, the word was considered energy. Sound had creative and destructive power. The Vedas are made of sound. The mantra is sound. The word "rascal" is a reverse mantra: a spell of paralysis.
In Scene 4, kind words become golden threads. They do not bind: they propel. The word "friend" is not a formal compliment. It is a surge of energy that releases muscles, loosens joints, ignites the heart. The bull does not pull the carts *despite* the kindness, but *because* of the kindness.
The lesson is clear: courtesy is not a social embellishment. It is a cosmic force.
Why This Story Is So Relevant Today
We live in an age of violent words. Social media are arenas where people insult, humiliate, destroy each other. The "rascal" shouted by the Brahmin echoes every day in comments, tweets, messages. And the victims of these words – like Nandivisāla – remain paralyzed. They don't move. They don't produce. They don't live.
The story tells us something simple and revolutionary: words have physical consequences. An insult can block an employee, a child, a friend, exactly as the bull was blocked. A kind word, spoken at the right moment, can unleash unexpected energies.
This is nonviolent communication before Marshall Rosenberg theorized it. This is gentle leadership before it became a module in MBA courses. This is pet therapy before hospitals existed.
The Superhuman Power of Courtesy
The title "Level 3" is not accidental. It is an advanced level. Because it's easy to be kind when everything is going well. It's difficult when you're under pressure, when you're in a hurry, when you're angry. The Brahmin, in the square, under the gaze of the crowd, forgot the relationship. He saw only the performance. And he lost.
In the stable, in the dark, he rediscovered humility. He learned that power lies not in the goad, but in the caress. Not in the shout, but in the whisper.
Courtesy is superhuman power because it overcomes matter. It overcomes the inertia of the hundred carts. It overcomes the gravity of distrust. It overcomes the hardness of the heart.
Three Questions for Your Day
Before concluding, I leave you with three questions to carry with you:
1. Whom are you calling "rascal" in your life? Which colleague, family member, friend are you labeling with words that immobilize them?
2. Who is waiting for your word "friend" to release their strength? Which person, close to you, needs a verbal caress to move their carts?
3. What night of silence do you need to rediscover the relationship? When was the last time you sat beside someone, without speaking, just to listen?
The Voice of the Master
The Buddha, at the end, does not say, "Learn this story." He says, "Remember it." Because stories are not learned: they are remembered. They are already inside us. They are just waiting for someone to tell them to awaken.
Today you have remembered the story of Nandivisāla. The bull who taught the world that the word "friend" has a physical force capable of overcoming gravity and matter.
Carry it with you. And use it.
Did you find this article helpful? Share it with those who need to rediscover the power of kindness. And if you want to explore other jātakas, write to me in the comments.
