The story creates a sharp moral hierarchy, contrasting the hare's pure offering of his own body with the morally compromised "gifts" of his friends—one of whom commits outright theft—to illustrate the true perfection of giving.

In this podcast episode, we explore one of the most profound stories in Buddhist literature: the Sasa Jataka. This tale recounts a past life of the Buddha, when he was born as a wise hare. The central narrative of this episode follows the hare and his three friends—an otter, a jackal, and a monkey—as they observe a holy day. Our discussion will detail the actions of each animal, highlighting a key theme: the nature of true generosity. This podcast examines how the otter and jackal acquire their offerings through morally ambiguous means, including theft, while the hare, having nothing material to give, resolves to offer his own body. We will cover the arrival of the god Sakka, disguised as a beggar to test their virtue, and the hare's ultimate, joyful sacrifice. The episode concludes by analyzing the story's powerful symbolism, including the miracle of the unburning fire and why the hare's image was placed on the moon as an eternal testament to the perfection of giving, or dāna pāramitā.