The shadow of overindulgence

It is natural for parents to adore their children and take pride in their achievements. However, when their love becomes blind, they become deluded and fail to ferret out the fallacies of their wards and guide them appropriately. They spare the rod and spoil the child. Eventually, they find themselves at the receiving end of their incorrigible children’s misdeeds. Still worse, they push their beloved offspring into an unending guilt trip when they wake up to the realities of life.

An incident from the history of ancient India sums up this situation ever so succinctly.

Bimbisara, the king of Magadha, was proud of his children. He trained them in several arts and had them educated by the best of teachers. He had a special fondness for his firstborn, Ajatashatru. The crown prince grew up to be an intelligent, shrewd and savage megalomaniac. The king discerned that his son was accomplished but arrogant. The doting father attributed the overbearing nature of his son to his young age. Therefore, Bimbisara decided to ignore the flaws of his son, hoping that his boy would acquire noble qualities over a period of time. 

A few years later, the king had to wage a war against Angadesham. Ajatashatru took the initiative to lead the battle. His strategic leadership led him to victory. King Bimbisara was elated by his young son’s achievement and praised him lavishly. However, Ajathashatru was not the sort of person to be satisfied by mere adulation. He claimed the land won over by him. Bimbisara indulged his son by making him the regent of the acquired land.

As the years rolled by, Ajathashatru’s misguided thirst for power made him plot against his father. He seized the throne and imprisoned the king. When he observed that the people of Magadha were eyeing him with distaste, his insecurity and his obsession to be at the helm of affairs at the earliest prompted him to assassinate his father.

Ajatashatru achieved undiluted supremacy and conquered the neighbouring lands and became the undisputed sovereign of his times. His ambitions were fulfilled, but he could not enjoy his success. He blamed himself for executing his benefactor, who had nothing but benevolence for him.

That he finally found some solace while associating with the Buddha is another story.