Sīlavīmaṃsa Jātaka (No.330, 362)
1. Sīlavīmaṃsa Jātaka (No.330).– The Bodhisatta was once chaplain of the king of Bārāṇasī, later becoming an ascetic. One day be saw a hawk, attacked by other birds, drop a piece of meat he had stolen. On another day he saw a slave girl, Piṅgalā, waiting for her lover until late into the night, and, when he did not come, she fell asleep. On a third occasion he saw a hermit meditating. Drawing a moral from these incidents, he lived the hermit life and was reborn in the Brahma world.
The story was told in reference to a brahmin who was ever proving his virtue. J.iii.100‑102.
2. Sīlavīmamsa Jātaka (No.362).– The Bodhisatta was chaplain to the king of Bārāṇasī. He was both learned and good; but wishing to test which quality brought him greater honour, he started stealing money from the treasurer. On the third occasion he was arrested and led before the king. He then explained his behaviour to the king, and, having discovered that virtue was the more highly esteemed, he became an ascetic with the king’s leave.
The story was told in reference to a brahmin of Sāvatthi who carried out the same test. J.iii.193‑5.