12. The Patient Woman.

Patient is as patient does.

Majjhima i. 125-126.

On a certain occasion the Exalted One addressed the monks as follows: “Monks, put away evil; devote yourselves to good works: so shall you obtain increase, growth, development, in this Doctrine and Discipline.”

Inolden times, in this very city of Sāvatthi, lived a house-mistress named Vedehikā. Of Mistress Vedehikā prevailed the following excellent reputation: “Gentle is Mistress Vedehikā, meek is Mistress Vedehikā, tranquil is Mistress Vedehikā.” And Mistress Vedehikā had a servant named Blackie who was capable and industrious and performed her duties well.

Now to Servant Blackie occurred the following thought: “Of my lady mistress prevails the following excellent reputation: ‘Gentle is Mistress Vedehikā, meek is Mistress Vedehikā, tranquil is Mistress Vedehikā.’ But has her ladyship, in point of fact, an inward temper which she does not reveal, or has she not? Or is it solely because I have performed these duties well that her ladyship does not reveal an inward temper which, in point of fact,she does possess;—not because she does not possess it? Suppose I were to test her ladyship!”

Accordingly Servant Blackie got up late in the day. And Mistress Vedehikā said this to Servant Blackie: “See here, Blackie!” “What is it, my lady?” “Why did you get up so late?” “For no reason at all, my lady.” “For no reason at all, worthless servant, you got up so late!” And Mistress Vedehikā frowned in anger and displeasure.

Then to Servant Blackie occurred the following thought: “Her ladyship does, in point of fact, possess an inward temper which she does not reveal;—it is not because she does not possess it. It is solely because I have performed these duties well that her ladyship does not reveal an inward temper which, in point of fact, she does possess;—it is not because she does not possess it. Suppose I were to test her ladyship further!”

Accordingly Servant Blackie got up later in the day. And Mistress Vedehikā said this to Servant Blackie: “See here, Blackie!” “What is it, my lady?” “Why did you get up so late?” “For no reason at all, my lady.” “For no reason at all, worthless servant, you got up so late!” And in anger and displeasure Mistress Vedehikā gave vent to her displeasure in words.

Then to Servant Blackie occurred the followingthought: “Her ladyship does, in point of fact, possess an inward temper which she does not reveal;—it is not because she does not possess it. It is solely because I have performed these duties well that her ladyship does not reveal an inward temper which, in point of fact, she does possess;—it is not because she does not possess it. Suppose I were to test her ladyship further!”

Accordingly Servant Blackie got up even later in the day. And Mistress Vedehikā said this to Servant Blackie: “See here, Blackie!” “What is it, my lady?” “Why did you get up so late?” “For no reason at all, my lady.” “For no reason at all, worthless servant, you got up so late!” And in anger and displeasure Mistress Vedehikā seized the pin of the door-bolt and gave her a blow on the head, breaking her head.

Thereupon Servant Blackie, with broken head streaming with blood, complained to the neighbors: “See, my lady, the work of the gentle woman! See, my lady, the work of the meek woman! See, my lady, the work of the tranquil woman! For this is the way a lady acts who keeps but a single servant: ‘You got up too late!’ says she. So what must she do but seize the pin of the door-bolt and give you a blow on the head and break your head!”

The result was that after a time Mistress Vedehikāacquired the following evil reputation: “Cruel is Mistress Vedehikā, no meek woman is Mistress Vedehikā, no tranquil woman is Mistress Vedehikā!”

“Precisely so, monks, here in this world, many a monk is ever so gentle, ever so meek, ever so tranquil, so long as unpleasant remarks do not reach him. But when, monks, unpleasant remarks reach a monk, that is the time to find out whether he is really gentle, really meek, really tranquil.”

Back to Index Next