Chapter 4h: Women’s whiles

42. 'Venerable Nāgasena, it has been said by the Blessed One:

With opportunity, and secrecy,
And the right woo'r, all women will go wrong—
Aye, failing others, with a cripple even ^[1]."

But on the other hand it is said: "Mahosadha’s wife, Amarā, when left behind in the village while her husband was away on a journey, remained alone and in privacy, and regarding her husband as a man would regard his sovran lord, she refused to do wrong, even when tempted with a thousand pieces ^[2]." Now if the first of these passages be correct, the second must be wrong; and if the second be right, [206] the first must be wrong. This too is a double-edged problem now put to you, and you have to solve it.'

43. 'It is so said, O king, as you have quoted, touching the conduct of Amarā, Mahosadha’s wife. But the question is would she have done wrong, on receipt of those thousand pieces, with the right man: or would she not have done so, if she had had the opportunity, and the certainty of secrecy, and a suitable wooer? Now, on considering the matter, that lady Amarā was not certain of any of these things. Through her fear of censure in this world the opportunity seemed to her not fit, and through her fear of the sufferings of purgatory in the next world. And because she knew how bitter is the fruit of wrong-doing, and because she did not wish to lose her loved one, and because of the high esteem in which she held her husband, and because she honoured goodness, and despised ignobleness of life, and because she did not want to break with her customary mode of life—for all these reasons the opportunity seemed to her not fit.

'And, further, she refused to do wrong because, on consideration, she was not sure of keeping the thing secret from the world. [207] For even could she have kept it secret from men, yet she could not have concealed it from spirits ^[3]—even could she have kept it secret from spirits, yet she could not have concealed it from those recluses who have the power of knowing the thoughts of others-even could she have kept it secret from them, yet she could not have concealed it from those of the gods who can read the hearts of men—even could she have kept it secret from the gods, yet she could not have escaped, herself, from the knowledge of her sin—even could she have remained ignorant of it herself, yet she could not have kept it secret from (the law of the result which follows on) unrighteousness ^[4]. Such were the various reasons which led her to abstain from doing wrong because she could not be sure of secrecy.

'And, further, she refused to do wrong because, on consideration, she found no right wooer. Mahosadha the wise, O king, was endowed with the eight and twenty qualities. And which are those twenty-eight? He was brave, O king, and full of modesty, and ashamed to do wrong, he had many adherents, and many friends, he was forgiving, he was upright in life, he was truthful, he was pure in word, and deed and heart ^[5], he was free from malice, he was not puffed up, he felt no jealousy ^[6], he was full of energy, he strove after all good things ^[7], he was popular with all men, he was generous, he was friendly ^[8], he was humble in disposition, he was free from guile, he was free from deceit, he was full of insight, he was of high reputation, he had much knowledge, he sought after the good of those dependent on him, his praise was in all men’s mouths, great was his wealth, and great his fame. Such were the twenty-eight qualities, O king, with which 'Mahosadha, the wise, was endowed. And it was because she found no wooer like unto him that she did no wrong ^[9].'

'Very good, Nāgasena! That is so, and I accept it as you say.'

[Here ends the dilemma as to the wickedness of women ^[10].]

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

It is not meant that men would not. But that is too clear to be even worthy of mention, whereas with regard to women the question is worth discussion. Our author is mistaken in ascribing this verse to the Buddha. It is only found (as has been pointed out by Mr. Trenckner) in a Jātaka story, No. 536, and is a specimen, not of Buddhist teaching, but of Indian folk-lore. There is a very similar sentiment in Jātaka, No. 62 (vol. i, p. 289).

[2]:

This story will be found in the Ummagga Jātaka, No. 546.

[3]:

Fairies, nayad, dryads, etc. etc.—not gods.

[4]:

Adhammena raho na labheyya. I am in great doubt as to the real meaning of these words, which Hīnaṭi-kumburē (p. 286) renders merely adharmayen rahasak no labannē. They look very much like a kind of personification of Karma. The phrase is really very parallel to the saying in Numbers xxxii. 23, 'Be sure your sin will find you out'—namely, in its results—and is as true ethically as it is difficult grammatically.

[5]:

Soceyya-sampanno, which Hīnaṭi-kumburē renders suvaca guṇayen samanwibawa: that is, 'compliant, attentive to what is said.' But I prefer to take the expression in the sense explained at length in Aṅguttara III, 119. See also Jātaka I, 214; Milinda, p. 115.

[6]:

Anusuyyako. See Jātaka II, 192, and Milinda, p. 94.

[7]:

Āyūhako. Hīnaṭi-kumburē (p. 286) renders this word, which is only found here, by Dhana piris rœs kirīm œtteya, 'one who has heaped up goods and men.' But see Milinda, p. 181, and Dr. Morris in the Pāli Text Society’s journals for 1885 and 1886.

[8]:

Sakhilo, 'kindly in speech,' says the Siṃhalese.

[9]:

This is all very well, but it does not confirm, it explains away, the supposed quotation from the Buddha’s words.

[10]:

The position of women in India, at the time when Buddhism arose, was, theoretically, very low. The folk tales are full of stories turning on the wiles of women, and the Hindoo law-books seem never tired of the theme of her uncleanness, her weakness, and her wickedness. But, except in matters of property, the bark was I think worse than the bite. Among the people, in the homes of the peasantry, the philippics of the Brahmin priests were not much regarded, and the women led lives as pleasant as those of their male relations, and shared in such mental and physical advantages as their male relations enjoyed. The influence of Buddhism must have been felt in two directions. In the first place the importance attached to the celibate life must have encouraged the kind of view taken of women among Catholics in mediaeval times (the Brahmin view being much akin to those that were promulgated by Luther). On the other hand the fact that women were admitted to the Order, and that the still higher aim of Arahatship was held to be attainable by them, must have helped to encourage a high esteem for women. We have many instances of women who were credited with the insight of Arahatship. A whole treatise in the Buddhist sacred books, the Theri Gātha, is devoted to hymns and poems ascribed to them, and many of these reach a very high level of intelligent and spiritual emotion.