The Lady and the Ogress

ONCE THERE WAS A MAN who was becoming impatient with his wife for not being able to bear him any children. At the same time, his wife was becoming increasingly anxious because she was not able to give him the children he longed for. Fearing that her husband would one day abandon her, she coaxed him into taking another wife. But each time she learned that the new wife was pregnant, she caused her to miscarry by putting some drugs into her food.

The second wife eventually figured out what was going on, but it was too late to do anything about it, for she was already near death’s door from being poisoned so often. Before she finally died, however, she swore that she would pay the first wife back for all the suffering she was caused should their paths cross again in future lives.

And indeed their paths did cross again. Once they were reborn as a cat and a hen, and another time as a leopardess and a doe, and each time they were after each other’s offsprings, creating more and more hatred between themselves. Finally, they were reborn as the daughter of a nobleman and an ogress.

One day, the ogress in all her fury was chasing after the nobleman’s daughter and her baby. The mother, in desperation, fled to the monastery where the Buddha was staying and begged the Buddha to save her child from the hungry ogress.

-----------------------------------
Hatred in the world is indeed never
appeased by hatred.
It is appeased by loving kindness.
This is an ancient law.
Verse 5