(Photo source: Pexels)
One morning, a group of monks in the monastic community was discussing an incident that had happened in the village a few days ago. A group of villagers encountered three bandits in the forest. The bandits failed their mission, resisted, and fled. The group chased the bandits into the woods but only found three farmers working there. Suspecting that the three bandits were disguised as farmers, they captured these three farmers and brought them before the king.
There was a woman crying and begging to see the three bandits outside the palace, but the guards pushed her away. For several days, the woman kept crying outside the palace, saying, "Please give me something to cover myself with!" When the king heard this, he said, "Just give her a piece of cloth to cover herself!" After the guards complied, the woman said, "It is not the cloth I needed."
The king was astonished as he called her to the palace and inquired, “If you don't use cloth, then what else do you use to cover and protect yourself?' The woman replied, “A husband is a means of protection for a woman. A woman without a husband is like being naked. Even if she possesses gold or silver, it is still useless!” The king then asked, “Where is your husband?“ The woman said, “My husband was mistaken for a bandit and brought to the king a few days ago. He is innocent. We are law-abiding citizens who farm for a living!"
The king said, “Out of the three people who have been captured. Which one is your husband?” Who are the others?" The woman replied, "One is my husband, one is my son, and the other is my brother." The king then said, "Alright! Choose one from these three." The woman helplessly said, “Just return my brother!” The king was surprised, "That is strange! You just said that a woman without a husband is like being naked, even when adorned with jewelry. Now I am letting you pick from the three persons, why are you choosing your brother?”
The woman said emotionally, “Indeed, a woman without a husband is very pitiful. However, my parents have passed away, and my brother is their only beloved son. To repay my parents' kindness, I chose my brother. I understand being a parent because my child is also captured here, and my heart is aching..." The king was greatly moved by her words. He believed that her “true love” was exceptional, and since he was unable to find any evidence, he released the three of them.
Upon hearing, the Buddha stated, “This woman is truly remarkable. Most human beings are attached and troubled by love, but this woman, understanding her parents' painstaking efforts, decided to let go of the familial bonds she relied on most in her life: her husband and children. This is what we call 'self-transcendent love’.”
Learning and practicing Buddhism involves treating elders as parents, siblings of similar age as brothers and sisters, and younger ones as children, all while demonstrating the Bodhisattva’s practice of unconditional love.
Translated by Michelle Lee
Share 
