The Woman At The Well

Ananda, the favorite disciple of the Buddha, having been sent by

the Lord on a mission, passed by a well near a village, and

seeing Pakati, a girl of the Matanga caste, he asked her for

water to drink.



Pakati said: "O Brahman, I am too humble and mean to give thee

water to drink, do not ask any service of me lest thy holiness be

contaminated, for I am of ow caste."



And Ananda replied: "I ask not for caste but for water;" and the

Matanga girl's heart leaped joyfully and she gave Ananda to

drink.



Ananda thanked her and went away; but she followed him at a

distance.



Having heard that Ananda was a disciple of Gotama Sakyamuni, the

girl repaired to the Blessed One and cried: "O Lord help me, and

let me live in the place where Ananda thy disciple dwells, so

that I may see him and minister unto him, for I love Ananda."



And the Blessed One understood the emotions of her heart and he

said: "Pakati, thy heart is full of love, but thou understandest

not thine own sentiments. It is not Ananda that thou lovest, but

his kindness. Accept, then, the kindness thou hast seen him

practise unto thee, and in the humility of thy station practise

it unto others.



"Verily there is great merit in the generosity of a king when he

is land to a slave; but there is a greater merit in the slave

when he ignores the wrongs which he suffers and cherishes

kindness and good-will to all mankind. He will cease to hate his

oppressors, and even when powerless to resist their usurpation

will with compassion pity their arrogance and supercilious

demeanor.



"Blessed art thou, Pakati, for though thou art a Matanga thou

wilt be a model for noblemen and noblewomen. Thou art of low

caste, but Brahmans may learn a lesson from thee. Swerve not from

the path of justice and righteousness and thou wilt outshine the

royal glory of: queens on the throne."