Success in any field attracts admiration and followers. It also attracts jealousy, hatred and rivalry. A successful person gets a good name, becomes famous and has many followers. He also has many rivals who hate him and plot to ruin his good name and reputation. When we plot and try to destroy others, we are destroyed. When we do good to others, we are blessed. This is rule of karma. What goes up always comes down. We get in equal measure of what we give. What we give to enlightened beings and gurus comes back to us a thousand fold! This story of Buddha and the pregnant woman tell us this truth:
Buddha was always peaceful and blissful. There was always a large crowd of disciples, followers and admirers around him. Wherever he went, people followed him and listened to his wise words. Effortlessly he gathered large crowds around him and his teachings spread wide and far. This attracted the hatred and jealousy of monks of other religions. There were also some in his own group who wanted to oust Buddha and become the leader. Once, some jealous monks plotted against Buddha to ruin his reputation and after he was shamed, take over his place and position and become famous. They asked a beautiful female follower of theirs to help them to carry out their plan.
One day, at time of sunset, the young woman started to walk in the direction of the monastery where Buddha was staying. Then she went and stayed at night at the place of the jealous monks. Early next morning as she returned home, her curious neighbors asked her where she had been. She replied that she had spent the night with Buddha. After a few months, she began wrapping up cloth around her waist to look pregnant. She added more cloth as the weeks went by. She beat her hands and feet till they looked swollen. She pretended to be tired all the time like pregnant women and walked tiredly and slowly. She looked as if she was going to give birth at any time.
One evening when Buddha was giving a discourse, she arrived there holding her stomach. Seeing him preach, she screamed at him: Instead of giving lectures, you should take care of me and your baby. You had your fun with me and now you are no longer interested in me nor do you care for your responsibilities. Buddha sat calmly and waited for her to finish speaking. Then he said that they both knew that her words were not true. She looked at him scornfully and said that none could see what they were doing at night.
Even before she completed the sentence, the strings holding the bundle of cloth around her waist loosened and her ‘baby’ fell down. All those seated there realized that the woman had been lying.
They all rushed and surrounded her and called her a wicked woman, a liar and a cheat. She was scared that she would be beaten and that her life was in danger. She ran off from there as fast as she could. On her way back home, she had an accident and died a miserable death. The wicked monks who plotted against Buddha also suffered terribly.
Later on, when all gathered were around Buddha, he told them that the one who is not afraid to tell lies, does not care what happens in his future lifetimes and will do evil without hesitation. We must realize that we make our own fate by our own action. While we cannot alter the past, we can learn to bear up with the present and create a great future by our own actions or karma. Let us not harm or do any evil to holy men as the consequences of such acts are terrible. Let us do the SitaRam mantra japa, meditation and follow the teachings of the Guru and let grace help us cope with our past and shape our present and future.
