12.1 Puṇṇikā Therī (236-251)

Read aloud in “Ayya Anandabodhi & Matty Weingast’s Dharma Talks at Insight Meditation South Bay – Silicon Valley”

In the Pali text, this is a conversation between Puṇṇikā and a Brahmin.

Norman

236. “I am a water-carrier; even in the cold weather I have always gone down to the water, terrified by fear of punishment from noble ladies, harrassed by fear of [verbal] abuse and displeasure.

237. “What are you afraid of, brahman, when you constantly go down to the water‘? With trembling limbs you experience very great cold.”

238. “But you already know the answer, lady Punnika; you ask one who is doing good action and thereby blocking off evil action.

239. “Whoever, whether young or old, does an evil action, even he is released from his evil action by ablution in water.”

240. “Who indeed told you this, ignorant to the ignorant: ‘Truly he is released from his evil action by ablution in water’?

241. “Now if this is true all frogs and turtles will go to heaven, and alligators and crocodiles, and the other water-dwellers.

242. “Sheep-butchers, pork-butchers, fishermen, animal-trappers, thieves and executioners, and other evil-doers, even they will be released from their evil action by ablution in water.

243. “If these streams carried away the evil you had previously done, they would carry away your merit too; thereby you would be devoid of both.

244. “Do not do the very thing, brahman, for fear of which you have always gone down to the water, brahman; may the cold water not strike your skin.”

245. “Noble lady, you have brought me, entered upon the wrong way, back into the noble way. I give you this water-ablution robe.”

246. “Keep the robe for yourself; I do not want the robe; if you are afraid of pain, if pain is unpleasant for you,

247. “do not do an evil action either openly or in secret. But if you do or will do an evil action,

248. “there is no release from pain for you, even if you fly up and run away. If you are afraid of pain, if pain is unpleasant for you,

249. “go to the venerable Buddha as a refuge, to the doctrine, and to the Order; undertake the rules of virtuous conduct; that will be to your advantage.”

250. “I go to the venerable Buddha as a refuge, to the doctrine, and to the Order; I undertake the rules of virtuous conduct; that will be to my advantage.

251. “Formerly I was a kinsman of Brahma; today I am truly a brahman. I possess the triple knowledge, I am endowed with knowledge, and I am versed in sacred lore; and I am washed clean.”

Weingast

In the early morning,

well before dawn,

I would go down to the river.

It was my job to carry water

up the hill

to my master’s house.

Of course.

We all want to be free.

But what good is freedom,

when your sisters remain slaves?

I used to imagine an old man down there by the river.

I used to imagine what I would say to him.

What does it mean—

to own another human being?

What does it mean—

to feel your own skin,

to touch it,

and know you are not free?

We all have bodies.

My sisters, I don’t have to tell you.

But where did I get this body?

Who made me a slave?

The old man and me—

standing here,

watching the river.

Waiting.

But for what?

Over the years,

this round

heart

has been

pounded flat.

Sometimes it doesn’t feel safe—

to feel anything at all.

Don’t give up, my sisters.

Whatever you have to say,

now is the time to say it out loud.

All our dreams of the past.

All our dreams of what will be.

Come.

Reach out your hand.

Some rivers we must cross together.

Other

Leave a comment