Dhammapada Stories - A Father who became a Mother

Soreyya, A Man of Name and reputation, was already the father of two sons. One morning, as he and a friend were on their way to bathe in a nearby river, they happened to pass a monk whose glowing complexion kindled desire in Sorreya’s heart. “Oh, how I wish my wife had that same beautiful golden skin!” he thought.

Hardly had he completed his wish when he experienced a strange physical sensation. To his horror, he realized that he had changed into a woman. Too ashamed to return home and face his family and friends, he, now a she, decided to go and live in a city far away.

In her newly adopted home, Soreyya was introduced to a rich merchant who had an eye for beautiful things. He asked Soreyya to marry him and she accepted. Not long after, she gave birth to a son, and not long after that, another one.

One day, a friend from her hometown happened to come to her house on business. Although he did not recognize her, she immediately recognized him and started asking about her family. He did not know who she was but was intrigued that she would be so concerned about people she had never met.

Finally Soreyya revealed to him who she really was and recounted what had happened to her on the day she had wrongful thoughts about the handsome monk. The friend then advised her to have one of her servants go and look for the monk and invite him to their home for a meal. In that way, he said, she could explain to him what had happened and ask for his forgiveness.

It was not easy locating the monk, but he was finally found and taken to Soreyya’s house where he was fed well. After the meal, Soreyya ashamedly related that she had once been a man, but because as a man she had had wrongful thoughts of him, she had turned into a woman. She was now full of regret for her past action.

The monk listened carefully and forgave her. As a result, Soreyya changed back into a man again. Of course, the man who used to be Soreyya’s husband was left stunned by the transformation of his wife, but being of a gentle and compassionate nature, he invited Soreyya to continue to live with them since, as a woman, he was really the mother of their sons and, he, the father.

So even if Soreyya was no longer a woman, the sons were really had all perished when the roof of their house collapsed on them during a violent storm. Driven to madness by her tragic misfortunes, Patacara wandered around aimlessly, until one day she found her way to a monastery where the Buddha was staying.

There she tearfully recounted to him how she had lost her sons, husband, parents and brothers all at one time. The Buddha consoled her by saying that she should not worry about those already dead, but should strive instead to purify her mind and strive for full enlightenment, for those who did not succeed in perceiving the conditions of all component things in their lifetime would be wasting that lifetime, even if they reached to be a hundred years old.

After hearing the Buddha speak, Patacara realized the uncertainty and futility of existence and became established in the path that led to enlightenment. She then entered the Order and finally became an arahat.

A single day in the life of one who has perceived the impermanence of all conditioned things is worth more than a hundred years in the life of one who has not done so.