WELL-TRAINED MIND EXCELS PEOPLE The Story of Soreyya (Verse 3.12:43)

WELL-TRAINED MIND EXCELS PEOPLE 

The Story of Soreyya (Verse 3.12:43) 

Place: Jétavana

Soreyya, the son of a rich businessman in certain city, in the Kingdom of Kosala. One day, Soreyya accompanied by a friend and some attendants gone out in a carriage for a bath in a pond. At that moment, venerable monk Maha-kaccayana was putting on his robes after finishing his bath and planning to go out into the city for alms. The youth Soreyya, seeing the youthful complexion of the monk, thought, “How I wish that complexion was of my wife”. As the wish arose in him, his sex changed and he became a woman. Very much ashamed, he got down from the carriage and escaped away, taking the road to Taxila. His companions looked for him, but they could not find him. Soreyya, now a woman, offered his (now her) signet ring to cart driver going to Taxila, to allow her to go with him in his carriage. Upon arrival at Taxila, her companions told a young rich man of Taxila about a beautiful lady, who has come along with them. The young rich man, finding her to be very beautiful and of a suitable age for him, married her. As a result of this marriage two sons were born; Soreyya also had two other sons from the previous marriage of Soreyya as a man. 

One day, a rich businessman’s son from the city of Soreyya came to Taxila for business. Lady Soreyya, recognized him to be an old friend, sent for him. The man was surprised that he was invited, because he did not know the lady who invited him. He told the Lady Soreyya that he did not know her, and asked her, whether she knew him. Lady Soreyya answered that she knew him and also enquired about the health of her previous family and other people in his previous city of residence. The businessman friend, next told her about the rich man’s son Soreyya, who disappeared mysteriously while going for a bath. Then the Lady Soreyya revealed her identity and related all that had happened, about the wrongful thoughts with regard to monk Maha-kaccayana, about the change of sex, and her marriage to the young rich man of Taxila. The man from the home-city then advised the Lady Soreyya to ask pardon from the monk. Monk Maha-kaccayana was accordingly invited to the home of Soreyya and alms-food was offered to him. After the meal, the Lady Soreyya was brought to the presence of the monk, and the man from Séreyya told the monk that the lady was at one time the son of a rich man from Séreyya. He then explained to the monk how Soreyya was turned into a female on account of his wrongful thoughts towards the respected monk. Lady Soreyya then respectfully asked pardon of Monk Maha-kaccayana. The monk then said, “I forgive you.” As soon as these words were spoken, lady Soreyya sex was changed back to a man. Soreyya then pondered how within a single existence and with a single body he had undergone change of sex and how sons were born to him. And feeling very weary and repulsive of all these things, he decided to leave the householder’s life and joined the sangha under the monk. 

After that, he was often asked, “Whom do you love more, the two sons you had as a man or the other two you had as a woman?” To those, he would answer that his love for those bore as a woman was greater. This question was put to him so often, he felt very much annoyed and ashamed. So he stayed by himself and, with diligence, contemplated the decay and dissolution of the body. He soon attained arahatship together with the analytical insight. When the old question was next put to him he replied that he had no affection for any one in particular. Other monks hearing him thought he must be telling a lie. When it was reported about Soreyya giving a different answer, the Buddha said, “My son is not telling lies, he is speaking the truth.” 

Commentary:

“samma panihitam cittam” meaning “the well-established mind”. One’s parents love one immensely. They can give one all the worldly things lavishly. But, when it comes to the fruits of higher life — liberation and the winning of the ‘deathless’ — only the well-established mind can help. This is because one has to experience the ‘deathless’ solely by one’s own self. Well directed thoughts can help a person even better than one’s father or one’s mother. The developed mind is one’s best friend.

The question arises; what is the well-directed mind? 

Answer: The mind directed towards the 10 kinds of meritorious deeds (kusala kamma) -namely, 1. Generosity, 2. Morality, 3. Meditation, 4. Reverence, 5. Service, 6. Transference of merit, 7. Rejoicing in others’ merit, 8. Hearing the doctrine, 9. Expounding the doctrine, and 10. Straightening one’s right views.