(Part
Two) 11.
Sujata and the Seven Types of Wives
Sujata
came from a wealthy family and was married to the son of Anathapindika.
She was arrogant, did not respect others and did not like
to listen to the instructions of her husband and his parents.
As a result of her attitude there was trouble in the family
every day.
One
day, when the Buddha visited the house of Anathapindika, he
heard an unusual uproar in the house and asked what it was
about.
Anathapindika
replied, "Lord, it is Sujata, my daughter-in-law. She
does not listen to her mother-in-law, her father-in-law or
to her husband. She does not even honour nor pay respect to
the Exalted One."
The
Buddha called Sujata to him and spoke kindly to her, "Sujata,
there are seven types of wives a man may have. Which of them
are you?"
"What
are the seven types of wives, Venerable Sir?" asked Sujata.
"Sujata,
there are bad and undesirable wives. There is a wife who is
troublesome. She is wicked, bad tempered, pitiless, and not
faithful to her husband."
"There
is a wife who is like a thief. She wastes the money earned
by her husband."
"There
is a wife who is like a master. She is lazy, and thinks only
about herself. She is cruel and lacking in compassion, always
scolding her husband or gossiping."
"Sujata,
there are the good and praiseworthy wives. There is a wife
who is like a mother. She is kind and compassionate and treats
her husband like her son and is careful with his money."
"There
is a wife who is like a sister. She is respectful towards
her husband, just as a younger sister to her brother, she
is modest and obedient to her husband's wishes."
"There
is a wife who is like a friend. She rejoices at the sight
of her husband, just like a friend who has not seen her friend
for a long time. She is of noble birth, virtuous and faithful."
"There
is a wife who is like a handmaid. She behaves as an understanding
wife when her shortcomings are pointed out. She remains calm
and does not show any anger although her husband uses some
harsh words. She is obedient to her husband's wishes."
The
Blessed one asked, "Sujata, which type of wife are you
like, or would you wish to be like?"
Hearing
these words of the Blessed One, Sujata was ashamed of her
past conduct and said, "From today onwards, let the Exalted
One think of me as the one in the last example for I'll be
a good and understanding wife." She changed her behaviour
and became her husband's helper, and together they worked
towards enlightenment.
