The Story of Kaliyakkhina
Chapter 1: Twin Verses • Verse 5
Hatred is never appeased by hatred in this world. By non-hatred alone is hatred appeased. This is a law eternal.
While residing at the Jetavana Monastery in Savatthi, the Buddha spoke this verse with reference to a barren woman and another woman who was able to bear a child.
Once there lived a householder whose wife was barren. Unable to conceive and fearing mistreatment from her husband and mother-in-law, she arranged for her husband to marry another woman.
On two occasions, when she learned that the second wife was pregnant, the barren wife secretly gave her food mixed with drugs, causing her to miscarry.
During the third pregnancy, the second wife kept it a secret. But when the barren wife discovered it, she again interfered and caused another abortion. Eventually, the second wife died during childbirth.
Before her death, the unfortunate woman was filled with hatred. She vowed to take revenge on the barren wife and her future offspring. Thus began a cycle of enmity between them.
In later rebirths, the two women were born as a hen and a female cat, then as a doe and a leopard, and finally as the daughter of a nobleman in Savatthi and a female evil spirit named Kali Yakkhini.
One day, Kali Yakkhini was chasing the nobleman’s daughter and her baby. Hearing that the Buddha was giving a discourse at the Jetavana Monastery, the terrified mother fled there and placed her child at the Buddha’s feet for protection.
The evil spirit was unable to enter the monastery. Later, she was summoned inside. The Buddha admonished both the woman and the evil spirit and revealed their past lives as rival wives who had harbored deep hatred toward one another.
The Buddha taught them that hatred only leads to more hatred and can be ended only through friendship, understanding, and goodwill. Hearing this, both realized their mistake and made peace with each other.
The Buddha then asked the woman to hand her son to the evil spirit. Though fearful for her child’s safety, she trusted the Buddha completely and placed her son in the spirit’s hands.
The evil spirit tenderly kissed and embraced the child as if he were her own, and then gently returned him to his mother. From that moment on, all hatred between them ceased.