Kakacupama Sutta. ( The Parable of the Saw).
What is remarkable about President Mahinda Rajapakse is that the office has not spoilt the man.

By Charles Perera

The Parable of the saw is an interesting discourse of the Buddha. I thought of this Sutta, in relation to Mr.Mangala Samaraweera the former Minister of Foreign Affairs, who I thought was a very good person. I have met neither Mr.Mangala Samaraweera nor the President Mr.Mahinda Rajapakse, therefore what I know of them is from what I read and from their images that appear in the media reports in the internet.

Mangala Samaraweera’s image and very good reports about him and his love for his mother I had read some where, made a good impression of him in my mind. Therefore, when I saw that the President had suddenly distanced himself from him and finally removed him from the Foreign Ministry I thought that the President was wrong and his actions did not please me and I even wrote about -unpopular trait of a popular President.

Then after Mangala’s removal from the Ministry, which angered me the more, I saw the statements that Mangala had made about the President…..and then I began seeing the other Mangala Samaraweera, that reminded me of the Kakacupama Sutta.

In presenting this Sutta it has to be pointed out that it is to judge the Minister Samaraweera rather than the President Mahinda Rajapakse. Because in the recent episode in question the President came out with even a better image of him than we had before. He showed himself so human ready to forgive and forget taking Anura back into the fold. Even to Mangala Samaraweera he had said some where that the door is open provided he withdraws what he had said. That is a remarkable aspect of the President, the office has not spoilt the man.

Kakacupama Sutta is long therefore I give here a summary of a part of it.
The Buddha spoke to the monks and said , “ Monks in Savatti there was a rich lady of good reputation. She was kind, calm and generous. She was called Vedehika. This lady had a servant called Kali. She was able, hard working and very methodical in her work. Vedehika liked Kali very much. But one day Kali said to her self , ‘my mistress has a very good reputation as very kind, calm and generous. Does my lady has anger in her but does not show or she has no anger in her at all ? Or is it that my lady has anger in her but does not show because I am hardworking, and methodical, and not because she has no anger in her at all ? Kali, decided to test her mistress.

Following day Kali the servant got up late. The mistress called Kali and asked why she was late. Kali the servant told her, “ oh, that is nothing my lady”. The mistress was displeased, “nothing , “ she interrogated, “ you are a bad servant to get up late” the lady said and frowned at Kali.

The following day Kali got up even later than the previous day. The mistress Vedehika called Kali, and asked her why she got up even later than the previous day. Kali, yawned and told her mistress, “ ah ! it is nothing my lady.” The mistress Vedehika was very angry and said “ you are a bad servant you got up even later than yesterday and tell me it is nothing my lady.” “It is nothing indeed “, said the lady and scolded Kali her servant.

Then Kali told her self, “ my lady though she has a good reputation she has anger in her, and she does not show it because I am hardworking, and methodical, not that she has no anger in her, why not I test my Lady further ?”

The following day Kali got up even later than the day before. Vedehika her
mistress called her “ Kali “ “Yes, Lady” answered Kali insolently. Her
mistress was angry she asked her, why she was even later than the previous day. “ Oh ! It is nothing Lady “, said Kali . The mistress was angry and displeased, and hit Kali on the head with the door-bar. The blow injured Kali .

And the Buddha, continued, “ Now, monks Kali her head injured, with blood trickling down her face went among the neighbours shouting and wailing “ look, Sir, Look Ladies, look the good lady Vedehika, the calm lady Vedehika, generous lady Vedehika, because I, Kali her servant got up late, hit me with the door- bar and injured my head “

“Then monks this ill-repute spread thereafter about her mistress Vedehika, “ this mistress Vedehika is violent, the mistress Vedehika is arrogant, the mistress Vedehika is not calm.”

“In the same way, monks ”, said the Buddha, “ some monk here is very gentle, very calm, very courteous , so long as he is not assailed with rough-ways, and disagreeable words; but it is when the monk is assailed with rough ways and disagreeable words that he is to be judged, whether he is gentle”, “calm” or “courteous”……………………..etc.”(MN 21)

Sripathy Suriyarachchi is not worth writing about, he did not make a good impression in me.