The Robe They Exchanged

He and his wife agreed, on their wedding night, not to be married in the ordinary way.

Pippali was the son of a rich brahmin landlord and had no interest in any of it. His parents insisted. So he was married to Bhadda Kapilani.

And it turned out she wanted exactly what he wanted. Which was none of it.

So they lived together, celibately, for years. And then one day he had had enough.

He was watching the ploughing. And the birds coming down to eat the worms turned up by the blade.

And he understood that his wealth was made out of a great deal of small killing.

And so had she.

They left together, and separated on the road to go their own ways, and both of them became mendicants. She was ordained later among the nuns and became a considerable figure in her own right.