Sulasa’s Cleverness: Outwitting the Thief with Wisdom

In ancient times, the Bodhisatta was born as a tree fairy, watching over the forests and mountains from above. During this time, a notorious thief who was bold and daring broke into the homes of many wealthy families. His exploits became infamous, and people in the city pleaded with the king to catch him. To ensure his capture, the king ordered detachments of soldiers to patrol the city, and it wasn’t long before the thief was apprehended.

The thief was sentenced to death, and as he was led to the execution place, a woman named Sulasa, a high-class prostitute known for earning a thousand coins a night, saw him. She was immediately struck by the thief’s appearance and fell in love with him at first sight. Determined to save his life, Sulasa offered a bribe of one thousand coins to the governor in exchange for the thief’s release. However, the thief was too notorious to be set free without some conditions.

The governor agreed to let the thief go if Sulasa could find someone to take his place. When one of Sulasa’s regular clients, a wealthy young merchant, arrived at sunset, Sulasa lied and told him that the thief was her brother and that she wished to save him. The merchant, moved by her request, agreed to pay the thousand-coin bribe for the thief’s release. But when he handed over the money, he was immediately seized and hidden away, and the thief was secretly sent to Sulasa’s home in a covered carriage. The execution was delayed until very late that night, ensuring that nobody would see that the wrong man was executed.

By morning, the merchant’s headless body was displayed as if it had been the thief’s, and the thief was freed. Sulasa ceased her work as a prostitute, and she and the thief began to live together happily. However, after a few months, the thief grew tired of this life. He decided to kill Sulasa and steal her money and jewelry.

The thief told Sulasa that he had promised to make an offering to a tree fairy on a mountaintop and that the fairy had threatened him for not fulfilling the vow. He suggested that they go to the mountain, where he could make amends. They went with a crowd of people, but when they reached the peak, the thief told Sulasa his true intentions—to kill her and take her treasures.

Sulasa, heartbroken, reminded him that she had saved his life and had always been faithful to him. She begged him to spare her life, offering her jewels and money and promising to serve him as a slave. But the thief was unmoved and insisted on taking her valuables. In that moment, Sulasa quickly devised a clever plan.

“I have never loved anyone more than you,” she said, pretending to accept her fate. She suggested a proper goodbye and walked around him three times, kissed him, and laid her head on his feet in a show of honor. As she crawled around him on all fours, she leapt up behind him and pushed him over the cliff to his death.

Sulasa calmly descended the mountain, and when her servants inquired about her husband, she simply replied that it was none of their business and went home.

The Bodhisatta, observing the cleverness and wisdom of Sulasa, noted that sometimes women can act with great wisdom when faced with danger.

In the Lifetime of the Buddha

In a later life, the prostitute Sulasa was reborn as a servant in the household of Anathapindika, a wealthy and generous supporter of the Buddha. One day, while going to the royal park, Anathapindika’s wife lent the servant some expensive jewelry to wear. A thief, who was the same thief from Sulasa’s past life, noticed the servant and desired to steal her jewels. He began to flirt with her, offering her fish, meat, and alcohol to win her favor.

That evening, the servant realized that the thief intended to steal her jewelry and kill her. They were already in a secluded spot, but the thief wanted to take her to a more private location, which raised her suspicions. To protect herself, the servant devised a plan.

She told the thief that she needed a drink of water and led him to a nearby well. As the thief leaned over to draw the water, the servant pushed him into the well. She then threw a brick at his head, killing him instantly.

Later, when she returned home, the servant told Anathapindika about the attempted theft and how she had narrowly escaped danger. Anathapindika was impressed by her quick thinking. The story was eventually told to the Buddha, who explained that this was not the first time the servant had outwitted the thief. In fact, it was a continuation of her cleverness from a past life when she had first killed the thief.

Moral of the Story:

In moments of peril, wisdom and quick thinking are invaluable. The ability to act decisively and cleverly can turn the tide in the face of danger, and justice often prevails through cunning and intelligence.