On a certain occasion the Exalted One addressed the monks as follows: "Monks, put away evil; devote yourselves to good works: so shall you obtain increase, growth, development, in this Doctrine and Discipline.

"In olden times, in this very city of Savatthi, lived a house-mistress named Vedehika. Of Mistress Vedehika prevailed the following excellent reputation: 'Gentle is Mistress Vedehika, meek is Mistress Vedehika, tranquil is Mistress Vedehika.' And Mistress Vedehika had a servant named Blackie who was capable and industrious and performed her duties well.

"Now to Servant Blackie occurred the following thought: 'Of my lady mistress prevails the following excellent reputation: "Gentle is Mistress Vedehika, meek is Mistress Vedehika, tranquil is Mistress Vedehika." But has her ladyship, in point of fact, an inward temper which she does not reveal, or has she not? Or is it solely because I have performed these duties well that her ladyship does not reveal an inward temper which, in point of fact, she does possess;--not because she does not possess it? Suppose I were to test her ladyship!'

"Accordingly Servant Blackie got up late in the day. And Mistress Vedehika said this to Servant Blackie: 'See here, Blackie!' 'What is it, my lady?' 'Why did you get up so late?' 'For no reason at all, my lady.' 'For no reason at all, worthless servant, you got up so late!' And Mistress Vedehika frowned in anger and displeasure.

"Then to Servant Blackie occurred the following thought: 'Her ladyship does, in point of fact, possess an inward temper which she does not reveal;--it is not because she does not possess it. It is solely because I have performed these duties well that her ladyship does not reveal an inward temper which, in point of fact, she does possess;--it is not because she does not possess it. Suppose I were to test her ladyship further!'

"Accordingly Servant Blackie got up later in the day. And Mistress Vedehika said this to Servant Blackie: 'See here, Blackie!' 'What is it, my lady?' 'Why did you get up so late?' 'For no reason at all, my lady.' 'For no reason at all, worthless servant, you got up so late!' And in anger and displeasure Mistress Vedehika gave vent to her displeasure in words.

"Then to Servant Blackie occurred the following thought: 'Her ladyship does, in point of fact, possess an inward temper which she does not reveal;--it is not because she does not possess it. It is solely because I have performed these duties well that her ladyship does not reveal an inward temper which, in point of fact, she does possess;--it is not because she does not possess it. Suppose I were to test her ladyship further!'

"Accordingly Servant Blackie got up even later in the day. And Mistress Vedehika said this to Servant Blackie: 'See here, Blackie!' 'What is it, my lady?' 'Why did you get up so late?' 'For no reason at all, my lady.' 'For no reason at all, worthless servant, you got up so late!' And in anger and displeasure Mistress Vedehika seized the pin of the door-bolt and gave her a blow on the head, breaking her head.

"Thereupon Servant Blackie, with broken head streaming with blood, complained to the neighbors: 'See, my lady, the work of the gentle woman! See, my lady, the work of the meek woman! See, my lady, the work of the tranquil woman! For this is the way a lady acts who keeps but a single servant: "You got up too late!" says she. So what must she do but seize the pin of the door- bolt and give you a blow on the head and break your head!'

"The result was that after a time Mistress Vedehika acquired the following evil reputation: 'Cruel is Mistress Vedehika, no meek woman is Mistress Vedehika, no tranquil woman is Mistress Vedehika!'

"'Precisely so, monks, here in this world, many a monk is ever so gentle, ever so meek, ever so tranquil, so long as unpleasant remarks do not reach him. But when, monks, unpleasant remarks reach a monk, that is the time to find out whether he is really gentle, really meek, really tranquil.'"