[Buddha-l] Seduction of a holy man

[Dan Lusthaus]

Joanna,

The Jataka doesn't pop to mind, but there is this well known story about
Hakuin (from Paul Reps, Zen Flesh, Zen Bones):


A beautiful girl in the village was pregnant. Her angry parents demanded to
know who was the father. At first resistant to confess, the anxious and
embarrassed girl finally pointed to Hakuin, the Zen master whom everyone
previously revered for living such a pure life. When the outraged parents
confronted Hakuin with their daughter's accusation, he simply replied "Is
that so?"
When the child was born, the parents brought it to the Hakuin, who now was
viewed as a pariah by the whole village. They demanded that he take care of
the child since it was his responsibility. "Is that so?" Hakuin said calmly
as he accepted the child.

For many months he took very good care of the child until the daughter could
no longer withstand the lie she had told. She confessed that the real father
was a young man in the village whom she had tried to protect. The parents
immediately went to Hakuin to see if he would return the baby. With profuse
apologies they explained what had happened. "Is that so?" Hakuin said as he
handed them the child.



Dan Lusthaus