A person had been born times, lived other lives. Each time being born, the person was always a monk or a nut, lived with strong religious belief. She or he had passed nine lives but still didn’t reach Nirvana.
At the tenth, the person was reborn in the form of a girl. She was daughter of a normal family who lived in Cao Ly and her name was Thi Kinh. Thi Kinh was a calm, kind-hearted girl. She was the person who loved her mother and father, using to help them homework. When she grew up, he parent let her married with a student whose name’s Thien Si. Thien Si was born in normal family, not richer than her family but he was very hard in studying. Therefore, Thi Kinh had nothing more pleased than undertaking all homework for her husband to have time to study.
One normal night, Thien Si sat on floor reading book while his wife, Thi Kinh, was staying by sewing. Front their face was only an oil lamp. Later, Thien Si felt tired, he laid down his head was on his wife’s thigh. They had a conversation then Thien Si slowly fell in sleep. While Thi Kinh was trying not to make a noise, she had time observing his husband’s face. Suddenly, she discovered that her husband had a beard grew backwards on chin.
“What is this?” she thought, “A backward beard. Ugly! Only people who are violence have the beards like that”.
Thought that so she wanted to help her husband had it cut. She reached her sewing toolbox, opened and took out a little sharpen knife. She intended to cut of the beard but still didn’t. Her husband woke up and found a sharpen knife was by his neck. He immediately had a dark thinking.
“God!” he screamed, “You plan to kill me while I am sleeping”.
“No. I did not”, she said trying to explain, “I just want to help you have a backward beard cut. You know it’s very ugly”.
But Thien Si didn’t believe her because he now was filled full by doubting.
“Stop! I don’t want you explain more. Why do you have to cut my beard while I am sleep? You can do it when I awake or in daytime, uh uhu?” he squealed.
Thien Si’s mother was in next room, heard they argue. She made her way to their room.
“What’s wrong with two you?” she shouted.
“She plan to kill me, mother”, cried Thien Si, pointing at Thi Kinh. Then he told the thing had happened. Of course, on his side.
“God! How you dare?” screamed Thien Si’s mother, didn’t let Thi Kinh had chance to explain, “It’s lucky as my son woke up in time. If he didn’t, thought he had died”.
Thi Kinh bursted into sobs.
“I didn’t. He’s my husband and why? Why I wanna kill him?” she scried, “I only want to cut a beard”.
“It’s very clear that you want to kill your husband. You don’t need to say more”,Thien Si’s mother interrupted her. She was the person who didn’t like Thi Kinh. Therefore, what Thi Kinh said was ignored. The thing turned more noise and now each one had strong belief in his or her point. At last, Thien Si and his family expelled Thi Kinh out of their house they didn’t want her to stay in their home more.
Thi Kinh was very sad he didn’t want to go to her parent’s home and also didn’t want people to see her at anywhere she disguised as a man and left in night. She set off trying to go far from the place, hoped that she could forget that thing. Later, she arrived to another province. She found the way to a temple, begged the abbot let her stay in that temple. She became a monk because the abbot didn’t know she was a woman. The abbot gave her a name, Kinh Tam and from that time, she lived another life as a monk.
Thought that she would had peace as she lived in the temple but no. In monk form, she looked very handsome with white skin. Many women who came in the temple fell in love with her and one of them was Thi Mau. Thi Mau was landlord’s daughter who lived in the village. In one time coming to temple, she saw a novice, named Kinh Tam and immediately fell in love with the novice. She had few times expressed to the novice her love but all times she was refused. Though, she didn’t give up trying to seduce Kinh Tam. But, Kinh Tam wasn’t only one, Thi Mau wanted to seduce. Thi Mau was bad girl she also loved a servant in her house and they had ever had sex. Later, she was pregnant and her belly got bigger each day. At last, her belly was too big to hide everyone and it’s not good if she told people the truth. Therefore, she lied. She told everyone that Kinh Tam had seduced her. People sprinted to the temple, caught Kinh Tam and tortured. Kinh Tam didn’t admit, she also didn’t want people to find out that she was a girl. Therefore, she chose not to say anything. She was tortured very pained. The abbot pitied her so that he begged people to forgive her. He gave them money to have her free. She was set to live in a hut which stood by the gate of temple the abbot didn’t want people to rumor she maculated the sacred place. She accepted not explaining or lamenting.
After Thi Mau gave birth to a son, she brought the child, placed at front of temple gate. Kinh Tam had one more time confused. If she took the child it meant she admitted she had done the unclear thing but she also couldn’t ignore the child as if he did not exist. Suddenly, the child cried and she forgot all things she was considering. She picked up the child, brought him in her hut and started taking care of him. Everyday, she held the child in her arms, knocked on door of people and prayed women to feed him by their milk. She ignored all rumors, all curses people gave her to grow up the child. While the child grew up, she got more faded each day. When the child went to twelve, she knew that she had no long time to live. So that, she wrote a letter which expressed all things she had to stand up, her injustices. She gave the letter and the child to the abbot, begged him to take care of the child and send the letter to her parent after she died.
After that, she died. People that time found out that Kinh Tam was a woman. The abbot was very remorse he immediately held a ceremony for her. The day the ceremony was held there had a five-color-cloud in sky. The Buddha appeared on the cloud and brought Thi Kinh’s soul to go with him she became a Bodhisattva.
About Thi Mau, she was forced to pay all things for Thi Kinh’s funeral and course, she and the servant had things they deserved after that.
THE END
Book Introductions
1. Complete Collection of Vietnamese Fairy Tales - A Treasury of Legends and Folklore
Discover over 240 enchanting Vietnamese fairy tales, translated into English and beautifully illustrated. This collection is a treasure trove of legends and folklore that reflect Vietnam's rich cultural heritage. Available as an ebook on: Kobo, Apple Books
2. Vietnamese Fairy Tales - Stories in English and Vietnamese
This bilingual collection features 162 Vietnamese fairy tales in both English and Vietnamese, with stunning illustrations. Ideal for language learners and cultural enthusiasts. Available as an ebook on: Kobo, Apple Books
3. The Treasury of Fables
An enchanting collection of timeless fables, written in English and beautifully illustrated. Perfect for all ages, these stories offer valuable moral lessons. Available as an ebook on: Kobo, Apple Books
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