The Gift of Poison: A Story from Traditional Sources

The Gift of Poison

A man and a woman in a small out-of-the way village marry and as was the custom of their people, they moved into his parents home. From the start the young bride and her mother-in-law clashed regularly...about everything. The mother-in-law thought the bride an disrespectful know-it-all who disdained the traditions of their elders, and the bride thought the mother-in-law was a cantankerous old hag who was trying to turn her son against her.

Finally fed up with the conflict in their home the bride approached the village doctor and told him that she hated her mother-in-law and wanted poison to kill her. The doctor listened to the story and finally agreed to the bride's request. He reached into his medicine bag and gave the young woman a handful of herbs guaranteed to cause the death of her mother-in-law. “There are two conditions, however, that you must observe in doing this,” he told her. “Anything” the young woman agreed.

“First,” the doctor said, “This is a very slow acting poison that you must put into your mother-in-law's food over a long period of time.” “A poison that work's quickly would cause both of us to fall under the suspicion of the authorities, so slowly administer this in a way that no one will ever know.” “And second?” the bride asked. “Secondly, from this moment forward you must treat your mother-in-law very respectfully, agreeing to her every wish, so that when the poison begins to work, no one will suspect you.”

Agreeing to both conditions, the bride rushed home and when preparing the next meal so sprinkled a little of the poison into the food, and then she took the meal to her waiting mother-in-law and served it in a friendly and respectful manner.

After a few days of such solicitous service, the mother-in-law began to think that her new daughter was actually a fine young woman and began to treat her with kindness. The young bride, now the recipient of a mother's care began to love the woman she'd once hated. After a few short months the two were fast friends and enjoyed each others company.

Dismayed, the bride returned to the village doctor and tearfully confessed to him that she'd come to love her mother-in-law and begged him for an antidote to the poison because she couldn't think of life without the kind old woman.

“I'm sorry,” the doctor shook his head sadly, “there is no antidote to what I've given you.” Now beside herself with sorrow and rage she began striking the doctor, accusing him of killing her beloved mother-in-law and that she was going to report them both the authorities and throw herself on their mercy.

With this the doctor began to laugh and when his laughter subsided, he wiped the tears away from his eyes and said, “Silly girl, I never gave you poison, only harmless herbs to mix in her food.” “But by following my instruction your prejudice and anger melted away and you and your mother-in-law are now fast friends and companions for life.”

So this is how the angry young bride came to be grateful for the gift of poison given her that day.

Thank you Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche for this story. May your three year retreat it the Himalayas be a blessing for you.