“Having ploughed and sown I eat. You also should plough and sow, for the idle shall not eat.” “I also, Brahman, plough and sow.” Thus said the Perfected One. “Yet we do not see the plough of the Venerable Gotama!” so said the other, mocking. And the World-Honoured answered: “Faith is the seed, understanding the yoke and plough, tenderness the deliverance. So is my ploughing done. And the fruit is immortality, and having thus ploughed a man is freed of all ill.” And the Brahman poured rice-milk into a bowl and offered it, saying: “Let the Blessed One eat of the rice-milk for he also is a ploughman who makes to grow the fruit of immortality.” And this man also entered the Way and became glad at heart, having heard the Truth. And the Holy One talked with men and women of all ranks and affairs, so that the mind of none was hidden from him, and, even as they felt, he knew, and their hopes and fears were not far from him. Fathomless were the wisdom and compassion of Him who has thus Attained. So also with women, from the queens to the weaver-maidens they feared not to implore his mercy. Very patiently and according to the measure of their weakness he instructed them, and they grew like bamboos in a night shooting up to the light with glory of leaf and stem. And surely in these tender ones the Lord beheld the likeness of his mother, of whom it was said, “Joyful and reverenced of all, even as the young moon, strong and calm of purpose as the earth, pure of heart as the lotus, was Maya the Great Lady.” And of these women many became nuns and teachers, and not a few attained unto the Perfect Enlightenment passing even in this life into that Nirvana wherein are no more birth and death. And even the light women sought him in hope and he drove them not away, and wisdom rose within them like a wind of fire and burnt away all dross and alloy and they too entered the Way and wielded the powers, perceiving the Love in which all loves are one. Yet let it not be thought that because of this compassion the Lord at any moment relaxed the watchfulness of those who followed him, knowing well that of all snares women may be the very worst. Stern were the rules he made for the men who live on the austere heights of contemplation, strait the fences about the way. For the householders, purity in marriage, kindness reverence to mother, sister, wife, daughter, in their daily duties. For all, watchfulness and discipline lest the foot slip in the mire. And one day, when they rested in the shade on a journeying, Ananda the well-beloved, cousin of the Lord, asked an instruction. “Lord, how should we who are monks, conduct ourselves with regard to women-kind, for this is a hard matter.” And the Excelling One said: “See them not, Ananda.” “Even so, Lord. But if we should see them, what then?” “Abstain from speech, Ananda.” “Even so, Lord. But if they should speak to us, what then?” “Keep wide awake, Ananda.”