The Vow by the Well

As dusk settled, an oil lamp cast a pale yellow glow inside the small house. The chirping of crickets in the banana garden seemed to pierce the heart of the young woman sitting with her knees drawn up on a wooden platform. She stared into the darkness ahead, where a narrow path led to the village entrance and to the ancient well where she had arranged to meet her beloved.

Their love story began during afternoons spent catching snails in the fields, marked by stolen glances amidst the green rice stalks. He was a boy from the neighboring village, poor but agile, with a quick tongue. They had sworn eternal vows, promising that if they could not marry, they would share life and death together. This vow echoed in her mind like a sacred curse until her parents firmly rejected their union.

"You are beautiful and come from a respectable family," her parents said. "Why marry such a frivolous man who speaks without sense and wanders aimlessly? You will only suffer if you choose him." Her tears and pleas did not change their minds. Only the promise made to her lover remained.

"We swore to live and die together," he whispered to her on their final night, his voice trembling with emotion and despair. "If we cannot be married, let us go to the village well tonight and end our lives, fulfilling our vow of dying together." She nodded, tears streaming down her face.

That night, she arrived at the well. The sky was pitch black, and the wind blew cold. She stood silently, looking down into the deep abyss. The water reflected the faint light of the new moon, dark and terrifying. Her heart pounded, and her legs shook. Then, she saw a pair of leather sandals beside the well’s edge—his sandals. Believing he had already jumped, fear seized her. Overcome by the terror of death, she hesitated. She picked up the sandals, thinking, "I have nothing left; taking these is better than nothing." Clutching them, she ran home, leaving the dark well behind.

Just as she reached the gate, he jumped out from the bushes, his face pale and angry. "Give me back my sandals!" he shouted. She froze. He had been afraid too, placing his sandals there to test if she would jump. Relief mixed with anger at his cowardice and deception. She threw the sandals at him and walked away without a word. Their love ended that very night.

Years later, she married and built a separate life. By chance, he visited her old home and learned the truth: she had suffered from cancer and broke off the relationship intentionally, using harsh words so he would hate her and forget her pain. She passed away one year later. Standing before her altar, he wept, filled with regret for never understanding the girl who had once sworn eternal vows with him.

The Meaning of the Story

This tale reminds us of the impulsiveness of youth, the weight of hasty promises, and the cost of cowardice and misunderstanding. Regret is a painful affliction (klesha), yet it can serve as motivation to reflect on ourselves, living with sincerity and deeper compassion. Do not let anger or misunderstandings cloud your wisdom, leading to lifelong remorse.

Compiled from a dharma talk by Most Venerable Thich Chan Quang