The Redemption of Tykhe Hariti
(Greco-Buddhist Reconstructed Stories Series)

By Astalon

( Greco-Buddhist Reconstructed Stories is an adaptation of the known Buddhist stories from various Buddhist sutras and adapting into it known Greek elements. There is no large assumption jumps in attempting to reconstruct the stories. It is based solely upon known Greco-Buddhist syncretism )

( This story is about Tykhe Hariti, one of the best loved Buddhist Mahadevas and also one of the few known Greco-Buddhist syncretic deities. This story is based upon the integration of various stories within the Samyutavastu, Hariti Sutra, Samyuktagama, Maha-Maya sutra and the popular but non canonical folk stories about Hariti in popular Chinese and Japanese lore. The Greek element is acknowledged. Note that the author has dramatized some aspect of the story )

( Please note the story of Hariti is not considered historical canon either by the Mahayana or Theravadin school but rather considered an allegorical canon like the Jataka. Most Buddhist monks place it as a devotional canon which was written to explain why Tykhe Hariti is so revered by the Buddhist in the first place. The worship of Hariti likely predated the canon itself. )

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In the days of the Lord Buddha there was an Oread called Abirathi. She was the beautiful daughter of the Agathos Daemon Sata. Sata was the kind, beneficient, and watchful guardian of the city of Rajagriha. Under his guardianship the city of Rajagriha prospered and was free from war. People loved this daemon and frequently made offerings to Sata to continue to show favor and protection over the city of Rajagriha.

When Sata’s eldest son, Satagiri came of age Sata handed over the guardianship of the city and area of Rajagriha to his son. He then departed to join the other blessed Gods and daemons. However before he left he left he had two instructions for Satagiri.

“Satagiri my son, I entrust you the care of the city of Rajagriha. During your watch as the Agathos Daemon ensure that the city is free from harm and calamity. Do everything in your power to ensure that the city is safe. Also ensure that the city is prosperous and peaceful. Protect her citizens and ensure that the rulers are just and fair. Keep the best interest of the city and her people close to your heart. This is my first instruction to you my son.”

“And son, though I believe I have no need to remind you, take care of Abirathi and keep her best interest at heart. I know she criticizes you at times but that is what sisters are for, to keep the brothers in check. Also when she has comes of age and is to be wedded call upon my best friend Pancala, the Agathos Daemon of Kosala. Centuries ago we have agreed that your sister will marry his son Pancika who will in the course of time be the Agathos Daemon of Kosala. Also Abirathi is to receive her due in worship by the people of Rajagriha as befitting her status as an Oread. Promise me my son that this will be done.”

This Satagiri did as he promised and Rajagriha prospered under his watch as an Agathos Daemon.

Now beautiful Abirathi when she came of age found herself in a predicament. Despite being a mighty Oread the people of Rajagriha has been neglecting their honor of her. Everyone seems to be giving their worship to Satagiri and not to her. This is despite Satagiri’s best effort to get the people to honor her and Abirathi’s continuous beneficience to them.

At the same time she has been experiencing a deep, dark urge. Everyday this wicked and cruel desire seemed to grow only stronger and threatens to consume her. She tried everything to surpress it but all that did was to engulf her further. This she mused was possibly due to the fact she was no longer feeling fond of the people of Rajagriha for leaving her altars empty. She continues to give but they in turn do not even acknowledge her. Every time she experienced the urge, she tries to suppress it and would focus on being more magnanimous and generous to the people of Rajagriha. It is her firm belief that it will eventually go away.

Little did she know at the time the cause for this ill feeling. This urge is a lingering leftover from her previous life where the people who are now the citizens of Rajagriha did a great wrong to her.

Despite her efforts the wicked desire got so bad that one day she went to her brother and confessed, “Brother, I am not sure how to tell you this. I have this most terrible urge to go around the city of Rajagriha to steal and eat all the children who are born there.”

Satagiri, horrified said to her, “Sister, oh sister. This cannot be. Please tell me you are joking.”

A look from her shattered that hope.

Satagiri leaned against the balustrade. “When our father was the Agathos Daemon of this city he protected the ruler of this city and all its people. He provided them with peace and drove away all harms and ills. He practically nurtured Magadha from a small kingdom to the kingdom it is now”

He paused, then continued, “I am now the Agathos Daemon and have promised father to do exactly the same. I am to give this people my protection. I am to ensure that they are safe. I am duty bound to extend my protection to this city and to this kingdom. If some beings, any being wants to cause harm to the people of Rajagriha and Magadha people, I will prevent him or her to the utmost of my ability. I’ll stand in their way.”

“That is even if that being is my own sister.”

Satagiri looked away and whispered in a cracked voice. “Why sister, why sister have you conceived of this most evil design?” Then his voiced hardened as his bright blue eyes locked into hers. “Abhirati! Abandon this thought immediately!! Forget this foolish thought, now.”

Abhirati realizing her own wickedness and feeling for her brother’s predicament went away and for a time successfully suppressed this desire. However in the course of time the blood thirst returned and when she expressed this to Satagiri again he thought, “I am unable to stop her thinking this thought. However father had entrusted in me that when she is of age she must be married to Pancika. If she is married than she will have better things to think about other than this thought. This is the only way to divert her away from this evil path. I must initiate this marriage, the sooner the better.”

So Satagiri sent a message to Pancala that his sister Abhirati is ready for marriage.

When Pancika arrived in the halls of Satagiri Abhirati fell deeply in love with him. This successfully as her brother had hoped swept aside her blood thirst. In a matter of a few moons both Pancika and Abhirati was wedded in front of a crowd of delighted nymphais, satyros and daemons.

A few months after the marriage Abhirati became pregnant. Both Pancika and Satagiri were ecstatic, but she was not. With her pregnancy her dark urges returned. Abhirati withdrew far from the other nymphais and daemons, trying to keep herself as far from Rajagriha as possible.

Abhirati’s withdrawal from the countryside has caused the usually bountiful fields to diminish in output. The farmers around Rajagriha began to get worried and remembering that Satagiri had wanted them to revere Abhirati more started making offerings to Abhirati.

However some family cursed Abhirati for the failure of the crops. They cursed her for not giving them their due. They slandered her openly.

Abhirati was furious. When she gave bounty nobody thanked her. When the crops fail some people cursed her. Her face, usually beautiful and calm darkened. Her gentle and long fingers gnarled. She was a fool for holding back her urge, she has been too generous. These people were not worthy.

That night she slipped out of Satagiri’s palace and swooped down on an ungrateful household and seized one of their children.

Next day a mother wailed when she found her child missing.

Satagiri looked at his sister, and suspected but kept this silence.

No children went missing in the following months and Satagiri let his guard down.

That was until Abhirati gave birth.

Abhirati, a beautiful Oread was nursing a monster in her arms. ‘Isn’t he beautiful?” she cooed as Satagiri and the father Pancika backed away.

The baby grew at a prodigious rate and within a short time was a tall, muscular Yaksha.

Another child went missing in Rajagriha when Abhirati next became pregnant. Then it became a common occurrence. Whenever Abhirati became pregnant children would go missing or are found eaten up in Rajagriha. Not long after children just got eaten or went missing regardless of whether Abhirati got pregnant or not. In fact it began to dawn on Satagiri that the killings happened regardless of whether Abhirati left his divine palace or not. If one of her many children left the palace a killing took place.

By the time Satagiri and Pancika chose to confront Abhirati she had five hundred mighty but monstrous sons. They found Abhirati in her wing of the palace playing and cooing with her younger sons. At the same time she glared sternly at her elder sons who are playing while studying. The moment the older children stuck their eyes back at the books she smiled fondly at them before returning her full attention back at her smaller children.

“Abhirati!” Satagiri hissed as he strode towards her, “Those murders of children in Rajagriha, do you’ve anything at all to do with it.”

Abhirati giggled and started laughing. Her older sons hearing their uncle’s question looked up from their books and started cackling. Her younger children joined in as well and the room was ringing with a chilly laughter.

“Then I have to stop you all!” Satagiri declared but was quickly overpowered by Abhirati and her five hundred children. Pancika, disgusted at the vile nature of his offsprings and the base nature of his wife turned around and returned to Kosala to protect his city against his own children and wife.

Emboldened by the overpowering of her brother, Abhirati she and her children left the palace and descended upon Rajagriha. The casualty and calamity caused by this onslaught was so great that the King ordered that the guards and soldiers be mobilized to protect the city. No sooner had the guards and soldiers been posted to their positions throughout the city and the countryside when they were beset upon by invisible forces in brought daylight, with guards and soldiers being killed and children snatched out of thin air by unseen enemies.

The King in panic called in the seers who declared that the calamity was caused by a host of spirits and offerings should immediately be made to placate the spirits. The King agreed and proceeded to declare that every citizen in the city and countryside were to make offerings to placate the spirits.

All throughout the city food, offerings of flowers, incense, perfumes and music were offered. Yet the attacks continued and persisted. If anything the attacks got worse and any citizens with children or who were pregnant were wisely beginning to flee the city.

Meanwhile Satagiri, still trapped by the machinations of the children of Abhirita sent out a dream to the people of Rajagriha.

In it he said, “Your children are being devoured by the Oread Abhirati. You must find the Bhagavat. It is the only way. Only the Buddha can ease all of your pains.”

The people upon realizing who was causing them so much grief responded by saying, “Abhirati is too sweet a name for this kakosdaemon. From now on we will call her Hariti.”

The fastest runner in the city was sent to the dwelling place of the Buddha. Bowing he spoke to the Tathagatha, “Oh Bhagavat, please help us. The Kakodaemon Hariti has been abducting all the children we have brought into the world and makes of them her food. We beg of you, oh Bhagavat, to have pity on us and to render her powerless.”

The Buddha gave his consent and the runner ran back to the city telling them of the good news.

The next day the Buddha went to the city of Rajagriha with his robe and his bowl begging for alms. Then he vanished into thin air as he entered the divine palace of Satagiri which was also the residence of Hariti. The kakosdaemon Hariti and most of her children had left the residence to wreak more havoc on the outside world. However Hariti had left her youngest child, Priyankara in a cot tended by two of her elder sons. The Buddha made himself invisible to the two elder brothers, took up Priyankara and concealed him under his almsbowl. Then he walked out of the divine residence and went back to where he was dwelling.

Hariti returned home with her children not long after to find Priyankara missing. She questioned her two elder sons who were as perplexed as she is. She searched the entire residence, still no Priyankara. She searched the entire Rajagriha, still no Priyankara.

Her lips started to tremble, tears welled in her eyes as she flew over the countryside, looked in every house, searched the forest crying out “Priyankara, Priyankara.” Her heart beat faster, her mind started swirling, her lips started to bleed as she bit hard on it as she ran and searched in every conceivable corner of the country of Rajagriha. Then she flew to other cities, other countries. She searched the entire known world. Still no Priyankara.

She kept calling out Priyankara’s name to the point her throat became parched and no voice would come out. All the sound she can make now was but a gurgling weep. Her hair became dishevelled, her skin became taut, her dress torn as she searched the mountains, the oceans, the rivers, the ponds, the forest.

In desperation she ascended towards Olympus in an attempt to plea with Zeus Indra, King of the Devas to help find her child. However Herakles Vajrapani, Guardian of the Gates of Olympus, knowing her intent barred her. “Almighty Zeus Indra knows of your desire murderous Hariti. He does not however seek council with you.”

Hariti glanced at her sons and pointed at the gates of Olympus. The children took heed and as one stormed the gates of Olympus and sought to bring Herakles Vajrapani to his knees. Laughing, Herakles flung every son that came her way into the sky.

“Next time bring ten thousand sons Hariti!” Herakles said as Hariti, unable to bear to see another of her sons getting humiliated or hurt retreated away from Olympus.

Then she looked further skywards. Another God might know where her son has been taken for he rides the sky daily. She ascended skyward towards the sun. There riding in the chariot was Apollo Surya. She tried to call out to him but all that came out was a croak. Apollo Surya glanced at her then said, “Blood stained Hariti, I know the question you are going to ask. Find Plutus Vaisramana and maybe of all the Gods he shall take pity and tell you where you may find your son.”

Hariti in exhaustion descended back onto earth and swooped alongside the edge of Mount Meru. There she found a chasm and descended into it. She went deeper and deeper into the chasm seeking Ploutus Vaisramana. Alas, she found in one of the furthest recesses of the cave she found him. He was sitting atop a throne made out of the most precious jewels in the world. The cave wall was made of solid gold while jewels of all sorts spilled like waves across the diamond floor. There, atop the many glittering jewels she prostrated before him, weeping and crying out loud.

“Do not despair Hariti for I empathize with your grief. I too know the pain of losing something that one love.” Ploutus Vaisramana intoned. “Find the Bhagavat and he will help you find your beloved Priyankara again.”

Pressing her palms together in thanks Hariti ascended. When she flew above the cave she could see a rainbow of light brighter than that of a thousand suns emitting from a distance. She suddenly realized that she was seeing the light of the Buddha and all pains disappeared from her heart, almost as though she has already recovered her son. Her throat loosened itself, her energy returned.

When she saw the Buddha she immediately descended and begged of him, “Oh Bhagavat, too long have I been separated from my youngest son Priyankara. I beg you, through your benevolence, let me see my son again!”

The Buddha asked, “Hariti the Oread, how many sons have you?”

“I have five hundred Bhagavat.”

“Hariti, since only one out of your five hundred sons has disappeared, have you cause for grief?”

“Lord Buddha, I must see Priyankara. If not I will vomit up blood, I, I will end my own life!!” She wailed.

The Buddha said to Hariti, “Hariti, because you are unable to be with one of your five hundred sons, you feel such great pain. Those whose only child you’ve take and devour, how then is their pain?”

Hariti went mute for a moment and said, “It is far greater than whatever I am now experiencing Bhagavat. I cannot conceive how horrible, how great their grief must be.” Tears welled in her eyes as she realized the significance of the horror she had committed.

“Hariti, now you know the pain of being separated from one’s loved ones. Therefore you should now from henceforth with cease eating children.” Then the Buddha remained silent and looked at Hariti.

Hariti wept as she covered her face with both her hands, “Oh terrible is the horror I have caused. How is it that I could’ve committed such wicked act? How could I have been so self centered? I think my grief is great, yet the grief I have caused others is likened to a tear being compared to the great seas.”

“What sort of mother am I to teach this to my children? What sort of being am I to have done such things.” She whispered.

“Hariti, you must accept this instruction. From this point on you must grant safety to everyone who dwells in Rajagriha and the kingdom of Magadha. If you do this, you will see Priyankara again.”

“Oh Tathagatha, from this very moment I submit myself to the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha. I grant safety to all of those dwelling in Rajagriha and the kingdom of Magadha.”

The Buddha smiled and revealed Priyankara to a very happy Hariti. Hariti along with her five hundred sons then took refuge in the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha.

Then Hariti asked the Lord Buddha, “Oh Tathagatha, what food will my children now eat? Through my actions I have doomed my own children. They have developed a taste for flesh and blood.”

The Buddha smiled and said, “”Virtuous woman, don’t be concerned.” He said as he passed to her a pomegranate. “Give your children but a seed of this fruit and their blood thirst will be quenched.”

Hariti was delighted that but a seed of the fruit quenched the blood thirst from all her children and herself as well. “This blessed fruit will from now one be precious to me. If but a seed is offered to me will I bless and protect the person.” she declared.

But then seeing her children now without food she turned to the Buddha who said, “Hariti. All of my monks who are on earth will devote a small portion of any meal to you and your sons. You will never suffer from hunger. And if there is still food remaining, then to all the living beings and to all the spirits living in the rivers, the mountains, and the sea, and to all the beings who eat, it will to them be offered and deliberately will they also be satisfied.”

Hariti delighted cried out to the Buddha, “Oh Bhagavat, hear my oath. For so long as the Buddha Dharma remains active in this world, my sons and I will with zeal protect the followers of the Buddha. This is regardless of which portion of the world, which country, which realm they be in. I will watch over their children, their family and the cities they dwell in. I will endeavour to see that they live in peace. Any beings who deliberately hurt or harm children or mothers will have to answer to me.”

Then Hariti continue. “Furthermore for the followers of the Buddha Dharma I will shower upon them and their family good fortune. I will steer and guide the fortunes of the cities and towns they live in. Though it is in the nature of fortune to go both ways, I will teach them that even ill fortune but provide the foundation for better fortunes. This shall all be done. I, Tykhe Hariti, Hariti of the Fortunes, so swear.”

The Lord Buddha smiled and accepted her oath and the Sangha was ecstatic with joy. “Then I thank you Tykhe, protector of the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha.”

A few days later while a few monks were doing rounds in Rajagriha the people noted a peculiar thing. Following the monks were a train of small children and a woman of unearthly beauty. The children would dart into the houses then come out. Further investigations of this revealed that a gift of variable value has been left behind. Also the children it seems would also assist and help any monk who came into difficulty. In fact the older children were monks themselves. In the middle of the street two teenagers were fighting and were badly beating up each other. The eldest of the children, strong and mighty pulled both combatants apart and sat down to find the root of the conflict whereupon both teenagers realized that their conflict was based upon a misunderstanding and reconciled their friendship.

Meanwhile the woman upon seeing any child would shower the child with gifts from a cup that never seems to go empty. Thereafter the child would seem to be blessed with almost unbelievable luck. The woman would stop in front of houses, throw something out of her cup and thereafter fortune smiles upon the household. The mysterious woman even went to a house where a woman was having a very difficult labor and upon leaving the house the woman had speedily delivered the baby without any pain. A mother having great difficulty supervising her child who kept running away from the house onto the open street with carts hurtling through it at high speed had the mysterious lady escorting the child back into the house, and when the woman left a door mysteriously appeared in the once empty doorway.

When asked, “Who are these children and who is this woman?” the monks would reply, “It is Tykhe who is known also as Hariti, and these are her children.”

The people then cried, “But they are wicked beings, why do they endeavour to bring the monks goodness and the people goodness?”

“Tykhe Hariti and her children have utterly rejected wickedness and have now totally embraced the good. Tykhe Hariti and her children has now devoted their life and their effort towards peace and towards good.”

Tykhe Hariti released Satagiri and begged for his forgiveness which he freely gave. Tykhe Hariti also reconciled her relationship with her husband Pancika and extended her protection to the city of Kosala. So the Buddhist city of Rajagriha and the Kingdom of Magadha and the city and kingdom of Kosala prospered from the benevolent influence of Tykhe Hariti and her five hundred children.

Then one day while Tykhe Hariti was doing her rounds around Magadha and Kosala in between she heard a cry from a weeping mother. Concerned she descended towards the lady and cradled her in her arms, “What cause for grief have you?” she said.

“My daughter and son have been kidnapped,” the mother wailed. “I’ve searched high I’ve searched low for them and I cannot find them. Please Tykhe Hariti find them for me.”

At the same time more cries erupted throughout the kingdom of Magadha and Kosala as more parents discovered their children missing. Tykhe Hariti rose skywards and searched high and low in search of the missing children.

The shriek of a child caught her attention. Tykhe Hariti homed onto a valley between two large hills many miles away and descended towards the bottom of the valley. There she found twelve small children, locked inside a wooden crate. As she approached them she found that the crate was located into the middle of a white, drawn out circle. The children started crying in terror as a dishevelled woman, a long blade in her hand approaches them.

“Stop this immediately!” Tykhe cried as she put herself between the woman and the children.

“You!!” The woman shrieked as she pulled back her dirty lock of long hair.

Tykhe Hariti’s heart sank. Standing before her was the mother of her first victim.

“You, you Hariti. How dare you stand before me? Should this not be familiar with you? Should you not approve of this?”

“Why do you do this? Knowing the grief why do you do this?” Hariti asked.

“I’ll have my son back!!” The woman declared as she raised the blade in the air. “I’ve sacrificed too much to stop here.”

The blade glowed faintly. Tyche gasped, “You’re a witch.”

“Oh Hariti, you cannot guess how much rituals I have gone through, how much initiation I’ve to endure, how much trials I have been put through. Through earth, through fire, through air and through water I’ve subjected myself ever since you took my child. I’ve only done this ever since you taken my child.”

The witch paused then continued, “I’ve bath in the blood of men I have slain, I’ve revelled in the cries of tortured souls, I’ve sacrificed countless animals, I’ve sowed a thousand sorrows to gain this power. I’ve planted the seeds of witchcraft, now I’m here to harvest my crops.”

“Now Hariti move past. I’ll have my son back. Soon my son will return from the dead. The price of twelve for the life of one.”

“I’ll not allow this.” Tykhe Hariti said as she pressed herself against the crates. “Both for your sake and the children’s sake.”

“Oh Goddess, I’m not requesting.” The witch said as she waved the blade in the air. The air became chilly. The witch pointed the blade to the ground. The leaf covered soil cracked then split open as a black claw sliced out from the ground. The children screamed as another claw protruded out from the soil.

Tykhe slammed open the crate and released the children. “Run my children,” she said as she tilted the ever flowing cup over each of the children.

“Granting them good fortune will not save them now,” the witch cackled as emerging from the ground was a creature with claws of a scorpion, the body of a centipede, and the face of a pale woman. “Slay the children.”

The monster arched skywards and swiped its claws at the children but missed. It shrieked, having never missed such an easy target before. Then it swiped again only to have Tykhe Hariti grabbing it by the claw screaming, “Stop this, stop this now.”

A flash of bright light filled the area as a loud voice roared, “Abberation, by the order of Zeus Indra and in the name of the Buddha leave this place.”

Tykhe looked up to see Herakles Vajrapani, his vajra at the ready slowly walking towards the monster.

The monster made a whimpering sound before quickly descending into the underworld.

The witch, seeing that she is defeated pointed the blade towards herself.

“No!” Tykhe Hariti cried as she dashed towards the woman and pulled her blade away. “If you do this you’ll never know your son again. The evil deeds you have sown are too heavy. If you die now you will be reborn in Avici Tartarus, there is no escape.”

“My son.” The witch said.

“Magic will not restore your son to you. Not even Zeus Indra can restore your son to you. He’s most assuredly already reborn to another form. You would’ve slain twelve innocent and bright lives, caused grief to many more mothers, and perpetuate this cycle of hate.”

“My son”, the witch wept.

“Renounce your witchcraft now, renounce this wicked way, leave this path that will only lead to more grief and woe. Do this for your sake, for the sake of all, and for the memory of your son.”

The witch looked into Tykhe Hariti’s eyes then flung away her blade.

“This grief,” the ex-witch croaked, “I feel like a knife is slowly slicing away at my heart.”

“The Bhagavat can ease this pain,” Tykhe Hariti said. “Go to the Bhagavat. He and his monks now resides in Rajagriha.”

The witch nodded then hobbled towards the road that leads to Rajagriha. Herakles Vajrapani trailed behind her. Tykhe glanced at him, puzzled.

“This lady has done many ills in her process to become a witch. Now though she has renounced the ill-gotten power many beings whom she has wronged will wish to perpetuate the sorrowful cycle. There will be consequences for her action that she will have to face. However now that she has seen the path that leads to Enlightenment and seeks out the Tathagatha, I’ll protect her till she finds refuge in the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. With the guidance of the Buddha she will with right wisdom, right action and right understanding end the cycle of suffering.”

“The heart when in pain seeks a salve Herakles.”Tyche whispered. “Some salves harms, some salves heals. No one willingly chooses a salve that harms, it is ignorance that makes one make that wrong choice.”

“Nonetheless Tykhe, the consequences remain. With courage and fortitude she must face up to it eventually.”

There were a lot of cries of delight and happiness from one end of Kosala to other end of Magadha as Tykhe carried each child into the arms of their mothers.

However later that day as she walked unseen down the streets of Rajagriha she looks upon the faces of mothers who has lost their children. She slid unwatched and unheard into the houses of her previous victims and watched as the mothers still look mournfully at the empty beds. She flew past the homes of families who has lost children to tragedies be it flood, home injuries, illness, accidents of various sorts. She watches as the mothers before they sleep weep, unseen by either their families or husbands then putting on a straight face as their children or husbands enter the room.

That night, in the invisible divine palace of Satagiri overlooking the city of Rajagriha, Tykhe Hariti called her five hundred sons and her husband Pancika. Pancika arrived immediately, and not long after came her five hundred sons. “Why do you call us with such urgency beloved mother?” her eldest son asked. “Is something troubling you?”

“My children, I’ve a bidding for you all. I your mother am fortunate to have five hundred children and have not lost one of them. You are each fortunate to have five hundred brothers and not lost any of them. We as the race of Devas are blessed.”

“However among the race of men are many families in the world, stretching from India to the cold North, from Europe to China, from one sea to another, who has lost their children. There are many fathers and mothers who lost their children, brothers who lost their sisters, sisters who lost their sisters, brothers who lost brothers. They are less fortunate than we are.”

“Children, I bid each and everyone of you to watch over the families who has lost a child. Is this agreeable to you my sons?”

“It is.” They cried as one.

“Husband, is this agreeable with you?” Tykhe Hariti said.

“What could be more Buddhist?” Pancika smiled and gave his ascent both as a husband and father.

Tykhe walked to the window and said, “To every father and mother who has lost a child I send one of mine to watch over you. To every brother and sisters who lost a sibling, a brother will always watch over you.”

In the distance a rainbow of light flared up and lit the night sky. From within the Jeta Grove, the Buddha smiled and nodded in approval.

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