Ja 64 The Story about what is Difficult to Know
(Durājānajātaka)
In the present a lay brother cannot make out the moods of his wife, who is meek on some days and haughty on others. The Buddha explains this is part of women’s nature and tells a past life story in which the same characters appear (full story).
1. Mā su nandi: “Icchati maṁ,” mā su soci: “Na icchati,”
Thīnaṁ bhāvo durājāno, macchassevodake gatan-ti.
Do not rejoice, thinking: “She desires me,” do not grieve, thinking: “She doesn’t desire me,” women are difficult to understand, they move around like a fish in water.
In this connection, do not rejoice, thinking: “She desires me,” do not be satisfied thinking: “This woman desires me, wishes for me, makes love to me.”
Do not grieve, thinking: “She doesn’t desire me.” Do not grieve, thinking: “This one does not desire me.” Neither rejoicing in her desire, nor grieving about a lack of desire, maintain balance, this is the explanation.
Women are difficult to understand, what is known as the nature of women, because of being concealed by women’s deceit, is difficult to understand.
Why is that? They move around like a fish in water, just as the moving around of a fish in the water is concealed and hard to know, because of that, when a fisherman comes, having concealed themselves, they move around in the water, and escape, and it is not possible to take hold of them, so women, having performed a great deal of unvirtuous deeds, declare: “We do not do such a thing,” after concealing the deeds they have done with a woman’s deceit, they deceive their husbands. Thus these women are known as having a bad nature, being difficult to understand, maintaining balance in regard to them is happiness.