The world of Tzu Chi July 2020 (Vol.124)

TZU CHI 124 51 This will destroy my reputation.” Without allowing her to defend herself, he expelled her from the group. She knew Devadatta’s teaching was not what she was after, so she stood up, bowed to him and prepared to leave. She begged another nun, who had expressed her sympathy, to go with her. “The assembly I want to join is not Devadatta’s, but Buddha’s. Will you go with me?” The nun walked with her to the place where Buddha was staying with his disciples. When Buddha found out that she came from Devadatta’s group, he thought, “If I accept her, there will certainly be rumours that I accepted those that Devadatta rejected. But all lives are equal and I should give her a chance for spiritual formation.” Buddha decided to clear up this matter, not only to return her innocence, but also to establish the truth of the situation. So, he invited the king, his ministers and the local laity. Buddha asked his disciple Upali to be in charge of this affair because Upali was considered to be the most excellent in upholding the religious rules of the community. When the king, the ministers and the laity had arrived, Upali asked a woman of good repute to question the young nun. “I want you to take this nun to a tent and ask her when she was married and when she left home. If she got pregnant when she was married, then she’s innocent. Otherwise, she isn’t. So, you must ask her carefully.” This woman questioned the young woman * This article is extracted from the book “The Master Tells Stories”. We can see from this story that Buddha’s wisdom and compassion embrace all beings. Instead of judging the situation hastily, Buddha analysed matters to prove the young woman’s innocence. She thus became a nun without a stain on her reputation. This was Buddha’s compassion and wisdom in action. In comparison, Devadatta was much inferior. carefully, and even examined her belly. The woman determined that the young woman had gotten pregnant when she was married and thus was innocent. This was happily announced to the assembly. Now, the truth was known, and Buddha allowed her to stay in a house to wait for the birth. Several months later, she gave birth to an adorable boy. One day, the king was walking past the nunnery and heard a baby crying. He asked, “Why is there a baby crying in a nunnery?” His attendant replied, “Your Majesty, don’t you remember the gathering months ago that Buddha called? That nun has given birth to a boy.” The king was delighted to hear this news, but he wondered how a nun could bring up a child in a convent. So, he took the child to a relative of his and named him Kumara. He also gave the boy the title of prince, so many people called him Prince Kumara. When he was seven years old, the king brought him back to the Buddhist assembly to begin his spiritual training. The child was very smart and could speak very well. He was raised in the assembly, so his behaviour and learning were exceptional. He was a good student. He saw all sorts of things and thought hard, trying to understand them. He meditated and became Enlightened. His mother also became a meritorious nun, and they both served as good examples to all those who had spiritual aspirations.