Karma exists-Whether you believe it or not!
Story of The Blind Monk, Chakkhupala
One day, Bhikkhu (Monk) Chakkhupala happened to visit the Jetavana Vihara (one of the most famous of the Buddhist monasteries) to pay homage to the Buddha. While staying there at night, he practiced walking meditation.
In the course of walk, as he was blind and could see nothing, a number of insects, coming under his slippers, were killed. At dawn, some Monks saw these dead insects and reported the matter to the Buddha saying, ‘Sir! Chakkhupala has committed grave crime last night. He has killed a number of insects.’
The Buddha knew that Chakkhupala was an Arahant (the one who has gained insight into the true nature of existence and has achieved “Nirvana”) and that he had not killed them deliberately. So, after hearing them, the Buddha asked them, ‘Did you see Chakkhupala killing those insects?’ ‘No Sir, we did not see!’ The Buddha then clarified to them, ‘Just as you have not seen Chakkhupala killing those insects, so also Chakkhupala has not seen them being killed. Besides he is an Arahant. An Arahant does not have ill-will towards anyone. He cannot commit a sin.’
This satisfied the Monks so far as the killing of the insects was concerned, but they were curious to know how being an Arahant, Chakkhupala was born blind.
To clarify this, the Buddha told them the story of one of his previous lives. In one of his previous births, Chakkhupala was an eye-surgeon. Once, a woman came to him to get her vision improved. She promised the doctor that in case her eyes were cured, she would work as a maid-servant in his household all through her life. On this promise, Chakkhupala started the treatment. As the treatment continued, with the passage of time, her vision started improving, Chakkhupala knew this. But when he asked her about the condition of her eyes, out of fear that she may have to work as a slave all through her life, she told a lie that her eyes were not improving, in fact were getting from bad to worse. The doctor understood that she was telling a lie. Therefore, out of revenge, he applied an ointment in her eyes, which made her blind for the rest of her life. As a result of this evil deed, Chakkhupala had to suffer blindness in many of his future lives.
Verse 1 :
मनोपुब्बङग्मा धम्मा, मनोसेट्ठा मनोमया
मनसा चे पदुट्ठेन, भासति वा करोति वा
ततो नं दुक्खमन्वेति, चक्कं व वहतो पदं।
Mind is the forerunner of everything. Everything (good or bad), arises from the mind. It is mind made. If one speaks or acts with an impure (evil, wicked) mind, suffering follows him, like the wheel of a bullock-cart behind the foot-marks of the ox drawing it.
SUFFERING FOLLOWS WRONG THINKING.
Provided by,
Harshad M Dave
Curated & Published by,
Priyanka Bhatt, MuseNest Editorial.
