He Always Walks Centered In His Own Self

Once it so happened in the days of Buddha that a famous courtesan fell deeply in love with a monk who had gone to beg. The woman had seen many beautiful people – she was one of the most beautiful courtesan of those days that even kings used to queue at her door – and she fell in love with this monk, a Bhikku, a beggar.

Buddhist monks are taught: ‘be alert, be watchful. Not even a single breath has to pass through your nostrils without you being aware of it.’ So, absolutely watchful, meditative, he must have passed by the woman. She had seen many beautiful people, but never a man who had walked with such a dignified gait; and that too in the market place in the midst of noisy surroundings, yet so silently and unaware as if the market did not even exist. She immediately fell in love with the man. She touched his feet and asked him to come to her home and stay for this rainy season, for four months. Buddhist monks stop moving for four months. The rains were just about to come, and the clouds were gathering, and it was time for them to stay and find shelter for those four months.

She invited him thus, “You come to my home. Be my guest for four months.” To which the monk replied, “I will have to ask the Master. Tomorrow I will come and reply. If he allows it, I will come.”

There were other monks begging in the town – they saw the interaction and they became very jealous. When the young man came back to Buddha, he stood in the assembly and made the request “A woman, a courtesan – Amrapalli is her name – has asked me to stay with her for the coming rainy season. I will do whatever you say.” Many heard it – they all stood up aghast and said, “This is wrong. Even to have allowed that woman to touch you. You have broken the rule, and now you are asking to stay with the woman for four months!”

Addressing them the Buddha spoke, ” I told you all not to touch a woman and also not to be touched by a woman because you are not yet centred. For this man that rule is no more applicable. I can see that he walks along centred in himself – I have been watching him – he is no more part of the crowd. You are still part of the crowd. When you go to the market, you go to the market; but he simply passes by as if he had never gone.” And to the Bhikku the Buddha said, “Yes, you are allowed.”

Now, this was too much; never had it been done before, there was no precedent. All were angry, and for four months thousands of gossips floated around exaggerating the incident and many rumours were spread that the monk was no more a monk, that he had fallen.

After four months the monk returned followed by Amrapalli. Buddha looked at the monk, looked at Amrapalli, and said, “Woman, have you something to say to me? She said, “I have come to be initiated by you. I tried to distract your disciple, I failed; this is my first defeat. I have always succeeded. This is the first man whom I could not distract – not even an iota. Now a great desire has arisen in me as to how do I attain to this centring. And the more he has been with me these days, the more I have seen how far away he is aloof from the world. True, he stayed with me; I danced and sang before him, I played on musical instruments , I tried to allure him in every way yet I could not disturb his poise. He always remained himself. Not for a single moment have I seen his mind being clouded nor any desire in his eyes. I tried to convert him, but instead he has converted me and that too without uttering even a single word. He has not brought me here; I have come on my own. I for the first time have caught a glimpse of what dignity and freedom is; I would like to learn that art.”

She became a disciple of Buddha.