The Buddha Dharma
"Not by birth is
one an outcast;
not by birth is one a
Brahmin.
By deed one becomes an
outcast,
by deed one becomes an
Brahmin."
The Buddha
The Buddha Dharma is
open to all regardless of race, castes and status. The Buddha is the first
teacher in his time to reach out to all castes and profess that his Dharma is
for all who wish to be free from suffering. All are welcomed to enter his order
of monks(Sangha). Kings and nobles venerate the Buddha and his retinue of monks
so what if one of them is from the lowly outcaste? Imagine it is even
considered back luck coming across an outcast. Will it not cause controversy?
One such monk was Sunita who was from the lowly outcast who became an Arahant.
Sunita was born in an
outcast family avoided and looked down by people. His job was to collect all
the wilted followers from temples.
One morning after
collecting two basket full of flowers he walked down the village street on his
way back, just then there was a commotion and many people were out on the
street.
He too was curious, so
standing by the side of the road a little further away from people lest they
chase him away he stood on his toes and strained his neck to see what was all
the commotion about.
Then he saw a majestic
figure walking with a lion gait and leading a retinue of monks slowly
approaching. The people were murmuring Buddha! Buddha! They were venerating the
majestic figure who was slowly approaching in his direction. At first Sunita
stood astounded by the majestic person and wished he could be a monk but in a
short while the Buddha was in front of him. Sunita panicked for how can he, a
lowly cast, be in the presence of the majestic Buddha. Sunita tried to move
away but slipped and fell spilling the content of his two baskets. He tried to
get up but again slipping on the spilled contents. He bowed venerating the
Buddha. Where are you going Sunita? It is for you that I came. Hearing these words
he ask the going forth from the Buddha.
The Buddha just
replied, “Come monk.” And so Sunita became a member of the Sangha.
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