Global Buddhist Network

From Despair to Enlightenment: A Story of the Buddha's Kindness

During the time of the Buddha, there was a young nobleman named Venerable Tissa who dedicated his life to Buddhism by ordaining as a monk. One day, due to past karma, a severe disease emerged on his body, starting as small mustard seed-sized bumps on his skin. These bumps gradually grew to the size of a green pea, then a black bean, then a jujube seed, an Indian gooseberry, and finally to the size of a bael fruit. The bumps then burst, oozing blood and pus all over his body.

His body became covered in festering wounds, emitting a strong foul odor. Venerable Tissa suffered greatly. His fellow monks were afraid to approach him. Eventually, his bones broke, rendering him immobile and lying in a pool of blood and pus in his hut, his robes soiled, waiting for death in a pitiable state.

The Buddha, with boundless compassion, saw that Tissa was abandoned and without support in his time of need. He left his residence and went to the firehouse, personally boiled water, soaked cloths in the hot water, and cleaned Tissa’s body, who was lying there in despair.

When the monks learned that the Buddha had come, they offered to help. The Buddha instructed them to take off Tissa’s robe, soak it in hot water, and dry it in the sun. Meanwhile, the Buddha bathed Tissa. Once the robe was dry, He helped Tissa wear it again, then took the cloth Tissa was wearing, washed it, dried it, and provided a fresh set of robes.

After being bathed and dressed in clean robes, Tissa felt much more comfortable. The Buddha then stood above him and spoke of the suffering and faults of the body: "This body of yours will not last long; eventually, it will lie on the ground like a useless piece of wood."

Listening to the Buddha’s sermon, Tissa, despite his pain, focused his mind on the Buddha’s words, gradually calming his mind until it was unified. At that moment, he attained enlightenment as an Arahant and then passed away. The Buddha ordered Tissa’s body to be cremated, collected his relics, and had a stupa built for people to pay their respects.

During the time of the Buddha Kassapa, Tissa was a bird hunter who killed many birds and sold them. One day, he thought, "If I kill the birds left unsold, they will spoil." So, he broke the legs and wings of the remaining birds to prevent them from flying away and left them in a pile to sell the next day, roasting some for himself.

One day, an Arahant came to his house for alms. Seeing the Arahant, he felt inspired and thought, "Many living beings have been killed by me. The reverend stands at my door, and I have food ready in my house. I will offer alms to him." He filled the Arahant’s bowl with food and, after bowing to him, said, "May I attain the ultimate truth that you have seen, reverend." The Arahant blessed him, saying, "So be it."

The decay of Tissa’s body and the breaking of his bones were the result of his past karma of breaking the birds' bones. However, his attainment of Arahantship was due to his act of offering alms to the Arahant and making a determined aspiration, combined with the accumulated merit from countless past lives.

Luang Por Dhamma
Our teacher in InnerDhamma

Sadhu

670609

महान स्तूप, सांची, भोपाल राज्य के पास जमीन पर पड़े शेर के शीर्ष, तोरण बीम और अन्य मूर्तिकला के टुकड़े - 1875