ONCE THERE LIVED A COURTESAN of
incomparable beauty. She was glad to have the monks come by her home for alms,
and offered them excellent food. Then one day, one of the monks who had gone to
her home for alms-food happened to mention how beautiful she was. This stirred
desire in the heart of one of the young monks listening.
The next morning, the young monk
joined the group that was going to pass by the courtesan’s house on their
alms-round. The courtesan happened to be ill that day, but she bid her servants
carry her outside so that she could personally offer the monks something to
eat. The young monk, on seeing how beautiful she was even when she was sick,
developed an even stronger desire for her.
That night, however, her illness
worsened and by morning she was already dead. When the Buddha received the news
of her death, he advised that she not be buried for a few days, after which
time he told his bhikkhus that he was going to take them to see the courtesan.
When the young bhikkhu heard where they were going, his lust for the courtesan
was rekindled. What he did not realize, however, was that the courtesan was
already dead.
By the time the Buddha and his
retinue of monks got to the cemetery, the once beautiful and desirable body of
the courtesan had already been transformed into an ugly sight. Her body was now
bloated, and foul matter exuded from every which orifice.
The Buddha then announced to all
who had gathered there that the courtesan would be auctioned off. Anyone who
was willing to pay a thousand pieces of gold could spend the night with her in
bed. Of course, nobody was willing to pay that amount, nor were they willing to
pay any other price, no matter how small. In the end no one would take her even
for free.
The Buddha then said to his
bhikkhus, “You see, when she was alive, few would hesitate to give up
all they had just to be able to spend one night in her embrace. But, now, none
will take her even for free. What is beauty, then, when the body is subject to
deterioration and decay?”
After listening to the
Buddha’s words, the lustful young monk got to realize the true nature of life
and strove to free himself from the hold of sensual desire.
Morale of The Story
“Look
at this beautiful body, amass of sores, supported by bones, sickly, a subject
of many lustful thoughts. Indeed, the body is neither permanent nor enduring.” {Verse 147}
Source : Buddhism for Beginners (Ye Thu Aung)
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