Manopubbangama dhamma
manosettha manomaya
manasa ce padutthena
bhasati va karoti va
tato nam dukkhamanveti
cakkamva vahato padam.

All mental phenomena have mind as their forerunner; they have mind as their chief; they are mind-made.

If one speaks or acts with an evil mind, suffering follows him just as the wheel follows the hoofprint of the ox that draws the cart.

Dhammapada Verse 1
Cakkhupalatthera Vatthu (https://www.tipitaka.net/tipitaka/dhp/verseload.php?verse=001)

Pali Chant

Background Story

In the sacred grounds of Jetavana monastery in Savatthi, a blind thera (elder) named Cakkhupala came to pay his respects to the enlightened Buddha. Unbeknownst to the thera, his innocent footsteps would soon become a subject of scrutiny.

That night, as Cakkhupala paced in meditation, his unknowing steps claimed the lives of some insects. The next morning, a group of bhikkhus (monks) discovered the tiny bodies and hastily concluded that the thera was careless and had broken the precept to abstain from killing. They gleefully reported the incident to the Buddha, expecting Buddha to chide the blind Thera for wandering carelessly at night.

The Buddha, with his boundless wisdom, inquired the bhikkhus, “Did you witness the thera intentionally harming the insects?” They admitted they had not. The Buddha’s response was a gentle reprimand, “Just as you did not see him kill, so too he did not see the living creatures. Moreover, as an arahat, Cakkhupala’s heart is pure and free from harm.”

The bhikkhus’ curiosity was piqued, and they inquired about the thera’s blindness, despite his attainment of arahatship. The Buddha revealed a tale from Cakkhupala’s past, a story of karma and redemption.

In a former life, Cakkhupala was a physician who had callously blinded a woman patient, driven by a desire for power and control.

That poor woman had promised Cakkhupala to become his slave, together with her children, if her eyes were completely cured. After being cured, she regretted her promise and pretended that the treatment was unsuccessful and her blindness wasn’t cured. Angered by her deception, Cakkhupala mixed poison into her medicine and blinded her permanently.

As a result of this evil deed, the physician lost his eyesight in many of his later existences. Including, that very life when he met Buddha. After telling the above story, Buddha spoke the verse:

All mental phenomena have mind as their forerunner; they have mind as their chief; they are mind-made. If one speaks or acts with an evil mind, suffering follows him just as the wheel follows the hoofprint of the ox that draws the cart.

The Buddha’s words illuminated the truth, and the bhikkhus’ misunderstanding dissolved. Thera Cakkhupala’s story became a testament to the power of karma and the human capacity for growth, forgiveness, and ultimate redemption.

Reflection

One of the key messages in this story highlights the importance of intention. Karma is only completed when we perform a deed intentionally. In the case of Thera Cakkhupala, his unintentional stepping on insects did not constitute killing. Separately, in another sutta, Buddha advised us to perform good deeds with mindfulness and clear intention. That will result in good karma manifesting in our lives for our enjoyment.

With deeper reflection, we realize that salvation in Buddhism is also available to someone burdened with lots of bad karma. In this instance, Thera Cakkhupala who was blinded by former bad karma could also attain Nirvana too. Therefore, Nirvana, or Ultimate Happiness is not reserved for perfectly abled people and good people.

In the story, the other monks were curious about a Blind and enlightened monk. Subconsciously, many of us identify enlightenment as an indication of ultimate perfection. A perfection that is defined from our mundane perspective.

Buddhist statues and paintings (except for Tibetan Vajrayana) depict enlightened beings as being beautiful or handsome people, gold-gilded, ornate with precious gems and stones, and shiny with a halo. Subconsciously, we are conditioned to believe that enlightenment can only happen to someone beautiful, rich, and ornate.

If we point to a tattered beggar and say, “that guy rummaging through the bins is enlightened”; nobody would believe it! That is the snobbery that we develop unintentionally in our minds. And we are not to be blamed. That’s how an unenlightened society programmed us, even 2500 years ago.

Therefore, let us not judge the wisdom of a person through his appearance.

May all be well and happy.