The Shadow That Follows: When What the Eyes See Becomes the Truth?

**Summary:** The story of a bhikkhu pursued by the shadow of a woman for years, leading to public criticism, until King Prasenajit discovers the truth. A lesson on karmic law, words that cut like a sword, and misunderstandings in daily life.

There is an ancient saying: "What lies before our very eyes may still not be the truth." But if what we see with our own eyes can be so wrong, then what we hear with our ears is even more likely to lead us astray. The story of the bhikkhu named Kundana, found in the Dhammapada, is such a startling testament that it must make us pause: everywhere he went, the shadow of a woman seemed to follow him, even into the restroom. Everyone in the monastery could see it plainly. They felt upset and critical, even campaigning to ostracize him. Yet they did not know that this shadow was not a real person, but a specter born of karma—a phantom that even the bhikkhu himself could not perceive. How could such a strange thing come to be?