The Three Brothers of the Black Family and the Contemplation of Impurity

On a certain morning, along the dusty road leading from Kushinagar to Shravasti, long lines of ox carts rumbled forward. Dust rose in thick clouds, and the wheels ground against the earth with a harsh, rhythmic screech. The three brothers of the Black family—Mahakala, Madhyaka, and Ksudra—were leading a large caravan. Goods were piled high on dozens of carts, servants followed in great numbers, and guards armed with swords and spears rode alongside for protection.

Mahakala, the eldest brother, sat on the first cart, his gaze drifting absently toward the horizon. Suddenly, a large crowd approached from afar. They were dressed with dignity, carrying flowers and offerings, and their faces radiated a profound peace. Mahakala signaled his caravan to stop and called out to one of the travelers.

“Honorable friends, where are you going in such a solemn and orderly manner?”

The traveler replied respectfully, “We are going to the Jetavana Monastery to pay homage to the World-Honored One and listen to the Dharma.”

Upon hearing this, a strange emotion surged within Mahakala’s heart. His entire body trembled, as if an ancient connection had suddenly awakened. He turned to his youngest brother, Ksudra, who was sitting beside him.

“My dear brother, I wish to follow this group into Jetavana to see what the World-Honored One is like.”

Ksudra tried to dissuade him, but Mahakala had already made up his mind. He jumped down from the cart, adjusted his robes neatly, and quickly walked after the departing crowd.

Inside Jetavana, Mahakala quietly joined the assembly seated to listen to the teaching. On that day, the Buddha looked directly at him while delivering the sermon. The words concerning the dangers and fleeting nature of worldly sensual pleasures penetrated every cell of his being. Upon finishing, Mahakala attained enlightenment immediately and asked the Buddha for permission to leave home and become a monk.

The Buddha asked, “Do your parents still live at home?”

Mahakala replied, “World-Honored One, my parents have passed away. I only have two younger brothers; one stays home to manage our business, and the other travels with the caravan.”

The Buddha instructed, “Then you must return and inform your brother. Do not renounce the world so abruptly.”

Mahakala paid homage to the Buddha and withdrew. When he reached the waiting caravan, he spoke to Ksudra.

“Brother, I am entrusting all our assets to you and Madhyaka. I am leaving to become a monk.”

Ksudra cried out, “Heavens! That is unfair! Why would you abandon me like this?”

But Mahakala remained resolute. He handed over all his possessions and decisively turned his back to walk away. Ksudra stood bewildered for a moment, unsure of what to do. Finally, he turned to his attendants.

“You take this entire caravan back home. I am going to become a monk too!”

With that, he jumped down and hurried after his brother. Both brothers sought ordination, yet their states of mind were entirely different. Mahakala left home because he had attained enlightenment and sought liberation. Ksudra, however, had lived dependently on his brother all his life. Without him, he felt lost, so he became a monk merely with the thought of waiting for his brother to return.

Once inside the monastery, Mahakala practiced diligently without cease. Ksudra, however, remained restless. Whenever female devotees entered the monastery to hear the teachings, he did not listen to the Buddha’s discourse. Instead, he gazed intently at them, moving from one person to another, murmuring to himself.

“This woman is so beautiful! That one is also very beautiful!”

The senior monks saw this and could only shake their heads in weary resignation.

When it was time to receive full monastic precepts, Mahakala approached the Buddha.

“World-Honored One, I am advanced in age and have not studied extensively. I know only some basic teachings. Now I wish to practice, but since I previously lived in sensual pleasure, I want to focus on a meditation subject to counteract those habits.”

The Buddha advised him to go to the charnel ground to contemplate corpses. Mahakala obeyed and found a burial site outside the city. There, an old woman managed the cremations. Seeing a bald ascetic sitting silently under a tree, staring intently at the dead bodies, she grew curious and watched him. After several days, she realized he was practicing the contemplation of impurity. She approached Mahakala and said:

“When you come here to contemplate corpses, you must inform me, as I am the manager of this place. You must also notify the chief elder of the monastery and the village headman before arriving. Thieves often hide stolen goods in the charnel ground and return later to retrieve them. You must declare your presence clearly to avoid suspicion.”

Mahakala nodded and instructed her, “Whenever there is a suitable corpse for contemplation, please call me.”

One day, a wealthy young woman died prematurely. Her family brought her body to the old woman for cremation. She informed Mahakala, who arrived and stood silently watching the flames rise. Layers of skin peeled away as they burned, fat sizzled and dripped, and the once-beautiful face wrinkled and blackened. The corpse twitched, limbs twisting in agony. Mahakala observed deeply, feeling the impermanence (anicca) of the physical form. He retreated to a quiet corner and sat in meditative concentration. A truth settled firmly in his mind: “All conditioned phenomena are impermanent and changing. Only a pure, tranquil mind is true happiness.” At that very moment, he attained the fruit of enlightenment.

Meanwhile, Ksudra continued to live loosely. When the Buddha returned to the Shravasti region to teach, both brothers accompanied Him. Their wives sought ways to lure their husbands back to lay life. They invited the Buddha for a meal offering to the Sangha. The Buddha designated Ksudra to go ahead and make arrangements. When Ksudra arrived home, his wives surrounded him, pulling and tugging, forcing him to change into lay clothes. He laughed foolishly and stayed home, returning to secular life.

Next, Ksudra’s wives organized a meal offering, hoping the Buddha would designate their husband to return. But this time, the Buddha assigned a different monk. After the meal, Mahakala remained. Eight wives attacked him fiercely, trying to drag him back to lay life. But Mahakala had attained the fruit of enlightenment. Using supernatural powers, he soared above the roof of the house and returned to pay homage at the Buddha’s feet.

On the way back, monks who had not yet attained enlightenment whispered among themselves.

“The other day, when the Buddha let Ksudra stay home, he returned to lay life. Today, the Buddha kept Mahakala behind; we wonder what will happen.”

When they arrived at the monastery, the Buddha gave a dharma talk, and Mahakala appeared before everyone, kneeling to pay homage. The Buddha praised him:

“Mahakala has attained the fruit.”

Only then did everyone understand the Buddha’s intention. He recited a verse from the Dhammapada:

“He who lives looking at appearances of purity, does not guard the sense faculties, eats without moderation, is lazy and lacks diligence—Mara overwhelms him, like a weak tree before the wind. He who lives contemplating impurity, carefully guards the sense faculties, eats with moderation, has faith and diligence—Mara cannot overwhelm him, like a solid rock before the wind.”

The Meaning of the Story

The tale of the three brothers of the Black family teaches us about the danger of gazing upon beauty, known as “looking at appearances of purity.” When the mind is shaken by external beauty, a person becomes weak, easily overwhelmed by Mara, and prone to falling. Conversely, if one knows how to contemplate impurity, seeing the impermanence (anicca) and transience of the body, guarding the sense faculties, eating with moderation, and practicing diligently, the mind becomes steadfast like a mountain rock, unmoved by anything. This is the path leading to true liberation and peace.

Compiled from the dharma talk by Venerable Thich Chan Quang