The Miraculous Cloth of Cudapanthaka

That morning, in the mango grove of Mr. Jivaka, early sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting shimmering streaks of light upon the lush green grass. A gentle breeze carried the faint fragrance of flowers, yet the heart of the young monk sitting beneath that tree was heavy with sorrow. Cudapanthaka, regarded as the most slow-witted of all the Buddha's disciples, sat with his head bowed low, his trembling hands clutching his head. Before him lay a short verse that he had struggled to memorize for months without success.

He had been born into a wealthy family, but his memory was extraordinarily poor. His elder brother, also named Cudapanthaka, a brilliant senior disciple, had taught him this first verse for many days, yet he could only remember a few words before forgetting them again. Finally, his brother sighed and said: "You cannot pursue the monastic life. Return home and serve your parents, doing good deeds in the world. That would be better than wasting your monastic life here."

But Cudapanthaka could not bear to part with the ideal of liberation. He covered his face and wept, his tears soaking his robe, and then quietly went to find the Buddha. When he came before the Master, he knelt down and said, choking back tears:

"World-Honored One, I am so foolish that I cannot even memorize the first verse. My brother told me to return home, but I have only one dream: to practice and attain liberation."

The Buddha looked at him with eyes of compassion and asked:

"Do you truly wish to practice for liberation?"

Cudapanthaka looked up, his eyes shining brightly:

"World-Honored One, that is the burning dream within my heart. Not a moment passes without me thinking of that ideal."

"Then with whom did you go forth?"

"I went forth with you, World-Honored One."

"Then I have not told you to leave. Do not rush away. Sit here."

The Buddha led him to a boulder beneath a tree, then extended his hand, upon which appeared a pure white cloth. He gave it to the young monk and instructed him:

"Take this cloth and wipe your face. Each time you wipe, say: 'Washing away all impurities.' Keep doing this until you realize the truth. Sit here. You need not go for the meal, and do not think of returning home."

With that, the Buddha, together with nearly a thousand monks, left the mango grove to receive alms at the home of Mr. Jivaka. Cudapanthaka remained alone and began wiping his face with the white cloth. As he wiped, he murmured: "Washing away all impurities, washing away all impurities..." Strangely, the cloth, though pure white, turned gray after only a few wipes, then became mottled with stains. The more carefully he wiped, the dirtier the cloth became, as if by magic. Looking at the grimy cloth, his heart suddenly softened:

"Oh, how impure the human body is! Only a few wipes and the cloth has become this dirty. This body is truly impure, truly impermanent (anicca). How wearisome it is!"

He sat in silence, contemplating deeply the filthiness of the body — a vessel containing sweat, dust, and countless impurities. The more he reflected, the clearer he saw the impermanence (anicca) of this body. At a certain moment, his mind suddenly became completely still, and all his anxiety and self-doubt dissolved. He let go of everything, and in that very instant, his mind entered deep meditative concentration. An immeasurable sense of peace and joy filled him. He sat motionless, his face serene as a statue.

Meanwhile, at Mr. Jivaka's home, the Buddha sat peacefully among the monks. He knew clearly that Cudapanthaka had entered deep meditative concentration and that his spiritual faculties had ripened. The Buddha then manifested a second body, appearing before him in the mango grove, and gently said:

"Cudapanthaka, the impurity of the body is a small matter. The impurity of the mind is what truly matters. What is the impurity of the mind? It is greed, hatred and delusion, selfishness, deceit, misunderstanding, wrong thinking, and ignorance. These are the true stains that must be washed away."

As these words ended, like a flash of lightning tearing through the night, Cudapanthaka attained the fruit of Arhatship right then and there. He smiled, his heart filled with boundless joy, and the Buddha vanished, returning to Mr. Jivaka's home.

At that moment, Mr. Jivaka and his household began offering food to each monk. When he came to the Buddha's bowl and was about to scoop the food, the Buddha raised his hand to stop him:

"Is there still a monk remaining in the monastery?"

Mr. Jivaka replied in surprise:

"World-Honored One, I believe there is no one left."

"Go and check."

Mr. Jivaka sent his servant galloping back to the mango grove. Upon arrival, they were astonished to see not one, but a thousand monks — some sitting in meditation, some walking mindfully, some standing still — all looking exactly alike, as if cast from the same mold. They hurried back and reported to the Buddha:

"World-Honored One, there are a thousand monks in the monastery, all looking exactly alike!"

The Buddha smiled:

"Go and ask who Cudapanthaka is, and invite that one here."

The servant galloped back again, knelt before the thousand monks, and respectfully asked:

"Venerable ones, which of you is Cudapanthaka?"

All one thousand monks answered in unison:

"I am Cudapanthaka!"

The servant was bewildered and returned once more to report to the Buddha. The Buddha instructed:

"Go back and ask again: whoever answers first, invite that one here."

This time, as soon as the servant finished his question, Cudapanthaka — now an Arhat — immediately spoke first. The servant knelt and invited him, and instantly, the other nine hundred and ninety-nine monks vanished. He followed the servant back, his face radiant, his bearing dignified and majestic.

When they saw him enter, all the monks were astonished. The one who had once been unable to memorize a single verse now radiated the light of wisdom. After the meal, as was customary, the Buddha would usually give a dharma talk, but that day he said:

"Cudapanthaka, you shall give the dharma talk to the benefactor."

He ascended the dharma seat and roared the lion's roar, expounding the scriptures tirelessly, with profound meanings flowing like clouds and pouring rain. The entire assembly listened in silence, no one suspecting that one once considered foolish could teach so magnificently. Everyone was deeply moved by this wondrous transformation.

In the evening, the monks gathered around the Buddha and asked about this strange event. The Buddha then recounted:

"In the time of the Buddha Kasyapa, Cudapanthaka was a senior monk who practiced very well. But out of pride and a lack of compassion, when he saw a fellow monk who was slow-witted, he mocked him. That karma of mockery caused him to suffer the karmic result of dullness for nearly a whole year, being criticized by everyone. In an even more distant past life, he had been a king. Once, while traveling in disguise, the road was dusty, and the king used a cloth to wipe his face. Seeing the cloth soiled, he gave rise to this thought: 'This body is truly impure and unclean.' That thought was deeply imprinted in his mind, and today, thanks to my miraculous cloth, that thought awakened into the wisdom of meditative insight, enabling him to attain the fruit."

The Buddha looked around and emphasized:

"When we mock others, it is because of our own pride and lack of love. Remember, every mocking word carries these two faults, and we will pay a terrible price for them. Therefore, be careful with your speech."

From then on, Cudapanthaka became a distinguished Arhat, respected by all. His story is proof that no matter how humble one's starting point, as long as one holds firm to one's ideals and diligently practices, anyone can attain enlightenment.

## The Meaning of the Story

The story of Cudapanthaka teaches us: never mock others, for mockery arises from pride and a lack of compassion, and it creates bad karma for which we must pay. At the same time, no matter how slow-witted we may be, if we hold firm to the ideal of liberation and diligently contemplate the impurity of the body and mind, every obstacle can be overcome, and enlightenment will come to those who persevere.

Compiled from a dharma talk by Venerable Thich Chan Quang.