Night on Vulture Peak

Night fell over Vulture Peak, and the stillness was extraordinary. A gentle mountain breeze drifted through, carrying the scent of wild grass and the damp earth after a day of sunshine. In the distance, at the foot of the mountain, the city of Rajagriha in the kingdom of Magadha had lit its lamps, twinkling like fallen stars. Upon a flat expanse of rock sat the Buddha, alone in the darkness, yet the light of compassion radiating from him was like a bright moon in the night sky.

Suddenly, from high above, great radiant lights, like enormous halos, descended one by one, landing softly around the rock. They were the celestial beings from the heavenly realms, led by King Sakka of the gods, coming to hear the Buddha teach the Dharma. They filled the entire space, silent and solemn, awaiting the golden words of the Enlightened One.

Meanwhile, at the nuns' monastery in Bamboo Grove, not far from Vulture Peak, a figure in a pale yellow robe quietly stepped out into the courtyard. It was the nun Khema, the most renowned for her supernatural powers of her time. She gazed up toward the mountain peak, where that wondrous light was gathering, and smiled gently. Tonight, she wished to visit the Buddha, but it seemed another auspicious condition was unfolding.

Khema had once been the queen of King Bimbisara, a beauty so famous that she captivated countless hearts. But then, on one occasion when the king skillfully invited her to hear the Buddha teach, she witnessed a sight that shook her soul: a woman of flawless beauty appeared beside the Buddha, then slowly aged, collapsed, and died, leaving only a white skeleton. In that moment, she recognized the impermanence (anicca) of the body, and right there, she attained the fruit of an Arhat. Having never practiced for even a single day, she went from being a queen living in luxury to reaching the highest enlightenment.

Tonight, as she flew toward Vulture Peak, Khema saw the celestial beings gathered in great numbers. She paused in mid-air and thought: "The Buddha is teaching the celestial beings, and those teachings are sublime, beyond the understanding of humankind. If I join in, they will not be able to hear in full. Let me yield this time to them." With that thought, she gently descended, bowed to the Buddha from afar, and flew back to her monastery without a single word of complaint.

King Sakka of the gods, having witnessed this, asked the Buddha:

"World-Honored One, who was that nun who just flew here and then withdrew?"

The Buddha watched Khema's figure fade into the night, his compassionate eyes shining, and said slowly:

"One of profound wisdom, who knows well the true path and the false path, who has attained the supreme fruit — such a one I call noble."

That praise was not only for Khema's wisdom, but also for her humility and her reverence for the Dharma. She knew clearly when to be present and when to step back, so that all sentient beings could have the opportunity to hear the teachings. That is profound wisdom, a thorough understanding of the true path and the false path.

From Khema's story, we learn that in life, we do not always need to push ourselves forward. Sometimes yielding, knowing how to take a step back, is the way to make things better for everyone. More importantly, we need to look at the inner motivation behind each action, clearly distinguishing what is the true path and what is the false path, so that we are not deceived by outward appearances.

The Meaning of the Story

The story of the nun Khema teaches us about the profound wisdom of the enlightened: knowing clearly when to act and when to yield, and always remaining awake to distinguish the true path from the false. Her yielding was not weakness, but an expression of compassion and wisdom, placing the benefit of sentient beings above all else. The greatest lesson is to always examine our inner motivation, for only a pure mind and heart, devoted to the Dharma and to sentient beings, walks the true path.

Compiled from a dharma talk by Venerable Thich Chan Quang