** ** *BUDDHA AND THE COURTESAN*
Buddha was the son of a king of India. He was born as a prince with every conceivable luxury, and grew into manhood thinking of the world as a place of endless happy events. However, Buddha was curious about the world outside the palace gardens, and one day, secretly went out with his charioteer to see for himself. The handsome youth was shocked to the very depths of his being to see for the first time in his life, a shriveled-looking old man, a dying man and a corpse. He looked at his celestially beautiful, healthy body and asked the charioteer if his body too would grow old and decay. Reluctantly, the charioteer said, "O Prince! All human flesh is subject to sickness, decrepitude and death." After hearing this, the young prince began to brood over the delusion of earthly life. One night, while his wife and child slept, Buddha took a last look at them, with tear-bedimmed eyes, and left in quest of truth, which would free mankind forever from sorrow and suffering, and which would give him complete understand of the mystery of life and death. He is said to have spent seven years in fasting and other spiritual disciplines. At last, while meditating under a banyan tree, he found illumination. Then he ate, nourished his body, and began to preach in India, his gospel of love for all creatures, man and animals alike. Lord Buddha and his disciples were all vowed to celibacy and renunciation of carnal love for the opposite sex. The great Buddha was once resting with his disciples beneath the cool shade of a tree when an opulent Courtesan, attracted by the glowing body and face of the master, drew near. No sooner had she beheld the celestial face of Lord Buddha than she fell in love with him, and in an ecstasy of overwhelming emotion ran with open arms to embrace and kiss him, loudly exclaiming: "O Beautiful Shining One, I love thee!" The celibate disciples were extremely astonished when they heard Buddha say to the Courtesan, "Beloved, I love thee too, but do not touch me now - not yet." She replied, "You did call me Beloved and I love you, why do you object to my touching you?" The great Buddha replied, "Beloved! I tell you again, I will touch you later, but not now. I will prove my true love for you." As Buddha saw that she was still not satisfied with his answer, he explained further, "Have faith Beloved. Do not doubt my words. Later, when those that now love you, have deserted you, I will come." The disciples were extremely shocked and some thought that the Master had fallen in love with the Courtesan. Years later, as Buddha was meditating with his disciples, he suddenly cried out: "I must go. My Beloved, the Courtesan is calling me. She needs me now and I must fulfill my promise to her." As he spoke, he rose and hurried off. The disciples ran pell-mell after their Master in the vague hope of rescuing him from the temptress. The great Master and his worried disciples, came at last to the same tree, where long ago, they had met the Courtesan. And what do you think they saw? She lay there. Her once beautiful body, honey-combed with petrifying, odorous small-pox sores. The disciples cringed and kept some distance from her but Lord Buddha sat down besides her, lifting her decaying body on his lap. He whispered in her ear: "Beloved, I have come to prove my love for you and to fulfill my promise to touch you, I have waited a long time, to demonstrate my true love, but I love you when everyone else has ceased loving you. I touch you when all your summer-friends do not want to touch you anymore." Saying this, Buddha healed the Courtesan and asked her to join his family of disciples. Personal love is limiting, selfish and considers its own comforts usually at the cost of everyone else's. Diving love is unselfish and seeks the happiness of the object of love, and is not limited or partial. God loves the wicked and the good alike, for they are his children, so all those who aspire to know Him, must prove to him that their love is like His love. * * * * * * --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "English Learner's Cafe" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/english_learners?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
