Long ago in India, society was sharply divided. Wealth and status were distributed unevenly, and people were ranked in rigid hierarchies — noble and base, high and low. The gulf between these groups was immense. At the very bottom stood the Śūdra caste: the poorest of the poor, often despised and ignored. Many survived as servants or slaves, compelled to perform the hardest, most unpleasant labor under harsh conditions.
The humble life of Niti
In the city of Śrāvastī, one man from this caste was named Nīti. His work was the most loathed of all: he carried buckets of human waste through the narrow streets. Yet despite the lowliness of his task, his heart remained untainted. Honest, gentle, and quiet, he spoke little — perhaps because life had taught him that silence was safer than words. One day, while in deep meditation, the Buddha saw Nīti. He perceived that the man’s heavy karmic burden had nearly been exhausted — the time had come for him to leave the sea of suffering.
So the Buddha set out with Ānanda and walked through the streets, stopping at the entrance of a narrow alley. At that very moment, Nīti emerged, carrying a full bucket of filth. Seeing the Buddha’s radiant presence, his heart leapt in panic. “I am low and unclean,” he thought. “How dare I stand before a Holy One?” He tried to step aside, to turn away, even to vanish — but the alley was too narrow.
…
Read the full article on Nspirement
Comments