Ancient Cultivation Stories: Becoming A Monk

Among all the disciples of the Buddha, Maha Kasyapa was generally acknowledged as an ascetic (a person who renounces material comforts and leads a life of austere self-discipline). Since he was a child, he preferred to be alone and stayed away from crowds. He was extremely smart and sensible. Although he was born into a rich family, he was never accustomed to the luxurious life.

Time flew. Maha Kasyapa grew into a handsome young man. Because of his outstanding talent and appearance, many young women admired him. His parents doted on him and wanted to find him a well-matched and beautiful bride. But when Maha Kasyapa became aware of it, he put off marriage again and again. It is because what he truly wanted was to cultivate, and a wife would hinder the realization of his dreams. But his parents didn't agree. They urged him to marry again and again and were going to start looking for a wife for him regardless of his consent.

Maha Kasyapa could no longer put it off. He had an idea. He painted a portrait with the image of a young woman he saw during sitting meditation. She was very beautiful, compassionate and solemn.

He gave the painting to his parents and said, "If you want me to get married, find the woman in this painting. Otherwise I would rather live by myself forever."

His parents found his request very difficult, so they discussed it with their friends. Then they spread the news among all of their relatives and friends so that whoever knew or heard of a beautiful maiden could take a look at the portrait.

Coincidentally, a rich family in the neighboring city had a beautiful daughter named Miaoxian. When her father found that the image in the portrait looked almost exactly the same as his daughter, he sent a message to Maha Kasyapa's parents that the young woman in the portrait was his daughter.

The two families immediately made the engagement. The bride was escorted to the groom's home as soon as the wedding date was determined. On the wedding night however, the beautiful bride, in brocade and wearing jade, was frowning. Maha Kasyapa was laden with anxiety and silent too.

Finally, when the dawn came, Maha Kasyapa broke the silence, "Are you worried about something?"

"You ruined my happiness." Miaoxian answered.

Maha Kasyapa was surprised, "Are you in love with someone else?"

"No, you broke my dreams." Miaoxian shed tears.

"What did I do? Please explain." Maha Kasyapa asked.

"I only wanted to practice self-cultivation, abolish the five desires, and separate myself from the source of all suffering. But my parents had a liking for your family's fortune. They wanted to ruin me in spite of my will." Miaoxian said sadly.

Maha Kasyapa was overjoyed. This is the will of Heaven. He didn't want to get married either, but his parents forced him. He also understood that the source of all the human suffering was desire, so he detested the five desires and wanted to practice self-cultivation without disturbance.

Therefore, they decided to follow their wills. By name they were husband and wife, but in fact they were fellow practitioners.

His parents soon discovered an extra bed in their bedroom. They ordered the servants to take it away.

Maha Kasyapa said to Miaoxian, "Don't be frustrated. Let's take turns to sleep and meditate. Isn't this even better for practicing self-cultivation? They're actually urging us to cultivate more diligently!"

Miaoxian became very happy upon hearing this. Then they followed Maha Kasyapa's suggestion.

One night, Miaoxian was sleeping in the bed. When Maha Kasyapa just finished sitting meditation, he saw a poisonous snake next to the bed where Miaoxian's hand was, very close to the snake. Maha Kasyapa was very worried, he quickly wrapped his hand with cloth, gently held her hand up and put it back into the bed. Miaoxian was awakened. She was irritated and asked, "What's the matter?" After Maha Kasyapa explained to her, she was relieved and apologized to Maha Kasyapa for misunderstanding him.

They spent 12 years together like this until Maha Kasyapa's parents died.

After his parents died, Maha Kasyapa said to Miaoxian, "Now I've decided to leave home and become a monk. Wait for me here, I'll come back and get you as soon as I find a wise and able master."

After Maha Kasyapa left home, he painstakingly looked for a master until he met Buddha Sakyamuni. Drawn to and inspired by the Buddha's mighty virtue, he accepted the Buddha's doctrine and converted himself under the Buddha's command.

But among the Buddha's early sangha, no women were allowed. Therefore Maha Kasyapa could not go home and get Miaoxian.

Miaoxian was waiting at home for the news from her husband, but no news came from him for a couple of years. She resolutely gave their fortune to others, walked to the riverside of the Ganges, and became an apprentice of a non-Buddhist master.

Later on, the Buddha allowed having women followers and therefore the Buddhist Nuns Sangha was established. Maha Kasyapa obtained the Buddha's permission and found Miaoxian a place in the nuns' sangha.

However, her uncommonly beautiful appearance often incurred others' jealousy and gossip. Miaoxian sighed for being a woman, and would always avoid the crowd when she went out to beg alms. Even so, she couldn't avoid others' talking and rumoring about her. She felt very guilty and therefore stopped begging for alms.

Maha Kasyapa was very sympathetic to her and obtained the permission from the Buddha to share his food with her every day.

This matter caused another wave of gossip, "It's said that they've never slept together for 12 years of marriage, but now after leaving home to become monk and nun, they still have a personal relationship while involved in practicing self-cultivation."

Maha Kasyapa heard it. He was not affected, but to encourage Miaoxian to advance vigorously in self-cultivation, he stopped sharing food with her or seeing her.

After this setback, Miaoxian became extremely conscientious in practicing self-cultivation. She refused to sleep for consecutive days and nights and practiced self-cultivation with a righteous mind. She advanced vigorously even more and more and was finally awakened to enlightenment.

Later on the Buddha praised her, saying, "Among all the nuns, Miaoxian's retrocognition is the best."

Humans think that happiness comes from the satisfaction of human desires. In fact, in the eyes of those with wisdom, the most suffering humans are those who think this way, because desire is the source of all sufferings.

Abandoning such desires is the only way to become truly free.