One day, when the Buddha was walking in the Temple, He saw a sick monk
(Putigatta
Tissa) who was left uncared for because he was suffering from a severe skin
disease. The Buddha ministered the sick monk with His own hands. Later on,
in the Four-fold Assembly, the Buddha explained the importance of attending
to the sick. Several discourses were delivered by the Buddha on the nursing
of patients. He declared, “He who serves the sick, serves me”. Following the
Buddha’s instruction, the Emperor Asoka for the first time, established
hospitals not only for men, but also for animals.
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PUTIGATTA TISSA
After taking a subject of meditation from the Buddha, Venerable Tissa
started his meditation diligently. At that time, he was afflicted with a
disease. Small boils appeared all over his body and these developed into big
sores. When these sores burst, his robes became sticky and stained with pus
and blood, and his whole body began to stink. For this reason, he was known
as Putigatta Tissa : the monk with a stinking body.
The Buddha happened to see the sorrowful state of the monk, who had been
abandoned by his fellow monks on account of his stinking body. At the same
time, he also knew that Tissa would soon attain Arahanthood. So, the Buddha
proceeded to the fire-shed, close to the place where the monk was staying.
There, he personally boiled some water, went to the place where the monk was
lying down, and took hold of the edge of the couch.
It was then only that
the other monks also gathered around him, and as instructed by the Buddha,
they carried him out where he was washed and bathed. While he was being
bathed, his robes were washed and dried. After the bath, the monk became
fresh in body and mind and soon developed one-pointedness of concentration.
Standing at the head of the couch, the Buddha told him that this body when
devoid of life would be as useless as a log and would be laid on the earth.
At the conclusion of the sermon, Tissa attained Arahanthood. Soon after, he
passed away into Parinibbana. The Buddha then directed some bhikkhus (monks)
to cremate this body and enshrine his relics in a stupa.
On being questioned why Tissa had a stinking body, the Buddha revealed that
Tissa, in one of his past existences was a cruel fowler. He used to trap and
catch birds. After catching the birds he would break their leg-bones and
wing-bones to prevent them from escaping. For those evil deeds, Tissa was
born with a stinking body. |
