The pure mind of 'the stinking woman'
There was a woman street cleaner in Sravasti who swept all the roads in town every morning. As she had no time to tend to herself, she was always looking tatty and filthy. Everyone avoided her, and none remembered her service to the public. They even nicknamed her 'the stinking woman', and covered their nose or spit at her when she approached.
The Buddha was very sympathetic towards her, and had her invited to his Vihara to teach her the Dharma. All who heard about this were perplexed, and came to expedite. As they were passing by a river, the cleaning woman was washing her clothes on the stones by the river bank. Her image emanated such an incredible radiance that they thought this was a beauty from the neighbourhood. When they reached the hill where the Buddha was, they asked haughtily:" Buddha! You have always spoken words of purity. Why are you communicating with the most detestable woman in town today? Don't you think it is degrading?"
" On your way here, did you see a woman washing by the river?" The Buddha asked.
" Yes, and she was radiant." They answered.
" That woman is the 'stinking woman' you mentioned. She has been rendering you all such a valuable service of purity, and yet you say she is dirty." The Buddha continued:" Purity is not determined by external cleanliness. The mind has to be clean to be pure. Her daily cleaning of the streets for all of you has purfied her mind long ago. It is because you have not cleansed your minds that you dislike her dirty appearance. Do you think you can tell virtue and nobleness only by people's looks?"[ ' As the mind is pure, so is the land'.Purity of the mind is true purity. A lovely appearance can be deceptive, and may not be really worth the honour.]
