The Monk and the Prostitute

A prostitute stopped a monk and invited him to stay at her house during the rainy season.

The monk said, "I have no objection to staying... that's a different matter! But making a prediction is difficult." He said, "I have no objection to staying, but let me just go and ask the guru from whom I received my ordination. He won't refuse, I'm quite sure of that. But it's just a formality!

Because I am a disciple of the guru. The Buddha is just outside the village; I'll go and ask him now."

The prostitute must have been a little worried. What kind of monk is this! He agreed so quickly?

The monk went. He said to the Buddha, "Listen, I have received an invitation from a prostitute to stay at her house during the rainy season. Whatever your command is, I will do."

The Buddha said, "You can go. It is not proper to refuse the invitation."

A sensation spread among the monks. There were ten thousand monks, and they were filled with envy.

They thought, "He is so fortunate! A prostitute invited him for the rainy season. And it's outrageous that the Buddha even accepted it and gave permission." One monk stood up and said, "Stop! This will set a wrong precedent. If prostitutes start inviting monks, and monks start staying at their houses, corruption will spread. This shouldn't happen."

The Buddha said, "If you receive an invitation, and you stay, then corruption will spread. You seem so eager to stay! You are saying the opposite of what you mean. If you receive an invitation and you come to ask... firstly, you won't come to ask, because you will be afraid. He has only come to ask because there is no fear. You won't come to ask. Even if you do come to ask, I will not say yes to you. And don't be afraid."  I know that if this man stays in a prostitute's house, in three months he won't be chasing after the prostitute; the prostitute will be chasing after him.

I have faith in him. He is very precious.' The monk left.

He stayed in the prostitute's house for three months.  Many stories circulated, many reports came in, rumors spread that he had become corrupt. He was ruined, they said, just sitting and listening to music.  Who knows if he even followed any rules about eating and drinking! The other monks couldn't go inside, but they certainly kept circling around the house.

And they brought back all sorts of news.

But Buddha listened and gave no statement.

After three months, when the monk returned, the prostitute followed him.

And the prostitute said, "I am blessed that you allowed this monk to stay in my house.

I tried everything to corrupt him, because that was my ego.

When a prostitute can corrupt someone, she feels victorious.

It was my ego that this monk should be corrupted.

But I was defeated by him. My beauty was useless, my body was useless, my music was useless, my dance—nothing could tempt him, and in three months, I fell under his spell.

And the question arose in my mind, what does he possess?

What kind of wealth does he have that makes me seem like nothing in comparison? Now I too want to seek that.

Until I find that wealth, I am ready to do anything, ready to give up everything.

There is no meaning in life anymore until I attain that state in which this monk is."

And the prostitute became a nun.

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