old-path-white-clouds-thich-nhat-hanh

“Sunita, would you like to become a bhikkhu like the rest of us?”
“I couldn’t!”
“Why not?”
“I’m an untouchable!”
“Sunita, I have already explained that on our path there is no caste. In the Way of Awakening, caste no longer exists. It is like the Ganga,
Yamuno, Aciravati, Sarabhu, Mahi, and Rohini rivers. Once they empty into the sea, they no longer retain their separate identities. A
person who leaves home to follow the Way leaves caste behind whether he was born a brahman, ksatriya, vaisya, sudra, or untouchable.
Sunita, if you like, you can become a bhikkhu like the rest of us.”
Sunita could hardly believe his ears. He placed his joined palms before his forehead and said, “No one has ever spoken so kindly to me
before. This is the happiest day of my life. If you accept me as your disciple, I vow to devote all my being to practicing your teaching.”
The Buddha handed his bowl to Meghiya and reached his hand out to Sunita. He said, “Sariputta! Help me bathe Sunita. We will ordain
him a bhikkhu right here on the bank of the river.”
Venerable Sariputta smiled. He placed his own bowl on the ground and came forward to assist the Buddha. Sunita felt awkward and
uncomfortable as Sariputta and the Buddha scrubbed him clean, but he didn’t dare protest. The Buddha asked Meghiya to go up and ask
Ananda for an extra robe. After Sunita was ordained, the Buddha assigned him to Sariputta’s care. Sariputta led him back to Jetavana
while the Buddha and the rest of the bhikkhus calmly continued their begging.
The local people had witnessed all this take place. News quickly spread that the Buddha had accepted an untouchable into his sangha.
This caused a furor among higher castes in the capital. Never in the history of Kosala had an untouchable been accepted into a spiritual