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When Tappasi delivered the news to Nataputta that Upali had become one of the Buddha’s disciples, Nataputta couldn’t believe it. He
went with Tappasi to Upali’s house where Upali confirmed the truth.
More and more people throughout the kingdoms of Magadha and Kosala accepted the Path of Awakening. Many bhikkhus announced
this happy news to the Buddha when they visited him in Savatthi.
The Buddha told them, “Whether the increase in numbers of people accepting the Path as their own is good news or not depends on
how diligent the bhikkhus are in their practice. We should not cling to concepts of success or failure. We should look at both fortune and
misfortune with equanimity.”
One morning as the Buddha and the bhikkhus prepared to leave the monastery to go begging, several police entered Jetavana with
orders to search for the body of a woman. The bhikkhus were dismayed, not understanding why the police expected to find a woman’s
corpse on the monastery grounds. Venerable Bhaddiya asked who the woman was and was told she was a young woman named Sundari
who belonged to a large religious sect in Savatthi. The bhikkhus recognized the name as belonging to an attractive young woman who in
recent months had attended several Dharma talks at the monastery. The bhikkhus told the police there was no chance her body would be
found at Jetavana, but the police insisted on looking anyway. To everyone’s surprise, they found the body buried in a shallow grave not too
distant from the Buddha’s hut. No one could understand how she had died and why she had been buried there. After the police departed
with the body, the Buddha told the bhikkhus to go out begging as usual.
“Dwell in mindfulness,” he told them.
Later that same day, members Sundari’s sect carried her body throughout the city, wailing in loud voices. They stopped at intervals and
cried out to the people, “This is the body of Sundari! Her broken body was discovered in a shallow grave at Jetavana Monastery. Those
monks who claim to come from the noble line of Sakya, who claim to live chaste, pure lives—they raped Sundari, killed her, and then tried
to hide her body! Their talk of loving kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity is nothing but a sham! See for yourselves!”
The citizens of Savatthi were disturbed. Even some of the most solid disciples of the Buddha felt their faith waver. Others were
convinced that the whole affair had been orchestrated to harm the Buddha’s reputation, and they suffered deeply. Other spiritual sects
which felt threatened by the Buddha seized the opportunity to openly condemn and malign the sangha. The bhikkhus were interrogated and
heckled wherever they went. They did their best to maintain their serenity and to dwell in mindfulness, but it was difficult, especially for
bhikkhus still new to the practice. Many young bhikkhus felt shamed and no longer wanted to beg in the city.
The Buddha gathered the bhikkhus together one afternoon and spoke to them. “Unjust accusations can occur anywhere at any time.
There is no need for you to feel ashamed. The only cause for shame would be if you ceased your efforts to live your pure life of practice.
This false accusation will spread and then it will pass away. Tomorrow when you go begging, if anyone asks you about this affair, simply
answer, ‘Whoever is responsible will reap the fruits.’”
The bhikkhus were much comforted by the Buddha’s words.
Meanwhile, Lady Visakha, who was greatly disturbed over the affair, went to see Sudatta. Together they discussed the matter at some
length. They agreed to secretly hire someone to make an investigation in order to uncover the real culprits. They shared their plan with
Prince Jeta who agreed to help them.
Within seven days, the secret investigator discovered who the actual killers were. The two men responsible became drunk and began to
argue over their spoils. In their angry, drunken state, they let the truth slip out. Royal police were summoned and the men were arrested.
They made a confession and told the police how they were hired by the leaders of Sundari’s sect to kill her and bury her near the Buddha’s
hut.
King Pasenadi visited Jetavana at once to share the news that the killers had been found. He expressed his unwavering faith in the sangha
and his joy that the truth would now be known to all the people. The Buddha asked the king to forgive those responsible for the crime. He
also said that similar crimes could happen again unless people learned to overcome their hatred and jealousy.
The people of Savatthi once again regarded the bhikkhus with great admiration and respect.