Thus have I heard:
One time, the Budha was staying at Anaathapindidas Ashrama in Jetavana of Shraavastii.
At that time, the Venerable Pandita said to his younger brother, Cuula-Pandita, ‘If you cannot uphold the Shila, you should return to lay life.’ Hearing this, Cuula-Pandita went to the gate of Anaathapindidas Ashrama in Jetavana and stood there, shedding tears.
At that time, Budha, with his divine eye, saw Cuula-Pandita standing outside the gate, weeping uncontrollably. Budha rose from his meditation and walked to the gate of the Jetavana monastery. He asked Cuula-Pandita, ‘Bhikshu, why are you weeping here?’
Cuula-Pandita replied, ‘Budha, my elder brother has driven me away, saying, “If you cannot uphold the Shila, return to lay life and do not stay here.” That is why I am weeping.’
Budha said, ‘Bhikshu, do not be afraid. I attained Anutara Samyak Sambodhi not because of your elder brother Paṇḍita.’
Then Budha took Cuula-Pandita by the hand and led him to a quiet room. He instructed him to sit down and handed him a broom, saying, ‘Recite this word. What is this word?’
At that time, Cuula-Pandita recited ‘sweep’ but forgot ‘broom.’ If he recited ‘broom,’ he forgot ‘sweep.’
For several days, Cuula-Pandita recited ‘sweep’ and ‘broom.’ Then he realized that ‘sweep’ and ‘broom’ also meant ‘remove’ and ‘defilements.’ He thought, ‘What is ‘removing’? What are defilements? Defilements are like dust, dirt, and debris, and removing means purification.’
He then further reflected, ‘Why did Bhagavaan teach me this? I should contemplate its meaning deeply.’ As he contemplated, he realised, ‘”Now in myself too there are defilements. I shall make this analogy: What is removing? What are defilements?’ He then understood, ‘”Mental fetters are the defilements, wisdom is the remover; now I can use the broom of wisdom to sweep away these fetters.’
Then Cuula-Pandita contemplated the five aggregates—their arising and passing away: form, the origin of form, the cessation of form; feeling, thinking, action, and consciousness—their arising and passing away.
Having contemplated the five aggregates, his mind was liberated from the defilements of sensual desire, existence, and ignorance. He attained the knowledge of liberation: ‘Birth is exhausted, the noble life has been lived, what was to be done has been done, and there is no further becoming,’ knowing this as it truly is. Cuula-Pandita became an Arhat. Having become an Arhat, he rose from his seat, approached Budha, bowed at his feet, and sat to one side. He said to Budha, ‘Now I have wisdom.
Now I have understanding. Now I have comprehended the meaning of “sweep” and “broom.”‘
Budha asked, ‘Bhikshu, how do you understand it?’
Cuula-Pandita replied, ‘Removing refers to wisdom, and defilements refer to the fetters.’
Budha said, ‘Excellent, bhikshu! As you have said, removing is wisdom, and defilements are fetters.’
Then Cuula-Pandita recited this verse to Budha:
‘Now I have recited this enough,
as the Budha has taught;
Wisdom alone removes fetters,
not by any other practice.’
Budha said, ‘Bhikshu, as you have said, it is through wisdom, not by any other means.’
At that time, Cuula-Pandita, having heard Budha’s words, he followed it with Joy.