In a certain town lived a sadhu. He was very well respected and among his disciples were many kings, artists, scientists and other important people. This sadhu maintained very strict rules and purity. He ate neither meat nor fish. He stayed away from garlic and onions, neither drank nor smoked. He prayed three times a day. He always appeared to be repeating the mantra with his eyes closed, opening them only when he had to see someone.

The sadhu lived on the first floor of his building, and on the same floor in the opposite building across the street lived a prostitute. Every day the prostitute practiced her profession, singing, dancing and entertaining men. Although the sadhu was celibate and physically pure, he was obsessed with her.

He would watch her, constantly thinking, "Hey, that's the second fellow who has gone to her today. Now there's a third There goes a fourth. Look she's hugging him!" All day long he watched the prostitute thinking how wicked and sinful she was. "Why does a pure being like me have to live across the street of a wretched prostitute ? " He would wonder.

But when the prostitute had some spare time, she would look towards the sadhu and be filled with remorse. She would think, "What a pure and holy being he is. And look at me-what a bad state I'm in. Alas....alas! There is no hope for me."

Many years went by. One day both of them died. The sadhu died surrounded by his disciples , and his funeral rights were performed with great honour. Precious materials were put on his body; sandalwood and incense were burnt. The prostitute , however died alone and nobody knew.

The souls of the sadhu and the prostitute went to the next world to be examined at the passport office of the dharma and righteousness . Their files were checked, and both of them were given slips of paper indicating where they where to go. The proustite's slip of paper said "heaven" and the sadhu's paper said "hell".

The sadhu was terribly upset. He cried, "What kind of justice is this? You sent a wretched prostitute to heaven and a pure person like me to hell ! How do you explain this?"

The Passport official said, "Come this way." He pulled out the files and showed them to the sadhu. "It is true that you kept your body very pure that your performed many religious rites and rituals. " He explained "That is why when you died your body was treated with the highest respect and buried with the greatest honors. But this is an account of what you thought about. Day after day you kept thinking, "She is a wretched creature. She is so wicked. Look at all those men who are coming to her."

Then the passport official pulled out the prostitute's file. " This is what she thought about," he said "Every day she said to herself , "Oh sadhu, you are so pure and sublime sadhu, holy man save me. Deliver me." Of course, her body performed impure actions and as a result it was treated disrespectfully and given a pauper's burial. But because her thoughts were high and pure, she has been sent to heaven and because you thought about sin and wickedness you have to go to hell.