A man of virtue treasures time like gold. Narrated by Patrick Murphy of the SOH Radio Network

Time flies as quickly as a galloping horse. A man of virtue knows to treasure time for the precious gold that it is. There was once a historian named Liu Shu in the Northern Song Dynasty who was known for his lofty character and noble aspirations. He was diligent in learning throughout his life. He was also a man of great self-discipline. He made a reasonable plan for each day in his life and never wasted time.

Liu studied the Confucian classics when he was young and tried every day to commit some part of them to memory. In fact, he was so interested in memorizing the classics of Confucius that he often forgot to eat or go to bed. When Liu Shu was eight, a guest in his home said Confucius didn’t have any brothers. Liu Shu immediately quoted a relevant passage to prove that Confucius did have a brother. His response amazed everyone present. Liu Shu was always able to answer questions raised by his young friends. He told them that the answers could be found in the books and that they ought to read more to find the answers.

At the age of 18, Liu Shu scored at the provincial level in the civil service examination. Yan Shu, the prime minister at the time, was impressed by Liu Shu’s excellent answers on the classics, so he invited him to give lectures at the royal college. Yan Shu even took a group of government officials with him to attend Liu Shu’s lectures. Liu Shu’s profound knowledge and understandings of the classics, as well as his excellent character, were so mesmerizing that he inspired a trend to study the classics.

When Liu Shu heard that Song Cidao, a scholar and government official in Hao Prefecture, had a large collection of books, he traveled several hundred miles just to borrow books. Song Cidao invited Liu Shu to stay in his home and welcomed him with a feast. But Liu Shu said, “You, of all people, must know that I didn’t come here for food or drink. Could I please ask you to remove all the dishes? I have come to seek knowledge in your excellent collection of books.”

After Song Cidao took Liu Shu to his private library, Liu began to read and transcribe books day and night for over two weeks, until he had studied and transcribed all the books he was interested in. Song Cidao sighed, “It’s admirable that you were able to endure such hardship.” Liu Shu smiled, “What hardship? The more I read, the more clear-headed I become. It is an infinite joy to read!”

Liu Shu was a very forgiving and honest government official. He spoke the truth at all times. He advocated following the way of the two sage kings, Yao and Shun, and governed his people with kindness. Because he really addressed the needs of his people and listened to their voices, they admired and loved him. He held himself to a very strict standard. Except for a small amount of time for sleep, Liu Shu spent all his available time studying and doing meaningful things. Regardless of what was going on around him, Liu Shu made sure that he studied every day. He once wrote a book in which he listed 20 mistakes he made and 18 things that he could have done better. But he looked within himself in time to mend his mistakes. The honesty and courage Liu Shu manifested were truly commendable.

Since ancient times, all those who have harbored noble ambitions have treasured time. There was an ancient saying, “A sage will not value a foot-long piece of jade, but will an inch of time.” Tao Yuanming, a famous poet in the Jin Dynasty, once said, “The prime of one’s life does not come again as sure as the morning of a day will not reappear that day. I advise you to treasure time, for time will not wait for you.” Their excellent cultivation of moral values and lofty character have given us a great lesson to learn.

By Zhi Zhen  (Clearwisdom.net)

The grandfather looked around and found himself sitting among several tombs. (Image courtesy laura padgett/Flickr)

Welcome back to the SOH Radio Network the home of Ancient Tales of Wisdom. Hello everyone, I’m Grace Mann, and it is my privilege to bring you the following factual story as told by a grandson of his grandfather’s experience.  This story is titled: For a Debt of Seven Pennies.

The author’s grandfather was a famous doctor in his hometown. One night, after receiving an urgent call from a villager, he took a ferry to see the patient. Because he arrived very early in the morning and did not want to bother the patient’s family, he decided to wait until a more reasonable hour before knocking at the door. In the darkness, he settled himself on the bank beside the river to take a nap. While resting, he overheard a conversation between two children.

“Come on, forget about the debt. She’s your mother anyway.”

“No way, debt between blood kin is also debt. She owes me, and she has to pay back every penny.”

“How much does she owe you?”
“Seven pennies!”
“How are you going to get it back?”
“I have my way. Just watch!”

The grandfather suddenly woke up and realized he had been napping, yet the conversation between the two children had seemed so real. He looked around and saw that there were no villages or inns nearby. Where had the two children’s voices come from? He was confused. He looked around and found himself sitting among several  tombs. There was one nearby which was very new. The dirt was wet and still fresh.

At that moment he was scared.  At dawn, he saw a young woman approaching. She wore a pretty scarf on her head and a beautiful apron printed with blue flowers, and she carried a basket. When she walked closer, he saw she had a small white flower in her hair and she looked deeply grieved. She went to the new tomb, lit some candles and incense, and took out some rice and some small dishes. While crying, she said, “My son, you died so young. Do you know how much I miss you when I see other children? My son, I am so miserable. Please answer if you can hear me….”

Hearing her weeping, the doctor was deeply touched by the sorrow of this young mother who had lost her young son.

All of a sudden, the young woman’s apron caught fire from the candle. By the time she had extinguished the fire her beautiful apron was burned on one corner. She cried, “I just bought this apron yesterday for seven pennies.”

The doctor’s eyes grew wide and his mouth fell open in shock. He then realized his experience and that her son had gotten back the seven pennies that she owed him.

Now, for an update on our ATW Premium Gold Pass podcast release.  We are on track with this initiative and with things flowing as they are now, we trust that our launch date will be around mid March, just some four weeks away.

SOH is proud to bring this proposal to you all.  By becoming a valued ATW Gold Pass subscriber, not only will you regularly receive our fabulous stories, but also, your very affordable membership fee will 100% support SOH’s continued growth in becoming a stable major contributor to our world societies.

Please also tell your family, friends and work colleagues about the ATW Premium Gold Pass. And, stay turned to Ancient Tales Wisdom for the how and when to sign up for this great opportunity.

Before signing off for today, let’s listen to the Quote of the Day from an inspired audience member at the final Los Angeles Shen Yun Performing Arts show.   [audio]

Until next we meet, laugh lots, be happy, while always remembering we all must pay for what we owe.

Thank you for being with us again on the SOH Radio Network for Ancient Tales Wisdom.  I look forward to being with you all again real soon.

Story Source: PureInsight.org
(with slight modification)

Translated from: http://www.zhengjian.org/zj/articles/2003/2/3/20309.html

Be noble and incorruptible ( ATW story by Patrick Murphy)

As human beings, we might be poor or be in a difficult situation, but we have to understand the fundamentals of being human. We cannot acquire wealth by immoral means, and we must not lose or damage our virtue.

During ancient times, Yanli Jizi, the brother of the king of Wu Kingdom, went out for a stroll and saw a gold piece that someone had lost on the road. It was the month of May and very hot. A poor woodsman in feather-down clothes was passing by, and Jizi said to him, “Pick up the gold on the ground.”

The woodsman threw his sickle to the ground, raised his eyebrows, and said angrily, “You are a noble, but why do you treat other people as if they are beneath you? You have a grand and heroic appearance, but why do you speak so rudely? I would rather wear feather-down in hot May while chopping firewood. Why should I pick up gold that someone else has lost?”

Yanli Jizi was very ashamed when he heard this. He hurriedly apologized to the woodsman and asked for his name. The man replied, “You look like someone of high status. It would be a waste of time to tell you my name.” He left after saying this.

The king’s brother admired the woodsman’s morality and personal integrity, that he was able to endure poverty and hardship without accepting immoral wealth. This is a virtue that human beings should have, and it is consistent with what has been taught in the divinely-endowed culture–human beings must be noble, pure, and ethical. We should not pocket money that we have not earned. (Clearwisdom.net)

Buddha Shakyamuni teaching his disciples. (Courtesty Wikimedia Commons)

Welcome again to Ancient Tales of Wisdom brought to you by the SOH Radio Network. Hello, I’m Grace Mann. Today’s story dates back to over 2,500 years ago and tells how one of Buddha Shakyamuni’s disciples became known as “The Monk Who Overslept.”

But first, let’s listen to an update ‘quote of the day, from an audience member attending a Fort Lauderale,  Shen Yun Performing Arts performance during its 2010 Global Tour.      [audio]

And now, to our story “The monk who over slept.”

Buddha Shakyamuni repeatedly taught his disciples to study Buddhist doctrine attentively and wholeheartedly, and that they must not slack off or be lazy. Most of his disciples followed his teachings and cultivated diligently, and therefore obtained the Dao and reached their Attainment Status while eliminating a lot of worries and suffering.

However, there was one monk who simply was not diligent. Whenever others practiced meditation, he would just go to sleep. His fellow disciples tried to reason with him, but he would not change.

The monk’s greatest weakness was oversleeping.  Everyday he would to go sleep after he ate a meal. When he slept, he kept his door closed tightly and slept alone in his room. No one could wake him up, no matter how hard they tried.

One day at noon, after begging for food on the street, the monk came back carrying his alms bowl. He went straight to his room and again fell asleep. The snoring from his room could be heard till the next morning.

That  morning, it was time for Shakyamuni to teach the Buddha Fa to the public. Every disciple was present, except the monk who liked to sleep. Shakyamuni asked, “Why doesn’t the disciple who likes to sleep come?”

A disciple quickly stood up and replied, “Buddha, he has been sleeping since noon yesterday. We could not wake him no matter what we tried.”

Shakyamuni then said that the monk only had seven days to live. If he died while sleeping all the time, his death would bring him unhappiness. Shakyamuni had great pity for the monk. He instructed his disciples to recite a scripture and took Ananda with him to see the monk in his room.

They could hear the thunderous snoring before they reached the monk’s room. They opened the door only to hear even louder snoring. The monk was still in bed in a deep sleep.

Ananda called the monk’s name a few times, but the monk did not respond and continued sleeping. Then,  Buddha Shakyamuni walked to his bed and gently shook him. The monk immediately woke up.

Upon seeing Shakyamuni standing before him and gazing at him with compassion, the monk immediately got up and bowed to Shakyamuni, saying, “Revered Buddha, please forgive me for being disrespectful.”

Shakyamuni said to him, “You only have seven days to live. I cannot bear to see you die while sleeping so much and failing to reach an upright Attainment Status. I’m here to wake you up.”

The monk was shocked. It had never occurred to him that he might only have seven days to live. He was frightened and did not know what to do.

Shakyamuni comforted him and said, “It is predestined for you. Several lifetimes ago when you were a monk, you indulged in food and sleep and never pondered the meaning of the Fa. You did not follow the Buddhist’s precepts. You did not sow any blessings or virtue, therefore, you reincarnated many times into four different beings over many thousands of years.

“In your previous lives you liked to live in dark places without light, and you treasured your body and life very much. What’s more unusual is that all four different beings were fond of sleeping and could sleep for over 100 years once they fell asleep. You did not try at all to be diligent. However, after 200,000 years you were finally able to repay the sin you had committed. Then, you reincarnated as a human and became a monk.

“Now that you have become a monk you should cultivate and study diligently to make up for what you have previously lost. I did not expect that you would still be so attached to food and sleep like you were 200,000 years ago. Why do you always feel like you do not get enough sleep? Don’t forget the consequences you suffered 200,000 years ago.”

Shakyamuni stopped talking. The monk blushed with shame. He quickly repented to Shakyamuni. When he criticized himself deeply and repented, all his distracted thoughts disappeared and he was able to attain the status of Arhat by the end of his life.

It is said that time passes by in the blink of an eye. There are only twenty-four hours in a day and the average person sleeps eight hours of this day. People who oversleep may end up spending most of their time in sleep and dreams and therefore accomplish very few major tasks in a lifetime. Several decades pass by quickly in the human world. You’ll indeed regret it if you do not firmly seize all opportunities.

Sometimes you will feel that life is long and arduous.  You may ponder, have I done a good job completing the tasks I was supposed to do and the missions I was  supposed to fulfil.  Or even worse, do you acknowledge you may not have made the effort to do those things at all.  How regretful you feel? What about your next life? The monk who overslept finally realized that he needed to seize the time he had left in this life.   Can we all learn from ‘the monk who overslept.’

Cultivate diligently in *Buddha Law Cultivation.* How can a sleepy and drowsy person become as magnificent as a mighty lion? A cultivator should seize every minute, sleep less, and cultivate more to succeed in cultivation.

Before signing off for today,  just a quick update on our Premium ATW podcast membership offer.  Yes, the wheels are turning behind the scenes, and progress is being made. This great offer will be brought to you all, our valued listeners, as soon as possible.  Thank you for your patience.  SOH is proud to bring you this service, that will not only bring you our fabulous stories, but also, through paying the very low, Gold Pass membership, you will be supporting SOH’s continued growth in becoming a stable, major contributor to our world societies.

Thank you for being with us again on the SOH Radio Network for Ancient Tales of Wisdom.

Until it is again my privilege to be with you all, laugh lots be happy and make the best of every day of your life.

Story Source:  Clearwidom.net
Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2009/11/15/212614.html

A tiny advantage has far reaching consequences. (NCBrian/Flickr)

Our Ancient Tale of Wisdom today tells of how “A Tiny Advantage has Far-reaching Consequences .”  Hello again , my name is Grace Mann, welcome to Ancient Tales of Wisdom.

Before our tiny tale today, let’s listen to our Shen Yun Performing Arts – Quote of the Day from an audience member attending the final Sacramento Show on Tuesday 13^th January.  [audio]

As Shen Yun with its live orchestra moves into the fifth week of its 2010 Global Tour, it continues to ‘transcend all classes, all ages, and all ethnic backgrounds.’

And now, sit back, take five and listen to how A Tiny Advantage has Far-reaching Consequences.

During the Qing Dynasty, under the reign of emperor Kang Xi Xinhai, a couple were occupied watering their fields at the bottom of Mount Xielu in the Kunshan Mountain range. A sudden storm arose and a lightening strike killed the husband. The villagers thought the husband had been an honest man and could not understand his fate. His wife burst out: “It happened because of 18 lbs. of meat.”

Astonished, the people wanted to hear more.

“Last winter my husband rowed the boat to town, to pay the taxes and the lease on the land. As he tied up the boat he noticed a chunk of meat sitting in an empty boat nearby. No one was around, so he took the meat, brought it home and weighed it, it was 18lbs.Eventually it was discovered that the meat belonged to a rich family who lived along the river. The maid who was washing the meat in the river had become distracted, and she deserted her task.

“When she returned, the meat was nowhere to be found. Her enraged mistress scolded the servant severely when she returned empty-handed and beat her, accidentally killing her. The master of the house became extremely upset when he discovered what his wife had done. The wife became so distraught that she committed suicide by hanging herself. And now my husband is dead from a lightning strike.

The wife said “When gaining at the expense of others, if the gains are not meant to be ours, one might get the impression to have won something, but in reality it bodes badly for others, brings only misery to oneself and one loses virtue.

She concluded: “see, a small advantage can lead to far-reaching consequences!”

Thanks again for joining us for Ancient Tales of Wisdom on the SOH Radio Network.  Stay tuned for more wise words from ancient times.

Also, stay posted for up-date details throughout the next few weeks as we fine- tune the launch of our ATW Premium Gold Pass.

Until next time, laugh lots, be happy and choose not, any tiny advantage.

Story Source:  The Epoch Times
(with slight modifications)

Love Story of Niu Lang and Heavenly Weaver Maiden

According to legend, on the night of the seventh day of the seventh month in the Chinese lunar calendar, cow herder Niu Lang and Heavenly Weaver Maiden will travel across the Milky Way over a bridge formed by swallows to their once-a-year meeting. The love story between Niu Lang and Weaver Maiden has long been told by the Chinese.

Weaver Maiden is the youngest daughter of the Heavenly King, and she is skilled at weaving any beautiful patterns and colors. When you see brilliant skies and seven-colored rainbows, it must have come from Weaver Maiden’s skillful hands.

Niu Lang was a cow herder who was born into a poor family in southern China. His parents died when he was young, and he grew up with a lot of hardships. He lived alone and tended cows for a living. He was honest, kind and diligent, but being poor, he was not able to find a woman to marry.

One day, when tending cows on the grassland, Niu Lang saw nine heavenly maidens descending to the river side. He hid behind the trees watching. The maidens took off their colorful dresses, left them at the riverbank, and started to play in the water. Niu Lang was stunned at their beauty, especially that of the youngest one, on whom his eyes were fixed.

A cow he had tended for many years suddenly started to speak to Niu Lang, “She is Weaver Maiden in heaven. If you hide away her dress, she will not be able to return — she will stay and marry you.” The cow told him what dress belonged to the Weaver Maiden.

Some moments later, when the maidens were ready to leave, the Weaver Maiden had to stay behind. Not being able to find her dress, she could not ascend to heaven. Niu Lang came out from behind the trees. He handed the Weaver Maiden her dress. By now, the timing of her heavenly return had passed.

Niu Lang asked Weaver Maiden to marry him. While not happy that he had hidden her dress, she saw that Niu Lang was a kind man, so she agreed to marry him.

Niu Lang and Weaver Maiden lived a happy life together. They loved and respected each other, and they both worked hard. Weaver Maiden’s fine hands transformed Niu Lang’s simple hut into a beautiful and warm home.

Two years quickly lapsed, and Weaver Maiden had given birth to two children, one boy and one girl.

Two years on earth is just a fleeting moment in heaven. As soon as Weaver Maiden’s sisters returned to heaven, the Heavenly King discovered that his youngest daughter was missing. He then saw that she had married a mortal on earth. He became angry, and asked the Heavenly Queen to lead an army of heavenly soldiers to bring Weaver Maiden back.

On earth, the sky suddenly became dark and the wind started to roar. A moment later, the heavenly soldiers came and took away Weaver Maiden.

Although suspecting this day may come, Niu Lang was still taken by surprise, and he became desperate. Putting each of his children in a basket and carrying two baskets with a long pole over his shoulder, Niu Lang started to run after those who had captured his wife. As the soldiers ascended to heaven with Weaver Maiden, Niu Lang found himself ascending with them. He hurried forward and the distance between him and his wife seemed to be narrowing.

At this moment, the Heavenly Queen threw her golden hairpin in front of Niu Lang. The hairpin turned into a river instantly, separating him from his wife. This river was later referred to as the Milky Way.

Niu Lang and Weaver Maiden looked at each other across the broad heavenly river; with tears in their eyes they longed to be by each other’s side. Moved by their great love, swallows formed a bridge with their bodies over the heavenly river.

The Heavenly Queen saw Weaver Maiden and Niu Lang’s love for each other. She allowed them to meet once a year, on the evening of their forced separation, the seventh day of the seventh month.

On this night on the seventh day of the seventh month, you will find very few swallows, as most have gone up to form the heavenly bridge. If the wind is calm and you listen carefully, you may hear the murmuring of Niu Lang and Weaver Maiden expressing their love and longing for each other.

(theEpochTimes.com)

Correcting One's Wrongdoings Changes One's Fate (Source: Zhang Cuiying)

In the Ming Dynasty, a man named Zhang Weiyan in Jiangyin, of Jiangsu Province, was a skilled writer. He was quite well-known in his region. In the year of Jiawu, he went on to the court exams but failed. Under the bulletin of the exam results he cursed the judges who scored his exams very low, feeling they did not recognize people who had true knowledge.At that moment, a Taoist passed by and heard him. He smiled and said, “I can tell that your writings must be bad!”

Zhang Weiyan then vented his anger on him, “Why do you laugh at me? You have not read my articles, how do you know that my writings are bad?” The Taoist said, “I heard the key to writing is that one needs to be at peace and maintain a calm heart. You are now cursing the judges. You must be very angry. How can you write a good article if this is what your character is like?” Zhang Weiyan thought what he said was very rational, and then sincerely asked him for help

The Taoist said, “Your writing certainly needs to be good. However, if you are destined to fail, even good writing will not help you. The fundamental solution is to change your attitude.” Zhang Weiyan asked him, “How can I change my attitude?” The Taoist replied, “If you can follow the words of heaven and do good deeds, what else can’t you do?”

Zhang Weiyan sighed, “I am just a poor scholar. Where can I find enough money to do good deeds?” The Taoist said, “Be compassionate and cultivate your virtue, the most important thing lies in your heart. It requires us to bear kindness in our heart at all times. We need to be more humble and ready to help others. The motivation of helping needs to be pure. Follow the heavenly principle. For example, one doesn’t need money to be humble. You can achieve this without being rich. Why don’t you examine yourself instead of cursing the judges? This action becomes your fault.” Zhang Weiyan was moved. He thanked the Taoist.

Since then, Zhang Weiyan had been very kind and strict with himself. He cultivated his virtue and became a person with high morality. He established schools, and instructed the local people. He taught them to avoid wrongdoing and perform good deeds no matter how minor the situation. He encouraged people to be kind to each other. He was highly praised.

One day three years later, Zhang Weiyan had a dream. He dreamt that he entered a large house. There was a book with names listed, but with many blank spaces. He asked a person standing nearby about the blank spaces. That person told him, “This is a list of names that will be accepted this fall. If a name appeared here and that person has not committed any wrongdoings, his name will be kept. The blank spaces are those who could have been accepted but committed wrongdoings. Therefore their names were removed. During the past three years, you have been kind to others. Your name was added. If you can keep doing this, you will build virtues in the future. I hope you can be strict with yourself.” Indeed, Zhang Weiyan passed the court exams that year. Later he did perform many good deeds for his people.

Heaven will protect kind people. It is natural that those who are kind will be repaid! No matter where you are, which profession you choose and what kind of environment you are in, you can be a good person. Do good deeds and keep a compassionate heart at all times, and virtue will grow. One can then enjoy a bright future.

(Clearwisdom.net)

Renowned ancient Chinese herbalist Li ShiZhen 1518-1593, who lived in the Qichun County, Hubei Province during the Ming dynasty. (Courtesy Wikipedia Commons)

Welcome to Ancient Tales of Wisdom. Happy New Year to all our avid ATW listeners, it’s great to be back with you.  May 2010 grant each of you, wonderful experiences, health, peace and contentment., My name is Grace Mann. Today our tale is one of the many, about famous physician and herbalist, Li Shizhen, titled Fill Your Heart with Compassion.

But before I begin, let’s listen to our Quote of the Day, shared by an audience member from the Shen Yun Performing Arts 2010 global tour performance in Philadelphia.     [audio]

And now for our tale; Fill Your Heart with Compassion.

According to Historical Records, Li Shizhen was a famous physician from the Ming Dynasty of ancient China. Li Shizhen loved medical books and was a brilliant physician. He was considered a sage among physicians. In his home town, there was another ignorant and mediocre physician who pretended to know everything. This foolish physician bought lots of medical books to show that he had a supposed wealth of knowledge.

One year, after the rainy season, this physician told his servants to put his collection of medical books in the courtyard to dry. He paced back and forth like a peacock displaying himself. When Li Shizhen happened to see it, he got an impulse to loosen his clothing and lay next to the book racks. The physician saw that Li had his chest and belly exposed to the sun and asked, “Hey, what are you doing here?”

Li said, “I also want to get some sunshine for my books.”

The physician asked, “Where are your books then?”

Li patted his belly and said, “All my books are in here.”

Li Shizhen was being sarcastic, of course, but his remark told us that a person’s knowledge depends not on how many books one owns but on how many books one has digested. Reading is an activity for the mind. Books, good or bad, can affect a person’s temperament or even change it. Actually, one’s temperament and spirit are connected. Good books can enrich one’s mind and also help to refine a person with elegance and grace.

As for cultivators, when they have compassion in their heart, they will be kind and peaceful. No matter where they go, they bring with them a field of kindness and peace. Someone once asked the founder of Buddhism, Sakyamuni, why people who had noble characters and liked to cultivate their hearts seemed to be so peaceful and joyful? Sakyamuni said, “They are not saddened by the past or anxious about the future. They are content with the present and, therefore, they are happy and joyful.”

Before, signing off for today I have some great news to share with you all.  The ATW team is buzzing with excitement, because we will soon be offering each and every one of you the opportunity to hear our premium podcast range 5 days a week. Just imagine being able to enjoy the harmony and inspiration of an Ancient Tale of Wisdom, every day;on your way to or from work, or at any other time of the day or night you choose.  SOH is proud to bring you this service, that will not only bring you our fabulous narrations, but also, through paying the very low, yearly Gold Pass membership, you will be supporting SOH’s continued growth in becoming a stable, major contributor to our world societies.

We are looking to start our Premium Ancient Tales of Wisdom Podcast around late February, so start saving those pennies today and by then you will easily be able to be one of the first to enjoy the ATW Premium Gold Pass.

As our loyal and long standing listeners, please share our good news with your families and friends, or even surprise them with a gifted subscription.

Stay posted for further details of our upcoming launch of the ATW Premium Gold Pass.

Thank you for joining us here at SOH Radio Network for Ancient Tales of Wisdom.  It has again been my privilege to share today’s wise words from ancient times.

Until we next meet laugh lots, be happy and ‘fill your heart with compassion.’

Story Source: ClearHarmony.net

Kokushi from clearwisdom.net

During the Tang Dynasty, there lived a monk named Wu Tatsu Kokushi, who was awarded the Kokushi title (an honorary title given to Buddhist masters).

One day before being awarded the Kokushi title, Wu Tatsu Kokushi met up with a monk who was ill. The monk had boils all over his body. He was filthy and emitted an awful body odor. Everybody avoided him except for Wu Tatsu Kokushi. He took pity on the sick monk and took care of him. Gradually, the monk returned to health. Before they parted, the monk thanked Wu Tatsu Kokushi and said, “If you ever run into any tribulation, please look for me at Jiu Long Mountain, in Peng Zhou, Sichuan Province. You need to look for two pine trees next to each other.”

Because Wu Tatsu Kokushi had high moral values and conducted himself virtuously, Emperor Tang Yi Zhong respected him greatly. He was awarded the title of Kokushi, and treated him very well. But one day a boil with the shape of a human face grew on Wu Tatsu Kokushi’s knee. It had facial features including a mouth and teeth. It could even swallow food when fed. Famous physicians from all over the country came to treat Wu Tatsu Kokushi’s illness, but to no effect.

One day, Wu Tatsu Kokushi remembered the sick monk he had nursed back to health, and he went to the mountain to find him. By early evening, he found the two pine trees next to each other. They were so tall that they seemed to reach the sky. The monk was already waiting for him outside a grand palace. The monk asked Wu Tatsu Kokushi to stay.

Wu Tatsu Kokushi told the monk about his strange and painful illness. The monk replied, “Don’t worry about it. There is pristine spring water below the mountain cliff. Why don’t you wait untill tomorrow morning. Use the spring water to wash your knee, and you will be healed.”

On the second day, Wu Tatsu Kokushi went to the spring early in the morning. Just when he was about to scoop up some water, the boil with the human face shouted out loudly, “Wait a minute! Don’t wash yourself yet. You are knowledgeable and well-read. Have you read the story of “Yuan Ang and Chao Cuo” in the Western Han Dynasty books?”

Wu Tatsu Kokushi replied, “Yes, I have read the story.”

The boil said, “Since you know the story, how could you not remember that Yuan Ang killed Chao Cuo? You were Yuan Ang in your past life, and I was Chao Cuo. You denigrated me before the Emperor and I was killed. I’ve been trying to seek revenge life after life, because you are much favored by the Emperor, your moral character has not been up to par. You were seeking fame and profit. Therefore, I’m able to take my revenge. Now that venerable Jia Ruo Jia (who transformed himself into a sick monk) is offering me the Samadhi water to set me free, let us dissolve our old grudges as well!”

Wu Tatsu Kokushi was frightened after hearing this story. He quickly scooped up some water to clean the boil. The pain was so excruciating that he fainted. After he woke up, the boil on his knee was gone. And when he turned around to look for the grand palace, it had disappeared without a trace. Wu Tatsu Kokushi later settled in the area to practice cultivation and never left. This is the story of the famous “Samadhi Water Repentance,” and it was passed down by Wu Tatsu Kokushi for future generations.

Although Wu Tatsu Kokushi had been a monk with high morality for ten lifetimes, he could not avoid the karmic retribution from an enmity formed ten lifetimes prior, simply because his moral character was not up to par and he was yearning for fame and profit.

This true story certainly serves as a warning not to disregard a single thought. And who can doubt the fairness of law of karmic retribution? (Clearwisdom.net)

The beggar (van Avont). State 2 / Wikimedia Commons

Wisdom is not a given, it is learned, be it in the time of the ancients or that of our present day time-space, as the following tale beautifully reveals.  Hello and welcome to another great Ancient Tale of Wisdom, my name is Grace Mann, and today’s tale is entitled: Holes in the Heart.

Once upon a time in days gone by, in order to find the true meaning of life, a young man seeking the Tao travelled far from home.  Without stopping, he climbed high mountains, crossed dangerous rivers, and visited numerous places looking for a true master to answer his questions. Day after day, he met and asked many people; however, he did not feel he had gained any enlightenment.  Disappointed, he pondered and wondered, but he was still not able to figure out why.

Later, he learned from a teacher that there was a high-level monk who had obtained the Tao, living in a mountain not far from his hometown. He could answer all kinds of difficult questions about life. Therefore, he immediately started out in the dark of night and asked around where he could find the monk.

One day, he arrived at the foot of a mountain and saw a woodcutter walking down with two buckets of firewood on his shoulders. The young man asked him, “Brother, do you know exactly where the monk who has obtained the Tao lives in this mountain and what he looks like?” The woodcutter thought for a moment and answered, “It is true that there is such a monk on this mountain. However, people do not know exactly where he lives because he often travels around to offer salvation to predestined people. As to his appearance, some say he looks elegant and unusual and divine halos shine on his body; some say he looks dirty and messy and his clothes are sloppy and shabby. Nobody can really describe him clearly.”

After thanking the woodcutter, the young man was determined to find the monk. He travelled way up the mountain without any rest. On the mountain, he met peasants, hunters, children herding animals, and people digging herbs, etc. However, he did not find the high-level monk who could tell him the meaning of life.

In despair, the young man turned around and went back down from the mountain. On his way, he met a beggar with a broken bowl in his hands who begged for water from him. The young man poured some water into the bowl from his water bag. However, the water completely leaked out before the beggar could put his lips to the bowl and drink. Unwillingly, the young man poured more water into the bowl and urged the beggar to drink faster, but just as the bowl reached the beggar’s lips, the water all leaked out again.

“How can you possibly drink water using a broken bowl?” The young man said impatiently.

“Poor young man, you have been seeking the meaning of life everywhere and you look unassuming on the surface. However, in your heart, you judge whether others’ words meet your expectations. You cannot accept any views that do not satisfy your expectations, and those notions of yours result in big holes in your heart and keep you from finding the answers you seek.”

Hearing the beggar’s words, the young man suddenly enlightened to the point. He immediately bowed to the monk and said, “Master, are you the high-level monk that I have been trying to find?” When there was no reply even though he repeated his question several times, he raised his head and found that beggar had long disappeared.

A bowl with holes cannot hold water; and a heart with holes cannot hear the meaning of life.

What are the manifestations of those holes in the heart? Selfishness,  jealousy, stubbornness and being opinionated are some; while suspicion, impetuousness, hatefulness, fearfulness, arrogance, and being cowardly are more examples. These mentalities are like holes in the heart; and people have different kinds of holes in their hearts.

Humans are not saints and sages, who cannot live without making a single mistake.  Since we are lost in the delusion of our world, who can claim to be without loopholes?  Having loopholes is not an unspeakable issue.  It is the inflexibility of our heart and mind nature that keeps us bound in the wallowing of these shortcomings.  If we do not mend the loopholes, they will become bigger and bigger, harming one’s life and ultimately destroying oneself. A heart is not precious unless you are willing to mend the holes.

Thank you for joining us on Ancient Tales of Wisdom.  It has again been my privilege to share today’s wise words from ancient times.

Until we next meet laugh lots, be happy and let your heart be free.

Story Source:  clearwisdom.net
(with slight modifications)

Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2009/11/19/212915.html