Venerable Master Hua's Talks on Dharma : Volume Three by Hsuan Hua

Author:Hsuan Hua [Hua, Hsuan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Buddhist Text Translation Society
Published: 2011-07-15T23:00:00+00:00

The Ghost of Impermanence answered sympathetically, “Very well, but do hurry a bit and get the business done and return so that I can turn in my duty-sheet. Otherwise I won’t be able to cover for you.”

Master Shenguang lost no time in pursuing Patriarch Bodhidharma, travelling by day and by night. He finally reached Sung Mountain and, looking from a distance, saw the Patriarch sitting in meditation facing a wall. Overwhelmed with joy, he rushed up to Patriarch Bodhidharma and bowed with deep reverence. He repented humbly, “Venerable One, please be compassionate and forgive your brash disciple. I didn’t know you were a sage who has realized the fruition of the Path. Your disciple made a mistake. Won’t you please confer on me the method for resolving the matter of birth and death?”

Patriarch Bodhidharma turned his head around to look at him, then resumed his meditation without saying a single word. Master Shenguang knelt before Patriarch Bodhidharma and did not rise. Thus he knelt for nine years.

Now as we meditate here, investigating Chan, our backs get sore and our legs start to hurt, and we feel we can’t take it after only two hours have passed. We may indulge in idle thoughts of food, or something sweet to drink. To sum it up, we can’t control the monkey-like thoughts or the “wild stallion of the mind.” We’d like nothing better than to jump up and run out the door. Dharma Master Shenguang’s sincere request for Dharma led him to forget himself in that search and inspired him to kneel for nine years. I doubt that any of you could kneel for even nine hours, much less nine years.

One day after heavy snow fell two feet deep, Master Shenguang was kneeling as usual in front of Patriarch Bodhidharma. The Patriarch looked up at him, and, impressed by his sincerity in seeking the Dhanria. asked him. “What are you doing kneeling here?”

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