December’s Inspiration    

WHERE IS HIGHLY CULTIVATED MONK?

By Grand Master Hsing Yun   

Once, when Prime Minister P'ei-hsiu was visiting Lung-hsing Temple, he saw a painting and asked, "What kind of painting is this?"

      The temple monk answered, "The true demeanor of a highly cultivated monk."

      P'ei-hsiu questioned, "I can see the true demeanor, but where is the highly cultivated monk?"

      The temple monk could not respond. P'ei-hsiu asked, "Are there any Ch'an practitioners here?"

      The temple monk answered, "We do have a roving monk who came here recently. He seems to be a Ch'an practitioner."

      P'ei-hsiu asked to meet with this roving monk and said to him, "I had just asked the temple monk a question. I wonder whether you can answer it."

      The roving monk replied, "Please ask your question."

      As P'ei-hsiu started to speak, the roving monk shouted, "Prime Minister!"

      Naturally, P'ei-hsiu responded to his title.

      "Where?" the roving monk asked.

      P'ei-hsiu exclaimed, "So, you are the highly cultivated monk!"

      P'ei-hsiu prostrated himself before the monk and asked to become his student. The roving monk was the famous Ch'an Master Huang-po.

      Prime Minister P'ei-hsiu was a true follower of Master Huang-po's teaching – "Don't seek anythingfrom the Buddha. Don't seek anything from the Dharma. Don't seek anything from the Sangha.This is the true way of practice."