When the deceit was discovered, the Buddha's followers wanted to beat the culprit to deathThe Buddha calmly stopped them, saying: "Oh, Bhikkus, in a previous lifetime when I was a king, I was
once in a grove together with my courtiersAt the sight of an ascetic, the ladies of the party surrounded him, turning their backs on meJealous and angry, I exclaimed, How do you know that this ascetic is not a fake? How do you know that he does not spend his nights revelling with women? It is because of that slanderous remark that I have now had to endure that woman's deceitOh, monks, release her and let her go in peace
In the Buddhist world view, nothing happens without causeTo transcend suffering, we must stop causing further sufferingActing otherwise is no different than trying to escape one's shadow by running in the blazing sun!Editor/BWF: 310
PARABLE 022: CHARITY OF THE DESTITUTE
"During the lifetime of a certain transhistorical Buddha there was a couple so destitute that husband and wife had but one robe between themWhen the husband would leave their shack to seek work, his wife had to shut the door and stay home, nude, and vice versaHowever, upon hearing wandering monks teach that charity would extinguish the sufferings of poverty and want, husband and wife
balenciaga london discussed the matter between themselvesThey decided to donate their only piece of cloth by passing it through the window, determined to remain in the shack, completely without clothing, resigned to deathThis resolute good action came to the attention of the local ruler, who then showered them with garments and richesFrom that time on, through each succeeding lifetime, they never again were in want for the necessities of life, and ultimately attained complete liberationThus, although it may be difficult to practice charity when we are destitute ourselves, we should understand that the cause of such poverty and want is our own past stinginessIf we are determined to endure deprivation and suffering, charity is something that can still be accomplished
Master Tam: 302
PARABLE 023: CHIKO MANDALA
The story of this Japanese mandala, which is based on an eighth century legend, is as follows"Thee monks Chiko and Raiko of Gango-ji shared a room in which they had practiced religious austerities from the time of their youthAt one year's end,
Raiko ceased speaking, never replying to any of Chiko's questionsSeveral years later, Raiko diedWorried about Raiko's future existence, Chiko prayed that he might learn what had happened to his friendOne night in a dream he met RaikoThe
louis vuitton miroir setting was an ethereal, splendid place, and when Chiko asked where they were, Raiko replied that it was the Pure LandHe went on to explain that from his earliest days he had studied the sutras and holy scriptures and had longed for birth in Paradise, knowing all the while that this was no easy feat to achieveHe had stopped talking in order to focus his inner vision exclusively on the countenance of Amida and on the magnificence of the Pure LandAs a result, he had finally attained birth in ParadiseBut, continued Raiko, Chiko was still disordered in mind and body and his good deeds were fewSince it seemed impossible for him to be born there as well, he should return home straightawayChiko began to lament, begging to know how it might be possible for someone like him to achieve birth in the Western Paradise, whereupon Raiko, replying that Chiko should ask that question of the Buddha himself, guided Chiko to AmidaAmida told Chiko that it was necessary to devote one's full attention to an inner visualization of the extraordinary excellences of the Buddha (Amida) and the sublimity of the Pure Land in order to attain birth thereWhen Chiko confessed that he could not hold in his mind's eye the mysterious and limitless vision of the Western Paradise-- that this was a
miu miu nappa feat beyond the capabilities of ordinary men-- Amida held out his right hand and revealed a miniature Paradise in his palmImmediately upon waking from the dream, Chiko went to an artist and had him paint the vision of the Pure Land as it had appeared in the dreamThe monk devoted the rest of his life to a contemplation of this mandala and finally achieved rebirth in the Western Paradise
Okaz: 37
PARABLE 024: COMPASSION (ANIMAL SANCTUARY)
From Patriarch Hsuan-tsang's Records of the Western Regions:
"The lord of Varanasi once hunted and killed many deer on this landThe deer king implored him to stop the unnecessary killing and promised that each day he himself would give the lord the number of deer which he requiredOne day, he was faced with the necessity of sending a pregnant deerRather than sacrifice her with her unborn child, the deer king went to
the lord to offer his own flesh insteadThe lord was so moved by the deer king's compassion that he stopped the daily killing and gave it the landHence it was named the Deer Park
Sokk: 59-60
Note: The Deer King was Buddha Sakyamuni in a previous lifeHis great act of compassion was met by an equally lofty act which resulted in the creation of an animal sanctuary and a pilgrimage sitePARABLE 025: COMPASSION (THE
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"In a thicket at the foot of the Himalayan Mountains there once lived a parrot together with many other animals and birdsOne day a fire started in the thicket from the friction of bamboos in a strong wind and the birds and animals were in frightened confusionThe parrot, feeling compassion for their fright and suffering, and [remembering] the kindness he had received in the bamboo thicket where he could shelter himself, tried to do all he could to save themHe dipped himself in a pond nearby and flew over the fire and shook off the drops of water to extinguish the fireHe repeated this diligently with a heart of compassion [for all the animals in the thicket]This spirit of compassion and self-sacrifice was noticed by a heavenly god who came down from the sky and said to the parrot: 'You have a gallant mind, but what good do you expect to accomplish by a few drops of water against this great fire?' The parrot answered: 'There is nothing that cannot be accomplished by the spirit of compassion and self-sacrificeI will try over and over again and then over in the next life' The great god was impressed by the parrot's spirit and they together extinguished the fire (The Teaching of the Buddha)
BDK: 139
PARABLE 026: CULTIVATION (EASY PATH)
Pure Land
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