PureInsight | December 13, 2007
[PureInsight.org] Long ago, a
young man gained some insight into the fickleness of the human world
and did not think there was any meaning to life, so he decided to
practice Buddhism.
One day, he met an old monk and told him about what he thought. The old monk said: "Young man, it is very hard to practice."
"How hard would it be?" The young man asked.
"On the way of practice, there are wolves and tigers that want to eat,
a python that will block the road, and only a single-log bridge over
the deep sea of bitterness. Can you get through?"
"What do you mean by 'wolves and tigers want to eat and a python blocks the way'?" the young man asked.
The monk explained: "Wolves and tigers wanting to eat means your
children, who need to eat and drink, so you have to work hard to raise
them. When they grow up, you will continue worrying about their lives.
It doesn't mean that your children come to eat you physically. It means
that you will devote too much parenting emotion on them and can not
concentrate on practice. The emotions will 'eat' your determination. A
Python blocking the road refers to the affection between the husband
and wife. It is like a huge python on the road of practice. If you
don't overcome it, you will be blocked and will not be able to advance.
The human world is like a deep sea of bitterness and the road of
practice is like a single-log bridge between this world and the divine
world. You will fall off the very moment you are careless. Young man,
can you give up all of this in this world?"
The young man replied determinedly: "I will not be afraid of wolves and
tigers and the python will not block my way, either. Roads are for
people to walk and bridges are for crossing. No matter how hard it is I
will get through."
As soon as he finished his words, he found himself in paradise already.
Translated from:
http://xinsheng.net/xs/articles/gb/2007/2/9/39628.htm
