Praise the Kind Mentor
Author: Fafu
Translator : Lotus
Bit of life
4. I don’t like to sleep very much, but I like to stay in bed. Especially in winter, even if I wake up, I have to slowly lie on the bed, greedy for comfort. But I lingered and fell asleep again. I slept for another hour or two, wasting time in vain, and I was very annoyed and blamed myself, but I couldn’t change this bad habit of mine. After talking to my mentor, my mentor told me: “When you wake up, get up immediately, don’t stay in bed. Do you want to repeat the same misfortune and misery of others?” Miraculously, as long as I think of this, I can get up immediately. No time wasted and I was in a good mood to study.
5. I couldn’t keep the precepts at first, but my mentor encouraged me, “Eat one meal, it’s mine.” After that, he asked me to eat less every meal. I said, “Eat less, I’m hungry.” My mentor asked me, “Why do you want to be full?” When I heard it, I thought about it and said, “Why do I have to be full?” But I still often think about delicious food. My mentor said to me again: “Cultivate well now, if you want to eat, drink and have fun, I will take you to eat, drink and have fun in the future.” Only then was I willing to restrain myself a little.
6. I am short in stature, my facial features are not dignified, and I have some freckles on my face. Since I was a child, I have had inferiority complex and felt that I was not beautiful. When I first met my mentor, he said that I am small and exquisite, and I was very happy.
Once, I told my mentor that I was not good-looking. The mentor knew my inferiority complex and said, “Your skin is the same as mine.” After hearing this, my heart warmed. I have not been disliked.
After all, I am still a troubled being, and I also have a feminine attitude. When I first came to Guangzhou, my secular sister gave me a set of facial cleansers for women. I asked my mentor if I need to use it. What I want to express is that if I use it, it will be more solemn, and it may be able to better absorb sentient beings. The mentor replied: “If the monks are more solemn, can they surpass the lotus woman? Even if the lotus woman has become an arhat, she will attract thieves. Is this what you yearn for?” After hearing this, I felt ashamed and realized When it comes to my own identity, I must always know that I am a monk. I also thought of the record in the “Upasaka Precepts” is to be blessed, wise and dignified, not my face.
Since then, I have accepted myself from the bottom of my heart, and I have also calmly faced outsiders.
Along the way, my mentor always has his unique way to lead me forward. It is very gentle, delicate and full of wisdom and skill. He will take care of every aspect, Just as it is said in the classics that all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas even take care of the food, drink of sentient beings, so does my mentor give me the same feeling.
