Steady Progress——68

Author: Fafu

Translator : Lotus

15. Before I became a monk, my mentor never cared about my clothes, but after I became a monk, he was very strict with me. I remember the winter when I first became a monk, it was snowing heavily and I wore my layman’s rain boots to my teacher’s place. As soon as I entered his room, my mentor said to me, “A monk is not a monk, and a layman is not a layman. From then on, I never dared to wear clothes freely again. Later, after studying more, I realized that if I did not do a good job with my monk image, sentient beings would create bad karma and would be unlucky. In order to protect the good roots of sentient beings, I must do a good job.

16．since childhood I have been very obsessed with family affection, even after becoming a monk, it is still difficult to let go. But the reality is always cruel. After experiencing one family fiasco after another, I discovered the immense selfishness of affection. Once I couldn’t help but ask my mentor, “Are all family relationships in this world so selfish and self-serving? I really can’t accept it. My mentor replied, “All people in the world are like that, that’s why they fight and quarrel. Even husbands and wives, fathers and sons, and parents do not give in to each other.” The wonderful wisdom of my mentor made me realize the nature of affection, and I was deeply grateful to my mentor, the Three Triple Jewels, for their selfless assistance.

17. The humility of my mentor was very impressive. When I first met my mentor, I asked, “Do you despise me, Master? He said, “No. You are Buddha in my heart.” Later, after learning the story of Su Dong Po and Zen Master Fo Yin, I understood what my teacher said, that in his mind, all living beings have Buddha nature and are past parents and future Buddhas.

My arrogance and persistence are very strong, and I don’t like to change anything I write easily, and of course I don’t like to change other people’s writing at will. Once I sent a collection of quotes from my mentor to my mentor, and my mentor replied: “Sometimes what I say is not perfect, you can make it more complete.” The humility of the mentor immediately convinced me of my arrogance. Even if my mentor is so humble, what qualifications do I have to override others and demand what should be done and what should not be done? I vow to be humble and gentle like the mentor and a Buddha, so that everyone can take refuge.

My life has not experienced too many ups and downs, and it is relatively ordinary, but every bit of my progress comes from the cultivation of my mentor. My mentor once said: “Correcting bad qualities and cultivating noble qualities is the practice of a Bodhisattva.” I am very grateful to my mentor for paving the way for me on the Bodhisattva path.