A Zen Story - Who is She?

The Little Monk : Madam~the nearer you are，the further I am from the Buddha

Young Lady: Little Monk~I am actually the incarnation of the Buddha

... the Zendo was deathly quiet，almost as though there was no one there，only the Zen Master was clear in his heart, that the forty zen monks taking part in this retreat had reached the last obstacle - overcoming the Gate of Life and Death; the Gate of Life and Death is also known as the Gate of Lust, if the attachment to sensual desires is not severed, then it is difficult to break the cycle of life and death, he hoped that these monks would not encounter any accidents today, and could pass through the Gate.  

Just as the Zen Master was worrying about this, a loud commotion arose from outside the door, it was the temple servant arguing with a young girl. The zen master opened the door and wanted to stop the argument, but at this time, the young girl forced open the door of the Zendo and ran into the room.

The servant could not grab her in time.

Disturbed by the sound, the forty initiates almost simultaneously opened their eyes, and were stunned speechless by the sight of the girl, for she was so beautiful as if carved from a piece of jade. Her eyes scanned each of the monks and and greeted them with an elegant and warm smile, a look that bestirs the soul, a smile which melted the heart, it was a site that would never be forgotten by those who looked upon her.  

The Zen Master asked her respectfully: Excuse me, miss, what business do you have with our Zendo? 

"Amita Buddha, I had recently learned that there were a number of monks doing a retreat here, and I specially came to offer each of the monks a pair of shoes. Master, please show compassion and grant my wish!"

"In this case, please leave the shoes behind, and after the retreat, I will distribute them for you"

The young girl softly shook her head, and restraining a smile answered "I wish to personally place the shoes on the foot of each of the masters here. Master, please show compassion, for this will fulfill my wish and the the unspoken wishes of each of the monks here." 

Once the forty monks heard that the young girl wanted to personally place the shoes on their feet, their hearts started beating wildly, and each one unconsciously began to smile with delight.

The Zen Master reluctantly sighed, put his hands together and agreed: If it is so, please go ahead.

The young girl nimbly, stepped over the ledge and helped each of the monks to put on the shoes, with that beautiful smiling face, those soft and elegant hands, and lithesome body, and most of all a scent which seeps into the heart. Each monk could not help but think, if I were spend a day with this girl, I would happily die for it.

When the young girl put on the last pair of shoes, and was preparing to leave the zendo, she realized the door of the Zendo was locked. So she asked the Zen Master: Master, you have locked me within the hall, what is your intention? How can I leave?"

The Master' face was like steel, and coldly said to her, "And you think to leave tonight?"

"Of course, I have passed out the shoes, and have to go home"

"I would rather move the waters of a thousand rivers, than disturb the heart of one who practices the Dao! Tonight you have disturbed the concentration of forty of my students, and you think you can leave the hall with your life?"

The girl was distraught: "I only came to offer shoes, it was the monks who were overcome by lust when they saw me, how can this be my fault? Please open the door and let me out."

"Letting you go is easy, but you have to leave one thing behind"

"May I ask, what it is that I have to leave?"

"Your Life!", the Master said with steel in his voice.

The young girl wept with emotion, and moved everyone with the sight of her bowing before the Zen Master:  Why do you have to take my life? 

"Because you have sown an evil seed today, and in front of you there are only two roads:

One, you reincarnate 40 times as a woman, and marry each of these monks in in turn who you have caused to fall in love with you, they will also return to samsara and regardless of what circumstance they are in, you will have to marry them. 

Two, the alternative is to die here and now, and extinguish the cause of this reincarnation for the next forty lives."

The young girl's eyes widened in fear, and the did not restrain the tears pouring down her cheeks, :"Then I have no other choice?" 

"That's right! Two roads for you to choose." 

The young girl slowly replied to the priest, "Please find a silk rope for me, I would rather leave my life behind than serve these forty men as their wife".

After hearing her answer, the forty monks were speechless, seeing what had just be a carefree young girl, now determinedly carrying a silk rope, slowly approaching the door to end her beautiful and precious life, they all feel compassion for her.

After the girl had killed herself, she then continued to hang from the rafters in front of the door. What was once someone in the springtime of her life, had vanished like the ashes of a fire in the wind. That face which was like a flower, was now cold and white, but had not lost its beauty.

After three days the body of the girl started to rot, and the beautiful white skin had changed color, but the Zen Master treated it as though nothing had happened, and watched over the 40 meditating monks. As the days passed, the body of the girl continued to change.

What was originally a proportioned and lithesome body, now began to rot and swell, and that face which had moved everyone's heart was now a light green color, and would not stop emitting rotten pus. The smell made everyone want to be sick, the monks had almost reached their limit, and wanted to ask the master to open the doors and windows to let in the fresh air and remove the corpse of the girl, but the Master acted as though nothing had happened and continued to watch over the hall.

On the seventh day, the forty monks, facing this unspeakable horror of a corpse, could take it no longer, for a piece of flesh had fallen off the girl's body, and the skirt and undergarment had also fallen away, and all could see that where the flesh had fallen off from the body there were white bones, and were crawling with maggots. Everyone could not help and it seemed as though they all threw up at the same time.

The Master slowly stood up from his cushion, and facing the monks, coldly stated: "Do you all want to leave the Hall?" 

"Yes!" They shouted in unison. 

" Well then, whoever can answer my question, can leave. Those who want to answer, raise their hands."

The forty monks raised their hands simultaneously.

The Master pointed to the corpse and asked "Who is she?" 

The forty monks were at a loss for words.

The master stood in from of the corpse and loudly asked: "Tell me, who is she? Is that the girl who turned your mind upside down and made you want to have relations with her?" 

"No!" They shouted together

"Do you still want to spend the rest of your life with her?"

"No!" Again they replied together.

"Does another girl exist in this world who will move your heart?"
"No more! We swear!"

The old priest waved his hand "Good, leave through the gate!"

The body was covered with a piece of yellow cloth, and was carried out by the forty monks, the monks did not disperse because in their heart was still a question: "Who is she?"

The old master's face was stern when he led the forty monks in bowing three times before the corpse, saying to all: "Do you want to see who she is? Once I leave, take a look."

With that, he turned and returned to his quarters. 

Everyone was nervous when they removed the yellow cloth from the girl's body, and were all stunned. How could this be the rotten corpse of the girl they just removed? 

Actually it was a statue of the Bodhisattva Guan Yin from the temple, and having replaced the statue in its proper place, they began to wonder how the old master knew. 

Everyone raced to the old master's quarters, but found him sitting in a meditative pose, having passed on.

Zen, leaves you enlightenment and not regret. 

Wake up.

This world has too many worries, so many people, so many people ask the Buddha what do I have to do in order to have no worries.

The Buddha's answer is the same:

"Only by letting go, can you release yourself from suffering"

Many clever people do not agree and sought out the Buddha to ask him:


"There are so many forms of suffering in this world, but your solution is always the same, isn't this laughable?"

The Buddha did not become angry, but asked on man: 
"When you sleep, do you dream?"

"Of course!", answered the man

"Then do you dream the same dream every night?" The Buddha asked?

"Of course it's different!" 

"You sleep a million times, and a million times it is different"

With a smile, the Buddha said "But the solution to a dream is still the same"

"Wake up!"

The man had nothing to say.     

我很喜歡這則禪宗故事。

這則故事把煩惱比喻成「夢」，只要我們願意放下，

就能從夢中清醒來。

無論你的煩惱是什麼，方法都是一樣的。

能將我們從痛苦的地獄拯救出來的，

絕對不是別人，只有我們自己。

人生有太多包袱，

我們可以選擇將它一一扛在肩上，

也能選擇瀟灑地放下它們，

而能否放下，則會決定我們未來的人生，

將繼續痛苦，還是可以享有幸福。

想擺脫惡夢的糾纏，唯一的方式是「醒過來」；

想忘卻人生的不順遂，唯一的方法就是