The World Of Tzu Chi December 2019 (Vol.117)

2019 • 12 46 the changes of spring, summer, autumn and winter, as well as humanity’s stubborn attachments. Even though they were engaging in spiritual practice, some people still held onto their stubbornness. Nagasena Bhiksu felt pity for them; they were stuck following the Small Vehicle Dharma, attached to seeking their own liberation. So, he became determined to widely promote the Great Vehicle Dharma. He therefore left his mountain hut and returned to the monastery to explain himself and ask for understanding from the assembly. Everyone was touched by his concepts and gradually accepted the spirit of the Great Vehicle teachings. During this period, there was a king who had thoroughly studied heretical teachings and often looked for someone to debate. He thought that the more he debated about the principles, the clearer his understanding would be. The king was very intelligent and doubtlessly articulate, and when he debated all the philosophers in the country, he was bested by no one. One day, the king said to his minister, “Throughout the world, it seems nobody has realized the principles better than I. Do you know anyone else who has more knowledge or understands the principles better than I?” The minister replied, “All the followers of other religions are no match for Your Majesty, but the principles discussed by the sramana 1 are different from Your Majesty’s. Why not go find some Buddhist disciples to have a debate with?” So, the king requested the minister to invite a very famous monastic who was living in the country. At the sight of the minister’s invitation, this spiritual practitioner said, “It’s an honour that the king invited me for a chat. But since he is the one who seeks the Dharma, he should be the one to come here instead.” Thus, with a humble heart the king personally went to the monastery to seek the Dharma. As soon as he arrived at the monastery, he said, “Venerable One, I would like to ask, why do you have to leave your wife and son and cut your hair to become a monastic?” The spiritual practitioner replied, “For the sake of great blessings, I chose to be a monastic.” The king then asked, “Can one also practise at home to cultivate blessings and benefit all beings? Can one attain blessings that way?” The practitioner answered, “Yes, it’s possible.” “If one can cultivate at home just as well as in a monastery, then why did you become a monastic?” The king asked again. This spiritual practitioner was speechless; the ministers accompanying the king applauded and said, “The king won again.” The king returned to the palace and said to the minister, “You see! Even a monk, a disciple of the Buddha, was defeated and speechless when arguing with me.” One minister then remarked, “There is still Nagasena Bhiksu. Would Your Majesty invite him for a debate?” The king gladly accepted and asked the minister to invite Nagasena Bhiksu for a debate. (To be continued in the next issue) * This article is extracted from the book “Reminders under the Sala Trees – A Commentary on the Sutra of the Buddha’s Bequeathed Teachings”. REMINDERS UNDER THE SALA TREES 1 A novice monk.