The world of Tzu Chi January 2020 (Vol.118)

2020 • 01 50 T here was a Buddhist follower whose family was falling apart due to his extramarital affair. His wife could not take it anymore and even thought of committing suicide. Buddha told the man a story to save his family. There was a monk who lived on Snow Mountain. One day he got dressed, packed up his things and went down the mountain to buy oil, salt and rice. He was full of good spirits in the morning air, and he walked with a dignified air. When he arrived at the city gate, the king saw the monk and sensed his nobility. The king greeted him and invited him to the palace, where he prepared a sumptuous feast for him. The king enjoyed watching the monk’s proper conduct, so when the monk finished his meal, the king asked him to talk about the Buddhist teachings. The monk spoke eloquently and taught the king all that he had learnt. The king was filled with the joy of the Dharma. “Please don’t go back. I hope you will stay in the palace so that you can constantly preach to me and allow me to understand this otherworldly philosophy.” The monk was also happy, because he thought that it would be good for him to stay in the palace and teach the Dharma, so he agreed to the king’s request. The monk stayed for 16 years. Both the king and the monk got along well with each other and learnt a lot from each other. One day, enemies attacked the border of the country, so the king led his armies out to defend it. Before he left, he ordered a lady of the court to provide meals for the monk. One day, when she had prepared lunch, the monk had not yet arrived. She was very tired and took a bath. She then put on a light dress and laid down to take a nap. Just then, she heard footsteps approaching, and she knew it was the monk coming for his lunch. She rushed to get out of bed just as the monk arrived at the door. In her hurry, she accidentally dropped her dress. At that instant, the monk saw her. He could not take his eyes off her tender body. The lady was embarrassed and put on her dress at once. She then invited him to enter for his lunch. Although there were piles of delicious food, the monk was absent-minded and did not enjoy the meal. After lunch, he went back to his room for a nap, but he was too restless to The Monk from SnowMountain At that instant, the monk saw her. He could not take his eyes off her tender body. He could not eat for seven days, he could not sleep for seven days, and he was sick for seven days… aster Cheng Yen Tells Stories