The World Of Tzu Chi(Vol.128)

TZU CHI 128 53 * This article is extracted from The Master Tells Stories. What Buddha taught was to walk on the Path with a pure mind. Everyone is common, worldly person when he enters religious life, so which one of us does not have worldly habits? It is just that some have fewer such habits, while others cannot get rid of their habits even after a long time and are continuously confused by things that happen around them. Learning Buddhism is learning that when adversities come our way, we can see them very clearly and our minds are not influenced by them. situation or with any person.” “If you can repent, then you can return to purity,” Buddha said kindly. “The tears you’re shedding now can wash away your evil thoughts. You’re young and don’t have a strong mind, so it isn’t surprising that you still have the desires of a common person. In the past, there were monks who practised for many years and attained the highest level of contemplation and the five supernatural powers. Yet even they became lost because they couldn’t resist feminine beauty. You’ve been a monk for only a short time, so the brief appearance of this common desire is nothing to worry about. Let bygones be bygones. You must face reality, regain your composure and live together with the monks again. When you have no further anxieties, then you can resume your life as a contented monk.” When the young monk heard Buddha’s words he thought, “Buddha said that there were also monks who had studied longer than me but still became lost. I have only been learning for a short time.” This comforting thought made him feel much better and the women’s images suddenly disappeared from his mind. When his anxieties had disappeared, he raised his head and smiled in his usual old way. He bowed and thanked Buddha and his friends, “I won’t be attracted to women any more,” he said to them. “I will look after my mind and work on my spiritual formation. I hope that I can walk on the Path with a pure mind. ”