External Things (3)

1 The way of practice is board and deep. If you want to reach the level of Nirvana, you must be patient to persist, not being bound by the trivia on the way.

2 Sanskrit said, “A log drifts from the mountain down along the river, if it wants to go to the sea, it must beware of stranding on the bank, not being picked and also beware of sinking down for the rot. It must keep itself on the middle of the river and drift along so that it is possible to reach the sea.”

3 Men of practice will attain some no-learning skills in the practice of Zen, which are derivate, not the real purpose of practice. However, many people, who once attain the no-learning skill – supernatural function, they go all out to become master of Qigong, kid of Kongfu, exact future-teller or strategist. They are the log that strands on the bank, rock and the bottom of river or becomes the timber readiness for use as structural material, which are very pitiful.

4 Once upon a time, a young man in the State of Ren aspired to fish a very big fish. So, he made a big fishhook with a long and big rope tied on. The bait was made from fifty oxen. The fish pole was so long that he had to fish on the top of Kueichi hill. He threw the fishhook into the East Sea, waiting quietly for big fish biting the bait.

5 Waiting more than one year, he gained nothing. Other laughed at his stupidity but he didn’t care about. He still sat on the top of Kueichi Hill and dreamed of his aspiration.

6 One day, a big fish finally took the bait. The fish dragged the rope, diving down to the bottom of the sea and then, jumping up to the sky. Wave made by the fish was as high as hill as if the whole East Sea was stirred. King of dragon was astonished when saw the stirring. The creatures around a thousand kilometer were panic-stricken.

7 After the young man caught the fish, he divided it and made it into dry production to offer a share to each person who lived in the place on east of Zhejiang and north of Changwu.

8 This story was spread far. Busybody wrote it into fiction, which came down to the aftertime and no reader wasn’t amazed by.

9 Today, those anglers take a small bamboo pole, fixed by a thin thread to fish salamander and carp in the creek. They have no opportunity to fish the big fish as the young man of the state of Ren.

10 Nowadays, many young men stop learning once they leave school, with their limited knowledge and skills they start to seek career and fame. It is impossible for them to accomplish great cause or make the great wishes come true.

11 So, there are fewer men of great achievement as the young man of the State of Ren.

12 Also, there are fewer men who aspire to reach Nirvana as our role of models in practice.