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As we aid others, we are in fact also sowing blessings for ourselves.
~ Dharma Master Cheng Yen ~

uring the Buddha’s lifetime, he The Buddha replied to the king’s question
often taught by example. During a by telling him a story from the past:
Djourney to the kingdom of Sanchi,
the Buddha and his disciples heard of an old Eons ago, there was a cruel and evil king
bhiksu, an ordained monk, who was sick and who enjoyed listening to the cries of people
alone, so they decided visit him. being brutally beaten. At the slightest
infraction, this king would condemn people
When they arrived, they found the old to severe whippings. The king went so far as
monk confined to his bed, sick and very to appoint the most ruthless prison guard
weak. His body was filthy and foul-smelling. he could find to carry out the punishments,
knowing that this prison guard would see to
The Buddha could not bear to see the it that the offenders suffered terribly.
old bhiksu suffer like this, so he instructed
his disciples to immediately cook porridge At that point in time, there was a virtuous
and fetch water to feed and bathe the old man who, though innocent, had been
man. The disciples, seeing how filthy the old imprisoned and was awaiting punishment.
bhiksu was, did not want to be near him. The One day, this man said to the prison guard,
Buddha, however, paid no attention to any of “I am a spiritual practitioner who upholds
these things and bathed the bhiksu himself. the precepts and abides by the rules; I was
wrongfully accused.” When the prison guard
When the king of Sanchi heard this heard that he was a practitioner and noticed
story, he was very moved by it. He asked his graceful and dignified appearance, he
the Buddha, “You are the most esteemed felt compassion for the man. Consequently,
teacher of all heavenly and human beings; when he had to carry out the punishment,
why did you wash the old bhiksu’s filthy the guard forcefully raised his whip high, but
body with your own hands?”

36 TZU CHI USA FALL 2017