Page 49 - The Buddha‘s Noble Eightfold Path

made his. The young man made his next move. The old monk

made his. After a little while the young man felt the perspiration
pouring down his back and trickling over his heels. So he

concentrated, he put everything he had into that game, and
managed to beat back the old monk's attack. Then he drew a
great breath of relief, 'Ah, the game isn't going too badly!' But

just then, when he was sure he would win, he looked up, and
saw the face of that old monk. As I have said, he was an old man,

and had been a monk many years — maybe twenty or thirty, or
even forty years. He had undergone much suffering, had
performed many austerities. He had meditated very much. His

face was thin and worn and austere. The young man suddenly
thought, 'I've been an absolute wastrel. My life is no use to

anybody. This monk has led such a good life, and now he's going
to have to die.' So a great wave of compassion came up. He felt
intensely sorry for the old monk, just sitting there and playing

this game in obedience to the abbot's command, and now being
beaten and going to have to die. So a tremendous compassion

welled up in the young man's heart, and he thought, 'l can't
allow this.' So he deliberately made a false move. The monk
made a move. The young man deliberately made another false

move, and it was clear that he was losing, and was unable to
retrieve his position. But suddenly the abbot upset the board,

saying, 'No one has won, and no one has lost.' Then to the young
man he said, 'You've learned two things today: concentration
and compassion. Since you've learned compassion — you'll do!'

Like the Mahayana sutras, this story teaches that all that is

needed is Compassion. The young man had led such a wretched,

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