A Genuine Cultivator is Never Arrogant-- Master Zhenlin

I was giving a sutra lecture at the Flying-to-the-Heaven Cave yesterday when a lady joined us. Having listened for a while, she said that I was wrong on some points. Well, my disciples sitting there listening were all taken aback when they heard it, and took it as a layman’s view.



I did not think so. I later reminded the disciples, “Your mind is characterized by arrogance if you think of her like that. She has good roots.”



I did not look down upon her. Not only that, I used an expedient means to expound on the Dharma for her. Guess what happened? She was so fascinated by it that she refused to leave even though her mom kept urging her to go back home to prepare the meal. Knowing that we were to visit Guoqing Temple the other day to see my master, she said she wanted to join too (translator: which she did the second day!).



You should refrain from thinking low of others. After all, before your Dharma eyes are open, you won’t be able to tell whether one has wisdom roots or not.



There was once a man who wanted to take refuge with Shakyamuni Buddha. His disciples, the Arhats, opened their heavenly eyes and took a look at the man’s past causes. He hadn’t done any good deeds over the past five hundred rounds of life. They told him that he couldn’t leave home.



The Bodhisattvas can see events of the past eighty-thousand aeons ago. They, too, said that the man did not have any good roots and that the Buddha would not accept him as a disciple.



Nevertheless, Shakyamuni Buddha eventually said yes to him. The Arhats and Bodhisattvas were very surprised to learn about the decision. Knowing they were puzzled, the Buddha explained to them that this man did plant good roots before. That was more than eighty-thousand aeons ago, when he had once bowed to a Buddha statue. The condition ripened in his present life. The man later certified to Arhatship through cultivation.



The same story happened to my disciples today here at the Flying-to-the-Heaven Cave. The lady, as I said, has planted good roots before. Had I been attached to the ego, I would have thought low of her and felt repulsive to her, as she had been impolite to me. Well, I have cast away my ego, and hence the following story.