This happened in Tibet. The lama, who was working in a remote gorge, wrote a letter to the abbot of the monastery, his teacher, in which he asked to send another lama: “We need him here.”
The abbot of the monastery called all his students, read the letter to them and said:
- I would like to send five of you.
One lama asked:
“But they only ask for one thing.” Why five?
The old abbot said:
- You'll find out later. I will send five, but even then there will be no confidence that any of them will get there, since the path is long and there are a thousand and one distractions on it.
They laughed. They said:
- The old man has lost his mind. Why send five when you need one?
But the old man insisted, and the five set off on a journey.
The next morning, as they walked through the village, a messenger from the village chief ran up to them.
“Our priest has died, and we need a priest.” The salary is good.
The village looked rich and prosperous, so one of the five said:
“I would like to stay here, because this is also the work of the Buddha.” Why go to the gorge? Here I will do the same work. Four of you are enough, but only one is needed. So I'm staying here.
One fell off.
The next day they walked along the outskirts of the city. They met the king on his horse. The king looked at them. One young monk was very handsome, healthy and radiant. The king said:
- Wait. I'm looking for a young man because it's time for my daughter to get married. I've been watching and observing a lot, and you seem like a good fit. Are you ready? I only have one daughter. My whole kingdom will be yours.
Of course, the young man said to his friends: “Goodbye!” He stayed; the second one disappeared.
Now the remaining three realized that the old man was not crazy. The path was indeed long, and there were a thousand and one distractions along it!
Now these three decided: “We will not do such a thing,” although in the depths of their souls they felt jealous of the one who became the king and the one who became the great priest. And who knows what will happen in this gorge?
On the third night they lost their way. Only one light shone on a hill in the distance; there stood a lonely house. They got there. There was only one young woman there and she said:
- It's good that you came here. You are God's messengers as my mother and father were supposed to return this evening and did not return. I was afraid to be alone in this house so far from the city. It's good to have you here. You are God's messengers, you were sent by Buddha himself. Please stay with me, don't leave me until my parents return.
They had to leave the next morning. But one of them - the one who secretly fell in love with this woman - said:
“I can’t leave until her parents come back.” That wouldn't be compassionate.
It wasn't about compassion, it was about passion! But when there is passion, people talk about compassion.
Two others said:
- This is not good. We have to get there, and you fall away. But we decided not to do this.
That man said:
“All my life I have been taught to be compassionate. This woman is lonely, her parents do not return. Leaving her would be bad, it would be ignoble. Buddha will never forgive me. You can go,” in fact, he wanted them to leave, “but I’ll stay.”
The third one fell away.
In the village the next morning, the remaining two were surrounded by a crowd, since atheists lived in this village; they didn't believe in Buddha. The two of them were challenged: “You must prove that what the Buddha says is true.” There lived a great atheist scientist in the village, and it was he who issued the challenge.
One of the two accepted this challenge. The second one said:
- What are you doing? Who knows how long this will last?
He said:
“Even if it takes my whole life... I am devoted to the Buddha, and this man challenged the Buddha and his philosophy.”
This was not a challenge to Buddha; it was an ego challenge.
“I can’t leave this village, I will convert this village.” You can go. Indeed, only one is needed.
That's how it happened. That man stayed to argue, but only one made it.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru