Tetsugen, a Zen preacher in Japan, decided to publish sutras that were only available in China at that time. Books were to be printed from wooden blocks in an amount of 7,000 copies—a monstrous undertaking.
Tetsugen began traveling and collecting monetary donations for this purpose. A few sympathizers gave him 100 pieces of gold, but mostly he received small crumbs. He thanked each donor equally. After 10 years, Tetsugen had collected enough money to begin to carry out his decision.
It so happened that at this time the Uyu River overflowed, and after the flood, famine began. Tetsugen took all the money he had collected for the books and sent it to the victims to save them from starvation. He then began his work of collecting money again.
A few years later, an epidemic broke out throughout the country. Tetsugen again gave everything he collected to help people.
For the third time he began his work, and after 20 years his wish came true. The printed blocks from which the first edition of the sutras were made can still be seen in Obaku Monastery in Kyoto. The Japanese tell their children that Tetsugen made three editions of the sutras, and that the first two invisible editions are even superior to the last.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru