[Buddha-l] Burning the statue

[David Kotschessa]

Yes, one of my favorites.  When the X-stian fundies
come into one of the newsgroups to accuse us of
idoltry, I usually give them this story.  Usually
doesn't work, but it gives me an excuse to post it.  I
do not know the original source.

There once was an enlightened, Most Venerable Monk, an
Abbot, living in a serene life in a cave mona­stery.
He lived with his disciples many of whom had attained
Buddha-hood by his revelations. One of the Junior
Monks was a most excellent man, known to the whole
monastery for his good behaviour, faithfulness and
kindness to his teacher and his fellow monks, but
unfortunately was still far from ultimate success in
become an enlightened one. 

Year after year the disciples one after another had
reached supreme knowledge and left the monastery for
their Buddhist propagation trips into the world, but
nothing was happening to the long trained obedient and
righteous disciple despite his qualities. The teacher,
after a very long time of studying the situation, came
to realize, when a sudden snowstorm ushered in winter
to the area, that the mind of his student had reached
a point when "One More Step" or one final thrust is
required to attain enlightenment. 

The cave was filled with winters freezing cold at that
moment when the teacher's heart warmed up at the
thought that it was possibly that the right moment for
his disciple to be awakened within himself. After a
walk around the monastery, the venerable returned to
his pa­triarchal teaching seat; there which was the
only fire­place in the cave with so dim a fire that it
seemed to be nearly extinct. The need for a warming
fire was was urgent and he called that disciple to him
and gave him an order: "It's necessary now to find
some wood to keep the fire going it's so cold. Go and
see if you can get some my son." 

His disciple obeyed and left, but he knew the wood
storeclose by was already empty. Heavy snow now had
blocked all the ways down to the lower forest where he
could get more wood and he had tried his best in vain
searching the cave for fuel before he returned with
empty handed.

Sadly, he said, 'I am sorry, sir; but there is not a
single piece of wood around and the storm outside is
so strong that I can't can go out and get more'. The
Venerable Monk replied kindly "But how about searching
all over the inside, first. If you see anything made
of wood or other inflammable material and bring it
here, will you?" The younger monk obediently bowed and
went on searching but found nothing that could be
burned within the rocky cave. He presented himself to
the teacher at last and exclaimed desperately, 'I
can't find anything to burn, sir!' The Venerable Monk
then said, "Oh, worthy one! I believe you will find
one thing made of wood which is right inside this cave
but only if you look carefully". 
In spite of the Junior Monks overwhelming disbelief
and despondency, he made a decisive exertion to survey
all and every corner of the mona­stery and go as far
as the main shrine of the Buddha. Under the throne of
the sta­tue, he knelt down and prayed for his
revelation before going on a last search. Despite
looking everywhere, there were no wooden things except
the Buddha statue itself; everything else was
unburnable. He came to the very climax of dejection
and finally was found kneeling before the Venerable
Abbot with fear and trembling from head to toe. He
said: "Oh, sir, there is nothing of wood at all except
the Buddha's statue! " The Abbot said "Well, its wood
isn't it?' The junior monk replied "Yes master the
statue is made of wood, but it is our Lord Buddha!'
Initially, the master seemed to loose his temper and
scolded loudly:"You ignoramus! Why don't you just shut
up all your non-sense and bring it here, that wooden
thing immediately understand!" Startled, filled with
doubt and bewilderment, he went to the Buddha statue
and prostrated himself before it expressing his utmost
respect and fear to the statue in disturbing it from
its high place in the meditation hall and then
lowering it down from its high throne carried it back
to the Abbot An expression of compassion and calmness,
then, reappeared on the of the enlightened Abbots face
and in his eyes, as he picked up an axe, raising above
his head and with all his strength, chopped down at
the glittering gold-plated Buddha statue into pieces,
just as the mental cataclysm of the faithful dis­ciple
broke as he witnessed such a seemingly sacrilegious
event preformed by the Abbot. 

Sweat streamed down from every pore of the junior
monk, his body trembling, his eyes streaming tears, he
watched in shock as his master quietly threw the
broken wooden statue piece after piece into the fire.
It was then, as the flames grew, the rocky hall was so
brightened with warmth and light the vision effected
the junior monk's consciousness, and as a mind-flower
blooming immediately within him, he experienced
enlightenment. It was such a blissful moment, as the
monk made the connection and his mind awakened from
the dream of what we normally take for reality. 





--- Ngawang Dorje <rahula_80 at yahoo.com> wrote:

> Hi,
>    
>   There is a Zen story of which a Zen priest burn a
> buddha-statue which I heard before.
>    
>   Anyone know the actual store?
>    
>   Thanks,
>   Rahula
> 
> 
> 
>  		
> ---------------------------------
> Groups are talking. We&acute;re listening. Check out
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