The Story of A Target Shooting Master

Article by Ada:

My meditation teacher from Bodhi Meditation shared this story in one of his dharma talks, which I find very applicable to our daily lives.

Once upon a time, there was a man famous for his good ability in target shooting. Many people wanted to learn the skills and therefore went to look for him. However, many of them also left after a short period of time without learning anything substantial. 

According to a student who managed to master the skills, his learning journey is as such: 

In the beginning, the master asked him to carry heavy sacks of rice everyday. This task is tiring and seemingly unrelated to what he wanted to learn, and many students have left grumbling they did not learn what they wanted to. However, he stayed on, thinking perhaps the teacher may have his reasons for this. 

After about a year, the master begun to let him get into contact with the bow and arrows, but he was told that the goal was not to shoot, rather, to pull the bow and aim at the target for as long as possible. It was once again very tiring and difficult, but he persevered.

Many months later, he became very good in shooting. Why is that so? The two tasks actually developed his overall physical strength so he can aim well before shooting. A relatively weaker physical strength will make one get anxious and flustered more easily, hence unable to concentrate and lowering the chances of being able to shoot the target. 

What can we learn from this story?

1. We should follow the teachings by our teachers closely, and trust that they know best. It will be difficult for us to pick up what our teachers have to impart to us with doubt and a sense of superiority.
2. We should not look down on the fundamentals. Although they are simple, tiring and repetitive, they are the building blocks to our future success. 

What other learning points can you pick up from this story? Let us know and leave a comment! :)

More information on Meditation available at:

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2) Master Jin Bodhi Facebook

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Golden Mountain - An Artwork by Master Jin Bodhi

Learn to let go to attain liberation

There was a consummate Zen Master Jin Bifeng during the Yuan Dynasty. He reached mastery in meditation and was able to conceal himself from Heaven and Earth, practicing effortlessly like a breeze. He had only one obsession – a jade alms bowl – that was bestowed to him by Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang. He brought the treasured jade bowl wherever he went, lavishing it with great attention, and allowing no one to touch it.

As time went by, Master Jin Bifeng’s secular time was running out, the two deities of impermanence, Heibai Wuchang descended upon his residence to summon him. They found, however, only his body without his consciousness. They could not fulfill their task, so they turned to Earth God to seek a solution.

“What time does Master Jin Bifeng usually wake up from his meditative state?”
“His timing is uncertain.”
“Is there any way to get him out of his meditative state now?”
“Yes, he is obsessed with a jade bowl. So long as his favorite jade bowl is tapped three times, he would return.”

The two deities found the jade bowl, and tapped it three times by Master Jin Bifeng’s ear. Anxious over his prized jade bowl, Master Jin Bifeng's consciousness immediately returned to his body upon hearing the tapping. The two deities then seized him and prepared to report back.

Master Jin Bifeng lamented: "It is because of my attachment towards this jade bowl that my years of practice and innumerable merits have gone down the drain. Now I’m subject to sentient being’s sufferings of impermanence, and of life and death!”

Turning to the two deities, Master Jin Bifeng pleaded, “Please allow me a final chance to enjoy my jade bowl before I leave with you.” "Sure! You can enjoy your jade bowl much as you want!", replied the two deities who then released the Zen master.

Upon resuming his secular form, Master Jin Bifeng retrieved his jade bowl and immediately dropped it to the ground and shattered it to bits. At the same time, he uttered, “Henceforth, I shall be liberated from all attachments!” As soon as he had resolved to do so, Master Jin Bifeng entered yet another meditative state, leaving a cryptic verse that read,

“To get hold of me, one must get hold of ‘emptiness’; only if ‘emptiness’ can be captured, can you then seize me.”

Greed is the first suffering to sentient beings.
Greed can cause one to overlook the original sincerity and conscientiousness, and can destroy all of one’s merits. 
Therefore, we must overcome this affliction, liberate ourselves from this suffering in order to be free from pain, sickness and attachments.

Illustration : Master Jin Bodhi Artwork – Golden Mountain
http://www.putichanxiu.com/cZone/mb/166.html

放下得解脫

元朝有位金碧峰禪師，禪定功夫很好，他能於天地間藏身，平生修行如清風一樣隨緣自在，了無掛礙，唯一的嗜好，就是喜歡把玩皇帝賜給他的玉缽，每天隨身攜帶著，寶貝的不得了，還不准任何人碰觸它。

光陰荏苒，終於金碧峰禪師的壽辰已到，黑白無常來到金碧峰禪師住處，卻只見肉身未見魂魄。黑白兩無常無法交差，只好招喚了當地土地神查問原由：

「平時金碧峰禪師都何時出定？」
「並無一定的時間。」

「那有什麼法子可以讓他現在出定？」
「有的， 他迷戀一只玉缽，只要對著玉缽彈三下，他就會出定回來了。」

黑白無常找到玉缽後，在金碧峰禪師的耳邊彈了三下。禪師因為心繫愛缽，聽到玉缽響聲，果真心急出定，黑白無常因此勾鎖住他，準備回去交差。

金碧峰禪師自嘆一口氣道：「都是我對這個玉缽的貪愛，修行多年，因為一念貪執，折損了自己的功德，如今竟還躲脫不了生死無常！」

金碧峰禪師向黑白無常請求：「請容我再把玩一次玉缽吧，我才能心甘情願的隨著你們到閰君那兒！」
「就是讓你把玩兩下子也無妨！」黑白無常想著，就放他回來…

當金碧峰禪師還魂後，拿起玉缽，隨即往地上一砸，將玉缽摔得粉碎說：「從今往後，我再無掛礙了！」說完，金碧峰禪師又入定去了，留下一偈：

「若人欲拿金碧峰，除非鐵鍊鎖虛空；虛空若能鎖得住，再來拿我金碧峰。」

人生之中第一苦即是「貪」。
「貪」能讓人忘記最初的「真誠」與「發心」，還能毀滅修行人的一切功德。
因此，咱們要想學習解脫之法，解脫心中的苦、解脫生活的苦，乃至於解脫身體諸多病苦，就要先學會去「貪執」。

圖片:金菩提禪師畫作--金山
https://puti.org/ch/wp-content/gallery/mobao1/jinshan.jpg

More information on Meditation available at:

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2) Master Jin Bodhi Facebook
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3) Official Bodhi Meditation Website
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