Episode 68 — 能說不能行 不是真智慧

Another successful case of rebirth in the Pure Land was a monk who volunteered his help in the newly built Temple of Ultimate Bliss in Harbin. Great Master Tan Xu who built this temple, was a student of Great Master Di Xian. Since he was a northerner, Great Master Di Xian asked him to return to his hometown to propagate Buddhism after he was ordained as a monk because his Dharma affinity was there. That’s why he had built over a dozen cultivation centres in the north. After the Temple of Ultimate Bliss was built, a Dharma assembly was held to transmit the precepts for the first time so that this cultivation centre would prosper. There were many lay practitioners, monks and nuns who volunteered to help out during the precept transmission. One of them was Venerable Xiu Wu, who was an honest Pure Land practitioner. He was illiterate. He used to be a mason before he became a monk. After becoming a monk, he did hard labour in the cultivation centres. He was not afraid of hardships as he did everything that other people were unwilling to do. He came to the Temple of Ultimate Bliss to become a volunteer. Venerable Ding Xi, who was the abbot of the temple, asked him what he could do. He said that he was willing to take care of the sick (those suffering from a cold) because the precept transmission lasted for 53 days. They needed such people, so he was asked to stay. Soon after, he went to tell Great Master Tan Xu and Venerable Ding Xi that he wanted to leave. The Great Master who was morally cultivated, did not say anything; he would not stop anyone from coming, neither would he forbid anyone from leaving. Venerable Ding Xi, who was the abbot, reproached him, saying, “The precept transmission only lasts for 53 days. Don’t you have a bit of patience? Why are you leaving in just a few days?” He then said, “I’d like to inform you that I’m not going anywhere. I’ll be reborn in the Western Pure Land.” Knowing that reborning in the Pure Land is a great matter, they asked him when he would be leaving. He said, “Within ten days.” He requested them to prepare two hundred catties of firewood for his body cremation. Venerable Ding Xi agreed to his request. He went to see them again on the second day and said, “Great Master, I’m leaving today.” They quickly built a small shed and got firewood ready for him. He was really bound for the Pure Land. He also requested and hoped to have several people chant Amitabha Buddha’s name to send him off. Of course, everyone was more than happy to do so. Those who were sending him off to the Pure Land said to him, “In the past, people who really foreknew the day of their rebirth in the Pure Land must leave a few poems or verses for those who sent them off as a remembrance. Venerable Xiu Wu, you have to compose some poems or verses for us too.” Venerable Xiu Wu said, “I’m an uncultured and illiterate man who never attended school. I’ve been doing hard labour since I became a monk. I neither know how to compose a poem nor write a verse. Since you’ve made this request, I have a phrase for you all: being able to preach but unable to practise is not true wisdom!” After everyone listened to his phrase, they felt it was very good and practical. So, they chanted Amitabha Buddha’s name and sent him off to the Pure Land. Not long after their chanting, he was really reborn in the Pure Land.