| Garma C. Chang relates the story of Su Dongpo (Su Tung-p'o), a
celebrated poet and devout Buddhist of the Song Dynasty, who was close
friends with Fo-ying, a brilliant Chan master. Fo-ying's temple was on
the Yangxi River’s west bank, while Su Dongpo's house stood on the east
bank. One day Su Dongpo paid a visit to Master Fo-ying and, finding him
absent, sat down in his study to wait. Finally bored with waiting, he
began to scribble poetic verses on a sheet of paper he found on a desk,
signing them with the words, 'Su Dongpo, the great Buddhist who cannot
be moved even by the combined forces of the mighty Eight Worldly
Winds.' (These are gain, loss, defamation, eulogy, praise, ridicule,
sorrow and joy.) After a while longer of waiting, Su Dongpo got tired
and left for home.
When Master Fo-ying returned and saw Su Dongpo's composition on the
desk, he added the following line after the poet’s signature line:
'Rubbish! What you have said is not better than breaking wind!' and
sent it to Su Dongpo. When Su Dongpo read this outrageous comment, he
was so furious that he crossed the river on the nearest boat, and
hurried once again to Fo-ying’s temple. Catching hold of the master’s
arm, Su Dongpo cried: 'What right have you to denounce me in such
language? Am I not a devout Buddhist who cares only for the Dharma? Are
you so blind after knowing me for so long?'
Master Fo-ying looked at him quietly for a few seconds, then smiled and
slowly said: 'Ah, Su Dongpo, the great Buddhist who claims that the
combined forces of the Eight Winds can hardly move him an inch, is now
carried all the way to the other side of the Yangxi River by a single
puff of wind from the colon!' |
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