PureInsight | June 28, 2014
[PureInsight.org] In the Northern and Southern Dynasties period, there were three young monks who resided in Lingjiu Temple, which was in Mount Wutai. Mount Wutai was known as a famous Buddhist mountain. The three monks went in search of the immortals that were said to dwell on Mount Wutai. They packed provisions and began their journey. Passing through numbers of dense forests and eating up almost all rations, they were determined to see immortals even they had to allay their hunger with tree leaves.
The three young monks searched for three months all over the mountain. While resting under a tree one day, they saw a big man walking by, who emitted an exceptional aura. They approached the man and asked him if he was an immortal. The man ignored them and continued walking. They followed the man for miles until he entered a cave. They waited for him outside the cave. After some time had passed, an elegant looking man descended from the clouds above, and invited the three young monks to enter the cave. After walking a short distance into the cave, the interior of the cave changed, they were no longer on Earth, but had instead entered into another magnificent world where the scenery was stunning. There were luminous beads up high, giving off a gentle radiance and several dozen caves full of treasure in the distance.
The monks saw that they had entered a heavenly world and thus asked the elegant looking man to teach them. The unusual man then gave them some medicated wine and said “Drink it all, and then I’ll teach you.” The three young monks replied “We are disciples of Buddha and are not allowed to drink alcohol.” The man stated unpleasantly “How can I teach you to be celestial beings if you don’t drink the wine?” The young monks replied determinedly “As eager as we are, the Precepts laid down by Buddha Sakyamuni are supreme. If drinking the wine is compulsory, then we will have to leave.” As they were preparing to leave, the man persuaded them to stay, saying “It is late, and not a good time to travel. You can stay here overnight.” They each picked for themselves a cave to sleep in, and stayed. To their surprise, the man arranged for some beauties to accompany them overnight. They each thought to themselves “We set out to find celestial beings to teach us, but instead find the demon of lust” and they thus snuck away.
They met up and left the cave. They walked quickly for the first few miles without looking back, then a boy flew up to them and said, “The man you saw was a Buddhist Sage. You held the precepts firmly and passed the trials, which is commendable. The great master is pleased, so he told me to give each one of you a miraculous pill.” The miraculous pills’ texture resembled white jade, after taking the pills they started floating in the air and then returned to Lingjiu Temple.
In the story, the three monks were confronted with seducement, not only by beautiful girls, but also with a short cut - by drinking the medicated wine first in order to be taught celestial abilities. They, however, steadfastly abided by the precepts and passed the tests in the end. Their behaviour was admirable. Cultivators today must, under all circumstances, hold tightly to our belief and trust in Master and Dafa while being confronted with enticement, regardless of profits and short cuts to success in the human world or any other dimension manipulated by demons. We must constantly study the Fa that Master has taught us and do what Master teaches.
Translated from: http://www.zhengjian.org/node/130523
