One cold winter’s night, as a crescent moon hung high in the sky with stars twinkling all around, the white of the snow reflected the moonlight. The wind rustled through the trees next to an old temple with two monks.
Inside the temple, under the faint candlelight, a young monk lamented to the abbot in frustration: “Master, even our small temple has to maintain incense offerings. You often say that Bodhi is wonderful and wonderful is Bodhi, and that one day the Bodhi Temple will become a place of thousands of temples and endless bells. But why is it so difficult to even get a few alms right now?”
The old monk, still dressed in his robe, lay resting quietly with his eyes closed, as he listened to the wind howl outside. The young one, by contrast, could not stop talking, as if he’d been holding in a list of grievances. He said: “Today when I went down the mountain to beg for alms, it was too cold outside, and people wouldn’t even open their doors.
Occasionally I got some food, but it was barely enough for one person. That was still okay, but when I met unhappy people, they cursed at me and didn’t give me any money for incense offerings. They even let their dogs bite me. Master, the world is too cold and cruel. When will your vision be realized?”
The old monk smiled slightly as he listened in silence. Finally, he opened his eyes and asked: “It’s cold outside, snow is everywhere, and the north wind is whipping. Are you cold?” The young monk shivered and said: “My feet are frozen stiff. I want a bowl of hot porridge.” The old monk said: “We’ll make porridge tomorrow morning. But for tonight, let’s go to bed early.”
The two blew out the candle and crawled into their beds. After a while, the old monk asked: “Is it warmer now?” The young monk breathed a sigh of relief and said: “It’s much warmer now. It feels like I’m sleeping on a small hill under the warmth of the sun.”
The old monk teaches with a blanket
The old monk said: “You’ve been here at the temple for some time, and you can now fold your blanket neatly. But let me ask you – how can a thick, cold blanket keep us warm? Is it the blanket that keeps us warm, or is it us who warms up the blanket?” The young monk chuckled and said: “We warm up the blanket! Master, this question is too easy.”
The old monk said: “Yes indeed! The blanket itself has no temperature and cannot give warmth to people. But a thick blanket can keep us warm by preserving our body temperature and letting us sleep comfortably!”
In the darkness, the young monk opened his eyes and listened quietly. The old monk continued: “We ring bells daily to recite sutras while begging for alms and chopping wood. We have nothing, but are like people lying under a thick blanket, while all those sentient beings down there are themselves like thick blankets covering us. Our hearts are pure and kind, with compassion in our minds, and we will eventually warm the cold cotton blanket. Additionally, all living beings can help us preserve warmth like a giant cotton quilt. We can only get through the long winter by sleeping in such a warm bed!”
The next morning, after the sun rose, the old monk opened his eyes and found that the young monk had already gone down the mountain to beg for food. The yard was swept clean, cooked rice porridge awaited him in the pot on the stove, and a wildflower was inserted in a vase in front of the Buddha statue.
Ten years later
Bodhi Temple became a large temple covering hundreds of miles, with painted beams, carved rafters, and incense smoke lingering around.
The monks meditated and chanted scriptures devoutly, while pilgrims came one after another. One day, a young monk quietly asked the abbot: “Master, I heard that this place used to be a small, dilapidated temple. Why is it so prosperous now?”
The abbot said: “When I was a young monk, my Master told me a story about a cotton quilt that warms people’s hearts. Do you want to hear it? But first, fold your blanket neatly, sweep the yard clean, and I will tell you tonight when we’ve retired to bed. Also, when you go down the mountain to beg for food today, no matter how others treat you, you must be polite and put your palms together in gratitude.”
Translated by Joseph Wu
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