| Once there was a very famous pianist who had won | | | | Bodhidharma asked him, "Where is the scripture and |
| many musical awards. He had mastered his craft to | | | | where is the dharma?" |
| the utmost level, thus many people wished to be his | | | | Shinkuan said, "Scripture and dharma are both on |
| students. One day another pianist paid him a visit and | | | | paper." |
| said, "I wish to continue my learning with you and I | | | | Bodhidharma said, "Words are in black and papers are |
| have been playing piano for three years. Can you tell | | | | in white. Where is the dharma? If you said you have |
| me how long will it take for me to complete with you?" | | | | the dharma, let me draw a cake on paper to satisfy |
| The famous pianist said, "It will take six years." | | | | your hunger." |
| The other pianist then asked again, "How long will it | | | | Shinkuan asked, "How can a paper cake fill the |
| take if I have no foundation at all in playing the piano to | | | | hunger?" |
| learn to play to the same level like you?" | | | | Bodhidharma said, "Since the paper cake can't |
| The famous pianist said, "Three years." | | | | eliminate hunger, how can your dharma on paper be |
| Greatly puzzled, the other pianist said, "This does not | | | | able to transcend life and death?" |
| make sense to me." | | | | Shinkuan replied, "I have preached the scripture and |
| The master pianist then said, "I need to spend the first | | | | dharma to help countless people, how can you say |
| three years to help you unlearn all the things that you | | | | that this is useless. You have shown contempt of |
| have learned before. Then another three years to | | | | Buddhist teaching and it is a crime. My teaching is the |
| teach you the proper way to play the instrument. In | | | | Tao of all dharma which belongs to the oneness." |
| contrast, those who do not have any foundation are | | | | Bodhidharma said, "You are the one really who is |
| like a piece of white paper on which I can imprint | | | | disrespectful of the Buddhist teaching. If all dharma |
| whatever I want." | | | | belongs to the oneness, where does the oneness |
| The moral of this story is very important, on the other | | | | belong to?" |
| hand it does not imply that we should not attempt to | | | | Shinkuan was not able to answer and with anger and |
| learn anything at all nor should we discredit all the | | | | embarrassment, he threw the iron prayer beads in his |
| knowledge that we have acquired. The message is | | | | hand towards Bodhidharma and knocked loose two of |
| that we should not let things that we have learned | | | | his teeth. Bodhidharma left and wanted to avoid him |
| become the stumbling blocks for our progress. | | | | but he was concerned about the lineage of Tao. Then |
| When we come into contact with any matters, we | | | | he pulled out ten prayer beads and transformed them |
| should keep an open mind and not approach the | | | | into Ten Judges of the Dead who appeared before |
| subject matter with only our preconception and biases. | | | | Shinkuan. |
| Unfortunately people tend to criticize or reject | | | | Shinkuan saw them and asked, "Who are you holy |
| immediately when suggestions or ideas made by | | | | ones?" They answered, "We are the Ten Judges of |
| others are not in line with theirs. We should put our | | | | Hell come to arrest your soul because you have lived |
| preconceived notions aside temporary to listen to | | | | up to your years on earth." |
| what others have to say and analyze them judiciously | | | | Shinkuan answered frightfully, "I have been preaching |
| before deciding whether to adopt or reject them. | | | | for forty-nine years and have accumulated infinite |
| Anything genuinely good should be considered for | | | | merit and virtue. How is it possible that I still cannot |
| adoption and if in doubt, we can simply treat them as | | | | avoid the judgement from Hell?" |
| references so that we will be able to understand | | | | The judges said, "Without receiving the true Tao, how |
| another person better at the same time it can be to | | | | else can you avoid the judgement." |
| our own benefit. | | | | Shinkuan asked, "Who has the true dharma?" |
| Viewing the world with preconceptions and prejudices | | | | The judges said, "The monk who came to you the |
| is analogous to looking through a pair of tinted glasses. | | | | day before yesterday was a true Buddha from the |
| We will never be able to see the true color unless we | | | | West who is able to initiate the true transmission of |
| take off the tinted glasses. This is especially true in | | | | Tao." |
| spiritual cultivation. It is easier to guide a young and | | | | With deep regret for missing the opportunity to receive |
| innocent devotee than an older devotee who had | | | | Tao, Shinkuan kneeled down and begged the judges |
| gone through years of spiritual practice with his own | | | | to let him live so that he would go after Bodhidharma |
| preconception of what is right and what is false. | | | | for him to receive the great dharma, and he would not |
| Unfortunately everyone claims his path is the highest | | | | forget their great mercy. Shinkuan then went to the |
| path and he is the luckiest person in the world to be in | | | | mountain and saw Bodhidharma quietly sitting in a |
| his path. Just like the famous pianist to firstly help the | | | | cave. He immediately kneeled down and asked for his |
| other pianist to unlearn all the things that he had | | | | forgiveness. After one day and night, the snow had |
| learned before. | | | | risen to his waist. |
| This is a true story about Bodhidharma (Great Indian | | | | Bodhidharma said with pity, "In order to receive the true |
| Master) and Shinkuan (Great Chinese Master in China). | | | | Tao, one must cut off all deviant paths." |
| Bodhidharma while in India was directed by his master | | | | The great Indian master Bodhidharma implied that |
| Arya Prajnatara in India to search for the right person | | | | Shinkuan must put aside all he had learned so that the |
| in China to continue the lineage of Tao. In China he | | | | true Tao can be transmitted to him. The wordless |
| found Shinkuan and knew that Shinkuan was the | | | | heart teaching was then transmitted to Shinkuan and |
| potential successor. Shinkuan had been teaching | | | | his name became Huik'u, one of the sixty-four |
| classic scripture for forty-nine years when he met | | | | Patriarchs in the lineage of Tao. |
| Bodhidharma. | | | | Author: T. |
| While Shinkuan was teaching the scripture, | | | | |