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In Japan, there once was a village that was flanked by a high mountain on the east and opened out into a broad expanse of flat land on the west. One day, an old man suddenly appeared in that village. Slung on his back and also in front of him was each a figurine of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva.
“Do you know how old I am? I am already 330 years old and have been carrying these two Bodhisattvas with me for more than 200 years,” he announced.
The old man continued to speak as he walked, telling the villagers that he wished to find a place for each of the two Bodhisattvas where people could come and pay their respects to them. One of the figurines was a highly efficacious, "wish-fulfilling Bodhisattva", while the other would grant no wishes, no matter what it was that people prayed for.
“I will set up the Bodhisattva that answers no wishes on the broad expanse of flat land and clear a pathway for the ease of those who wish to pray to him. And I will set up the wish-fulfilling Bodhisattva on that mountain that scarcely sees any visitors. This Bodhisattva grants all that is wished for, therefore, however precarious the mountain path, there will be people who will make their way up to offer prayers,” said the man.
Thus, although the Bodhisattva that answered no prayers was set up on a piece of flat land that was easy to access, hardly anyone made the trip there to offer prayers. On the other hand, a steady stream of people would brave their way up the mountain day after day to pray to the wish-fulfilling Bodhisattva, and soon, a clear path was seen on what was once a small forest trail strewn with wild grasses, brambles and twigs. The altar of the efficacious Bodhisattva burned brightly, thick with the fragrance of incense as he granted wish after wish; all who prayed for health and wealth alike received the blessings they sought.
After some 20 to 30 years had passed, the people in the village were all without exception, healthy and wealthy. Then, some of them started to think: “Life is too comfortable and unless I am richer than others, it is meaningless.” Many of them started to entertain thoughts that only if others were struck by poverty and afflicted by illnesses, could they themselves be considered more fortunate than the rest.
With these thoughts in mind, the villagers began to curse one another, each hoping that misfortune would befall their neighbours. And, every single one of these evil wishes came to pass.
Twenty years later, the village reverted to the same state of poverty it was some 50 years ago, but the villagers suffered even more than they did before. Whereas they were honest, peaceable and hardworking back then, they were now slack and inattentive in their work and had lost their skills to eke out a livelihood ever since they started to rely on the wish-fulfilling Bodhisattva for whatever they desired. In addition, the villagers would curse one another with misfortune, thus life was even poorer and filled with even more suffering than before.
True joy comes from a heart without expectations and wants
After a hundred years had passed, the old man who used to carry the two Bodhisattvas around once again appeared in the village.
This time, he said, “A wish-fulfilling Bodhisattva is not necessarily beneficial to people. When everyone has insatiable desires, they will often think of harming others to the detriment of themselves. This attitude of greed is the seed of poverty! What you must do now is to pray to the Bodhisattva that does not answer wishes, with utmost sincerity. Though he never responds to any wish, it is also true that he does not cause harm to anyone! You should cultivate confidence in yourself with an even mind (without any wants or expectations instead of asking the Bodhisattva to fulfil your desires).”
The old man managed to locate the path leading to the Bodhisattva that did not grant wishes with some difficulty, as it was now overgrown with wild grasses. From then on, the villagers stopped visiting the wish-fulfilling Bodhisattva and began paying their respects to the Bodhisattva that did not grant wishes. As they now did not expect the Bodhisattva to be efficacious in granting their wishes, they prayed with a sincere heart and an even mind without any expectations. They were no longer greedy, and they relied on their abilities to eke out a living. Eventually, their lives took a turn for the better.
After many years, the village returned to a state of bustling normalcy like before. Although it was not a very wealthy village, everyone worked hard and respected and cooperated with one another. As they lived with a pure and sincere heart, life for them was indeed peaceful and happy.
There are some who have endless wants and desires; when they have achieved some wealth, they will crave for more. In addition, they fear that they are not outstanding enough. So, they think of all sorts of ways in which they can gain more riches, even resorting to cursing and harming others, to show off themselves. This is the problem of ordinary people.
In actual fact, it is better for us to rely on ourselves instead of praying to the Buddha to fulfil our wishes. We should do our best to fulfil our duties with an even mind (without any expectations). In attempting any endeavour, as long as we work on it conscientiously, our efforts will bear fruit in future. We must all the more develop a mind without seeking anything in return. If we have expectations and wants, we will only be subject to mental afflictions. Only when our heart is content will we always be happy!
Extracted from Tzu Chi’s newsletter
Translated by the Tzu Chi Singapore translation team
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