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00464 Why Are Masters’ Lives Always at Risk Since Ancient Times?
00464 Why Are Masters’ Lives Always at Risk Since Ancient Times?
No. 00464
Category / Lecture Tours-Asia
Event date / 19881117
Place / Taipei,Formosa
Language / Chinese
Time (mins) / 116
Publication No. / video-19
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  • Summary

Once a listener asked Master to preach to a hungry lion, in order to test if Master can tame the lion. Coincidentally in the Bible, there was a spiritual practitioner named Daniel who was much trusted by the King; the officials around the King, however, were jealous, so they persuaded the king to put Daniel in a lion cave to test if his God was efficacious. we can see, in any age, teaching Dharma is not easy, and there is always somebody who does not understand the truth and fight ferociously again it. Furthermore, if the state law at that time was not just, the Master was almost risking his or her life. That’s why the Fifth Zen Patriarch Hong Ren said, 'those who teach the Dharma face risk of losing their lives since the ancient times.'

Our concepts must be correct. We do not practice for fame, or to argue with others for right or wrong, good or bad, powerful or not, etc. If we have these struggles, it means that we have big ego and still care about what others think of us; in Buddha's nature, there is no I, or He; so why struggle? For real practitioners, we cannot measure his level by magic power or the practice level by ability. Shakyamuni Buddha did not attract people by magical power, and never allowed his disciples to do it. If someone still uses his magic power to prove himself, it means that he has not yet reached the ultimate level or completely diminished arrogance or competitive mind. He still has the animal qualities inside, and has not attained all of Buddha’s noble qualities.