Chanting Monk was a new intern at the Monastery. He always wore a cloth pouch with prayer beads around his wrist. Chanting Monk constantly rotated the beads in the pouch with his hand and murmured a mantra that no one else could hear.
The Monastery monks did not understand chanting meditation and stayed away from Chanting Monk. This was soon noticed by Sensei.
Last evening after the short service, Sensei requested Chanting Monk, Angry Monk and Impatient Monk to come up to him.
Sensei said, “I will ask each of you a series of questions. Just answer them.” The monks bowed to Sensei in agreement. It was noticed that Chanting Monk always bowed the deepest.
Sensei said, “Imagine if I say to all of you ‘Monks, go to Cotton Wool Mountain, climb its peak within thirty days, and get me the yellow flower that grows there’; then what will you think?”
Angry Monk said, “I will think, ‘Why does Sensei enjoy torturing his monks’?”
Impatient Monk said, “I will think, ‘Thirty days? That’s so long’.”
Chanting Monk kept chanting and loudly said, “Buddha.”
Sensei said, “In the middle of the climb, if you develop a shoe bite, then what will you think?”
Angry Monk said, “I will think, ‘This is bad. I wish I had brought another pair of shoes’.”
Impatient Monk said, “I will think, ‘Let me just wear double socks’.”
Chanting Monk kept chanting and loudly said, “Buddha.”
Sensei said, “When you reach the peak, you notice that there aren’t any yellow flowers, but red ones. What will you think?”
Angry Monk said, “I will think, ‘Red or yellow. Flowers are what Sensei wanted. Let me grab some’.”
Impatient Monk said, “I will think, ‘I am sure the flowers will change to yellow colour later’.”
Chanting Monk kept chanting and loudly said, “Buddha.”
Sensei quickly said, “And imagine that while coming down the mountain, there is a huge avalanche, that hurls you from the mountains into the ravines. When you open your eyes, you have left your body and are in the court of Buddha. The doorman says, ‘Who do you want to meet?’ what will you say?”
Angry Monk grew angry. He never imagined that Sensei would think of ending his journey in such an awful way. He kept quiet.
Impatient Monk said, “I know Sensei won’t let me die.”
Chanting Monk smiled and glowed and loudly began to chant, “Buddha, Buddha, Buddha….”
Sensei clapped three times and said, “Those who diligently practice chant meditation immerse their mind with their single mantra. Then, no matter what happens, they are ready, for redemption, at any moment, without a blink.”
*****
