This morning, another entrance test was conducted for monks trying to get admission into the Monastery. Sensei and Head Monk invited the contenders to the Oval Prayer Room next to the garden and requested them to sit on the cushions. After the monks had settled down, Head Monk said, “Monks, please slowly look up at the fan. Observe the fan for a few minutes.”
The monks looked up. The ceiling was oval and white and in the middle hung a beautiful large fan. It had three blades. One of the blades was painted with a picture of a laughing Buddha, another one had a picture of a sleeping Buddha and the third blade had a picture of a meditating Buddha. No one had ever seen such a beautiful fan before.
As the monks were observing the fan, Head Monk switched it on, to speed level one. The monks began to concentrate on the fan blades as they slowly began to spin around. Then Head Monk increased the fan rotation to speed level two. The fan spun faster and the blades’ images began to blend into each other. Finally Head Monk increased the fan to speed level three and the fan began to spin really fast.
Sensei was observing the monks. Some of them were looking confused and disoriented as they tried to observe the blades. A few seemed as if they were hypnotized by the fan. One of the monks however shut his eyes when the fan had reached speed level two and at speed level three, this monk had begun to smile, while keeping his eyes closed.
After a few minutes, Head Monk switched off the fan and requested the monks to share what they had seen.
One monk stood up and said, “I first saw the three unique Buddhas and then as the fan spun faster, I saw them dancing together. When the fan was spinning at its fastest, I saw the Buddhas looking at me and blessing me.”
Sensei smiled when he heard this.
Another monk said, “I saw many colours of the rainbow. I saw stars and the sun and the moon. I saw Sensei blessing me.”
Sensei chuckled and laughed quietly when he heard this and then gestured to the monk who had shut his eyes to share what he had seen.
The monk stood up, bowed to Sensei and said, “Sensei, I first saw the three Buddhas. Once the fan began to spin around, I felt cool air around me and closed my eyes and experienced the grace of the three Buddhas caressing me. I felt that I did not need to look at the Buddhas but rather receive their blessings that they were showering on me.”
Sensei clapped three times and said, “When you first see an idol or Buddha, you see grace. Later, as you yearn for more, you will experience their grace showering itself, all around you. Move from seeing to experiencing.”
*****
