Master Hsing Yun on the Monkey
Written by Peter Li-Chang Kuo ( Chinese ) In 1983, at Pumen Temple on Minquan East Road in Taipei, Venerable Master Hsing Yun (before he began referring to himself as “ Great Master ”) suddenly said: “The King of Hell asked a monkey whether it wanted to be reborn as a human. ‘ First, pluck the fur from your body ,’ he told it. The monkey plucked just a bit and immediately cried out in pain. The King rebuked it: ‘ Not willing to part with a single hair, yet you wish to become human? Away — to the Avīci Hell! ’” Master Hsing Yun said he wanted to “ build temples to support monks, spread the Dharma, and benefit all beings .” He believed everyone should contribute according to their means: those with money should give money, those with ability should give effort; and those with neither should at least offer a kind heart and kind words. We helped promote his “ Northern Sea Merit Certificate ,” which enabled the rise of a religious kingdom. Fig 1: “Northern Sea Merit Certificate” I...