The air was cool and clear in the cowherd village before dawn. This small village was located on the outskirts of the detention country, and the peaceful scene of cows of all colors grazing leisurely spread out before us. However, in this silence, there was a particularly shining presence.
The Buddha was standing in the shade of a tree on the outskirts of the village, eyes closed and lost in deep contemplation. Dozens of monks sat quietly in front of him, listening to every word of the Buddha. Their eyes reflected a thirst for learning and respect.
The Buddha quietly opened his eyes, smiled gently, and began to speak.
“Bhikkhus, I have been able to eliminate all omissions with knowledge. This is not due to ignorance. You may wish to know what knowledge is. Then listen. This color, this collection of colors, this destruction of colors – the same is true for feeling, thinking, action, and consciousness. They gather and disappear. If you do not understand this principle, no matter how hard you try, you will not be able to attain liberation from the omission of all, no matter how hard you try.”
The monks gasped. It felt as though those words contained the essence of life.
The Buddha continued. “You must practice expedient means and achieve them in due course. If you neglect to do so, you will never reach the truth. It’s like a chicken hoping that the chicks will hatch on their own without incubating the eggs. It would be impossible.”
The monks nodded deeply at the Buddha’s words. The truth is strict, but merciful. The wisdom the Buddha spoke purified their hearts and illuminated the path to further training.
On that day, sixty monks opened their hearts to the Buddha’s teachings and achieved the state of emptiness. The Buddha finished speaking, and silence returned. But a new light was lit in the hearts of the monks. It was the glow of their desire and determination for the truth.
The Buddha then smiled again and looked up into the distant sky. His gaze seemed to be fixed on a future in which he would save even more lost people.
