letting go

  • The Drowning Miser

    In Yongzhou there were many good swimmers. One day, the river swelled suddenly. Braving the danger, about half a dozen people started across in a small boat.

  • A Buddha’s Unheeded Rescue

    A man journeyed through mountains and rivers, enduring great hardship. While crossing a steep cliff, he slipped and fell into a deep ravine. As he plummeted, he desperately grabbed an old branch growing from the cliffside — saving himself but left dangling mid-air.

  • The woman on his back (but not in his mind)

    Danxia Tianran was a famous Chan master in Tang Dynasty. Once he was traveling with a fellow practitioner. They encountered a muddy path after heavy rain, and the river had risen, making it difficult to pass.