Abbot of Hunger and Dust

The Abbot of Hunger and Dust sat before the sangha in the hidden Fenghuang Temple. He had put away his robe and begging bowl, washed his feet and sat down in the padmasanam asana, skeletal flesh exposed to the world of illusion. Thus prepared, he indicated that the sangha might question him on enlightenment.

In the midst of the sangha sat a novice, Bone-Oil Ling. Ling arose, uncovered his right shoulder, knelt upon his right knee and, respectfully raising his hands with palms joined, addressed the abbot. "Honored Rishi, of the two divisions of the sangha, the living and the dead, which tends more towards enlightenment?"

The Abbot smiled a toothy smile. "A false distinction. Between the living and the dead, there is no difference. All have the the capacity to hunger."

Bone-Oil Ling bowed back into the throng of monks, but Blackfoot Liu stepped forward. He bowed respectfully and said, "Void-Honored One, if there is no distinction, why do we make our ashram in a manse in Creation, favored by the living, rather than in a Shadowland, which is neutral to all?"

The Abbot inclined his head. "One does not discuss the classics until he has read the Chūn Qiū. Hunger is the same. The hunger a ghost may know is for Essence, but the living may know a thousand varieties more. To meditate in Creation, where each in the sangha can starve in their own way, this is upaya. The manse is that I, too, may know hunger."

Blackfoot Liu bowed back into the throng of monks, but Blood Flower Wu stepped forward. He bowed respectfully and said, "Teacher, if we ghosts are to starve for Essence, why then do you teach us kung fu that can gather it to us like grave dirt?"

The Abbot held up a finger. "Teaching others of hunger is itself hungry work; Essence-drawing techniques are to feed the work, not yourselves. Striking techniques are to open deaf ears to your voices."

With that, the sangha was enlightened.

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Heaven's Mandate