Some stories on the spiritual elevation of animals

[Guest guest]

Namaste All,

 

Bhagavan's divine relationship with animals is well known. An

outstanding example of spiritual elevation in the animal kingdom is

the cow Lakshmi. Recently I finished reading Empty Cloud: The

Autobiography of the Chinese Zen Master Xu Yun. Xu Yun, who lived

from 1839-1959 (120 years), is considered by many to be China's

greatest sage of the 20th century. In his autobiography, there are

mentioned five stories of animal spiritualality I would like to

share with you. Hope you enjoy them...

 

In Bhagavan,

David. M

 

 

============ 1. cock =============

While I was in retreat, a monk came from Ying-xiang Temple to

tell me that someone there had set free a cock weighing a few

catties [ancient measure of weight equal to about 1 pint] and that

the bird was aggressive and wounded the other fowl. I went to the

temple and expounded the refuge formula nd precepts to the bird,

also teaching it to recite the Buddha's name. Soon the cock ceased

to fight and stood alone on the branch of a tree; it no longer

killed insects and ate only when given cereals. After a while

whenever it heard the bell and qing rung, it followed the monks to

the main hall and after each prayer meeting it would return to the

same branch in the tree. It was again taught to recite the Buddha's

name and eventually crowed, "Fo, Fo, Fo," [Chinese for "Buddha"].

Two years had elapsed when, one day after a prayer-meeting, the

cock stood up in the hall, stretched out its neck, fanned its spread

wings thrice as if to recite the Buddha's name and died while

standing. Its appearance did not change for several days; it was

eventually placed in a box and buried. On the occasion I composed

the following poem:

 

This cock of fighting nature

Wounded fowl and shed their blood.

When its mind came to a stop, by precepts sacred

It fed on grain and stood alone, to insects harmless.

Gazing at the golden yellow statues

How easily it crowed the Buddha's name!

After turning thrice, suddenly it passed away,

Where did this being differ from the Buddha?

 

================ 2. cow ===============

After my arrival at the Wan-shou (Long Life) Monastery in Tengyue,

while talking with Zhang Sun-lin in the hall, a dun cow which had

escaped from its owner came in and knelt down, shedding tears,

shortly followed by its owner Yang Sheng-chang and others. I learned

that Yang was a butcher and said to the cow, "If you want to flee

for your life, you should take refuge in the Triple Gem." The cow

nodded and I immediately taught the animal the Triple Refuge

formula. After this I helped the cow up and it was most placid like

a human being. I took out some money which I gave to its owner who,

however, refused it. He was deeply moved by what he saw, swore that

he would change his occupation and asked for his conversion to the

Dharma. As he also became a vegetarian, Commander Zhang, who was

deeply impressed by the man's transformation, recommended him for

work in a shop.

 

============= 3. raven =============

A villager brought to the Buddhist Association of the Yunnan-Tibet

area a raven to be set free there. The bird was a good mimic. At

first it was fed on meat but after it had been taught the refuge

formula and the mantra for reciting the Buddha's name, it refused to

take meat. It was tame and enjoyed freedom of movement. All day long

it never stopped calling Amitabha and Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva.

One day it was caught by an eagle and while being carried away in

the air it continued calling the Buddha. Though it was a bird, it

did not cease to think of the Buddha in time of danger. How then can

we human beings allow ourselves to be inferior to a bird?

 

========== 4. geese =============

That year [1921], Upasaka [layman] Zhang Jue-xian took a pair of

geese to Yun-xi Monastery to set them free. I was asked to teach

them the refuge formula and both birds bowed their heads and kept

silent as if to receive it. After that, they raised their heads and

seemed to be very happy. From then on they went with the monks to

the main hall and looked at those reciting the sutras. For three

years they followed the monks when the latter walked in procession

round the statues of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas; everyone in the

temple liked them.

One day, the goose [i.e. the female] went to the door of the

main hall, where she stood still, then walked round three times.

Raised her head to gaze at the statues and died, her feathers

remaining lustrous when placed in a wooden box for burial. The

gander cackled ceaselessly as if he could not bear to part with his

mate. A few days later, he refused to feed and swim and then stood

in front of the main hall to gaze at the statues of the Buddha,

spread his wings and died; he was also placed in a small box and

buried in the sample place as his mate.

 

============== 5. gander ===============

In the sixth month, the park intended for the release of living

creatures was completed. Among the flock of geese sent by Upasaka

Zheng Qin-quao to be set free in the park, there was an unusual

gander which weighed about sixteen catties. When it heard the

monastery's wooden fish being beaten, it spread out its wings and

stretched out its neck. In the main hall, it gazed at the Buddha-

rupa all day. A month later, it died while standing before the

Buddha's image but did not fall to the ground. Upasaka Zheng

wondered at this rare occurrence and asked for the bird to be

cremated according to Buddhist rules. Seven days later when it was

cremated, there was no smell.