On their way out they passed by Lu Mountain
where they met the Great Master Zhiyuan (Huiyuan), who promoted the
practice of reciting the Buddha's name. He himself recited the
Buddha's name all the time. Well, they went to pay their respects to
Great Master Yuan. Venerable Yuan said to them, "What Dharma do you
two monks from India transmit that causes people to pay you so little
respect?"
Fo Tuo and Ye She both extended their hands. They probably knew very
little Chinese. Extending their hands, they said,
"The hand makes a fist, and the fist makes a
hand. Isn't that fast?"
Master Yuan replied, "Very fast!"
"Bodhi and affliction," they said, "are just that fast!"
At that moment, Great Master Yuan became enlightened and said, "Ah!
Bodhi and affliction basically are not different! Bodhi is
affliction and affliction is Bodhi." Having gained such an
understanding, Great Master Yuan made abundant offerings to Fo Tuo and Ye She. Shortly
thereafter, the two died on the same day, in the same place. Their
graves may still be seen at Lu Mountain.
Back in India, when Patriarch Bodhidharma
learned that his two disciples had been scorned and had both died,
he thought, "I will go there myself to have a look." Thereupon he
went to China.
Patriarch Bodhidharma saw that the roots of the Great Vehicle
Buddhadharma were ripe in China and knew that he should take the
Great Vehicle Dharma there. Fearing neither the distance nor the
hardship of travel, he took the Dharma there. What do you suppose it
was like when he arrived in China?
