PICTORIAL BIOGRAPHY OF THE VENERABLE MASTER

HSU YUN

Composed by the Venerable Tripitaka Master Hua

--Translated by Disciple Bhiksu Heng Yo

--Illustrated by a Student of Prajna

REBUILDING THE TEMPLE AND BRIDGE, #2

After Mr. and Mrs. Yu T'ang prayed and made vows in their worship of the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, they visited a number of temples and Buddha images. They discovered a temple, which was ruined and useless; the tiles were broken and the walls had fallen over; leaking water had defiled the holy images, flowing all over the faces and bodies. Because this greatly troubled them, they resolved to repair the temple. They also saw that the Eastern Bridge of Yung Ch'un Chou had fallen into disrepair over the years. Those who used it were worried and wary of its danger. Thereupon Mr. and Mrs. Yu T'ang hired workmen to reconstruct and restore the temple and bridge.

The Gatha says:

Build up blessings; build up wisdom by building temples and shrines;

Build the Way; build up virtue by building bridges, too.

Building causes builds the effect, build it within yourself,

Build the wholesome, build humaneness, and build up your self-reliance.