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The
last time Kuo Yu came by, I told him to ask the Master a question, which had
been bothering me. I said, "I've always wondered about these Krishna
people. They seem very diligent in their practice; they are vegetarians; and all
day long they recite "Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna." Is that like the
Pure Land School in Buddhism? Will they receive birth in Amitabha Buddha's Land
of Ultimate Bliss because of their practice? Just what exactly is the difference
between the two?" After
several weeks the reply came back. "It's the same as the difference between
reciting the name of Marilyn Monroe or Richard Nixon!"
Nov. 23, 1974 - Bowed with minor incidents
through morning. Ate lunch under trees, stopped about 2h miles outside of Elk.
Stayed in abandoned shack with no front, but with good roof overlooking Elk
Creek & cliffs of Pacific Ocean. Shared house with a bird. Heng Ju and I
gave each other short Dharma lectures. I spoke on cause and effect; Heng Ju
spoke about the four marks of self, personality, living beings, and a lifespan
and the Diamond Sutra.
Nov. 24, 1974 - Proceeded through the town
of Elk. Some ladies asked Heng Ju some questions and the town seemed generally
aware of what we were doing--perhaps not why, however. After lunch the Great
Silver Food Cart pulled by Heng Yo sustained a major injury--one wheel had
completely collapsed. Apparently the strain was too much--going up and down
hills off the road, etc. So we carried her into the Elk Garage where Robert
Matsen put two lawnmower wheels on by welding extensions on the axle. He also brazed the broken hand-frame, and brazed on a place to tie our
handle. The cart is now lower and has a wider wheelbase and wider wheels, which
means better handling on and off the road. The people at the garage were
conscious of who we were and were very nice but still a bit flabbergasted. One
man congratulated us heartily, while another insinuated that using kneepads was
in some way cheating. I said that when he bowed a thousand miles he could do it
any way he wanted. In any case, the cart will probably go a long way before any
more work will be needed. Camped beside a creek outside of town.
Nov.
25, 1974 – Started off. Heng Ju went up ahead and I went back to the Elk Garage to complete repairs on the cart. Just as we
were leaving, Kuo Kuei and Kuo Hui drove up with lunch and offering. We were
loading in the gear when the newly refuged family of Andy Klein (Kuo Kuang), Kuo
Hsi (his wife) and Kuo K'uan & Kuo Jiu (his children) drove up. They had
driven hundreds of miles to take refuge with the Master after a delay of several
years and said the offering and ate lunch in the shack on Elk Creek, south of
Elk. We stayed that night in an abandoned shack on the ocean.
It
is as if the 1st 100 miles of the trip were practice--finding the right gear and
operating procedures. Not much progress was made today but certainly a rest was
in order, especially since Heng Ju had developed a boil on the back of his knee.
It was good to see people from the Monastery and hear of the Master and things
in general. The Monastery appears in a different perspective after being gone so
long. We are anxious to get back there and take up the work anew. As Heng Ju
said, "There is a Buddha walking around Gold Mountain..." It's
inconceivable what that means.
The
Daily Log kept by Bhiksu Heng Ju and Bhiksu Heng Yo on their travels will be
published next year by the Sino-American Buddhist Association.
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