White Robes and Kasaya: Tales of the Path

To escape the soul-crushing grind of office life, I retreated to Qingya Temple and became a monk, taking the Dharma name Juexing.

I had planned to spend the rest of my life beside the Buddha, but then my father fell gravely ill and needed an expensive operation, my overworked mother collapsed, and my family fell apart.

The temple was slandered and faced a crisis of trust, while the Buddhist Association kept tightening the pressure. Then my master's words opened my eyes: “The mortal world is where you temper your heart. As long as you stay true to yourself, that is cultivation.”

I took off my monk's robes and shouldered the burden of supporting my family, caring for my parents while practicing Buddhism in the secular world.

Neighbors' disputes and people's anxieties all became places for spiritual practice. Daily chores and caring for one's parents were all forms of cultivation.

It turned out that true Buddha-nature was never in the monk's robes. It was in the heart.